Podcast Summary
It's a Good Life with Brian Buffini
Episode: Quick Cut: S2E333 Growth, Grit and Grace with Guy Kawasaki
Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Brian Buffini
Guest: Guy Kawasaki
Overview
In this “Quick Cut” episode, Brian Buffini talks with famed entrepreneur and author Guy Kawasaki, chief evangelist at Canva and former Apple evangelist, about key themes from his new book Think Remarkable: The Nine Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference. Drawing from decades of personal experience and hundreds of interviews from his own podcast, Guy outlines his guiding pillars for a fulfilling and impactful life: Growth, Grit, and Grace. The conversation delves into what it means to pursue personal growth, endure with grit, and mature into a stage of grace where giving back becomes central.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introducing Guy Kawasaki’s Philosophy (00:17–02:56)
- Brian introduces Guy: Noting his career at Apple, current role at Canva, podcast “Remarkable People,” and numerous books.
- The ‘Three Pillars’: Growth, Grit, and Grace – the foundation of Guy’s book and life philosophy.
- Guy shares the genesis: Insights synthesized from interviewing leaders and legends in diverse fields, all showing a unifying pattern in their journeys.
“It became pretty obvious that every one of them had a growth mindset ... And the flip side of a growth mindset ... is the grit mindset.”
—Guy Kawasaki (01:40)
2. Growth—Pursuing New Horizons (03:07–05:16)
- Growth mindset in action: Guy claims he gained his growth orientation watching Steve Jobs at Apple, who constantly pushed himself and the market.
- Personal examples: Guy offers tangible stories—starting ice hockey at 44 and surfing at 60—underscoring that it’s never “too late” for growth.
- Awareness of fixed vs growth mindsets: Reading Carol Dweck’s Mindset and Brenda Ueland’s If You Want to Write influenced Guy to consciously seek new challenges.
“Most people at 44 or 60 are not taking up hockey and surfing ... maybe they switch from CNN to Fox, but they haven’t done much more than that.”
—Guy Kawasaki (03:42)
- Growth is a choice: Guy notes many shy away from new ventures out of fear of tarnishing their reputations if they fail.
“You’re either growing or you’re dying. And that was key for me.”
—Guy Kawasaki (04:54)
3. Grit—Persevering Through Challenges (05:16–08:45)
- Grit defined: The willingness to “happily persevere” at difficult endeavors even if success is delayed or elusive.
- Guy’s grit example: Ten years of daily surfing without yet claiming to be “good” illustrates joyful struggle.
- Reality of hard work: Discusses generational expectations around “work-life balance” and highlights the gradual payoff of persistent hard work over time.
- Dispelling myths: Both reflect on how legendary successes like Brian himself or Steve Jobs faced long stretches of obscurity and setbacks.
“At any given moment, it’s not going to be 50-50 ... I don’t want you to think ... you’re going to be a successful entrepreneur if you are living in Bali and having Zoom calls three hours a day, that just ain’t going to cut it.”
—Guy Kawasaki (06:22)
“Everybody thinks I’m God’s gift ... for a long, long time, many, many years, I was a schmuck that people are like, who is this guy?”
—Brian Buffini (07:19)
- Behind the scenes: Steve Jobs rehearsed his famous presentations for weeks, debunking the “natural genius” myth.
“People have this thing like, oh man, it’s so easy. It’s natural and it’s not it. You have to pay the price.”
—Guy Kawasaki (08:28)
4. Grace—Giving Back and Changing the Scoreboard (08:45–10:06)
- Transition to grace: In life’s later phase, fulfillment comes from shifting focus beyond personal success to the impact made on others.
- Changing how we “keep score”: Material achievements lose centrality; what matters is positive influence and legacy.
- Acknowledgement of help along the way: Recognizing teachers, mentors, luck, timing.
“No matter how much growth and grit you personally account for, there have been people and institutions that helped you along the way ... you should even out the karmic scoreboard and pay back society.”
—Guy Kawasaki (09:24)
5. Personal Legacy—Empowering Others (10:06–10:27)
- Brian’s closing question: How does Guy Kawasaki want to be remembered?
- Guy’s answer: “Empowered people.”
“I want people to say that I empowered them with my book, with my podcast, with my writing, my speaking, my investing, my advising. And I empowered them to change the world.”
—Guy Kawasaki (10:13)
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- “Growth, grit, and grace ... not just the alliteration with the first letter, but the first two letters.”
—Guy Kawasaki (02:52) - “If I ever write an update to this, you know, right before I die, I’m gonna call it growth, grit, and grave.”
—Guy Kawasaki (03:00) - “Are you prepared to do what I did? Because what I did wasn’t sexy at all.”
—Brian Buffini (07:09)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:17 — Introduction of Guy Kawasaki and three pillars for a remarkable life
- 01:29 — Origins and patterns observed in “remarkable people”
- 03:07 — Guy's personal journey embodying a growth mindset
- 04:16 — Cultivating growth: lessons from Carol Dweck and Brenda Ueland
- 05:16 — Grit as perseverance, reality vs myths, generational work ethic
- 08:09 — Steve Jobs’ preparation, “natural” success debunked
- 08:45 — Embracing grace: giving back and legacy
- 10:06 — How Guy wishes to be remembered
Tone & Takeaway
The conversation is candid, pragmatic, and warm, laced with humor and the mutual respect of two seasoned professionals. The episode distills decades of entrepreneurial wisdom into three memorable concepts and demystifies the journey behind high achievement, insisting on continuous learning, relentless perseverance, and ultimately, using one’s success to empower others.
For more inspiration and practical insights, listen to the full episode or explore related resources at it'sagoodlife.com.