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Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from The Unmistakable Creative Podcast podcast

B. Jeffrey: Why Obsession Is the Hidden Cost of Building an Empire

2026/04/21

B. Jeffrey, a teacher at Parsons School of Design and author of Creative Careers, discusses how to make a living from your ideas without chasing false definitions of success. He explores the difference between having a vision and proving a concept, why obsession is a necessary condition for building empires like Ralph Lauren or Apple, and how most creative people never ask themselves what success actually looks like to them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Allen: Why Your Brain is a Terrible Office

2026/04/20

David Allen, creator of the Getting Things Done methodology, shares the unconventional path that led him from 35 jobs before 35, drug experimentation, and a childhood fascination with magic to becoming the godfather of modern productivity. He explains why your brain evolved for pattern recognition, not task management, and breaks down his capture-clarify-organize-reflect-engage framework. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Lerner: Why Your Character Strengths Matter More Than Your Skills

2026/04/19

Dan Lerner teaches the Science of Happiness at NYU. He explains how to identify your signature strengths using the VIA assessment and why companies that emphasize character strengths see 73% employee engagement versus 9% for those focused on weaknesses. Includes a story about a lawyer who turned down a Fortune 100 job to join Jet.com as their 10th employee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cyril Bouquet: How to Think Like an Alien to Unlock Creativity

2026/04/18

Cyril Bouquet, professor at IMD Business School and lifelong immigrant, explains how creativity requires seeing the world with fresh eyes. He breaks down the ALIEN framework, an acronym for five lenses that help you escape conventional thinking and approach problems like someone from another planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brad Stulberg: Why Stability Comes from Changing, Not Resisting Change

2026/04/17

Brad Stulberg returns to discuss his book Master of Change, exploring how the science of allostasis reveals that true stability comes from adapting rather than resisting. He shares practical frameworks like 2Ps vs 4Ps for handling daily disruptions and tragic optimism for navigating life's bigger changes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AJ Leon: The Defiance That Shapes a Life Worth Living

2026/04/16

AJ Leon shares how losing his father at 14 and growing up marginalized shaped his philosophy of defiance over courage. He discusses the Ms. Mitchell moment that catalyzed his career, why context matters when processing grief, and the deliberate thoughtfulness behind building Misfit Inc into a collection of six companies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chase Jarvis: Creativity is a Birthright, Not a Gift

2026/04/14

Chase Jarvis, founder of CreativeLive and author of Creative Calling, discusses why creativity is a practical skill everyone possesses from birth that gets systematically suppressed by education and culture. He breaks down his IDEA framework for unlocking creative potential and building a life around the work you were meant to do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Gazzaley: Why Your Ancient Brain Struggles With Modern Tech

2026/04/13

UCSF neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley explains the evolutionary mismatch between our attention systems and modern technology. He breaks down top-down vs bottom-up attention, the limits of cognitive control, and practical strategies for reclaiming focus in a distracted world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Austin Kleon: Transforming Disgust Into Art and the Power of Creative Maladjustment

2026/04/10

Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist and Keep Going, returns to discuss how creative work emerges from deep dissatisfaction with the world rather than contentment. He explores why the metaphors we use for creativity matter, how quilting offers a better model than vandalism for making art, and why every book requires learning the craft all over again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Burgis: Mimetic Desire, Fulfillment, and the Hidden Forces That Shape What We Want

2026/03/03

Author and entrepreneur Luke Burgis joins us to explore the invisible architecture of human desire — and how understanding it can radically change our choices, ambitions, and sense of self. Drawing on his book *Wanting* and the mimetic theory of René Girard, Burgis unpacks how most of what we "want" is shaped not by independent reasoning, but by models — people we unconsciously imitate.From adolescent identity formation to startup culture, self-improvement traps, and curated social media personas, Burgis reveals how easily our values can be hijacked. He discusses the destructive loop of rivalrous desire, the myth of the autonomous goal-setter, and how most of us never pause to ask *why* we want what we want. The conversation also dives into the difference between thin vs. thick desires, how to build a life rooted in fulfillment rather than status, and the importance of discovering what only *you* can do. For anyone seeking clarity in a noisy, comparison-driven world, this episode is a wake-up call — and a blueprint for reclaiming your inner compass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kristin Neff: The Science and Practice of Self-Compassion

2026/02/27

Kristin Neff, pioneering researcher and author of *Self-Compassion*, shares a groundbreaking case for why treating ourselves with kindness isn’t indulgent — it’s essential. Drawing on decades of academic research and personal reflection, Neff outlines how self-compassion transforms mental health, resilience, motivation, and even our relationship to ambition.The conversation spans parenting, education, culture, and the myth of the “perfect” self. Neff breaks down the differences between self-esteem and self-compassion, explores how shame and criticism undermine growth, and reveals how to rewire self-talk using neuroscience and contemplative practice. Her concept of self-worth isn’t built on achievement or performance — it’s rooted in humanity, connection, and presence.From emotional resilience and rumination to social comparison and cultural programming, this episode is a masterclass in learning to care for yourself — not as a reward for success, but as a prerequisite for thriving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Peterson: Redefining Success and What It Means to Live a Good Life

2026/02/26

Kate Peterson, artist and author, shares her journey from chasing Instagram validation to defining success on her own terms. After spending 10 months in Greece, she realized that achievement itself was hollow—what mattered was building a life where small joys like pastries and coffee became the reward, not just checkpoints on a path to something else. Peterson explores how growing up across cultures shaped her identity, why social media creates superficial positive reinforcement loops, and how artists must navigate the spectrum between creating what they want and creating what pays. The conversation challenges Western individualism, explores Greek concepts of joy and togetherness, and questions whether the pursuit of an extraordinary life undermines the value of a perfectly good ordinary one. This is about defining the good life for yourself, not inheriting someone else's blueprint. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kamal Ravikant: Rewiring Your Mind Through the Practice of Self-Love

2026/02/25

Kamal Ravikant, author of "Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It," breaks down the neuroscience and daily practice of self-love as a transformative mental discipline. Drawing from his own journey through depression, Kamal explains how thoughts are just old mental loops running on autopilot, how we can consciously rewrite painful memories by changing their emotional charge, and why self-forgiveness is the necessary first step before transformation. He introduces the practice of layering one primal mental loop—I love myself—until it runs automatically and becomes the foundation from which your thoughts, feelings, and life arise. This conversation explores the malleability of memory, why the mind needs constant training like the body, and how seven minutes a day of internal work can compound into lasting change from the inside out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justin Connor: The Lungs Hold Grief and Why Workaholism Is Both Saving Grace and Achilles Heel for Filmmakers

2026/02/24

Justin Connor, filmmaker and musician behind The Golden Age, shares how his saxophonist father and jazz-loving parents never encouraged music yet inadvertently programmed workaholism into his DNA—a double-edged sword that became both his greatest asset for wearing multiple hats on independent films and his potential downfall requiring hard drive reformatting of his life. Connor reveals how cigarette addiction reflected grief stored in the lungs, how psychedelics and ayahuasca offered exploration without true addiction, and why workaholism proved more dangerous than any substance by fueling perfectionism, obsessive careerism, and control. Drawing from his upbringing witnessing family dynamics, he explains how directing became about trusting himself as an adult after childhood wounds, why he interned for Eric Holder before a double feature of Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction redirected him to Hollywood, and how creating The Golden Age with superhuman strength felt like lancing a boil that needed purging—a film he could never remake even with 10 million dollars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jim Kwik: Unlocking Limitless Learning and Why Your Brain is Not Fixed

2026/02/20

Jim Kwik, brain performance expert and author of Limitless, reveals how a childhood brain injury transformed him from the kid with the broken brain into one of the world leading authorities on accelerated learning and memory. Drawing from his immigrant parents sacrifices and his own journey through learning disabilities, Jim breaks down the three forces that limit us mindset, motivation, and methods. He explains why risk-taking capacity gets drilled out of us with age, how reframing victimhood into gifts unlocked his superpower, and why comparison through social media creates digital depression. This conversation explores neuroplasticity, energy management, and how to align daily actions with core values to escape the box of limiting beliefs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noodlehoss 2023/11/12

super stimulating!

I’ve been listening to this podcast regularly while driving in to work for the past 4 years. It’s something I always look forward to because the conve...

Player been played 2026/03/23

Lies

The Laura Owens interview is a crock. She is a proven liar. Please take it down.

meltdown2020 2024/09/09

Mark Matson episode is inexplicable

This guy might as well be a right wing talking AI module. His binary capitalism v socialist / capitalism thinking a waste. Need a much stronger h...

Origami Jen 2023/05/27

Mind Opening Conversations

I always end up feeling more open minded and inspired after hearing an episode.

EricWitmer 2022/08/25

Practical, just as they say.

Love this show. Such a variety of topics discussed. Highly recommend.

Ecoman121 2022/12/25

Rubbish guests and host

Nothing new to say. More about copying other people than bringing fresh insights.

Katoagogo 2022/11/08

Strong content, disruptive ad placements

I’ve shared a number of the episodes of this podcast with friends and colleagues because the content is often strong. But lately the ad placement has ...

pffan22 2022/08/02

Great host

Great host. Found this podcast on Financial Samurai / Sam Dogen’s Buy This Not That episode. Awesome conversation and great host. Subscribed!

Tktk11111 2022/07/12

My favorite podcast

This is my favorite podcast - not only is it filled with a diverse array of people who give great advice but it is incredibly practical as well. Srini...

Financial Samurai 2022/07/09

Amazing longevity and diversity

I remember when Srini started this podcast over 10 years ago. I am blown away with Srini’s consistency and longevity. He has a great way of interviewi...

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