Unthinkable With Jay Acunzo

Travel and creativity seem to go hand-in-hand (and then they go skipping down the street in some foreign land). Today we go exploring the topic of exploration: Why is travel linked to inspiration? Does travel help our work, or can it derail our productiveness? And how can we better tap into the benefits of travel to our work ... without booking a single ticket? Stories about Anthony Berriola, a barber with a side project to satisfy his wanderlust, and Carla Johnson, and author and speaker about creativity who is on the road more often than not. And Jay decides to take a left instead of a right and test out what we learn ... but things don't go according to plan. It's Unthinkable. >> Get the Unthinkable Monday AM email by subscribing http://unthinkable.fm   FIND JAY HERE: jay@unthinkable.fm http://twitter.com/jayacunzo http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo http://instagram.com/jacunzo   LINKS TO KNOW: Anthony's side project: http://www.anthonyshaves.com/ Razors Barbershop: https://www.razorsbarbersho

"What is your writing process?" Like cats on catnip, us content marketers just can't resist when someone answers that question. We positively obsess over each others' writing process, and the more known the marketer, the more we swoon and purr. Ann Handley writes in a tiny house in her backyard? TO HOME DEPOT, TEAM! Seth Godin shaves his head 'til you can SEE the brilliance? HONEY! CAN YOU GET THE BACK OF MY HEAD PLEASE? Process. It's like the skeleton key to our creativity. If we can just possess the right one, the BEST one, we'll do our best work yet. Today, we go exploring deep into this topic, and we question what makes this concept so damn addicting. It's Unthinkable. >> Get the Unthinkable Monday AM email by subscribing http://unthinkable.fm Boston-based bands who helped make this episode sound great: http://www.ballroomthieves.com/ https://crumbtheband.bandcamp.com/releases   FIND JAY HERE: jay@unthinkable.fm http://twitter.com/jayacunzo http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo h

  Richard's side project started with that familiar feeling when you just can't wait to see people's reactions. But in this case, it was his own reaction that surprised this serial side hustler. SUBSCRIBE at http://unthinkable.fm FEEDBACK ON THE SHOW? Email jay@unthinkable.fm Tweet http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Snap http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo Insta http://instagram.com/jacunzo   LINKS TO KNOW: Richard's side project: http://theuserisdrunk.com Richard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/richlitt TOPICS DISCUSSED: Creativity Web Development User Experience Design Side Projects Alcoholism HubSpot Hacker News Startups  

Content marketers put creativity up on a pedestal. But when you actually create for a living, you know something far simpler, and you see something hidden in plain sight: brilliance. SUBSCRIBE at http://unthinkable.fm   FEEDBACK ON THE SHOW? Email jay@unthinkable.fm Tweet http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Snap http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   LINKS TO KNOW: Joe Lazauskas: https://twitter.com/JoeLazauskas Cara Hogan: https://twitter.com/CaraHogan27 Chris Heivly: https://twitter.com/chrisheivly   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Content Marketing Creativity Journalism Craft Children Dogs Entrepreneurship Mapquest TechStars Startup Incubator Media

We've all been where Angela is at in her work right now. Today, we dive deep into this feeling and try to make sense of it. SUBSCRIBE at http://unthinkable.fm FEEDBACK ON THE SHOW? Email jay@unthinkable.fm Tweet http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Snap http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo LINKS TO KNOW: Angela's Twitter: https://twitter.com/that_angela Angela's project: http://ourgreatescape.ca/ TOPICS DISCUSSED: Content Creation Photography Sheep Dogs Side Projects Creativity Craft Print Media Journalism

FEEDBACK ON THE SHOW? Email jay@unthinkable.fm Tweet http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Snap http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   TODAY'S STORY: The role of your gut instincts in creating exceptional work. With a story about music legend Sting from executive producer Andrew Davis, followed by the tale of Tim Jensen, a former U.S. Marine who doesn't believe people rise to the occasion as much as they do something else -- something he's mastered and we should, too, if we want to be exceptionally creative. SUBSCRIBE at http://unthinkable.fm LINKS TO KNOW: Andrew Davis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewdavishere Tim Jensen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/target_tim Grunt Style: https://www.gruntstyle.com/   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Music The Beatles Tango Army & Military Service Graphic Design Intuition Craft Content Marketing Business Growth

Tyler Littwin took a deep breath, walked up on stage in front of his entire company, and let them have it. And they...loved every minute of it. Today in this short story about a side project, we hear the tale of Orlando Scampington. Join the community for content-obsessed content marketers: http://unthinkable.fm   LINKS TO KNOW: Orlando on Twitter: http://twitter.com/oscampington Tyler on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tblittwin Watch Orlando's conference keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVMHN_iApIo Watch Orlando's company pet policy video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ZIL8gOmhQ Feedback on the show? Say hi to jay via email (jay@unthinkable.fm), Twitter (http://twitter.com/jayacunzo) or Snapchat (http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo)   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Writing Thought Leadership Marketing Startups Mobile Apps Keynote Speeches Public Speaking HubSpot Inbound Marketing Parody Comedy Craft Creativity Content Marketing Company Culture

This week, go behind-the-scenes with the making of Unthinkable with Jay and executive producer Andrew Davis, as the two discuss the thinking behind the show, the audience they're out to serve, and why Jay wants to be the Anthony Bourdain of business content. Get Monday's email: http://unthinkable.fm Follow Jay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Follow Andrew on Twitter: http://twitter.com/drewdavishere Get daily behind-the-scenes thoughts & moments, plus Jay's One-a-Day On My Way series sharing daily lessons learned: http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo  

What does it take to trust your intuition and succeed? Get a new hypothesis every Monday morning via email, packaged as an irresistible story. Text TRUST to 444999 ... or subscribe at unthinkable.fm   TODAY: What if something is based not on historical precedent, but potential? How do you measure that? Can you? Today, we go outside our echo chamber with a Grammy-nominated music teacher who helps us re-think our conventional wisdom about data. Then, we return to the business world and hear the story of Michael Brenner, the former VP of content marketing at software giant SAP. He shares his personal odyssey that unfolded after the company CEO tapped him to transform the business's entire approach to marketing.   LINKS TO KNOW: Michael Brenner on Twitter: twitter.com/BrennerMichael Say hi to Jay on Twitter: twitter.com/jayacunzo Go behind-the-scenes with making the show on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Music Education Jazz Improv Students Leadership Risk-Taking Curiosity Content Market

Josh Bernoff writes a blog about writing, putting him among a TON of others that could be completely the same. So he uses a hook in order to stand out. In this short story about Josh's side project, we dive into how that hook has built him a successful career as a solo entrepreneur and author. (Slingshots are short stories about a creative side project that led somewhere surprising or unexpected. They run every other week as part of Unthinkable.) Join the journey to figure out what it takes to trust your intutiion: unthinkable.fm   LINKS TO KNOW: Josh on Twitter: twitter.com/jbernoff Josh's writing: withoutbullshit.com Jay's Twitter (best way to chat and offer feedback): twitter.com/jayacunzo Jay's Snapchat (go behind-the-scenes making the show): snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Business Writing Books Forrester Research Blogging Donald Trump Creativity Careers Intuition

Join our Unthinkable journey -- each week, a new hypothesis for what it takes to trust your intuition and suceed. Subscribe at unthinkable.fm or text TRUST to 444999.   TODAY: If you want to break from convention and follow your intuition, where does that leave all those best practices out there? It's so easy to follow a list or do what someone else says works. But what if best practices aren't even the best? Go outside the echo chamber with the story of a football coach bucking the trend and finding success -- and hear why his peers STILL think he's crazy, despite mountains of data from Harvard PhDs saying otherwise. Then, hear the story of Mike Brown and Death Wish Coffee -- and hear about the cardinal sin he committed early on that actually wound up HELPING his brand grow. LINKS TO KNOW: Andrew Littlefield: http://twitter.com/fsuandrew Mike Brown: https://twitter.com/mikebrowndwc Death Wish Coffee: https://www.deathwishcoffee.com/ Say hi to Jay on Twitter: twitter.com/jayacunzo Or go behind-the-scenes with

Juliana Casale's story is not unlike most of ours, because Juliana Casale is not unlike us -- trying hard to use her creative craft to elevate her career. But unlike many of us, Juliana recognizes something about her side project that has launched her career in B2B marketing forward. In this episode, she shares the story of how it all started in the most unlikely of places. (Slingshots are short stories about a creative side project that led somewhere surprising or unexpected. They run every other week as part of Unthinkable.) Join the journey to figure out what it takes to trust your intutiion: http://unthinkable.fm   LINKS TO KNOW: Juliana on Twitter: http://twitter.com/attackofthetext Jay's Twitter (best way to chat and offer feedback): http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Jay's Snapchat (go behind-the-scenes making the show): http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   TOPICS DISCUSSED: B2B Marketing American Craft Beer Label Design Side Projects Creativity Careers Intuition

Subscribe at http://unthinkable.fm to get our weekly hypothesis answering one question, explored through story: What does it take to trust your intuition? TODAY: We assume creativity has to be big. We need to tackle broad, sweeping ideals, produce massive, industry-leading projects, and find deep, life-affirming meaning in our work. But what if to get all that, we need to think smaller? Today, we go outside our echo chamber with James Miller, creator of the project A Small Fiction. Then, we hear the story of Larry Smith and the Six Word Memoir project.   LINKS TO KNOW: A Small Fiction on Twitter: http://twitter.com/asmallfiction The tweet discussed: https://twitter.com/ASmallFiction/status/659251935199891456 Larry Smith on Twitter: https://twitter.com/larrysmith Six Word Memoir Project: http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/ Say hi to Jay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Or go behind-the-scenes with making the show on Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Twitter Fiction Writing Crea

Harry Stebbings managed to break into venture capital -- one of the most difficult industries to work in -- at the age of just 20. And he did so with a side project that took a strong stance on industry norms: The Twenty-Minute VC. In this episode, he recounts the early days of coming up with his idea, longing to work with millionaires who would hardly give him the time of day, and the moment when everything changed. (Slingshots are short stories about a creative side project that led somewhere surprising or unexpected. They run every other week as part of Unthinkable.)   LINKS TO KNOW: Harry's side project: http://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/ Harry on Twitter: http://twitter.com/harrystebbings Jay's Twitter (best way to chat and offer feedback): http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Jay's Snapchat (go behind-the-scenes making the show): http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Venture Capital Tech Startups Investing Brad Feld Mark Suster Tim Draper Social Network Mark Zuckerberg Podcasting Side Projects Cr

Subscribe at http://unthinkable.fm to get a quick note from Jay every Monday morning about trusting your intuition. TODAY: Why do some people seem totally fine using tactics that make us nauseous? If we're going to trust our intuition, then often times, that means rejecting some of the gimmicks and hacks and cheats that others don't seem to mind using. Why the gap in thinking? How can we make sense of that? And how does it change our behavior? Today, we go outside our echo chamber with Emily Hirshey, a writer on Ashton Kutcher's Netflix show, The Ranch. Then we hear the story of two veteran content marketers who completely rejected one of the most common -- if gimmicky -- B2B marketing tactics.   LINKS TO KNOW: Emily Hirshey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilyhirshey The Ranch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80077977 Dave Gerhardt Twitter: http://twitter.com/davegerhardt Erik Devaney Twitter: http://twitter.com/bardofboston Drift home page: http://drift.com   What did you think of this episode? Sa

GET THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION from this episode -- subscribe at http://unthinkable.fm before October 30, 2016. TODAY: Jonathan Fields has written several books, hosts a top podcast, and speaks all over the world. By most measures, he's "made it." But his latest book, How to Live a Good Life, caused him to question everything he knew about writing. In this episode, he recounts the odyssey of writing the book and shares what he learned studying the most successful authors in business. He also geeks out about the most exciting part of reading great writing -- and the weird reaction we all seem to share when we encounter it. (Slingshots are short stories about a creative side project that led somewhere surprising or unexpected. They run every other week as part of Unthinkable.) LINKS TO KNOW: Jonathan's new book is available here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Live-Good-Life-Surprising/dp/1401948413 Jonathan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonathanfields Jonathan's podcast: http://www.goodlifeproject.com/radi

Subscribe at unthinkable.fm to get a quick note from Jay every Monday morning about trusting your intuition. TODAY: If you're going to reject conventional thinking and instead trust your intuition, you'll find yourself sharing tons of ideas with others. But this can feel scary, like our ideas are secrets we'd prefer to keep inside. And when someone shoots them down, we assume they just don't "get it." But what if the point of sharing our ideas is NOT to get the approval of others? Today, we go outside our echo chamber with Unthinkable contributor Andrew Littlefield to hear the story of an unusual art project in Brooklyn. Then, we talk to internet legend and creator of PostSecret.com, Frank Warren, to hear the story of his epic project. LINKS TO KNOW: Andrew Littlefield: twitter.com/FSUAndrew Oliver Warden: twitter.com/robotbigfoot Frank Warren: twitter.com/postsecret What did you think of this episode? Say hi to me (Jay) on Twitter: twitter.com/jayacunzo Or go behind-the-scenes with making it each w

SUBSCRIBE at unthinkable.fm to get a quick note every Monday morning containing new episodes, exclusive bonus content, and new experiments to join.   TODAY: Deb Aoki is like many of us craft-driven creators. She aspires to do great work, but she's held more than a few jobs that treat her like a voiceless, last-in-line asset machine. They decide the strategy and lead the meetings. She inserts copy and creative where they see fit. Ugh. But Deb Aoki is no ordinary member of the team. She has a quiet superpower that gives her a massive voice in the room ... all without needing to say a single word. (Slingshots are short stories about a creative side project that led somewhere surprising or unexpected. They run every other week as part of Unthinkable.)   LINKS TO KNOW: Deb Aoki's site (comics, sketches, etc.) http://mangacomicsmanga.com/ Deb's Twitter: https://twitter.com/debaoki Jay's Twitter: twitter.com/jayacunzo Jay's Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo TOPICS DISCUSSED: Drawing Cartoons Comics eBay Meetings

FOR EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT: Subscribe at http://unthinkable.fm to get a quick note from Jay every Monday morning.   TODAY: Your creative intuition is a powerful guide. So why does it occasionally seem like you're wandering in circles, unable to move past a single piece of a project? It just doesn't feel like you can get it RIGHT, so you keep agonizing over that part of the work.   Today, we learn about the Art of the Unfinished. We assume that, to ship something successful, we need to share only the good stuff, the completed stuff. But new Unthinkable contributor Cara Hogan joins us to share a story that refutes that -- the story of the George Washington painting on the US dollar bill.   Then, we hear from two product managers, Adam Sigel and Karen Rubin, about how they involve others in their process. If your default setting is to believe your ideas are wrong, how do you keep shipping your work? We'll find out from them.   LINKS TO KNOW: Professor Patricia Hills: http://www.bu.edu/ah/profile/patricia-hills/

SUBSCRIBE at unthinkable.fm to get a quick note every Monday morning containing new episodes, exclusive bonus content, and new experiments to join.   TODAY:   Tom O'Keefe is one of the most well-known people in all of Boston. But ask people around town if they know Tom O'Keefe, and they'll say no. This is the story of a simple side project that vaulted Tom from behind-the-scenes in his work to front-and-center, including invites to Fenway Park parties, free rooms at Mohegan Sun, and the radio industry wishing they were as influential as Tom.   (Slingshots are short stories about a creative side project that led somewhere surprising or unexpected. They run every other week as part of Unthinkable.)   LINKS TO KNOW: Tom's Twitter: twitter.com/bostontweet Tom's Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/bostontweet Jay's Twitter: twitter.com/jayacunzo Jay's Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo   TOPICS DISCUSSED: Business Restaurants Radio Baseball Red Sox Public Speaking Marketing Media Twitter Entrepreneurship Startups 2008 Cr