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Deep Work & Inspired Rest – Alicia Navarro Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

How important is place when we think about deep work? Why is inspired rest so important, and how can we find it?

In this episode, we welcome Alicia Navarro, a serial tech entrepreneur with a passion for product, brand, design and culture. In 2007, Alicia founded Skimlinks, which she grew to a $50 million a year global business and which in 2020 was acquired by Connexity.

In 2018 she stood down from her role as Skimlinks CEO and went on a journey to find her next venture. On that journey she became frustrated by the lack of creative spaces for deep work. And so her latest company, Flown, was born. Flown is creating deep workplaces and spaces for knowledge workers today.

In this episode we discuss:

how to put Cal Newport's theory of Deep Work in to practice
how to change corporate culture to embrace inspired rest
why saying no as an entrepreneur, maybe the best thing you can do.

More on Flown: https://flown.com

Mission & Story: https://flown.com/story-and-mission

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

Going Light – Kaiwei Tang Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

How do objects inspire action? And are smartphones really the right tools to get our tasks done?

In this episode, we welcome Kaiwei Tang. Kai is the co-founder and CEO of Light, and his Light Phone is leading a grassroots revolution against our overconnected digital culture. He believes that the right technology tool can empower us to be our best selves and to appreciate our lives more. Light Phone was launched in 2014, and is available in 71 different countries. It has been named the 10 most innovative consumer electronics companies in 2020 by fast company and the best a hundred innovations in 2019.

In this episode we discuss:

the story of Light
what tools do we really need to go light
how objects inspire action

More on Light: https://www.thelightphone.com

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

Are you Futureproofed? – Kevin Roose Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

"A.I. is everywhere. Jobs are being automated. Algorithms run your life. What are you doing about it?" (excerpt from Futureproof by Kevin Roose)

In this episode, we welcome Kevin Roose, an award-winning technology columnist for the New York Times and the New York Times bestselling author of three books: Futureproof, Young Money and The Unlikely Disciple. He has also hosted Rabbit Hole, a New York Times produced podcast about internet culture. He writes and speaks regularly on many topics, including automation and AI, social media, disinformation, cybersecurity, and digital wellness.

In this extended 30 minute episode we discuss:

his own tortured relationship with technology, and why he describes himself as a sub-optimist
what led him to write Futureproof, and what it's all about
the nine rules which will help us to reclaim autonomy in an age of AI

For more on Kevin Roose: https://www.kevinroose.com/bio

To read his latest articles: https://www.nytimes.com/by/kevin-roose

To order Futureproof: https://www.kevinroose.com/futureproof

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

Laziness, Love and the Joy of Missing Out – Christina Crook Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

What are Good Burdens? Why do we need them? And what is the relationship between laziness, love and technology?

In this episode, we welcome Christina Crook, a leading voice in the field of digital well-being. As the author of the award-winning book, The Joy of Missing Out, and the leader of the global #JOMO movement, she interviews other mindful tech leaders as the host of the JOMOcast and leads the JOMO Membership - Navigate- focusing you on the wisest investment of your time online to help you live more deliberately and experience more joy. Her new book, Good Burdens: How to Live Joyfully in the Digital Age will be available in November 2021.

In this episode we discuss:

the concept of Good Burdens
the relationship between laziness, love and attention
the algebra of joy and how it relates to technology

For more on Christina Crook: https://www.christinacrook.com/

And to pre-order Good Burdens: How to Live Joyfully in a Digital Age: https://www.amazon.ca/Good-Burdens-Live-Joyfully-Digital/dp/1771089784/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=good+burden+christina+crook&qid=1622134583&sr=8-1

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

Nature, Adventures and the Place for Tech – Jenny Tough & Alex Roddie Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Is being in nature the antidote to the negatives of technology use? Or does technology have a place to enhance our experience of nature?

In this episode, we welcome Jenny Tough, an endurance athlete and adventurer, and Alex Roddie, nature photographer and explorer. Jenny is currently working on a global challenge to run, solo and unsupported, across a mountain range on every continent. Alex is a long-distance backpacker, mountaineer, and lover of wild places. At work he’s a freelance writer, photographer, and the editor of Sidetracked magazine.

In this episode we discuss:

the place for technology in exploring
our relationships with nature and technology
how getting outdoors can support creativity

More on Alex:
Website: www.alexroddie.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_roddie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_roddie/
Sidetracked: https://www.sidetracked.com/

More on Jenny:
Website: http://jennytough.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terms/unblock/?next=/jennytough/

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

A World Without Email – Cal Newport May 27, 2021

Show notes

Many people blame distraction in the workplace on tools like email and Slack. Would our life be improved if we just took those tools away?

Unfortunately the answer is not so simple...

In this episode, we speak with Cal Newport, computer science professor at Georgetown University and a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including Digital Minimalism and Deep Work. His work focuses on the intersection of digital technology and culture, and he is particularly interested in our struggle to deploy technology in ways that support, instead of subvert the things that we care about.

Today we focus on his latest book, A World Without Email, to discuss:

Why is email such a problem?
How do workflows need to change to support a better work environment?
What does the future of work look like, and is there a place for email?

Learn more about Cal and his work:

Homepage: https://www.calnewport.com/

A World Without Email: https://www.calnewport.com/books/a-world-without-email/

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

The Juggle, Modern Writers and the Truth about Productivity – Joanna Rakoff May 21, 2021

Show notes

As the world switches to hybrid working, many of us are having to learn how to manage our space, time and demands now that we work from home. But authors have been doing it for decades. What is the secret to success?

In this episode, we welcome Joanna Rakoff, the author of the international bestselling memoir My Salinger Year and the novel A Fortunate Age, winner of the Goldberg Prize for Fiction, the Elle Readers’ Prize, and a San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller. She has written frequently for The New York Times, Vogue, Marie Claire, O: The Oprah Magazine, and many other publications.

In this episode we discuss:

Her working environment and the habits which keep her on track
What productivity means to her
The impact of social media on writers and their work

The film adaptation of My Salinger Year stars Margaret Qualley as Joanna and Sigourney Weaver as her boss. Directed by Oscar-nominee Philippe Falardeau, the film opens in theaters and streaming in North America on March 5, 2021 and in the UK on May 17, 2021.

To find out more about Joanna (joannarakoff.com)

To watch My Salinger Year (in the US): https://www.amazon.com/My-Salinger-Year-Margaret-Qualley/dp/B08XRXS8YB

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

The Truth about Youth and Technology – Larissa May May 13, 2021

Show notes

The data is inconclusive. Conflicting studies will paint very different stories about the relationship between technology and the mental health of young people. This episode hopes to bring some clarity to the situation.

In this episode, we welcome Larissa May, founder of Half the Story, a global not-for-profit, whose mission is to empower youth to engage in technology with intention. Time, Forbes, Good Morning America and CNN have all acclaimed her powerful work and influence as a digital wellness activist.

In this episode we discuss:

Her journey to founding Half The Story
The important difference between connections and connecting
Relativity and our relationship with technology
The dangers of commercializing mental health

Half the Story: https://halfthestoryproject.com/

Larissa's website: https://www.livinlikelarz.com/welcome

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

Additional Audio Editing: Steven Raets – Sonark Media

Super-foods, the Blame Game and Toxic Positivity - Jocelyn Brewer May 07, 2021

Show notes

Technology is getting a bad rep. In fact, gaming is a super-food, productivity itself is 'toxic', and urban geography is more to blame than iPhones when we consider the challenges of society today.

In this episode, we welcome Jocelyn Brewer, a Sydney-based registered psychologist with a special interest in the psychology of technology
and staying human in a digital age. In 2013 she created Digital Nutrition as a positive framework for addressing digital wellbeing issues and
our love-hate relationship with technology. In addition to her private psychology practice, Jocelyn is a sought-after speaker, educator and media commentator.

In this episode we discuss:

Why gaming is a super-food
Why tech-is a convenient, but misplaced 'fall-guy' for the challenges of today
Why critical thinking lies at the heart of our future relationships with tech

To find out more from Jocelyn (jocelynbrewer.com/)
To find a diverse set of positive games: (taminggaming.com)

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

Teens, Parents & The Machines – Doug Kaufman Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

Can AI know our children better than we do? What are the signs of mental health problems online? And is it right that technology should be the first to spot them?

In this episode, we welcome Doug Kaufman, the founder and CEO of Vertroos Health, which has created Nika. Nika is a tool to help parents identify mental health challenges in their children by decrypting their online activity. Doug, who holds a PhD in Psychology, is a serial entrepreneur, but never before has he built a product so personal to him.

In this episode we discuss:

Doug's own journey that led him to create Nika
how technology can detect signs of mental illness in online behaviour
the role of AI in supporting us to know ourselves and our children better

For further resource on teen mental health, parenting and more: https://getnika.com/resources
For more on Nika: https://getnika.com
Find Doug Kaufman on LinkedIn

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell

Music: Toccare

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