"Purpose is the new bottom line." Casey Gerald is the co-founder and CEO of MBAs Across America, a national movement of MBAs and entrepreneurs working together to revitalize America. In June 2015, he spoke at CreativeMornings/NewYorkCity on the theme of revolution. Receiving the first standing ovation in the NYC chapter’s history, he challenged the existing notion of entrepreneurship and inspired us to spark a revolution. 

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#1 Casey Gerald

“Grab the reins and do it!” Jessica Hische, renowned letterer, illustrator, type designer, and self-described “avid internetter,” spoke at CreativeMornings/Vancouver in June 2012 and her advice is still as relevant as ever. Focusing on the intersection of arts & technology, Jessica passionately advocates for the value of type design in the face of technology. But mostly, she inspires us all to get up, stop being lazy, and learn whatever we need to learn to make the things we want to make.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#2 Jessica Hische

“If you’re not making enough mistakes, you’re not taking enough risks.”

One of the most influential designers working today, Debbie Millman is also a writer, educator, artist, brand consultant and host of the podcast Design Matters. In one of CreativeMornings/NewYorkCity’s most popular talks (recorded in February 2011), she offers practical advice for soon-to-be design grads that is applicable to anyone, anywhere, in any career, at any time. 

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#3 Debbie Millman

"If we don't love our work, we don't look out for each other."

Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon Sinek is a trained ethnographer and the brain behind Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. In one of CreativeMornings’ most popular talks ever (recorded in New York City in April 2012), Simon reminds us how important it is to be fulfilled by your job—and how companies can better support and inspire the people who work for them. Whether you’re just starting a new job or have been a CEO for decades, his words of wisdom will speak to everyone.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#4 Simon Sinek

"Don't worry about big ideas, just keep making stuff."

Ben Chestnut, the co-founder and CEO of MailChimp, spoke at CreativeMornings/Atlanta in 2011 on one of the most poignant topics of all time: quitting your job to do what you love. He also touches on the history of the company and what he does as a manager to cultivate the celebrated MailChimp culture. If you are running a creative business, or even if just need a little jolt to remind yourself to do what you love—this talk’s for you! (Plus, we’re pretty sure it’ll make you laugh.)

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#5 Ben Chestnut

"Catapulting pellets of chance into your head."

Lulu Miller, the co-host of NPR’s Invisibilia, covers stories that challenge our assumptions about how humans behave and organisms work – from the story of a blind woman who can see the rain but not her daughter’s smile, to a virus that inspires crickets to have more sex. In her work at Invisibilia, she interweaves personal stories and science in a way that might make you see your own life differently, and in this episode (recorded at CreativeMornings/DC in November 2014) she shares her lessons on crafting remarkable stories by accommodating chance in your creative process.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#6 Lulu Miller

"Oftentimes, all we have to do is make a decision to change."

Steve Larosiliere is the founder and president of STOKED, an award winning development organization for underserved youth that seeks to inspire these teens through action sports. Steve has been named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Black MBA, Honored as a Hometown Hero, and given a Community Impact Award. In this talk on chance from November 2014 at CreativeMornings/New York City, Steve speaks about the chances he’s been given in life — about the things that happened to him and the things that happened because of him — and how each one informed his mission to close the opportunity gap and pay it forward in his community. 

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#8 Steve Larosiliere

“Demand responsibility but don’t worry at all about authority."

Seth Godin, a bestselling author, entrepreneur and marketer, believes that we have a few things backwards when it comes to getting the work we want and positioning ourselves in the direction we want to go. In this CreativeMornings/NewYork talk from May 2013, he reminds us that it is deep within us to let those in ‘authority' tell us what to do. But, he encourages us to shift the tone from authority to responsibility. Do work on purpose. Make things that matter, even if they’re unpopular. Create work environments that help you succeed, even when that means failing first. And, in his words, go and make something happen.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

#13 Seth Godin

“I am doing something about what everybody knows and nobody ever speaks about."

Cindy Gallop, an advertising expert and business consultant who characterizes her approach as 'I like to blow shit up. I am the Michael Bay of business,’ is passionate about changing the way the world talks about sex. She founded MakeLoveNotPorn to do just that. It is a user-generated video sharing platform that aims to make real world sex, and make the conversation about it socially acceptable and socially sociable. In her April 2014 talk from CreativeMornings/NewYork, she challenges us to simply talk about sex, openly and honestly, publicly and privately, without fear. Provocative and moving, Cindy’s talk will inspire you to challenge the status quo in more than just sex — but also in relationships, in business, and in life.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

[Keep in mind: while not explicit, this episode includes some sexual content.]

#14 Cindy Gallop

"It's not about what you stand against, but what you stand for."

Aisha Fukushima, a singer, speaker, educator, and activist, strongly believes that love work is the most ideal work. For her, it appears at the nexus of happiness and purpose, and is manifested by her work in RAPtivism, her global hip hop project spanning 10 countries and four continents. It highlights the ways culture can contribute to universal efforts for social justice by challenging oppression with creative expression. During her talk at CreativeMornings/Oakland in November 2015, Aisha uses her journey to becoming a RAPtivist as a backdrop to inspire us to critically question the world around us, seek meaningful connections with each other, and use the arts as a catalyst for social change. She empowers us to seek out our sense of purpose, but reminds us to also remain a listener with your ears, your eyes, and your spirit. So what does your love work look like?

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and Hover. And just for CreativeMornings listeners, Hover is offering 10% off your first purchase with the code creative (they even have a .design domain!).

#16 Aisha Fukushima

"Starting work without a contract is like putting on a condom after taking a home pregnancy test." 

Mike Monteiro is the co-founder and design director of Mule Design, the company he co-founded 17 years ago. Mike writes and speaks frequently about the craft and business of design and extensively covers the topic of client services in his work. In this CreativeMornings/San Francisco talk from March 2011, Mike shares his no-nonsense and very practical advice on how to navigate through the tumultuous waterfalls and slippery slopes that are contracts and legal checkpoints. Along with his lawyer, Gabe Levine, he boldly inspires us to overcome our discomfort with money so that we can be specific and confident. And ultimately, become our own advocates so that we can get paid for the work that we do.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com


#17 Mike Monteiro

“It is only when you can name your prison that you can do the terrifying, but life affirming and necessary work of setting yourself free.” 

Katie Ford went to prison thinking it was her job to inspire the women there. A writer by trade, she volunteered to teach a writing workshop to incarcerated women, downloading classroom rubrics from the Internet and hoping to apply herself to something a little bit more meaningful. What she got was so much more.

In helping incarcerated women write the stories of what they believe led them to prison, Katie began to identify her own “prison” — the first critical step in her personal liberation.  In this CreativeMornings/Austin talk on Freedom from May 2014, Katie explores the confines of prison: for the women she mentors and for herself. 

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and Hover. And just for CreativeMornings listeners, Hover (https://www.hover.com/) is offering 10% off your first purchase with the code creative. 

# 18 Katie Ford

“The first step is being able to admit that you have a dream.” 

In this CreativeMornings/Chicago talk from May 2014, Dallas Clayton, a children’s book author and illustrator, public speaker, mural painter, and adventure seeker, shares some of his “kid lessons” based on a few life lessons he’s learned along the way. Whether it's figuring out what you dream about, putting yourself in situations where you have new experiences, or taking common experiences and making them a little bit more extraordinary, Dallas encourages us to consider our surroundings and remember that with every step we take, there's an opportunity for exploration. 

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and InVision. 


#19 Dallas Clayton

I'm not afraid to die. What I'm afraid of is becoming irrelevant, or invisible in my culture and in my society today.” 

Speaking on the global theme of “shock” in this CreativeMornings/Austin event from October 2015, Aralyn Hughes, a pioneer for women’s rights and self-proclaimed “Queen of Weird,” takes us on a colorful, poignant, and shocking journey through her incredible life. Whether it was teaching students about sex in a time when such topics were taboo, being among the first women in the US to obtain a legal abortion, or driving around Austin in her banana-topped art car, Aralyn Hughes makes a habit out of disrupting social norms. And the world is better for it.

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and Media Temple. 


#21 Aralyn Hughes

"Take a chance and try some things you didn't try because that may be the thing that works for you." 

With a style that is as abrasive as it is welcoming, Emmanuel ’DDm’ Moss is one of the most idiosyncratic voices on the burgeoning Baltimore City rap scene. The Baltimore native, who made his name on the local battle rap circuit, manages to straddle the fence between cool kid and weirdo with a charming accessibility. In this CreativeMornings/DC talk from January 2016, DDm tells us how he got to be the shiny rapper that he is today and shares his thoughts with us on the power of language and how using it mindfully and intentionally can change how people receive you and perceive you. 

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and IDEO U. 



#22 DDm

“I think it’s everyone’s birth right. Allowing yourself to find the things that you love and dedicating your life to doing them.” 

In this talk from CreativeMornings/Los Angeles in May 2014, the renowned musician, DJ, author, photographer and activist, Moby, shares with us his thoughts on the theme of creative freedom. From an early childhood that encouraged creativity to finding his true calling and achieving worldwide success, Moby has learned quite a bit about how pursuing your passion can lead to happiness and fulfillment. The flipside of that is having pressure  to continuously succeed. For Moby, it took moving from New York to Los Angeles to continue to find inspiration, have room to experiment, and ultimately permission to fail.

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and Hover.  And just for CreativeMornings listeners, Hover is offering 10% off your first purchase with the code creative. 

#23 Moby

"Creative people are being asked to work on really important problems, problems that matter in the world, and the good news is we’re coming up with new-to-the-world solutions, and so it’s a really good time to be a designer.” 

Speaking on the global theme of Freedom, David Kelley took the stage at CreativeMornings/New York in May 2014 to speak on the design revolution. Designers now have the respect and freedom to make a difference. Championing for design to be more inclusive in its meaning, David looks to give everyone confidence in their ability to be creative. Now that everyone has the power of creativity, what will you do with it?

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and Dropmark. 

#24 David Kelley

"If we are going to change the world, we have to be open to the perspectives of what other people are going through — whether you've experienced it firsthand or not.”

Speaking on the global theme of Love, Holley Murchison took the stage at CreativeMornings/San Francisco in July 2016 to share 8 lessons in love that she’s learned so far on her journey in changing education and communication. In divisive times, the acts of love we commit to now are more important than they’ve ever been. Are you ready for a love revolution?

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and SiteGround.

#25 Holley Murchison

“Today and going forward, the risk of separation is so much greater than the risk of connection.”

John Zinsser took the stage at CreativeMornings/Charleston in April 2016 to speak on the global theme of Risk. In his talk, John opens our eyes to some of the risks that shape our day-to-day lives and invites us to think about what risks we’re willing to take for our creative selves, communities, environments, and more.

This episode was made possible by our friends at TRY Studio, Audible, and SiteGround.

#26 John Zinsser

“I think as a society we should move away from acts of balance and more toward acts of wholeness.”

Katherine Wintsch spoke on the global theme of Broken at CreativeMornings/Richmond in June 2016, sharing her journey from broken to whole. In her humorous and down-to-earth talk, Katherine talks about why bigger isn’t better, how rejection can be a blessing, and much more. It’s possible to be successful in the eyes of others while being completely unhappy. We owe it to ourselves to stop juggling the myth of balance and to focus on acts of wholeness. 

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and SiteGround.

#27 Katherine Wintsch

“The greatest form of humility is to take your talent and put it in the service of other people.”

Creative strategist Justin Kingsley delivered a captivating talk on the power of remaining true to one’s values and dreams. He spoke on the global theme of Humility at CreativeMornings/Montréal in April 2015. By reframing humility, Justin encourages us to dream big, aim high, and to use our talents to serve the world with excellence.

This episode was made possible by our friends at SiteGround and MailChimp.

#28 Justin Kingsley

“Do anything that you can possibly do in life to figure out the best way for you to become exactly what you want to be.”

Speaking on the global theme of Action, Jecorey “1200” Arthur took the stage at CreativeMornings/Louisville in August 2015. Jecorey shared his personal journey of creative discovery and how he built confidence through blending his four passions — education, composition, performance, and curation. Do you have more than one passion that makes you tick? 

This episode was made possible by Camp Tech and MailChimp.

#29 Jecorey "1200" Arthur

“If you want to have a happy, successful, fulfilling, confident life, you have to commit yourself to take care of the people around you.”

Simon Sinek returned to the CreativeMornings stage to speak on the global theme of Transparency at the CreativeMornings/San Diego stage in October 2016. In his talk, Simon shares refreshing insights on millennials, technology, and the importance of empathy in good leadership. We flourish when we're seen, when our work matters, and when we connect with and understand one another. Are you willing to do the hard work of building meaningful relationships?

Made possible by our friends at Wix and MailChimp.

#30 Simon Sinek

“There's a larger system that you must learn to address rather than just people and that, I think, is a level of maturity that is very important to reach in learning how to live in the world.”

Award-winning writer and blogger, Milisuthando Bongela gracefully took the stage at CreativeMornings/Johannesburg to tackle the global theme of Love. Miss Milli B shares her personal journey of growing through self-love and how it brought it brought her to a place where she learned to love others. She brings us into an intimate conversation on learning how to live in the world.

This episode was made possible by our Monotype and Dropmark.

#31 Milisuthando Bongela

“There is hope. After everything, you are able to survive. Listen to people, ask for help, receive the help. That would be the message… to receive the help. Take it when it’s being offered.” 

Reeta Kroner took the stage at CreativeMornings/Helsinki in June 2016 to speak on the global theme of Broken. Reeta shares how alcoholism sent her life into a spiral and why she had to break the person she had become. Being honest and facing our pain is the only way to start building a new life. Is there anything broken in your life? Reeta encourages us to ask and receive help to fix it. 

Made possible by Inward Bound Mindfulness Education and MailChimp.

#32 Reeta Kroner

“The creative work life requires faith—faith in our craft, faith in the process, and the most challenging of all, faith in ourselves.”

Self-taught designer Bryan Todd took the stage at CreativeMornings/Louisville in September 2016 to speak on the global theme of Magic. Bryan shares his creative journey as a self-taught designer and insight on how to chase the magic despite the various challenges that come along the way. His story encourages us to commit to the processes that awaken our senses and make us pay attention to the world. 

Thank you to Shutterstock and SiteGround for making this episode possible.

#33 Bryan Todd

“Each time that we are courageous and brave enough to take a risk we're showing to ourselves that we're worth it.”

Sarah Hernholm spoke at CreativeMornings/San Diego on the global theme of Risk in April 2016. In her talk, Sarah invites us to imagine what it might look like if we took risks and got over the “what if” moments. Society conditions us to view rejection as a negative and many of us end up making decisions based on fear of rejection. Sarah enlightens us to view rejection differently and to do whatever it takes to be our best courageous selves.

This episode was made possible by SiteGround.

#34 Sarah Hernholm

“We connect human-to-human and heart-to-heart by empowering the entire community… and do nothing but love, love, love.”

Alan Graham took the stage at in Austin, Texas to speak on the global theme of Fantasy at the 2016 CreativeMornings Summit. In his inspiring talk, Alan shares how and why he ended up building an RV park dedicated to the chronically homeless, complete with an organic urban farm, market, and 500-seat amphitheater. What mustard seed of an idea do you have? What will you do with it? 

Made possible by Monotype and Dropmark.

#35 Alan Graham

“Love is the thing in life that can cause you the most horrific, terrible pain, but it’s also the only thing on the planet that can heal you.”

Philanthropist Maggie Doyne spoke at CreativeMornings/NYC in July 2016 to speak on the global theme of Love. In her moving talk, Maggie takes us from New Jersey to the majestic mountains of Nepal where she saw a problem and couldn’t look away. With a meager savings, a big heart, and the support of her community, she built a home for Nepalese children, and along the way, redefined her understanding of love.

Thank you to our Shutterstock, Wix, and MailChimp for supporting the engine of generosity that is CreativeMornings.

Read the CreativeMornings Manifesto here: creativemornings.com/about

#36 Maggie Doyne

“Everyone is creative.

A creative life requires bravery and action, honesty and hard work. We are here to support you, celebrate with you, and encourage you to make the things you love.

We believe in the power of community. We believe in giving a damn. We believe in face-to-face connections, in learning from others, in hugs and high-fives.

We bring together people who are driven by passion and purpose, confident that they will inspire one another, and inspire change in neighborhoods and cities around the world.

Everyone is welcome..”

Read the CreativeMornings Manifesto here: creativemornings.com/about

Thank you to Adrianna Dufay for reading our manifesto. Produced and hosted by Matt Sucich.

The CreativeMornings Manifesto

What does it mean to live a creative life? CreativeMornings, a breakfast lecture series for the global creative community, brings some of our most remarkable and inspiring archived talks—from hometown heroes to design legends to community leaders—straight to your headphones. 

One Friday every month, more than 140 cities get together to have coffee and listen to a short talk. Every event is free of charge and open to anyone. Started in 2008 by Tina Roth Eisenberg (aka Swissmiss) we're now a global community over 150,000 strong. This is our podcast. Follow us on Twitter @creativemorning to stay updated on all things #podcastCM!

Popular tracks by CreativeMornings Podcast