Preparation with Danny Attias →

Published April 22, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 22

How can preparation and spontaneity be balanced in podcasting to foster engaging conversations?

A technology leader reflects on lessons from public speaking and podcasting.

The podcast forced me to listen. Don’t get distracted. Really engage and ask questions. You know, my deal with myself was: Don’t allow your voice to be heard more than 15% of the show, because they’re tuning in for the guest.

~ Danny Attias (11:06)

The discussion centers on balancing preparation and spontaneity in podcasting and public speaking. Danny describes his approach to speaking engagements, highlighting the challenges of monologuing versus participating in interactive formats. The conversation touches on the advantages of minimal preparation for fostering authentic dialogue and the difficulties of structuring scripted presentations, such as a TED Talk-inspired podcast episode.

Another focus is the theme of empathy, privilege, and imposter syndrome as critical lessons derived from podcast conversations. These themes inform the guest’s personal growth and leadership style. The conversation also touches on the technical aspects of podcast production, with Danny recounting experiences recording in person and navigating unexpected technical challenges. Reflections on sustaining creative energy and the decision to organize episodes by seasons further enrich the dialogue.

Takeaways

Preparation and spontaneity — striking a balance shapes the quality of podcast conversations.

Empathy in leadership — understanding others’ complex lives drives connection and impact.

Imposter syndrome — a universal challenge shared by even highly accomplished individuals.

Privilege as a tool — leveraging it to support and uplift others is crucial.

Podcasting as a learning tool — fosters listening skills and deeper engagement.

Structuring episodes — themed or spontaneous formats impact energy and workflow.

Technical challenges — audio quality and setup often require creative problem-solving.

Seasonal production — managing creative energy by pre-recording episodes can reduce stress.

Resources

Saundership podcast — a podcast focused on leadership, empathy, and personal growth.

Movers Mindset podcast — a podcast exploring movement, thinking, and personal stories.

Auphonic — an audio post-production tool for optimizing sound quality.

Seth Godin’s AltMBA — an intensive leadership and business workshop.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

ɕ

Recharging with Tracy Bedford →

Published April 22, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 22

How do creative individuals balance personal growth, self-compassion, and the challenges of isolation inherent in artistic endeavors like podcasting and acting?

Balancing the solitude of podcasting with the communal energy of acting is examined through personal anecdotes.

It’s really just being present and focusing only on that one thing, and I think it’s kind of a meditative experience.

~ Tracy Bedford (20:07)

The conversation examines the personal journey of balancing creative pursuits like podcasting and acting with the emotional toll of isolation and perfectionism. Tracy and Craig discuss the challenges of sustaining creative momentum, especially when life’s demands and self-doubt intervene. Acting emerges as a counterbalance to the solitude of podcasting, offering communal support and immediate feedback.

A significant theme revolves around self-compassion and learning to accept one’s current state, whether in creative highs or lows. The importance of presence, mindfulness, and finding restorative activities—such as walking in nature, journaling, or engaging with a supportive community—is highlighted. The conversation underscores the value of self-reflection in nurturing both personal and artistic growth.

Takeaways

The interplay of creativity and community — how acting provides immediate connection and podcasting requires self-sufficiency.

The challenge of perfectionism — striving for high standards while learning to let go.

The role of solitude in creativity — distinguishing between being alone and feeling lonely.

The importance of presence — mindfulness as a means to enhance creative focus.

Therapy and self-compassion — tools for navigating personal and artistic challenges.

Recharge strategies — walks in nature, reading, and inspiring podcasts as restorative activities.

Resources

Tom Bilyeu — Podcaster known for discussing self-improvement and resilience.

Joel Osteen — Inspirational speaker whose messages were adapted in the conversation.

Rich Roll podcast — Mentioned as a motivational resource.

“Just Keep Swimming” — Reference to an uplifting mantra from Finding Nemo.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

ɕ

Not self-made →

Published April 22, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 22  ·  , ,

[…] it is not true that I am self-made. Like everyone, to get to where I am, I stood on the shoulders of giants. My life was built on a foundation of parents, coaches, and teachers; of kind souls who lent couches or gym back rooms where I could sleep; of mentors who shared wisdom and advice; of idols who motivated me from the pages of magazines (and, as my life grew, from personal interaction).

~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

slip:4a849.

Brittle and prone to failure →

Published April 22, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 22  ·  

Together, these approaches comprise “complexity.” They tend to make the economic system less resilient. At least temporarily, they pass fewer of the higher costs of energy products through to current citizens. As a result, the economy can temporarily withstand a higher price of energy. But the system tends to become brittle and prone to failure.

~ Gail Tverberg from, Spike in energy prices suggests that sharp changes are ahead

slip:4uousi1.

I don’t know whether to say you’ll be better, or worse, off—but I absolutely recommend reading everything Tverberg has ever written. I’ve a number, (nowhere near all of her stuff however,) of things quoted here on the blog; All those posts are tagged Gail Tverberg. History shows many examples, over thousands of years of recorded history, where economies, (empires, civilizations, and the people,) grew slowly and ended precipitously. There’s yet to be an example of a gradual decline. The open question is for how much longer—possibly very very much longer—can humanity continue to incline? (And to be clear, I don’t have an educated opinion about that question.)

ɕ

Weakness →

Published April 21, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 21  ·  

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause.

~ Victor Hugo

slip:4a848.

What actually is the problem →

Published April 21, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 21  ·  

Every obstacle that we normally think of as a problem to be fixed … every “flaw” in ourselves or others that we judge as something to be fixed … what if we can pause, find stillness, and get curious instead of trying to fix?

~ Leo Babauta from, Stillness & Curiosity

slip:4uzeeo1.

Any day that Babauta gets me thinking is a good day. (If that isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.) I’ve gotten pretty durn good at the “pause”, and the “find stillness”, parts. I also believe I have the “wait but why” curiosity bit figured out, since it has always been with me. It’s that “trying to fix” part upon which I’m perpetually stuck. And I get “particularly stuck”— “particularly stuck” aren’t the right words… if I could find the right words or word, I would use it instead. “Ensnared” is close. Or, have you ever gotten caught by a single thorn while out walking or hiking? That one thorn isn’t going to do too much damage if you stop quickly. In an instant, that one thorn becomes the laser focus of all of my attention. I really feel like I should be able to find the right word to fix that sentence.

Well, that’s curious.

ɕ

Competition →

Published April 20, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 20  ·  

I would like to remove all competitions in outdoor sports. The competition is not the important thing. The important thing is to learn to behave with wild nature.

~ Reinhold Messner

slip:4a847.

Pasteur’s Quadrant →

Published April 20, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 20

The core idea of Pasteur’s Quadrant is that basic and applied research are not opposed, but orthogonal. Instead of a one-dimensional spectrum, with motion towards “basic” taking you further away from “applied”, and vice versa, he proposes a two-dimensional classification, with one axis being “inspired by the quest for fundamental understanding” and the other being “inspired by considerations of use”

~ Jason Crawford from, Pasteur’s quadrant

slip:4uropa1.

I’ve put a bit of thought into research. I’ve certainly considered the two properties of “research for understanding” and “research for application”. But I’ve never thought of them as two dimensions. Click through and check out the simple but illuminating quadrant graph.

And I’m immediately wondering: Can I think of a third dimension upon which to plot research? (Field-of-study comes to mind. Time; The thing being studied, is it something that happens in micro-time like particle physics, or macro-time like geology?) I’m also wondering: what other activities could be plotted in a quadrant? (Writing: insight versus length? Coaching: net change in performance versus time spent training?)

ɕ

Pleasure →

Published April 19, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 19  ·  

Moderation is the pleasure of the wise.

~ Voltaire

slip:4a846.

Core temperature →

Published April 19, 2022  ·  All posts on Apr 19

Interestingly, regardless of exercise intensity, exercising in the cold has been shown to reduce and delay the typical [human growth hormone] response to exercise, leading to the speculation that the increase in core temperature may be the more important regulator of growth hormone release.

~ Brad Pilon from, Heat and Growth Hormone

slip:4ubawe4.

Human growth hormone is involved in a lot of the body’s signaling, and I was instantly curious about “hacking” exercise to raise core temperature… and then I remembered all the classic “boxers training in sweat suits”—drenched in sweat! It’s right in the name of the clothing. Boxes know a lot about training, muscle and getting into shape.

But then I got completely distracted reading the Wikipedia page. First off, I remember when we didn’t know what the actual shape of molecules were. Then along came mathematical modeling, protein folding… and I think there’s even a “folding at home” project where you can “donate” your computer’s free time to help figure out how proteins fold. Anyway, Human Growth Hormone seems to be solved. It has 192 (!?!) amino acids. The thing is enormous— except it’s actually not that big as far as proteins go. And the folded shape is as important as the chemical composition of each molecule. And you begin to realize the insane complexity of proteins that have hundreds of amino acids… And then you eat food and your body needs enzymes to disassemble these huge molecules into . . . sorry. I got excited. Ahem.

ɕ