#55 - Be Brave, Focused, and Brilliant: Daily Practices for Great Work with Todd Henry
Today’s Expert guest is the Accidental Creative Todd Henry
Todd is tackling a modern performance trap: smart, capable people are drowning in noise, overload, and constant demands—then wondering why their best ideas (and energy) disappear. His work focuses on helping leaders and knowledge workers build simple daily practices so they can stay productive and healthy while generating great work consistently.
In today’s conversation Todd Henry explores how everyday professionals can stay creative and effective in a world full of distraction and pressure. He and Dr. Wells unpack why “creativity” isn’t just art—it’s problem-solving—and why tiny daily rituals matter even more when life gets disrupted. Todd shares practical ways to protect attention, reduce overwhelm, and build a sustainable rhythm for producing brilliant work without burning out.
You will learn how Todd thinks about creativity as a trainable skill (not a personality trait), why focusing your attention is the gateway to better ideas, and how small daily actions can protect your energy and reduce stress. You’ll also hear practical strategies for creating boundaries around inputs (meetings, pings, notifications) so you can do higher-quality work—and lead others through uncertainty with more courage and clarity.
You will discover that brilliance is rarely a lightning bolt—it’s usually the outcome of consistent, low-friction daily practices that keep you focused, energized, and resilient under pressure.
This episode helps solve the “I’m busy all day but my best work never happens” problem—by showing how to cut through the noise, protect deep thinking time, and create a repeatable system for better ideas and better outcomes.
Key take aways:
Creativity is problem-solving, not just artistic talent.
Daily practices beat occasional inspiration.
Protect attention to unlock your best thinking.
Lead by courage, not control.
Make brilliance inevitable with simple systems.
“In short, I’m an arms dealer for the creative revolution.”
Today’s Expert guest is the Accidental Creative Todd Henry
Todd Henry is an author, international keynote speaker, consultant/advisor, and long-time podcaster who helps leaders and teams generate brilliant ideas and do meaningful work. He has written seven books translated into more than a dozen languages, and he has hosted his podcast (now Daily Creative, formerly The Accidental Creative) since 2005, with 20+ million downloads.
Todd’s work is distinctly practical: he teaches a repeatable framework for becoming “brave, focused, and brilliant,” helping people build the habits and systems that make high-quality output more consistent—without sacrificing health. Across his books and podcast, he translates creativity into daily actions that leaders and teams can apply immediately to cut through overwhelm, sharpen thinking, and produce better work together.
One key actionable takeaway: Adopt a tiny, non-negotiable daily practice (5 minutes counts) that protects your attention and primes your mind for better ideas—because consistency is what keeps you prolific, brilliant, and healthy over time.
Follow Todd Henry on Instagram & Linked In.
Check out his website.
This podcast contains advice and information relating to health and wellness. It should be used to supplement rather than replace the advice of your doctor or another trained health professional. If you know or suspect that you have a health problem, seek your physician’s advice before embarking on any medical program or treatment. All efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast / interview / article as of the date of publication. The author and publisher disclaim liability for any medical or other outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this material.
