Gillian Straine is a remarkable woman, who has a physics pHd, then became a priest and now runs a charity that is exploring how churches can create health. As the healthcare system in the UK faces more strain, she sees congregations as vital way we can create wellbeing. On top of that, she's great company, which means she's pretty much our ideal guest. What we found particularly thought-provoking was the rich and progressive way she viewed health. Health isn't just not being sick, but being able...
Oct 14, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 66
We love Dean Burnett: neuroscientist, comedian, author, journalist and general spreader of wisdom. On the pod we talk to him about the neuroscience of grief, which became a major focus when he lost his father to Covid Hearing how he had to say goodbye over the phone to his unconscious Dad will leave you in bits (or at least it got to me). What makes Dean such a great guest is that he can switching between exploring the deep pain, to discussing a key academic finding, and then he'll throw in a jo...
Oct 07, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 65
In 2013 Sunday Assembly launched, it was a new movement of non-religious congregations that spread across the world. Today we interview Dr. Josh Bullock who wrote his pHd on the sociology of Sunday Assembly through in-depth interviews with members and participants. The interview is a fascinating deep dive into a truly pioneering organisation which I should mention, I co-founded. In a world (oooh, that sounds very movie trailer-esque) where division, polarisation, atomisation and meaninglessness ...
Sep 29, 2021•57 min
It's our birthday! Or at least it was two weeks ago. Yes, the Lifefulness Podcast is 1 year old, which totally blew our minds. We decided to do a special episode reflecting on what we've learnt through 63 interviews. The 8 questions we dig into are: 1) What did you learn about Lifefulness? 2) What did our guests have in common? Then we dig into the 6 PIllars of Lifefulness: 3) What did we learn about Ultimate Meaning? 4) What did we learn about Celebration and Contemplation? 5) What d...
Sep 23, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Great new podcast today with a legend in the world of online community building, Rosie Sherry. Rosie turned her first community into a $1.5 million business, before being hired by the Indie Hackers site to turbo-charge their growth. Now she's been hired to build community for a software company that builds community building software - a sure sign she's one of the best. Why are we interviewing her? Because community is vital to Lifefulness, and to living life fully, and ...
Sep 16, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 63
Our guest on the Lifefulness Podcast is climate campaigner, sustainability consultant, podcast futurist and renaissance man, Ed Gillespie. Ed has dedicated his life to regenerating the planet by encouraging companies to reform - but will that work? Can companies be part of the solution? The podcast starts a little differently by asking Ed about where he finds joy, wonder and mystery in life. We made this change after feedback from listeners that the podcast didn't have a central theme when, in f...
Sep 08, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 62
We're so lucky to be joined by Cassie Robinson - designer, social change maker, systems theorist and much more - to speak about the power of stories. After years of pushing the field of social change forward, she now runs the Big Lottery Strategic Fund - making her one of the biggest funders in the UK, and probably the world - and they've invested in stories. From her position looking at so many different projects and strategies, Cassie (and her team) decided that the best way to create social c...
Aug 26, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Jillian Richardson is a loneliness expert, professional facilitator, and bestselling author. She’s also the founder of The Joy List, a weekly newsletter of community-centered events in NYC. In her work she helps people learn the skills to connect more deeply to themselves and others, and has inspired thousands through her workshops, interviews, and public speaking engagements. Jillian has been featured as a source for NPR, The Wall Street Journal, NBC, and Outside Magazine, among many other outl...
Aug 19, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Mark Vernon is psychotherapist and writer, with a keen interest in spirituality and inner life. He has a PhD in ancient philosophy, as well as degrees in physics and in theology. His latest book, A Secret History of Christianity , is out now. He has contributed to and presented a number of programmes on the radio, writes as a journalist, with his work being published by the BBC , Aeon , Church Times , and elsewhere. He teaches at The Idler Academy and also lea...
Aug 12, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Tez Ilyas is one of the most celebrated stars in British comedy, an author and an activist. The guy is also one of a new generation of British Muslims who are public and proud about their heritage. This is all explored in his new book ' The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3/4 '. In this conversation we explore his life, have a laugh and all of that but the thrust of the conversation is to explore what Muslims get from going to mosque. What are the different practices? What does he get f...
Jul 29, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Forgive the Buzzfeed headline but, sometimes, they’re totally deserved. I’d been looking forward to speak to Kai Whiting for a while. Why? Because he’s a Stoic philosopher lecturing at Louvain University in Belgium; sustainability campaigner with a background in environmental engineering; and author of ' Being Better: Stoicism for a World Worth Living In '. Kai already had a great start but then, at the start of the interview, he revealed something all of my research hadn’t turned up. The thing ...
Jul 22, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Gwendoline Smith is our amazing guest today, who dives into her specialist subject of overthinking. What is overthinking? Why does it affect so many people today? And how can you break the cycle? We explore all this and more. Dr. Gwendoline Smith is a clinical psychologist, author and science celeb in New Zealand, where her 'Book of Knowing' was a surprise best-seller. Now, she's bringing her trademark bullshit free vibe to The Lifefulness Project to dig into overthinking. You'll love it. She's ...
Jul 15, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 55
If you've ever been stressed or overwhelmed at work then this is the podcast for you. Cate Sevilla is an author and journalist who has written a book that's an antidote to the business guru, hustle culture propaganda that is so common. The conversation is super refreshing, realistic and full of practical ways to make work more enjoyable. We delve into: Why you shouldn't bring your whole self to work. The importance of recognising the issues you're bringing. The power of giving less of a sh*t. Fi...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Well, this episode was a lot of fun. Jon Yates is an expert in the fabric of society itself, and his latest work shows how division in society isn't just unpleasant but bad for our economy, social mobility, and even our health. The leaping off point for this conversation is his new book 'Fractured' which draws on all his experience as one of the most successful charity leaders in the UK. Today he's the Executive Director of the Youth Endowment Fund, a £200m fund focused on integrating young peop...
Jul 01, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Today we interview the social and political philosopher David Rondel, who has recently edited the 'Cambridge Companion to Richard Rorty'. Why did we want to interview one philosopher about another philosopher? Because Richard Rorty wrote a seminal essay on the decline of the Left in the West that serves as a blueprint for the rise of Trump, Brexit and authoritarianism. If we are to build a world where everyone is included, we'll need to think long and hard about how we're able to do that. It's t...
Jun 24, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 53
I love Meg-John Barker, and you will too. We met for the first time on the pod but her wisdom, kindness and laugh won me over. An esteemed academic psychologist, theraprist and author they were fascinating company for this wonderful conversation. The key things we spoke about were the problems with self-help books, the need to reimagine self-care, the centrality of trauma to all of us and the inhumane systems we all have to live in. 'Hell Yeah, Self-Care' - MJB's brilliant new book - https://www...
Jun 17, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 52
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Jun 09, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Today our guest is an old friend Rich Watkins who is a poet, community builder, spiritual adventurer, business strategist and much more. Rich is someone I ring up for guidance because he straddles the organisational, spiritual and community world in a way that is rare. We dig into his journey from teenage evangelical to post-church community builder and spiritual explorer. Personal site: https://www.richwatkins.com/ Poetry: https://www.richwatkins.com/poetry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
Jun 03, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 50
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May 28, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 49
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May 20, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 48
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May 13, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Our food production systems are the single biggest cause of environmental change, while diseases linked to our eating habits are at epidemic levels and increasing. Our guest Dr. Cassandra Coburn uses the latest scientific research to address this vital question: can we provide a growing population with a healthy diet from sustainable food systems? Fortunately for us all, the answer is yes. Cassandra is awesome company and shows how it is possible to eat well and save the planet. Her...
May 06, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Our guest is the brilliant Dr. Carlos Saba has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and purpose-driven business hippies through the Happy Start Up School. Carlos is an old friend of mine who is one dose wisdom to two doses of great company. We dig into how he created an international community that serves the needs of people seeking careers that contribute positively to the world, while doing work that they love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Forgive the slightly flippant title but Emmy Brunner, psychotherapist, trauma specialist and author, makes talking about trauma fun. So, don't get put off by the word trauma, and dive in for a fascinating conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 22, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 44
You need more conflict in your life. That's the position of Ian Leslie author of the book 'Conflicted: Why Arguments Are Tearing Us Apart and How They Can Bring Us Together'. Did you know marriages with more conflict last longer? Businesses with more conflict are more successful? Children who argue with their parents more are happier? The one caveat is that it has to be the right type of conflict. Ian is the perfect guide as he studies human behaviour then writes about about psychology, culture,...
Apr 15, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Andrew is a brilliant guest to have on a podcast dedicated to reimagining religious practices because Chief Executive of Humanists UK (formerly the British Humanist Association). We dive into all manner of questions from the limits of critique, the lessons we can draw from religion and much else besides. Andrew is also President of Humanists International. Together with A C Grayling, Andrew edited the Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Humanism (2015) and he is the author of Secularism: Politics, Relig...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Do you want to really feel alive? Do you to feel like you’re living a meaningful life? Do you want to feel more connected to your values? We’re spending time with Professor Tanya Luhrmann from Stanford University. She’s a psychological anthropologist known for her studies of modern-day witches, and charismatic Christians who is particularly interested in how culture shapes their spiritual experiences. Tanya Luhrmann is a rock star in the anthropology world. She was elected a fellow of the Americ...
Apr 01, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 41
That was our guest Tiu de Haan who is a Ritual Designer, Creative Facilitator and Idea Doula. James and I will speak to this midwife of creativity about the power of rituals. There are ideas in here that can be applied to business, failed projects, grief and many more. I learnt something fascinating about Tiu’s upbringing which made me see her in a whole new light. It also helped me understand why she is able to translate esoteric creative and spiritual ideas into the language of the 21st ...
Mar 25, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 40
In Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy famously wrote "All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way". Join our interview with author Robert Kolker whose book 'Hidden Valley Road' explores a family that pushes that dictum to the absolute edge. This conversation explores the themes that are brought up in his extraordinary book 'Hidden Valley Road'. The book chronicles the schizophrenia that haunted the Galvin family, who were considered 'the most mentally ill family in Am...
Mar 18, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Gabija Toleikyte is a neuroscientist who received training as a coach while doing her PhD in neuroscience. We're speaking to her because she wrote a brilliantly title book called 'Why The F*ck Can't I Change?'. Here are some takeaways from the convo: Learn about your amygdala - when it feels threatened then it can shut down your rational brain. Amygdala Soothing activities help to ‘deactivate’ your stress. When you don’t feel safe and secure your limbic (mammal) brain will take over. Taking deep...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 38
