My guest is Aaron Calafato, an award-winning storyteller, narrative designer, and content strategist, for some of the world’s fastest growing companies. His podcast, 7 Minute Stories, is autobiographical and extemporaneous — the man writes nothing down — and has achieved a cult following, reaching more than 30 million people worldwide. When he’s not telling seven-minute stories, he’s also the co-creator, co-producer, and co-host of Glassdoor’s The Lonely Office podcast, which has quickly become a Top 50 Career Podcast.

Aaron is a master at adapting. If the world tells him no, he turns it into a resounding yes, usually by telling a story. Who else can turn crushing student debt into a successful one-man show performed for three years across the country? He’s resourceful, resilient, and like me, a fellow believer in the power story.

Takeaways:

• The impact of personal stories can transcend individual experiences.
• The more specific a story is the more universal it can become.
• Believe in yourself and your work.
• Creativity often requires sacrifice and always requires courage.

Resources:

Listen to 7 Minute Stories.

Subscribe to Aaron’s YouTube Channel.

Follow him on instagram @aaroncalafato.

SC Perot is the perfect guest for these trying times. She’s the author of the USA Today bestselling book Styles of Joy, which prompts readers to examine joy in their own lives. And while the book is about joy, it sprang from a place of deep grief. After leaving her corporate law career, then enduring a divorce, which resulted in losing family, friends, and her dog, and reeling in a post-pandemic world, SC experienced a tidal wave of loss. She found solace in walking and while she walked she listened to the uplifting music of Harry Styles. Before she knew it, she was seeing 17 Harry Styles concerts across five countries in 10 months. SC not only transformed from a Stanford-educated, rule-following corporate lawyer into a bedazzled, boa-wearing fan girl, dancing in a mosh pit with complete strangers, but she also rediscovered her joy — and her creativity — in the process.

Takeaways

• It takes courage to let go of societal expectations and pursue a path that brings joy and fulfillment,
• Throwing out the rulebook can lead to profound personal joy
• Community and connection are what sustain us
• And it is critical to protect one's joy in the face of challenges, now more than ever.

Resources

• Learn more about SC here.
  
• Follow her on instagram @scperot
  
• And buy her book "Styles of Joy" from Interabang Books!
  

Our guest, Barry Dean, is a double threat. Not only is he a writer of No.1 country and pop songs but he's also the CEO of Luci, a company dedicated to creating smart wheelchair technology for individuals with disabilities, like his daughter Catherine. Our conversation is one of the most compelling we've had on the show -- he's a fantastic, funny, and wise storyteller. He talks about his journey from aspiring rock star (at 19 he "ran out of brave") to businessman and shadow artist to songwriter (not starting until his mid-30s) and then CEO in a new-to-him industry where he challenged the entrenched powers-that-be, and helped to create innovative technology that is changing lives. HIs curiosity, creative process, and courage are beyond inspiring.

Takeaways:

• creativity is an act of courage
  
• beware of being a shadow artist, someone who encourages other people to be creative, but who doesn't pursue their own creative potential
  
• it's never too late to step into your passion
  
• collaboration in music and in life is about listening and finding shared truths
  
• personal experiences, especially those related to family, are often the catalyst for some of our most compelling creative endeavors.
  

Resources:

• Follow Barry on instagram @thebarrydean
  
• Learn more about his music at creativenationmusic.com
  
• Check out Luci and learn more about smart wheelchair technology
  
• And watch God's Will, which Rolling Stone listed as one of the saddest country music songs of all time. And here's Moving Oleta. Get ready to cry.