Jon Acuff's Blog, page 19

How to make 200 million cookies from a college dorm room – My conversation with Tiffany Chen.

In 1999, Tiffany Taylor accidentally stood up Leon Chen for a date (she was ice skating at the mall with a friend). As an apology, she baked and delivered a batch of warm cookies, and the concept of warm cookie delivery was born. Shortly afterward, the pair launched Tiff’s Treats with just $20 and a big dream during their sophomore year at the Univeristy of Texas. Since then, the founders have married and their business has grown to include 68 stores and more than 1700 employees. Co-founder and author, Tiff Chen, joins me for a conversation on starting the entrepreneurial life at such a young age, dealing with pushback, managing the roles of spouse and business partner and so much more. For more from Tiff and Leon, check out their brand new book, It’s Not Just Cookies: Stories and Recipes from the Tiff’s Treats Kitchen.

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How to read 100 books in a year.

Why is it hard to think of the right thing to say in a meeting? Or to be interesting on a date? Why are you intimated by the blank page as a writer? Because your idea bank is empty. Reading changes that. It fills up your idea bank, and that’s why I want you to be able to read 100+ books in a year. Does that sound impossible? I promise, it’s not. I’ve done it before and there are some very simple steps you can use to make it a lot easier. Whether your goal is 10 books or 100 books this year, I’ll show you how to hit it. I’ve got 28 ways you can crush your reading goal, keep your idea bank full, and keep your creativity flowing.

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Break free from entrepreneurial poverty. My conversation with small business expert Mike Michalowicz.

So, you started a business or a side hustle with an amazing vision. It fulfills you and it serves others. You dreamt it would give you plenty of time and money so that you could live the way you please. However, the reality is that you’re not making enough, you’re working your tail off, and your soul is being diminished in the process. If that’s you, my guest, Mike Michalowicz, the author of the wicked popular “Profit First,” would say you’re in entrepreneurial poverty, but he’s here to change that. Mike is a speaker, author, and small business expert. He’s helped thousands of people around the world start businesses they love and grow them into thriving organizations. He joins me for a brutally honest conversation about coming back from extreme losses, prioritizing profit for your business or side hustle, and overcoming “superhero syndrome.” For more from Mike, check out his new book, Get Different.

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Do more than just the right thing. My conversation on the surprising power of service with Steven J. Anderson.

We all want to do good in the world. We want to be good friends, good parents, good employees, and good leaders, but what would happen if we took it all one step farther? What if you went beyond good in every goal you set for yourself? Stephen J. Anderson is an internationally known business strategist, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He’s founded more than a dozen growing and diversifying businesses, and he’s a big part of the reason I got to open for Dolly Parton at the Ryman Auditorium. He joins me for a conversation on how to go the extra mile during every goal you set for yourself while you serve those around you. For more from Steve, check out his new book The Bicycle Book : The Story of a Boy, His Father, a Paper Route and 12 Secrets of Serving Others in Business and Life.

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Go with your head or trust your gut? Your body knows the answer. My mindblowing conversation with Annie Murphy Paul.

Your brain is powerful, but it’s limited. Sometimes it’s able to tell you exactly what you feel, how you can respond to a challenge, or how you can create ideas. Other times, it can’t. Enter Annie Murphy Paul, an acclaimed science writer whose book The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain is a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a Washington Post Best Nonfiction Book of 2021. She believes that we’re using our heads too much and missing the cues the rest of our bodies are giving us to help us navigate everyday life. From being able to focus more, to expressing more creativity, to managing our emotions, your body does a remarkable job of communicating what you need to accomplish all those things and more. The problem is that most of the time, we’re too busy listening to our head. Tune in to our conversation to discover how you can tap into the full potential of your mind and the “extra-neural” resources beyond it.

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Be where you are, and know where you’re headed. My conversation with the unreasonably available Bob Goff.

Leaving a legacy doesn’t happen by accident. It takes strategy, intentionality, and in Bob Goff’s case, seemingly endless generosity. Bob Goff is a recovering lawyer, New York Times bestselling author, Disneyland office resident, and Chief Balloon Inflator of his nonprofit organization, Love Does. He’s also been a friend of mine for about a decade. It only takes about 13 seconds with Bob to feel more motivated, so after a whole episode with him, you’ll be ready to dream bigger than you ever have. Listen in for a conversation about living generously, accomplishing what’s most important to you, and creating the kind of impact that will outlast your life. For more from Bob, check out his new book Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy.

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Oprah, Elon Musk, Tom Brady and how to use the power of charisma in your own life – My interview with Vanessa Van Edwards.

Why do some leaders effortlessly earn trust and create environments where we thrive while others come off as sterile and struggle to create a welcoming space? Bestselling author, Vanessa Van Edwards, says it’s because some people have naturally high charisma, or a harmonious blend of warmth and competence, and others have to work to cultivate charisma. Vanessa is the author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People, her TED Talk has over 54 million views, and she’s spent nearly 17 years formulating, researching, and writing her newest book Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication. She joins me in this episode to talk about the science of charisma and how you can use it in your life to be a better leader, entrepreneur, friend, or partner.

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Why the World Needs You to Make a Lot More Money: My conversation with Derrick Kinney.

Money isn’t bad… right? Derrick Kinney knows money has the power to create amazing opportunities and experiences for you and the people you care about. So why do so many of us struggle to embrace big financial goals or the desire to acquire more money? Derrick believes if you’re not making the money you deserve and you’re not making the impact on the world you want to make, you have the power to change that. He joins me in this episode of All it Takes is a Goal to teach you how you can leverage your money in a powerfully good way. For more from Derrick, check out his new book, Good Money Revolution!

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How to be married to a dreamer with Jenny Acuff.

“How do I get my spouse/significant other to understand and support the big dream I’m chasing?” This is the most asked question my wife Jenny and I get, so after a substantial amount of begging and pleading, I was able to convince her to join me in this very special Valentine’s Day episode. We share everything 20 years of marriage has taught us about how you and your partner can be a team while you create and pursue projects together. Listen to our conversation to learn about how to balance the “wow” and the “how,” manage each other’s feelings, give constructive feedback to each other, and so much more!

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Debunking the popular (but incorrect) philosophy of “No regrets.” My conversation with Daniel H. Pink

We live in a culture that’s obsessed with living regret-free, but if we’re honest, we all have them. Collectively, it’s the most common negative emotion we experience, so why do we struggle to deal with it so much? That question led New York Times bestselling author, Daniel H. Pink, to ask 16,000 people in 105 countries about their regrets. He found that this negative emotion has the potential to be used in a powerful and positive way. He joins me in this episode for a conversation about how dealing with your regrets and failures can help you reprioritize your values, make you a better decision maker, and propel your life in a new direction.

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