Real stories of change, courage, and becoming who you already are.
Messy
Genius
Each volume explores a single universal theme such as creativity, love, or work. The series blends intimate recorded interviews with reflective storytelling and visual art drawn from the real artifacts of those moments — photos, notes, sketches, and keepsakes that bring turning points to life.
Published as an audiobook and companion art release on major platforms and independent outlets like Substack or Patreon, Messy Genius invites listeners into the raw material of human transformation. It’s about the courage to face change and the quiet genius that emerges when we do.
If you’ve ever gone through a moment that changed you — a leap, a loss, a reinvention, or an awakening — I’d love to talk with you. I’m collecting real stories for the first volume of Messy Genius, an audiobook and art companion series about what happens when life changes us — or when we decide to change it.
Now
Inviting Guests
If you—or someone you know—has lived through meaningful change, this is a chance to give that experience a permanent voice. The focus isn’t perfection. It’s truth.
I’m interested in stories of reinvention, creative breakthroughs, business launches or failures, losses, or new beginnings in work or family life. The common thread is transformation and what it revealed about who you are.
Each conversation is reflective and real—a dialogue that helps make sense of what changed and why it mattered.
To inquire about being or recommending a guest, please email dave@heycoachdave.com. When you reach out, I’ll share a short overview and we’ll schedule a quick 15-minute chat to see if your story is the right fit.
Participant FAQs
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An audiobook and art companion series exploring real moments of transformation. Each volume centers on one theme and weaves together recorded conversations, visual artwork, and personal artifacts into a cohesive narrative. The primary format is audiobook, with occasional podcast or visual supplements.
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Anyone who’s lived through meaningful change—by choice or by circumstance.
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It’s an interview, not a coaching session. Expect a grounded, open conversation about what changed and what you learned. It’s designed to be honest, personal, and insightful.
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Roughly 60 to 90 minutes—enough to explore the depth of your story without overextending it.
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Yes. Conversations are recorded and may appear in the audiobook, the companion podcast, or short video excerpts. You can decide which formats feel right for you.
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Yes. You’ll have full review and approval rights before release. What makes Messy Genius powerful is emotional honesty, so openness and trust are essential.
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Each volume focuses on one theme—Creativity, Love, Work, or others. You’ll know your theme in advance.
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Bring yourself. If you’d like, gather a few personal items from that period of change—images, notes, or objects that help you remember. With your consent, these may appear in the art companion.
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That they recognize themselves in someone else’s story. That they feel less alone, more grounded, and more capable of facing their own next chapter
About the Author / Interviewer
Dave O’Connor is an executive coach, artist, writer, and founder of The Upside Company. His work centers on helping people lead and live with clarity and courage through times of change.
Through Messy Genius, Dave extends his work beyond coaching—inviting others to share the turning points that shaped them and the wisdom that followed. It’s a creative project about becoming who you already are, one honest story at a time.
Thank you for considering this. I believe stories like yours can change how people see themselves — and that’s the real purpose of Messy Genius.
— Dave O’Connor