The Eric Koester Creator Institute

Connect with Your Audience & Have a Resilient Mindset | Jason Feifer

Do you have what it takes to take your career to the next level? Do you have ideas for a magazine, a book, or a podcast but aren’t sure if it’s going to be big? Anybody can create a best-selling book or a successful article but how about you? Do you have what it takes to present your vision and go against unpredictability? On keeping your connection with the audience, Jason Feifer takes us through the things that made him successful.

Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, and he fought his way up to be the person he is now. He was previously an editor for Fast Company, Men’s Health, Maxim, and Boston, and he co-wrote the novel "Mr. Nice Guy" with his wife. He is also a speaker who focuses on inspiring the crowd to embrace change and to think boldly. In my talk with Jason, we find out how your ideas and relationship building become the foundation of success

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• • • How to connect with your audience
    • How to manage book marketing
    • The importance of building relationships
    • What mindset you should have to be resilient
    • Going to the opportunity instead of waiting for the opportunity

Everyone has skills and ideas but how can we use them to make our dreams a reality? A lot of times, we are overwhelmed by unpredictability and we choose to stay in our comfort zone but that will lead us to nowhere. For us to be successful, we need to stop waiting for the opportunity and take risks.

Rejection, Commitment and Empathy | Jason Starr

Alt. Rejection, Commitment and Empathy: On Creating With Jason Starr

Is talent key for becoming a good writer, or is grit more important? Why should you understand what Hannibal Lecter was missing and what does it have to do with empathy? On creating ordinary characters in extraordinary situations and staying true to yourself while remaining open to feedback. Jason Starr takes us through his creative process by simply talking about what he already knows.

Jason Starr is New York Times bestselling crime author and a comics & graphic novelist who worked on different graphic novels and comics including Batman, The Punisher, Ant Man and Gotham. Jason excels in creating characters that are relatable, even when they have a dark side to them. In my talk with Jason, we find out what’s key to creating antiheroes and how he keeps on creating them.

In this episode you’ll learn...

• Why getting used to rejection is important for writers
• How to keep creating even when it gets tough
• Why it’s important to understand your characters
• How to avoid discouragement and stay true to yourself

Every beginning is tough and choosing a writer career path brings many challenges with it. Rejection, doubt and discouragement are all part of it. Learning how to develop a thick skin, while staying empathetic; staying true to yourself, while also acknowledging feedback is how creators thrive in their careers.

Steal Like an Artist | Austin Kleon

Victorian romances, moody vampires, enemies to lovers...its all been done before. So how do creatives come up with new stories to tell? The best ones don’t create something completely new, they take bits and pieces from pre-existing works and add their own authenticity to it. As creator Austin Kleon puts it, “you can always find something to steal”, or in other words, you can always find something from a pre-existing work to use in your own. The key is to Steal Like an Artist by putting your own unique spin on it.

Austin Kleon is a creative specialist and New York Times bestselling author. His books aim to help people navigate the creative climate present in today’s world by teaching them how to Steal Like an Artist. He emphasizes the need to Keep Going in the face of adversity and Show Your Work! by recording even the seemingly mundane elements of life and the world around you. As a creator for creatives, Austin brings a unique voice to the world of creative careers. Companies from Pixar to Google have been influenced by his words and ability to combine creativity and authenticity in its rawest form.

In this episode you’ll learn...

• How to Steal Like an Artist
• The unique power of recording your creative journey and sharing it
• The importance of authenticity and frequency in creativity
• How to think about your ‘verbs’ instead of your ‘nouns’

Creating Your Creative Journey | Daniel Handler

If you’ve sold 70 million copies of your books, is it really possible to still have “bad pages” in your writing? Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket is one of the modern masters of young readers literature. His novels have had world-wide success and continue to serve as the magnum opus of his genre. As a creator, Daniel encourages us to ask ourselves “do I enjoy spending time with pen and paper?” Through the exploration of this question and more, we take a deep dive into the beautiful chaos, wacky mind and deep loneliness of life as a writer and creator.

Daniel Handler is the author of several books and other creative works. He is a incredible writer and contributor in his own right, but also to the world of authorship and literature as a whole. More commonly known by his pen name, Lemony Snicket, Daniel is the author and unique voice behind the children’s novels A Series of Unfortunate Events. His books have sold millions of copies world-wide and are translated into more than 40 languages. He has watched his characters come to life through movie, tv show, and stage adaptations of his works in which he has had the pleasure of working with several renowned personalities, including Neil Patrick Harris and Jim Carrey.

In this episode you’ll learn...

• How to ask the right questions around your creativity
• How loneliness is an integral part of the creative tradition
• The humble beginnings of Lemony Snicket
• What it means to build your own canon as a creative
• Daniel’s unique process of going from notes and ideas to written chapters

Provide Massive Value & Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable | David Meltzer

Is there value in what I do? Where do I get my inspiration from? How do I achieve my goals? How can I inspire others? What do I really want in life? These simple self-assessment questions are often the most difficult to ponder. But your responses will determine your journey to where you truly desire. Let David Meltzer inspire you to see your value as you set your goals toward your success.

David is the Co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing. He is the host of the top entrepreneur podcast, The Playbook, and the executive producer of Entrepreneur’s #1 digital business show, Elevator Pitch. A three-time international best-selling author, his book, Game-Time Decision Making, was a #1 new release. He has been recognized by Variety Magazine as their Sports Humanitarian of the Year and awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. David is a value-based speaker that regularly talks at the world’s biggest business, sports, technology, and motivational events.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• • How you can love the pain you love, pleasure in loving the journey, and creating value as you go
  • How to be a Master learner
  • How you can build a community
  • Finding the tribe that will follow you on your mission

Understanding value is so important. Taking inventory of values is essential. Seeking, finding the light, the love, and the lessons are finding the value in anything. Right suffering is a process to find the light, the love, and lessons of value.

Curiosity, Decisiveness & Resilience | Taryn Southern

What sparks your interest? Do you often pursue your interest till the very end? Have you been to situations that warrant you to change your way of thinking? Are you decisive enough to share your pain and resilient enough to bear the criticisms? As someone who has been at the digital age's infancy stage, Taryn Southern shares how she committed to her aspirations till the end.

Taryn Southern is an American artist, comedian, filmmaker, singer-songwriter, and tech enthusiast. Recognized with her work on the sci-fi documentary “I AM HUMAN” that narrates human brain implants’ future and created the first AI-composed album, she sets the world ablaze with her creative and out-of-the-norm perspective in digital technology. In my talk with Taryn, she emphasized creativity, challenging the unknown, and the importance of resiliency in a world where everything seems directed.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• • The importance of authenticity to your passion
  • How to share your life struggles with utmost confidence
  • The significance of challenges to temper yourself
  • Why curiosity is often the key to future endeavors
  • How stories resonate with the general audience

Taking the first step is one of the most significant challenges to conquer. The moment you allow someone to backseat the way you deal with life, you already lose in the game of life. Grasp your life at your own hands and never waver on the faith that you believed. Life is never a race; take everything one step at a time.

Clarity, Procrastination, Resiliency, Passion & Authenticity | Mario Armstrong

Do you sometimes have trouble seeing that different angle or perspective to see the bigger picture? Do you find yourself often procrastinating ? What makes you authentic? Mario Armstrong is with us today to dispense wisdom and secrets to overcome these challenges you face in your creative process.

Mario Armstrong is from Baltimore and attended the University of Maryland then went to DC to carve out his name for himself as a digital guru. With his struggles and experience he is the perfect person to get advice about being productive and discovering your passion.

In this episode you will learn.

• • Having the clarity to get your bigger picture.
  • Key to overcoming procrastination and working towards resiliency.
  • Using your passion to find out what makes you authentic.

Think Like a Designer & Creator in Your Writing Process | Debbie Millman

Let’s talk about tapping into your creative side to write. It’s tough. It’s overwhelming. There are many emotional roller-coasters. Finishing a book (more so than publishing it) is worth the exhilaration.
Named “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA, Debbie Millman is an author, educator, brand strategist and host of the podcast “Design Matters.” In the 11 years since the show’s inception, it has garnered over a million downloads per year, has interviewed more than 250 design luminaries and cultural commentators, a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and designated as one of the best podcasts in 2015 by iTunes. Debbie is the author of six books, including two collections of interviews that have extended the ethos and editorial vision of Design Matters to the printed page: How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer and Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits. In my conversation with Debbie, she walks with us through her own process of writing.
In this episode you will learn…

• • Moving past that first step.
  • Designing a book and creation experience.
  • Moving past the initial hurt of criticism and consider that feedback is meant to be constructive to improve your work

Thrive & Redefine Your Success | Arianna Huffington

Are you ready to tell the world about the story of your life? A creative mind will produce a creative product but how long will your creativity last? Are you taking care of your mental health? How will you prepare yourself for the challenges that a typical writer will encounter?

Arianna Huffington is the exact person we are looking for who can answer these fascinating questions. As a Co-Founder of the Huffington Post, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global, who authored more than 15 books, Arianna is a veteran in the literary world. She is driven and passionate about moving the hearts and minds of her readers to make the best experience possible.

In this episode, you will learn…

• • The mental implications of the pandemic
  • How to avoid burnout as a writer
  • The different ways to write your draft
  • How to avoid distraction when you are writing

Be the Superhero That Battles Your Villains | Jim Kwik

Have you ever fallen into despair? Completely clueless and ignorant of how to deal with the villains inside you? How can you navigate around the inner demons that have accumulated over time? In this technology-driven world, can you still tap into that laser-focused attention and completely extricate yourself from worldly distractions?

Jim Kwik is the person that can answer these thought-provoking questions. As a Brain Coach, Host of the Kwik Brain Podcast and an Author, Jim created his masterpiece “Limitless” filled with the keys to unlock things hidden in us.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• • How to leverage adversities to propel personal growth.
  • The importance of interpersonal skills to our life
  • The impact of technology on our cognitive abilities
  • How to navigate distractions brought by technology