ABOUT THIS EPISODE
When career, grief, and identity all come apart in the same 30 days, the instinct is to fight harder. Geoff Livingston learned the opposite. In this episode of Things Go Sideways, marketer, author, and Zen Buddhist Geoff Livingston walks through the month his co-founded company Cognitive Path wound down and his father died — and the "think liquid" mindset he built afterward for navigating change you can't outrun.
This is a conversation about forced surrender as a starting point, not a failure. About honoring red flags the first time you see them, instead of the third. About what the body teaches you that the mind can't. And about why the fastest way through grief, job loss, or any sideways moment is to let it bleed — not stuff it down.
Geoff's new book, "Now Is Gone: Think Liquid to Navigate Never-Ending Change," comes out June 2.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Why surrender isn't losing — and what it actually unlocks - The "think liquid" framework for adapting at the speed of real change - How to recognize red flags before they become exit signs - Why misery often lives in how we consume life, not just what happens to us - What endurance running teaches about managing pain vs. quitting well
TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold open: the 30 days everything came apart 02:11 Cognitive Path winds down as Geoff's father is dying 04:42 The heart attack, the DNR, the drive back 07:11 "Begin by surrendering" — what surrender actually looks like 10:13 Honoring red flags: why we ignore what we already see 14:58 The "think liquid" mindset, explained 19:00 What the body teaches the mind about discomfort 21:48 Sassy the dog, Zen sits, and the social media audit 25:03 Writing the book in 30 days 28:18 The red flag Geoff is honoring right now 31:15 Manageable pain vs. real pain — and when to quit 41:33 "Let it bleed": honest advice for someone in their sideways moment
CONNECT WITH GEOFF LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffliving/ Substack — The Buzz: https://buzzbylivingston.substack.com Generative Buzz: https://generativebuzz.ai Geoff's book, Now Is Gone: Think Liquid to Navigate Never-Ending Change, comes out June 2, 2026. Pre-orders are eBook-only; print will be available shortly before the publishing date. Available here: https://www.amazon.com/Now-Gone-Liquid-Navigate-Neverending-ebook/dp/B0GHNMM383/
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