This episode is short and direct: most creators don't struggle because they lack talent — they struggle because they quit at 95%. They get the work to "pretty good," ship it, and move on. And for a lot of things in life, that's fine. The 80–20 rule works. But when it comes to your core creative craft — the thing you want to be known for — good enough is the trap.
The last 5% is where the details live. It's uncomfortable, slow, and often invisible. Which is exactly why most people stop before they get there.
Here's the core idea:
80–20 works for most things — but mastery lives in the final 5%. If you keep shipping at 95%, you're training yourself to miss the point.
When I worked with Apple to help create the foundation for Today at Apple, the first draft came together fast. In less than a week, we were 95% there. But Apple doesn't hire creators for "pretty good." Pushing through that final 5% took nearly ten times as long — and it set the standard for creative education across hundreds of stores worldwide.
Two common mistakes I see:

• Misusing the 80–20 rule: applying it to the work that defines you.
• Confusing shipping with finishing: stopping because it's hard, not because it's done.

This isn't about perfectionism. It's about discernment — knowing when the work actually matters and being willing to go all the way when it does.
In today's episode I cover:

• Why the last 5% takes as much effort as the first 95%
• How mastery separates pros from amateurs
• A simple way to decide when to go all in

Most people quit too early on the wrong things. When it matters, don't ship at 95%.

This episode is short and honest: if you don't love the work you're making, don't ship it — or better yet, figure out how to love the work before you ship it. I know that sounds blunt, but the market — and more importantly, your audience — can smell half-hearted work a mile away. You can't fake the stuff that matters. Loving the work isn't about perfection. It's about clarity, curiosity, and being willing to do the uncomfortable thing: choose a direction, commit to it, and then grind the craft until you actually love the result. That's the difference between noise and meaning.

Here's the core idea:
If you're not excited to promote what you made, you probably didn't make what you love. Shipping is great — but shipping love is better.

Two common traps I see:

• Approval chasing: You try to design for everyone and end up designing for no one.
• Activity without affection: You're busy making lots of stuff, but it never lights you up. That work will struggle to find real fans.

So what do you do about it? Make the work you can't not make — and build a tiny system to ship it.

In today's episode I cover:

• Why loving what you make makes promotion natural instead of gross
• Three practical moves to fall back in love with your craft: pick one obsessive idea, do the research that excites you, and iterate publicly
• How to find the small group (10–50 people) who will sustain you — and why that's all you really need

A quick playbook to ship work you love:

• Choose one thing: narrow the focus until you feel a pull, not a push.
• Make it daily: small consistent steps beat sporadic heroics.
• Share early: get feedback from the right 10 people, not the loud crowd.
• Listen, then iterate: love grows when you respond to the craft (not the vanity metrics).

If you want to make a living doing what lights you up, stop designing for a mythical "everyone." Build for the people who get it — and love the work enough to tell others.
Thanks for listening. Tag me with what you're shipping next — I read as many replies as I can. And remember: ship less stuff, but love the stuff you ship.

This time of year, I get a lot of messages from folks ready for change — they've declared an intention, they want the next chapter, but something's holding them back. Some have the ideas and energy but no system to ship. Others have the systems but aren't listening to the quiet that tells them what to build next. Different gaps, same problem: without space to reflect and a mindful plan to act, momentum stalls.

Here's the truth most people ignore:
Intentions are the spark — but they won't transform your life without quiet, synthesis, and daily practices that turn ideas into meaningful work.

You can declare you're "a creator" all you want, but without adventures that feed your curiosity, habits that produce work, and a practice of listening and asking questions, your intentions stay inspirational notes instead of real projects.

If you only scribble ideas and never synthesize, they evaporate. If you only measure outcomes and never give yourself quiet, you miss the intuition that points to what's worth doing.

In today's episode:

• Why setting an intention matters — and how to approach it mindfully instead of rushing into action
• The seven practical steps to turn end-of-year reflection into real momentum: adventures, consuming culture, making, scribbling, sharing, asking, and listening
• A simple way to track your work so progress becomes inevitable, not accidental

Enjoy — and remember: this season of reflection is not for doing nothing; it's for slowing down just enough to do the right, often uncomfortable, work that actually moves you forward.

This week I had back-to-back coaching calls with two different clients. One had the skillset but not the mindset. The other had the mindset but not the skillset. Different people, same roadblock — they were both stuck at the edge of their next level because they were avoiding the hard stuff.

Here's the truth most people don't want to hear:

You don't level up because you "get discovered." You level up because you build both your skillset and your mindset — and that requires doing the uncomfortable work you've been dodging.

Skillset without mindset? You become the talented person who keeps getting passed over.
Mindset without skillset? You're inspiring, but not shipping meaningful work.
You need both. And the only way to build both is by leaning into hard things.

In today's episode:

• The real difference between mindset and skillset (and why both matter equally)
• How avoiding difficult work quietly caps your potential
• The simple practice that makes doing hard things a habit, not a hurdle

Enjoy — and remember: the hard thing you're avoiding is the key to your next level.

You put the work in. You make something you're proud of. You hit publish… and then? Crickets. Tumbleweeds. A handful of likes from your mom and your college roommate.

If you've ever wondered why some creators seem to explode overnight while your (arguably better!) work struggles to get traction, today's episode is for you. Because here's the truth:

Making great work is only 50% of the job. The other 50% — the part no one told you about — is community.

Community is the force multiplier behind every breakout launch, every viral post, every "overnight success." It's the difference between work that disappears and work that spreads.

In today's episode:

• What "the other 50%" actually means
• Why community is the foundation of every long-term creative career
• Exactly how to build yours (step-by-step, online and offline)

Enjoy — and remember: what you give is what you get.

If you're a creator, here's a hard truth: most of us don't charge enough. We look around, see what others are doing, and call that "the going rate." But that's not how value works.

There's no upper limit on creativity — you can charge whatever someone is willing to pay. The key is learning to positionyourself and negotiate with confidence.

Your job isn't to fit perfectly into "industry standards." It's to understand the value you bring and price accordingly. It takes the same effort to sell something for $100 as it does for $10,000 — the difference is who you're talking to.

• There's no ceiling on art: you can charge whatever someone will pay
• Value over time: move from hours and day rates to creative fees
• Positioning is everything: look enough like the standard, then add your unique premium
• Right clients, right price: the same work can pay 10x with the right audience

The takeaway? Pricing is a creative act. Know your worth, say it with confidence, and find the clients who see it too.

Here's an important reminder: you'll never feel ready to start. But you've got to do it anyway. And the operative word there is "do."

Just start.

This episode is the kick in the ass you need. Too often we get bogged down in the dreaming, the research, and the preparing - without the DOING. Feel me on this? It's a common excuse that most of use…that we just need a little more planning… Wrong.

This is not to say that planning isn't necessary, just that it shouldn't be the crutch that prevents you from executing. And for most it is. Let's change that.

If you've ever felt stuck - or heck - you're feeling stuck now, this episode is for you. We talk about the right balance between the planning and executing in a way that will get the results you want.

In this week's episode, we're revisiting a powerful conversation that originally aired back in 2015 — one that feels even more relevant today. Brené Brown joined me to talk about courage, connection, and what it really means to find true belonging in a divided world. Her insights on creativity, loneliness, and the power of standing alone have only become more urgent as we navigate today's culture of comparison and noise.

Since our original conversation, Brené has continued to expand this body of work through her bestselling books — including Atlas of the Heart and Dare to Lead — and her podcasts Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. She remains one of the most trusted and transformative voices on leadership, belonging, and vulnerability in the modern era.

Whether you're hearing Brené for the first time or revisiting an old favorite, this episode is a reminder that belonging isn't something we negotiate with the world — it's something we carry within us. It's about having the courage to stand alone, create from your truth, and use your art to help others feel seen and connected.

Some highlights we explore:

• Why true belonging starts within — and how creatives can hold space for both solitude and connection.
• How art transforms loneliness into shared humanity and despair into hope.
• The four practices of true belonging — from speaking truth to BS (with civility) to holding hands with strangers.
• Why every creative must be willing to be misunderstood and stand alone in the wilderness.
• How boundaries and self-worth protect your creative energy and integrity.

This conversation reminds us that the path to connection begins with courage — the courage to show up, tell the truth, and make something real. As Brené says: "Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don't belong… because you will always find it."

Enjoy the revisit!