The Better Show

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Here ar...

Show Notes

• 1:55 — We recap our conversation in part 1 about why coffee matters.
• 7:07 — Darren and March discuss Bulletproof coffee.
• 8:40 — Darren tells the story of how he first became interested in coffee and espresso.
• 13:22 — Ian explains the art of roasting coffee beans.
• 18:43 — The trade-off between acidity and bitterness.
• 20:58 — The chemistry of coffee roasting and the importance of drying out the beans.
• 26:26 — Ian exp...

Show Notes

• 8:05 —Ian answers the question why does coffee matter and why you might want to start exploring the world of coffee.
• 11:40 —The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd “waves” of coffee history.
• 12:05 — The connection between coffee and cultural histories across the world.
• 15:25 — The depth of the world of coffee and how it compares to the world of wine.
• 19:19 — March shares how he was first introduced to coffee and how he consumes it...

Show Notes

• 0:58 — Ian gets hungry for fresh veggies and Darren realizes that he knows someone who can help.
• 4:58 — Darren welcomes Carmen Johnston to the show.
• 7:19 — Darren learns a French term for a “kitchen garden”.
• 7:59 — How gardening has become more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 9:02 — Carmen gives us all permission to kill plants on the journey of learning how to do it.
• 10:01 — How to get started without the ne...

Show Notes

• 3:47 — March discusses his interest in this topic and the benefits of music including increased ability to concentrate, improved performance in mathematics, improving mood and reduction of pain.
• 4:55 — Darren and Ian share their relationship to music and their background with playing instruments.
• 13:01 — Darren recommends an episode of Every Little Thing podcast titled “Secrets of the Symphony”
• 13:55 —March shar...

• 3:28 — We discuss why the topic of equity is important and why we were inspired to explore this topic further.
• 6:40 — March welcomes Andrew Grant-Thomas to the show and we learn a little about his background and how he began his work on EmbraceRace.org.
• 10:06 — Andrew discusses the resources that EmbraceRace provides and how those tools address different aspects of racial equity.
• 13:47 — Becoming more aware of racial inequities in...

Show Notes

• 3:10 — We take a moment to recognize the importance and express our support of the racial justice movement in response to the recent killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
• 5:26 — We share a list of reputable organizations working to further the cause of racial justice.
• 14:30 — Is a pet store a good place to find a pet to adopt?
• 15:00 — What is a puppy mill and what kinds of conditions do animals endure in puppy...

Show Notes

• 2:46 — Darren shares that he and his wife recently adopted a new puppy, Ellie and he discusses his motivation for focusing on this topic.
• 4:10 — The benefits of pet adoption including companionship, stress reduction, and better mental health.
• 7:01 — March shares his past experience adopting a large dog in his small apartment.
• 13:04 — March reflects on the differences between pet ownership in Ireland and the US.
• 1...

Show Notes

• 4:15 — Why habits are important to pay attention to and what role they play in our lives.
• 8:09 — Ian, March, and Darren share their personal experiences with building good habits and breaking bad ones.
• 14:14 — Ian explains the core concepts behind BJ Fogg’s methodology in Tiny Habits.
• 15:28 — Why the “tiny” component is so important to the process.
• 17:10 — The Fogg Behavior Model and what it tells us about formin...

Show Notes

• 1:15 — How we arrived at the topic this week.
• 3:40 — March reflects on how losing his sense of curiosity is an indicator of burnout for him.
• 12:45 — Darren shares a gesture of gratitude that his sister-in-law received from the principal at her school.
• 14:14 — Ian shares how he has been experiencing burnout lately.
• 15:20 — March reflects fondly on a recent recovery day and the different types of recovery days in h...

Show Notes

• 6:15 — What to do about background noise including an AI-based software solution that cancels background sounds and a pro-level solution that uses audio hardware to block unwanted sounds.
• 11:31 — Why it’s important to pay attention to keeping your face centered in your webcam.
• 13:00 — Tailoring your backdrop so you look professional.
• 14:55 — Ian suggests using software or a good camera lens to blur your backgrou...

Show Notes

• 7:19 — The benefits of connecting with others via video and why a quality video conferencing setup matters for you and for the people with whom you are connecting.
• 12:15 — Ian shares his experience with video conferencing and confesses that he’s never really given much thought to the quality of his setup for video calls.
• 15:52 — March discusses how his move to Ireland necessitated that he pay additional attenti...

Show Notes

• 1:27 — We reflect on our sense of exhaustion with COVID-related news.
• 4:49 — Why gratitude can help us through challenging times.
• 8:10 — Darren reflects on how his parents have been an example to him of how to practice gratitude every day.
• 9:44 — March marvels at the power and expanse of the Internet and the positive impact it has had on the world.
• 14:48 — March shares a visualization of the network of satellites...

Show Notes

• 5:59 — March describes experiencing a “background stress” with a source that is hard to pinpoint.
• 7:29 — Ian and Darren joke about how one of the most stressful things about sheltering in place is the never-ending "bad hair days" now that we haven’t been able to go to the barber.
• 8:41 — We take a detour to appreciate the Floebee! self-haircutting product from the 1980's.
• 10:50 — Ian shares his difficulty in sett...

Show Notes

• 2:33 — Ian wishes Kevin happy birthday. 🎂
• 3:55 — Kevin discusses why it’s important for us to think about leadership and how it is changing.
• 6:01 — Why it is difficult for organizations to disperse power.
• 13:46 — Kevin talks about the empowerment that comes from answering a question with a question.
• 20:58 — How can we all get better at shared leadership?
• 23:00 — Kevin shares how he was inspired by observing how p...

Show Notes

• 2:32 — We announce the introduction of The Better Show on channel on YouTube.
• 5:11 — Darren shares his pick for most useful YouTube channel: This Old House.
• 9:13 — Ian shares his pick for most useful channel: NutritionFacts.org
• 12:05 — March’s pick for most useful is MedLife Crisis.
• 14:59 — Ian shares his coffee addiction with James Hoffman — Coffee.
• 18:09 — March shares a celebration of maker culture with Adam Sa...

Show Notes

• 1:22 — Ian welcomes John to the show.
• 2:39 — John talks about what has changed since the book came out in late 2018 that makes the topic of time management more important.
• 6:01 — John discusses how the need to work from home during the COVID-19 lock down has changed the routines for nearly all of us.
• 8:44 — The different way we perceive time now that we are spending all our time at home.
• 10:15 — The effect of add...

Order your copy here: Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

Show Notes

• 1:42 — The authors’ backgrounds and why they were uniquely qualified to write a book about focus.
• 3:31 — Ian discusses why this book, in particular, is a valuable resource in helping you make improvements in your system of focus and why the method in this book is different than other productivity methods.
• 8:30 — March discusses his personal strategi...