Making Mischief, Navigating Self-Doubt & Cultivating Leadership with Andy Sparks
"Here’s what I do know. I want to build a business that does some goddam good in the world. I want that more than anything in the world. I want to prove that people can organize to Get Something Done That Matters. What capital M Matters? Giving people tools to turn their brains on instead of off. That’s something I love. I know I’m not alone in doubting myself. I know it’s a journey." – Andy Sparks
I talk with Andy Sparks, is the CEO at Holloway, they're building a new way to publish non-fiction books online (and it's gorgeous!) He's an incredibly genuine and self-aware human, it was a real pleasure spending time learning about his journey stepping into a position of leadership and forging his own path in life.
Andy shares really dark moments early on in his career when he was trying to figure out where your sense of self comes from as a young person and figure out his place in the world.
In this episode we also dive into:
😦 What it was like making the decision to close his company (and how he navigated a deep depression that followed)
🤣 The fun story behind his Calvin Hobbes tattoo
👨🏭 Why getting an executive coach has been one of the most important things in his professional career
🧰 Some powerful advice he received on how to build a support network from the founder of Masterclass
👐 How he now aims to navigate conflict with his cofounder at Holloway
🙋♂️ Taking responsibility for what we feel and why you don't have a choice about bring your kookiness and trauma to work
🤓 We also nerd out on some of his leadership mental models and frameworks that he has gathered over the years of being a founder and CEO
–
📚 Follow Andy's musings on Twitter @Sparkszilla // read his Medium essay on confidence or check Holloway (especially if you're a non-fiction writer).
Connect + Explore More from Jonny
🐦 Follow on Twitter/X @jonnym1ller
🫁 Learn more about Nervous System Mastery
🪷 Order our deck of Calm Cards (these make great gifts)
📱 Check out Stateshift — our brand new iOS + Android app
📝 Take the Nervous System Quotient (NSQ) Self-Assessment (totally free)
Andy shares really dark moments early on in his career when he was trying to figure out where your sense of self comes from as a young person and figure out his place in the world.
In this episode we also dive into:
😦 What it was like making the decision to close his company (and how he navigated a deep depression that followed)
🤣 The fun story behind his Calvin Hobbes tattoo
👨🏭 Why getting an executive coach has been one of the most important things in his professional career
🧰 Some powerful advice he received on how to build a support network from the founder of Masterclass
👐 How he now aims to navigate conflict with his cofounder at Holloway
🙋♂️ Taking responsibility for what we feel and why you don't have a choice about bring your kookiness and trauma to work
🤓 We also nerd out on some of his leadership mental models and frameworks that he has gathered over the years of being a founder and CEO
–
📚 Follow Andy's musings on Twitter @Sparkszilla // read his Medium essay on confidence or check Holloway (especially if you're a non-fiction writer).
Connect + Explore More from Jonny
🐦 Follow on Twitter/X @jonnym1ller
🫁 Learn more about Nervous System Mastery
🪷 Order our deck of Calm Cards (these make great gifts)
📱 Check out Stateshift — our brand new iOS + Android app
📝 Take the Nervous System Quotient (NSQ) Self-Assessment (totally free)
