Volume 11
Season 2 of the Content People podcast launched. Why "The Mindful Athlete" is a great read for creatives managers. Find inspiration in founder stories, Rick Rubin's podcast, and more.
Welcome to Content People!
I'm trying a more structured approach today. Love it or hate it? Feel free to reach out with feedback or a simple "hi" - just reply to this email or DM me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear from you.
🎙️Podcasting
This week we launched Season 2 of the Content People podcast. S2E1 featured Liam Carnahan: a freelance coach, owner of Inkwell Content, and my longtime friend. Liam covered how he built a personal brand (and a client base) on LinkedIn, succeeding in agencies vs freelancing, and how personal branding is a little bit like therapy. I think it was one of our best eps yet.
Listen on: Spotify, Apple, Google
📚 Reading
The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford.
George is known for his work with legends like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O'Neal. But don’t be put off if you're not an athlete - this book offers so many valuable insights for creative folks, managers, entrepreneurs, and artists.
George uses athletic performance as a framework to explore five key Buddhist concepts: mindfulness, concentration, insight, right effort, and trust.
He also explores the transformative power of the flow state. It's a great companion read for fans of Rick Rubin's The Creative Act: A Way of Being.
💡 The Quote
“Cognitive function improves when you have a positive state of mind.”
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
This little sentence stuck with me.
In our work (and personal) lives, many of us unconsciously cling to negative self-talk. We think that our sharp inner critic is what’s keeping us safe, alert, motivated, and ultimately successful.
But these negative words don’t offer us protection or give us an edge. They hold us back - restricting our clarity, courage, capacities, and abilities.
Intentionally fostering a positive mindset actually expands our abilities and improves our outcomes. A win-win.
👂 Listening To
🎧 Founder's stories are powerful fuel for a brand. Last month I wrote about how to craft one. Want examples? Check out check my Spotify podcast playlist featuring interviews with founders like Sara Blakely of Spanx, Yvonne Chouinard of Patagonia, Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty, and more.
🎧 Reading (and re-reading) Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being has sent me down the path of Rick Rubin super fandom. Dive into the backlog of his Broken Record podcast with Malcolm Gladwell. Standout episodes include: James Taylor, Bon Iver, Jeff Tweedy, and Patti Smith.
PS Did you know Patti Smith has a Substack?
💛 Following
✨ LinkedIn-famous Jess Cook, Content Director at Lasso. Jess shares valuable tips and tricks in her daily LinkedIn posts. And, stay tuned, because Jess is a guest on an upcoming epsode of Content People.
✨ Molly McPherson’s TikTok is a master class in crisis communications and media analysis. I love her educational takes on pop culture PR moments - like the missing tourist submarine. I want to be Molly when I grow up.
✨ For style inspo, check out Natalie Borton’s TikTok. She might just convince you to get Clare V's perfect summer bag, the le Pot de Miel. (It’s in my cart.)
🎉 Announcing
This has been brewing on the DL for a few months. But I'm so happy to announce that I’ve started Medbury Branding, an agency that supports execs, founders, and leaders in building their personal brands, products, and organizations.
We’ve got all kinds of official things going on: Paying clients. A logo. A site that’s nearly ready to go live.
Stay tuned for our formal launch in July. In the meantime, enjoy a 10% referral fee by connecting me with prospects who sign on. Shoot me a note or book a slot on my calendly to learn more.
💫 Your turn
Any content recommendations or people you’d like to see featured here? Reply back and hit me with the links! Hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you so much for reading.