The Portfolio Life with Jeff Goins

Latest Episodes:

No, We Actually Don't Need You to Write a Book (The Better Book Manifesto) Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

We don't need more books in the world; we need better books. We don't need another mystery novel or cancer survival story or career advice tome. We don't need another seven steps or four laws or twelve rules for anything, really. Sorry. We just don't. The world is full of bad books, and we don't need any more of them.

This is a job. It's a calling, a sacred responsibility that ought to be taken seriously. If you can get out of it, you should. When Augustine became bishop of Hippo, he wept. Any leader who grasps the weight of her vocation understands this. Writing is a gift and a privilege, to be sure, but it is not an indulgence. It is not something you are owed. Writing is work. And we need you to do your job.

We don't need more bad books. We don't need another author in the world who takes a selfie at a book signing. We don't need a book at all—at least not unless it's going to be a better one.

Download the Better Book Manifesto here.

I Wrote a Book on Public Speaking and Then Became a Successful Speaker Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

This week, my first ghostwriting project, The Successful Speaker, comes out. This was a collaboration with Grant Baldwin, the leading expert on what it takes to build a successful speaking business. It was a lot of fun, but what I didn't expect was how much it would make me a better speaker.

For more information on The Successful Speaker, visit www.speakerbookbonus.com.

You Don't Need More to Start: 3 Timeless Truths to Succeed Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

I tend to think of life as a journey these days far more than a destination. If I could summarize what I believe about almost everything in life, it would be this: Clarity comes with action.

This is harder than it sounds. Do I quit my job or not? Do we make that big move or stay here another year? Do I take the risk, letting go of my fears of what I want, or is that selfish? How do you know what the next step is? The wisest people I've met have all said the same thing: You don't. You may have an intuition, a sense of what should be. But there is no absolute clarity. Fear is always strongest before the first step.

Why We All Need to Act More Like Artists Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

"Why do we need art?" In a world that seems to more and more focused on "work works," is there still a place for beauty? Do artists matter anymore? I think they do.

What Creativity Can Do That Nothing Else Can Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

There are three messages creativity can communicate, and these messages are what connect us as human beings. Which is to say, without the arts—without the ability to creatively express who we are and what we care about—we lose a bit of our humanity.

222: We Are All Hyphens Now: Chase Jarvis on the Creative Calling Jan 21, 2020

Show notes

We are all hyphens.

That's what Chase Jarvis, founder of CreativeLive, amazing photographer, and best-selling author of Creative Calling, told me in our recent conversation: we are all hyphens, and I couldn't agree more.

In this episode, I have a chat with my friend, Chase Jarvis, a brilliant photographer, entrepreneur, author, thinker. Chase is a bit of a Renaissance Man. We have a fantastic conversation about creativity, the arts, and the business world and why we need you to do your art, why we need you to make things more than we ever have before, and why we need the world to care about art and creativity. This is a great conversation, a bit of a lengthy one at almost an hour, so get your coffee ready and listen in.

We are all hyphens -- we are more than just one thing. I love that.

Listen to Chase share all of his wisdom and be sure to check out his book, Creative Calling: Establish a Daily Practice, Infuse Your World with Meaning, and Succeed in Work + Life.

The Cure for a Boring Career: Build a Portfolio Life Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Whether you're bored, out of work, or simply wanting a more fulfilling career, I believe that by embracing a portfolio life, you will finally have the peace and contentment you seek in your work.

Instead of Setting Goals, Tell a New Story Dec 31, 2019

Show notes

When it comes to achieving goals, many of us may be thinking about them the wrong way.

You and I have been told that you can have everything you want in life if you work hard enough and persevere long enough. But is this really the way life works? Is that even what you want? How often in life do we set our stubborn sights on some goal — a relationship, a kind of work, or even something we want to possess — and as soon as we get it, we are disappointed?

What Those Winter Blues Can Teach You About True Happiness Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

All good stories involve dying. The often-literal death of a mentor requires the hero to grow and move on in his journey. But there is also the shedding of a character's old identity in exchange for a new way of being. Not to mention, the loss of friends and foes throughout any adventure is a necessary part of the process. Death is a part of every great story, and so it must be for all great lives.

Your Questions Answered: Writing, Marketing and More Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

A few weeks ago, I did an episode of The Portfolio Life called "Don't Build an Empire, Find a Few Friends Who Care." It was about how the secret of marketing and getting your ideas to spread is really just about having a few friends who care. You want to create remarkable work and put it into the right hands to get it to spread.

So, in the email that I wrote for that podcast and blog essay, I asked people to email me a question, something that they were struggling with or need help with, and I got a ton of questions. Here I am a few weeks later, still not having answered those questions (sorry!) and so I decided to just turn on the old mike, pull up the inbox, and answer those questions in a podcast.

Hopefully, these are answers to questions not just a handful of folks asked but maybe questions that you're wondering about. Often, when you're in a classroom or workshop setting, some brave soul raises their hand to ask a question. It's often something lots of other people around are wondering as well so hopefully, that's the case here, and you get your question answered, even if you didn't ask it.