The Better Show

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**The Better Show**

The Better Show is a weekly podcast for people who want to get better at all aspects of life, made by people who love getting better. Each week we focus on a single topic relevant to day to day life – such as sleep, managing stress, reducing clutter, relationships and healthy eating. We discuss why that topic matters, stories from our personal experience with that topic, tips & tricks our audience can apply themselves and end with a discussion of things we’re going to try out and report back on.

To join the community go to: www.facebook.com/thebettershow

Latest Episodes:

Automate Your Life Pt.2 Nov 18, 2019

Show notes

Show Notes

1:27 — We got nominated for a “best health and fitness” podcast award!!
5:20 — March recommends checking out Episode 56: Better Morning Routines.
6:48 — What benefits can you reap from using services to automate things in your life?
8:25 — Automating your laundry with LaundryHeap.com
12:16 — How to automate your grocery shopping
16:10 — Ian’s experience using TaxFyle.com to outsource his tax preparation.
19:39 — A few of the lesser known outsourcing services that Darren and Mardee use including Dolly, Fiverr, and 99Designs.com.
22:00 — How to decide which outsourcing services are the best value for your lifestyle.
25:50 — Ian reflects on the benefits of having a roommate to “outsource” some activities around the house.
27:01 —March almost confesses to making phone calls to random people. :-)
32:00 — The two categories of automation / outsourcing services.
34:19 — Are we already living in a dystopian future of automation?
38:42 — Darren offers to do Ian’s taxes. (Not really.)
40:00 — The precarious task of putting up Christmas lights.
43:10 —The 3 weirdest things that have been outsourced using TaskRabbit.
49:45 — The difference between Fiverr and TaskRabbit.
51:38 — What is Mechanical Turk by Amazon?
1:00:01 — The different options for food and grocery delivery.
1:01:00 — The different personal shopping services and how they work.
1:05:20 — A service called OffTheRecord.com that will contest your traffic tickets on your behalf.
1:07:19 — Automating the setup of a company and payment system using Atlas by Stripe.
1:07:59 — Services that automatically coach you on sales calls or for live presentations.
1:10:01 — Services that help you automate your travel planning.
1:13:05 — Services like Dolly that can help you find people to move large, heavy objects.
1:15:05 — How you can get rid of three feet of snow using the Shovler app.

Mentions

🎙️ Podcast: The Better Show Episode 56 — Better Morning Routines
📦 Product: TaxFyle
📱 App: TaskRabbit
📱 App: Fiverr
📱 App: Shovler
📰 Website: Mechanical Turk by Amazon — automate repetitive tasks
📰 Website: AngiesList
📰 Website: Craigslist.org
📰 Website: MyBuilder.com — find tradesmen in the US
📰 Website: TradePlatform.com.au — find skilled tradespeople in Australia
📰 Website: Tradesman.ie — find skilled tradespeople in Ireland
📰 Website: OffTheRecord.com
📰 Website: Clerky.com — outsource legal paperwork for startups
📰 Article: Best Grocery Delivery Services 2019 (USA)
📰 Website: Amazon Fresh
📰 Website: Brandless
📰 Website: RideOrDrive.org
📰 Website: Atlas by Stripe
📱 App: Dolly
📺 Video clip: Fake Jim scene from The Office

Our First Podcast Award Nomination! Nov 16, 2019

Show notes

We've been nominated as one of the best health & fitness podcasts of 2019 by Discover Pods! If you're a fan of the show please pop over to https://awards.discoverpods.com/finalists/ and vote for us by Nov 18th (only 2 days left!).
Pro tip: You only need to fill in your email, your pick for best podcast of 2019 and then scroll down to the health & fitness category and pick The Better Show. Then zoom to the end and choose whether to join the Discover Pods newsletter and then hit submit. We timed ourselves and it takes 15 seconds total. Thank you so much!

Better Home Automation Redux Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

We break down four types of home automation solutions and highlight the pros and cons of each.
Why you may already be employing some home automation tools and don’t eve know it.
We recap the story behind the start of the Ring camera-enabled doorbell and discuss the usefulness of a camera-based doorbells to thwart package thieves during the holidays.
Some easy ways to get started using home automation to make managing your home easier.
Some really crazy things you can do with a fully connected home and where home automation is likely to go in the next several years.
and lots more!

Automate Your Life Pt.1 Nov 06, 2019

Show notes

Show Notes

2:50 — Why might you want to automate certain tasks in your life?
6:04 — The advantages of reducing friction in your life.
7:03 — Three questions to ask yourself to discover areas where automation might be advantageous for you.
8:50 — March shares the areas in his life that he has happily automated including bills, discovery of relevant news, and retirement savings.
9:59 — Why you might NOT want to pay attention to your investments.
13:22 — Ian shares a few things that he’s automated in his life but laments that this is one of the few areas where he is not an early adopter.
15:45 — “Just in time” shopping.
16:50 — Darren shares his philosophy on how he thinks about life automation and lists a number of services he and his wife, Mardee, have used to automate basic life tasks.
19:32 —The strangest thing that Darren has automated in his life and a reference to Episode 29 where he shares the story of what motivated him to do it.
21:57 — Five things everyone should automate.
25:55 — How Ian broke the central heating system in his new home.
33:28 —Five surprising things that you can benefit from automating including food delivery, shopping for deals, and feeding your cat.
35:54 —Darren gives a hearty endorsement of Sun Basket, the food delivery service that he and Mardee use regularly.
43:49 — How to keep track of cool stuff in space.
45:25 — How to use automation to get out of annoying or difficult conversations.
49:10 — The things that you DON’T want to automate.
52:38 — Things our listeners wish they could automate but that are difficult or impossible to automate.
53:50 — Ian, Darren, and March decide which things from this episode they are going to try out and report back on.

Mentions

📱 App: IFTTT
📱 App: Wunderlist
📱 App: Trello
📰 Website: Camelcamelcamel.com
📰 Website: Invisible Hand
📰 Website: CouponFollow.com
🎙️ Podcast: The Better Show Episode 46 — Stay Safe Online
📦 Product: Dropbox
📦 Product: Google Photos
📰 Website: EatThisMuch.com
🥗 Meal Service: Blue Apron
🥗 Meal Service: Sun Basket
🥗 Meal Service: Home Chef
🔒 Secure password manager: Dashlane
🎙️ Podcast: The Better Show Episode 29 — Emergency Preparedness
🤖 Robo-investment service: Wealthfront
📺 video: Robot chefs (coming soon to Las Vegas!)
📦 Product: Google Duplex

Building a Better Exercise Habit Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

Show Notes

1:30 — Why March has been thinking a lot about building an exercise habit lately
2:52 — Darren asks Ian and March if they exercise grudgingly or just not consistently enough
8:54 — March dives into the research of why exercise matters
11:20 — The psychological benefits of exercise & how it is similar to fasting or public speaking
13:09 — Research into the maintenance of exercise programs
14:18 — Disclaimer: Ian's priorities to focus on before exercise
16:38 — Ian, Darren and March share their personal experiences with building an exercise habit
17:35 — Exercise is a way to physically express yourself
21:22 — What March is stumped about around his exercise habits
22:35 — Why Darren has never gotten into a consistent exercise routine
25:32 — Ian's observation about organized sports, children, and exercise habits
28:32 — The exercise puzzle we are all trying to solve together
32:29 — Tip 1: You're not lazy, you're just starting from zero
33:43 — Tip 2: Don't beat yourself up about your current level of fitness
34:45 — Tip 3: Focus on your own progress, not others
36:09 — Tip 4: Avoid boredom & make it interesting to you
37:30 — Ian's iPod Nano Nike+ Power Song story
39:29 — Task bundling, guilty pleasures, and exercise
40:13 — Tip 5: Reframe the suck
43:20 — Tip 6: Replace willpower with willingness
45:22 — Tip 7: Forget all or nothing
46:48 — Tip 8: Find your secret sauce
47:47 — Tip 9: How can technology help you?
51:03 — Experiments that Ian, March & Darren will try & report back on in a future episode

Mentions

📰 Article: 100 Ways to Disguise Exercise
📱 App: Strava
💻 Website: Fitocracy
📱 App: Seconds
🎵 Playlist: Spotify 180 BPM playlist
🪓 Activity: Axe Throwing
💪 Activity: Tough Mudder
💪 Activity: CrossFit

Better Week Prep Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

Show Notes

3:20 — Why planning your week matters? Spoiler alert: we all have a limited amount of time and can benefit from aligning our efforts with our goals.
5:18 — Why do people dread Mondays?
8:35 — How March plans his week and balances his personal and professional obligations and how he balances his schedule with his spouse.
10:17 — March’s tip for planning the coming week on Friday.
13:04 — Ian outlines how he plans his week and describes the experiments he tried out in preparation for this episode.
17:19 — Ian’s tip for how he quickly gets up to speed after a long absence from work.
19:01 — Ian and March’s tactics for managing overloaded email.
25:03 — The power of setting goals for your week.
32:59 — Calendar management tips.
38:55 — How meals affect the productivity of your week and how you can use meal prep to maximize your impact for the week.
53:27 — Tips for planning your morning routine.
56:50 — Planning the week ahead on Friday afternoon.
1:00:29 — Making time for fun during your week.
1:03:00 — The trick of prepping your workout gear to encourage yourself to exercise.

Mentions

📦 Product: Instant Pot Ultra 6-Quart
📦 Product: Vitamix Professional Series 750
📦 Product: Air Fryer (Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Oven)
🎧 Podcast: The Better Show Ep. 42 — Maximize Your Time with Better Priorities
🎧 Podcast: The Better Show Ep. 56 — How Morning Routines Make the Day
🎧 Podcasts: The Better Show productivity related episodes

Better Friendships Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE SUMMARY

This week we discuss how you can improve and foster better friendships with both new and existing friends in your life.

EPISODE NOTES

Show Notes

1:18 - Insights from a study about loneliness across generations
3:20 - How friendships affect your mental and physical health positively
7:40 - Could there be a relationship between microbiome and friend groups?
9:05 - Surprising scientific facts about friendships
12:52 - Insights of a LinkedIn study weighing friendships vs promotions
13:52 - What does "friend" mean anyway?
16:04 - Best countries to make friends for expats, as ranked by a survey
18: 39 - How Irish friendliness impacted March's marriage
19:23 - Worst countries to make friends for expats from the same survey
21:33 - March & Darren cook up an idea for a study or a reality show
22:30 - Darren shares his experience with close friendships that withstand relocation and time
23:55 - March shares how proximity has played a role in his friendships
26:00 - March describes his super-friend and what he can teach us
29:30 - Darren & March discuss ways they've made time for keeping in touch
32:40 - A lightweight way to insert thoughtful energy into a friendship
33:33 - A great tip to counteract "We should get together sometime" syndrome
35:29 - Darren's tip to go beyond surface-level friendship
37:23 - Reflections on vulnerability's role in building friendships
38:23 - What differentiates being open and being vulnerable
40:49 - March explains what awkward experiences can signal about a friendship
41:43 - Avoiding problem-solving and why can be a struggle
44:45 - How being present can be helpful during tough times
48:12 - A guide to being a friend when you don't see eye to eye
50:40 - Tips for maintaining trust in a friendship
52:15 - How to find and choose new friends
54:36 - Darren and March commit to some practices to nurturing their friendships
57:52 - Another tip for friends who live far apart
1:00:10 - The "better next step" for listeners

Mentions

📰 Study: The millennial friendship crisis

Better Meetings: Part 2 Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

Show Notes

1:35 — Insights from Paul Graham’s blog post “Maker’s Schedule vs Manager’s Schedule”
3:20 — When to schedule meetings with “makers” to minimize the disruption to their days.
4:25 —Caucus meetings versus moderated meetings and the pros and cons of each.
6:21—The characteristics of a moderated meeting.
9:32 — Ian and March engage in a friendly debate about the value of moderated meetings
10:03 — Ian’s case against a moderated meeting.
12:18 — The value of taking an improv class as a way to foster a “yes and…” mindset.
13:15— March’s case for a moderated meeting in specific circumstances.
18:05 — How moderated meetings can be much more effective when including remote team members.
18:54 — Tips from March for working remotely and which meeting types work best for in-person meetings versus remote meetings.
20:48 — Ian reflects on how Leo Laporte organized his meeting space so that remote interviewees appeared physically present.
23:45 — The power of recording meetings for later reference and at tip for listening at 2X speed.
26:05 — March and Ian give a shout out to the value of the Microsoft Whiteboard app as a great tool for collaboration with remote meeting attendees.
27:40 — Darren, Ian, and March decide which tips they are going to apply to improve their meetings.
29:33 — The “better next step” for listeners.

Mentions

📰 Blog post: “Maker’s Schedule vs Manager’s Schedule” by Paul Graham
📰 Blog post: “Caucus Meetings Suck” by Chelsea Troy
📦 Product: Microsoft Whiteboard

Better Meetings: Part 1 Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

Show Notes

2:05 —Some facts about the current state of meetings in the US including the average cost of a meeting when you add up the salaries of all attendees.
10:30 — The value of recording meetings so others who can’t attend can get the value of the information shared at the meeting.
11:43 — The most common complaints about meetings.
14:05 — Ian shares a challenge he faces in needing to meet with a wide variety of individuals on other teams.
16:55 — March shares his perspective on how meetings have changed for him since he’s moved to Ireland and is now a remote team member.
22:15 — Basic meeting etiquette for remote meeting attendees.
23:27 — Some tactics Darren has used to try to improve the value of the meetings he organizes.
29:39 — Tips from The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven Rogelberg
33:28 — Ian shares the different impressions of people who actively listen in a meeting and those who multi-task.
41:34 — The importance of communicating a goal for a meeting.
47:55 — How Darren organized the daily stand-up meeting at his previous company.
57:11 — The ideal number of attendees for a meeting for maximum productivity.

Mentions

📖 Book: The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven Rogelberg
📺 Song: Stand Up by Ludacris

Better Podcasts: Part 2 Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

Show Notes
05:20 - Darren shares a new podcast he found recently, Bottom of the Map.
8:13 -Ian introduces us to The Bag Man podcast - a series that was nominated for a Peabody Award.
10:41 - Stuff You Missed In History Class from HowStuffWorks.com.
13:22 - Ian shares his review of Below the Line with James Beshara.
17:38 - How I Built This with Guy Raz
18:56 - The Good Place Podcast
21:35 - Intelligence Squared
24:19 - Mystery Show by Gimlet Media
26:50 - Stuff To Blow Your Mind
28:05 - Women in Business & Technology

Mentions
🎙 Podcast: Stuff to Blow your Mind
🎙 Podcast: Bottom of the Map
🎙 Podcast: Bag Man
🎙 Podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class
🎙 Podcast: Below the Line with James Beshara
🎙 Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Raz
🎙 Podcast: The Good Place Podcast
🎙 Podcast: Intelligence Squared
🎙 Podcast: Mystery Show by Gimlet Media
🎙 Podcast: Women in Business & Technology