The Chase Jarvis Live Show

My guest today is Robert Brunner. If you look up “badass industrial designer” in the dictionary, the first thing you’re going to see is his picture. He’s the co-founder + partner of Ammunition Design Group, one of the top industrial design agencies in the world with clients including Lyft, Adobe, Microsoft, AIGA, and so many more. He lead the design of the widely popular Beats brand and built the design practice at Apple - he’s actually the guy who hired the legendary Jony Ive, now Apple’s Chief Design Officer - and he’s a former partner at the legendary firm Pentagram and co-founder of Lunar Design, one of the firms who put design on the map in the Bay Area back in the 80s and 90s. Today on the podcast, *  Why he was so effective at getting top business leaders to understand and respect design * Why the magic ingredient for a successful creative career is soft skills * Some super insightful tips on how to build and develop a world-class design team Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at

Cory Booker is one of those most compelling and dynamic voices in American politics: the former mayor of Newark, New Jersey, the subject of the 2005 documentary “Street Fight” that chronicles his initial 2002 bid for mayor, and he’s particularly engaged on the topic of education reform - a subject that’s near and dear to my own heart. He’s also an incredibly candid and open personality who’s willing to share many things that those in his position typically haven’t - which is not only refreshing but ultimately makes him that much more effective as a leader. Today on the podcast, * Sen Booker is incredibly good at getting eyeballs on the causes he advocates for, and he gets into the tactics he uses * He talks very openly about the times he’s fallen short and even outright failed - and how we turned those into valuable learning experiences.  * The techniques Sen Booker he uses to take control during those inevitable moments where we get overwhelmed and feel our emotions getting away from us Enjoy! Show notes and

One of my most popular, widely shared, and (so I'm told) most impactful blog posts is one I did a few years back called "The 10 Things All Creatives (That's You) Must Know," a collection of hard-won lessons I've learned from my 20+ years in the trenches as a creator. And although it's a few years old I feel more confident than ever about the timeless value of these lessons -- and so this week on the podcast I'm bringing you an audio version of that blog post. Here's a sneak preview of what you can look forward to: * Experts aren’t the answer. * Clients cannot tell you what they need. * Don’t aim for ‘better’, aim for ‘different’. * Big challenges create the best work. * Aesthetic sensibilities actually matter. * Simple is good. * Make mistakes, learn quickly. * “Value” is different from “price.” * A-Gamers work with A-Gamers. * Real artists create. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This episode is brought to you by our friends at Freshbooks - sign up for

By popular demand, this week's show is another microshow compiling some of the most popular + impactful questions from The Daily Creative (my YouTube show where I answer YOUR questions about the challenges you’re facing on your journey to become an aspiring or professional creative). In this episode: * I give Rod some pointers on what to do when a photo shoot isn't going as planned, with some larger lessons on how to build powerful, lasting relationships with clients * Jay from the Unthinkable podcast is looking to take his show to the next level, and I give him my candid take on what it's gonna take (spoiler warning: stamina) * I talk with Caleb, a successful commercial photographer who wants to grow his client base outside of his home town - my advice for him is straightforward but guaranteed to work ;) Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education

Scott is the founder of charity: water, a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries - you may have heard me mention them before, and that’s because I’m deeply passionate about their cause and a huge admirer of what Scott’s done as the founder of the org. In less than a decade, their community has raised over $250 million to fund 22,000+ projects that have brought clean water to more than 7 million people around the world. For those who want to support charity: water, you can join The Spring here, or pledge your birthday here. Today on the podcast, * Scott's AMAZING life story- how he turned his back on his career as one of NYC's best club promoters to found cw * He unpacks several of cw’s signature campaigns like their “donate your birthday” initiative * The moment he realized that his identity as a human was inexorably tied to the performance of his company + how he dealt with it Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.c

Piera Gelardi is the co-founder of Refinery29, one of the most important and influential lifestyle editorial companies on the internet with millions of visitors a day from just about every corner of the planet. It’s one of those classic entrepreneur stories, starting with a few friends in a cramped makeshift office who had a ton of passion but not a lot of experience - they’ve had some ups and downs, made some pivots, but here they are - they’re still standing, stronger than ever, and they’ve unquestionably made their mark on our culture with a voice that’s distinctly different from that of mainstream fashion - one built on diversity, inclusion and community that’s struck a chord with millennials. Today on the podcast, * She talks about how the vision and voice for R29 is literally in her DNA * The specific blueprint she used to transition from a full time day job to R29 * The actionable tactics and ideas she’s taken away from scaling the company from 4 to now over 500 people Enjoy! Show notes and links for t

Today I’m bringing you the audio version of a talk I gave at The Next Web conference in Amsterdam earlier this year on a topic that’s top of mind for many of us, which is the rise of AI and automation and the implications it may have for our careers - whether you’re a truck driver or a radiologist or a graphic designer, you’ve probably had a moment in the past year or two where you saw a news piece and asked yourself - “whoa - is a computer or a robot gonna put me out of a job?” If so, you're far from alone - but my hope is that by the end of this talk, you’ll be as optimistic about the future as I am. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer

As you may have seen, I have a new YouTube show called The Daily Creative where I answer YOUR questions about the challenges you’re facing on your journey to become an aspiring or professional creative - think of it as Loveline for creators. It’s full of super tactical stuff that you’ll be able to apply to your own life, and I absolutely love doing it. Many of you have asked for an audio version, and you know that I am always at your service - so here it is - a handful of some of the most popular questions from The Daily Creative. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and th

If you’re familiar with Jason then you know he’s an incredibly unique human. And if you’re not, then I'll do my best-- but you really just need to check out his work. He’s a brilliant and insanely insightful creator whose work sits at the intersection of philosophy, personal development and film much like my own work. You may know him as the host of Nat Geo’s “Brain Games,” from his short film series “Shots Of Awe” or his latest show “Origins” which is in its debut season. It’s really tough to put a label on his work, so instead of trying I’m simply going to echo his words - he calls them “espresso shots of philosophy” and while that’s a bit of a mouthful it’s also a very accurate characterization. Today on the podcast, * We talk about how Jason got his start on Al Gore’s cable channel Current TV * He explains why the "one man band" approach is the best way for him to work and how technology has made that possible for an entire generation of creators * In the tail end of this episode we get into a bunch of he

Steven is an entrepreneur and writer whose work has appeared in just about every publication you can think of-- New York Times, Forbes, Wired, TIME, you name it and was nominated for a Pultizer for his book “A Small Furry Prayer. I wanted to have Steven on here because he has a very unique focus in his latest book “Stealing Fire”: understanding peak human performance -- not in an abstract sense, but the specific mechanisms that make people like world-class athletes, Navy SEALs, and entrepreneurs able to do the incredible things they do and more importantly, how that formula can be reverse-engineered and applied to YOUR life. Today on the podcast, * We get deep into one of Steven’s signature themes which is “flow:” the optimal state of consciousness where we feel + perform our best  * Why mindfulness is a super important part of all this-- Steven says that many of us live in a constant state of mild fight or flight that overtaxes our nervous system * The implications of all this specifically for creatives - wh

Leila Janah is a human dynamo and one of the most exciting voices in the world of social entrepreneurship. After starting her career in management consulting, she quit to pursue her passions full time and has founded TWO companies. The first is Samasource, a non-profit that lifts people out of poverty via hiring them to do data work - and their clients now include the likes of Walmart, eBay, Google. And more recently she started LXMI a luxury skincare brand that sources rare ingredients from poor countries and thereby helps lift women out of poverty. Oh - and in case she didn’t have enough on her plate she’s also the author of the forthcoming book Give Work, the thesis of which is that giving work is the most powerful solution for ending global poverty. Today on the podcast, * She tells the story of sending Reid Hoffman a message on LinkedIn (which he replied to) * Why it’s limiting and ultimately a non-solution to operate from the idea that handouts are the answer to poverty - why “giving work” is the real a

W. Kamau Bell is a veteran standup comedian, the creator and star of the hit CNN show “United Shades Of America” which is kicking off its 2nd season, host of a couple podcasts, one of which has probably the best title of any podcast ever - “Denzel Washington Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time Period” - and author of a bestselling book among many other things he’s been part of over the course of his career. The word prolific does not even begin to describe this man. Today on the podcast, * How he went from his humble beginnings doing open mics in coffee shops and bars to getting his first TV show * He shares some super candid stuff about how despite appearing unflappable, on the inside - as he says - “it’s all flaps.”  * You’ve probably heard me talk about the idea of “create the work you want to be paid to create,” and Kamau has an amazing story about how he applied that exact idea Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Creati

Chris Guillebeau is an author and entrepreneur - you may know him from his bestselling books like “The Art Of Noncomformity” and “The $100 Startup” or his popular essay "A Brief Guide To World Domination." He’s also a prolific blogger and the brains behind the Worldwide Domination Summit. This interview is from a few years back, but I wanted to bring it back because Chris - along with Tim Ferriss and a few others - was among the first wave of people who pioneered the path that I’ve heard so many of you say that you want to be one. Today on the podcast, * We talk a lot about an idea that’s really at the core of this show, which is that the answers to all of this are inside you. * We also get into the post-success comedown. If you’ve ever had a big win you know what I’m talking about. * Another big theme in this show is potential - how to understand your potential, what to do with that energy, and the power of living up to your potential. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejar

Adam Braun is an author and entrepreneur who you may know from his work with Pencils of Promise, an organization that creates schools and other projects that bring education to underserved populations living in rural poverty. He’s also the author of the book “The Promise Of A Pencil” and more recently the founder of a super exciting education startup called MissionU whose model is 1 year of intense, skill-based education with NO upfront tuition - instead, you give them a percentage of your income once you land that sweet job. Today on the podcast, * Why he walked away from a career in management consulting to dedicate himself to his passion of giving the rural poor access to education via Pencils Of Promise * We get into a topic I’ve been touching on a lot lately which is balance. As a new father and entrepreneur this is a big challenge for Adam and he speaks very candidly about the real tradeoffs he has to make between his company, his family and his health * On that note, he also shares some of the habits a

James is the founder + driving force behind indie rock icons The Shins and partner in the new collage app Pasted. With over 20 years in the game, he’s seen just about every facet of the music business – from tiny shows at dives bars to Billboard top 10 albums on major labels – and as you can imagine he’s learned a thing or two along the way. Today on the podcast, * Longevity and stamina. How do you stay motivated and inspired after success and hardship, the industry, dealing with the “what’s next” feeling and post-achievement comedown? * The artist-as-entrepreneur paradigm. Whether they like it or not, all artists are also entrepreneurs. What does “entrepreneur” mean to James? * Collaboration: How do you have co-creators? (eg. his Broken Bells collaboration with Danger Mouse). How do you develop the soft skills to the business? When do you compromise on creative differences and when do you decide to cut ties? Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This podcas

After our interview, James sat down to play an intimate acoustic set for the lucky folks in our audience - and for those who couldn't make it, we've got it here on the podcast :)

Marc is a creative entrepreneur who’s probably best known as the founder of the apparel brand Ecko, which began in his parents’ garage and eventually grew into the largest brand in streetwear with a global footprint and over $1 billion in revenue. He’s also the author of Untitled: Selling Yourself Without Selling Out - the book we discuss in this episode - the creator of a video game called “Getting Up” and the founder of Complex Media. Today on the podcast, * Some super-actionable tactics for promoting your work - one that I really love is Marc’s concept of a “swag bomb,” which is a package that you deliver to someone to get their attention- for example when he’d send some Ecko gear to rappers. * Why the biggest barrier to success is - for most people - a self-imposed one: fear. Specifically, the fear of public or peer ridicule. * The power of humble beginnings. There’s this idea that you have to have best-in-class tools from the jump in order to get your start and frankly, that’s complete bs. Enjoy! Show n

Yves is the founder of Fuseproject and one of the most influential industrial designers of our generation, having also lead teams at the iconic firms frog design and Lunar Design. His clients include Herman Miller, GE, Puma, Kodak, Samsung, Prada and a host of others, and pioneered the paradigm of designer/entrepreneur as the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of smart lock company August and CCO at Jawbone. He’s also a passionate advocate for sustainability and social good, contributing to a variety of projects like One Laptop Per Child, Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor and the SPRING Accelerator program. Today on the podcast, * He talks about how - contrary to what many think - the best way for designers to get a chance to have a seat at the table is to double down on their craft and become world-class at one thing * We talk about how to turn off your brain when needed, quieting that relentless critical voice that all creators have * And we also get into more detail on the evolution of design culture in the

Amanda Crew is an actress who’s best known for playing Monica on the hit HBO show “Silicon Valley,” which I absolutely love for skewering tech culture in a loving but deadly accurate way. If you haven’t seen the show please, please do yourself a favor and check it out - season 4 recently premiered on HBO. But her career goes back many years: she’s appeared in a ton of shows and movies like Smallville, Final Destination 3, Life As We Know It and much more. Today on the podcast, * Like almost everyone on my show, Amanda is a hyphen - she’s a passionate photographer, although it took her a while to give herself permission to be more than an actor - she talks about overcoming the social bias that you can be good at more than one thing * She talks about the low point of her career a few years back when the recession and a writer’s strike hit at the same time one of her movies flopped and she didn’t work for nearly two years - and how rebuilding her career from scratch was actually the thing that made her believe i

Vanessa Van Edwards bills herself as a “behavioral investigator” - what that means is that she is absolutely amazing at unpacking what makes people do the things they do and turning that into proven, actionable techniques for others to hone their own people skills. She’s written for publications like CNN, Fast Company and forbes and is the author of the brand new (and incredibly good) book “Captivate: The Science Of Succeeding With People.” You’ve heard me talk many times about the critical importance of soft skills in building a successful career as a creator, and Vanessa is THE authority on this mega-important topic. Today on the podcast, * She talks about the difference between decoding and encoding emotional signals and how to apply that idea - for example, monitoring the micro-emotions that you are encoding with your body language and facial expressions (if you suffer from RBF this segment is for you!) * Tons of amazing little hacks that will help you hone your people skills. As just one example that tak