The Book Leads: Impactful Books For Life & Leadership

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Episode 170:⁠ Dave Bossert⁠ &⁠ Find Your Happy Place: The 8-Step Guide to Boosting Your Creativity Through a Personal Retreat⁠

April 6
1h 40m

Episode Description

Episode 170: Dave Bossert & his book, Find Your Happy Place: The 8-Step Guide to Boosting Your Creativity Through a Personal Retreat

ABOUT DAVE

David A. Bossert is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, and author. He received his B.A. from CalArts School of Film and Video with a major in Character Animation. As a 32-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, he contributed his talents to The Black Cauldron (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), The Lion King (1995), Fantasia/2000 (1999), and the Academy Award©-nominated shorts Runaway Brain (1995), Dali/Disney Destino (2003), and Lorenzo (2004), among many others. He is now an independent producer, creative director, and writer. 

As an author, Bossert has published thirteen books, numerous articles, liner notes, and program notes. His latest books are The House of the Future: Walt Disney, MIT, and Monsanto’s Vision of Tomorrow (2023, The Old Mill Press) and Find Your Happy Place: The 8-Step Guide to Boosting Your Creativity Through a Personal Retreat. Learn more at www.davidbossert.com

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

  • David remarkable career journey from Disney animator to independent producer

  • The story behind his latest book, Find Your Happy Place, and its practical framework

  • How historical projects like Destino and The House of the Future inspire creativity

  • The role of serendipity, curiosity, and persistence in creative evolution

  • Effective strategies for managing fear and criticism while taking on bold projects

  • The significance of family, passion, and continuous skill development

  • Insights from David's annual personal retreats to foster innovation

    The influence of childhood passions on lifelong career paths

  • The importance of adaptability, experimentation, and embracing failure

    The MAIN QUESTION underlying my conversation with Dave is, How are you taking the time (and tapping into your curiosity) through personal retreats to discover and realize what it is you need to recharge your professional and personal ecosystems?

    FIND DAVE

LinkedIn - Full Podcast Article: 

CHAPTERS

00:00 - The Book Leads Podcast - Dave Bossert

00:46- Introduction & Bio

02:51 - Who are you today? Can you provide more information about your work?

15:48 - Dave speaking on fear

18:21 - Dave on his writing process

25:13 - How did your path into your career look like, and what did it look like up until now?

59:53 - Dave on what prompted him to begin taking personal retreats

01:09:11 - How does the work you're doing today reconcile to who you were as a child?

01:14:52 - What is your superpower?

01:16:44 - What does leadership mean to you?

01:19:44 - Can you introduce us to the book we’re discussing?

01:31:19 - What's changed in you in the process of writing this book?

01:35:11 - What book has inspired you?

01:36:14 - What are you up to these days? (A way for guests to share and market their projects and work.)

This series has become my Masterclass In Humanity. I'd love for you to join me and see what you take away from these conversations.

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