Mere Mortals Conversations

Michael is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fable Food Co, a company that develops and produces delicious meat alternatives based on mushrooms. He is also a mentor and investor in Startmate. Prior to Fable, Michael co-founded online retail businesses Shoes of Prey and Sneaking Duck and was a founding board member of the National Online Retail Association in Australia. He has also worked for Google and originally graduated with a degree in Law.In this conversation, Juan had the pleasure to take a journey through Michael's highs and lows in business as well as all the learnings that have landed him to where he is today. We also delved into the way's Michael manages his day, the importance of prioritisation and pursuing what you are passionate about.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction(1:40) - Where does Michael's passion come from(5:00) - Why the use of mushrooms?(8:45) - From Law to Google to Entrepreneurship(11:25) - How that transition took place(13:20) - Learnings from founding businesses(21:20) - Developing the product(27:00) - The mission(30:00) - What's the internal relations between plant based companies(33:45) - Daily Swims by the beach(34:00) - Prioritising(41:30) - The future of FableConnect with Michael & Fable:https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfox1/https://twitter.com/mmmichaelfoxhttps://www.instagram.com/fablefoodco/Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

What happened to the guy who went without sleep for 11 days? In this episode on 'Sleeping' Juan and I discuss: the anatomy of the brain and why sleep is crucial for neural plasticity, the actual reasons that animals sleep, the detrimental effects of too much and too little sleep, the amount of sleep that science recommends, the Uberman sleep schedule of only taking 20 minute naps during the day, stories of consultants and their insane work hours, some fun hypotheticals and our optimal night of sleep.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Wake up Mere Mortals!(1:12) - Definition(3:15) - The science of the brain(8:54) - Why do we sleep?(15:15) - What happens if we don't sleep?(22:12) - How much sleep do we actually need?(28:41) - The Uberman Sleep Schedule and napping(35:41) - Working hard in investment banking(42:29) - Hypotheticals(47:13) - Mere Mortal Moment(49:16) - The optimal sleep preparationAbout Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Can meditation actually be great training for increasing your fortitude? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: not becoming discouraged and being able to start over again, vibrational science and how yelling at jars can make mould grow (apparently), using language correctly and judging people based on how they speak, signs that someone's ideas aren't worth listening to, Jiddu Krishnamurti and the Theosophical Society, figures from history that the Mere Mortals venerate and our gradual climb up the google rankings.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Mere Mortal Folk: Molks(0:29) - Three Steps To Awakening(1:15) - Do not get discouraged; begin again(10:05) - Bullshit psuedo-science(15:52) - Vibrations that aren't bullshit(18:18) - Vague words producing vague outcomes(21:14) - Sorting out conflicting viewpoints(27:20) - The yacht club party boat(31:06) - Jiddu Krishnamurti(34:42) - People who we venerate(42:50) - We're rising up the Google RankingsAbout Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Can the individual win against the big banks in the battle of Gamestop stonks in the new meme economy? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: how one should behave when called out for getting something wrong, the hilarious situation of a reddit group fighting against the financial system, why the banks will probably end up winning the fight, understanding a book by only hearing its reviews, what heavy squatting actually feels like and a fun hypothetical of taking psychedelics with Sam Harris and smoking weed with Mike Tyson.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Horseshit not bullshit(0:26) - Mere Mortal Moments(1:14) - Sesame Street debacle(3:14) - Getting things wrong(10:12) - Gamestop & Wall St(20:00) - The banks always win; they set the rules(23:13) - Greed is the wanting of fast money(24:46) - Can you understand a book without reading it(27:12) - What a 200 kg squat feels like(28:59) - Taking drugs with a famous person(32:21) - Losing your head with Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Ian is a signal fire for the next generations of entrepreneurs and modern business development. After kick-starting his career in assets management, Ian merged his financial prowess and cultivated his creative ambition, founding multiple successful ventures. He launched his first technology company in 2017, which handled corporate compliance and risk management around background screening for ASX listed companies.Disrupting the disruptors is Ian's approach - inspiring him to co-found FIN-PAY in 2019, a tech-based solution that strives to provide simple, frictionless, and effortless payment methods with an agile global payment infrastructure. In late 2019 leveraging of his experience in verification, Ian joined forces with Sam Smith to build NXT a real-time verification and application management system to assist property managers to automate their workflow.In the conversation with the Mere Mortal team, Ian was able to share both his business acumen alongside his personal traits that have led him to the success of today. From his origin story through to running multiple businesses, Ian takes us through a rich journey and we top it off with his daily practices, go to learning tools and a final pragmatic takeaway for everyone out there.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction(1:28) - Jordan Belfort Entrepreneur Course.(3:30) - Beginning a business, failing gracefully(7:40) - Diversified Assets(10:50) - The moment that forced a change(19:20) - The incoming payment changes(24:40) - Learning how to hire(30:50) - Think about 5 years from now(35:10) - A founding CEO and when to step away(39:30) - Lifestyle and fitting in learnings(45:55) - How to Contact IanConnect with Ian:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianparke/About Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How do you push through the boredom and pain to be able to just keep on running? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Running'. Running can be considered to be moving the legs at many paces, but there are some things it is not. It is not powerwalking, racewalking, skipping or hopping. The ridiculous thing is that there are world records for doing marathons for these other methods that will easily best our finest marathon time (once we actually do it).In the rest of the episode we talk about: why Juan's comparing of times to other people isn't detrimental to his mental state, some of the science behind the energy release in the body, ways in which it is similar to doing meditation and the mindset and thoughts that go on within our heads. We end the podcast on a lighter note, discussing some of the most outrageous outfits that people have worn whilst completing a marathon and how good was their time.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Overview(1:13) - Definition: to move swiftly(2:34) - What running isn't: powerwalking, racewalking, skipping & hopping(4:34) - Comparing yourself to other runners(10:11) - The science of running(13:52) - You run the race ..... and that's it(16:12) - Running even if you hate it(19:36) - Meditation vs Running(22:54) - What goes through your head whilst on a run(29:36) - Long time/distance without stopping(31:07) - World record marathon times(33:01) - Mere Mortal Moments(34:22) - Running out of podcast content? We got you covered!About Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first Thursday of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous month's goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Let us know in the comments, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00)​ - Introduction(0:38)​ - Juan's January recap(2:04)​ - Kyrin's January recap(5:55)​ - February goals(25:04)​ - 2021 Fitness challenge(28:17) - Search on YT, it's a better search engineAbout Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Are podcasts bad because they produce too much misinformation? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: why Juan enjoyed the latest JRE podcast with Lex Fridman, how I am starting to receive lots of benefits by taking a day off from tech with screens, will David Goggins be healthy in the long run, would Juan be able to resist technology for 24 hours, whether podcasts are unhelpful due to getting too many things wrong, why misinformation is neutral and that lying is the real problem, being in a foreign country without speaking the language and why you should watch Mere Mortals on repeat for a whole day!As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Introduction0:24 - Joe Rogan & Lex Fridman3:45 - Benefits of a day without screens6:51 - David Goggins and long-term health9:04 - Enhanced forced creativity15:41 - Could Juan go a day without technology18:56 - Misinformation25:03 - Intentional misinformation and lying26:38 - Mere Mortal Moments27:57 - On your own in a country where you don't speak the language30:00 - Stuff a day of no tech, how about a day of just Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How often do we find ourselves shying away from the prickly things in life, in being uncomfortable. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable can be a real super power.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

What is the essence of having a profound conversation but simultaneously not taking yourself too seriously? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: our slight re-branding for the Mere Mortals brand, starting a new project for a bad reason and then transitioning out of it, how you could use your body issues as a catalyst for change, kids nowadays who have their entire childhood recorded, why extreme ownership might not be for everyone and how stressful it is to be anti-conformity on every issue.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch2:11 - Mere Mortal Moments2:32 - Starting something for the wrong reasons6:12 - Using fat-shaming for a good purpose10:19 - Kyrin's oldest memory11:23 - Would there be any value in recording everything14:33 - Extreme ownership, extreme responsibility17:20 - The benefits of conformity19:25 - Kyrin makes a mistakeAbout Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Tanya Hall is officially a repeat guest on the Mere Mortals Conversations. Tanya is an ultramarathoner, combined with being a foodie and lives rurally on a farm in the Brisbane outskirts. In this convo we discussed: how barefoot running sounds great but is hard to implement in reality, the difference between running on trails vs roads, the method of burning fat doing zone 2 training, some mental benefits she has seen from moving out to a farm and the fun that can be had from climbing tree and digging holes.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Eating, drinking & running1:46 - 'Born to Run' book and barefoot running6:20 - Road running vs trail running13:14 - Zone 2 training16:18 - Fasting and free time19:51 - Run-walking21:38 - Powerwalking (also known as racewalking)24:43 - Eating during an ultramarathon27:00 - Living rural on a farm32:26 - Psychological benefits of living rural35:16 - Screen time for kids39:30 - Climbing trees and digging holesConnect with Tanya:https://www.australianfoodie.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/australianfoodie/About Mere Mortals:Deep conversations with a light-hearted touch. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

What are the differences between terrible, bad, stupid and good questions? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Questions'. We start of with a definition and a little bit of history from Thomas Babington Macaulay before getting onto the topic of terrible questions. We mostly agreed that intent and context play a large part of the equation, rather than the actual words themselves. This can take the form of trolling, insincere, loaded and rhetorical questions, in which there is no real way to win except to not answer.The second half of the convo focuses upon good questions and how we think about the internal questions that occur inside our own mind. There is also some fascinating knowledge to be gained from how different languages engage in the process of asking questions. In particular there is an obscure language in Mexico called Chalcatongo Mixtec that doesn't have the grammar structure or intonation to allow the classic format of questions.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro1:05 - Definition3:10 - Terrible questions4:54 - If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?7:22 - Bad questions vs stupid questions11:59 - Insincere, loaded and rhetorical questions15:13 - What makes a good question20:50 - Internal questions we ask ourselves27:26 - Brangelina and magazines32:48 - Languages without questions35:00 - Chalcatongo Mixtec37:45 - A good question: are you listening to enough Mere Mortals?About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How do you know when you are holding onto something for too long? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: the unusual podcast format between Mr Ferriss and Dr Attia, the benefits of fasting, how difficult it is to actually translate text and books, not judging people too quickly, credit cards and the uselessness of Qantas points, my bizarre day dream involving plane crashes and heroic feats, signs that you are holding on too long to a relationship/hobby/passion and the ability to diversify your identity across different categories.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - This is an outrage!(0:37) - Tim Ferriss & Peter Attia podcast(5:21) - Fasting for longevity/lifestyle instead of performance6:25 - The difficulty of language translations10:56 - One thing that changed Juan's mind14:07 - Judging a book by its cover16:11 - Changing credit cards for the Qantas points19:36 - My insane daydreaming22:31 - Transitioning out of the things you once loved29:54 - Letting go of the intensity31:51 - Diversifying your identity33:35 - Mere Mortal Moments35:51 - Keeping the Mere Mortal love alive!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Misinformation can be the sharing of inaccurate information, REGARDLESS of an intention to deceive Mere Mortals! Juan talks through the thoughts on misinformation, inclusive of the podcast information we share.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Have you ever thought of Nassim Taleb's antifragility in the context of sport? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: our unfortunate friend Joey and how some people are not genetically suited to do the thing they love, millions of dollars locked in Bitcoin because people can't remember the password, Juan's mistaken belief that Elmo is not part of Sesame Street, the misogyny of Skeletor in his old cartoon, purposefully watching sport just to be able to socialise at work and blunt people who will always correct other's mistakes.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments2:09 - Anti-Agility: The more sport you play the worse you become5:10 - Being locked out of Bitcoin9:05 - Skeletor is a misogynist!11:00 - Learning about boring stuff just to socialise16:32 - Correcting people's mistakes21:49 - Mere Mortals on audio or video?About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Trent Mason is a certified executive coach and enterprise agilist, an individual who leverages systems thinking and strengths based approaches to foster a lean/agile culture, valuing people, relationships, collaboration and continuous improvement.In his own words:"My practice is best described as a humanistic approach to agile. I focus on coaching ‘the self’ and how we make conscious choices to create the right environment and conditions for performance. At a system level, it’s about agile for the context in which you operate, empathy for circumstance and history, and using strength-based approaches to agile evolutions."In this conversation we started off with Trent's origins in engineering and flying as a pilot, his transition to working at the intersection with business and IT, how he now helps organisations foster an Agile mindset and topped it off with his routines, meaningful books and the art of keeping stats on yourself!As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Introduction1:15 - What got Trent into flying4:01 - Choosing his path6:00 - Noticing the issue with business miscommunication10:05 - From traditional to Agile14:40 - Trent's current goal21:15 - Do businesses know they need help?23:10 - The shift in weight25:40 - Calisthenics28:30 - General Life34:32 - Favourite Books and a Challenge to the mind40:32 - Trent's Mantra and goalsTrent's Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trent-mason-356621103/About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Did you know that Australian prostitutes are more educated than the general population? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Prostitution'. We start off with the definition which is actually pretty broad and includes most kind of sex work, not just prostitution as the selling of sex for payment. There are some pretty interesting worldwide and local statistics as well as some funny points from history about the 'oldest profession in the world'.After the preliminaries we get into the more serious topic of the ethics, laws and overall benefits/detriments of sex work. Unfortunately there does seem to be a big divide between the liberal ideal of freedom to use one's body however one wants (voluntary prostitution) and the more real world effects of sex trafficking and forced circumstances (involuntary prostitution). To end off the convo we have a chat about some personal experiences and the ridiculous 'Operation Midnight Climax' that was part of the MK Ultra experiments.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Ahhhhhhhhh Intro1:23 - Definition3:38 - History of prostitution7:41 - Some facts & stats13:37 - Potential benefits beyond mere pleasure21:17 - Two ends of the spectrum: voluntary & involuntary26:45 - The stigma of sex31:13 - Laws and the legality of prostitution37:11 - Bad effects of making something illegal39:04 - Other topics that are taboo43:17 - Prostitution in Latin America48:41 - A brothel in Orange51:33 - Operation Midnight Climax54:18 - Mere Mortal Moments56:44 - Kyrin will sell himself for more views!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Is it possible to cultivate the skill of determination? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: the increasing ease to be unknowingly not-truthful, gamma waves from meditation, whether it is worth practicing determination to be able to use it whenever, Ross Edgley swimming around Great Britain, people who take it to the absolute extreme, when will the Mere Mortals be at the physical prime of their lives and learning the fundamentals to be able to do the cool tricks.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro1:31 - Who is telling the truth?3:05 - Good feelings and baselining7:18 - The skill of determination in any context13:30 - Ross Edgley & taking it to the extreme21:29 - The prime of our lives25:12 - Mere Mortal Moments30:44 - Be stubborn Mere Mortal listenersSupport the show

The power to question is the basis of all human progress. Start being curious about the world around you, through conversations and about your own thinking.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

How much damage can one eager American do in an obscure Wikipedia language? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: the recent lockdown in Brisbane, the story of the Scots Wikipedia scandal and why you can't reference Wikipedia, Kyrin's new Space Jam shirt, feeling comfortable in extravagant fashion, why there is no middle of fashion, spending extra money on something you love and being lied to as a kid.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - The Brisbane Lockdown1:23 - Mere Mortal Moments6:45 - Scots Wikipedia scandal10:46 - Why can't I reference Wikipedia?16:53 - The Space Jam shirt22:17 - In the middle of fashion26:08 - Spending 10x or 100x more on something34:13 - A Snizzlepop & bird flying through a kid's stomachAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Gary Waldon is the author of the book 'Sort Your Sh!t Out' and a transformational change specialist. Coming across his CV I remarked to myself that he has been doing career hopping before it was cool. Some of his previous jobs include: topless waiter, gym instructor, bank teller, teacher, lecturer, consultant and all around entrepreneur. Quite the list of areas and he is full of wisdom from the experiences gained across them!In this conversation we start off with his book and some questions related to the self-help genre. Gary gives some great advice for learning how to introspect and take responsibility for your own problems. We then move onto the topic of sharing personal stories and experiences from one's own life (and potentially from friends/family) in a digital world. At the end I ask Gary some questions related to his career, sources of information, books and goals. As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Introduction1:09 - Writing the book 'Sort Your Sh!t Out'4:45 - Figuring out your problems13:15 - Naming your 'Bob'18:49 - The difference between 'shit' and 'stuff'23:30 - Creating an alternative persona26:48 - How to decide what to share online?33:40 - Meta skills from career hopping before it was cool41:09 - Which people do you let into your life?47:56 - Referencing inside a book53:06 - Gary's Mere Mortal Moment54:20 - Books leading to implementable change57:27 - Gary's working goal and associated challenge1:00:35 - The ability to move on and adapt1:03:22 - Where to find 'Sort Your Sh!t Out'Sort Your Sh!t Out:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-waldon-aa000819Weblink: https://www.sortyourshitoutbook.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sysobook/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sort-your-shit-out-112924396893518About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Can a person/people be brainwashed into liking the cruel exercise of authority? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Oppression'. The convo begins with a tightening of the definition before discussing whether this topic has ever been a personal concern for ourselves. We then go over some examples from history and ask some hypotheticals related to the psychology of people under an oppressive regime.The second half of the podcast centres around how the word is used in a modern context. We talk about the Oppression Olympics (very popular phrase of Gad Saad) and 'concept creep', the gradual change of a word over time that distorts it's original meaning. Two books were also referenced in our discussion: the classic 1984 by George Orwell and The Coddling of The American Mind by Greg Lukianoff & ‎Jonathan Haidt. We finish off finally with our MMM's before saluting our lone fan in North Korea.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!P.S. The Mere Mortals don't condone the pony oppression by the evil racist frogs as evidenced throughout this video.Timeline:0:00 - Intro & definition1:31 - The difference between oppressive and repressive4:48 - Have we ever been oppressed?8:33 - Is it possible to be oppressed without realising it?13:55 - Is it possible to enjoy the oppression?18:22 - How useful is it as a word?22:34 - Coddling of the American Mind book27:30 - The Oppression Olympics31:33 - Dystopian future in 198435:07 - Concept creep37:59 - Mere Mortal Moments40:11 - Shoutout to our North Korean fanAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

How is Juan planning on becoming an eminent human being? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: the joys one can get from the process of setting and achieving goals, knowing when and where to communicate your goals to others, changing your value system, creating a daily tracking system for oneself, when measuring your own progress becomes detrimental, how to get better at storytelling and whether we would prepare if required to give a graduation speech.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & MMM announcement1:15 - I love goal setting!6:02 - Changes to the eminent human being categories11:28 - Trailer interruption16:56 - Jim Collins spreadsheet21:08 - The downsides of daily tracking27:32 - Getting better at story telling32:26 - Would you prepare for a speech at a graduation?33:41 - Mere Mortal Moments35:31 - A blaze of information: the Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Being Naive enough doesn't have to be a bad thing always, just enough that it lets you get started in a pursuit most others might not consider.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show

Maybe it is better to use duct tape for shoes instead of running barefoot? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: why a witches hat is the optimal shade protection, virtual reality so good that you wouldn't want to leave, people who are so optimistic that you can't stand being around them, the human characteristic of wanting to break something just to see what happens, why animals might actually be boring as all hell, the pointlessness of knowing lots of languages and the potential pain that comes from running barefoot.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - The witch is back1:19 - Mere Mortal Moments5:19 - Better VR: that which makes more good or eliminates the bad?7:35 - Annoyingly optimistic people9:39 - Flipping tables in the utopia12:18 - Would you rather speak all language fluently or speak to animals16:15 - The use of knowing many languages19:49 - Duct tape on your feet as shoes24:57 - View the Mere Mortals from a distanceSupport the show

Three-peat guest Brendan Jayo is back for another conversation. The bulk of this conversation revolves around the Wim Hof Method and how both of us have fared with it. Our ultimate conclusion seems to be that it is potentially useful for those with health problems but both of us being young and healthy, we didn't see any big changes to our life. We also talk about: strange experiences while eye gazing, different branches of Buddhism & Buddhist meditation, going a day without any technology, the overreliance on statistics and the old funny anti-piracy videos shown in cinemas.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Awarding of the Mere Mortals belt0:39 - Overview of Wim Hof and his method4:46 - The science of the WHM7:59 - Health impacts of WHM10:10 - Alternative breathing techniques16:42 - Wim Hof's stressed out lawyer18:11 - Eye gazing & visions24:52 - Buddhist meditation28:54 - Day of no screens30:28 - Measuring body functions and dodgy stats38:10 - You wouldn't steal a handbag. Oh really?About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect With Brendan:https://www.instagram.com/brendanjayobalances/Connect With Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Why does a loss of meaning lead to despair and destructiveness? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Nihilism'. As usual we start off with our MMM's and a definition before talking a little bit about the history of the word. The Russians of course have the market cornered on all things despair related so it's no surprise that they made the word popular with Ivan Turgenev's book 'Fathers & Sons'. The rest of our discussion revolves around how nihilism plays out in real life. Is it possible to be a logical nihilistic and use the concept positively? Does nihilism always lead to despair? What's the difference between existentialism and nihilism? There are also 4 types of nihilism (or more depending on how many you want to count) which are used in a philosophical way to explore some deep topics. As it is a bit of a depressing topic we wanted to finish on a lighter note, so listed out some characters from popular culture that exhibit signs of nihilism (some in a funny way).As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments3:47 - Definition5:51 - History of the word: Ivan Turgenev & Friedrich Nietzsche10:46 - The subjective feeling of being nihilistic16:42 - An existentialist vs a nihilist21:42 - Jordan Peterson & nihilism23:11 - Sunny nihilism and its positive potential30:46 - The 4 types of nihilism38:24 - Overwhelming despair41:48 - Nihilism in pop culture: Fight Club/Life of Brian/Joker/Eeyore/One Punch Man44:16 - Finding meaning in life: The Mere Mortals got your backAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first Thursday of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous month's goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Let us know in the comments, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Introduction1:11 - Kyrin's November recap3:36 - Juan's November recap6:05 - January goals29:16 - Tip of the month: get in early30:16 - Share your goals with the Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Have you ever noticed yourself telling stories or taking unusual actions to try and impress someone? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: how to know when you are telling a story because it is interesting for the convo versus stoking your own ego, the paradox of conflicting truths and how to psychologically handle that, the insane work schedule of basketball players, getting anxious about trying to consume too much data, why 1984 is the best book ever, what makes a book a timeless classic and Juan's hellish version of a monotonous repetitive day.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments4:22 - Trying too hard to impress people14:04 - Choosing between conflicting information18:58 - Basketball & The Last Dance21:02 - Efficiency and consuming too much information29:30 - George Orwell's 198433:05 - Timeless books37:19 - Hell is a repetitive perfect day39:08 - The optimal day is listening to Mere Mortals on repeat!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Naikan is a structured method of self-reflection and on today's Mere Mortal Monday Movement Juan talks about how he hopes to bring this practice into everyday.You can check out the blog mentioned in this video here:https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/post/naikan-reflection-how-can-this-help-youAs always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show

Have you heard of the Congolese Dandies and their expensive fashionable attire (suits) whilst living in ghettos/slums? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: the difference between being highly focused vs getting into a flow state of non-thinking, gym etiquette and if it is permissible to use two machines for supersetting, wasting precious resources on random crap in Sapeur culture/potlatches, why you might be reading something created by artificial intelligence, Instagram models/influencers who are actually computer generated and whether AI will ever be able to write a better book than humans can.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments5:43 - The importance of consciousness vs unconsciousness14:40 - In the gym can you take two machines at a time?18:30 - The Congolese Dandies20:41 - Potlatches22:30 - Maslow's hierarchy of needs25:20 - AI generated content32:38 - Artificial Intelligence profiles on Instagram35:02 - Can AI create a book that is better than our classics?40:30 - The gift of knowledge: Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Jacques Massie is the host of the 'Couple A Lattes' Podcast, photographer and aspiring author. I first met Jacques when he reached out to Juan and I to be guests on his podcast to talk about meditation (and finance). I really enjoyed the convo I had with him and resolved to question him on the Mere Mortals channel after I heard him speak about his self-organised 7 day silent retreat.This conversation is split into roughly 3 parts: the practical, the subjective & the learnings. We begin with his preparation before the retreat, discussing why someone would want to do this and how to structure it. This leads into Jacques's experiences as well as why it can be so intense for some people that it leads to mental breakdowns. The final section was on his insights into his own mind and how taking the time in silence has helped him. We also briefly discuss consciousness and end off with some final questions that give a bit of perspective on other parts of Jacques's personality.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Overview1:15 - Jacques's Mere Mortal Moment4:34 - Why would someone want to be silent for a week?10:10 - Expectation breeds anxiety11:21 - Jacques's childhood in nature14:40 - Practical considerations for making your own silent retreat21:53 - Getting clear on your why27:24 - A rundown of the whole week33:50 - Why do people have mental breakdowns when on their own?40:11 - Peak experiences45:49 - Happiness vs contentment50:41 - Abstract constructs & objective reality54:17 - Takeaway that implemented a change1:01:37 - Eliminating distractions1:05:57 - A book that instigated practical change1:07:17 - No mention of coronavirus for a full month1:11:31 - Jacques's method of goal setting1:19:51 - Connect with JacquesConnect With Jacques:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couplealattes/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClpgU64ePinVwaH35CCt-9QAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Is 10,000 hours actually enough time to become a master of your craft? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Mastery'. As usual we start off with our MMM's and a definition before asking how to tell if somebody is a master? This led us onto the 10,000 hour rule popularised by Malcolm Gladwell and why you might need to broaden your skillset. Robert Greene has a fantastic book on the topic (called 'Mastery') where he outlines the three phases necessary to become a master and just how much a role the emotional/intuitive side plays. At the end we chat about some people we have met in real life who meet the qualifications (the hand balancer Miguel Sant'ana for example) as well as the 3 steps of business mastery.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments3:16 - Definition5:50 - Can you become a master of something no-one else is doing?7:48 - When is someone a 'master'10:27 - The 10,000 hour rule15:46 - Broadening your skillset17:53 - The three phases of mastery: apprenticeship, creative/active & transformation21:34 - Do you have to love the pursuit to become a master?29:36 - The characteristics of a true master37:51 - Real life masters that we have met45:16 - Business mastery: cognitive, emotional and physical49:05 - Master the art of listening to podcasts: listen to Mere Mortals!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Is volunteering worth it or is it better to directly donate? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: using binary decision making to take away the stress from certain options, effective altruism and why volunteering may not be the best use of time, becoming overly rational and missing out on the human connection, intangibles that make a difference but can't be quantified, why being selfish in the long run may benefit humanity more, a list of some of the most effective charities to donate to, how to get in touch with your emotions and artificial intelligence that determine your mood/emotional state.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments2:58 - Binary decision making9:28 - Volunteering and effective altruism12:41 - Over-rationalisation: not taking into account human feelings16:15 - Intangible aspects that can't be measured17:40 - Volunteering in the present vs giving back in the future23:31 - The most effective charities26:14 - Getting in touch with your emotions32:03 - Technology that can predict your emotional state34:33 - Become a good person by listening to the Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

During the festive season, don't be tricked into going too hard at ny one thing that will negatively impact other priority areas of your life.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show

What would be your strategy to try and kill as many people as possible within a strict time limit? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: quality assurance/quality control for the mind, only listening to those with skin in the game, is it better to be a great singer or dancer, Daniel Schmachtenberger and the meaning of life, driving big mining vehicles/4WD's and the shit box cars that we and our families used to drive.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Pidgeon fun & Mere Mortal Moments5:44 - Skin in the game9:04 - Would you prefer to be born a great dancer or great singer?12:30 - The problem with asking about the meaning of life19:37 - Killing as many humans as possible in 1 month23:10 - Killing as many humans as possible in 1 minute25:45 - Driving big vehicles27:27 - Shit box cars 34:12 - The best Christmas present: Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Miguel Sant'ana is a professional hand balancing teacher operating out from Melbourne. Miguel is originally from Brazil and worked all sorts of odd professions until finding his passion in the art of balancing upside down. If you want to see some of the amazing shapes that the human body is capable of creating then come no further. This strength and balance of course is not a natural talent and can only come from hard work, lots of it!In this conversation we talk about: discipline/habit and what hard work means to Miguel, knowing how hard to push and finding acceptance in your current level (while still striving forwards), being humble and doing what is necessary to survive, how to listen to your body and deal with physical/mental stress before finishing off with recognising what is most important in life.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Introduction1:26 - Miguel's Mere Mortal Moment2:34 - Sources to learn about Miguel's backstory3:36 - Discipline: what hard work means5:56 - Giving 100% vs holding back11:18 - Negative comparisons and finding acceptance14:31 - The discipline mentality19:53 - Putting in the work, no matter the job24:17 - Dealing with stress29:10 - What really matters the most29:57 - Learn how to hand balance with Miguel30:44 - Agatsu Physical CultureConnect with Miguel:https://www.instagram.com/miguel_hand_balance/About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Do we have any lawyers in the building? If so, maybe don't watch as in this themed episode Juan and I are giving the layman's, highly uneducated dive into the topic of 'Law'. As usual we start off with some MMM's and the definition to clarify our thoughts. Juan kicks off with some examples of when he worked with interpreting Australian Law for his consulting company before then asking where the law comes from and if it is possible to have a human society without some system of law?I then jump in to give an overview of the 4 systems of law (and their mixture) in countries across the world as well as the difference between public and private law. Towards the end of the episode we get a little less serious as we chat about walking with salmon under suspicious circumstances, times when it is ethical to break the law and how Juan's family used to pirate CD's from the library! As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments2:08 - Definition5:04 - The enforcing of rules and being willing to participate7:40 - Where does law come from?10:15 - Law is a by-product of organised human society13:26 - The 4 systems of law: common, civil, religious & customary17:24 - Public vs Private18:38 - Reading law is boring!!19:20 - Law can change depending on the context it is used24:57 - The weirdest laws still on the books28:10 - Are there things you feel embarrassed about not knowing?29:23 - Are we breaking the law?32:09 - The Mere Mortals natural disposition to the law37:30 - When is it ethical/beneficial to break the law?39:40 - The Granados family are criminals!41:19 - The unwritten Mere Mortal lawAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Do you agree with Juan that perhaps it is better to follow meaning rather than chase your passion? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: mentally and physically preparing oneself for the bad situations life can create, the difference between passion and meaning, how chunking practice is good for some things (it depends) and why spreading it out can also be beneficial, knowing how much personal information to share with the world, the point of listening to people you are drawn to and the recent deciphering of the Zodiac killer's 340 character letter.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Mere Mortal Moments4:21 - Techniques to mentally prepare for the worst6:41 - Physically testing one's own limits10:17 - Passion vs meaning13:10 - Chunking practice vs spreading it out22:02 - The art of anonymity25:54 - Why would anyone want to listen to the Mere Mortals?29:22 - Cracking the Zodiac 340 letter31:31 - Slow drip or binging Mere Mortals!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

2021 is just around the corner folks, what are YOU going to do about it? Here at the Mere Mortals we are locked and loaded to look back, learn and move forward.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show

Is being greedy and earning quick money negative for everybody? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: developing a curiosity mindset when meeting new people, the difference between being curious and social, starting interesting conversations quickly without any preamble, boring people produce boring conversations, annoying magicians who won't leave you alone, why greed leads to comparing yourself to others, wanting anything fast is a crap method of living, the lack of social distancing in Brisbane and why the Coronavirus is actually a grand conspiracy to make dabbing popular again.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Whoa Whoas & Mere Mortal Moments4:18 - Having a curious child-like mind8:03 - Curiosity or being social10:33 - Going in dry and boring people15:40 - Annoying magicians18:56 - Greed and comparisons22:18 - The dangers of fast money24:11 - Fast anything is negative25:20 - THERE IS NO SOCIAL DISTANCING!!27:10 - COVID is a dabbing conspiracy28:15 - We permit you to copy the Mere MortalsAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

James Penny is a Brisbane based personal trainer who regularly competes in triathlons, marathons and ultras. I was initially intrigued by James's ability to race in these competitions as he is a big guy, 6'4" and 110 kg to be exact!! In this conversation we begin with his personal story of running, particularly the mindset and tactics that he has found useful in his fitness journey. Later in the conversation we talk about Jordan Peterson's book '12 Rules For Life'. We both found the book useful but the actual impact was dampened by the medium of presentation. And this is how we finished the convo, talking about different learning styles and the importance of practical application in the world.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Introduction to James1:06 - Running when you are +100kg 3:10 - Mindset of a runner6:05 - The challenge of completion and challenge of competition11:28 - Switching your mindset in response to setbacks15:10 - Tactics: negative splits, run-walk method and run slow to run fast22:06 - Jordan Peterson & 12 Rules For Life25:13 - Different mediums to understand the same concept29:15 - Learning through practical application32:19 - Brisbane PT workConnect with James:https://www.instagram.com/jamespennyfit/https://www.facebook.com/jamespennyfithttps://www.lyfefit.com.au/About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Have you been down the psychedelic YouTube rabbit hole of kaleidoscopic videos? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of the 'Kaleidoscopes'. We start off with our usual MMM's and definition before explaining the story of Sir David Brewster and his misfortune on not making any money from one of the biggest fads/crazes to ever exist! We also touch upon: how to build a kaleidoscope, the different types of scopes out there, what you can expect from the most expensive version, why humans find these objects so fascinating as well as a couple more facts from the wacky history of this invention.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments3:50 - Definition4:36 - The invention of the kaleidoscope6:56 - Patents & copywriting 8:24 - How to build a kaleidoscope10:50 - The YouTube rabbit hole12:58 - Types of kaleidoscopes15:45 - Most expensive kaleidoscope19:15 - Why are coloured patterns so interesting22:52 - The latest Victorian craze23:34 - A penny for a peek25:11 - The varying Mere Mortal contentAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Have you ever stared into a strangers eyes for a long period of time? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: our recent spreading of false info in Ep #122, the default mode network, my recent experience going to an eye gazing event, the different types of people you can encounter in life, my recent experience going to a Buddhist meditation session, the different types of meditation, finding your tribe, Juan's adventure to the Dragon Ball Z style Ivory Temple and the styles of meditation that we find effective.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Mere Mortal Moments1:30 - Calling each other out for spreading false information5:33 - Default Mode Network8:18 - Eye gazing13:37 - Altered vision and out of body experiences19:17 - Magicians, wizards and spiritual people23:59 - Learnings: finding your tribe26:55 - A Buddhist meditation session32:15 - The different types of meditation37:13 - Lovely people but not my people40:20 - Juan in the Ivory Temple43:30 - What meditation style works for the Mere Mortals44:49 - Come chant with us!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Relentless - the act of being unceasingly intense, become relentless when it comes to the things that have meaning in your life.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show

What would happen if Australia introduced a Universal Basic Income (UBI)? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: would people quit their work and become lazy with a UBI, have we all been tricked into working for others, what would happen if we all received $1000 a month, the difference between a large UBI and small one, why incentives matter, why we need to be careful about Soviet style socialism and the Mere Mortals run for the 2024 presidency.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Mere Mortal Moments2:44 - Would Universal Basic Income make us lazy?5:21 - Have we been tricked into being productive?10:14 - Societal changes with $1000 a month UBI15:50 - What about for $50,000 a year?21:22 - Incentives for essential jobs23:52 - The slippery slope to socialism30:25 - Mere Mortals Management: economic planAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Tom Libelt loves to bounce around careers and is a man of many skills. He began his work life haggling with Russians/Poles outside of soccer stadiums before being faced with the ultimatum; to be an astronaut, circus performer, businessman or musician. He ended up choosing the two latter options (for now!!), releasing two albums before becoming a master salesman. Nowadays he runs Smart Brand Marketing whilst travelling between Thailand, USA and Poland.In this discussion with Juan they begin with Tom recounting his childhood beginnings and how this shaped him into the person he is today. The second part revolves around some general advice on how to create a location independent business as well as the type of mindset and relationships you will have to create. The conversation ends with a deeper dive into overnight successes/silver bullets and how there is actually a huge amount of energy/effort/introspection that is behind every long-term, sustainable business.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Introduction1:08 - Tom's Mere Mortal Moment3:11 - Gym lessons applied to business6:15 - Haggling with Russians9:50 - A kid with nothing to lose13:24 - Astronaut, circus, business or music21:06 - Bouncing across careers25:35 - Selling SEO in the early days30:19 - Location independent business and Thailand37:30 - Partners, employees and business relationships42:46 - Semi-Retirement: knowing when to put on the brakes50:59 - Overnight success takes time54:37 - Resistance, the muse and turning pro58:14 - The problem with silver bullets1:01:06 - Anti-hustle book recommendation: Power of One1:02:18 - Connect with Tom & the staying power of social mediaConnect with Tom Libelt:Website: https://smartbrandmarketing.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tomlibeltAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

What is the worst type of humour out there? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Joking'. We start off with our usual MMM's (big overlap this time) and a definition before diving into the serious side of humour. But we don't stay there long before getting into some humour of our own. We chat about crappy styles of humour (pranks/sarcasm/dad jokes), my crash course in how to be funny, Sid the Cookie Monster and ending with how to take life a bit less seriously and see the joke in everything.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments2:17 - Definition3:34 - Relief & Superiority Theory8:26 - The art of delivering a joke11:48 - Not a fan of prank videos, negative sarcasm and dad jokes18:07 - How to be funny!20:18 - The funniest Juan has ever been24:16 - Mere Mortal pranksters28:19 - The Cookie Monster's real name29:19 - Taking everything as a joke31:07 - Mere Mortals shirtsAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

With the rise of instant translation technology is it a waste of time to learn a new language? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: why consultants always are flexible depending on the context, the miracle morning and the SAVERS acronym (silence/affirmations/visualisation/exercise/reading/scripting), what our morning routines look like, whether we are losing skills due to an overreliance on technology, how translation earbuds won't work very well in practice, is the next generation going to be incapable of basic tasks (like reading a map), why humans and the ego is resistant to change and how the dinosaurs really died!As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments3:11 - The consulting mindset: it depends4:25 - SAVERS: the miracle morning7:59 - Being inflexible about your wake up time9:06 - The Mere Mortals morning routine18:00 - Losing skills due to technology20:11 - What's the point of learning a language?27:02 - Will my kids be incapable of basic skills?30:53 - Anti-technologists resistant to change35:24 - Dinosaur conspiracy theories36:48 - A hot planet full of Kyrins; no Juans existAbout Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Is it a Sprint folks, a Marathon or something else entirely...As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show