Good Life Project

Have you ever picked up, looked at or listened to something so beautiful, it left you in a state of awe? And then thought… I wonder what the person who made it is like? Is what I’m looking at just an extension of their heart and soul? And, if that soul is dark, will you […]

So, we’re having a bit of fun in August, calling it the “GLP Summer Jam.” Instead of our longer interviews this month, we’re doing a full month of short and sweet visual essay jam sessions. It’s a great way to get you thinking about bigger questions as you shift your energy down a bit, slow down […]

What if the person you were looking for, the one with all the answers, the one who could help you feel better and give you direction was…you? We spend so much of life looking for someone to give us permission to live. To tell us what the right path is or verify that we’re on […]

You may recognize the last name of today’s guest. Yes, Eve Branson is the mom of legendary entrepreneur, Virgin founder and adventurer, Richard Branson. But she’s also very much a force of nature in her own right. In fact, it’s easy to see where Richard got his legendary sense of possibility and adventure from. Eve […]

Everyone wants better, no one wants change. In my travels in search of the elements of a life well-lived, I’ve stumbled upon a wellspring of wisdom, but also a truckload of discontent. So many people want “better” realities. Better jobs, better relationships, better health, better education, better income, better energy, better lives. But so few […]

What if you weren’t just a statistic? What if you were a single human being, with unique genes, biology, chemistry and needs? And what if the “generic” approach to “fixing” what ailed you didn’t work? Over the last 10 years, there has been a groundswell around an idea known as biohacking. It’s about rejecting the […]

Quick note: We’re about to do something ridiculously fun and cool, taking back summer camp for us grown-ups. Think summer-camp meets inspiration meets deep learning. Come check out the details here. Now, on to today’s show. Today, we’re exploring a question from one of our listeners, Ryan, that I’ve been asked many times: “As an entrepreneur […]

Tech-entrepreneur, Amy Hoy popped onto my radar a few years back when I read an article she’d written where she coined the term “entreporn,” or the relentless focus on venture-backed-massive-exit business as the only thing worthy of your attention. She eviscerated that myth (with some fantastically colorful language) and along the way offered an alternative. An […]

Why do so many artists, innovators and entrepreneurs throttle their creativity and pull back on risk once they’ve started to succeed? I’ve seen it happen time and time again. People burst onto the scene and make big marks, then wonder why their careers, businesses, creative output and and bodies of work begin to fall into […]

Mary Mary Kate McDevitt has built her career one letter at a time. Literally. She’s a hand-letterer. What’s that? Glad you asked. It’s a special type of illustration. She literally draws letters for a living. By hand. But these letters, and words…oh my, they’re gorgeous! It’s amazing to be able look at a word or phrase […]

You know that old saying, “feel the fear and do it anyway?” That phrase never quite sat right with me. Because it positions fear as a negative. In some circumstances, it is. It should be. But, what if, in other circumstances, it was actually just data that you were on the right track? What if a […]

What if an injury destroyed not only your lifelong dream, but the way you defined yourself from the time you were 6 years old? Coming out of high-school, Mike Robbins was drafted as a pitcher by the New York Yankees. It was his life-long dream to play pro-ball. But he said no and, instead, went to Stanford University. Coming out of college, he was drafted by Kansas City, where he spent the next few years working his way up from the minors. He was waiting for his break break, his shot at stepping onto the mound as a major league pitcher. Until one fateful night, a single pitch shredded the ligaments in his elbow and ended his career. For as long as he could remember, he was "Mike the baseball player."  It was his anchor, especially growing up in a tumultuous home with a dad who was bipolar. Now, his dream and the very way he defined himself came crashing down. One one level, it was crushing. But in this struggle, he also found something that surprised him, a sense of relief. The expectation was gone. Replaced by the freedom to radically define who he was and the career he would build moving forward. He discovered his story was much bigger and began to speak and write, crafting a new path as an author, keynote speaker and facilitator. Mike has since worked with some of the largest companies in the world. He shares much of his journey, along with a deep and personal exploration of compassion, in his new book, Nothing Changes Until You Do. Join us in this week's episode as we explore Mike's remarkable journey... Don't miss an episode! Be sure to subscribe by email (below) or on iTunes (over there on the right). With gratitude, Jonathan

Amanda Hesser was a foodie decades before the word foodie entered the zeitgeist. Growing up in a small town outside Scranton, Pennsylvania in the 70s, her mom served up "radical" foods like, gulp, asparagus. She eventually developed an interest not just in cooking, but in the "idea" of food. At the age of 24, she moved to New York and landed a job writing for the New York Times. Her gift for understanding not just food, but food culture earned her a spot as the Food Editor, where she left a powerful mark and created the epic The Essential New York Times Cookbook. Hesser then did what so many think about, but never do. She made the leap from one the most sought-after newspaper gigs in the world into the world of entrepreneurship. She launched Food52.com, a global food-conscious community, coupled with a repository for over 24,000 beautiful recipes, media, events and a robust online shop for all-things-food. Continuing to write, she penned Cooking For Mr Latte, about how she married an empty-fridge, non-foodie guy, and Hesser regularly highlights the intersection between food and emotion, and how it's so very woven into our everyday lives. In this episode of Good Life Project, I talk to Amanda about her remarkable journey, why food is such a vital part of relationships, the cultural shift in how Americans relate to food, and how she decided to leave the comfort of a respected job to build her own, delicious empire. Thanks for tuning in and feel free to subscribe to our newsletter (below) for updates on Good Life Project. Now I"m hungry, JF

Debbie Millman is a creative, design and storytelling force of nature. Millman was drawn into the world of news and print in her early twenties, cultivating an appetite for artful communication, storytelling and news. By her early thirties, though, life had dealt a series of challenges. In quick succession, she found herself divorced, jobless and even struggling to put a roof over her head. Finding meaning and purpose wasn't an easy thing to do. She felt bound by her own self-loathing. Unlocking and even mining that negative cycle, though, was the key to her turnaround. She started down a path of discovery that would lead to a series of serendipitous adventures and experiments and, eventually, a career as a leading voice in the world of design and branding. She is now the President of the design division at Sterling Brands, President Emeritus of AIGA, a contributing editor at Print Magazine and Co-Founder and Chair of the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the host of acclaimed podcast, Design Matters. Debbie is also a prolific artist, writer and visual storyteller, with numerous books top her credit, including the recent Self Portrait As Your Traitor, which includes a collection of illustrations and beautiful visual essays. Debbie's style of hand-lettered typography is creative and quirky, taking books into the realm of bound artwork.  Debbie says that you "have to create your own happiness," and frankly, I couldn't agree more. Which brings us to the big question: is it really possible to design your life? On this episode of Good Life Project, Debbie Millman gets real about living with creativity and freedom, diving into the world of design, art and media, and rocking it. Thanks for tuning in and feel free to subscribe to our newsletter (below) for updates on Good Life Project. With Gratitude, JF (By the way... Debbie has a big egg in the egg hunt.)

What would I tell my 20-something self? I've actually been asked this question a lot. Coming out of college, it can feel like a race to stability. Get the job, keep it... maybe forever. Despite this all-too-common path, I might suggest something fairly counter intuitive. Wanna know what it is? Don't worry about money, power, or prestige. Don't worry about "success." Don't worry about having it all figured out or where you're going to be when you're 30, 40, 50 or 60. Instead, focus on 3 other critical questions. Ones that will serve as guides on a deeper level, though they may take years to answer...and that's okay. Do this early in life and lot of the other stuff will fall into place with time. Ignore these questions and, at some point, you'll end up back-tracking to them and doing a whole of correcting course. Whether you're trying to find your footing or simply being bold about next steps, the latest GLP Jam Session highlights 3 important questions that can help reframe the process of self-mastery, purpose, and success. Or, put another way, really finding and building around "your thing." And don't forget, you can subscribe to our weekly newsletter (below) or check out any GLP Radio podcast by clicking the links on the right. Have fun discovering yourself, JF P.S. Mistakes are OK.