Getting Work To Work

How do you grapple with resistance when writing about personal stories from your past? As today’s guest learned, “When you get to the pain, slow down.” Darls Centola is a psychotherapist, educator, and author of Finding Truth with Michael: A Memoir of Friendship, Faith, and First Love.” In our conversation, Darls shares stories from her book including what it was like growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness in 1970s Los Angeles, being friends with Michael Jackson, and how her sister got them enrolled in a prestigious private school where they met the Jacksons. She also talks about her curiosity with neurobiology, the many paths she took to discover her calling, seeing people as they are, how doubt was the beginning of how to think, learning to listen to herself, and healing her relationship with her mother. Darls also provides practical advice on writing, discovering her adult voice, and how she worked on her craft in workshops and with coaches. Show Links Darls Centola, LCSW Finding Truth with Michael: A Memoir of Friendship, Faith, and First Love by Darls Centola The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. Somatic Experiencing Internal Family Systems The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy of Personal Transformation by Dennis William Hauck The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield Episode photo from Envato Elements: Fresh Lemons Pattern Background. Copy space. Top view.

Have you ever wondered what a crime novelist can teach you about your own creativity? It turns out, a lot—and not just about weird crimes and sketchy people. Today’s guest is Tod Goldberg, the bestselling author of sixteen books, including the Gangsterland quartet and his latest, Only Way Out. Tod is also a professor of creative writing and the founder and director of the Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Riverside. We start our conversation with Tod stating why intellectual curiosity is essential for writers to connect with people. We then talk about what it was like to grow up in a family of writers, the movies we watched as kids that we probably shouldn’t have seen, a snapshot into his writing and professional life, the importance of doing your job and letting your brain breathe, why true crime is popular in chaotic times, why he created a writing graduate program and how it’s different than other MFAs, and his love for the democratization of art. Show Links Tod Goldberg The Story Behind The Stories – Tod Goldberg The Gangsterland Series by Tod Goldberg Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg Dune by Frank Herbert Lee Goldberg The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams The Godfather (1972) Red Dawn (1984) The Outsiders (1983) C. Thomas Howell Big Trouble in Little China (1986) The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) Escape from New York (1981) Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Todd Marinovich Linda Woods Artworks Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino The Jesus and Mary Chain Tod Goldberg, author of ONLY WAY OUT Marty Supreme (2025) Home – Harris Ranch Beef Company Ben Folds Five – Brick – YouTube Joe Loya Dead Man Walking (1995) Premier Low-Residency MFA | UC Riverside Palm Desert Creative Writing | Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA John Cheever John Updike Martin Scorsese Jane Campion Taxi Driver (1976) Lee Strasberg Office Chairs | La-Z-Boy Alta Journal: Stories of California and the West At the Knee by Tod Goldberg Sacrament by Susan Straight Jason Isbell – Official Website Episode photo from Envato Elements: The sun sets on the horizon as cattle graze in the field

Be honest: How bored are you right now? In all this push to get seen, to be consistent and on-brand, you’ve managed to become more machine than human. Your processes all have systems that talk to each other, dashboards measure what matters instantaneously letting you know whether you’re succeeding or failing, and social media keeps you jacked in and distracted to what’s really going on within you. Boredom is often portrayed as something to be avoided, but what if it’s actually what you need? What if instead of clicking, swiping, scrolling, and tapping, you did absolutely nothing? What could you learn from a period of disconnection and introspection? The answers to these questions are anything but simple, but they are instructive and personal, specific to your circumstances and dreams. And perhaps, just the very thing to guide you into a more favorable future. Show Links Episode photo from Envato Elements: Teenagers Holding Decorative Colorful Masks on a Sofa edX: CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python Coursera: Figma UI/UX Design Essentials Coursera: Google AI Professional Certificate

I believe art finds us when we need it most. When I picked up the first issue of Art Bar Magazine and read the welcome letter from the editor, I felt like they were speaking directly to me and welcoming me home. I sent an email inviting the founders of the magazine, Sawa & Ira Ingram to the show, and they graciously accepted. In our conversation, we talk about how their roots in filmmaking, photography, and skateboarding, led them to create a magazine that celebrates new artists, successful creators, and an inclusive art world where everyone belongs. We also discuss Sawa’s documentary, Passing Through, Ira’s work in skateboarding and the Professional Skateboarding League, building trust and relationships, mortality and the importance of living life, what creativity looks like as a couple, the differences between analog and digital, and the symbiotic relationship of art and skateboarding. If you have an idea to create something, then this episode is the permission slip you need to go and make it. Show Links Art Bar Magazine Sarah Remetch Ingram Passing Through (2024) Professional Skateboarding League Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Kurt Vonnegut Valen Lambert Jason Kulp Spike Jonze: The Photos That Started It All | Epicly Later’d – YouTube Jason Lee – Stereo Skateboards Mark Gonzales – Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum Ed Templeton Jacob Rosenberg Ty Evans Atiba Jefferson Bryce Kanights Tobin Yelland Amie Mcnee Tommy Mitchell Thrasher Magazine – RIP IN PEACE: Zane Timpson Philip Glass – YouTube Nils Frahm – YouTube Cormac McCarthy Soc. Heroin Skateboards Big Special Episode photo from Envato Elements: Artist painting on canvas

When was the last time you listened to your inner broadcast? You know the one. It’s your unique internal monologue full of beauty, curiosity, hope, imagination, wonder, and intrigue. It’s always broadcasting and we have the opportunity to tune in or drown it out with the noise of the world. I’ll be honest, it’s been hard to hear my inner broadcast lately. Focus is reserved for a handful of daily scattered moments of productivity. But the rest of the time? My mind wanders in the desert of this season of life. As I’ve talked about before, there are a lot of changes right now, but what I’m realizing is that no matter what happens, I need to listen to what’s going on within. If I don’t, I’m going to get steamrolled by the discordant soundtrack of the world, which just gets louder by the hour. Five ways to tune in and learn from your inner broadcasts: Create intentional moments of silence and solitude where you can tune in to your inner broadcast. Pay attention to what’s being broadcast and write down what you hear. Spend 15 minutes in active curiosity mode with something that comes up. Spend 15 minutes in active creation mode with what you learn. Reflection allows you to gauge the quality level of your inner broadcast. It is through reflection where you see what needs to be strengthened, added, changed, or removed. Show Links “Input, More Input!” Johnny 5 Goes Crazy | Short Circuit (1986) Episode photo from Envato Elements: Aerial view of highway junctions. Bridge roads shape in structure. Top view. Urban city

For almost 50 years, today’s guest didn’t talk about what happened to her on September 6, 1970 when the plane she was on was hijacked. But in her new book, Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience, Mimi Nichter recounts her story of what happened before, during, and after her hostage experience. In our conversation, we talk about her work as a cultural anthropologist and the ways observation and listening inform our ability to understand others. She also touches on how she found her voice in the writing process, choosing to write from memory instead of interviewing others, how images and stories helped memories to emerge, reconciling our past and present selves, the value of compassion, and why we need to talk about what happens to us. When we share our stories with one another, either in memoir or conversation, we connect not only to moments in time, but bear witness to the experiences that shape history itself. Show Links Mimi Nichter Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience by Mimi Nichter Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad Episode photo from Envato Elements: Aerial Drone, Where Desert Meets the Ocean, Sandwich Harbour, Namibia, Africa

What do you do when you get stuck? Maybe you’re like me and you let doubt and despair slow you down or even stop you. Today’s guest has a different answer: keep it moving. Bishop Kevin Foreman, “The People’s Bishop,” is a man of many pursuits—pastor, church planter, bishop, success coach, speaker, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur—and in this conversation he shares how curiosity, faith, and divine conviction help him to keep his life and work moving. We talk about his insatiable thirst for knowledge, the art of letting go, building the essential skill of reframing, liberating versus limiting beliefs, how faith and data work together when making decisions, why prioritization matters more than balance, and his constant drive to bring the best out of people. Show Links Bishop Kevin Foreman History Makers by Bishop Kevin Foreman Sins of the Fathers: Breaking Generational Curses by Bishop Kevin Foreman Evolutionaries: Unlocking the New You by Bishop Kevin Foreman Groundhog Day (1993) How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Episode photo from Envato Elements: Texture of layers in orange and gray colors

Do you ever feel like you’re making the same mistakes over and over again? Yeah, me too. There are some parts of my life and work where curiosity and experimentation are endless, but when it comes to money, I’m stuck on a treadmill of feast and famine. I know enough of the lingo to talk a good game, but really, I’m still doing business like I did when I started 20 years ago. Underneath it all, I’m stuck in a shame spiral wondering if it will ever change. The truth is that something broke a long time ago and instead of fixing it, I kept repeating my mistakes making the break worse and worse. But as I watch my wife heal from a broken leg, it’s time for me to heal my own brokenness. Show Links Wisdom Takes Work: Learn. Apply. Repeat. by Ryan Holiday Shrinking (TV Series 2023–) Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future by Reid Hoffman and Greg Beato The Daring Creatives Episode photo from Envato Elements: broken glass, impact, overlay, realistic

There’s a lot that holds us back as creative individuals, but today’s guest thinks one question is the death of our creativity: who cares? The work begins when you shift from asking the question to stating, “I care.” As a literary publicist, Kim Dower—also known as Kim-from-L.A.—is celebrating 40 years of putting authors on the map, booking them on shows, and getting their books in the hands of people like myself. But Kim is also a poet, “ordained” and “blessed with the gift,” as she shares in our conversation. Her latest book of poems is titled What She Wants: Poems on Obsession, Desire, Despair, Euphoria. Our conversation weaves between the worlds of art and entrepreneurship, starting with the clouds and the sky, reflecting on the magnificent sounds of nature, exploring Kim’s evolving relationship with persistence, lamenting the loss of nostalgia, and documenting our obsessions throughout our lives. Not to mention, a love for words, both written and spoken, conversationally between two people on Zoom. Show Links Kim Dower What She Wants: Poems on Obsession, Desire, Despair, Euphoria by Kim Dower Kim-from-L.A. Charles Baudelaire The Stranger by Charles Baudelaire Thomas Lux Wallace Stevens Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara Dorothy Parker Bill Knott Limerence Parasocial Relationships: The Nature of Celebrity Fascinations Friends (TV Series 1994-2004) The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield Why Write Love Poetry in a Burning World by Katie Farris A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker: 1925-2025 Photo by Chris J. Davis on Unsplash

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about publicity? After I think about celebrities, perfume ads, TMZ, and shameless attention-seekers, I say, “I guess it’s not for me.” Thankfully, today’s guest is on the show to make me laugh and correct my thinking because PR is for everyone. KJ Blattenbauer is a publicist, author, and speaker who helps founders and experts move from overlooked to in-demand through credibility-driven visibility. In our conversation, she gives actionable steps on making sure your visibility is connected to your goals and your audience; it’s about service and storytelling. She also shares the importance of not giving up when someone says no, that all you need is a sprinkling of audacity to make a difference, why it doesn’t hurt to try something a million times, and why you can never have too much passion. Show Links Hearsay PR Pitchworthy: The No-Fluff Playbook to Publicity That Pays Off by KJ Blattenbauer Aaron Rodgers: Enigma (TV Series 2024) “Untold” – The Fall of Favre (TV Series 2025) I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (2025) Three Amigos! (1986) Tree Paine – Taylor Swift’s Publicist P.T. Barnum We Need Your Art: Stop Messing Around and Making Something by Amie McNee Threads

Rejection is on my mind today. Yes, it’s because I got rejected for something I actually wanted. But there’s also a deeper reason: Somewhere along my creative journey, I learned to minimize rejection by playing-it-safe, making my dreams small, and maximizing my chameleon tendencies. Recently, Shae Omonijo shared a short video on Substack about her plan for 2026: “Collect 1K rejections.” A lot ran through my mind after seeing the video, “1,000 rejections? One hurt enough! Are you a glutton for punishment?” I think my brain short-circuited when I watched it, but it didn’t take long for the truth to be revealed: I’m a chicken and I’m tired of being scared. If you are someone who has big dreams, but shove them aside because you have an unhealthy relationship with rejection, then this episode’s for you. Oh, and don’t worry, I’m preaching to the choir here because this is the work I need to do for myself as well. Seven ways to go from avoiding rejection to chasing 1,000 rejections? Know what you actually want. Adopt a rejection mindset. Stop waiting and start moving. Dream bigger and share often. Allow yourself to change. Learn to separate rejection from failure. Become an advocate for yourself, your wants, and needs. Show Links Shae O. – “Collect 1K Rejections” video Finding Mastery Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. Episode photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash

How do you respond when moments of disruption happen in your life? Do you shake your fist at the sky, bemoaning, “Why me?” Or do you get curious and ask, “What’s around the next corner?” During every pivotal moment in the life of today’s guest, he learned what it would take to not only escape the assembly line, but to build a life worth living. auGi Garred is a storyteller, former comedian, multi-instrumentalist, beacon of fun on the horizon, and founder of Molting Men, a place for Gen-X creatives to reimagine their futures. In this conversation, auGi tells powerful stories centered around three key areas: Rush, the power of humor, and staying open to what is around the next corner. He talks about why you should always choose best friends over young love, the challenges of collaborating with a college grad who thought he was the next Ira Gershwin, how he earned the equivalent of a business school education by speaking with over 70,000 people at the world’s largest telecom company, and the power of excavating your origin story to shape your future. Most importantly, he shares how what he calls “luvity,” the fusion of love and levity, can make the lives of those around you better. Show Links auGi Garred on LinkedIn Molting Men (Running Naked) OGGOMATiC on YouTube Rush Caress of Steel by Rush Signals by Rush Permanent Waves by Rush Moving Pictures by Rush Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage Star Wars Trash Compactor Scene (A New Hope) Binary sunset… from A New Hope, Star Wars: The Digital Movie Collection Welcome to Ingham County The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Wikipedia History of Oldsmobile – Oldsmobile Club of America Goodyear Tires Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s Death Scene – Star Wars: A New Hope [4k UltraHD] Goblin Claudio Simonetti REO Speedwagon 3209 W Barnes Rd, Mason, MI 48854 UFO (band) Le Studio Whitesnake Foreigner – Hot Blooded (Official Live Video) Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue – Full Album Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love Guns N’ Roses – Welcome To The Jungle van-halen.com – The Official Van Halen Web Site ABBA -– Dancing Queen (Official Music Video) Nazareth – Hair of the Dog (Official Audio) Foo Fighters – Breakout (Official HD Video) Michelangelo’s Non-finito Sculptures Beyond the Notes Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson Episode photo by Noah Klimpel on Unsplash

When you cross paths with someone whose mission is incredibly clear, it’s hard not to want that clarity for yourself. Scott Proposki is a photographer, entrepreneur, and author; his mission is to help photographers all around the world to build a business to last a lifetime. In our conversation, Scott shares stories from his journey living the photography dream—National Geographic, events at the White House, corporate client shoots, millions in sales—then losing it all in 2020, and rebuilding from nothing. We talk about the role of listening in storytelling, the importance of self-awareness, crafting a 25-year plan, doing one thing instead of 20, why photographers aren’t screwed, and why photography is more relevant than ever before. Show Links Scott Proposki Camera Focus: What Photography Teaches About Business, Life, and Success by Scott Proposki We Need Your Art: Stop Messing Around and Making Something by Amie McNee New England Patriots Bill Belichick on Instagram Watch Mr. Polaroid on PBS Wall Street Journal Podcasts Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries Episode photo from Envato Elements: Snow covered mountain peaks, Monte Rosa Piedmont, Italy

2026 is upon us and it’s not just a new year thrusting us toward change, it’s everything: society, culture, technology, relationships, work, life—it’s all dynamic, frenetic. Some of us start the year clutching our resolutions tightly, convinced that this is the year we actually live up to them. Others rely on the thesaurus to shift the psychological burden from resolution to something else, anything else, in order to trick our brains into actually accomplishing the things that matter most: “I don’t have resolutions, I have goals.” But it’s going to take more than hacks and tricks to comprehend the amount of change we need in our daily lives. It’s about introducing system-wide curiosity that shifts change from being the end result of an enormous task with a binary value—yes or no—to a daily process that gives us time to explore and open our minds to new realities. Show Links Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn by Richard W. Hamming Pearl Jam – Do the Evolution (Single Video Theory) Photo by Nikoline Arns on Unsplash

When was the last time you got permission to have fun in your business? For me, it’s been too long, so I’m grateful for today’s guest. Dawn Andrews is a business strategist, executive leadership coach, and podcaster who approaches her business as a playground to explore new tools and technologies that not only help herself, but also her clients. In this conversation, Dawn softens the fear around AI through an exploration of how she uses tools to boost her curiosity and creativity. She shares insights into the ways her brain and business work, how creativity can help us manage the world, the important mindset shift we need to make, how beginners can start using AI with a single piece of paper, and actual examples of AI in action. Show Links Dawn Andrews 12 Day AI Quick Wins Series – Dawn Andrews Is Your Business Killing You? (GWTW865) Jasper POSCA Markers iA Writer Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka On algorithmic anxiety – Kyle Chayka Industries Airtable Make MindPal Microsoft Copilot Claude ChatGPT Google Gemini The Five Minute Journal® I am Shae Omonijo The Art of Gathering Book: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker Episode photo from Envato Elements: Glasses With Landscape View On City Background. Vision Concept. 3D Rendering

Have you ever wondered what gough would do? I do, too. Fresh from his birthday celebration, gough is back on Getting Work To Work, again, to talk about his year-ending projects: a short documentary about a blind man traveling to see the greatest rock band in the world, an audio drama about the seedy underbelly of the podcasting world—sounds about right—and the Beernuts Productions podcast. We talk seriously about the reality of discrimination against people with disabilities, why gough uses silly t-shirts and humor to disarm people, his love for onion rings, the worst gym session ever in his life, jokes so old they can vote, how he found the most annoying voices for his podcasting audio drama, how he makes up the most important statistics to satisfy guests who only go on popular podcasts, the death of radio in Australia, and the weirdest podcast he went on to promote his work. Show Links Beernuts Productions The Seedy Underbelly of Podcasting The Beernuts Productions Podcast The Advertising Meeting Trick or Treat Mr. X. Melbourne Trip – Documentary Gold Coast News Clip Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow Oasis Oasis – Wonderwall (Official Video) dadsaysjokes on Instagram Rush I Love You, Man (2009) Jason Segel & Paul Rudd Meet Rush Apple iPhone Virgin Atlantic Marvel (Docklands) Stadium Alcotraz – Immersive Cocktail Experience Simpsons – Like, You Know, Whatever… (from “Summer of 4 ft 2”) Recording Room Airplane! (1980) John Cleese Packs It In (2025) The Naked Gun (2025) The Running Man (2025) Zambian kwacha Tim Berners-Lee

Sprinkled throughout today’s conversation is a phrase I absolutely love. No matter the situation or the statement, the response is simple, “Let’s talk about it.” Chanda Coston is a Navy Veteran, PMP, and Business Strategist who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs—especially women over 40—turn chaos into clarity and grow businesses that make sense (and money). In our time together, we talk about the need for clarity, the importance in telling our stories, and having people in our corner. Chanda also talks about her life as a professional pivoter, the reality that nothing happens overnight, trusting yourself, starting over and carving new paths, and systems as self-care. If you’re looking to make some changes, let this sink in: If Chanda can do it, so can you. Show Links Chanda Co. Strategist Chanda Co. on Instagram Free Ebook: Barriers to Breakthru 1:1 Tiny Challenge ($21) The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian P Moran and Michael Lennington Episode photo from Envato Elements: Study Of Patterns And Lines

I’ve been slowly waking up to the reality that I’ve been running my business and living my life on autopilot for far too long. It’s been six years since I really felt like I was in control and not operating by the whims of others and the seat of my pants. But here I am, staring at 2026 off in the distance, ready to shake the sleep from my eyes and do something completely different. In this episode, I’m going to share why I’m ready to shake things up, how I’m reconnecting with my vision, passion, and action, and how you can, too. Reflection Questions, Part One Before I go any further, I have some reflection questions for you. It might be useful to open your notes app or get a journal and pen out to write down your thoughts to these four questions: How loud is your fear? What is your fear saying to you? Do you know where you’re going? How long has your autopilot been engaged? Reflection Questions, Part 2 Okay, before I dive into what these three words mean for me and my future, take a few moments in your notes app or journal and write down some initial thoughts to these three questions: What is my vision? How does my passion help bring that vision to life? What actions am I taking to make sure that my vision and passion become a reality? Reflection Questions, Part 3 Now that I’ve shared a little about my own vision, passion, and action, I want you to return to your notes app or journal and go deeper with these questions: What really is my vision? What are my passion levels teaching me? What is the next action I need to take? Show Links Airplane! (1980) This Is Spinal Tap (1984) Innovators of Vancouver Episode photo from Envato Elements: No people in empty captain cabin with dashboard navigation

I always enjoy meeting people who think deeply about the work they do, but also have a lot of fun doing it. Izzy Poirier is a designer, brand strategist, zine publisher, and community builder. From her earliest years, she’s been intrigued with the nature of people, their stories and identities, and making sure that they have a place to belong. In our conversation, we talk about the intersection of design, brand strategy, community building with the Ottawa Design Club, craft, and the art of zines. We also dive into Pivotal Moments, a zine featuring stories from creatives around the world, produced in collaboration with the Ottawa Design Club and New York Design Club. Izzy shares what went into producing the zine, curating the stories, the impact, and how a single font changed everything in the design phase of the project. If you’re looking for some inspiration as you consider new projects or pivots in your own future, then this is the episode for you. Show Links Izzy Poirier Ottawa Design Club New York Design Club Pivotal Moments Heather Crank (Crahmánti) Bend Design Cadillac LYRIQ The Running Man (2025) Non Foundry Non Ophelie TYPE01 Xerox – Graphic & Print Design Solutions Brand – International Brand Design Magazine

Even if you’ve never had a hamster for a pet, you’ve witnessed the spectacle of them running in a hamster wheel. They step inside a giant wheel in the center of their captivity and run, and run, and run. It’s so adorable when they do it. But what if I could tell you we have human hamster wheels, in the center of our captivity, and we run, and run, and run? They aren’t literal wheels, but they serve the same purpose: keep us distracted from the reality that we aren’t where we want to be, not doing the work that matters to us, and somewhere along the way, we took a wrong turn. It’s never been easier to numb out and just keep running, but one day, the call will come from inside the house, it’s time to answer the call, step off the wheel, and jack in to life. Six ways to ditch the hamster wheel: Incorporate experimentation and research and development into your creative process. Look for ways to increase diversity in your work. Before you offload tasks to someone else or another system, make sure that what you’re building isn’t just a larger hamster wheel in disguise. Offload repetitive tasks to virtual assistants, employees, or AI and automation systems. Batch recording is great until it’s not. Don’t fool yourself, the hamster wheel is pernicious, don’t be afraid to step away. Show Links The Running Man (2025) Neuromancer by William Gibson Starship Troopers (1997) Showgirls (1995) Episode photo from Envato Elements: A playful hamster runs energetically on its wheel inside a bright, colorful cage

You might look at today’s title and think I’m trying to be humorous or sensational or clickbait-y, but I’m absolutely serious. It’s such an important question that it demands me to say it aloud right now: Is your business killing you? When you first start your business, you don’t think about the ways it overtakes your life, you let it gladly, because that’s the price you pay for building something that statistically could end in five years or less. But then, over time, you just keep letting it control your life. Social media and email dominate your existence on and off hours. Any hiccups in payments or acquiring new clients results in prayer, drinking, or worse, loans from online payment providers. Shutting it off means the potential for losing everything, or so you tell yourself. Before you know it, you’ve lost your vision and passion, but you keep powering on because at some point along the way, it’s what you do, and you’re also unemployable. If this is resonating with you, grab a cup of tea, take a seat, and let’s talk, because the truth is going to hurt. Show Links Episode photo from Envato Elements: Various spices on stone table

It’s that time of year again, when pumpkin spice invades your latte, kids dress up like their favorite heroes, villains, nightmares, and corporate superstars hoping for a bag full of candy, and gough, your favorite Australian filmmaker, shows up on Getting Work To Work to talk about his latest film, Trick Or Treat. Armed with the biggest budget in the history of BeernutsProductions.com, a stable of actors dishing out sketches and monologues, 27 costumes, and nature balls, gough’s latest film pulls no punches against Halloween. In our conversation, we talk about the struggles he faced making the film in both casting and costumes, how he works through challenging emotions, stupid advice actors have received from their teachers that they have brought to the set, and all the hilarity fit for print and podcast. Show Links Beernuts Productions Trick Or Treat Mr Eligible Mr. X. Treehouse of Horror 2M3C ilia chidzey Goat Track Theatre Neighbours (TV Series 1985–2025) Home and Away (TV Series 1988–) Danielle Collins Taia Favale A Musical Life hosted by Scott Whatman The Recording Room Uncanny X-Men Howard Hughes One Battle After Another (2025) Roofman (2025) Channing Tatum Punches Back While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones Licorice Pizza (2021) Magnolia (1999) Recency bias George Carlin on YouTube Kampala, Uganda

Weaving through the design, data, stories, and statuses on social media, I witnessed the human need to be seen; the longing to be discovered. I like this word, “longing.” I recently came across a book by Sue Monk Kidd called, Writing Creativity and Soul and she writes a lot about longing as a creative, a writer, woman, and a mother. What a word to sit and reflect upon: Longing. Merriam-Webster defines longing as “a strong desire especially for something unattainable.” In this episode, I explore the building blocks of the soul: deep questions that take time to answer. Show Links Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd Austin Kleon Episode photo from Envato Elements: Close-up view of the wooden craft products

How far am I willing to go? How much work am I willing to do? Two powerful questions today’s guest asked herself at the start of her writing journey as she considered what it meant to be a writer. Barbara DeMarco-Barrett is a writer, podcaster, teacher, and publisher on the show to talk about writing, podcasting, and her latest book, Pool Fishing, a collection of stories connected by place and featuring characters who live on the fringes of society. In our conversation she shares insights into the act of writing and being a writer, the fluid nature of creativity, the challenges present in short stories, why writing dark fiction can help us make sense of the world, and rejection. We also talk about her podcast, Writers on Writing, which started as a radio show in 1998. 27 years later, it continues as a way for her to learn more about the writing process and share what she discovers with writers around the world. Show Links Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Writers on Writing Pen on Fire Pool Fishing by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett IngramSpark Podcast Movement Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell Scott Turow The secret structure of great talks by Nancy Duarte The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield “I apologize for such a long letter – I didn’t have time to write a short one.” – Quote from Mark Twain Orange County Noir Double Indemnity (1944) Kelp Books Richard Bausch Kelley Baker Margaret Atwood The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience by Kelton Reid Episode photo from Envato Elements: Stairs of an indoor pool with clear water

I’ve heard this phrase way too often in the past 25 years: “If you’re ignoring [enter the trending or disrupting technology], then you’re already behind.” While the phrase may be technically true, it does require a major assumption: equality. It assumes that every person has equal access to the technology, responds with openness and trust instead of skepticism and caution, and can actually see value through the veil of hype, fear, and propaganda. Those are big assumptions, but even bigger are the promises and the corresponding bubbles. Don’t worry about what doesn’t seem to be right, just go all in, because you’ll be able to cash out. Or so the “logic” goes. Do you want to know what I’ve never heard in relation to this notion of being behind? That you’re right on time. So, that’s what I’m going to focus on today because not only is it an accurate statement, it is also life-giving and dream-fulfilling. Show Links Diffusion of innovations Episode photo from Envato Elements: Steampunk mechanism

How do you push creative boundaries and embrace opportunities as they come? You solve problems and focus on the people around you. Today’s guest on Getting Work To Work, Josh Simons, is no stranger to the creative business world. According to his bio, “he ran a record label, publishing function, film production company and was the lead singer of Australian indie rock band Buchanan.” Now, Josh is the Chief Executive Officer of Vinyl Group, Australia’s only ASX-listed music company, and founder of Vampr. In our conversation, Josh shares lessons he learned in his journey from recording studios to boardrooms. He talks about his curiosity with people and what motivates them, bands as a lens for looking at the business world, the objective nature of success, the creativity present in writing songs and leading people, why the asshole creative shouldn’t be the model for success, and how to manage the emotions in your mind with sticky and transient solutions. Show Links Josh Simons Vinyl Group Vinyl.com Vampr Bandcamp Sam Fender Harland Highway Podcast Episode photo from Envato Elements: Spinning Record Player With Vintage Vinyl, Turntable Player And Vinyl Record

“Can I pick your brain?” Of course, you absolutely can. But I’ve noticed a lot more professionals expressing disdain for people reaching out and wanting to ask a few questions. But before I dive into a rant based upon passing comments and not a lot of data, I’m going to speak about the type of creative industry I want to be part of, one that is built upon the sharing of knowledge, not just online but person to person. Why? Because that’s how we build community, a reputation, and dare I say it, a legacy. In this episode, I’m going to share eight ways we can build up others around us from newbies to the competition. Can you imagine a creative world where everyone wins? I can and this is how we do it. 8 Ways We Can Build Up Others Around Us From Newbies to the Competition: Interview and share openly. Hold office hours. Maintain an FAQ on your website. Have a direct line of communication—dedicated email address, Discord server, Substack—for students and those starting out. Be a beginner and learn to ask questions of others. Open your space monthly or quarterly for a meeting of the minds. Don’t limit to just those who are starting out, welcome your competition. Be the community member you expect others to be. Show Links Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Creatives Ignite Austin Kleon Christopher Butler Stefan Sagmeister – Answers Mitch Goldstein Episode photo from Envato Elements: Marinated cucumbers or pickles on wood

Their mission may be simple—”We Tell Makers’ Stories”—but hidden in every photo, interaction, page, and podcast is an unquenchable fire to build a global community. Kate and Jack Lennie are the visionaries behind We Are Makers, an independent print publication and podcast featuring makers all over the world. In our conversation, we talk about the power of storytelling and what makes a compelling story. Kate and Jack also share why they choose to produce a magazine, the ever-evolving nature of their work, how they stay strong as a couple, the visceral nature of failure when working with your hands, overcoming obstacles, the power of having a mission, and what it was like to distribute the first We Are Makers grant. Show Links We Are Makers The We Are Makers Grant Fund We Are Makers on Instagram We Are Makers on YouTube Craft Festival Biff, Chip & Kipper WE ARE MAKERS | WAM CAST #0004 – Banton Frameworks We Are Makers Edition Six WE ARE MAKERS | WAM CAST #0026 – HOOLIGAN GEORGIA and TRACY CULLEN POTTERY Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller Episode photo from Envato Elements: A romantic pottery session in a modern studio filled with creativity and connection

How do you get better at your craft? Sounds like a potential start to a not so funny joke, but I’m serious: How do you get better at your craft? With skills that rely upon your hands and time—like woodworking or pottery or painting—you just have to do the work, go through the process, and see what comes out the other end. Is it good or is it crap? Probably. But in the digital world, it’s a little bit different (or so we tell ourselves), because we can create or buy or borrow systems that indicate when something is broken or going to lead to failure. They can also do a lot of the mundane work for us. As a programmer, you can generate an entire program in seconds of time, shifting your time burden from authorship to editor. But do you actually get better as a programmer? Maybe. Improvement comes in different ways, I guess. But the more I think about getting better at my craft, the less it has to do with what software I’m using or not using, and doing the actual work. Show Links Psych (TV Series 2006–2014) Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction by Gary Rogowski The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery by Adam Gopnik iA Writer Episode photo from Envato Elements: Craftsman manufacturing a mirror in his workshop

There is often a moment in every interview on Getting Work To Work that stops me in my tracks. In today’s interview with Kimberly Lau and Linda Young, they dropped the mic twice with these two mind-blowing moments: “We have enough clothing on the planet to clothe the next six generations” and “Since we opened nine months ago, we have saved 2,500 pounds in textile waste from the landfill.” In our conversation, they share the mission and purpose behind Project ReWear, a resale business that goes beyond reselling clothes by rebuilding a system through tracking and valuing donations, measuring real-time impact, and making secondhand second nature. They are finding a way to impact the planet positively for generations to come and here to show you how you can too. Show Links Project ReWear WALL•E (2008) Idiocracy (2006) Armchair Expert smartless Episode photo from Envato Elements: Second hand clothes are hanging in street market

What did Arthur C. Clarke have to say in 1968 about communication in the distant future? Buried in the middle of a single page in 2001: A Space Odyssey, on a trip to the moon, is an interesting description of Clarke’s imagined future and our realized present. It’s always uncanny when science fiction gets something right, but that’s not why I’m bringing this up. Instead, I’m more curious with this question: What can we learn from it? Yes, our communication is in chaos. It’s like we’re all standing around in the same room shouting, saying everything, hearing nothing. So, how do we filter the noise from the signal? Well, let’s go on a literary journey to the moon, and see what we can learn from Clarke’s Newspad. Three Things We Can Learn from Arthur C. Clarke’s Journey to the Moon: Create time buffers for your mind and information to update responsibly. Create an environment of creativity that allows you to limit the amount of external chaos. Imagine a Utopia that isn’t dull and start bringing that to life, instead of contributing to systematic chaos. Show Links 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) The 7 best apps to help you focus and block distractions in 2025 Episode photo from Envato Elements: space station interior. close up space shuttle details b

As much as I love imagining dystopian and doomsday scenarios of AI overtaking humanity, talking with experts about positive implementation strategies is a better use of my time (and mental health). Building upon an education in Data Science and Analytics and AI ethics, Ben Tasker currently “leads a Data & AI Academy that upskills and reskills more than 36,000 employees in the public utility sector, preparing them to be AI-ready and future-ready.” In our conversation, he brings stories of real world applications of technology and AI. We also talk about how to actually upskill and reskill, why disruption isn’t new but the speed of change is, blended work environments and whether we’ll have AI bosses, AI as a system not a tool, practical ways to use AI, how to develop a learning plan and apply AI to it, and how AI can be used in small business. ChatGPT Prompt for summary of the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report 2025: “What are the most important takeaways from the World Economic Forum’s report: The Future of Jobs Report 2025?” Show Links Ben Tasker MICHELIN Restaurants Guide MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing by Sheryl Estrada “The Freedom Route” with Georgie Darling (GWTW850) World Economic Forum: The Future of Jobs Report 2025 OpenAI Academy ChatGPT Airtable Claude Episode photo from Envato Elements: Molecular structure, abstract science background. 3d illustration

Hey there, you’re listening to Getting Work To Work on this fine day in late September 2025. I’m your host, Chris Martin, and I’m glad you’re here. What’s going on? Oh, not much? Head in the sand or just ignoring willfully the dumpster fire that is consuming everything everywhere? I pay attention, then I do my best to get to work. I had a good start to my day. I dropped my wife off at school and then headed to my favorite local coffee shop, got some snacks, and read a chapter in Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann. While it’s fun to people watch at the coffee shop, it’s even more fun to bust out a hardcover book in the midst of a sea of laptops and retirees. What kind of person does that? Isn’t it more appropriate to give the air of importance while typing away feverishly on your laptop? Nah, because I too had work to do. Yes, I consider reading work. This book has been on my radar for a couple of weeks. In my recent conversation with Stacy Bass, she mentioned she was looking forward to diving into the book. Austin Kleon also interviewed Sally recently as part of his typewriter interview series. I ordered it from my favorite local independent bookstore, Copper Bell Bookshop, in Ridgefield, Washington. While it took a little longer to get than if I had ordered it from Amazon, they don’t need my money. Copper Bell does, so I ordered and waited. The anticipation of getting and reading the book continued to build—I love that feeling—and then when it was time to pick it up! Yes! New book time! Editorial Note: Chris doesn’t need more books, but he definitely needs more books. Art Work hits a home run in the freakin’ prologue, in the very first paragraph! Here’s a taste: “This is a book about how to get shit done. Or, more particularly, how I got it done. Or didn’t. And I guess that’s a big part of an artist’s life—getting other shit done besides the shit you’re supposed to be doing—the art, that is.” – Sally Mann I love this framing of the duality of our work: the art—the stuff we’re supposed to do—and everything else. It gets me thinking of the backwards nature of modern life, where the label of “what we’re supposed to do” is affixed to everything but our art. Things like admin, networking, content creation, marketing, management. All important things, but would they be necessary (or even possible) if we didn’t have the art and continually challenge ourselves to make the art better? Now, before I lose you using labels like art and artist, I don’t consider myself an artist, and maybe you don’t either. My art is my work, specifically projects like this podcast. So, with that in mind, I use the label creative entrepreneur. It’s a decent catch-all label for having multiple creative pursuits and several revenue generating services. I run a business of one, but it’s still a business. I’m an entrepreneur because the risk is on me. Even as I write this, I could replace entrepreneur with artist and it would still fit. Artists are entrepreneurs, but not all entrepreneurs are artists, you get the point. One term is societally praised while the other is reviled. I’ll let you decide which is what, but my point is this: labels don’t matter. What matters is doing the freakin’ work of your craft. Or, inline with Sally’s thoughts, getting shit done. As I’ve shared in previous episodes, I’ve been struggling with writing my monologues. Underneath it all, something has shifted. The work is still sitting down at the desk, writing down my thoughts, recording, editing, and publishing a new episode. But what was once a quick process, has slowed down. I’ve been more distracted, but there’s also a new depth and complexity presenting itself in my thoughts. Sometimes, I get lost in that change. I stare at the sky while the dog eats and shoots leaves. I wonder what I’m going to write. But I’m not doing the work. So, I sit down and the puppy wants in my lap. He sits in my lap and wants down, only to scratch to be let back up. I’ve got work to do puppy. I can give up and go sit on the couch so he can have a lap to sleep in, or I can do something different. I can get creative. So, I get his car seat and put it on a chair next to me. I pick him up, plop him in. He eventually gets used to it, puts his face on the edge of his seat nearest my arm and starts snoring. Good boy. Now I can dig deep into what I’m trying to say. Type, delete, shameful surf of social media, type, delete, snore, type, type, scratch, type, type… YES! This is the work. This has always been the work of creativity. You have to go to your workspace and work. Alone (or with furry companions). Over and over again. And you’ll get so sick of it, you’ll long for something different, something new. You might go to social media

What is the connection between photography and memory? What are the stories beyond the frame of our most cherished family photos? What will we wish we had known about our loved ones? Profound questions and thoughtful answers with today’s guest, Stacy Bass, photographer and author of Lightkeeper: A Memoir Through the Lens of Love and Loss. Fulfilling her curiosity for behind the scenes stories, Stacy tells her own tales of writing the book, why she became a photographer, what she discovered about her parents through photographs and memories, what it’s like to be the de facto family archivist, the marriage of photography and writing, and how to keep the light of our loved ones alive after they are gone. Show Links Stacy Bass Photography Lightkeeper Website Lightkeeper: A Memoir Through the Lens of Love and Loss by Stacy Waldman Bass How I Built This Podcast with Guy Raz The Westport Library…BOOKED For The Evening Thelma Schoonmaker On Photography by Susan Sontag Ghost Train by Marc Cohn Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann Typewriter Interview with Sally Mann Episode photo is Stack old photos on grey background. Postcard rumpled and dirty vintage. Downloaded from Envato Elements.

Who will you become in 12 months time? This question stood out in my recent conversation with Georgee Darling, because change takes time, even though I want it to happen immediately. Often this question leads us to action steps we can take daily to become who we want to be—and yes, I’ll share several of my own action steps in this episode—but sometimes it keeps us stuck in our imagination, living in the land of what could be. What this question is really getting at has as much to do with vision as it does action. Not just over the next 12 months, but today, tomorrow, and up until your final breath. Show Links “The Freedom Route” with Georgie Darling (GWTW850) The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han Amie McNee The Inspired Collective Yo-Yo Man | Tommy Smothers | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Beyond Your Imagination Episode photo is table clock with sand closeup downloaded from Envato Elements