Make Something Cool with Alex Sugg
146 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 32 ratingsMake Something Cool is an interview podcast with elite creators about their pathway to success. In each episode, you’ll hear the tactics, tips, and resources they used to get there.
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Episodes
Dropping the Shield of Irony (Why You Should Take Yourself More Seriously) (#076)
June 04, 2021 04:00 - 7 minutes - 7.15 MBGet new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
The Four Personas of Creative Work (#075)
June 03, 2021 04:00 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MBGet new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
Finding Your Superpower In Unexpected Places w/ Andy J. Pizza (#074)
May 07, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 87 MBGet new episodes sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com/podcast Andy J. Pizza is an illustrator and podcaster who's worked for giant brands like Youtube and The New York Times. And in this episode we discuss neurodiversity and Andy's journey of learning to work with his ADHD, how to create more urgency & consistency in your life, facing your shadow-side, and what makes a powerful story work. This podcast was produced by the one and only Josh Perez. If you need help with your podcast, Josh i...
Build A Business by Beating Insecurity w/ Tom Osman (#073)
April 01, 2021 04:00 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBGet new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com There has never been a better time to build a business on the internet. Tom Osman is an expert in the field of building cool stuff online. In this episode, we talk about overcoming insecurity and sharing your thoughts online, how trying, failing and quitting more projects is the key to finding the best one, how to manage your creator bug and how having fun in your work is the most powerful thing you can do to supercharge your ...
How One Book Can Change Your Entire Life w/ Alex & Books (#072)
March 25, 2021 04:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBGet New Episodes Sent To Your Inbox | www.alexsugg.com/podcast - This episode, I have a really special guest on to talk all about one of my favorite topics. Books! I have always been a huge fan of reading, but have grown more and more hungry to read the older I get. The problem is, sometimes its tough to do it consistently. And that is why I asked my new friend Alex to be on the show today. Alex and Books is an online platform designed to help you read more great books. I love following A...
The Future of Podcasting | Tom Osman Interviews Alex Sugg (#071)
March 03, 2021 05:00 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MBGet new episodes and newsletters sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com Today's episode is all about the state of podcasting, but the tables have been turned a bit. My friend Tom Osman asked me to be a guest on his show and he agreed to let me share it with my audience as well. Tom is a really knowledgable guy on a million things, and he is going to be a guest here on Brave World in the coming months as well. In this episode, we get into the details of what makes a great podcast, how to ge...
How This Founder Reached 1 Billion People With a Side Project w/ Mikael Cho, CEO of Unsplash (#070)
February 15, 2021 05:00 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBGet new episodes sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com/podcast Mikael Cho is the founder and CEO of Unsplash. Follow him on twitter here In this episode, Alex and Mikael discuss the journey of building a brand that reached over 1 billion downloads, how to use writing to clarify your thoughts, the controversy or opportunity that comes from giving your work away for free, and the best way to waste your time.
How to build a brand that people love w/ Emily Heyward, Co-founder Red Antler (#069)
September 01, 2020 10:10 - 45 minutes - 42 MBHow to build a brand that people love with Emily Heyward (Co-founder Red Antler) Buy Emily's book.
How Smartphones Affect Our Happiness w/ Kai Tang, Co-founder Light Phone (#068)
August 31, 2020 10:05 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBGet new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com Kai Tang is the co-founder of light phone. Light phone is as a response to the exhaustive levels of noise and distraction we all encounter on a daily basis from our smart phones. The endless feeds of instagram, facebook, email and twitter leave us feeling drained, lost and and confused. in this interview, we talk about the bigger picture around smartphone addiction and how we can help ourselves through the process. Just becau...
How To Make It As An Independent Creator w/ Red Gaskell (#067)
August 30, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBGet new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com _ Red Gaskell is a director and photographer from New York. Check out his work at https://redgaskell.com
Qualify Your Critics
August 28, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.83 MBEvery critic of mine is required to pass this set of 3 questions. If it meets all 3 requirements, then I will consider this criticism welcome and valuable. I will use it to better myself and grow at my craft. No offense taken. But, if it fails to meet any of these requirements, it gets thrown out with the trash. (I guess they were just having a bad day..?) I refuse to spend any more mental energy on it.
Express Yourself
August 27, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.06 MBIn 2020, we have access to countless resources and ideas. This is an incredible opportunity. We get access to learn and see what others are doing and become inspired by it. But this environment can quickly breed us to lose our own voice, and begin thinking the way others have achieved success is the right way. You must not forget yourself in the equation. Just because your hero took a specific path, doesn't mean you should. You need to do it your way for it to be honest and connect with o...
You're Paying an Expensive Price
August 26, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.4 MBI am currently undergoing some shifts in how I plan my work and projects. Usually, I am really good at this, but lately, it's been tough to stay on top of it all. It's easy to let things slide and tell myself that I'll 'get to it' soon. I keep waiting for the ideal environment to fall in my lap instead of forging it myself. Here is what scares me. All this time I have spent without creating a clear plan for myself has, in fact, been spent. That time is now gone. I'm never getting it back....
What to do when you're stumped
August 25, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.1 MBThis morning, I am stumped. I have no ideas about what to write to you this morning, but I am showing up anyway. Because that is what I have committed to do. Sometimes, that is all we can do. I am a firm believer in incremental steps being the only way to grow into something substantial. I don't feel bad about it, because I am a human. Sometimes, other things will take your attention or you just won't have it in you. This is okay. But it doesn't mean you don't fulfill a commitment. Even ...
Prime Your Mindset For A New Week
August 24, 2020 20:39 - 51 seconds - 802 KBMonday mornings can be tough. But I don't think they need to be. This morning, you can prime your mindset to have a great week. No matter what hardships might come, you get to choose how you respond. So today, start with gratitude. Think about what you do have. For the people you have in your life. For the inspiration, you've drawn from your favorite artists or athletes or whoever you admire. Be grateful for the life you have. Tomorrow isn't promised, so what will you do with today? Have...
Challenge Your Assumptions
August 21, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.74 MBLet's talk about aliens. When you think of an alien, do you think of flying saucers? Of a giant head and pitch-black eyes standing on two legs? Does it have remarkable technology? Is it threatening? The truth is no one has ever seen an alien. (At least, no one can prove they have) But isn't it interesting the assumptions that we make about what aliens would be like if they showed up on earth? An alien could look and act more like a cute puppy. But that is not what our assumptions tell us....
Work Vs. Play
August 20, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.75 MBWhat feels like play to you and work for others? What feels like work to you and play to others? These are essential questions to ask when you're starting a new project. When something feels like play for us, we are more likely to succeed in achieving it. And this inverse is also true; if it feels like work - you will eventually get burnt out by it. I think a great metaphor is exercise. Bill might assume that going for a run is the best way to get fit. His brother runs a lot and stays pret...
Compete With Yourself
August 19, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.58 MBHave you ever looked at what someone else is doing and thought "I could do that too... In fact, I could do it better."? This is natural. Humans have been bred since the dawn of time to compete for resources. Nowadays, we compete less for wild animals, and more for people's money, time and attention. The problem with this idea is that if you're too focused on what others are doing, you will begin to lose focus on where you want to go. If you're driving down the highway, you can peek at the...
Look After Yourself
August 18, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.41 MBYesterday, I talked about practicing generosity. Today, I want you to take what you did yesterday and apply it to yourself. What I mean is, when we are always thinking about ourselves, we sometimes are thinking the wrong way or about the wrong things. Personally, my obsession is work. I think about work and work ideas non-stop, and I get a lot of my self-esteem from how I perform in my projects. Obsessively thinking this way is an extremely unhealthy cycle. I've learned this the ...
Practice Generosity
August 17, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.15 MBGenerosity is a topic I don't see or hear much about these days. To be honest, I think that we are all living in a default 'survival mode'. And if you live in 'survivor-mode' all the time, you won't be very good at giving to others. But I believe we miss something meaningful when we focus too much on ourselves. We are made for connection with others, so we shouldn't get so caught up in ourselves that we miss what is happening with those around us. So today, if you've been really focused...
Why You Should Say "I Don't Know" More Often
August 12, 2020 10:59 - 50 seconds - 796 KBWhen you say, "I don't know," you're taking the place of confidence in any interaction. You're being honest with yourself and whoever you're speaking with. It also frees you up from being some sort of expert about everything, which no one truly is. So today, instead of feeling the need to 'fake it till you make it,' what if you responded with "I don't know. Tell me more about that." or "I don't know. Let me find out." It is a good feeling, and you will be less stressed this week.
How To Make A Lot Of Good Stuff
August 11, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutes - 1.98 MBI am a huge productivity nerd. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a huge geek when it comes to systems and methodologies and lots of ways of thinking about how to get work done. Out of all the systems and ideas I've tried, only one has given me 5,10,100x return on my time. This trick is called batching. Batching is where you look at all the tasks you do in a given day, week, month, or quarter and do similar style tasks all at once. So this can look like answering emails at work. Instead of s...
Why you should experiment with your projects
August 10, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutes - 2.07 MBExperimenting with your projects is an essential part of doing good work. The truth is when you try new things, the people who are following (or in my case, listening) to your work will not always like the changes. It feels like you're flip-flopping on your commitment to bringing them a certain kind of content. They think this because... you are doing precisely this! You're totally changing the promise of what they signed up to get from you. As a creator, you must acknowledge this and take...
Help your brain, and start journaling.
August 07, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.44 MBI used to journal every day. Unfortunately, I've fallen off the wagon for the past few months. Today, I woke up and decided to give it a shot again. And let me tell you, It feels good. My mind (as I'm sure your mind) has been in a sea of noise for months now. With the pandemic, a social justice movement, and a lot of political unrest, it is difficult to fully grasp your part in the story when you have infinite amounts of information flying your way all the time. When I journaled, the worl...
Data doesn't change people
August 06, 2020 10:00 - 58 seconds - 922 KBData doesn't change people. At least, not on its own. Have you ever wanted to make a point so badly, but just couldn't convince someone else of your side? You could pull up spreadsheets and tell them every number and statistic to try and convince them of what you're trying to sell. We all know this won't work. Why? Because we all have our biases. We all have stories running through our heads of what is real, and the only thing that can change our minds is a more compelling story. So inste...
Using a bad situation for good
August 05, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutes - 1.88 MBIf you're in a bad situation at work or in life, it can be tough to see or notice anything else. Maybe you're unhappy at your job, or battling illness, or even managing life in this pandemic. How can we see anything else when facing these scenarios? As suffering goes, there are times in life that we neither can't run nor hide from it. If we try to escape something we have no control over, we are fighting the wrong battle. I believe one of the best things we can practice in tough times is ...
Do or think
August 04, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.25 MBPeople spend too much time doing and not enough time thinking about what they should be doing. -Naval Ravikant The quote above makes an interesting point. I feel like this all the time. But, I would agree with this inverse quote as well... "People spend too much time thinking about what they should be doing instead of doing" -Alex reversing Naval's quote I bet you land on one of these two sides. Which would you say you are feeling more today? Do you need to do more, or do you need to th...
What I am doing to break negativity
August 03, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.81 MBI am a positive person by nature. I see opportunities in almost any situation. But lately, I have not been feeling that way. My default response to most things has been negative. Now, I am giving myself some compassion here. The world has been in a state of injustice, pain, and sickness, and I'm sure that contributes to my perspective. Not to mention, staying inside all the time hasn't helped much either. The part that I want to focus on is that this shift didn't happen overnight. I've be...
How to start unraveling insecurity
July 31, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.51 MBI believe insecurity is the source of most of the world's pain. Insecurity causes wars. It causes painful words to be said. It causes necessary words to be left unsaid. It causes us to say 'no' to our true desires because we are afraid of what others might think. Defeating insecurity in myself, and helping others overcome theirs is one of my primary goals in life. Whenever I begin to feel insecure (which is often), I try and step back, gather myself, and ask: "How is this moment asking me t...
Keep moving
July 30, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.5 MBI can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. -Michael Jordan Today is a simple letter. Whatever your goal is, whatever you want to achieve, don't give up. I'm reminded all of the time of the instant success we all want to see, but that isn't how it works most of the time. We generally only see the tip of the iceberg of someone's success, without all of the patience and hard work it took to get there. You can do this. You can get closer to achieving yo...
People like us do things like this
July 29, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.58 MB"People like us do things like this" - Seth Godin When Seth first uses this quote in his book This Is Marketing, I felt a light switch turn on. This is what it means to communicate with your audience. A lot of the time, we try to be all things for all people, and when we do that, our work gets pretty stale and doesn't truly connect with anyone. But if you make your art, your product, or your service for a specific group of people, you need to talk directly do them. You also need to let g...
The patience game
July 28, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.3 MBIn the digital age of 'overnight' success stories such as Facebook, the hard slog is easily overlooked. - James Dyson The patience game is not very fun... until you win. Sometimes I get 'being patient' mixed up with 'waiting around.' The two are not the same. The patience game is all about what you're doing while you're waiting. How are you setting yourself up so that when the time comes, you're ready for the moment? Waiting around is just waiting for something to fall in your lap, and th...
The long game
July 27, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.39 MBIf you're willing to clarify your long term goals and stick to them, you will outlast 99% of other people around you. Why? Instant gratification will snare almost anyone these days, and it's only getting worse. So if you can delay gratification on things that sound good right now, and focus on the things that you want the most in the future, you will get much further along in your goals. What can you refrain from today to get closer to your goals?
You are paying attention
July 24, 2020 10:00 - 50 seconds - 792 KBThe most prominent companies in the world are spending big money to get something from you. That is your attention. Never forget how valuable it is. So today, what are you going to pay for with your attention? Where can you redirect your focus to better places, so you get the right things done?
Inspired by the challenge
July 23, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.59 MBMy friend and I were texting yesterday about some of our creative projects, and I asked him what he has been inspired by lately. "I've been inspired about the current events," he said. "There are just all these cool possibilities." It caught me off guard. The current events have been so heavy and challenging to sift through, but the way he has been seeing them is totally different. He is seeing opportunity in this moment. He is inspired by the challenge, not torn down by it. So how can...
How to make your own lane
July 22, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.32 MB"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ― Toni Morrison There is a gap in the world, and it is your job to fill it. Your job is to go and find that hole. It will be located between your influences, idols, values, taste, and your dreams. If you take all of the unique parts of who you are and point them at each other toward a common center, that is your lane. For example, when I use to write music, I had to find my niche. I loved cl...
Sustainable by design
July 21, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.63 MBOne of the most underrated parts of any project or goal is building a sustainable pathway toward it. It's easy to get really excited and try to do everything at once and use all of this energy you have right now on it, and then... you end up getting tired or bored and burning out. When I've worked with clients on podcasts, a lot of them say something like, "We want it to sound like The Daily or This American Life. How do we do that?" They can sure try to do that. But it won't be sustainabl...
How to make a new week feel exciting
July 20, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.5 MBA new week is here! For some people, this is an exciting feeling. For others, it's not very thrilling. What do you think separates those two? Someone happy for a new week understands the opportunity that the week holds for them. The person who doesn't feel great about it simply can't see what the week is for yet. That is why today, I want to ask you this question: What will I have achieved for myself, my project, or my goals by Friday of this week? If you identify something achievable and...
Clarity day
July 17, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutes - 1.9 MB"Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us." ― Maya Angelou This letter is coming to you late thi...
How to break the rules
July 16, 2020 10:00 - 45 seconds - 706 KB"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." ― Pablo Picasso I use to think I could skip steps toward success. I've always trusted that my taste would lead me to great work. The truth is, your taste will only take you as far as your skill levels will carry you. How can you become better at the fundamental skills of your craft? How can you master the rules, so you learn the right ways to break them?
Embrace the tension of your story
July 15, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.11 MB"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star." ― Friedrich Nietzsche This has always been one of my favorite quotes. It reminds me to embrace the imperfections or challenges I've faced in my story - and to see them as strengths for my work instead of weaknesses. That the tension we all feel inside is what keeps us moving forward. Today, how can you embrace your story? With the highs and lows, and connect it to your work?
Redefine what success looks like
July 14, 2020 10:00 - 45 seconds - 718 KBOften, if we are feeling weary or burnt out on our work, it's because we feel distant from whatever goal or ideal we had in place from the beginning. If this is you, try redefining what success looks like first. I always like coming back to the basics of my practice. Make success about the process that you love instead of the results for a while. See what happens if you just 'make' with no strings attached.
Don't put the cart before the horse
July 13, 2020 10:00 - 51 seconds - 804 KBIt's easy to try and skip steps on the journey toward achieving our dreams. As society has sped everything up, we tend to want things quicker. The problem here is that to become truly great at something, you have to spend a lot of time doing that thing first. Greatness costs time, persistence, and patience. You wouldn't microwave a filet mignon, so why would you try to speed up our work? Where are you trying to speed up the process instead of mastering the level you're at?
Get it out of your head
July 10, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.49 MB"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them." - David Allen How many times have you had a 'million-dollar idea' and then totally forget it the next day? Or that thing you keep needing to buy at the grocery store, but somehow always miss it while you're there. Keeping ideas and tasks in our heads is a flawed system. Instead of keeping ideas in your memory, you need to find a safe place to keep them—a place where you will look again later and not forget. Write it down, just in case.
Build momentum
July 09, 2020 10:00 - 58 seconds - 910 KB"Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from 25 to 31 degrees. All the action happens at 32 degrees." - James Clear _ Every degree counts. Just because the ice cube hasn't melted at 26, 27, 28 doesn't mean you didn't need those steps to get to 32. This is the power of momentum. So today's prompt is simple - keep taking steps. If you keep building momentum, the ice will have to melt.
Guide your energy
July 06, 2020 10:09 - 1 minute - 1.22 MBYour energy is your greatest competitive advantage. If you can identify what energizes you, then learn to gather, focus and act on it - you will accomplish more than most people ever will. Where can you give your best energy today and where can you remove it?
Take your space
July 03, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.07 MBA friend of mine shared with me awhile ago that she felt like she was finally accepting herself. She said, "I'm beginning to give myself permission to take up space in the world." I think that is a beautiful realization for us all. Our lives and experiences have molded us to have certain fears and insecurities that hold us back from taking our space in the world. So today, how can you assert yourself more in the ways that feel right to you? Where can you stand up for yourself more?
The courage to continue
July 02, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.15 MB“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston S. Churchill How can you practice courage today? How can you step out of your comfort zone or restart something you gave up on?
What to do when you're overwhelmed
July 01, 2020 10:15 - 1 minute - 1.52 MBThis season has been filled with plenty long days. I've felt overwhelmed and I sure you have at times too. So what do we do? I am going to get some separation from my work. I think getting a fresh perspective is the best thing we can do. Work as hard as possible to get some margin, instead of always letting work drip in. Where can you find some separation today? What expectations can you let go of for the next 24 hours and return refreshed?
Why you need good systems
July 01, 2020 10:10 - 1 minute - 1.43 MBSystems help us make sense of messy projects. If we have good systems in place, it unlocks our creative output to be more consistent. A system could be a scheduled time to finish tasks or a list of best practices to follow in working on a project. Where do you think you can find and implement better systems today to support your creative goals? Need some advice on good systems? Write to [email protected] and I'll get back to you in a few days. (yes, I really do respond)