552: Escape the 9-5, Create a Life You Love, and Still Pay the Bills with Marianne Cantwell (an Encore Presentation of Episode 286)

You know when you go outside on a pleasant day and there’s that perfect breeze in combination with just the right amount of warmth from the sun on your face?

That’s pretty much the same feeling you’ll get from hanging out with my guest today.

podcast artwork

Delightful, effervescent, fun, and cool (yes, cool) are all words I would use to describe her.

Her name is Marianne Cantwell and her book is called Be a Free Range Human: Escape the 9-5, Create a Life You Love, and Still Pay the Bills.

Marianne’s book is about much more than quitting your job and becoming your own boss. It’s about life on your own terms, working when, where; and how you want – so you don’t have to fit yourself into someone else’s box to make a great income.

Be a Free Range Human won’t just inspire you, it will give you unconventional and practical steps you need to discover what you really want to do with your life.

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531: 48 Days to the Work (and Life) You Love with Dan Miller (an Encore Presentation of Episode 338)

I mean it when I say that today’s guest is easily one of my favorite authors in the world.

But even more important than that, he’s become one of my friends and one of my mentors (AND, one of my favorite people on the planet).

Dan Miller

I’m talking of course about New York Times bestselling author Dan Miller. Dan is keeping his promise of updating – every five years – the book that started it all.

That book is the 20th-anniversary edition of 48 Days to the Work (and Life) You Love: Find It – Or Create It.

Click that link above for a host of resources Dan has just for you as a listener to Read to Lead.

I encourage you to not only pick up a copy of his book for yourself but anyone else you know who could benefit from reading it.

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528: The Only Business Metric That Matters is Ideaflow with Jeremy Utley (an Encore Presentation of Episode 446)

My guest today asserts that we all want great ideas, but few of us actually understand how great ideas are born. Innovation, he says, is not an event, a workshop, a sprint, or a hackathon.

It’s a result of mastering ideaflow, a practice that elevates everything else you do.

His name is Jeremy Utley, and he is the coauthor, along with Perry Klebahn of IDEAFLOW: The Only Business Metric That Matters.

They advocate a simple core principle: ideas matter. Instead of focusing on output, innovators focus on input. Instead of obsessing over quality, innovators generate quantity.

They argue that every problem is an idea problem at its core, and changing the way you think about any problem will unleash success. Innovation is a volume game, and the quantity of ideas drives quality.

Intrigued? Click the play button below to learn more Jeremy and his book.

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526: The Truth About AI and the Future of Humanity with Steve Shwartz (an Encore Presentation of Episode 384)

My friend and former mastermind group member, Steve Sponseller, was kind of enough to introduce me to today’s guest a few months ago and I am thrilled he did.

steve shwartz

His name is also Steve. Steve Shwartz to be specific: AI expert, investor, and serial entrepreneur.

Steve began his AI career working with Roger Schank as a postdoctoral researcher in the Yale University Artificial Intelligence Lab. Steve was a founder or cofounder of several AI companies, one of which created the award-winning Esperant business intelligence product. 

As the AI Winter of the 1990s set in, Steve transitioned into a career as a successful serial software entrepreneur and investor and created several companies that were either acquired or had public offerings. 

His new book has probably my favorite title of the last couple of years. It’s called Evil Robots, Killer Computers, and Other Myths: The Truth About AI and the Future of Humanity.

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505: The Family First Entrepreneur with Steve Chou

Years ago, I remember coming across a podcast and blog called My Wife Quit Her Job. I had no idea then that, one day, the creator of this content would one day appear on my podcast.

steve chou

But then, he wrote a book. And our mutual friend, Jeff Goins, suggested an introduction. I’m glad he did.

Steve and his wife’s story, is a fascinating one, and one I can’t wait for you to learn more about in this episode.

His new book is all about how to create the life you’ve always wanted, without sacrificing your relationships—as so many often do—in the process. It’s called The Family First Entrepreneur: How to Achieve Financial Freedom Without Sacrificing What Matters Most.

We all want a comfortable life with plenty of time for family and friends. This vision is what inspired Steve to strike out on his own over a decade ago. But what he found was a nonstop schedule of never-ending work that wore him and his family down.

The hallmarks of modern business are making people miserable, Steve, says, and preventing them from enjoying life’s greatest gifts. Business owners get stuck on the hamster wheel of hustle only to end up burned out and looking for a better way.

For fifteen years, Steve has run two successful seven-figure businesses in twenty hours a week or fewer, leaving plenty of time for family, friends, and leisure. In the book, he shares profound insights and practical advice on business and life, demonstrating that you can, in fact, pursue your dream without sacrificing what matters most.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Steve and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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