Today’s guest is Ryan Flahive, an entrepreneur, podcaster, and Learning Technology & Publishing Executive with deep experience in higher education, workforce development, and social impact. He is currently producer and host of CLIMATE CHANGERS, a podcast featuring interviews with scientists, activists, and other leaders. Ryan, and this conversation scarcely scratches the surface, has a long, varied, successful career, and he’s the rare individual who combines passion with expertise, and success has followed him from adventure to adventure. We talked about his amazing work and mission, as well as the necessity of wearing many hats in the creative realm. Ryan, like most influencers, wears multiple hats, and shares with me a conviction that effective narrative is the essential ingredient to telling good stories. We get into the nitty gritty of what makes for meaningful activism, and how spreading awareness about the climate is particularly challenging since there’s well-funded players trying 24/7 to remove all considerations that impact profits. Ryan frankly discusses the challenges, rewards, and opportunities of his work, and his belief in community building is profoundly inspiring. Whether you’re a writer, a non-profit employee, or entrepreneur, Ryan is an invaluable guide.

Learn more about Ryan at https://ryanflahive.com

Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression.

Website: seanmurphy.net
Substack: seanmurphy.live
Twitter: @bullmurph
Instagram: @bullmurph
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-murphy-4986b41

Today’s guest is Will Boast, author of a story collection, Power Ballads, a memoir, Epilogue, and a novel, Daphne. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, and The Guardian, among others. I love Will’s writing and was truly blown away by his recent piece in the Virginia Quarterly Review, “From the Gut: A Literary History of Indigestion.” This is long-form journalism at its best: informative, deeply researched, often amusing, at times disturbing, and a reminder that so many human beings, including beloved authors ranging from Voltaire to Twain, Kafka and Beckett, have all had tummy issues. As a fellow author who can’t boast of having a stomach of steel, I enjoyed comparing notes with Will, and appreciated his candid stories of his own adventures with food, writing, and a moody constitution. It was especially relevant to talk through the history of con artists and hucksters, particularly when the clownish RFK Jr. has inexplicably become America’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. We also, inevitably, talked craft, the lit industry, technology, and influences. If this conversation is a gateway introduction to the world of Will Boast, I’m pleased, and hope you’ll share his work widely.

Learn more about Will at https://www.willboast.org

Twitter: @willboast

Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression.

Website: seanmurphy.net
Substack: seanmurphy.live
Twitter: @bullmurph
Instagram: @bullmurph
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-murphy-4986b41

Today’s guest is Jason Zinoman, a critic and author of Shock Value and Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night. He’s currently critic at large for the Culture section of the New York Times and writes a column about comedy. Jason became a blinking red light on my radar courtesy of his recent piece “For Comics, Honing Jokes Has Taken a Back Seat to Marketing. That’s Not Good.” Jason’s perceptive take confirmed a phenomenon I’ve both read a great deal about and experienced personally: that is, any artist, in today’s environment, is obliged to focus an increasing amount of time on promotion and PR. We explore the ways this might help the artist but hinder the art, and both how and why some creatives are better at this than others. Does it make sense to get professional help? Was it easier in the 20th Century? Are there silver linings to putting oneself more aggressively into the public sphere? These are some of the questions we tackle, all leading up to the current state of “cancel culture” and its implications, especially in stand-up comedy. Jason is super informed and full of valuable insights, and as you’ll see it was my extreme pleasure to speak with him.

Read New York Times articles by Jason:

https://www.nytimes.com/by/jason-zinoman

Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression.

Website: seanmurphy.net
Substack: seanmurphy.live
Twitter: @bullmurph
Instagram: @bullmurph
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-murphy-4986b41