Nathan Bransford is the writer's champion, offering A to Z advice for writers about the craft of storytelling, finding an agent, navigating the publishing industry, and everything writers need to make their dreams come true. Don't leave if you're not a writer, though! This episode is for anyone who loves the stories people tell about their varied career paths. Nathan has amazing advice about determining your values and making them the pillars to build your work and life around. Everything that matters to us can exist in one integrated ecosystem that we build and refine as we go. Nathan believes in Extreme Calendaring to make this possible, i.e., if it's important to you, put it on your calendar. Nathan also has a sad/sweet childhood story about the beloved author Roald Dahl. And, along with all the talk of meaning and values, Nathan and I speak tongue in cheek about the sweet, sweet joy of money. It's all in this amazing episode with author, editor, and uncredited life coach Nathan Bransford.

Chapters
00:23 Who is Nathan Bransford
3:34 Nathan's early career as a literary agent
8:11 Writing dreams and Roald Dahl!
11:51 What is a literary agent?
13:27 Starting his website/insider tips for writers
18:21 Leaving the literary agent gig
24:42 Work Pivots - CNET, Bridgewater, and more
36:15 Riding the waves vs. charting a course
41:25 A new career driven by values and meaning
47:36 Building the ecosystem (it's all connected)
52:10 Prioritizing meaning (with values pillars)
57:21 Nathan's editing/coaching services
1:04:39 Putting creative time in the ecosystem
1:11:10 What Nathan does for fun (World Cup!)
1:15:18 Why do we write?
1:22:35 Be the protagonist/hero of your own life
1:34:32 Extreme Calendaring (It worked for me)

Links:
Nathan's website: https://nathanbransford.com/
One of my favorite posts by Nathan, How To Live Creatively: https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2023/01/how-to-live-creatively

Nathan's How To Write a Novel: https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2013/10/my-guide-to-writing-a-novel

Nathan's Jacob Wonderbar series:

• https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2010/08/jacob-wonderbar-and-cosmic-space-kapow
• https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2012/03/jacob-wonderbar-for-president-of-3
• https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2013/02/jacob-wonderbar-and-interstellar-time

Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackman: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/209739/rock-paper-tiger-by-lisa-brackmann/

We Need Diverse Books: https://www.diversebooks.org/

Pitchfork (where Nathan finds new music): https://pitchfork.com/best/

I Do This For a Living is independently produced.

@serenitylive

Meet my brother, Lt. Joe Nickerson. He started in law enforcement as a side gig and discovered it was the perfect fit for his specific strengths and calling. Joe describes his first experiences in the police academy as "life-changing." Learning a new job within law enforcement became Joe's next aha moment. Now he had found not just a calling but a role comprising everything he cared about most. I loved this conversation with one of my favorite humans. His connection to his calling is inspiring. Listen for that and stay for the great advice about finding your own strengths and leveraging them.

Chapters
02:27 Early understanding of how work relates to identity
07:22 Joe’s 7-year-old self may have known
08:31 Planning a bivocational life (ministry + side gig)
11:48 Starting college
12:37 Law enforcement: the side gig
17:37 Law enforcement in rural America
20:41 Law enforcement: the calling (and how to get there)
33:06 Strengths finding: a new role in the department is a surprisingly perfect fit
35:45 Starting over in Omaha
40:44 Specializing again (negotiator training)
46:54 Naming AND aiming our strengths for success
53:56 Trusting the calling even when others doubt
1:00:11 Long-term goals, leaving a legacy, and never leaving the calling
1:06:13 Misconceptions about law enforcement
01:23:24 Feeling cohesion (what is cohesion?)
01:28:19 Come work for the Omaha PD! (the many possibilities of a job in law enforcement)
01:32:45 It worked for me

Links
Gallup strengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
JoinOPD.com https://www.joinopd.com/
Omaha 360: https://empoweromaha.com/violence-prevention-omaha-360/

Other references
Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement by Kevin M Gilmartin

I Do This For a Living is independently produced.

@serenitylive

Dennis Trinkle was the son of a pastor and on a similar track until a teaching job along the way inspired him to go back to school. He liked teaching but knew he would have better success with more education. When fulfilling a liberal arts requirement led him to a philosophy class, he discovered an interest that would shape his next move and his continued education for years. There are more pivots in Dennis's story--all sparked by pursuing the paths he found interesting. Dennis is a longtime friend, thankfully always willing to discuss big ideas with me. I couldn't wait to hear his work story and learn more about how his current job fits into it.

Chapters
05:15 Indiana Jones (early work thoughts)
08:30 Being a pastor's kid and wanting to be like Dad
15:31 Bible College and church work
20:22 Pivoting! Enjoys teaching, goes back to college
24:14 Choosing a major from the life of J.R.R. Tolkien
26:35 Philosophy is interesting, adding a major!
31:26 After college...more college (pursuing a doctorate)
35:56 New career track ("This sounds interesting")
40:45 Let's talk Liberal Arts
48:52 What is a Senior Quality Analyst?
56:19 How it matters
01:02:16 Taking things apart, including thoughts and Ideas
01:06:43 Big ideas, social media, and understanding each other
01:14:53 Talking to kids about work and education choices
01:21:16 It worked for me (learning HOW you like to work)

Links
Dennis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-trinkle/
The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix: https://www.johnhendrix.com/the-mythmakers

I Do This For a Living is independently produced.

@serenitylive