On the 8 hour drive between Omaha and Denver, I had plenty of time to kill. Sure, I brainstormed, counted cows and ate an absurd amount of Twizzlers. More importantly, I listened to a few enlightening podcasts. One of which was WTF with Marc Maron, specifically episode 344 featuring Jon Favreau.

My dear readers, that might not be a name that resonates with you. But what about “Ironman?” How about “Elf” or “Swingers?” Favreau has either written, directed or acted in more films than you may know.

As I trundled down the road, I couldn’t help but get sucked into this man’s story. Favreau got his big break in the movie “Rudy” after working with the Second City improv troupe in Chicago. Following his movie debut, he moved to LA to make his living as an actor.

While there’s more to his tale (and I encourage you to check out the podcast to hear it), Favreau threw out a few nuggets of knowledge for anyone pursuing their dreams. Often, he explains himself a lot more eloquently than the snippets I’ve posted, but here are the basics:

Without passion and hard work, you’re not going to get anywhere. While this is nothing new to many of us,  his personal story is a testament to the cliche.

No matter what you’re doing, be honest, genuine and generous. It will greatly improve whatever work you’re putting together and it’s very rewarding to create opportunities for others.

This particular one hit me hard: Whether you like it or not, you’re going to draw inspiration from your personal experiences. Use it when you can, but know when enough is enough.

There’s a ton of content that I’m leaving out and I highly encourage you to listen to the entire hour and a half of wisdom. It’s a very compelling story and I guarantee you’ll pull something from it.