Podcast appearances and mentions of Michael Acton Smith

As a young entrepreneur in the Wild West days of the internet, Alex Tew was drawn to meditation for its simple calming power. Together with fellow tech founder Michael Acton Smith–known for hits like Moshi Monsters–the two brainstormed ways to bring the ancient practice of meditation into the 21st century. In 2011, they bought the domain calm.com, built an app, and started producing meditations and Sleep Stories, narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba. Despite initial pushback from investors who insisted no one would want to meditate on their phone–let alone pay for it– the Calm app grew to a valuation of nearly $2 billion, with 180 million total downloads. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the FHS Podcast, Calm Co-Founder Michael Acton Smith opens up about his entrepreneurial journey—from tech burnout to building the world's leading mindfulness brand. He shares how Calm evolved from a meditation app into a wellness powerhouse, now with over 190 million downloads. Michael discusses the brand's collaboration with Hilton, the future of embedding wellness into hospitality, and the company's ambitions to move from digital to physical—through products, experiences, and branded living spaces. Tune in for insights on the business of calm, the power of sleep, and why the hospitality world should pay close attention.

Creator of Moshi Monsters Michael Acton Smith learns the word in Chinese for “monsters” with Chineasy creator ShaoLan. Listen in and discover how to distinguish between cute monsters and evil monsters. ✨ BIG NEWS ✨ Our brand new Talk Chineasy App, is now live on the App Store! Free to download and perfect for building your speaking confidence from Day 1. Visit our website for more info about the app.

Find out the word for “video game” in Chinese along with today's special guest Michael Acton Smith. He is the creator of Moshi Monsters, a game which teaches children positive skills and has millions of players around the globe. ✨ BIG NEWS ✨ Our brand new Talk Chineasy App, is now live on the App Store! Free to download and perfect for building your speaking confidence from Day 1. Visit our website for more info about the app.

Learn how to say “relax” in Chinese with ShaoLan and Michael Acton Smith, creator of the meditation app Calm. Find out how the word “fun” in English and “relax” in Chinese are similar and why this makes it an easy word to remember.

The app Calm has already had over 10 million downloads worldwide and in this episode, its creator Michael Acton Smith shares with ShaoLan why it is helping more people than ever. Discover how to say “calm” in Chinese and stay calm in the hectic, fast-paced modern world that we all live in.

Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, co-founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. We recorded these first episodes at our live Giant Ideas summit, held at London's Tate Modern. The Giant Ideas summit brings together 200 founders, CEOs, heads of state and other leaders to explore how we can harness cutting edge technology as a force for good. Today we bring you an interview with the founder of Calm, Michael Acton Smith.With over 100m downloads, Calm has become one of the most influential mental wellness products in the world. As proud investors in the company, we were thrilled to welcome Michael to Giant Ideas in conversation with Wilfred Frost from Sky News to explore why it is still Day 1 for mental health. They talk about why Calm's domain name was so important, the role of AI in expanding mental health support, and the potential for psychedelics to reduce suffering.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING.Read more about Giant Ventures here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca Newton is a legend of the online community profession. After 30 years, she has retired. But what does it mean when we retire from this work? Her career began AOL in 1994, building communities and managing a massive volunteer program. Among her numerous stops, Rebecca found a focus in child safety, leading such efforts for Sulake (the company behind Habbo Hotels and Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom), Mind Candy (Moshi Monsters), and most recently SuperAwesome, a provider of tools for safer, responsible digital engagement with young people, who was acquired by Epic Games. A program manager for community in 1997, a community director in 2001, a chief community officer in 2007: Rebecca has held all of the titles. Along the way, she has paved a path for the community profession, pushing us higher in corporate environments and creating valuable resources for us. Most notably, her 24 year stewardship of the e-mint listserv for community pros, an iconic resource that has helped countless community facilitators. After such a career, what's it like to step away from full-time work? What goes through the mind of a retiring community pro? That's what we'll discuss, plus: How do you prepare for retirement, as a community pro? What will Rebecca miss? What won't she miss? The least and most effective pieces of legislation passed during Rebecca's career Big Quotes What will Rebecca miss most about being a full-time community pro? (17:32): “I'm going to miss working with people online the most. It's a different animal than working with people offline, and I did plenty of that before I started in the online world. … Everybody thought they invented remote working. I've had remote teams since 1994, so it's not new. I'm going to really miss that because there's a special culture in the online world, as you know, that is really hard to describe, or it's hard for me to describe but is not like the offline world. It's like being in a special club, in a secret club. That's how it feels to me.” -Rebecca Newton What won't she miss? (23:07): “I won't miss … people naively thinking they know better than everybody who built the widget. I've heard the conversations. ‘Oh, they can't let go. They don't know how to let go. They don't know how to grow. They don't know how to do this.' Then I would think, ‘Okay, well, we'll see who's not growing in a year, so I'm going to go looking for another job because I know in a year this thing's not going to exist.'” -Rebecca Newton The cyclical trend of online community obsession (31:09): “I remember in 2000 when dentists were [asking], ‘Do I need an online community?' There was a trend of, “Oh, it's online community,' because of the success at AOL. I was like, ‘No. You're a dentist.'” -Rebecca Newton Overreaction from government officials who aren't active online (34:21): “I'm not saying anything about how smart [government decision makers] are, about how great their intentions were, or their abilities in the world. [But] if you're not [active online], if you're not a heavy user, if you're not in the kid's world using it, how can you possibly [make good decisions]? That's what we see in Great Britain, in the EU. Something happens to one person under 16, they want to have 27 laws about it. Because this thing happened.” -Rebecca Newton Kids want to collaborate, they want a job (38:40): “That's the biggest thing I learned about working with kids. The very first thing when they get online or game in an app, whatever it is, [they say] ‘I want a job. Can I have a job? Let's do this together. Let's do that together.'” -Rebecca Newton When legislation goes too far (39:18): “Over-regulation is detrimental. I think all it does is create a whole lot of jobs for people to do a lot of stuff that nobody's ever going to look at. That's a really rude thing for me to say, but I believe that.” -Rebecca Newton About Rebecca Newton Rebecca Newton has spent 30 years in the commercial internet industry. As head of digital trust and community, Rebecca led online community, online safety, moderation, engagement, and customer services efforts at SuperAwesome (of Epic Games) from 2015 to 2023. Prior to joining SuperAwesome, Rebecca worked at Mind Candy as the chief community & safety officer, serving over 140 million registered (young) users. From 2001 to 2007, she worked at Sulake (the company behind Habbo Hotels) as the global director of community for the world's largest teen virtual world site, spanning 24 countries. She began her online community career with America Online in 1994, where she wore many hats, and finally landed as the program manager for AOL's community leader program. Among her contributions to the discipline of online community, Rebecca co-founded VirComm, the London-based annual conference for online community professionals in 2011, and the e-mint community management listserv. She serves on boards and committees for numerous organizations, including AgeCheq, the Archewell Foundation, and DitchTheLabel.org. Related Links Rebecca's previous appearance on Community Signal Rebecca's website e-mint, a community management listserv that Rebecca has managed since 2000 AgeCheq, the Archewell Foundation, and DitchTheLabel.org, organizations that Rebecca provides guidance to eWorld, an Apple service that launched in 1994 and provided a community feature Michael Acton Smith, who was once Rebecca's boss The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, the Communications Decency Act, and Section 230, which were all pieces of legislation passed during Rebecca's career Virtual Magic Kingdom, an online game created by Disney and Sulake, where Rebecca led community and safety efforts Jenna Woodul, potentially the first person with the chief community officer title Jenna Woodul on Community Signal MIT's Scratch community, which is managed by someone that Rebecca has mentored, who was initially a member of one of the communities she was responsible for Transcript View transcript on our website Your Thoughts If you have any thoughts on this episode that you'd like to share, please leave me a comment or send me an email. Thank you for listening.

Do you want to reduce your stress in just 7 minutes a day?  Do you want to learn how to make meditation easy and accessible for you? Today, I welcome my good friend Michael Acton Smith. Michael is the co-founder and co-Executive Chairman of Calm, the leading mental wellness brand with the #1 App for Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation. Calm has grown to over 100 million downloads, was the Apple 2017 app of the year, and is the world's first mental health unicorn. Long fascinated by neuroscience, flow states and mental fitness, Michael is passionate about spreading meditation as a simple but valuable skill around the world.  Michael discusses the interesting twist of putting an entertainment voice in meditation, challenging myths, and misconceptions surrounding this powerful practice. We tap into the future of mental health, exploring why sometimes we need to step back to find the answers. Patience has always been the secret to success. As the conversation progressed, we stirred into the potential of AI and its role in the next evolution of Calm and potentially address the question: How can technology be harnessed to serve humanity better? There is a future in AI and how it immensely helps spread mental health awareness and promote mindfulness practice.  In this interview, you will learn: The many benefits of meditation How to practice mindfulness How to sit in silence and calm your mind How to leverage your creativity The connection between AI and mental health It's an episode packed with insights, laughter, and a sprinkle of mindfulness. Together, let's explore the boundless possibilities of a calm and balanced life together!  With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 02:18 How Did the Calm Partnership Come About? 05:26 Making Meditation and Mindfulness More Accessible 09:06 The Impact of Daily Calm and Sleep Story on People 11:53 Putting an Entertainment Voice in Meditation 15:27 Myths and Misconceptions About Meditation 18:27 What is the Future of Mental Health? 22:01 Why You Need to Step Back to Find Answers 26:29 Why Patience is the Secret to Success 29:46 How Do You Combine Business and Creativity? 32:19 How Can AI Help Humanity? 39:37 The Potential of AI and The Next Evolution of Calm 42:03 How to Find Balance Between Digital and Physical Activities 47:02 The Benefits of Reacting Instead of Responding to Triggers 51:41 How to Positively Introduce Meditation to Children 55:52 How to Develop the Practice of Sitting in Silence Episode Resources: Michael Acton Smith | LinkedIn Michael Acton Smith | Instagram Calm Want to be a Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach? Get the Digital Guide and Workbook from Jay Shetty https://jayshettypurpose.com/fb-getting-started-as-a-life-coach-podcast/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Creator of Moshi Monsters Michael Acton Smith learns the word in Chinese for “monsters” with Chineasy creator ShaoLan. Listen in and discover how to distinguish between cute monsters and evil monsters.

Find out the word for “video game” in Chinese along with today's special guest Michael Acton Smith. He is the creator of Moshi Monsters, a game which teaches children positive skills and has millions of players around the globe.

Learn how to say “relax” in Chinese with ShaoLan and Michael Acton Smith, creator of the meditation app Calm. Find out how the word “fun” in English and “relax” in Chinese are similar and why this makes it an easy word to remember.

The app Calm has already had over 10 million downloads worldwide and in this episode, its creator Michael Acton Smith shares with ShaoLan why it is helping more people than ever. Discover how to say “calm” in Chinese and stay calm in the hectic, fast-paced modern world that we all live in.

Creator of Moshi Monsters Michael Acton Smith learns the word in Chinese for “monsters” with Chineasy creator ShaoLan. Listen in and discover how to distinguish between cute monsters and evil monsters.

Find out the word for “video game” in Chinese along with today's special guest Michael Acton Smith. He is the creator of Moshi Monsters, a game which teaches children positive skills and has millions of players around the globe.

Learn how to say “relax” in Chinese with ShaoLan and Michael Acton Smith, creator of the meditation app Calm. Find out how the word “fun” in English and “relax” in Chinese are similar and why this makes it an easy word to remember.

The app Calm has already had over 10 million downloads worldwide and in this episode, its creator Michael Acton Smith shares with ShaoLan why it is helping more people than ever. Discover how to say “calm” in Chinese and stay calm in the hectic, fast-paced modern world that we all live in.

There are so many health benefits associated with a consistent practice of meditation, and the benefits of a regular practice can extend beyond the meditation itself into daily life, benefitting our health and increasing our happiness.Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I'll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.Today's clip is from episode 2 of the podcast with co-founder of the meditation app ‘Calm', Michael Acton SmithMichael admits he wasn't initially convinced about trying meditation until he researched the science. Since then, the practice has transformed his life and, in this clip, he explains how we can all experience the many benefits by making it an enjoyable daily habit.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreOrder Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version and US & Canada versionSupport the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/02Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeukDISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael Acton-Smith is best known as the co-founder of Calm, the $2 billion meditation, sleep and wellness app, but he is so much more than that. Because Calm is just one of four companies Michael has built. Michael has also built Moshi Monsters, the breakout success web-based children's game, which after rapid growth suffered a loss in users and for a while Michael wasn't sure whether the business could survive. Michael has experienced the highs, but also the challenges, of growing big businesses.  These are just two of four companies Michael has built. Michael is a natural entrepreneur who's been founding businesses his entire adult life. To talk to him and share in his wisdom was a privilege I'm immensely grateful for.  Your early years Starting my first business - Firebox  My second business - Perplex City  My third business - Moshi monsters  The start of Calm Calm helping people sleep Misconceptions around sleep Tough times for you this year What you are doing now to change? Your relationships The foundations of good communication  How accurate is the 'hippie' stigma that comes with mindfulness?  Do you feel the good you've done in the world? Psychedelics curing mental health Our last guest question Micheal: https://www.instagram.com/michaelacton/ https://twitter.com/acton?lang=gu linkedin.com/in/michaelactonsmith/?originalSubdomain=uk Calm: https://www.calm.com/ Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/StevenBartlettYT?sub_confirmation=1 Sponsors:  Huel - https://uk.huel.com/ Myenergi - https://bit.ly/3oeWGnl

Every week we will take a deep dive into a business and share with you some of their marketing & business strategies that helped these businesses scale.In Episode 54, we dissect CALM's business & marketing strategy – Founded in 2012 by Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith, these founders leveraged their skillsets to brand an app that made it #1 on the App Store.  As of May 2021, they estimated to be about 2 mil subscribers & 4 mil downloads (Which means they average to about 140mil a year just on Subscriptions!!). Whether you're building an app or eCommerce business, Calm strategies is something that we should all take note of.Timestamps:1:17 The Story behind Calm App5:36 Create a freemium model. CALM put out free sounds — stories on youtube7:40 Offer multiple payments options10:34 Use Hashtags As Your Research Tool Pre-Launch12:19 How Calm Uses Partnerships & Corporate Discounts To Increase Awareness15:40 How CALM leveraged timing & relevancy to create an ad that elicited an emotional response (Example: CNN Sponsored Ad)18:05 Why A Strong Vision Is the Secret Ingredient of a Successful BusinessABOUT MATT SKOPAK:An adventure and fitness addict with a passion for entrepreneurship and numbers. Lead Investor in Sweetberry Bowls and CFO of Sugar & Kush CBD. Rutgers MBA 2020 in Entrepreneurship & Accounting. Follow Matt Skopak's Twitter.ABOUT ME (SEAN AZARI):In 2015, I started a creative ad agency called Breakthrough Social that has helped over 50+ businesses build their brand & increase sales mainly through content development & distribution, influencer marketing, paid media campaigns, and other developing techniques. Brands that I have worked with: Rebhorn, Safavieh, Rugs USA, SoJo Spa Club, Muscle Maker Grill, Kat Burki, Sweetberry Bowls, & many others.

Creator of Moshi Monsters Michael Acton Smith learns the word in Chinese for “monsters” with Chineasy creator ShaoLan. Listen in and discover how to distinguish between cute monsters and evil monsters.

Find out the word for “video game” in Chinese along with today's special guest Michael Acton Smith. He is the creator of Moshi Monsters, a game which teaches children positive skills and has millions of players around the globe.

Learn how to say “relax” in Chinese with ShaoLan and Michael Acton Smith, creator of the meditation app Calm. Find out how the word “fun” in English and “relax” in Chinese are similar and why this makes it an easy word to remember.

The app Calm has already had over 10 million downloads worldwide and in this episode, its creator Michael Acton Smith shares with ShaoLan why it is helping more people than ever. Discover how to say “calm” in Chinese and stay calm in the hectic, fast-paced modern world that we all live in. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/201-calm/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

Michael Acton Smith, co-founder and co-CEO of Calm, joined Ben Casnocha, co-founder and partner of Village Global, at a special virtual masterclass for Village Global founders, Network Leaders, and friends of the firm. They discussed:- How Michael got into meditation, his personal practice, and meditating together as a company.- The story of the early days of Calm, including their fundraising journey and how they acquired their first users.- How to maintain confidence when everyone thinks what you’re doing is crazy, and how a great co-founder can help you.- Why business is like surfing and how to balance the tension of pursuing a huge market with remaining focused on a specific use case.- How to build a mentally healthy team.- What he would have done differently if he was doing everything over again.Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform. Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We’ll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

The market for mental wellness products is booming, as the pandemic has gotten on just about everyone's last nerve. Dan digs in with Michael Acton Smith, co-founder and co-CEO of meditation app Calm, about how mental wellness differs from mental health, the B2B of mental wellness and those election night ads on CNN.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Acton Smith, co-Founder of Calm joins us to talk about building the #1 app for sleep, meditation and relaxation, with over 75 million downloads and over 700,000 5-star reviews. Michael tells us about how the idea was born from his own personal discovery of the power of meditation. In our conversation he tells the Calm founding story, and talks about the journey to making medication accessible to tens of millions of people while taking on stigma around meditation and mental health long before the recent surge in interest around the space. In addition to being the co-founder of Calm, Michael also was the founder of Mind Candy and creator of Moshi Monsters, the online world for children that grew to 80 million registered users and expanded offline into books, toys, games, magazines, music and movies. Michael is also the founder of Firebox.com, Ping Pong Fight Club, and Berwickstock music festival. In 2014, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his service to the creative industries. You can connect with Michael here: LinkedIn, Twitter, Calm Website What If Fellowship: https://whatif.vc/fellowship   HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT: Michael Acton Smith joins us to talk about how he came to find meditation as a resource for himself in his personal life. Michael shares the story of how his experience in the entertainment industry left him feeling burnt out and how meditation is the most valuable skill he has learned in his lifetime. Calm origin story: With his co-founder Alex Tew, Michael wanted to bring meditation to people through something that was accessible, relatable, and simple. The app creation was their idea to achieve all of these goals in their attempt to change the world of mental health for the better. Michael talks about how meditation is so much more than just sitting quietly and breathing. It is a neuroscience that helps to rewire your brain to get out of the fight or flight mindset and how to help your prefrontal cortex frequencies to be normalized. How has Covid-19 and the pandemic affected Calm? Isolation mixed with anxiety surrounding the pandemic has caused mental health to be on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Michael talks about how his business was growing before this but now it has grown dramatically. He tells about his sense of responsibility to react to this current situation and to provide more content for subscribers. Michael shares how calm has extended its reach to not only individuals but to companies as well. Calm is being used in businesses to learn how to manage stress, how to connect with colleagues, and how to increase emotional intelligence within the workplace. Not only is this an affordable and life-changing choice for companies, but he states that it is a no brainer. If companies offer gym memberships to increase physical wellness, they should be offering calm memberships to increase mental wellness too. How do you see the business of Calm evolving over the next few years? Michael talks with us about the breadth of growth opportunities in front of the business in the coming years. He compares it to the scale of Netflix or Spotify subscriptions. In addition to that growth, he would like to see Calm being offered on a global scale in multiple languages. Michael discusses expanding calm into a lifestyle brand featuring clothing, hotels, even a resort on an island of Calm! When asked about what a Calm island would look like, he described it as a week or two getaway to focus on recentering yourself with healthy food, exercise, and meditation services. Advice for mental health founders: We talked about what founders in the mental health space could do if they are just starting to splash around in this space. Michael recommends above all else, patience. He says to not go after the first idea that pops into your head. He gives other tips to get yourself into the right mindset to find the big opportunities. To expand on this, we discussed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are most important to pay attention to early on as a founder. Michael shares that finances are so key to tracking as well as being incredibly mindful with hiring and workspace. Additionally, Michael shares that in order to keep retention up of your customers, you need to create new content and how you want to keep your business on the front of your customers' minds. Michael talks about the importance of teaching meditation to younger generations. He shares his excitement surrounding how we are seeing mindfulness education in schools.  He raises the question, “what is more important than teaching the next generation how to improve their emotional intelligence?” Finally, Michael shares how meditation is a skill that you can learn, and that means you have to be taught how to utilize it. Not only that, but you need to practice using it in your daily life in order to get better at it. We are starting to move in a direction where more and more people are using these skills in their life and being more open about mental health. Michael shares how he feels privileged to be able to be a part of this movement.                                Connect with the What If Ventures and the Stigma Podcast in the following ways: What If Fellowship, Patreon, Website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Email Connect with host Stephen Hays here: Stephen Hays Personal Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, What If Ventures (Mental Health Venture Fund)  

Creator of Moshi Monsters Michael Acton Smith learns the word in Chinese for “monsters” with Chineasy creator ShaoLan. Listen in and discover how to distinguish between cute monsters and evil monsters. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/262-monsters/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

Find out the word for “video game” in Chinese along with today’s special guest Michael Acton Smith. He is the creator of Moshi Monsters, a game which teaches children positive skills and has millions of players around the globe. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/255-video-game/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

Alex Tew is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO @ Calm, the #1 App for Meditation and Sleep allowing you to find your calm, sleep more, stress less and live better. To date, the company has raised over $143M in funding from some of the best including Lightspeed, Insight, TPG and then some very cool names such as Ashton Kutcher, Harry Styles, Brad Feld and Jason Calacanis. Prior to Calm Alex founded numerous other startups including PopJam, Pixelotto and most famously rose to internet fame with his founding of The Million Dollar Homepage. In Today’s Episode You Will Learn: 1.) How Alex went from playing Fifa with Michael Acton Smith in Berwick St, London to founding one of the hottest startups in the valley, Calm? 2.) What does Alex believe the very best brands do today? How do they message? How do they present? How do they divide opinion? How did Alex think about the early Calm brand? How has it changed? How does Alex advise others looking to build a company brand? 3.) Does Alex agree with Peter Fenton, "there is a lack of free and open distribution"? How does Alex analyse the economics for customer acquisition costs today? What is a good paid vs organic ratio? How do CACS change over time in Alex's experience? 4.) What have been Alex's biggest learnings on what it takes to build a viral product? Where do many people go wrong? Why does Alex believe pressure is the enemy of creativity? Does Alex believe people should create time for creative thought? What does Alex do to stimulate idea creation? 5.) How has Alex seen himself evolve and develop as a leader over the last 5 years? What have been the hardest elements to scale? How does Alex think about effective delegation? What have been Alex's biggest lessons on what it takes to hire A* people consistently? Items Mentioned In Today’s Show: Alex’s Fave Book: Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid As always you can follow Harry and The Twenty Minute VC on Twitter here! Likewise, you can follow Harry on Instagram here for mojito madness and all things 20VC.

Learn how to say “relax” in Chinese with ShaoLan and Michael Acton Smith, creator of the meditation app Calm. Find out how the word “fun” in English and “relax” in Chinese are similar and why this makes it an easy word to remember. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/239-relax/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Michael Acton Smith, co-founder and co-CEO of Calm, about executing on the day-to-day work of starting a business, serial entrepreneurship and digital monsters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Michael Acton Smith, co-founder and co-CEO of Calm, about executing on the day-to-day work of starting a business, serial entrepreneurship and digital monsters.

The app Calm has already had over 10 million downloads worldwide and in this episode, its creator Michael Acton Smith shares with ShaoLan why it is helping more people than ever. Discover how to say “calm” in Chinese and stay calm in the hectic, fast-paced modern world that we all live in. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/201-calm/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

Sam Sethi talks with James Minter about the story of his club, Adam Street in London which not been told.James is as self-effacing as he is charming, recounting with warmth the role it played in the dotcom boom.“Adam Street was absolutely amazing,” he recalls. “It was a first, unique, and I met the most wonderful bunch of people there. No one has ever directly copied it.”Now sadly defunct, the venue off The Strand – with its bar, restaurant, library, gallery, and event space – became the go-to place for London’s tech entrepreneurs as they rallied after the bubble burst.Originally established as serviced offices by James after a career in the navy, Adam Street became a magnet for dotcom start-ups with few assets and little capital. The club itself opened in 2001 in an old watering hole for actors propping up the building.What would become the first entrepreneurs’ club in London was seeded when James noted the then itinerant nature of Julie Meyer’s First Tuesday networking club.“Back in those days it was still the case that if you went into a club you weren’t allowed to talk about business – it was not done and was meant to be a subtle under-the-radar thing,” he explains. “So I thought you have got all these people together, First Tuesday moving from venue to venue, why isn’t there a fixed place where entrepreneurs hang out?”These were the heady days of a gold rush.Nonetheless, like all roller-coaster rides, the dotcom era was marked as much by the founding as by the spectacular failure of new internet-based companies, with the Lastminute.com IPO in 2000 signalling the bursting of the bubble.“By the time we opened the club in 2001 it wasn’t such an auspicious time. It wasn’t really until 2003 that we got up to about 1,000 members, but by then a number of characters had helped gather together the bomb-burst and we had a whole layer of true entrepreneurs who came back together after the dotcom highs and lows to rebuild the tech community.”These included such characters as Michael Acton Smith, creator of Moshi Monsters; Mike Butcher of TechCrunch, who introduced James to the term “podcast”; and Richard Duvall, the man behind the first internet bank, Egg, and co-founder of peer-to-peer pioneer Zopa.The key to the club’s success was ambience shaped by an enthusiastic staff helping to select the right members in a niche that morphed from a shared workspace during the day into a nightclub for hothousing ideas at night.“There was no music during the day, but at about 5.30 we put on a little bit – and by 10.30 people were dancing on the tables. I also like to think that we introduced the espresso martini into the London cocktail scene!”Adam Street’s glory days lasted until 2008, but faded amid the global financial meltdown and the migration of tech entrepreneurs to Silicon Roundabout in East London. At that time James also had music on the mind, reopening Notting Hill’s famous Tabernacle.Although it played host to battalions of iconic digital pioneers, James believes Adam Street was not just about tech – but primarily about entrepreneurship and making connections, a skill he has taken to the digital leadership experts Hannington Tame.

Kicking off series 5 of Secret Leaders are two fantastic guests - Ali Parsa (CEO and founder of Babylon) and Dr Ranjan Chatterjee. Ali has been on the show several times before - firstly on his own, and secondly for one of our live events where he shared the stage with Michael Acton-Smith, founder of Calm. In the light of the current global crisis, nobody knows what the world is going to be like when the dust settles at the end of this pandemic. And this is what we discuss in this episode - what the business and social impact of the coronavirus on society will be. Because currently, it isn’t looking good. The economy is tanking. Borders are closed. Everyone is practicing social distancing. The strain on political leaders is evident. And the pressures on the NHS are close to crippling it. Ali Parsa is one of the best placed people in the world to talk about some of the predicted health impacts of the virus, in particular what he’s seeing in his own industry of healthcare. Dr. Ranjan Chatterjee is also incredibly well placed, and comes at it from how to handle things on a more personal level. His podcast is the number one UK podcast in health and wellness, and he has set himself a personal mission to help 100m people realise they can be the architects of their own health.“I worry about what is the consequence of shutting down society in terms of mental health problems: depression, anxiety, isolation, the sort of things that we were already struggling with in society two months ago, even one month ago, pre-lockdown, we were struggling with these.”We chat about:Accessibility to health careComparison of prevention versus cureWhat global healthcare might look like in the future The consequence on our health of shutting down societyWhat you can do in isolation to look after yourselfLinks:https://www.secretleaders.com/ali-parsahttps://www.secretleaders.com/the-future-of-healthcareFeel Better, Live MoreWant to receive our podcast on a weekly basis? Subscribe to our newsletter!

If you enjoy this podcast, consider buying me a coffee: https://adamstoner.com/support The back-to-back battering of storms Ciara and Dennis earlier this month proved largely uneventful for me and my travels, although there was a hot minute where I thought the roof was going to blow off of my local train station. Disruptive but relatively low-destruction storms like these serve as a handy reminder that extreme weather events will become increasingly frequent as temperatures continue to climb. I wrote about (and spoke about in my podcast) how to educate yourself and others on the climate crisis. It's a list of 24 things you can do to learn more, understand the solutions, and become a climate activist. Read it on my website or listen to the podcast episode. As well as working on my own podcast, which you can subscribe to on your podcast platform of choice, I've also been working on and enjoying the podcasts of other people. The Space Programme is one of them. It launched on February 21st. You can listen to the first two episodes by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's a twenty-part drama/soap opera for children, created by Bafflegab for the UK's children's radio station Fun Kids. I designed the artwork. As well as The Space Programme, I've also designed bits and pieces for BBC Radio Gloucestershire's newest on-air initiative, 50 by 50. Presenter Dominic Cotter just turned 49 and and he's on a quest to do fifty new things – one per week – in the countdown to his 50th birthday. Take a listen the podcast version of this newsletter by tapping here and you'll hear a very nice testimonial from Dominic. Where There Is Light, an art installation built to celebrate 20 years of Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, was installed at Gloucester Cathedral from mid-January to the end of February. As well as a gorgeous evolving light display, a soundscape created in collaboration with the Everyman Theatre, The Music Works and Squidsoup, featured stories of refugees and asylum seekers from various countries who are now living in the area. I enjoyed that Brexit-voting Gloucester (58% leave) was perhaps unwittingly absorbing these diverse and vital voices. Take a listen the podcast version of this newsletter by tapping here to listen to the artwork. I heard the School of Life's Alain de Botton on Virgin Radio at the start of February and purchased one of his books, The News: A User's Manual, shortly thereafter. It's a good look at what's happening to our media, how you can spot news stories that cycle around and around again, and why neutrality in news organisations is bollocks. The podcast episode of this newsletter (which you can subscribe to here) contains a snippet of a 2014 talk that de Botton gave on exactly that topic. I saw 2014's The Kingsman and its sequel for the first time the other day. If you haven't, make sure you do. It's the perfect mix between a classic spy film and an action flick with some dark, Tarantino-like humour blended in. My girlfriend recommended the movies after we spent the morning walking around Croome. Croome's a National Trust site – we're both members – and also home to RAF Defford which became the main station in Britain for the development of airborne radar during and after WWII. As well as large parklands there's also a museum dedicated to the service men and women and their work during the war. Minutes after sending my last newsletter I stumbled upon a group of people who knit the weather. I'm a fan of taking concepts that are hard to grapple with and distilling them into simple things. In 2017 I made a clock with a single hand that takes 365 days to complete a revolution to demonstrate the passing of time and at the start of 2020 I made something similar to mark the coming decade. That's called Decade Clock. Here's Josie explaining how to knit the weather: I decided that this year, every day, I would knit a row on a scarf to mark the corresponding daily temperature/weather of my town. It felt like a good way to engage with the changing climate and with the changing year. A way to notice and not look away. I picked up Marrakech Intense, a parfum from my favourite skincare and toiletries brand, Aesop. I don't find it as intense as Hwyl, the other perfume I've been raving about from them, but it makes for a nice change. I also love the format; a roll-on is so much more discrete than a spray bottle and makes it easier to shove in my coat pocket to allow for top-ups during the day. It's marginally cheaper than their other offerings but still £67 for 10ml, so try it before you buy it. After almost a year of trusty service, I've finally worn out the two pairs of Calvin Klein jeans I purchased in May 2019. I've gone for some classic tapering Levi's 501s to replace them. I've been a lover of meditation app Calm for almost ten years (even speaking to its co-founder Michael Acton Smith back in 2016, read it at /calm) but have recently subscribed to Headspace. I still use, love, and recommend Calm and it's not that Headspace is a more or less superior app, it's just that change can be good – and sometimes a challenge, but that's sort of the point of meditating. I am particularly a fan of Everybody Headspace, ten minute meditation sessions every 30 minutes that groups of people do together in real-time. Plus Andy Puddicombe's voice is nice. That's all for now. Until next time. Your friend, Adam Stoner

In this live podcast episode we talk about what makes a healthy body, a healthy mind and the future of technology enabled healthcare. We’ve previously talked to both of today’s guests - Michael Acton-Smith, founder of Mind Candy, Firebox and Calm.com in Series One of Secret Leaders and Ali Parsa, founder and CEO of Babylon Health in Series Two. But to have both of these guys (who are revolutionising healthcare), sit down together and go through pertinent health issues of the day was too good an opportunity to pass up. Yes, Michael Acton Smith OBE, once described as the ‘tech version of Willy Wonka,’ may not seem an obvious choice to talk all things healthcare with, but this esteemed guest has focused his recent attention on raising awareness and building businesses in the mental health space, an arena that we are still very much lacking information. And Ali Parsa, well Ali is a one man war on healthcare. He’s a refugee who has set up the world’s largest healthcare app successfully changing the way we as humans are getting access to healthcare.Get ready to be blown away by the ambition of these two superhumans, and all for the benefit of the human race. We chat about:What healthy means to each of themWhy we don’t have a healthcare system as such, we have a sick-care systemHow technology and AI is and will enable a better healthcare systemEverything affects your life, and nothing affects your life - your genetics are what they areThe obesity epidemicThe current mental health crisisConquering aging - we die because we ageLinks:https://www.secretleaders.com/ali-parsahttps://www.secretleaders.com/michael-acton-smithWant to receive our podcast on a weekly basis? Subscribe to our newsletter!

UK tech star and co-founder of Calm.com Michael Acton Smith talks to Clemency Burton-Hill about his entrepreneurial rollercoaster.

If you ever feel as though you just need a moment to collect your thoughts, wish you could get a minute of peace and quiet or want to stop being the person who boils over when it all gets too much, then these apps could be the answer. Containing everything from guided meditations, breathing exercises, sleep stories and talks, this could be the thing that stops your nerve fraying...Simple Habit.Buddhify.Unplug.10% Happier.Headspace. Andy Puddicombe from Headspace on The Emma Guns Show.Insight Timer.Calm. Michael Acton-Smith on The Emma Guns Show.Wim Hof Method App.Stop, Breathe, Think KIDS.Mindfulness in Schools Report.To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Creator of Moshi Monsters Michael Acton Smith learns the word in Chinese for “monsters” with Chineasy creator ShaoLan. Listen in and discover how to distinguish between cute monsters and evil monsters. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/262-monsters/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

Find out the word for “video game” in Chinese along with today’s special guest Michael Acton Smith. He is the creator of Moshi Monsters, a game which teaches children positive skills and has millions of players around the globe. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/255-video-game/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

Learn how to say “relax” in Chinese with ShaoLan and Michael Acton Smith, creator of the meditation app Calm. Find out how the word “fun” in English and “relax” in Chinese are similar and why this makes it an easy word to remember. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/239-relax/ Explore various topics, special guests, and expansive list of useful Chinese phrases on Talk Chineasy website! goo.gl/VJ8plT Want to practice the pronunciation of words taught in this episode? Have fun learning with activity sheets, recap video, coloring book, and more. Become a Golden Chineasian to enjoy exclusive premium content! goo.gl/vjbtL9

The app Calm has already had over 10 million downloads worldwide and in this episode, its creator Michael Acton Smith shares with ShaoLan why it is helping more people than ever. Discover how to say “calm” in Chinese and stay calm in the hectic, fast-paced modern world that we all live in. Read extended show notes for this episode here: https://www.chineasy.com/talk/lessons/201-calm/

We're discussing a wonderful book call calm. Sharing a little bit of my experiences as a mom accept that things can be difficult. Hopefully you find the segment pretty interesting but the book that I'm sharing is done by Michael Acton Smith. Helping us to learn how to calm the Mind change the world and my daughter's little experiences of my own daughter and how she keeps herself calm. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Sunday Times’ tech correspondent Danny Fortson brings on Michael Acton Smith, co-founder of Calm, the hit meditation app, to talk about starting out with the idea five years ago (4:40), the rise and fall of his previous company Mind Candy (8:30), moving to San Francisco (13:20), trying to build a “moat” around around the app (14:45), how meditating is like jogging (16:45), why Calm uses the smartphone as the delivery mechanism (19:45), the death of boredom (21:15), creating a profitable business (23:30), why sleep is a growth industry (26:35), the science of meditation (28:10), trying to sell rocks as a child (33:10), setting up an Internet retailer in 1998 (35:40), why he thinks Calm is going to be a billion-dollar business (38:45), his plans to buy an island (41:35), and why the world’s top two meditation apps have been created by Brits (43:45). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael Acton Smith is co-CEO and co-Founder of Calm, an App for Mindfulness and Meditation, which was Apple’s app of the year for the iPhone in 2017. He’s also the founder of Firebox.com and Mind Candy – the creators of the global children's phenomenon Moshi Monsters. Today we talk about how Michael, with his company Calm, wants to revolutionize mental health by helping people take care of their minds with the "same respect and care" they do their physical bodies. Episode Highlights: Why Michael calls Calm "Nike for the mind." How he manages the intense mental demands of being an entrepreneur The "electrifying" feeling of seeing others get value from what you create Why having a strong conviction and vision is vital to entrepreneurial success The powerful "sign" that tells Michael when  he's heading down the wrong business path Why Michael feels the best entrepreneurs sacrifice short-term gains for long-term success How being "a little bit selfish" made Michael happier, healthier and a better company leader How entrepreneurs wear as a "badge of honor" how little they sleep (and why Michael thinks this is "crazy") Don't Miss a Thing Get every episode automatically! Resources Mentioned Michael's LinkedIn & Twitter pages Calm website Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker Rest, by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang Stealing Fire, by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal Lost Connections, by Johann Hari Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, by David Burns Michael’s 3 favorite current products: Ping Pong Table Pilot VBall pen MUJI Notebooks Citymapper App Share the Value If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help a lot to spread the word and get more exposure for the podcast. Ask Questions or Provide Feedback To ask questions, request episode topics or provide feedback, email me at DrOrma@DrOrma.com Connect With Me Follow @drsteveorma [fb_button] Additional Resources Online coaching for entrepreneurs.

In this episode, Dr Chatterjee speaks to Michael Acton Smith, co-Founder and co-CEO of Calm - the app, website and book. We hear about what inspired Michael to set up the company through recognising the benefits of meditation and how we can all bring stillness into our lives in this busy world.Show notes available at: drchatterjee.com/michaelactonsmithFollow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the podcast I'm joined by Michael Acton-Smith, Co-Founder of Calm and Alex Will, Creator of Sleep Mist. Calm is the app designed to help reduce anxiety, improve quality of sleep and, ultimately, feel happier and in a recent survey of 200,000 iPhone users it topped the chart to be named the World's happiest app.    In this episode we talk about: Anxiety Insomnia Addiction to devices Meditation  The power of Sleep Stories Starting a business The challenges of a start-up The stress of modern living and much more... To access a teaser of the Stephen Fry Sleep Story >> Blue Gold.  Follow Calm on Twitter and Instagram.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael Acton Smith OBE is a man who's been described as the ‘tech version of Willy Wonka’. From setting up popular e-commerce websites with university friends to extravagant online games Michael Acton Smith has always had a drive as a maker. His biggest success, Moshi Monsters, grew to over 100 million registered users and expanded to over 150 countries around the world. It’s not all been plain sailing though. His businesses have come within days of missing payroll and after booming success Mind Candy has found it challenging reproducing it’s second hit. More recently our esteemed guest has focussed his attention on raising awareness and building businesses in the mental health space - an area very close to his heart with the meditation app - Calm.

If you enjoy this podcast, consider buying me a coffee: https://adamstoner.com/support Science has proven that meditation increases immunity, decreases pain, increases positive thinking, decreases depression, increases social connection and emotional intelligence and decreases anxiety and stress. It also makes you more compassionate, feel less lonely, and improves your ability to regulate your emotions. Meditation also increases your grey matter, increases focus and creativity, improves your ability to multitask, and even improves your memory. So meditation is pretty good then. To those who know me, it's probably no surprise that I meditate, and moving in to my final semester at university, full of deadlines and uncertainty, I suspect I'll be doing a lot more of it. The ‘brand image' of meditation is evolving but some still see it as an activity that involves sitting crossed-legged, robed, chanting in a foreign language. Far from being annoyingly metaphysical, one application – Calm – is setting out to break the misconception. I had a chat with Michael Acton-Smith, one of Calm's founding pair, to find out more… Michael, where did the inspiration for Calm come from? Alex Tew, my co-founder, has been a life long meditator. I was initially dubious as I thought there were religious and ‘woo woo' connotations but as I researched more I began to appreciate the science behind it. Calm is about breaking down the misconceptions of meditation and about making it more relatable. We want to demystify this valuable practice and make it accessible and understandable to all. A few years ago we had the chance to buy Calm.com and that was the first step in creating an exciting and important new brand. We felt there is an awakening in the West of people who want to understand and develop their minds. Calm's audience is ‘anyone with a mind', and our mission is to make the world a happier and healthier place. And how is that mission progressing? Very well. We have over 4 million downloads and are adding about 10,000 new users every day. The feedback we get from users is awe-inspiring and humbling. We have many plans to expand the brand and bring Calm into all aspects of someone's life, but the app is the heart of the business. Some ideas include Virtual Reality, clothing, music, and community events around the world. Lots of meditation practitioners talk about disconnecting from technology and re-connecting to people and nature. What's the relevance of meditation in the digital age? These devices we carry with us everywhere are super powerful and valuable but we need to learn to become masters of them rather than slaves. For many people their relationship with their phone is mindless and it's causing a great deal of stress, distraction and anxiety in the world. I don't feel being a technological company has hindered Calm's success. There are 2 billion smartphones in the world and it is the smartest way to connect with a huge audience. The technology is not at fault it is our relationship with it that matters. And what does meditation, and Calm, mean to you, Michael? I started meditating a few years ago and I have observed many benefits in my life. When I discover something I'm passionate about I love turning it into a business and sharing it with the world. Calm is a very exciting journey that I believe will not only be a successful business but more importantly will help bring a little more peace, perspective and equanimity into the world.

Michael Acton Smith OBE is the CEO and founder of kids entertainment company Mind Candy – the creators of global kids phenomenon Moshi Monsters, which has over 90 million users around the world and has expanded offline into best selling toys, the number one selling kids magazine in the UK, a best selling DS video game, top 5 music album which has gone gold in the UK, books, membership cards, trading cards and much more. In 1998, while in his early twenties, Smith co-founded online gadget and gift retailer Firebox.com with university friend Tom Boardman. The pair started out with a rent-free attic and £800 from undergoing a medical experiment. Their breakthrough moment came in the form of the “Shot Glass Chess Set”. Within five years they were listed by The Sunday Times ‘Fast Track 100′ as the 13th fastest growing, privately owned business in the UK. Following his success with Firebox, Michael secured $10m backing and launched Mind Candy in 2004. The company launched alternate reality game Perplex City, a global treasure hunt with £100,000 buried somewhere in the world that played out across various media. The game gained positive press coverage with Perplex City being hailed as the future of gaming. The game was also nominated for a BAFTA award in 2006 yet only attracted a niche audience. After three years (and $9m spent) Perplex City was placed on indefinite hold. With just $1m left in the bank, Smith took a final roll of the dice. In 2007, having been inspired by the growing success of Facebook and kids brands including Tamagotchi, Mind Candy launched online world Moshi Monsters. Smith was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to the creative industries. His talk at London Business School is part of the 2015-2016 Tell Series talks and it was recorded on 2 December 2015 at London Business School. Learn more about entrepreneurial opportunities at the School: http://bit.ly/LBS-entrepreneur Learn more about Tell Series: http://tellseries.com/ Learn more about DIIE: http://www.london.edu/diie

Michael Acton Smith, founder of Mind Candy who created Moshi Monsters demystifies mindfulness and talks to Richard about how it can be used to rewire our brains, change the way we see the world and help us unlock our true potential. Michael reveals what lead him to write ‘Calm’ and how mindfulness changed his life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm super excited to bring this episode of The Mindful Kind to you! I've been bursting to share one of my favourite mindfulness resources with you and how I use it (and how you can, too!).  Introducing a very special book, called Calm. Written by Michael Acton Smith, this book is a beautiful representation of mindfulness and a really useful tool in my mindfulness practice.  In this episode, I've chatted about my favourite activity from Calm and how just reading it is a mindfulness practice in itself!  I've got a very exciting surprise towards the end of the episode, so be sure to hang around!  P.S Just in case you need my email address, here it is: hello@rachaelkable.com

Once described as the 'rock star version of Willie Wonka', Michael Acton Smith is emerging as one of the major players in Britain's high tech industry. You may not have heard of him, but any five to eleven year old will know of his Moshi Monsters video game website, where children tend a virtual pet. Moshi Monsters is growing rapidly and has 50 million members worldwide. Acton Smith began his first business in the late 1990s when he was not long out of university. Despite recent success he has suffered major setbacks in the past. Rory Cellan-Jones profiles the 37 year old who is already making waves beyond these shores. Producer: Kate Dixon.