Ahh, the F-word.

If you have ever gotten a new business or product off the ground, you may know something a little thing called fear.

One moment you’re chugging along, whistling while you work, happily chipping away at a project. And then the next moment, it’s like you run smack into an invisible force field – and try as you might, there’s no getting past it.

I’ll let you in on a secret: As I write this post, I’m in the middle of experiencing a spell of fear and resistance.

I’m getting closer to a big new launch, after working on it for weeks and weeks, and it’s like all my deepest fears are bubbling up to the surface. Am I hitting the mark? Is my copy going to resonate the way I want it to? Should I go back to the drawing board on that thing I don’t think is perfect yet? The list goes on.

Luckily I’ve been here before, so I see it for what it is – garden variety resistance.

Become Your OWN Productivity Coach

Hey there friend – if you’re reading this, you may struggle with productivity and motivating yourself to take action. As a result, you may feel totally stuck in your current situation.

If that’s you, I SO feel your pain. Trust me. I want you to know, first of all, that you are not alone.

Here’s my story.

Not so long ago, I struggled hard with feeling unhappy in my career. I hit my five-year anniversary of working at a large firm on marketing contracts with major brands and programs. The work was engaging and rewarding, and my coworkers and clients were incredible. But it was just so, so far away from the hopes and dreams I had for my career.

I needed to take steps in a new direction, and I knew generally what I needed to do, but the road seemed so long and difficult. I couldn’t even make myself start.

I was stuck in a loop of negative self-talk.

My 7 Favorite Podcasts for Creative Entrepreneurs

If you read my previous post, How to Become Your Own Productivity Coach, you know I’m a huge advocate of using any spare minutes you have throughout the day to listen to and internalize messages that motivate and inspire you to move forward.

It’s a crazy effective and simple way to “hack your brain,” challenge your own negative self-talk, and transform your inner dialogue into a constant encouragement and motivator.

So as a follow-up, I wanted to share a few of my all-time favorite podcasts for entrepreneurs and creatives alike, to help boost your creativity and productivity!

Does Your Brand Pass the "Coffee Date" Test?

"Your brand and your ideal customer meet for coffee.
What happens? What do they talk about?"

Take two minutes and try to come up with a short list of 3-4 things your brand and your ideal customer would have to talk about over macchiatos and hazelnut lattes.

How did you do? If the conversation covers a variety of interesting topics and issues, you're on the right track!

But if all your answers revolve around your service or product, you may be missing an opportunity.

Don't worry! We're going to fix it.

Imagine this: You meet up with a friend, and she opens the conversation by trying to sell you something. You try to change the subject, but the conversation keeps coming back to what she can do for you. Erm.

If you're like me, you might gulp down your coffee and start planning your escape.