167 episodes

Please visit us at blinkist.com/simplify to see our new podcast, Simplify!

Blinkist Podcast - Interviews | Personal Development | Productivity | Business | Psychology Ben Schuman-Stoler. Making big ideas personal. Get personal growth and business lessons from thought leaders and entrepreneurs.

    • Education
    • 4.1 • 50 Ratings

Please visit us at blinkist.com/simplify to see our new podcast, Simplify!

    Dhiraj Mukherjee: Optimism Defines the Future

    Dhiraj Mukherjee: Optimism Defines the Future

    This week's episode of Simplify brings you a special collaboration: a conversation with Dhiraj Mukherjee, who is not only the entrepreneur behind Shazam (the app we all love and use so much!), but also a devoted impact investor focused on social good.

    Drawing from his experience at Shazam, Dhiraj learned firsthand that the best way to predict the future is to create it. That’s why today, his work mostly focuses on investing in mission-driven companies aiming to create a better future for the planet, addressing critical issues such as climate action and inequality.

    In this interview, Dhiraj shares some of his most valuable insights across his career, emphasizing the crucial importance of tapping into your instincts and developing your own taste and intuition. Moreover, it leaves us with a short but important reminder that optimism matters: every valuable change once started with nothing but hope for a better future.

    UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

    Recommended by Dhiraj:

    How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates

    Recommended by Caitlin and Ben:

    The Social Animal by David Brooks

    The Business of Good by Jason Haber

    Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/simplify\][2], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code impact.

    Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [2], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [3]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [4].

    This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Maria Levacic & Ben Jackson at Blinkist

    • 41 min
    Cole Kazdin: Health is Not a Size

    Cole Kazdin: Health is Not a Size

    Although we're at the tail end of 2024's symbolic new beginning, we're still confronted with the flood of discounted "detoxes," "cleanses," gym promotions touting a "New Year, new you," and the latest buzzword, "resets." Despite our desire to think that fad diets are relics of the past and that we have collectively moved away from diet culture, we may instead have fallen for a wolf in sheep's clothing.

    Drawing from her personal narrative and investigative reporting experiences, Cole Kazdin, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, scrutinizes today's diet industry and the disorder it spawns in her debut book, 'What's Eating Us - Women, Food, and the Epidemic of Body Anxiety.' Walking us through the issues in our generation, she interviews women and the world’s most renowned researchers, revealing disordered eating as the crisis it is—a mental illness with the second-highest mortality rate (after opioid-related deaths)—and a topic that no one wants to talk about.

    In this week’s episode of Simplify, Cole generously shares with us her hard-won wisdom for navigating true health while still living in a dysfunctional world. Even more importantly, the conversation will leave you with a gentle but revolutionary reminder of how gratifying it is to focus on how health is lived and felt in the body rather than the size you’re wearing.

    Recommended by Caitlin and Ben:

    Simplify Interview: Sonya Renee Taylor: Love Yourself, Save The World

    Intuitive Eating by Evelin Tribole and Elise Resch

    Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/simplify\][2], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code kazdin.

    Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [2], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [3]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [4].

    This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Maria Levacic & Stéphane Obadia at Blinkist

    • 37 min
    Acquired's David Rosenthal: 3 Secrets of the World's Most Successful Businesses

    Acquired's David Rosenthal: 3 Secrets of the World's Most Successful Businesses

    Today, we bring you Simplify's first ever crossover episode with the #1 Technology show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: Acquired!

    For nearly 9 years David Rosenthal—today's guest—and his co-host Ben have been sharing the strategies and history of 200+ of the world's most successful businesses. From Sequoia to Sony, through to TSMC, Amazon, The New York Times, the NBA and Oprah, Acquired's hosts go deep—sometimes 3 hours deep!—into the details of each business's ups and downs.

    In this episode of Simplify, we had the unique chance to tap into David's unique wisdom and expertise and ask: what are the patterns you've seen across these success stories?

    Caitlin and David focus on 3 big lessons from David's gleaned through years of research and immersion. He shares one powerful lesson on customers, one on product, and one that extends out to collaborations. They scrutinize and highlight the insights and attitudes that have helped some of the world's most notable companies thrive. What’s more, with an experience of two hosts and expert interviewers, they reach some everlasting wisdom on quality, connection, and authenticity— applicable both in business and life!

    Check out Blinkist's exclusive collection that offers concise and insightful Blinks, revealing the secrets behind Nike's global triumphs, tailored for listeners of the Acquired podcast.

    Recommended by Caitlin and Ben:

    Powers of Two by Joshua Wolf Shank

    The Everything Store by Brad Stone

    Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/simplify\][2], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code acquired.

    Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [2], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [3]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [4].

    This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Maria Levacic & Stéphane Obadia at Blinkist

    • 55 min
    Amy Key: Romance Isn't Everything

    Amy Key: Romance Isn't Everything

    In 1971, Joni Mitchell released Blue, an album teeming with stories of a life shaped by romance, desire, longing, and the default path of sharing life with another person. The ideal might persist to this day, but what happens if the romance we are told will give life meaning... never shows up? How gorgeous and fulfilling can we make our lives, sans romantic partner?

    Amy Key, the celebrated British essayist and poet, sets out to explore exactly these questions in her memoir, Arrangements in Blue, with Joni's seminal album as its scaffolding. Amy embarks on an intimate, sometimes painfully candid journey to search for all the things a soulmate was supposed to deliver, working out how to live well in this culture that prizes romantic love.

    And she shares her findings with us.

    Amy’s wisdom and tenderness guide us from an important shift in ideas about intimacy and solitude to the painful feelings we are often too ashamed to discuss: loneliness, envy, grief, and the sensation of wanting. In this episode, learn about the importance of building a home, how to travel alone, the importance of recognizing your own milestones, and why we should consider expanding the remit of friendship.

    Recommended by Caitlin and Ben:

    Living Your Best Single Life

    Simplify episode - Rebecca Traister and The Power of Being Single

    All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister

    Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab

    Recommended by Amy:

    Kick the Latch by Katherine Scanlan

    Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/simplify\][2], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code arrangement.

    Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [2], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [3]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [4].

    This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Maria Levacic & Stéphane Obadia at Blinkist

    • 32 min
    Steven Petrow: Get Old With Grace

    Steven Petrow: Get Old With Grace

    We might say that “age is just a number,” but if we're really honest with ourselves, a lot of us still think of “old” people as stubborn hoarders who eat dinner (too) early and are forever talking about their aches and pains. Why is that? And could there be another way?

    These questions prompted Steven Petrow, an award-winning journalist and author to begin compiling a list of things he won’t do when he gets old shortly after his 50th birthday. The list, which included “You won’t have to shout at me that I’m deaf” and “I won’t blame the family dog for my incontinence," was mainly based on all the things he thought his then-70-something parents were doing wrong. The list became first an essay and then a book, now praised as an "essential guide on how to age with grace, wisdom, humor and hope."

    In this episode, Steven and Caitlin tackle ageing with honesty and compassion, exploring together how we can live a little better and a little more gracefully than the generations before us. The beauty of intergenerational friendships, (internalized) ageism, and perennials are just a few of the topics covered—with the beauty of the interview lying in the shared conclusion: everyone benefits immensely from understanding people for who they are, not how old they are.

    Book recommended by Caitlin:

    Wiser by Dilip Jeste and Scott LaFee

    Books recommended by Steven:

    How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto

    Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

    This is Not Going to End Well by Daniel Wallace

    Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/simplify\][2], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code petrow.

    If you'd like to receive the Simplify newsletter with great insights, questions, and quotes from each episode to get a look back or a taste of what’s to come, you can sign up here: https://substack.com/@simplifybyblinkist?utm_source=profile-page.

    Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [4].

    This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Maria Levacic & Stéphane Obadia at Blinkis

    • 25 min
    Katherine Morgan Schafler: Perfectionism is a Gift

    Katherine Morgan Schafler: Perfectionism is a Gift

    What do people mean when they say, 'I'm a perfectionist'? The colloquial and widespread opinion would sound like this: A perfectionist is someone who desires everything to be perfect at all times and becomes upset when things aren't perfect. This definition is often followed by the (generic) advice that the best way for them to set themselves free is to get rid of their perfectionism.

    According to Katherine Morgan Schafler, a psychotherapist and a former on-site therapist at Google, this is not only wrong but also causes more harm than good. After spending years dismantling perfectionism, Katherine wrote 'The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control,' offering a new and unique approach for all those who are sick of being given the generic advice to 'find balance' and feel ready to embrace their perfectionism for what it is—a gift.

    In this episode, Katherine shares her practical knowledge of understanding various perfectionist traits and how to make them work for you, not against you. By introducing us to the five different perfectionist types in detail, Katherine demonstrates that with the valuable gifts each perfectionist type naturally brings to the table, you can learn to embrace and even enjoy your perfectionism beyond merely managing it.

    Which of the five types of perfectionist are you? Classic, intense, Parisian, messy, or procrastinator? Take the quiz at the Katherine's official website.

    Recommended by Caitlin:

    The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch

    Recommended by Katherine:

    Push Off from Here by Laura McKowen

    Build For Tomorrow by Jason Feifer

    Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/simplify\][2], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code perfection.

    Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [2], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [3]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [4].

    This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Maria Levacic & Stéphane Obadia at Blinkist

    • 35 min

Customer Reviews

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50 Ratings

50 Ratings

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