ITT 001: Welcome to the official In the Trenches Podcast

If you've been following this blog for any period of time, you know I've recorded several interviews with game-changers, status-quo challengers, and creative insurgents on topics like creativity, writing, publishing, bootstrapping, and entrepreneurship. All of those interviews I hosted via dropbox - which meant you could download the episode to your computer, but it came with a bunch of limitations. After a conversation with Jeff Goins (www.goinswriter.com), he suggested I make this series into a legitimate podcast series - one you can find on iTunes, Zune, etc... So, I did it. Now you can:

• Stream the file from this website
• Get the file on your iPhone, Mp3 player, Zune, etc...
• Find this in iTunes (may take a few days to populate the first episodes), Zune, and other podcast websites
• Download the file to your computer (because they're so good you'll want to listen to them ALL the time)

I have definitely upped the quality.  Let me know what you think! But for those new to my website and content...

What's the In the Trenches Podcast all About?

In the Trenches is a bi-weekly podcast series meant to inspire and motivate you to do creative, important work. Every broadcast, I sit down and have authentic conversations with game-changers, status-quo challengers, and creative insurgents; individuals who write, draw, produce, publish, create, break, build, invent and lead. All of the people I interview are actually on the ground making things happen – they’re in thick of the creative fight, working to produce something epic, bold, and unconventional, day in and day out. Each day, they go to work, doing the tough, painful and scary work of creating something new; each day, they struggle to create for the rest of us something that impacts our lives deeply and meaningfully; each day, they add to their vast, growing resume and portfolio of incredible content...but they don’t do the work to build a portfolio nor to create a resume.

They do the work because it matters.

These artists, writers, entrepreneurs, warriors and leaders struggle and strive, day in and day out, doing the hard, creative work, not because it’s pretty or glamorous (it’s usually not), but because it’s a part of who they are.  They truly are IN THE TRENCHES, and the world is better for it. None of these conversations are pre-scripted or edited.  These are all rough takes – gritty and authentic conversations with real people doing real work.

How Can In the Trenches Help You?

The goal with each conversation and with every broadcast, is to give you a deep, meaningful and authentic look into the lives of the people who impact our lives with their work. That’s why I don’t read from a script, nor edit the dialogue – I want each conversation to feel like you’re right there with us in the coffee shop, listening in on some seriously incredible stories and thoughts. It helps, too, that every interviewee is someone I highly respect, and often, a good friend.  There’s something very real about a personal conversation – something that gives you true insight and real emotion that gets lost on cookie-cutter talk shows, or pre-rehearsed interview series. So I say all of that to say this: this podcast is designed to inspire you to make something worthwhile; to get you to instigate and create something meaningful; and, finally, to get you to lead – truly lead – and make an impact – one that’s even greater than the stories you’ll hear in these conversations. Which means, if you listen to these broadcasts, you have an end of the bargain to uphold – and that’s to do something awesome, and to let me know about it.

So Why Am I Doing This?

Well, first, it’s selfish. I love creativity, and art, and business, and philosophy, and leadership; and I love talking about these things. Getting to know all these wonderful people and hear their incredible stories really motivates me to keep doing the hard, creative work.  Even if I wasn’t recording these conversations, I would still have them on a consistent basis, because, deep down, I NEED to hear these stories and know others are there with me, fighting the creative war, in the trenches right beside me.  So, first and foremost, it is selfish. But the second reason is entirely unselfish. The second reason is because I want to share these stories and this knowledge with you.  Period. I’m doing this podcast series because I want to share these incredible insights and stories with likeminded individuals…people like myself who love this stuff and like nothing better than to really get inside the brain of creative, successful people. I think of it as my contribution to the creative fight; that I can, somehow, through these podcasts, help you with YOUR creative struggles; that I can keep you from going off the metaphorical ledge into the pit of ‘I never did anything with my life’ and instead, inspire you to create something incredible. Real quick: something incredible doesn’t have to be conventional art…it doesn’t mean painting, writing, designing, etc…though it CAN mean this, it doesn’t HAVE to be this.  It can be anything you want, that you believe in, that's worthwhile to you, but it requires one thing:

1. Individual Choice: You made the conscious choice to pursue it.  Someone else isn't forcing your hand.  Nobody told you to do it.  You decided to go and you went.

No, doing something incredible doesn't have to fit in a box.  And that's the point.

What's in this Broadcast?

In this episode, I'll share with you:

1. What In the Trenches Podcast is all about
2. What you can expect
3. How it will help you to start, finish, and ship your great project
4. How it will get you to create your life's work
5. Why I'm creating this podcast
6. A little about me (Tom Morkes)

Thanks so much for reading and listening!

Check back next week for the beginning of a life changing series. I really hope this series inspires you to create your life’s work. Whatever you do, don’t stop creating... - Tom Morkes