In this captivating episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, host Chris Schembra welcomes innovation expert, entrepreneur, and jazz musician Josh Linkner to explore the profound connection between creativity, gratitude, and success. Josh, a New York Times bestselling author and founder of five tech companies, shares how his diverse experiences—from navigating high-stakes business ventures to performing over 1,000 jazz concerts—have shaped his unique philosophy on unlocking human potential.
Josh dives deep into the principles behind his latest book, Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results. He explains how small, consistent acts of creativity—not risky moonshots—are the key to driving transformational outcomes in business and life. Together, Josh and Chris unpack the importance of mindset, the power of gratitude in unleashing creative potential, and why celebrating others' success (a concept known as Mudita) can bring unparalleled fulfillment.
This episode is packed with actionable insights, including Josh’s “Two-Minute Creativity Ritual” for daily innovation and his revolutionary approach to brainstorming—“Role Storming”—that encourages you to think outside the box by stepping into a new persona. Josh also shares vulnerable stories of overcoming self-doubt, from learning to sing in his 50s to embracing mistakes as vital stepping stones to greatness.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur seeking fresh ideas, a leader looking to inspire your team, or simply someone striving for a more creative and fulfilling life, this conversation offers a roadmap to transform fear into curiosity, inaction into experimentation, and stagnation into growth. Prepare to be inspired to awaken your inner artist and embrace the small, deliberate acts of creativity that can lead to life-changing results.
Grab a notebook, settle in, and get ready to tap into the power of gratitude, belief, and everyday innovation to create a life filled with purpose and possibility.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The Power of Gratitude: How gratitude opens the door to creativity, minimizes fear, and enhances problem-solving.
- Big Little Breakthroughs: Why small, incremental innovations often outperform giant moonshots in driving success.
- The Two-Minute Creativity Ritual: A simple daily practice to cultivate creative thinking in just two minutes.
- Role Storming vs. Brainstorming: A fun and effective technique for generating bold ideas by stepping into a character or role.
- Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: How Josh shattered his own self-imposed limits by learning to sing at 50—and how you can tackle your own doubts.
- Mudita: The joy of celebrating others’ success and its transformative impact on personal and professional growth.
Notable Quotes:
- "Gratitude is the antidote to fear and suffering. It helps us plug into our creative potential and see the world through a lens of abundance." — Josh Linkner
- "Instead of ‘I’ll believe it when I see it,’ shift to ‘I’ll see it when I believe it.’ Belief is the starting point for innovation." — Josh Linkner
- "We’re all artists. Whether you’re a chef, a trial lawyer, or a parent, creativity is about challenging norms and creating something new." — Josh Linkner
- "The riskiest move is often inaction. Small creative experiments allow us to de-risk and learn as we go." — Josh Linkner
- "Gratitude doesn’t just shift perspective; it opens the door to innovation and creates space for others to succeed alongside us." — Chris Schembra
Actionable Takeaways:
- Try the Two-Minute Creativity Workout: Spend one minute immersing yourself in another’s creativity (e.g., music, art, poetry) and one minute brainstorming solutions to an unrelated problem.
- Challenge a Limiting Belief: Identify something you’ve told yourself you “can’t do,” and take one small step to prove yourself wrong.
- Practice Role Storming: At your next team meeting, role-play as someone like Lady Gaga, Yoda, or an alien to generate bold ideas without fear of judgment.
- Reflect on Gratitude: Answer the question, “Who’s one person you’ve never thanked, but whose impact on your life deserves recognition?” Take action to express that gratitude.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Josh Linkner— a New York Times bestselling author — is a rare blend of business, art, and science. On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (moo-DEE-tah) Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He’s twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award. While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. He’s been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world. His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A WayTM through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.
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ABOUT OUR HOST:
Chris Schembra is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Gratitude Through Hard Times and Gratitude and Pasta. USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru", he's a Founding Member of Rolling Stone Magazine's Culture Council, and he sits on the Executive Board at Fast Company Magazine.
He is the Founder and Chief Question Asker of the 7:47 Gratitude Experience™ — an evidence-based framework used to strengthen client and team relationships in profound ways. He's used the principles of gratitude to spark thousands of relationships within the workplace.
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