I came across Chris Guillebeau when I stumbled across his terrific (and free) ebook, A Brief Guide to World Domination.  Since we recorded this interview, he’s released another fantastic (and free) ebook 279 Days to Overnight Success and continues to write a great blog on his website, The Art of Non-Conformity.  But what’s most impressive is that Chris is absolutely clear about what a good life means to him – and stands as an impressive role model on how to live that authentic, exciting and generous life.

I’m totally chuffed that Chris wrote an original piece for Do More Great Work.

In this interview you’ll hear:

• How the crisis that sparked his Great Work set the foundation for future success
• What Chris learned about focus from the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami
• What Chris’s bad habit is – and how he manages it
• An approach for setting goals

This interview is approximately 25 minutes long.

Listen to the interview with Chris Guillebeau

Michael Port is a best-selling business author.  His first book, Book Yourself Solid was on the best seller lists for months, and this week he’s publishing his latest, The Think Big Manifesto.  Its subtitle says it all:  “Think you can’t change your life (and the world)?  Think again!”

I’m thrilled that Michael wrote a piece for Do More Great Work.

In this interview Michael and I look at:

• Why you should know your limits and avoid the Bonk
• The power of goal setting
• How to create a To Not Do list
• The Think Big Revolution

This interview is approximately 20 minutes long.

Listen to the interview with Michael Port

Dave Ulrich is a titan in the world of HR, a champion for HR to get out of the ‘comp and bens’ ghetto to have a strategic impact. I first met him when we were both speaking at a conference in India. A big crowd, all ready to be lectured for the day by Dave. And the session was electric. Dave found the perfect balance between sharing wisdom, being provocative and being playful with the group. He is a prolific writer, with articles and books on many aspects of HR and leadership, his most recent book is The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By. Dave is a partner and co-founder of The RBL Group and is also a professor of business at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Dave and his wife Wendy have written a lovely piece in Do More Great Work.

In this interview we discuss:

• the art of finding simplicity in complexity – and how that fits with system thinking
• the value of staying in a place of ambiguity rather than rushing to decisions
• the link between energy and engagement
• and why, at the end of the day, you shouldn’t take things too seriously

You can find Dave at on his website.

Listen to my interview with Dave Ulrich.

Here’s a quick video with a tactic to help you stop the busywork and start the work that matters. One minute – and a bit of a short sharp shock.

If you’d like to crunch some numbers of your own take a peek at this blog post by Kevin Kelly – and then hop over to www.DoMoreGreatWork.com

The tag-line for Penelope Trunk’s blog is ‘advice at the intersection of life and work’. That’s good, but quite frankly it undersells what Penelope does. For one things, she’s the founder of Brazen Careerist, a social network which helps young people manage their careers. Second, her blog is a no-holds-barred, deeply personal and often provocative look at her life and what it takes to be successful in business today. It’s a compelling mix of research, personal revelation and wise advice.

Penelope’s piece in Do More Great Work is as thoughtful and as provocative as you’d expect having read her blog.

In this interview we look at:

• The problem with our own ‘internal rules’ about how the world is run
• How wisdom is often found in the ‘in between parts’ and the moments of transition
• Why career advice is often best when it’s based on the ’stumbling around’ rather than the straight line
• How the risk of being real is more than worth it

You can follow Penelope on Twitter at @PenelopeTrunk and on her blog.

Listen to my interview with Penelope Trunk