The Difficulty is a podcast about creativity, meaning, and the hard choices that shape a life. Each week, writer and publisher Chad Prevost works through the questions underneath the creative process and the examined life—how we make work that matters, sit with life's difficulties instead of rushing past them, and keep going. Expect arguments, reflections, and the occasional witness to something worth seeing. Slower, more contemplative episodes land on Saturdays. It's also the voice of Crossroads Publishing Group, a press built on a single idea: books are occasions for community. If you're a creative, a thinker, a maker, or anyone navigating the difficulty of doing meaningful work—pull up a chair. chadprevost.substack.com
Pitch Analysis
Required Pod Score for this show. PitchCentric checks your profile against host openness, topical fit, and audience signals before you generate a pitch.
Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
37%
Guest openness
Selective
Verified email on file
80/100
Required Score
Sign up to generate a grounded pitch for The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life.
What is The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life?
The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 302 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
About the host
Unknown Host hosts The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life, a education show with 302 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life
Genesis Greykid and Chad Prevost on the Creative Life and the Pathless Path
Jul 3, 202641 minS0
<p>Host Chad Prevost and co-host Genesis launch the first live happy-hour episode of The Difficulty from Home Bar in downtown Chattanooga, inviting listeners to join Fridays and describing the city as a creative crossroads. They discuss Chattanooga’s “animal” vibe, then welcome Chicago-based curator/artist LaRon Dittoe, who works in finance and commits to a monthly creative practice through gallery shows and artist dinners, and shares her handle and a planned September Chicago exhibition. Another guest, Nic Chung (an artist in Chattanooga), argues creativity is an identity beyond mediums and reflects on a dream of dying that shifted him toward...
The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life
The Big Five Just Chased the Indie Author
Jul 2, 202612 minS0
<p>The difficulty in life is the choice. And every choice is a crossroads.</p><p>This week’s Working Writer roundup covers three stories that land on the same square, plus an announcement I’ve been sitting on.</p><p>1. Simon & Schuster relaunched Pocket Books as a home for indie and hybrid authors.One of the oldest names in American paperback publishing, rebuilt around signing successful self-published writers to print deals. Their own words: “a home for forward-thinking writers, including bestselling indie and hybrid authors looking to amplify their reach.” Translation: New York is no longer asking who has a manusc...
The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life
Working Writer: The Money Moved
Jun 25, 202625 minS0
<p>Five things that actually moved in publishing this month, and what to do about each. The Authors Guild puts hard numbers on why author income keeps slipping, Audible forces a year-end decision on audiobook royalties, FSG opens a no-fee $15,000 fellowship (deadline July 6), book discovery starts shifting from search to AI, and the indie bookstore "death" turns out to be growth. The channels you don't control are getting harder, so put your weight on the ones you do.Join us at crossroadspublishing.group.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other...
The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life
Crossings: The 64-Page Book That Knows Where You Are
Jun 22, 202620 minS0
<p>How many books on your shelf were actually finished (if they were even began)? This episode is about a different kind of book: short on purpose, beautiful enough to keep, written from the far side of a hard turn for the person standing in it now. A case for concentration over padding, and the first look at Crossings, our new short-form line.</p><p>Find us at crossroadspublishing.group.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chadprevost.substack.com
The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life
Weekend Reflection: Penelope at the Loom
Jun 20, 202622 minS0
<p>Homer gives us a woman who weaves a shroud by day and unravels it by night, holding off a house full of suitors. We call it stalling. Homer calls it devotion. This one is for anyone whose truest work looks, from the outside, like waiting: the patient no, the thing left undone on purpose, the refusal to finish on someone else's terms.Find us at https//:www.crossroadspublishing.group.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chadprevost.substack.com
Every question we get asked before someone starts their trial.
If you have a concern about deliverability, AI quality, data privacy, or whether this will actually work for your specific situation, it's probably answered below.
What is the difference between Founder Solo and Founder Pro?
Founder Solo gives you 50 AI pitches per month using the credit model (Standard pitches cost 1 credit, Enriched pitches cost 2). Founder Pro raises that to 200 credits per month and adds full Booking Probability access, unlimited Magic Match, Apollo enrichment credits, and data export capabilities. Both plans use the same credit system, so you can stretch your monthly budget further by using Standard-mode drafting.
How do agency tiers work?
Agency tiers have no base fee. You pay per managed client and per talent profile. Agency Standard is $199 per client per month; Agency Pro is $399 per client per month. Both add $39 per talent profile per month. Your own team's user seats are always free.
What is a talent profile?
A talent profile represents one person (founder, executive, or spokesperson) you are booking onto podcasts. It includes their bio, topics, headshots, and outreach history. Team plans include 5 profiles; agency plans are pay-as-you-go.
Can I switch plans later?
Yes, at any time. Upgrades take effect immediately; downgrades apply at the end of the current billing period. Contact support if you need help migrating between plan families.
Do you offer a free trial?
Every paid plan includes a 15-day free trial. Your card is saved at signup but you will not be charged until day 16. Cancel any time from your dashboard.
What happens if I cancel?
You keep access until the end of your current billing period. No charges after that. Your data is retained for 30 days in case you reactivate.
Is the 20% annual discount automatic?
Yes. Select Annual on the pricing toggle and the discounted price is applied automatically at checkout. The annual price shown is the full year cost.
What if I have more than 50 profiles or 20 clients?
That is our Enterprise tier. Contact our sales team and we will build a custom plan with volume pricing, a dedicated account manager, and SLA guarantees.