Keep Going: A Podcast About Failure and Success
By John Biggs
Keep Going: A Podcast About Failure and SuccessSep 23, 2022
How a former journalist rediscovered himself
David Ruddock is a lot like me: he's a journalist who loved the hustle of the newsroom but found himself in the world of marketing. In this podcast we discuss his decision to move away from Android Police and what he discovered when a terrible life event knocked him over.
You can check out David here.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
What happens when your startup becomes a learning experience?
In 2014 Jeff Weisbein was running a successful gadget news blog. He got the urge to build something for himself, something that he knew he'd use for his own site, and thought the rest of the world would love it. He was, after three years of effort, proven wrong.
In this podcast Jeff tells us about his experience and what he learned from building something that people ultimately just didn't want.
Jeff is the co-founder of Hypelab.digital and lives in Florida.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
ICYMI - Author Eliot Peper on seeking success
Author Eliot Peper has written 10 novels and is a major voice in the futurist community. He also failed.
After finishing his last book he was convinced that he had written the best book of his career. Others begged to differ. In this episode, Peper talked about the mirage of success and the problem of long-form creativity.
Peper has announced his latest book, Foundry, and you can pre-order it now.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
When a startup almost makes you go blind
Anne Ahola Ward thought she was doing the right thing. The company she was working with was in trouble and she stepped in to help fix it. The resulting stress nearly led to her own blindness and she soon realized that some firest aren't worth fighting.
In this heartfelt discussion, Ward tells us how and when we should throw in the towel - and why.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Failure, know thyself
In this episode, I talk to Alejandro Barrera, a writer, journalist, and martial arts expert. Barrera does me the favor of turning my questions around and asking me about the definition of failure and why generalists - people who are good at a lot of things but seem to lack focus - are in demand.
When a door closes there's always another, bigger door that opens
A few years ago, Rahul Mehendale had it all. He was running a company, had the CEO nameplate on his door, and he was successful by all visible means.
But he was miserable.
In this episode, Mehendale talks about two times he failed and how he always saw a way forward - and why titles, cash, and success is never more important than simply living.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
ICYMI - A comedian loses his pants and all hope in Atlantic City
Josh Gondelman is a writer and comedian who has built a career working for some of the biggest names in media. But one gig in Atlantic City sent him packing. In this episode, he talks about the horrors of bombing and how he turned things around after some catastrophic gigs.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
How to keep going after 25 years of striving
John Sundman is a successful author but, by his own admission, his long climb has been a slog. In this episode we talk to John about his work, his long career, and what it takes to keep working on his fiction.
You can check out John's Substack here.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
ICYMI - An animation expert talks about the moment when artists pushed against AI
Remington Scott knows how to build amazing digital worlds. He's the technologist who brought us Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies, a motion-captured character that was one of the first and most compelling motion-captured characters in cinema history. But, for a few years, he was persona non grata in Hollywood. Why? Because the artists were afraid of his technology and felt that it reduced their work to something less than real. He talks about his fight in this podcast that reminds us that almost every new technology gets a bad rap on day one.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
ICYMI - A writer goes deep into the roots of failure... and it isn't pretty
Stephen Marche is the author of On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer, a clever little book on the horrors writers faced - and face - while creating their work. In this episode we talked to Stephen about the sadness of Herman Melville and how none of us are ever really successful.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Did J6 fail?
In this episode we talk to Harvard Law School Professor Alan Jenkins about the January 6th insurrection and the impact it had on defining success and failure in today's politics.
Jenkins and New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Gan Golan worked with cartoonist Will Rosado to create a comic book called 1/6: The Graphic Novel Issue #1: What if the Attack on the U.S. Capitol Succeeded?, available now on Amazon.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
How to never give up
Cuyler Nathaniel Engram is a hairdresser and makeup artist. After failing to find work in his hometown, he realized he needed to go to a place where his work would be appreciated. After working four jobs and nearly ending up homeless, he found his groove and created his own unique style. In this podcast, we'll talk about his trials and his success.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
What happens when you're at the center of the news cycle?
In this podcast, we talk to a former Silicon Valley Bank employee about his experience at the bank and what it feels like to be at the center of a maelstrom. This episode was recorded live at SXSW.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Learn how a pair of inventors bucked convention and built a line of baby shoes
Mike Gugat hated running. But because of his athletic experience, he landed in a number of jobs where he sold running shows nationwide. After a deep low and a period of aimlessness, he realized he needed to do something different. He strapped on some running shoes and met a man who would change his life.
Gugat is the co-founder of Jbrds, a super cute line of kids' shoes designed with their little feet in mind. Check out his story in this episode of Keep Going.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
How do you get out of a rut?
Bryan Eisenberg was working at a job he didn't like and ballooned up to 270 pounds. He realized something needed to change so he changed everything: his job, his lifestyle, and his habits. In this episode we talk to Bryan about how to make important decisions and how to escape the ruts we end up in when we keep grinding away at the same things.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Failing three times to win once
Elston Baretto first thought he could build a social network. Then he built a running app. And each time he failed.
In this episode, we talk to Baretto about how he decided to build his latest project, tiny.host, and all the things he thinks he did right.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
ICYMI - Joel Johnson on overnight failure
Writer Joel Johnson talks about success in media and what happens when your millions of fans... refuse to follow you. Johnson, a writer and consultant, talks about what it felt like to be an overnight success in the early days of blogging and social media.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
ICYMI - Don't hire a CEO at a bar
What do you do when the CEO you met in a bar takes a million bucks from you and your investors? Josh Karp, entrepreneur, and creator, decided to keep going. Listen to our first issue to hear the lessons learned by folks who have been through hell. This is the first episode of Keep Going recorded in September 2022.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
ICYMI: Dr. Eleanor Janega on second chances
Dr Eleanor Janega always wanted to be a historian but she discovered that her particular interests and skill set didn't make her a great candidate for academia. After a bit of soul searching, however, she discovered that history didn't have to reside in an ivory tower and instead could be shared with the world. She's now the author of multiple books including The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society. Check out her book and her work online.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
An animation expert talks about the moment when artists pushed against AI
Remington Scott knows how to build amazing digital worlds. He's the technologist who brought us Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies, a motion-captured character that was one of the first and most compelling motion-captured characters in cinema history. But, for a few years, he was persona non grata in Hollywood. Why? Because the artists were afraid of his technology and felt that it reduced their work to something less than real. He talks about his fight in this podcast that reminds us that almost every new technology gets a bad rap on day one.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
What happens when you lose a client's wife?
Alina Braverman has had a long and varied career. In this podcast she talks about living a life full of ups and downs, managing people who don't want to be managed, and finding a client's wife in Queens when she didn't want to be found.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
A writer goes deep into the roots of failure... and it isn't pretty
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
A comedian loses his pants and all hope in Atlantic City
Josh Gondelman is a writer and comedian who has built a career working for some of the biggest names in media. But one gig in Atlantic City sent him packing. In this episode, he talks about the horrors of bombing and how he turned things around after some catastrophic gigs.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
What to do when when your failures go viral.
In this episode, we talk to James Harris, a writer and comedian who has been thinking about failure for a while. His biggest failure? A comedy revue that he directed turned into a mess and the feeling of failure stuck with him for far too long. Now he's helping others fight through their problems through his workshops and Substack.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
A self-described natural disaster meets his match... and thrives
In this episode of Keep Going we meet Joseph Panetta, a self-described natural disaster. Panetta had a dream and chased it until he almost ran out of money and definitely ran out of time. What he learned, however, has helped him thrive.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
What happens when one morning your entire industry collapses? Step one: You stop flying private
Bala Kamallakharan is the godfather of the Icelandic startup industry and turned this sleepy little island from a banking powerhouse into a startup machine. But, after the 2008 economic crash, he was out of work and his entire personality - banker, businessman, guy who got flown around the world - was shattered. Here's how he picked up the pieces.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
What happens when you hitched your wagon to the wrong dream?
In this episode, we talked to Joe McReynolds, a former politico who backed Hilary Clinton in the last election and found himself adrift after she lost. He decided to head to Japan and try something entirely new, resulting in a book about urbanism in Tokyo. It's a fascinating look at someone who had to do a full 180 when a dream didn't come true.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Savannah Peterson on finding comfort during the pandemic
Savannah Peterson is a speaker and personal branding expert but when lockdown hit she felt like none of those things. After months - even years - of struggle she came out the other end stronger and better. In this episode, Savannah shares her experience and how she thinks she survived and thrived.
You can check out Savannah's work here.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Mike Doughty on finding success... again
Mike Doughty is a musician and writer who has been making music since the 1990s. After a successful commercial that seemed to be in a tailspin, he discovered the magic of reaching an entirely new audience, an audience that has sustained him - and he has sustained - for decades. It's an amazing treat to have him on the show and you can check out his music here.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)e
Author Eliot Peper on seeing success
Author Eliot Peper has written 10 novels and is a major voice in the futurist community. He also failed.
After finishing his last book he was convinced that he had written the best book of his career. Others begged to differ. In this episode, Peper talked about the mirage of success and the problem of long-form creativity.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Dr. Eleanor Janega on second chances
Dr Eleanor Janega always wanted to be a historian but she discovered that her particular interests and skill set didn't make her a great candidate for academia. After a bit of soul searching, however, she discovered that history didn't have to reside in an ivory tower and instead could be shared with the world. She's now the author of multiple books including The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society. Check out her book and her work online.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
John Biggs talks about depression
A few years ago I was clinically depressed. In this podcast I share what happened, how I felt, and how I tried to fix it. It's only fair for me to do one of these if all my guests are coming on and being vulnerable so I decided to record this show before the New Year. If you’re suicidal, WhatsApp me at +16468270591 or call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at +1800-273-8255 or, if you’re not in the States, visit this site.
Please take care of yourself. Please keep going.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
B.J. Mendelson talks about fighting ADHD and getting his head straight
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Cindy Gallop talks about what it takes to keep going for 13 years
Cindy Gallop is the founder of MakeLoveNotPorn and has been fighting to turn porn from titillation to education for more than a decade. She's a tireless crusader and in this episode, she shares the secrets of her success which, in the end, are simply a matter of never giving up. Warning: There is some cursing in this episode.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Molly Cantrell-Kraig gives us advice on how to ask for help
Molly Cantrell-Kraig is a writer and organizer who worked for decades in the non-profit space. Most recently, however, she's been working on a book called Finding the Courage to Bloom. In this episode of Keep Going she gives us two pieces of advice: learn how to ask for what you want and learn when not to offer things you don't have. Her advice is born of experience and she shares some times she lost - and how she won. You can check out her website here.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Kaitie Zhee talks about building a business against difficult odds
Kaitie Zhee is a PR professional who has built a successful practice. But the going wasn't easy. In this episode we talk about what it means to be a woman in the blockchain industry and how she solved the big problems in her difficult industry.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Consultant and innovation expert Amy Jo Kim offers advice on how (and why) to fail
Amy Jo Kim has built some amazing games. One of the leaders behind the Sims, Ultima Online, Rock Band, and Covet Fashion, she now consults and mentors on innovation in the gaming space. We sat down with her to gain some real insight on what it means to fail in a startup and in a big corporation and why failure is the heart of innovation. We're lucky she agreed to come on and the conversation is fascinating.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Programmer Joe Hill talks about knowing when to give up
Joe Hill wanted to build an app. He spent years of his life working on it only to realize that his efforts were seemingly fruitless. But, like any good programmer, he learned a lot of lessons along the way.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Author Jill Duffy shares what it's like to face rejection
Jill Duffy is the author of the Everything Guide to Remote Work and a frequent contributor to multiple magazines and websites. In this episode of Keep Going, Duffy shares a few secrets to being a freelance journalist - namely a thick skin and plenty of patience.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
What happened when Allison Robicelli's amazing bakery turned into a nightmare?
Writer and chef Allison Robicelli does a little of everything. But, a few years ago, she ran a world-famous bakery in Brooklyn. After years of producing cakes, cookies, and other treats, she realized that her dream had turned into a nightmare and she had to figure out what to do next. What she discovered would change her life forever.
Warning: There's some cursing in this episode.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Ruben Bolling on what happens when your entire business model disappears overnight
Ruben Bolling is an amazing cartoonist who is deeply fun and biting. His work has appeared in hundreds of newspapers and won countless awards, including the Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning and a Silver Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society. But in 2012 his entire career was nearly destroyed when newspapers stopped printing cartoons and alternative newspapers went under. Bolling had to react and rethink his cartooning career and the results were extraordinary. He used to drop cartoons in the mail and see them appear in print and now, under this new model, he became the creator, the distributor, and the salesperson. It's truly a tale of resilience in the face of fear and uncertainty.
You can check out Bolling's cartoons here and I encourage you to check out his amazing books.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald.
Julia Kahky talks about getting what she wanted... and regretting it.
In this episode of Keep Going we talk to Julia Kahky. Julia wanted something so badly it almost consumed her and, when she got it, she realized she had made a wrong turn. We'll learn how Julia kept going.
Chris Dancy doesn't let his past define him
Chris Dancy is the most connected man in the world. His work spans decades and he's consulted for some of the biggest companies in the world. But in this episode of Keep Going, he shares some secrets to becoming more mindful while maintaining your cool, even in the face of adversity. You can check out his site at https://www.chrisdancy.com.
Ryan Shank
Ryan Shank should have been the happiest entrepreneur on Earth. Instead, he was stuck in a spiral. Here's how he got out.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Joel Johnson
Writer Joel Johnson talks about success in media and what happens when your millions of fans... refuse to follow you. Johnson, a writer and consultant, talks about what it felt like to be an overnight success in the early days of blogging and social media.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)
Josh Karp
What do you do when the CEO you met in a bar takes a million bucks from you and your investors? Josh Karp, entrepreneur and creator, decided to keep going. Listen to our first issue to hear the lessons learned by folks who have been through hell.
Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)