STOP TRYING TO BEAT EVERYONE ELSE. TRUE SUCCESS IS CREATING WORK THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN REPLICATE. DON'T AIM TO BE THE BEST—AIM TO BE THE ONLY

I was on the corporate hamster wheel. Seven years ago I had just gotten my MBA and hoped to do creative and meaningful work. But the soulless corporate jobs I found myself stuck in wanted people who would conform to the rules. Tired of struggling to keep my head above water, I decided ride the waves, abandoning climbing the corporate ladder in order to pursue my dream of learning to surf. 

This definitely was not a "smart" career move. But chasing waves inspired me and gave me the courage to chase a dream on land: Starting the Unmistakable Creative Podcast. Interviewing more than 500 wildly creative people over the next six years gave me the ultimate education: I learned how guests like Seth Godin, Elle Luna, Tim Ferriss, Simon Sinek and Danielle Laporte have blazed their own trails and rejected the pressure to do conventional work. 

These interviewees weren't just brave and inspiring, they were unmistakable. They knew that try be the best leaves you chained to others definitions of success. Unmistakable work, on other hand could have been created by only one person, so competition is irrelevant. Think about Banksy's art or Tim Burton's films -unmistakable work needs no signature. 

I wrote this book in order to help you strip away conventional expectations and create your most meaningful, joyful and unique work. Whether you're a business owner, artist or someone who wants to leave your mark on the world, I hope the stories in Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best will inspire you to create your own path.