Episodes

  • “The Realities of Business” with Laura Zavelson (GWTW814)

    “The Realities of Business” with Laura Zavelson (GWTW814)
    May 9 2025
    Sometimes I get the impression from social media that running a business is easy, but nothing could be further from the truth: entrepreneurship is hard work. Today's guest shines a light on the realities of business and how we can use tools, technologies, and success squads to stay focused on what matters to us in uncertain times. Laura Zavelson is a business strategist who has taken everything she's learned in 25 years as a founder, entrepreneurship professor, and business consultant and created a framework that helps you intentionally design your business to go where you want to go. We dive into our conversation talking about our mutual membership in Generation X—the generation between boomers and millennials—and her love for how we organize information. Laura also shares deep insights about how technology can assist strategy, the two types of entrepreneurship, the importance of building a business on the foundation of money, meaning, and flexibility, and how you can change your business as you evolve and grow.
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Quick & Correct – Now What? (GWTW813)

    Quick & Correct – Now What? (GWTW813)
    May 7 2025
    Earlier this week, I was writing a newsletter about how irrelevance comes for us all. I was looking at The Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum, which reports in-depth not only about jobs, but also the core skills necessary for today's working environment and into the future. In the middle of the list of core skills in 2025 was dependability and attention to detail and near the bottom was reading, writing and mathematics. While they may be core skills today, they are shifting in a negative direction over the next five years. This got me thinking about our expectations, not just as creative entrepreneurs, but workers, in general: We have no time to be wrong; failure isn't an option. Humans are error-prone, AI will be quick and correct.
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • “The Little Things Tickle Me” with gough (GWTW812)

    “The Little Things Tickle Me” with gough (GWTW812)
    May 2 2025
    Today on the show for the 22nd time and to celebrate our 7th anniversary with copper and wool is the Australian filmmaker, gough. He is the purveyor of jokes and awkward pauses, appropriately inappropriate mockumentaries about any topic he chooses (nothing is sacred and no one is safe), and the comedic genius behind BeernutsProductions.com. Gough just released his latest film, A Day in the Life of a Personal Trainer, and he shares several behind-the-scenes stories about it. We dive into why he chose to remake the film with a new script and as much of the old cast as possible. Take notes, because he also shares how to make the chunkiest smoothy possible; you probably won't want to drink it. Most importantly, he gives a lesson in how to behave when filming at actual businesses.
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • On My Mind (GWTW811)

    On My Mind (GWTW811)
    Apr 30 2025
    One of the prevailing narratives that guides my days is that I'm lazy and unproductive. I make a weekly to-do list on Sundays, fill each day as full as I can, but also allow unknown and urgent tasks to derail an already packed day. There are days when I'm just too tired (as I often write about at the end of the day) and instead watch a show or baseball in the morning or afternoon. But most days, I tell myself one story throughout the day and at night, the truth comes out: I do way more that I allow myself to see.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • “Freedom to Create & Live” with Pia Leichter (GWTW810)

    “Freedom to Create & Live” with Pia Leichter (GWTW810)
    Apr 25 2025
    I believe that conversations show up when you need them the most; I needed today's episode. Over the years, I've talked a lot about creativity, the creative process, and business, but I haven't spent enough time on the subject of life. That's what today's guest really explores in this episode. Pia Leichter is a creative partner, coach, author of Welcome to the Creative Club: Make Life Your Biggest Art Project, and founder of Kollektiv Studio. We talk about authentically showing up, creating a space for openness, and what the concept of flow looks like in our lives. You'll even get a taste of Pia's coaching style as we explore my creative block around the book I'm writing.
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • “Dumbify” with David Carson (GWTW809)

    “Dumbify” with David Carson (GWTW809)
    Apr 18 2025
    Is it possible to get smarter by thinking dumber? That's the premise of Dumbify, a weekly newsletter by today's guest, David Carson. David is an entrepreneur and marketing innovator who applies unconventional thinking to how businesses solve problems. In our conversation, he unpacks what dumb thinking is, the evolution of Dumbify—from collecting patterns and mental models to finding stories to bring those concepts to life—why clever is the enemy, and dumb stands out. If you've ever sat around wondering what potato chips can teach you about business, then this conversation is for you.
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • “The Magic of Human Creative Energy” with Vincent Wanga (GWTW808)

    “The Magic of Human Creative Energy” with Vincent Wanga (GWTW808)
    Apr 11 2025
    Today I'm talking with Vincent Wanga about the magic of human creative energy. Vincent is an executive creative leader, serial entrepreneur, and author of The Art of Direction: Personal Perspectives on the Path to Creative Leadership. Our conversation begins and ends with a focus on the future. What is our place as creatives in a technological world driven by artificial intelligence? What does leadership look like in an asynchronous, AI-driven creative world? The answers might surprise you, but they'll definitely challenge you. Throughout this interview, Vincent shares stories and tools any creative can use to adapt to the ever-changing world we live in.
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • “The Art of Rewriting” with Kelley Baker (GWTW807)

    “The Art of Rewriting” with Kelley Baker (GWTW807)
    Apr 4 2025
    I'm talking to my good friend Kelley Baker about the art of rewriting. Kelley is an accomplished filmmaker, sound designer, and author. We got together to record a couple film-based conversations for my other podcast, Beyond Your Imagination, and before we got down to business talking about Frank Zappa, Sparks, and Werner Herzog, I asked if we could talk about writing and rewriting. I brought the questions, Kelley brought the stories and wisdom.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins