America’s Top Motivational Speaker Helps You Survive COVID-19 Isolation
Entrepreneur Josh Linkner shares creative problem-solving techniques like 'roll storming,' explains the difference between creativity and innovation, and offers advice for staying productive during COVID-19 isolation.
About This Episode
Josh Linkner is a renowned speaker, entrepreneur, jazz guitarist, and “Creative Troublemaker.” He is the founder of 5 tech companies which have combined sold for $200 million dollars and has helped launch and grow 100 start-ups. A New York Times Best-Selling author and recipient of a US Presidential Champion of Change award presented by Barak Obama; Josh is more than just an average businessman. He is currently working as the Founder and Partner of Detroit Venture Partners and as Chairman and Co-Founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation, research, training, and consulting firm.
What makes a wildly successful person? Mike and Kevin sit down with Josh Linkner to talk about the differences between creativity and innovation, the importance of listening, and how to make the most of your extra time during the coronavirus. Josh’s love of pizza and Detroit roots shine through to reveal a relatable guy who explains that entrepreneurship is accessible and realistic to all whether it’s starting a business, improving a current business, or making productive changes in your personal life.
Show Notes
- Introducing today’s guest: Josh Linkner
- Josh describes Detroiter roots
- What does it mean to be a creative troublemaker?
- The distinction between creativity and innovation
- Innovation equals useful creativity
- Check out to Josh’s blog
- Innovation during the coronavirus
- How can we use our time wisely and be productive during coronavirus?
- Working on larger projects, staying fit, spending time with family, learning skills
- Innovation comes from going through the creative process
- Creativity as a daily habit to build skills
- Michael talks about spending time with daughters and watching classic movies
- Kevin discusses his daughter obtaining real estate license during coronavirus
- 20-hour rule Ted Talk and mastering skills fast!
- Josh’s daily rituals and rearranging his work schedule
- Scheduling an “untouchable day” to work on long-term and deep thinking
- Michael emphasizes the benefits of building mental and physical muscle during coronavirus and looking for positives
- How to think differently as an entrepreneur and look to the future
- Fear is the single greatest inhibitor of our creativity
- Roll-storming: brainstorming a real-world challenge while pretending you are somebody else
- Transformation from stiff executive to creative explosion!
- Josh’s advice on public speaking—practice!
- Are having large events and being present face-to-face important for the human experience?
- Josh highlights musician Charlie Parker and how business leaders can use this isolation to improve their business ideas for the long-term
- Why keeping your business plan current matters
- “Someday a company will come along and put us out of business—it might as well be us!”
- Michael discusses how he thinks the world will change after coronavirus
- Josh ponders the future of shaking hands and the positive and negative outcomes of coronavirus
- The emotional toll on children and how we will get back to our normal routines after coronavirus
- Josh explains his love of pizza and his favorite Michigan spots
- Josh gives advice on how to become a better listener and the importance of listening instead of thinking about what you’re going to say next
- How do you decide to work with and invest in? What is the most important factor in determining a start-up’s success? Is it the team, the idea, or the market?
- Closing remarks
FAQs
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What is Josh Linkner's definition of innovation versus creativity?
He defines creativity in the broadest sense as imagining something that doesn’t exist today, productive or not, while innovation is ‘useful creativity’: human creativity applied to something useful.
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What is the 'roll storming' brainstorming technique Josh Linkner recommends?
It’s brainstorming a real-world challenge in character, pretending you’re someone else, such as Steve Jobs, an author, a sports figure or a superhero. Because the idea isn’t yours anymore, he said, you’re free to say anything, with no fear. He described a stiff executive at Sony Japan who opened up while roll storming as Yoda.
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What daily habits does Josh Linkner use to stay productive?
He described two rituals borrowed from a friend that he started before the pandemic: a two-minute morning ritual of asking what he’s grateful for, what he’s going to focus on today and what he’s going to let go of, and one ‘untouchable day’ a week with no calls, email or social media, reserved for deep, long-term work.
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What does Josh Linkner say is the biggest blocker of creative thinking?
He said research shows that fear, not natural talent, is the single biggest blocker of creative output, since people hold back bold ideas because they don’t want to look foolish, offend somebody or be responsible for them.
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What does Josh Linkner look for when investing in startups?
He evaluates ‘the jockey, the horse and the race’: the team, the idea and the market opportunity. He said by far the most important is the team, and that he looks for people who are coachable, have humility, are good listeners and are less egocentric, adding that charismatic personalities aren’t always the best entrepreneurs.
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