The Better Show

We hope you're happy with the new format and find this episode interesting. We look forward to hearing about your experiences and wisdom on this topic in the Better Show Cafe on Facebook.Give us a call on the Better Show community line at +1 971–333–8007, or drop us a note on Instagram to share your story with others in The Better Show community. You can also email us at hi@bettershow.io. We look forward to hearing from you!Here are some highlights from this episode:11:58 — What is an NFT and why would someone pay for one?33:20 — March and Ian summarize the significance of blockchain technology and how it will change much of how we34.45 — March shares a “quick hit” book that has piqued his curiosity lately, Buddhism without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor.We'd love to benefit from your wisdom on NFTs, DAOs, and the blockchain so drop us a note on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter and share your story with others in The Better Show community. Or you can email us at hi@bettershow.io. We can't wait to hear from you! Show Notes1:32 — Where we've been with the show and how COVID gave us a chance to pause and reflect on what we want to accomplish with the show.4:02 — Our goals for show and how we want to bring more to our listeners and the Better Show community.9:54 — Ian shares his curiosity about NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and DAOs (distributed autonomous organizations)11:58 — What is an NFT and why would someone pay for one?16:00 — How NFTs relate to works of art.22:05 — What is a DAO (distributed autonomous organization)?23:50 — Darren provides an example of how a Coke machine could work as a DAO.26:31 — Ian describes how a DAO works as a democratic organization.29:35 — The operational (and trust) benefits of a DAO.33:20 — March and Ian summarize the significance of blockchain technology and how it will change much of how we34.45 — March shares a “quick hit” book that has piqued his curiosity lately, Buddhism without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor.Mentions

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, after a 250 day hiatus, The Better Show is returning. Same hosts, new format! Deep dive discussion on what we're currently exploring on our journey to getting better, with a new community twist too!

Show Notes1:55 — We recap our conversation in part 1 about why coffee matters.7:07 — Darren and March discuss Bulletproof coffee.8:40 — Darren tells the story of how he first became interested in coffee and espresso.13:22 — Ian explains the art of roasting coffee beans.18:43 — The trade-off between acidity and bitterness.20:58 — The chemistry of coffee roasting and the importance of drying out the beans.26:26 — Ian explains how different coffee roasts are defined and how roasting coffee is a little like popping popcorn.34:40 — The goal of a good coffee roaster and how they balance different flavors in the bean roasting process.37:10 — The 5 stages of roasting coffee and what happens at each stage.37:44— How sugar content is affected by the roasting process and what that means to the final flavor of the drink.39:39 — The chemistry of caramelization and the joys of a good crème brulee.43:01 — March finds some similarities between coffee roasting and aging whiskey.43:59 — March introduces his new puppy, Leonard, to the YouTube audience.47:10 — Acidity versus bitterness and how we taste the different flavors.51:05 — Acidity versus aromatics and a short diversion to reflect on the taste of crayons.

Show Notes8:05 —Ian answers the question why does coffee matter and why you might want to start exploring the world of coffee.11:40 —The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd “waves” of coffee history.12:05 — The connection between coffee and cultural histories across the world.15:25 — The depth of the world of coffee and how it compares to the world of wine.19:19 — March shares how he was first introduced to coffee and how he consumes it today. and26:31 — Darren shares how he discovered espresso in anticipation of a trip to Italy.31:19 — Darren recommends Zimbabwe coffee.32:41 — Ian shares his journey of becoming passionate about coffee and shares how he was first introduced to coffee at the famous Espresso Vivace.36:20 — What is commodity coffee and how does it differ from specialty coffee?41:40 — Ian shares the source of his fascination with the world of coffee.46:45 — What is the difference between the origin of coffee and its variety?55:55 — Ian breaks down some of the best varieties of coffee.1:08:30 — Different ways to process coffee.1:12:46 — How coffee is graded and what does a coffee's “grade” actually mean.Mentions

Show Notes0:58 — Ian gets hungry for fresh veggies and Darren realizes that he knows someone who can help.4:58 — Darren welcomes Carmen Johnston to the show.7:19 — Darren learns a French term for a “kitchen garden”.7:59 — How gardening has become more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic.9:02 — Carmen gives us all permission to kill plants on the journey of learning how to do it.10:01 — How to get started without the need for a lot of space.12:30 — How to tell whether you are buying good soil.14:50 — Carmen weighs the pros and cons of use seeds versus starters.16:41 — Identifying the easy veggies to start growing.17:33 — Gardening as an exercise for home schooling.19:27 — Why you really want to grow tomatoes at home if you can and tips for growing tomatoes.23:22 — How to keep your herbs from “going to flower”.26:48 — How to know when (and how much) to water your plants.31:30 — How to know which plants will grow in your area.35:26 — The social aspect of gardening and how to leverage your local community to expand your knowledge and share your produce.38:21 — The magic of gardening in motivating kids to try new foods.41:40 — Carmen gives us her email and offers to provide personal advice to The Better Show community.44:29 — Ian, March, and Darren reflect on the tips from Carmen.46:19 — March makes a connection between gardening and venture capital.48:20 — The incredible growing environment of Ireland.52:40 — March reflects on the tips from Carmen that stood out most to him.55:16 — Ian is surprised at how many aspects of life can be improved by gardening.58:08 — Darren is inspired by the community aspect of gardening and how it can help strengthen our social fabric.59:20 — March shares resources for community gardening and community supported agriculture.Mentions

Show Notes3:47 — March discusses his interest in this topic and the benefits of music including increased ability to concentrate, improved performance in mathematics, improving mood and reduction of pain.4:55 — Darren and Ian share their relationship to music and their background with playing instruments.13:01 — Darren recommends an episode of Every Little Thing podcast titled “Secrets of the Symphony”13:55 —March shares his experience learning to play piano and the profound experience he had after picking it up after a long break.24:01 — Why does listening to music have so many benefits?27:37 — How educators use music to aid in memorization.29:42 — How to use music to improve your cognitive function.30:30 — What is music therapy.37:51 — Using music to improve your health including how to use music to motivate yourself to move.44:09 — Using music for pain reduction.46:04 — Using music to improve your mood.48:31 — The inclusion of music on the Voyager space probe.49:58 — Ian is curious about whether it's important to listen to a wide variety of music.53:29 — The benefits of playing music.56:30 — We recommend our “Better Next Step”.Mentions

3:28 — We discuss why the topic of equity is important and why we were inspired to explore this topic further.6:40 — March welcomes Andrew Grant-Thomas to the show and we learn a little about his background and how he began his work on EmbraceRace.org.10:06 — Andrew discusses the resources that EmbraceRace provides and how those tools address different aspects of racial equity.13:47 — Becoming more aware of racial inequities in everyday life and how to begin talking to your children about race and racial justice issues.17:55 — How tying school funding to property taxes is a factor in continuing racial inequity.21:19 — How are the recent developments in the US and abroad have increased the level of interest in the resources that EmbraceRace.org provides.26:50 — Andrew recommends a few practical things that people can do if they want to help support the cause of racial equity.32:15 — Ian, Darren and March reflect on the interview with Andrew and some of the things that resonated most with us.35:45 — Ian reflects on how children might be an underserved group when it comes to racial education.41:04 —Ian noted the comment that Andrew made about “there may not be a sideline to stand on anymore”42:25 — Darren reflects on how there are a variety of ways to contribute to the cause of racial justice and how at some level we are all on a journey towards being better.47:17 — “Just because you know what's going on doesn't mean that you know how best to address the problem.”51:10 — March shares some historical polling data on trust in the police and speculates how the numbers might have changed recently.53:17 — Darren shares how Andrew's example of how unconscious bias in how people shop for schools was a point that really resonated with him.57:14 — We explore the issue of inequity of schooling and practical ways to help improve equity in schooling.59:56 — Ian proposes a more constructive way to frame the conversation by focusing on what society gains by increasing racial equity rather than what some people need to give up for the benefit of others.Mentions

Show Notes3:10 — We take a moment to recognize the importance and express our support of the racial justice movement in response to the recent killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.5:26 — We share a list of reputable organizations working to further the cause of racial justice.14:30 — Is a pet store a good place to find a pet to adopt?15:00 — What is a puppy mill and what kinds of conditions do animals endure in puppy mills.18:49 — Darren recommends a Netflix series called Rotten that exposes the realities of our food chain.20:26 — How to find a reputable pet seller.22:02 — How to identify a responsible breeder.24:40 — Darren shares how he and his wife, Mardee, confirmed that the rescue they worked with in Texas to adopt Ellie was reputable.26:28 — Online resources for finding a new pet.28:00 — What to expect when adopting a new pet including what fees and costs are appropriate.31:13 — Using the breeder or rescue organization to learn about your new pet.36:26 — Resources to find service animals.39:30 — How to help your local animal rescue services.40:30 — Different categories of service animals.43:25 — Other things to consider before adopting a new pet.47:35 — The surge of adoptable ducklings and rabbits that occurs right after Easter.48:30 — Darren advocates for pet insurance.Mentions

Show Notes2:46 — Darren shares that he and his wife recently adopted a new puppy, Ellie and he discusses his motivation for focusing on this topic.4:10 — The benefits of pet adoption including companionship, stress reduction, and better mental health.7:01 — March shares his past experience adopting a large dog in his small apartment.13:04 — March reflects on the differences between pet ownership in Ireland and the US.13:50 — Ian reveals that he and his family are long-time cat people.15:27 — We take a moment to enjoy a view of Ian's dream of owning a baby giraffe.

Show Notes4:15 — Why habits are important to pay attention to and what role they play in our lives.8:09 — Ian, March, and Darren share their personal experiences with building good habits and breaking bad ones.14:14 — Ian explains the core concepts behind BJ Fogg's methodology in Tiny Habits.15:28 — Why the “tiny” component is so important to the process.17:10 — The Fogg Behavior Model and what it tells us about forming habits.21:45 — Ian explains why being highly motivated can actually be a bad thing for creating a new habit.23:43 — The concept of “magic wanding” and how to figure out which behaviors to focus on.28:49 — The relationship between ability and the formation of habits.32:18 — Anchoring a new desired behavior to an existing habit.35:50 — The relationship between emotions and habits.39:58 — Ian explains why BJ Fogg says that it's wrong to try to “break” a bad habit.43:23 — Tactics to break bad habits by increasing the effort required to engage in those behaviors.46:39 —Supporting others in their quest to adopt a new good habit.50:00 — The Tiny Habits Recipe Card.Mentions

Show Notes1:15 — How we arrived at the topic this week.3:40 — March reflects on how losing his sense of curiosity is an indicator of burnout for him.12:45 — Darren shares a gesture of gratitude that his sister-in-law received from the principal at her school.14:14 — Ian shares how he has been experiencing burnout lately.15:20 — March reflects fondly on a recent recovery day and the different types of recovery days in his life.17:30 — Zen and the art of home repair.21:40 —The characteristics of a recovery day for Darren including getting away from obligations.23:29 — Darren proposes instituting a holiday on the first sunny Friday of the year.25:17 — Ian talks about how the definition of a recovery day has changed for him over the past several years.30:15 — Prioritizing your own recovery and the Eisenhauer Matrix.34:01 —March shares how his perfect recovery day would unfold including time in nature and being productive with his hands.40:20 — Some things that didn't work for March when trying to recover.47:29— Ian shares his tactic of unplugging from his normal routine including unplugging from his phone's notifications.47:29 — Ian shares one way he unplugs is by reading something old.54:31 — Rediscovering old pleasures like classic video games and old movies.56:44 — Finding your highlight for the day.59:20 — Ian waxes poetic on his love for the sauna.1:02:04 — Darren describes his perfect recovery day including waking up with the sun, going for a swim in the ocean, and enjoying the conversation at a local coffee shop.1:08:50 — March's “better next step” is a portable sauna.1:10:02 — Darren leans in on creating high-quality cocktails.1:11:19 — Ian is going to schedule more mental health days.Mentions

Show Notes6:15 — What to do about background noise including an AI-based software solution that cancels background sounds and a pro-level solution that uses audio hardware to block unwanted sounds.11:31 — Why it's important to pay attention to keeping your face centered in your webcam.13:00 — Tailoring your backdrop so you look professional.14:55 — Ian suggests using software or a good camera lens to blur your background.17:19 — Green screen solutions for less than $10.18:24 — How kids are using custom backgrounds to trick teachers into thinking that they are paying attention in virtual class.19:49 — Picking a good router to ensure that you have adequate bandwidth to stream good quality video.24:18 — How to get the most out of the software you use to connect with others.29:29 — Maintaining a sense of presence while engaging with others via a video call.32:10 — Gaze correction software.33:19 — Darren shares his experience with video conferencing with friends and family using the Facebook Portal TV.34:17 — The etiquette of using the mute button.37:15 — The etiquette of activating your video versus broadcasting in the dark.40:01 — Several nice things you can do as a participant to make a video conference more pleasant and productive for everyone involved.45:59 — Tips for business-focused video conferences including recording calls for those who cannot attend.54:00 — Ian gets inspired by the Fraiser sitcom.

Show Notes7:19 — The benefits of connecting with others via video and why a quality video conferencing setup matters for you and for the people with whom you are connecting.12:15 — Ian shares his experience with video conferencing and confesses that he's never really given much thought to the quality of his setup for video calls.15:52 — March discusses how his move to Ireland necessitated that he pay additional attention and make some additional investment in the quality of his video conferencing setup.20:48 — We kick off the tips & tricks part of the show with tips on high quality audio.22:44 — The importance of good quality audio and options to improve the audio you project to others, including a dedicated headset and a product called the Blue Yeti.26:20 — Microphones that will upgrade you to a professional level of audio.25:35 — Tips for good camera placement and also a few things to avoid.31:19 — The good, better, and best options for webcams.34:20 — Using your smart phone as a video camera.36:39 — Using an DSLR camera for video conferencing and which models to look for when shopping for an inexpensive DSLR that you can use for video conferencing.42:35 — The importance of lighting and tips to get your lighting just right.46:09 — The very best option for lighting: key lighting.49:10 — The rise of online video streaming among gamers and a supplier of premium hardware and software for streamers.Mentions

Show Notes1:27 — We reflect on our sense of exhaustion with COVID-related news.4:49 — Why gratitude can help us through challenging times.8:10 — Darren reflects on how his parents have been an example to him of how to practice gratitude every day.9:44 — March marvels at the power and expanse of the Internet and the positive impact it has had on the world.14:48 — March shares a visualization of the network of satellites orbiting the Earth.16:19 — Darren explains what a traceroute is and plugs a business idea he had 16 years ago called www.agreener.com.22:10 — Ian explains his belief that anonymity on the Internet will eventually go away.23:45 — Ian shares his most recent passion: coffee and explains why he views coffee as a modern wonder of the world.26:50 — Ian explains what a “pour over” is and the nuance in the technique in crafting a pour over that determines the flavor of the finished beverage.30:01 — We discuss “single origin” coffees and the difference between the different geographies including coffee from Yemen.41:01 — Darren shares a book he discovered titled Shantaram by David Gregory Roberts that has become his favorite book of all time.44:20 — Darren reads one if his favorites a passage from the book.46:20 — Ian shares a book he's recently heard about that is getting good reviews.Mentions

Show Notes5:59 — March describes experiencing a “background stress” with a source that is hard to pinpoint.7:29 — Ian and Darren joke about how one of the most stressful things about sheltering in place is the never-ending "bad hair days" now that we haven't been able to go to the barber.8:41 — We take a detour to appreciate the Floebee! self-haircutting product from the 1980's.10:50 — Ian shares his difficulty in setting boundaries between his “work time” and his “personal time”.14:02 — Darren is completely losing track of the days of the week confusing Wednesdays with Saturdays.15:57 — March reflects on how quickly all of our circumstances changed.19:19 — Darren is surprised by how much we still don't know about this strain of Coronavirus and how different the guidance from experts changes from day to day.20:51 — Ian is enjoying working from home way more than he would have expected and no longer feels like an “outsider” when attending meetings remotely.26:02 — Ian is grateful for the reduced pollution and positive impact social distancing has had on the environment and hopes we find ways to use this moment as a turning point for changing destructive habits we otherwise haven't considered.29:17 — March takes solace in the improved sense of solidarity among his community in Ireland.30:50 — Darren describes a silver lining for him for the shelter at home situation is having more quality time with his wife, Mardee, and their Boston Terrier, Maggie.32:12 — March is surprised by how effective the “stay-at-home” orders have been in the West despite the cultural value on individual liberty.34:55 — Darren describes how he was briefly rendered speechless by the sheer magnitude of the jobless claims in the US.36:33 — Ian reflects on how people's social circles are defined by the value of relationships instead of geographic proximity.38:35 — March has a deeper appreciation for the impact of technology as a force for good in the world.40:37 — Darren shares the heartwarming feeling he's had watching communities globally appreciate the brave work of medical front line workers.42:10 — Ian applauds the respect finally coming to the role teachers play in our society.43:50 — March and Ian share some additional observations about the result of the COVID-19 pandemic including: the public's awareness of medical data, the role of the office in one's work experience, and the idea of anonymity being a thing of the past.48:52 — Darren calls for planning to start on some publicly significant way to celebrate our successful emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.Mentions

Show Notes2:33 — Ian wishes Kevin happy birthday.

Show Notes2:32 — We announce the introduction of The Better Show on channel on YouTube.5:11 — Darren shares his pick for most useful YouTube channel: This Old House.9:13 — Ian shares his pick for most useful channel: NutritionFacts.org12:05 — March's pick for most useful is MedLife Crisis.14:59 — Ian shares his coffee addiction with James Hoffman — Coffee.18:09 — March shares a celebration of maker culture with Adam Savage's Tested.20:30 — Darren shares Mr. Puzzle a fun channel where the host finds and solves puzzles in real-time.22:40 — March shares his most esoteric pick with 3Blue1Brown.25:00 — Darren shares a channel from Vihart on math that, among other things, explains the history of hexaflexagons.26:39 — Ian shares a music-related channel from Sam Johnson called Voice Teacher Reacts.Mentions

Show Notes1:22 — Ian welcomes John to the show.2:39 — John talks about what has changed since the book came out in late 2018 that makes the topic of time management more important.6:01 — John discusses how the need to work from home during the COVID-19 lock down has changed the routines for nearly all of us.8:44 — The different way we perceive time now that we are spending all our time at home.10:15 — The effect of adding more intention to your days.15:25 — John talks about the circumstances in his life that led to the creation of Make Time.19:26 — How John's time management habits have changed since his transition from a full time employee to entrepreneur.22:19 — John discusses the importance of finding the things in life that give you energy.24:22 — How the use of social media affects our in-person interactions and why it's important to be conscious about it.29:07 — John offers some new tips that he's discovered since writing the book including the use of a “calendar template”.30:01 — John shares what's on his personal “calendar template”.33:10 — John discusses the concept of “iceberg yes” and how to use it to avoid getting overwhelmed.38:30 — John explains what a “charge cabinet” is and40:33 — The importance designing your physical space to reinforce good time habits.41:22 — Using “social jujitsu” to increase the quality of your social interactions.43:40 — The reality that many of structures and routines that we have relied upon in life are no longer there and we need to find new ways to support healthy routines.45:40 — How the news can be a source of acute anxiety and the importance of moderating one's news consumption.50:35 — John shares his tip for the single biggest quality of life improvement you can make.Mentions

Order your copy here: Make Time by Jake Knapp and John ZeratskyShow Notes1:42 — The authors' backgrounds and why they were uniquely qualified to write a book about focus.3:31 — Ian discusses why this book, in particular, is a valuable resource in helping you make improvements in your system of focus and why the method in this book is different than other productivity methods.8:30 — March discusses his personal strategies for maintaining his focus including the way he uses his calendar and estimating the time required for each task on his to-do list.12:52 — Darren reflect on his favorite tool for maintaining focus — The Productivity Planner — and some of the similarities between its method and the method outlined in Make Time.14:45 — Ian talks about his desire to be more intentional in the way he spends his time.15:59 — Ian provides an overview of the 4-step Make Time process beginning with the highlight of your day.18:41 — What is the “busy bandwagon” and what is an “infinity pool”?23:40 — Setting new defaults for yourself starting with selecting your daily highlight.28:10 — What are the characteristics of a good daily highlight?30:50 — Ian describes several of the methods offered in Make Time for how to make time for your highlight.32:50 — How to get (and stay) laser-focused on your highlight during your day.34:17 — March's tip for using YouTube's “watch later” list to batch his distractions.35:10 — Ian describes a super-tip offered in Make Time called “random question time.”37:02 — The importance of staying energized to reinforce your focus and productivity.39:30 — How the Make Time method uses the scientific method for continuous improvement.44:01 — Darren, March and Ian's key takeaways and the things they are going to incorporate in their lives.39:30 — We identify the “better next step” for listeners who want to incorporate one key thing from this episode.Mentions

Note: Watch video version of this episode: www.bettershow.io/youtubeA fun bonus episode on two new coffee products, as a follow up to our recent episodes on COVID-19. In this episode we look at Avensi coffee cups and Bottomless coffee service.Mentions

This week we are bringing you a special bonus episode as a follow up to our recent discussion on understanding economics in the age of COVID-19. In this episode Ian interviews Nathan Baschez, author of the Divinations newsletter that focuses on business strategy. Ian and Nathan discuss Nathan's latest article on the economics of COVID-19.Show Notes4:18 — Nathan shares why he felt compelled to write about the economics of the COVID-19 pandemic.7:18 — The contrast between the parts of the economy that are wiped out versus the parts of the economy that are surging.12:39 — Nathan's experience with the recent changes ushered in by the response to COVID-19.15:48 — Trends and changes in online behavior as people are staying at home now.18:05 — What strategies Nathan suggests for businesses during this time.20:15 — The response from event organizers like SXSW over canceling events prior to the spread.22:15 — The difference between the 2008 mortgage crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.24:07 — The impact of supply chain disruptions.28:25 — Nathan discusses what economic impact surprised him the most so far.31:50 — Ian and Nathan discuss their predictions for what's next for the economy.36:06 — Ian closes the conversation on a positive note.Mentions

As we record this episode in March of 2020, the world is experiencing an unprecedented challenge in responding to the COVID-19 illness. To slow the spread of COVID-19, governments around the world have instituted significant restrictions on social interactions that have disrupted daily life and resulted in a lot of economic uncertainty and personal anxiety. In this episode, we aim to help alleviate that anxiety by explaining what is going on right now with the economy. We discuss the economic impacts of COVID-19, explore why the stock market is fluctuating so wildly, and offer tips for how to navigate your financial situation in these changing economic times. Show Notes1:59 — Ian outs Darren as a true economics geek.3:28 — Alternate episode recommendation if this topic isn't your jam.5:50 — Why the ability to understand what's going on with the economy helps our mental health during uncertain times.8:09 — What exactly is going on right now with the financial markets?10:58 — How this situation is different than previous economic downturns.17:10 — Ian suggests the Divinations newsletter by Nathan Baschez as another helpful resource to understand what's happening now with the economy17:35 — March makes an observation of how an economic slowdown is similar to holding one's breath.19:39 — Why we are fortunate that the economy was in a growth cycle when this pandemic hit.23:05 — Why the stock market is so volatile right now.27:45 — We discuss how to think about cryptocurrency.30:38 — What is the role of government and regulators and what action is being taken by the US government to help stabilize the economy.37:20 — What does it mean for an economy to be in a recession and what does it mean for ordinary people.43:19 — What does this economic downturn mean for older individuals?45:25 — We find some bright spots in the midst of challenging circumstances.46:20 — What is happening to mortgage rates right now.51:15 — What to do now if you've suffered significant losses to your savings.53:15 —What does it mean to simply “do nothing” in response to this economic fluctuation.54:09 — How much emergency cash should you have on hand.56:23 — Darren recommends other podcasts and resources for learning and staying informed about economic issues.Mentions

Show Notes1:55 — Darren reveals that strength training isn't his absolute favorite activity and March shares why it is so important.3:11 — The difficulty in getting to the gym in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.4:27 — How to decide what kind of strength training regimen is for you if you've never done this before.6:28 — The downsides of “skipping leg day” and the relationship between opposing muscles.8:35 — Getting started with strength training including exercises that use your own body weight, exercises that use machines and using free weights.11:55 — Finding a place to exercise at home and what exercises to start with.13:28 — How to tell if you are “pushing the button.”16:44 — Slow push-ups and how they work for strength training.19:31 — How to do ring row exercises, pull-ups, and hand-stand push-ups.24:50 — One-legged squats.28:38 — How to determine how much weight to start with.31:58 — How should you stretch and what is the difference between stretching and warming up?36:02 —How to think about cardio.38:10 — Diet considerations.40:55 — How to plan your ramp-up program and balance workouts with recovery.48:01 — Final thoughts.Mentions

Show Notes3:49 — March shares stats about the minimum recommended amount of strength training.7:15 — The different classes of exercise and the benefits and different results of each.9:35 — What is sarcopenia and why strength training guards against it.13:40 — Why strength training can reduce your risk of falling in old age.15:44 — The minimum threshold for exercise to qualify as strength training and why it's important to “push the button.”22:03 — Ian shared his experience with strength training.25:11 — The Centenarian Olympics26:50 — Darren's history (or lack thereof) with strength training and the conversation he had with his doctor that changed his perspective on exercise and living a healthy lifestyle.31:30 — Strength training that you can do at home.36:28 — How soreness is related to exercise and strength training and how to adjust the frequency of your workout to minimize soreness.40:50 — Ian is curious about how to combine his sauna routine into his strength training routine to maximize the health benefits.Mentions

Show NotesTo purchase Celeste's new book visit https://amzn.to/2PSSZ4X2:45 — Ian welcomes back Celeste to The Better Show.4:14 — Why slowing down and learning to sometimes “do nothing” is a important to our individual health and well-being.8:20 — Ian asks whether the idea of overworking is a cultural phenomenon or if it is just a western trait.10:10 — We learn about the “hedonic treadmill” and how this adaptation of human psychology affects our behaviors towards work, money, and time.12:30 —Celeste shares the story of how she came to a turning point with her work-life balance and how being out of balance deeply affected her health and happiness.18:00 — How the things we do to save time end up costing us time in the long run.19:18 — How the invention of the steam engine completely transformed the way we think about (and value) time.21:21 — If we've adopted all these time saving techniques and technologies, why aren't we working fewer hours each week compared to how we worked 50 years ago?22:54 — Celeste shares things we can do to begin to recapture our time and increase the quality of our lives.23:32 — Why digital communication tends not to save us time.26:20 — Ian asks whether we have to shun technology if we are going to recapture the quality of our lives.28:20 — How multitasking can actually do cognitive damage to your brain.31:11 — Why Celeste makes it a point to throw more parties.32:00 — How the changes that Celeste made in her life really constituted a lifestyle change and how she introduced the change with her friends.34:00—Are we obsessed with researching decisions to death at the expense of actually making the decision?39:50 — The one thing that Celeste recommends people start with in order to make progress on this aspect of their life: do a time audit to see how you are REALLY spending your time.43:01 — Ian asks Darren and March to share their impressions of the interview with Celeste and Darren draws a parallel between Celeste's concept of “doing nothing” and the Slow Food Movement.44:12 — March reflects on the difference between the tool and the implementation of the tool.47:20 — Ian reflects on how he wants more meaning and intention in how he spends his time.49:16 — Darren shares how Celeste's observation of the hedonic treadmill seemed, to him, like a very deep truth about the human condition.50:05 — March offers the suggestion of a well-being audit to get a sense for what things in life cause you happiness and unhappiness.52:14 — Ian shares how Celeste's insights on the history were helpful in giving him an idea of how different generations have different perspectives on their values.55:22 — March reflects on the value of questioning our cultural assumptions about time equaling money.59:47 — The team ends on a note of optimism about the future and our ability to use Celeste's observations to improve our future.Mentions

Have a request for a show topic?  Give us a call on The Better Show hotline at +1 971–333–8007.Show Notes2:31 — Ian recommends the book Fail Forward by Thomas Nelson.3:02 — Darren reflects on his failure to consistently meditate.6:10 — How travel can interrupt your routines and a method that Ian uses to counteract the interruption.7:13 — March finds a quiet place in the middle of a noisy airport.9:20 — March shares a very unpleasant experiment he tried with cold water swimming in the Irish Sea as a form of cold therapy.11:50 — Ian observes that his Finnish heritage hasn't helped him embrace the cold water therapy.15:40 — Ian's difficulty in adopting the Productivity Planner.21:35 — March and Darren share a failure they have in common in their attempt to adopt a HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout.27:29 — Darren references the classic movie scene “7 Minute Abs” from the movie Something About Mary.28:53 — Ian's shares his difficulty in trying to reduce his consumption of meat.32:17 — March offers Ian a couple of tips to try to reduce his meat consumption.39:31 — We learn that Darren loves his movies and TV series too much to seriously reduce his screen time and rattles off a few of his favorites including The Two Popes, For All Mankind, Billions, and The Mandalorian (3 cheers for Baby Yoda!).44:31 — March learns just how difficult it is to learn a new language without being fully immersed in it.48:29 — Ian's unrealized dream of trying to master lucid dreaming.50:40 — March finds a study that shows how Vitamin B6 can affect the intensity of dreams.Mentions

Show Notes1:55 — How Darren discovered the Lumen device and why he was interested in trying it out.2:58 — What is Indiegogo anyway?5:21 — Describing the physical device and what it does.6:05 — How does Lumen measure your metabolism and what science backs up this method.10:42 — What kinds of nutritional advice does Lumen provide and why does it matter?12:33 — Darren demonstrates how he uses the device and walks us through what data he enters into the app and what advice the device provides.19:49 — Darren starts his day with a recommended diet and we learn how to identify a single serving of carbohydrates.21:51 — The benefits of simply paying attention to your body's signals.23:48 — The process Lumen uses to personalize its recommendations to your body.26:12 — Darren makes history by declining a chocolate chip cookie offered to him by Ian.26:47 — Ian gets an answer to his question about whether he can share a device with his wife, Carine.29:07 — Darren's key takeaways from using the Lumen so far.Mentions

Show Notes3:59 — March shares the results from his experiment with reducing his alcohol to improve the quality of his sleep.6:57 — How his heart rate variability has changed based on measurements from his Oura ring.7:50 — Matthew Walker's interview with Kevin Rose on the effects of alcohol on sleep quality.9:52 — Darren's results on increasing his exercise to help combat the winter blues.10:45 — The record-breaking winter weather that Seattle has experienced this year.11:23 — How combining his goal of working from home has helped Darren carve out time for exercise and made it easier to cook at home more.12:30 — Ian shares what he's done to improve the effectiveness of meetings that he organizes at work using tips from episode 102: Better Meetings.13:50 — What happens when none of the meeting participants read the meeting agenda ahead of time.15:37 — The results of March's experiment with recording all his meetings and sharing the recording with others.16:35 —March shares a pro tip of playing meeting recordings back at 2X speed.17:30 — The etiquette of giving attendees a heads up that the meeting is being recorded.18:40 — Meetings that March specifically does not record.19:55 — Darren's experiment with hot-cold therapy using the sauna at the gym followed by a cold shower.22:28 — March introduces Ian and Darren to the sauna sleeping bag and the sweat box.23:40 — We discuss the ridiculousness of the home sweat box available from Alibaba and Darren remarks at the similarity between the sweat box image and Violet Beauregarde blowing up into a blueberry from the Willy Wonka movie.

Show Notes1:40 — The inspiration for this episode.4:38 — What “doing nothing” every once in a while is important.7:42 — Darren ponders why we seem to be busier than ever even as we introduce new technology that is supposed to save us time8:21 — March shares an interesting finding from a recent survey that showed that only 17% of Americans spent any time just being with their thoughts in the past month.10:40 — The definition of “burnout” and the research into the risk factors for burnout.13:37 — The connection between loneliness, technology and burnout.15:01 — Ian shares his personal experience of studying stoicism as a remedy for personal burnout.17:53 — The importance of recognizing the importance of stillness in life.19:14 — March's experiment with creating a time for stillness and the similarity he found with a meditation practice.20:58 — Paying attention to the “default mode network” of the brain and the tendency toward negative thoughts.22:51 — Darren shares how he has prioritized his “IRL” interactions and his yoga practice as ways of guarding against personal burnout.25:35 — Tactics Ian and March use to create space in their lives for stillness.29:54 — The benefit that being bored helps foster your creativity.30:47 — March shares the findings from “the phone book study” about boredom and creativity.34:59 — The benefits of quiet time and “boredom” on short-term memory and social interactions.36:49 — Cognitive behavioral therapy.38:28 — The Happiness Trap by Russ Harriss41:15 — Using the tactic of setting boundaries as a way to prevent personal burnout.42:39 — Make Time by Jake Knapp43:40 — The Bored & Brilliant Challenge from the Note to Self podcast.46:40 — Taking a “stay-cation” to reduce stress and burnout.48:52 — March, Ian and Darren share the things they are going to adopt from this episode.Mentions

Show Notes1:41 - is a cover letter required?3:01 - how to think about what to put into a cover letter4:10 - three things that if included in a cover letter, will INSTANTLY disqualify you from a job9:20 - ideas for how to start a cover letter12:15 - why including numbers in your cover letter can help grab the attention of the hiring manager20:20 - how long should a cover letter be and how long is too long for a cover letter24:22 - what is a personal brand strategy and why is it useful in the job search process27:30 - what is the goal for your personal brand strategy29:40 - the pros and cons of authenticity32:50 - what kinds of things are appropriate to post in environments that blend personal and professional37:50 - how to create your professional portfolio39:49 - the pros and cons of using a website domain for your personal brand44:55 - the benefits of blog posts48:17 - why investing in your LinkedIn profile is important and using recommendations from others to enhance your personal brand54:11 - our individual experiments on this topic 

Show Notes1:01 — Why it's important to polish your resume even if you aren't currently looking for a job.6:00 — Thinking about your resume and cover letter as an advertisement for yourself.8:58 — Why does a well-crafted resume matter.10:41 — The benefit of including a portfolio as a compliment to your resume — even if you aren't a designer13:32 — How to infuse authenticity into your resume and professional profile and the positive impact it can have.17:44 — Darren shares an experience from early in his career when he had the benefit of getting professional advice on how to create a strong resume to represent himself.20:21 — What is the role of automation in screening resumes and how can you benefit from automated resume screening.23:44 — Treating your resume as a living document.24:50 — The basic parts of a good resume.27:14 — The psychology of using numbers on your resume to maximize the impact of your resume on a hiring manager.29:44 — How to structure your resume if you don't have a lot of work experience yet.33:45 — How to know what keywords to include on your resume to customize it for a particular job.36:39 — Listing extracurricular activities on your resume as a way to infuse your values and personality into your resume.43:18 — How to get experience in areas where you currently don't have any.49:27 — Where to find very good templates for writing a resume.MentionsPodcast: The Better Show episode 96: Building a Better LinkedIn profile

Show Notes1:00 — If a Garmin running watch isn't your jam, we suggest an alternate episode (Episode 59 — How to fight the flu) to check out instead.6:05 —What is the Garmin Forerunner 645 and why did March decide to pick one up?9:01 — Why you can't simply “brute force” running training and why variety in your training routine benefits you.11:07 — The design of the Garmin Forerunner and what's it like to wear it while running.12:29 — Battery life and how to extend it.15:16 — Heart rate tracking — the strengths and the weaknesses of the current state of the art.16:03 — Ian chimes in with his experience with the Scosche heart rate monitor he uses with his Peloton.21:22 — March gives the Garmin his grade on industrial design.24:39 — What is a “stride length” and how do smart devices use stride length and information from other sensors to improve accuracy of their measurements.29:10 — When you should back off your training routine.32:52 — What else the Garmin Forerunner does in addition to measuring your running training routine.34:19 — Why some people prefer to listen to podcasts or audiobooks rather than music when they exercise.36:48 — The social features of the Garmin app.38:54 — The other features of the watch includes the Garmin Pay feature that enables fast payments at retail stores.43:40 — March concludes with his final rating of the Garmin Forerunner 645 smart watch.Mentions

Show Notes2:01 — March shares that he recently switched over to all Christmas music all the time on his Spotify playlist and Darren discovers a couple of new Christmas songs that are exclusive to Amazon Prime.6:40 — How can you tell if you are affected by the “winter blues.”10:22 — What causes the “winter blues.”15:14—We explore a new study that suggests that people with lighter eyes might be more resilient to Seasonal Affective Disorder.18:39—March shares his personal experience with the winter blues growing up in Ireland.25:07 —Darren discusses his first experience dealing with the winter blues after moving to the Pacific Northwest.27:01 — Ian does a latitude check on his hometown and discusses the experience of a friend whose doctor prescribed a sun lamp as a way to combat winter blues.34:14 — Exercise as a way to counter the effects of winter blues.35:23 — How avoiding simple carbs can also help improve your mood during the dark days of winter.37:57 — We discuss some research that indicates that consumption of fish oil can help improve mood.43:42 — How to use light therapy to help overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder and the relationship between bright light and the body's production of melotonin.54:20 —If the sun won't come to you, maybe you consider going to the sun.58:44 — How hot-cold therapy and spending some time in a sauna can help improve your mood during the cold winter months.1:06:21 — We decide on The Better Next Step for this episode and discuss what experiment each of us are going to try based on this episode.Mentions

Show Notes2:28 — Why habits matter so much10:17 — Flashback to March's meditation 2019 habit goal & update on how it went16:15 — Flashback to Ian's reading 2019 habit goal & update on how it went21:16 —Flashback to Darren's exercise 2019 habit goal & update on how it went28:24 — Flashback to March's 2019 wine habit he wanted to break, and how it went.  32:48 —Flashback to Ian's 2019 late bedtime habit he wanted to break, and how it went.  36:33 — Flashback to Darren's 2019 cookie habit he wanted to break, and how it went.  40:42 — Darren's 2020 habit to make: fat burning exercise at least 2x per week. 43:50 — March's 2020 habit to make: body weight resistance workouts 2x per week and couples habits47:29 — Ian's 2020 habit to make: read 2 books each month51:03 — Darren's 2020 habit to break: stop driving to work51:39 — March's 2020 habit to break: TBD53:09 — Ian's 2020 habit to break: time randomization

Show Notes1:04 — Day 4 (Thursday): March finally feels good; Darren feels great and experiencing incredible mental clarity; Ian reflects on his hardest day yet.3:40 — Ian and March compare last year's fast with their experience this year including the fast's effect on their sleep quality.5:30 — Darren shares the data he's collected on his overall weight, % of water weight and % of muscle weight from his digital scale.13:15 — Day 5 (Friday): March has 4 hours to go and Ian does a little karaoke.14:00 — Ian's soup tragedy.17:10 — Darren's continued battle with sleep.19:57 — Ian's water-drinking super power and March ponders how that superpower could help him fight crime.21:05 — March lists off the various “cheat codes” we've discovered to stave off hunger during this fast.21:19 — We give a shout to soup for all its wonderfulness.22:10 — How we are each preparing to transition off of our fast and how it all went wrong for March and Ian after last year's fast.27:09 — Darren's plan for breaking his fast in cooperation with UberEats.33:32 — Day 6 (Saturday): Darren wonders whether this the end of his fast or whether it is a new beginning for him.36:25 — How often should someone do a fast, anyway?39:10 — March describes his first meal post-fast and the hangover that followed the next morning.43:18 — We discuss the importance of developing a healthy relationship with food.45:22 — The benefit of doing a fast with someone else — for motivation and for moderation.47:29 — Ian describes his and Carine's first post-fast meal and his experience with a little nausea the next day.50:28 — Our final thoughts about this fast and how this experience is going to affect us going forward.

Show Notes1:07 — We introduce the week-long fast with an overview of the rules for the fast, a discussion of what the research shows about fasting, and the benefits we hope to experience.13:30 — March's motivation behind doing this fast.15:29 — Darren's motivation behind doing this fast.19:38 — The Keto flu22:28 — The Lumen device that claims to measure metabolism24:30 — Darren and March document the time of their last meal.27:02 — Day 2 check in: Ian is clearly feeling the hunger, March is holding strong to his water-only fast, and records this episode in total darkness.29:57 — Coffee as the killer “cheat code” for surviving a fast31:20 — Darren's initial impression of the Prolon food kit and his doctor's reaction to hearing about this 5-day fast.33:50 — March uses a VR headset; Darren loses a couple of pounds; Ian appreciates having Carine as a partner in the fast.39:35 — How the fast is affecting Ian, Darren, and March's sleep.42:12 — Day 3 check in: Darren and March each reflect on a difficult night; Ian grieves over an uneaten birthday cake.46:38 — Ian and Carine start experiencing some increased mental clarity49:00 — March gets a renewed appreciation for soup; Ian and Carine start plotting their approach for breaking their fast.53:02 — How the fast is screwing up sleep quality for Darren and improving sleep quality for Ian.Mentions

Show Notes2:42 — We look at wearable devices to help measure fertility6:46 — Darren describes a new device he pre-ordered from an Indiegogo campaign that aims to personalize fitness and diet advice based on your metabolism.11:54 — Ian shares a new tool for making fitness-based virtual reality more immersive.15:29 — March educates Darren about Beat Saver18:20 — March shares an ambitious project among the DIY diabetes community that aims to replicate the human pancreas.15:29 — March educates Darren on Beat Saver20:28 — Diagnosis documentary about DIY medical research22:30 — Devices that are coming very soon including glucose monitoring devices that measure glucose in real-time with no finger prick.30:00 — Devices that measure stress levels through perspiration.34:30 — Ingestible sensors that measure medical conditions from inside your body.38:19 — New earbuds and ear-based instruments for measuring vital signs.41:24 — Stats on the sales of Apple Airpods47:23 — Smart glasses and smart contact lenses.Mentions

Show Notes2:19 — Ian is curious about the origin of the term “wearable”3:20 — We recommend checking out Episode 29: Emergency Preparedness as an alternative episode if this week's topic is not your jam.6:55 — March reveals the origin of the term “wearable computer” first coined by a mathematics professor in the 1960's.8:45 — March quizzes Ian on a few facts about wearables.10:50 —What is the origin of the rule about achieving 10,000 steps per day?14:40 — How can wearable tech benefit you?22:05 — Ian shares his experience with wearable tech starting all the way back in 2004.26:06 — That time Ian used a heart rate monitor to measure his nervousness at asking his future wife out on a date. ️

In this episode Ian, Darren & March talk about how to have better holidays. We reflect on why holidays matter, our own personal experience with them, tips & tricks you can use, and experiments we're going to try and report back on.Show Notes1:16 — The Better Show is growing like a weed: quick update on how many countries we have listeners in worldwide.2:44 — What is the most popular holiday in the world?4:30 — Why do holidays matter?6:41 — The Tail End insight about the time you spend with family12:11 — How to have better conversations during the holidays17:26 — Gift giving tips from Darren's wife Mardee22:35 — Ian's "Buy One, Get One" trick for gift buying24:07  — The Pajama Fairy story26:15 — Giving the gift of choice with a personalized gift catalog28:13 — How experiences can be some of the best gifts29:12  — Does Ian have a bad gift giving habit?33:49  — Maintaining routines during the holidays43:23  — The Averaging Effect on gift giving46:36  — The value of the surprise in gift giving50:22  — The power of batching when gift giving52:52  — Pinterest, Amazon Universal Wish List and more for inspiration and organization55:32  — Asking questions of people's personal experiences to build empathy and avoid conflict59:53  — Using your family history as a shared common background for family discussion1:04:53  — March will experiment writing Thank You notes for gratitude this holiday1:06:46  — Darren will experiment with small gifts, mostly experiences, and being more present this holiday season1:07:34  — Ian will experiment with sending hand-made holiday greeting cards to family & friends1:10:28  — Darren recommends Postagram for sending quick thank you cardsProducts MentionedTim Urban's thoughts on time with familyAncestry.com23andme.comPostagramAmazon EchoFollow UsInstagramFacebookTwitterSubscribeiTunesRSSWeekly email newsletterFull Episode TranscriptBetter Show BlogFeedbackEmail: hi@bettershow.ioEnjoy the show?Leave a review in iTunes!Tell two friends about the show!

Show Notes1:27 — We got nominated for a “best health and fitness” podcast award!!5:20 — March recommends checking out Episode 56: Better Morning Routines.6:48 — What benefits can you reap from using services to automate things in your life?8:25 — Automating your laundry with LaundryHeap.com12:16 — How to automate your grocery shopping16:10 — Ian's experience using TaxFyle.com to outsource his tax preparation.19:39 — A few of the lesser known outsourcing services that Darren and Mardee use including Dolly, Fiverr, and 99Designs.com.22:00 — How to decide which outsourcing services are the best value for your lifestyle.25:50 — Ian reflects on the benefits of having a roommate to “outsource” some activities around the house.27:01 —March almost confesses to making phone calls to random people. :-)32:00 — The two categories of automation / outsourcing services.34:19 — Are we already living in a dystopian future of automation?38:42 — Darren offers to do Ian's taxes. (Not really.)40:00 — The precarious task of putting up Christmas lights.43:10 —The 3 weirdest things that have been outsourced using TaskRabbit.49:45 — The difference between Fiverr and TaskRabbit.51:38 — What is Mechanical Turk by Amazon?1:00:01 — The different options for food and grocery delivery.1:01:00 — The different personal shopping services and how they work.1:05:20 — A service called OffTheRecord.com that will contest your traffic tickets on your behalf.1:07:19 — Automating the setup of a company and payment system using Atlas by Stripe.1:07:59 — Services that automatically coach you on sales calls or for live presentations.1:10:01 — Services that help you automate your travel planning.1:13:05 — Services like Dolly that can help you find people to move large, heavy objects.1:15:05 — How you can get rid of three feet of snow using the Shovler app.Mentions

We've been nominated as one of the best health & fitness podcasts of 2019 by Discover Pods! If you're a fan of the show please pop over to https://awards.discoverpods.com/finalists/ and vote for us by Nov 18th (only 2 days left!). Pro tip: You only need to fill in your email, your pick for best podcast of 2019 and then scroll down to the health & fitness category and pick The Better Show. Then zoom to the end and choose whether to join the Discover Pods newsletter and then hit submit. We timed ourselves and it takes 15 seconds total. Thank you so much!

We break down four types of home automation solutions and highlight the pros and cons of each.Why you may already be employing some home automation tools and don't eve know it.We recap the story behind the start of the Ring camera-enabled doorbell and discuss the usefulness of a camera-based doorbells to thwart package thieves during the holidays.Some easy ways to get started using home automation to make managing your home easier.Some really crazy things you can do with a fully connected home and where home automation is likely to go in the next several years.and lots more!

Show Notes2:50 — Why might you want to automate certain tasks in your life?6:04 — The advantages of reducing friction in your life.7:03 — Three questions to ask yourself to discover areas where automation might be advantageous for you.8:50 — March shares the areas in his life that he has happily automated including bills, discovery of relevant news, and retirement savings.9:59 — Why you might NOT want to pay attention to your investments.13:22 — Ian shares a few things that he's automated in his life but laments that this is one of the few areas where he is not an early adopter.15:45 — “Just in time” shopping.16:50 — Darren shares his philosophy on how he thinks about life automation and lists a number of services he and his wife, Mardee, have used to automate basic life tasks.19:32 —The strangest thing that Darren has automated in his life and a reference to Episode 29 where he shares the story of what motivated him to do it.21:57 — Five things everyone should automate.25:55 — How Ian broke the central heating system in his new home.33:28 —Five surprising things that you can benefit from automating including food delivery, shopping for deals, and feeding your cat.35:54 —Darren gives a hearty endorsement of Sun Basket, the food delivery service that he and Mardee use regularly.43:49 — How to keep track of cool stuff in space.45:25 — How to use automation to get out of annoying or difficult conversations.49:10 — The things that you DON'T want to automate.52:38 — Things our listeners wish they could automate but that are difficult or impossible to automate.53:50 — Ian, Darren, and March decide which things from this episode they are going to try out and report back on.Mentions

Show Notes1:30 — Why March has been thinking a lot about building an exercise habit lately2:52 — Darren asks Ian and March if they exercise grudgingly or just not consistently enough8:54 — March dives into the research of why exercise matters11:20 — The psychological benefits of exercise & how it is similar to fasting or public speaking13:09 — Research into the maintenance of exercise programs14:18 — Disclaimer: Ian's priorities to focus on before exercise 16:38 — Ian, Darren and March share their personal experiences with building an exercise habit17:35 — Exercise is a way to physically express yourself21:22 — What March is stumped about around his exercise habits22:35 — Why Darren has never gotten into a consistent exercise routine25:32 — Ian's observation about organized sports, children, and exercise habits28:32 — The exercise puzzle we are all trying to solve together32:29 — Tip 1: You're not lazy, you're just starting from zero33:43 — Tip 2: Don't beat yourself up about your current level of fitness34:45 — Tip 3: Focus on your own progress, not others36:09 — Tip 4: Avoid boredom & make it interesting to you37:30 — Ian's iPod Nano Nike+  Power Song story39:29 — Task bundling, guilty pleasures, and exercise40:13 — Tip 5: Reframe the suck43:20 — Tip 6: Replace willpower with willingness45:22 — Tip 7: Forget all or nothing46:48 — Tip 8: Find your secret sauce47:47 — Tip 9: How can technology help you?51:03 — Experiments that Ian, March & Darren will try & report back on in a future episodeMentions

Show Notes3:20 — Why planning your week matters? Spoiler alert: we all have a limited amount of time and can benefit from aligning our efforts with our goals.5:18 — Why do people dread Mondays?8:35 — How March plans his week and balances his personal and professional obligations and how he balances his schedule with his spouse.10:17 — March's tip for planning the coming week on Friday.13:04 — Ian outlines how he plans his week and describes the experiments he tried out in preparation for this episode.17:19 — Ian's tip for how he quickly gets up to speed after a long absence from work.19:01 — Ian and March's tactics for managing overloaded email.25:03 — The power of setting goals for your week.32:59 — Calendar management tips.38:55 — How meals affect the productivity of your week and how you can use meal prep to maximize your impact for the week.53:27 — Tips for planning your morning routine.56:50 — Planning the week ahead on Friday afternoon.1:00:29 — Making time for fun during your week.1:03:00 — The trick of prepping your workout gear to encourage yourself to exercise.Mentions

EPISODE SUMMARYThis week we discuss how you can improve and foster better friendships with both new and existing friends in your life.EPISODE NOTESShow Notes1:18 - Insights from a study about loneliness across generations 3:20 - How friendships affect your mental and physical health positively7:40 - Could there be a relationship between microbiome and friend groups?9:05 - Surprising scientific facts about friendships12:52 - Insights of a LinkedIn study weighing friendships vs promotions13:52 - What does "friend" mean anyway? 16:04 - Best countries to make friends for expats, as ranked by a survey18: 39 - How Irish friendliness impacted March's marriage19:23 - Worst countries to make friends for expats from the same survey 21:33  - March & Darren cook up an idea for a study or a reality show 22:30 - Darren shares his experience with close friendships that withstand relocation and time23:55 - March shares how proximity has played a role in his friendships26:00 - March describes his super-friend and what he can teach us29:30 - Darren & March discuss ways they've made time for keeping in touch32:40 - A lightweight way to insert thoughtful energy into a friendship33:33 - A great tip to counteract "We should get together sometime" syndrome35:29 - Darren's tip to go beyond surface-level friendship37:23 - Reflections on vulnerability's role in building friendships38:23 - What differentiates being open and being vulnerable40:49 - March explains what awkward experiences can signal about a friendship41:43 - Avoiding problem-solving and why can be a struggle44:45 - How being present can be helpful during tough times 48:12 - A guide to being a friend when you don't see eye to eye50:40 - Tips for maintaining trust in a friendship52:15 - How to find and choose new friends54:36 - Darren and March commit to some practices to nurturing their friendships57:52 - Another tip for friends who live far apart1:00:10 - The "better next step" for listenersMentions

Show Notes1:35 — Insights from Paul Graham's blog post “Maker's Schedule vs Manager's Schedule”3:20 — When to schedule meetings with “makers” to minimize the disruption to their days.4:25 —Caucus meetings versus moderated meetings and the pros and cons of each.6:21—The characteristics of a moderated meeting.9:32 — Ian and March engage in a friendly debate about the value of moderated meetings10:03 — Ian's case against a moderated meeting.12:18 — The value of taking an improv class as a way to foster a “yes and…” mindset.13:15— March's case for a moderated meeting in specific circumstances.18:05 — How moderated meetings can be much more effective when including remote team members.18:54 — Tips from March for working remotely and which meeting types work best for in-person meetings versus remote meetings.20:48 — Ian reflects on how Leo Laporte organized his meeting space so that remote interviewees appeared physically present.23:45 — The power of recording meetings for later reference and at tip for listening at 2X speed.26:05 — March and Ian give a shout out to the value of the Microsoft Whiteboard app as a great tool for collaboration with remote meeting attendees.27:40 — Darren, Ian, and March decide which tips they are going to apply to improve their meetings.29:33 — The “better next step” for listeners.Mentions

Show Notes2:05 —Some facts about the current state of meetings in the US including the average cost of a meeting when you add up the salaries of all attendees.10:30 — The value of recording meetings so others who can't attend can get the value of the information shared at the meeting.11:43 — The most common complaints about meetings.14:05 — Ian shares a challenge he faces in needing to meet with a wide variety of individuals on other teams.16:55 — March shares his perspective on how meetings have changed for him since he's moved to Ireland and is now a remote team member.22:15 — Basic meeting etiquette for remote meeting attendees.23:27 — Some tactics Darren has used to try to improve the value of the meetings he organizes.29:39 — Tips from The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven Rogelberg33:28 — Ian shares the different impressions of people who actively listen in a meeting and those who multi-task.41:34 — The importance of communicating a goal for a meeting.47:55 — How Darren organized the daily stand-up meeting at his previous company.57:11 — The ideal number of attendees for a meeting for maximum productivity.Mentions

Show Notes 05:20 - Darren shares a new podcast he found recently, Bottom of the Map. 8:13 -Ian introduces us to The Bag Man podcast - a series that was nominated for a Peabody Award. 10:41 - Stuff You Missed In History Class from HowStuffWorks.com. 13:22 - Ian shares his review of Below the Line with James Beshara. 17:38 - How I Built This with Guy Raz 18:56 - The Good Place Podcast 21:35 - Intelligence Squared 24:19 - Mystery Show by Gimlet Media 26:50 - Stuff To Blow Your Mind 28:05 - Women in Business & Technology Mentions

To mark our 100th episode milestone in The Better Show journey, Ian, Darren, and March take a reflective look back on the first 100 episodes of the show. We discuss the insights and tips that have most influenced us, the things we learned that most surprised us, and the experience of building a podcast and an audience from scratch. Show Notes 3:49 - We reflect on which of the tips from the show have been most influential on our lives. 7:05 -We discover that the tips related to improving sleep were the ones that were most impactful for us and we discuss the individual resonated most with each of us. 9:50 - How marriage has been a factor in helping Ian improve his sleep habits and his sleep routine. 11:35 - Darren reflects on episode 51 on how to have better conversations and how the need for improving the way we engage with people with whom we disagree is so important. 16:00 - March shares how the Oura ring (episode 57) has impacted his sleep quality and reflects on why it has been a wearable something that has stuck with him.  17:45 - We record an impromptu episode on "better wedding rings" and learn that March has lost four wedding rings and learn about a time when Darren almost lost his in a blowhole in Hawaii. 22:33 - Ian shares a system for which aspects of life to focus on first and then which ones to attack next. 25:40 - We admire March's office and the assortment of plants he's assembled in his home office. 27:30 - Darren recommends the Ecosphere to March as the world's lowest maintenance pet and we record a mini episode on the Ecosphere. 32:04 - We discuss HIIT workouts from episodes 33 and 95.  34:01 - The most surprising tips and facts that we learned from the past 99 shows including Darren's surprise at the impact of the human microbiome.  35:50 - We reminisce on episode 70 on better bedding and our interest in eucalyptus sheets. 36:38 - March shares how he was amazed to learn about the negative impact of single-use plastics from episode 73.  38:30 - March recalls the predictive power of the "Stand Up Challenge" from episode 33. 43:58 - Ian reflects on his experience with fasting using the Zero app, what he learned from episode 58, and how he and March cataloged their fasting experience on episode 66. 48:18 - We reflect together on the experience of creating a podcast from scratch, building an audience, and the effort that goes into creating a high-quality product. 53:59 - We share our favorite listener reviews from the previous two years.

Important: Please take our listener survey & help improve the show (& maybe win a cool prize!). https://bettershow.io/survey Show Notes 3:53 - The Japanese concept of ikagai. 10:30 - Being the CEO of your own career and how to get started. 13:40 - Why it's helpful to have a healthy emotional distance from your job so you can analyze your career options objectively. 17:50 - Two things that a job can provide you that are not money. 23:22 - Five skills to learn in any job that are transferable to just about any other job. 27:39 - The value of learning the skill of problem solving and a 5-step process for solving problems. 29:48 - The evolution of formal education and "the 5 Cs" being taught in school today. 32:10 - March's #1 tip for evaluating any job. 34:05 - Scott Galloway's career advice 36:25 - The 3 questions should you ask yourself when deciding whether to go back to school to help advance your career. 40:49 - What to do if your goal is to not work at all. 45:40 - How to think about "unpaid work". Mentions Video: Scott Galloway's career advice Article: Problem Solving Techniques & Strategies for Project Managers Book: The 4-hour Work Week by Tim Ferris