Sacred Business Stories: When Derek Sivers Taught Us About Impermanence (By Deleting Our Interview)

Sacred Business Stories Episode 16. May 27th, 2025

Sometimes the universe has a wicked sense of humor.

Yesterday, we had Derek Sivers join us for a Sacred Business Stories interview on Substack Live. For those who don't know Derek, he's the founder of CD Baby who sold his company for $22 million and gave it all to charity. He's written books about simplicity, creativity, and choosing less over more.

This was our biggest guest yet. And the interview was phenomenal.

Then, in perfect Derek Sivers fashion, he immediately deleted his Substack account after our call.

What we didn't realize?

When you delete your account before the host publishes the recap, the entire recording vanishes.

Poof. Like it never happened.

The Setup That Makes This Even Better

Here's where it gets beautifully ironic. Before the interview, Derek offered to use his professional setup:

"I have a professional recording booth with a desktop PC hooked up with ethernet to fiber and a bigass camera and an amazing recording microphone with great quality. You super-sure you want to ditch all that and have me just talk into my little 6-year-old phone?"

But no, we were all in on the Substack Live experience. We wanted that raw, experimental platform vibe.

When I realized the recording was gone, I had to break the news to Derek:

"When you deleted your account yesterday - because I hadn't saved the recap post yet, and it was tied to both of us, it seems that was deleted with your account. There was really no way to predict this as you were the only person we've had on that a: wasn't on the platform and b: got off so fast!"

The Perfect Derek Sivers Moment

You know what? This is the most Derek Sivers thing that could have happened.

The man who writes about letting go of attachments. Who advocates for doing less, not more. Who believes in the beauty of impermanence and living in the moment.

He accidentally gave us the ultimate masterclass in his philosophy - by making our interview literally disappear.

What This Teaches Us About Sacred Business

As I sat with this "loss," I realized something profound. In our age of infinite content, endless recordings, and permanent digital footprints, there's something sacred about an experience that can't be replayed.

The 25 people who joined us live got something nobody else will ever have. They were present for a moment that exists only in memory. No rewinding. No sharing the link. No watching at 2x speed while doing dishes.

Just pure presence.

The Lessons Hidden in the Loss

This whole experience reminded me why we do Sacred Business in the first place - it's not about perfect systems or flawless execution. It's about the willingness to experiment, to be vulnerable, to laugh when things go sideways.

Here's what I'm taking away:

1. Test your new platforms inside and out (especially with lower-stakes interviews first)

2. Maybe accept the professional recording setup when it's offered 😅

3. But also - some moments are meant to be experienced, not preserved

4. Technology serves us until it hilariously doesn't

5. The best stories often come from what goes "wrong"

For Those Who Missed It

While we can't share the recording, I can share this: Derek embodies what he teaches. Someone who truly lives by the principle of "less is more." Someone who shows up authentically, shares generously, then disappears without fanfare.

His immediate account deletion wasn't rudeness - it was consistency. He came, he contributed, he left no digital trace.

If you want to explore Derek's philosophy, read "How to Live" or "Hell Yeah or No." Visit his website at sive.rs where he gives away all his ideas freely.

The Sacred Business Twist

You know what's funny?

We spend so much time trying to create permanent assets, scale our content, and build things that last forever. But sometimes the most valuable experiences are the ones that disappear.

Our lost interview with Derek became a perfect teaching moment about everything Sacred Business stands for: embracing the messy, finding meaning in the mistakes, and remembering that everything is connected - even our technical failures.

P.S. - To the 25 people who were there live: you now own a rare, one-of-a-kind experience. No NFT required.

P.P.S. - Derek, if you're reading this, your professional recording booth is definitely having the last laugh.

✨ What's your favorite "disaster turned into wisdom" story? Share in the comments - we could all use a good laugh about our perfectly imperfect moments.