1. Introduction
Seth shares insights on the importance of trusting the creative process and finding passion in our work. He also discusses the dangers of success traps and the need to break free from perfectionism.+
2. Marketing and Creativity
Marketing Insights:Seth shares his insights on marketing, particularly email marketing, and how it can be challenging to strike a balance between being ahead of the curve and making sense to the audience. Jordan agrees and adds his own observations about how some companies struggle with email marketing despite its massive success as an industry.+
Criticism and Creativity:Seth discusses the different types of criticism and how to handle them, while emphasizing the importance of receiving feedback from those who understand the work. He also touches on the unsettling aspects of creativity, such as writer's block and reassurance being futile.+
3. Overcoming Writer's Block
Overcoming Writer's Block:Seth shares his perspective on writer's block and how it's not a real thing, but rather a fear of bad writing. He emphasizes the importance of developing a writing practice and committing to it, which will eventually lead to good writing.Show transcript +
Creative Work:Seth and Jordan discuss the importance of doing the work even when you don't feel like it. They emphasize that writing is an exploration and that it's important to ship creative work, even if it's not perfect. The key to overcoming fear and writer's block is to simply start writing, especially when you don't know what you're doing.+
The Outcome Obsession:Seth and Jordan discuss the toxic nature of being outcome dependent in creative work and the importance of focusing on the process rather than the end result. Perfectionism is not about being perfect or good, it's about hiding. The magic of creativity comes from seeking to serve and not obsessing over controlling reactions to the final product.+
4. Sponsors
Jordan and Jen share some great holiday gift ideas from their sponsors Lids and SimpliSafe. Lids offers a variety of high-quality hats for sports fans and fashion lovers, while SimpliSafe provides 24/7 home security with easy setup and no hidden fees. Listeners can also get exclusive discounts from both sponsors.+
5. Authenticity Trap
The Danger of Authenticity:Jordan and Seth discuss the trap of online creators falling into the belief of authenticity and how it can lead to a dangerous outcome, including not taking criticism well and having a meltdown. They explain that people want consistency and the best version of oneself, not necessarily authenticity.+
Authenticity and Originality:Seth discusses the importance of being authentic and original in your work and not worrying about criticism or fitting into a certain mold. Jordan adds his own thoughts on the matter and highlights the absurdity of gatekeeping what constitutes a "real" blog.+
Overcoming Insecurity:Seth and Jordan discuss how deep insecurity can lead to taking criticism personally and the futility of seeking reassurance. Instead, they suggest focusing on what's in front of you and being willing to show up with generosity to try to contribute.+
6. Monetizing Hobbies
Monetizing Hobbies:Seth and Jordan discuss the trend of monetizing hobbies and how it can ruin the passion behind them. They advise people to think twice before trying to sell their hobby and to focus on being passionate about what they do instead of insisting on doing what they're passionate about.+
Making Money from Art:Seth discusses the concept of being a hack and how it's not a bad thing to give the market what it wants. He also emphasizes the importance of seeking the smallest viable audience and refining your craft to make a living from your art.+
7. Cultivating Passion
Cultivating Passion:Seth shares insights on how stress and fear can kill passion in our work, leading to burnout and dissatisfaction. He suggests that turning work into a choice and finding joy in it can help cultivate passion.+
Success Traps:Seth and Jordan discuss the dangers of getting caught up in the pursuit of success and how it can lead to an infinite hole that can never be filled. They explore the idea of shifting our mindset towards possibility and finding peace of mind in the present moment.+
Joni Mitchell's Lesson:Seth shares the story of Joni Mitchell and how she intentionally released a record to make most of her fans walk away, allowing her to go back to being the person she wanted to be and not keep score. He also talks about the importance of deciding what inputs to keep track of and not getting caught up in social media numbers.+
8. Sponsors
Smart Mugs and Stress Relief:Jordan talks about Ember, a smart mug that keeps your drink warm, and shares a discount code for listeners. He also discusses the importance of magnesium for stress relief and introduces Magnesium Breakthrough from BiOptimizers, which has all seven forms of the mineral.+
Holiday Discounts:Jordan and Jen share exclusive holiday discounts for Magnesium Breakthrough and Skillshare. Learn how to make the perfect handmade gift and explore new skills with affordable online classes.+
9. Career Burnout and Finding Your Audience
Quitting at the Top:Jordan and Seth discuss the stories of two successful women who walked away from their careers at the height of their success due to burnout and toxic criticism. They explore the importance of recognizing when it's time to move on and prioritize your own well-being.+
Finding Your Smallest Viable Audience:Seth Godin shares insights on how to find your smallest viable audience and how it can lead to success. He uses Amanda Palmer's Kickstarter campaign as an example, where she raised $1.2 million from just 20,000 backers. The key is to focus on serving a specific group of people and making things better for them, rather than chasing a metric that some social media person thinks is important.+
10. YouTube Success & Owed Gratitude
YouTube Success:Jordan and Seth discuss the surprising success of certain YouTube channels and the importance of creating content that resonates with your audience, even if it's not personally appealing. They also touch on the ethics of pandering to the masses and the responsibility of creators to not manipulate or harm their audience.+
Owed Gratitude:Jordan Harbinger and Seth Godin discuss the trap of feeling owed gratitude and entitlement, and the importance of shifting perspective to focus on doing meaningful work without expecting anything in return. Seth shares a personal story about a speech in Mexico City and how he learned that nobody owes him anything, which allowed him to let go of toxic expectations and focus on giving his best work.+
11. Physics and Imperfection
Laws of Physics:Seth reminds us that the laws of physics apply to everyone and we can't use them as an excuse. Jordan suggests that if you're wondering if you have a reason or an excuse, ask yourself if it's possible according to the laws of physics.+
Own Path Imperfectly:Seth shares a quote from the Bhagavad Gita that emphasizes the importance of following one's own imperfect path, rather than someone else's perfectly. Jordan reflects on the statement that "If a reason doesn't stop everyone from doing something, it's not a reason, it's an excuse," and how it applies to creativity and excuses.+
12. Outro
Jordan shares tips on how to connect with great people and manage relationships using systems and tiny habits. He also promotes his Six-Minute Networking course, which is free and provides worksheets and transcripts for every episode.+