Jenny Blake
363: 🌈 Taking a Quiet Sabbatical and ...

As I round the corner into this ninth year of podcasting, after over 700 episodes today, I’m announcing a pause for both shows.

Listen in to hear what factors helped me reach this decision across time, money, energy, depressing industry articles, the pace of both shows’ growth, and mix of additional business factors that make this an important moment to pause and regroup. You might also appreciate the even deeper dive with my longtime friend (and first coach) Adrian Klaphaak in Pivot episode 360: 📦 Unpacking a Big Business Decision and Dissolving Related Doubts.

Jenny Blake
362: Setting Creative Intentions Instead of ...

“Expectations are the enemy to the creative process. Sometimes you have to let go of the known to see the unknown.”

Today I’m speaking with James McCrae, an author, poet, and meme artist based in Austin, Texas. He is the founder of 🌻 Sunflower Club, a global school and community dedicated to conscious creativity.

Jenny Blake
361: On Decision Engineering and Evaluating ...

Good decision-making is not about omniscience or clairvoyance—it's more about resilience, according to today’s guest, decision engineer Michelle Florendo. “Decision-making is harder than ever before, and it's not your fault,” Michelle says. “People feel like they ‘should just know’ how to decide.”

Today we’re talking about a framework more helpful than pro-con lists, tuning into your head, heart and gut; why the quality of your decision is not equal to the outcome—did good or bad things happen; keeping a decision journal to evaluate the quality of your decisions regardless of the outcome; and how to drop the guilt of “bad” past outcomes.

Jenny Blake
360: 📦 Unpacking a Big Business Decision ...

What happens when you make a big decision but still have lingering doubt, fear, and even despair? How do you know when a “download” from the universe is worth following, and what does test-driving a decision look like? What happens on the other side or when a pivot is taking far longer than planned?

We’re unpacking all these topics in today’s twelfth and final (for now) conversation for the Pivot x Career Pathfinder series with Adrian Klaphaak.

Jenny Blake
359: “You can’t give what you don’t have” — ...

“You can’t give what you don’t have.” That’s just one of the powerful lessons that Nataly Kogan learned the hard way seven years ago, after suffering a debilitating phase of burnout. As a former refugee from the former Soviet Union, she began her American journey in the projects and on welfare, then going on to build an impressive career as a finance and tech executive and serial entrepreneur over the next 25 years. Until she crashed at thirty-eight years old and needed to find a new way of moving forward.

As part of her healing process, Nataly began to paint when she was 40 by signing up for a painting retreat in Tuscony (that turned out to be for semi-professional watercolorists), and now her paintings are on the cover of her books—front and center as part of her bold self-expression.

218: We've Gone Over-Bored (Part 2) with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

218: We've Gone Over-Bored (Part 2) with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

I’m releasing exactly the kind of episode I can’t usually stand . . . but maybe that’s a good thing? Michael even said in all seriousness, “I don’t think you should release this one on the main channel.”

We cover everything and nothing, and digressions in-between. Welcome to Part 2 of Wandering with Michael. Our alternative title for this one is, “Infinitely Boring” — so listen at your own risk! The background:

Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the first of several such sessions we recorded that day :)

This is decidedly not an episode with a clear agenda, takeaways, or template! In fact, you’ll probably wonder how we even manage to get along given our completely different approaches to life. Opposites attract as they say ;-)

Our biggest hope is that we provide just a little entertainment and reprieve on any future day you might find yourself bored too . . .

Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/218

217: We're Bored—Wandering with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

217: We're Bored—Wandering with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

Life on lockdown means a perfect opportunity to capture spontaneous thoughts from a very special guest . . . and no, it’s not Ryder :)

Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the first of several such sessions we recorded that day :)

Listen at your own risk, as this is decidedly not an episode with a clear agenda, takeaways, or template! In fact, you’ll probably wonder how we even manage to get along given our completely different approaches to life. Opposites attract as they say ;-)

Our biggest hope is that we provide just a little entertainment and reprieve on any future day you might find yourself bored too . . .

Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/217

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216: Pivoting Stand-up (NY) with Dani Zoldan

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216: Pivoting Stand-up (NY) with Dani Zoldan

Dani Zoldan is a lifelong entrepreneur. In 2008, he purchased Stand Up NY, the famous comedy club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that made its name in the 80’s and 90’s with many of the world’s best comics including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Louis CK and Jon Stewart.

Today, (at least pre-pandemic when we could still gather in person!) the club has been home to many current A-listers including Amy Schumer, Michael Che, Pete Davidson and Judah Friedlander.

I met Dani through James Altucher, who bought into club ownership in 2016, and was honored to participate in their inaugural Podcast Row. When I saw Dani quoted in the New York Times March 18: Open Your Laptops, the Comedy Show Is About to Begin, as businesses started shutting down, I knew he’d have an interesting Pivot perspective to share!

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/216

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215: Stay Relevant, Sense What's Next, and Solve Difficult Problems with Stephen Shapiro

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215: Stay Relevant, Sense What's Next, and Solve Difficult Problems with Stephen Shapiro

Why are so many of us allergic to the word innovation, solving the wrong problems, and experiencing idea-fatigue? Because, as Stephen Shapiro brilliantly shares in his new book, Invisible Solutions: 25 Lenses that Reframe and Help Solve Difficult Business Problems, what we’re really aiming for is relevance.

How can you apply the 5D’s of disruption to solve difficult problems? We dive into that and so much more during this conversation—one I can’t wait to listen back to at least twice more to absorb all the powerful pivot-related concepts! I’ll tell you one thing: you’ll never brainstorm the same way again . . .

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/215

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214: Nerding Out w/Mitch Joel—On Ideas, Systems, Credibility, and Connections

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214: Nerding Out w/Mitch Joel—On Ideas, Systems, Credibility, and Connections

Seth Godin recently described Mitch Joel (in celebration of his 700th episode) as “in the pantheon, one of the greats.” I couldn’t agree more.

Mitch is a well-respected friend and colleague to so many of us in the business, writing, and speaking communities. He sees trends and platforms coming long before they hit mainstream, and his output, ideas, and incisive interviewing style consistently leaves me with inspiration and new information.

He was gracious to have me on his Six Pixels of Separation Podcast when Pivot launched, and the conversation (among dozens and dozens) left such a mark on me that I quoted him in the afterword for the paperback edition of Pivot in 2017 the following year. Here’s an excerpt:

"My guiding principle now is faith in flow, a reminder that helps me trust the natural cycles of tension and release, hustle and flow, grit and grace. I listen for what’s next, but try not to rush the answer.

If the Plant stage involves putting a pin in one’s desired destination a year from now, entering my post-pivot rest mode was like hitting the “current location” button in a maps app—it spun me back and helped me zoom in on where I was right now, not someplace off in the future where I should be.

In the words of my friend and fellow author Mitch Joel, instead of only focusing on what’s next, we’d do well to reflect on the equally important question: what’s now?"

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/214

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213: Flex Your Flywheel (for Solopreneurs)

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213: Flex Your Flywheel (for Solopreneurs)

Building on the previous episode that covered virtuous circles (or cycles), this is an excerpt from my Pivot to Profit course where I go deeper into Jim Collins’ Hedgehog and Flywheel concepts. This will help you think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating, unstoppable momentum.

Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

Help us tip Pivot over the 200 reviews on Amazon milestone! At the time of recording, we are just TWO reviews short!! Visit http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/213

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212: Virtuous Circles in Pivot Portfolio Planning

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212: Virtuous Circles in Pivot Portfolio Planning

How can virtuous circles (or cycles) help us think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating momentum? That’s the topic of this episode; how we can transform even “time for money” or marketing activities into something more.

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

Help us tip Pivot over the 200 reviews on Amazon milestone! At the time of recording, we are just TWO reviews short!! Visit http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback

Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/212

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🦠 211: Financial Planning Through a Pandemic With Kathryn Brown

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🦠 211: Financial Planning Through a Pandemic With Kathryn Brown

"If you truly are diversified, that means something is underperforming (in the short-term).”

Today’s Pivot conversation is with wealth manager Kathryn Brown, whose mission is changing families’ traditional relationship with money to foster a healthy relationship between money and life for the families she serves.

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://www.pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://www.pivotmethod.com/211

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210: Why Bother? With Jennifer Louden

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210: Why Bother? With Jennifer Louden

Jennifer Louden is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book.

Since then, she’s written seven additional books on well-being and whole living, including The Woman’ s Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. She’s been profiled or quoted in two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and even appeared on Oprah.

Jen and I met way back in the day at SXSW 2012 — my first time attending, and have kept in touch from afar ever since. Today we’re talking about her newest and most personal book, Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next.

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/210

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209: On Seinfeld, Sensitivity, and Trend Spotting

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209: On Seinfeld, Sensitivity, and Trend Spotting

This riff is inspired by the synchronous confluence of two things: re-reading a note to self on “sensitivity as a tool for trend spotting” and a recent NYT interview with Jerry Seinfeld (who I also highlight in the chapter on pilots in Pivot), Jerry Seinfeld Is Making Peace With Nothing: He’s ‘Post-Show Business.’

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://www.pivotmethod.com/209

I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’ve read the book, please share your honest thoughts at http://www.bit.ly/Pivotpaperback

What’s on your mind? Take the Pivot listener survey at http://www.pivotmethod.com/survey and/or submit a question at http://www.pivotmethod.com/ask

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208: Your Book and Big Idea (Part 2)

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208: Your Book and Big Idea (Part 2)

Part two of my recent Momentum Masterclass on Your Book & Big Idea (recorded 3/3/20). Whether you’re creating a course, a speech, or a book learn how to map the transformation you’re trying to create, and the difference between different stages such as harvesting, thinking, outlining, writing, editing, and launching. As Richard Bach says, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Listen to part one at http://pivotmethod.com/207

I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’ve read the book, please share your honest thoughts at http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback

To dive deeper into these topics: join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum or take the week-long course, He(art) of Book Publishing. Be sure to also check out the free Author Toolkit (the tools and templates that were most helpful for writing, editing, and marketing Pivot).

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/207

What’s on your mind? Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

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207: How to Develop Your Book and Big Idea (Part 1)

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207: How to Develop Your Book and Big Idea (Part 1)

In this replay of a Momentum Masterclass on Your Book & Big Idea (recorded 3/3/20), I’m walking you through how to hone in on a powerful, resonant message that will connect with and help you build your ideal community, as well as next steps to getting it out into the world.

As one of my earliest book mentors Michael Larsen said to me, "It's not a question of if you'll get published, but when and how."

I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’ve read the book, please share your honest thoughts at http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback

To dive deeper into these topics: join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum or take the week-long course, He(art) of Book Publishing. Be sure to also check out the free Author Toolkit (the tools and templates that were most helpful for writing, editing, and marketing Pivot).

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/207

What’s on your mind? Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

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205: Delightful "5-Star" Relationships with Marriage Coach Maggie Reyes

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205: Delightful "5-Star" Relationships with Marriage Coach Maggie Reyes

It’s right there in her last name: Maggie Reyes is a ray of sunshine who brightens every room she enters. Maggie’s energy in contagious, particularly when it comes to creating delightful, conscious relationships full of affection and appreciation.

We’ve both hired each other as a coach, and in just three sessions (and a surprise book she mailed me), Maggie completely transformed my approach to sticky relationship situations. I hope you enjoy this conversation around what it means to create a “5-star” marriage—and even who we’d each cast in the TV sitcom of our lives :)

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/205

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204: Radical Alignment: Getting to Hell Yes with Alex & Bob

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204: Radical Alignment: Getting to Hell Yes with Alex & Bob

Joining the Pivot Podcast today are two of my closest friends in NYC, Alex Jamieson and Bob Gower. I spend Friendsgiving with them almost every year, and Bob is actually featured in the Pilot section of Pivot.

Alex and Bob are one of those couples we all admire—they are warm, loving, respectful, and creative. Today we’re talking about their new book, called Radical Alignment: How to Have Game-Changing Conversations That Will Transform Your Business And Your Life. If you want to help them get a big boost of momentum, please consider pre-ordering today!

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/204

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🦠203: Re-Opening: What's Next? When and How Will You Leave the House? With Dr. MJC

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🦠203: Re-Opening: What's Next? When and How Will You Leave the House? With Dr. MJC

(Recorded 4/30/20) No matter when your area “opens back up,” when and how will you go on public transportation, or to restaurants, for example? (If you have the luxury to make that choice independent of your livelihood)

These are the questions Dr. MJC and I tackle in this week’s pandemic podcast conversation. We start with a brief overview of how different states and countries are approaching re-opening, and how we are wrapping our minds around it.

We don’t have the answers, but we are exploring how to frame thinking and important questions about risk, safety, and personal responsibility.

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/203

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202: Diamond Mind—"Inside Out" Coaching with Bev Willcocks

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202: Diamond Mind—"Inside Out" Coaching with Bev Willcocks

Universal Mind, Universal Consciousness and Universal Thought.

From the Three Principles Foundation website: “In 1973, Sydney Banks, an ordinary working man, experienced a spontaneous and profound spiritual enlightenment. His experience uncovered three foundational Principles; elemental principles that create and govern the human experience: Universal Mind, Universal Consciousness and Universal Thought.”

These are the three principles that guide Inside Out coaching, which I first heard about from today’s guest, Bev Willcocks. Bev is a Cape Town based adventurer, artist, and coach who “finds freedom in coming alive to the joy and raw energy of life” and helping her clients do the same.

Bev first reached out in July 2018 to share more about the practice, and after this conversation I’m sure you’ll be interested to learn more too, with powerful tools to find your footing during times of immense uncertainty.

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/202

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201: Strengthen Your Systems (for Solopreneurs)

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201: Strengthen Your Systems (for Solopreneurs)

Do your systems spark joy, or are they cluttering your mind and creating bottlenecks in your business?

Are you telling yourself unhelpful stories like, “I’m not good at technology?” If so, or even if you love systems (like me!) and want to improve your systems-thinking mindset and muscles even further, this episode is for you.

This episode is excerpted from a 90-minute lesson within the Pivot to Profit bonus course in Momentum ($997 value). To access the video version with detailed walk-throughs of how I use apps like TextExpander, Asana, Google Drive, Dropbox, Kajabi, etc — join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum.

The investment is just $220 per month (you can cancel at any time), and you’ll get access to the entire Pivot to Profit course, along with 5+ years of archives and a private Facebook group with heart-based business owners.

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/201