The systems we live in suggest that a successful human life depends on denying pain, endless hustle, stress, and sustaining trauma—and making it all look easy. The only problem is that human nature objects. Psychological and physical suffering seem to be increasing while illness and trauma continue to define how we live. But, what's in it for our culture? Why and how do we breed disease—and why do we call that normal? Educator, mental chiropractor, musical theater pro, and co-author of The Myth ...
Sep 07, 2023•42 min•Ep. 21
It's a rarely questioned societal norm: feeling bad/mad/disappointed/scared/anxious? A substance (like alcohol) will give you the courage to face it. This is even more true for dating and sex, where we use alcohol as our first line of defense to find the liquid courage to open up to someone. But what happens when we step away, get sober curious, or simply start being more mindful with alcohol? Who might we be? And who might we connect with? In this episode, Tawny Lara , author and speaker, also ...
Aug 24, 2023•42 min•Ep. 20
So, what does it take to make the best working relationships? The same ingredients in any relationship, really: a big helping of bravery and the will to dig into deep conversations. There's more to it than that of course, and on this episode, Simplify favorite Michael Bungay Stanier takes Caitlin through it. This is a gentle-but-probing conversation in which you'll learn about the sweet spot between safety and bravery, how to make your colleagueships safer and more vital, and what psychological ...
Aug 10, 2023•41 min•Ep. 19
We are delighted to present a conversation with Stephanie Chandler, founder and CEO of the Nonfiction Authors Association and a successful author of several books, including The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan and The Nonfiction Book Marketing Plan . In this episode, Stephanie shares her remarkable insights into all phases of the book-writing process and offers a sharp view of the publishing industry. By exploring assets and liabilities of traditional publishing and self-publishing, we dive deep...
Jul 27, 2023•37 min•Ep. 18
We're delighted to present a conversation with Natalie Lue, author of the wildly popular blog Baggage Reclaim (baggagereclaim.com) and five books, including the latest, "The Joy of Saying No," that will help you not only identify your people-pleasing style and habits, but also finally leave them behind. In this episode, Natalie shares her unmatched insights on the importance of boundaries and saying no, and the destructive effects a lack of them can have on your body and mind. By exploring the f...
Jul 13, 2023•41 min•Ep. 17
Have you ever listened back to a recording of your voice and cringed at the amount of 'um's' 'uh's' and 'like's' you use? In this episode, Valerie Fridland, linguist, researcher, and author of the book, 'Like, Literally, Dude' delves into the intricacies of speech habits and argues for the inherent value of these often-demonised words. We explore why women are linguistic trend-setters, why some words carry deep-seated prejudices and what can we learn from the social function of language. You can...
Jun 29, 2023•37 min•Ep. 16
We're thrilled to present a dynamic conversation with Robert Glazer, bestselling author and transformative leadership expert. With deep insights drawn from his revolutionary book, 'Elevate Your Team', Glazer demystifies the four capacities essential to extraordinary team performance. In this episode Glazer shares his unique take on the 'work smarter, not harder' philosophy, offering fresh perspectives to drive both personal and professional development. We challenge common preconceptions around ...
Jun 15, 2023•38 min•Ep. 15
We're kicking off Simplify's relaunch with our first-ever two person interview! This lively, probing conversation with Being Well 's Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson—a bestselling author and psychologist and also Forrest's dad—digs into common misconceptions in the mental health and self-growth space. They address the maybe-bogus notion that "until you love yourself, you can't love anyone else," dissect the difference between self-esteem and self-worth, and dig deep into the simplest strategy ...
Jun 01, 2023•38 min•Ep. 14
Being a parent is a big, beautiful, very tough job—which actually might benefit from some of the skills you usually practice when you’re at work! Economist and parenting guru extraordinaire Emily Oster joins Ben to talk about family decision-making: how much infrastructure you really need in your family, your family unit’s mission statement, and why sometimes, you’ve just gotta let your kid eat a lame breakfast. And: our FIRST EVER LISTENER SURVEY is still open! Please go to the survey link and ...
Feb 16, 2023•48 min•Ep. 13
We've been listening. You told us through our survey that you wanted more tools, more ways to make what you learn with Simplify concrete. And so: here's exactly that! In this short bonus exercise—a companion to the Ev'Yan Whitney episode, Listen to Your Body, which was released on the same day as this bonus and will be in your feed—Ev'Yan, somatic practitioner and sensuality doula, walks you through a gentle exercise that will help you learn to listen to your body. Try it out, and let us know wh...
Feb 10, 2023•5 min
It’s true of almost all of us: we take our bodies for granted. We force them into uncomfortable positions, we push them long after they’re tired, we starve them for aesthetics—and a million more awful things we wouldn’t do to a friend. One thing we don’t often do to our bodies? Listen to them. And if we did, wow, what we’d learn! This episode is with Ev’Yan Whitney, somatic practitioner, sensualist, author, podcaster—and advocate for awakening people to the sensory pleasures alive inside of all ...
Feb 10, 2023•41 min•Ep. 12
Being an adult: what does that actually mean? Is it paying taxes? Making your own doctor’s appointments? Owning a home? It's probably all of that stuff, but: what's the more important personal evolution stuff that makes us grownups—no matter if we're 21 or 65? In this episode, Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Dean of freshmen and undergrad advising at Stanford and a best-selling author, walks Caitlin through it by way of a conversation about her book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult https://www.blinki...
Feb 02, 2023•38 min•Ep. 1
We’ve been making Simplify pretty much the same way since 2017: we focus on a great book and its author, and try to dig out the most helpful ideas. Nearly six years in, we’re wondering: how might we make Simplify even better for all of you? So, we thought we'd ask! Click this link to take the survey: https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ [1] Tell us what you're curious about lately, what you've been reading, and which authors you’d like to hear from. It’ll probably only take you abou...
Jan 26, 2023•1 min
Want to skip this year’s tsunami of New Year’s hacks, tips, and tricks that don’t even work? We’ve got you covered with just what you need for the new year—and nothing you don't. In this episode, we’ve distilled powerful ideas and approaches from our 3 most popular, impactful episodes. And since we spend all our time divided between focusing on ourselves, our relationships, and our work, we’ll home in on simplifying those three areas. BONUS : we’ve made a very neat New-Yearsy tool available to y...
Jan 05, 2023•53 min•Ep. 11
Imagine having a mentor that’s available 24/7 to advise you on whatever challenge life puts in front of you—wouldn’t that be nice? In this bonus episode, Ken Page guides you through The Inner Mentor Process™ , a guided meditation practice. In this practice, you'll find you're able to bypass your inner critic and get a message from your own personal mentor, a mentor who is always there, ready to share wisdom that is just for you. This is an unpublished excerpt from the Simplify interview with Ken...
Oct 28, 2021•19 min
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by all of the things you need to juggle in order to be a good... anything? A good partner, a good parent, a good worker, a good friend? And in the end, it feels like you never have enough time and energy to focus on what really matters to YOU? In this final episode of Season 7, Tiffany Dufu invites you to stop being "good" and drop the ball . Tiffany is the author of Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/browse/books/drop-the...
Jul 08, 2021•42 min•Ep. 9
Are you single—or in a relationship—and keep falling for people who almost love you right, but not quite? There's a reason why that happens, and Ken Page has figured out the formula behind these deeper physics of dating. Ken is a psychotherapist specialized in the search for intimacy, and author of the book Deeper Dating: How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy ( https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/browse/books/deeper-dating-en ). In this episode, Ken explains why the pa...
Jul 01, 2021•44 min•Ep. 8
Did you know that 50% of the time the tone over email, Slack, and text is misunderstood? This is because in the digital world, the cues we would usually send with our bodies are missing—facial expressions, gestures, vocal tone—and that can cause a lot of misunderstandings. And this is why Erica Dhawan, the author of Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance https://read.macmillan.com/lp/digital-body-language-audiobook/ [1] believes that "reading carefully i...
Jun 28, 2021•39 min
Do you sometimes find yourself replying to work emails late at night... from bed? Or maybe taking on another task that, almost as soon as you've agreed, you realize you don't actually have time for? Often, instead of behaving as if we’re exchanging our intellect, talent, and skills for money, we feel like whoever pays us owns us. And this is where trouble starts. In today's episode Natalie Lue will help you understand why you might be struggling with boundaries at work, and what you can do to st...
Jun 24, 2021•45 min•Ep. 7
Does talking about death freak you out? No wonder, it's something many of us avoid thinking about and prefer pretending it's not there. But it's an important topic, and if we can allow ourselves to sit with the truth that life will eventually end, it becomes a beautiful call to appreciate our lives and the people in them. And this is why palliative care physician Kathryn Mannix wrote her book, With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/brows...
Jun 17, 2021•41 min•Ep. 6
Most of us learned how to do relationships from a state of victimhood. According to Karpman's Drama Triangle, there are three different roles to play: the victim, the hero and the villain. Regardless of these parts we take on, we're avoiding taking full responsibility for our experiences and our results in the world, which in turn causes a lot of drama and suffering. In this episode, Diana Chapman explains what it means to take radical responsibility—both at work and at home—and why this "seriou...
Jun 10, 2021•35 min•Ep. 5
One thing most leaders have in common is that they want to perform well. And that often leads them into the trap of believing that to be a great leader, you’re not allowed to be scared—or at least that you'd better not show it. In this episode, Jim Dethmer invites us to embrace the opposite: allowing yourself to be fully present and fully alive—including feeling all your feelings—is the first step towards more conscious leadership, whether you’re leading a team, or just leading yourself through ...
Jun 10, 2021•40 min•Ep. 4
If your child is having a meltdown or throwing a tantrum in the supermarket, you'll do almost anything to make them stop—including turning into MeanParent™. But there's another way! Dr. Tina Payne Bryson offers a different approach to discipline, free of threats and punishments, that is based on neuroscience. Understanding and nourishing your child's developing brain will not only help you survive the chaos, but also help them thrive - because their behavior is telling you loud and clear what sk...
Jun 03, 2021•39 min•Ep. 3
Worn down by your never-ending to-do list? Even though there’s been a shift towards a more holistic idea of productivity in the last years, a lot of people still think that being productive is all about efficient time managing and achieving more. And this is where Erik Fisher comes in. Over the past 10 years, Erik's hosted some of the world's biggest productivity experts on his show, Beyond the To-Do List —people like Michael Hyatt, Cal Newport and James Clear. So we asked him: what are the most...
May 27, 2021•35 min•Ep. 2
For a lot of us, our job is a profound expression of selfhood. That means that when we lose a job, or when a business fails, we might feel like failures, too. And in today’s uncertain economy this happens a lot more than anybody would like. In this episode, Farai Chideya, author of The Episodic Career https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/the-episodic-career-en [1], offers a new perspective on how to approach your career path so that you can both survive and thrive at work in the age of disruption. ...
May 20, 2021•38 min•Ep. 1
To show you just how much we've missed you, season 7 of Simplify is extra large and extra excellent! This time, you'll hear from a dating psychologist on connecting at the deepest level, the ultimate productivity expert on working in seasons, and even a hospice physician on how to have a good death—and live life to the fullest in the meantime. As always, this season features bestselling authors like Tiffany Dufu, Ken Page, Farai Chideya, and Kathryn Mannix, and as a bonus, Shortcast hosts Natali...
May 17, 2021•2 min
Why do we lose motivation in our jobs? How can we create a space of belonging and inclusion? What are the best ways to give and receive feedback? Liz Fosslien answers all of these questions, and more, in this thoughtful and pertinent interview. As she reveals, emotions in the workplace are not only acceptable—they can actually be incredibly useful in decision making, making connections, and doing great creative work. This interview is truly eye-opening in establishing how we can unite who we are...
Apr 23, 2020•41 min•Ep. 7
In this special Spotlight Caitlin talks with teacher, author, and entrepreneur, Seth Godin, about his new release, This Is Marketing. According to Seth, marketing is no longer about hawking products that nobody needs, but instead about helping people find the ones that will actually make a positive difference to their lives. In this episode of Spotlight, Seth tells Caitlin about what marketing really is, what it can and can’t do, and how it has changed fundamentally for the better. Read more at:...
Jan 25, 2020•15 min
As evidenced by the many times we've spoken with him on Simplify or recommended his books to you, we love Seth Godin. And now, big news! Seth has created exclusive content for Blinkist—and we're giving you a preview. 2 Minutes with Seth Godin launches January 13th, only on Blinkist. Tune in, twice a week, to hear the teacher, entrepreneur, and internet OG himself drop gems of fresh perspective on everything from what marathoners know about rocking at business, to how to be a better boss, to the ...
Jan 13, 2020•5 min
The final episode of Season 6 features a special guest: psychologist, entrepreneur, publisher, ex management consultant and one of Blinkist's original co-founders, Sebastian Klein! In this interview, Caitlin and Sebastian discuss how businesses around the world are making changes that transform them from hierarchy, to more effective and people-centered organizations. Sebastian explains why designating roles rather than titles is more empowering, how he determines whether organizations genuinely ...
Oct 31, 2019•36 min•Ep. 6
