Trying to move forward but feeling sloggy or stuck?
1. Do something easy.
2. Do something nice.
3. Do something hard.
And repeat until unstuck.
Would love to know if you try this out...!
Meet the author of an inspiring new book I devoured in two days...
Kara Cutruzzula talks to author and freelance writer Alyssa Ages, whose debut book Secrets of Giants is a deep dive into the science and psychology of why pushing our physical limits is so impactful — and a personal look at her own experience training for strongman competitions. Big moments include 5:30 a.m. workouts, the challenges of telling your own story, how coaches give her necessary external accountability, and why being strong makes you feel you can do anything. Plus, powdered bone broth!
Where to Find Alyssa
Buy Secrets of Giants
Alyssa's website
Show Notes
00:23 Alyssa's Morning Routine
01:07 Building a Garage Gym
01:21 The Journey to Competitive Strongman Competitions
03:59 The Impact of Strength Training on, Well, Everything
06:04 Writing Process and Challenges
13:37 Alyssa's Nighttime Routine
13:52 The Importance of a Coach
19:05 The Book Writing and Publishing Experience
Mentions
Bone Brewhouse Instant Chicken Bone Broth
Do It Today is created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Special collaboration episode today with the wonderful Aransas Savas and The Uplifters Podcast! Aransas is a wellbeing and leadership coach, and her podcast highlights inspiring women and mindset techniques to create your biggest life. We talk about our weekly "Virtual Friday Therapy Runs," our creative practices and routines, closing open loops and finding deep work blocks, exercises from Do It (or Don't), avoiding overwork and burnout, and much more.
Where to Find Aransas:
Subscribe to The Uplifters Podcast
https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Website: https://www.aransassavas.com/
Show Notes
00:02 Introduction
00:50 Defining an Uplifter
01:36 Introducing The Uplifters Podcast
02:36 The Power of Friendship and Regular Check-ins
07:50 Importance of Self-Care and Relationships
09:45 The Power of Choice and Setting Boundaries
12:03 Being a High-Capacity Person and Managing Overwhelm
13:38 The Role of Acceptance and Trust in Maintaining Flow
24:31 Self-Respect and Setting Boundaries
25:55 Admiration and Journaling
26:20 Planning and Procrastination
26:34 Podcast Growth and Challenges
27:34 Overcoming Hesitation
29:05 Reframing Sponsorship and Taking Action
31:25 The Importance of Sounding Boards
34:54 Planning and Prioritizing Tasks
36:42 Closing Open Loops and Time Management
39:55 Revisiting and Revamping To-Do Lists
43:25 The Power of Community and Activation
Do It Today is created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Hi friends! This conversation inspired me so much. I have a feeling Florencia's journey and persistence will inspire you, too...
Kara Cutruzzula talks to Florencia Iriondo, a writer, performer, and showrunner, about her new one-woman musical South. Big moments include leaving the corporate world to pursue theater full-time, putting up the show, and lessons learned along the way. She shares how her ingenious "alarm strategy" — and watching Tick Tick Boom! — help organize her day. They also dive into the importance of deadlines, and Florencia's big goal of making a living from producing her own work.
Buy tickets to South at SoHo Playhouse until Nov. 15
Show Notes
00:01 Introduction
01:01 The Role of Food in Florencia's Show
02:15 The Evolution of South
04:55 Florencia's Personal Journey and Career Transition
06:39 The Challenges and Rewards of Self-Producing
12:40 Florencia's Dual Identity and Skill Transferability
15:54 Florencia's Daily Schedule and Pre-Show Rituals
20:37 Florencia's Future Goals and Aspirations
Do It Today is created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks to Sara Wordsworth, a musical storyteller who has created shows for Broadway, television, arenas, cruise ships, and theme parks around the world. Big moments include making time for herself in the early hours of the morning, how to continue being vulnerable in your work, seeing feedback as a gift, and more.
More about Sara on her website!
Fun mentions in the episode:
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks to professional organizer and coach Linda Samuels, founder of Oh, So Organized! and author of The Other Side of Organized, who facilitates change in her clients' lives. Big moments include creating a "success check-in" for the summer, advice for clearing a path for the new season, and why a slow start to her day is essential.
Follow Linda and find more about her work:
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal — out Sept. 12!
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks to Kat Jackson, the senior director of Audible Studios, who has worked in the storytelling space for two decades and oversees all production in the U.S. as well as Canada, Latin America and Brazil. She's also an educator, mother of two, and fierce Tough Mudder competitor. Big moments include how she found a career she loves, why "being good enough isn't good enough," how audiobooks encourage accessibility, and the inspiration and gratitude you experience while competing in an eight-hour obstacle course.
Find your next favorite book on Audible!
Fun people, stuff, and books mentioned:
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Aegean Chan, who opened her own practice in Santa Barbara, California, has published in medical journals, and runs one of my favorite Instagram accounts with skincare advice. Big moments include balancing parenting with her career, her social media cutoff time, creating realistic to-do lists, and treating responsibilities like glass balls and plastic balls—and accepting you can't always juggle them all.
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks with author Michelle Wildgen, whose newest book Wine People was published August 1. She's the editor of the food writing anthology Food & Booze, and the former executive editor of the literary journal Tin House. Michelle is also a freelance editor and creative writing teacher and co-runs the Madison Writers' Studio with novelist Susanna Daniel.
Big moments include being in a no-reading writers' group, her hot take on prescriptive advice, the magic of a blank-page revision, field trips for Wine People, and why pasta is almost always the answer.
More about Michelle:
https://www.michellewildgen.com/
Buy Wine People, published by Zibby Books, on Amazon and Bookshop
Fun stuff mentioned:
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks to Tony Award-winning producer, manager, and educator Erica Rotstein, who's currently represented on Broadway as a co-producer of Parade and Just For Us. Big moments include embracing radical candor, the idea of emergent strategy and being able to pivot your plans, and why she wants to build all of her work around relationships.
More about Erica Rotstein
Take workshops on producing theater with Erica and her Business of Broadway partners Rachel Sussman, Heather Shields, and Sammy Lopez. (They're wonderful!)
https://www.thebusinessofbroadway.com/
Shows, books, and resources mentioned:
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks to Dorie Clark, a keynote speaker, consultant, and author of four books, most recently The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World. She has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. Dorie is also a musical theater lyricist and member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop (where we met!). Big moments include a new fitness routine and myofunctional therapy, the power of four-way wins, how she uses forcing functions to make progress on her musical, and more.
More about Dorie Clark
Follow Dorie on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/doriec/
Buy The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Kara talks to actor, singer, and writer Samantha Massell, who is starring as researcher Rosalind Franklin in the world premiere of the new musical Double Helix by Madeline Myers. Big moments include the four-year journey of Double Helix, treating creative projects like they're non-negotiable, her script for saying "no," and how plants and word puzzles create the structure of her day.
More about Samantha:
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Artwork by Tyler Spangler and music by Kristoffer Bjarke
Kara talks to certified professional organizer Julie Bestry, an expert in all aspects of organizing and time management, who writes articles and teaches seminars on how organizing can make your life more functional. Big moments include creating time blocks for your most meaningful work, her 1-2-3 system for moving through the day, and letting go of the stress, shame, and overwhelm of not doing "enough."
More about Julie:
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Artwork by Tyler Spangler and music by Kristoffer Bjarke
Kara talks to screenwriter and author David Koepp, who's written or co-written the screenplays for over 30 films, from Death Becomes Her and Jurassic Park to Mission: Impossible and his latest film Kimi. He's also a director and has written two novels, Cold Storage and Aurora, both of which are being adapted into films. Big moments include reworking a draft, how to respond to notes you may not agree with, and his method for fighting the number one enemy of work.
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Artwork by Tyler Spangler and music by Kristoffer Bjarke
Kara talks to author, speaker, and personal finance expert Erin Lowry, who helps broke millennials get their financial lives together. Big moments include how to do a deep dive with your money, managing wildly variable income as a creative or self-employed person, and bucketing your accounts to reach your financial goals.
More about Erin:
Buy Erin Lowry's Broke Millennial books
Do It Today is a podcast created by Kara Cutruzzula. She's the author of three motivational journals and a musical theater writer, playwright, and editor.
Buy Do It Today: An Encouragement Journal
Buy Do It For Yourself: A Motivational Journal
Pre-order Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal
Subscribe to Kara's newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.com/
Visit www.karacutruzzula.com, or follow her on Instagram @karacut
Artwork by Tyler Spangler and music by Kristoffer Bjarke