

Simplify
Kollo Media, Caitlin Schiller
New look is here, new season, coming soon! Simplify is now independently owned by Caitlin Schiller and Ben Schuman-Stoler.
Simplify is a podcast for anyone who’s taken a close look at their habits, their happiness, their relationships, or their health and thought, “There’s got to be a better way to do this.”
Simplify is a podcast for anyone who’s taken a close look at their habits, their happiness, their relationships, or their health and thought, “There’s got to be a better way to do this.”
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 10, 2023 • 5min
BONUS Exercise: How to Listen to Your Body
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 what you think at podcast@blinkist.com!See a visual walk-through of the exercise on Blinkist's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CofRSddrZ9l/Oh, and please take our survey, too! https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ [1]MORE ABOUT THE EV'YAN WHITNEY EPISODE (find it in the Simplify feed):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 of us.Listen to learn how to get into your body, why it matters, and what you’d learn if you spent more time there. And look for a guided practice in listening to your body from Ev’Yan as a bonus follow-up episode!*** SURVEY: Please tell us who you want to hear from and what you’re curious about. Take Simplify's FIRST EVER LISTENER https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ [1]-Ev’Yan’s Podcast: Sensual Self [2]Ev'Yan's Instagram [3]Recommended by Phoebe:The Power of Ritual by Casper ter KuileA Manifesto to Slowness by Ev’Yan Whitney and Ev’Yan Whitney’s Guide, Connect With Yourself, can be found in the Blinkist appWild Geese by Mary OliverPoetry of Raymond AntrobusRecommended by CaitlinThe Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee TaylorSimplify Episode with Sonya Renee TaylorThe Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine AronYou can listen to many of today’s recommendations on Blinkist for free for 7 days by signing up for the app at www.blinkist.com [4]Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [5], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [6]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [7].This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Phoebe McIndoe, and Luiza Carvalho at Blinkist.[1]: https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ [2]: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensual-self-with-evyan-whitney/id1124567779[3]: https://www.instagram.com/evyan.whitney/?hl=en[3]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[4]: www.blinkist.com[5]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[6] https://twitter.com/bsto[7] podcast@blinkist.com

Feb 10, 2023 • 41min
Ev'Yan Whitney: How to Listen to Your Body
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 of us.Listen to learn how to get into your body, why it matters, and what you’d learn if you spent more time there. And look for a guided practice in listening to your body from Ev’Yan as a bonus follow-up episode!You can see the visual version of the exercise here, on Blinkist's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CofRSddrZ9l/*** SURVEY: Please tell us who you want to hear from and what you’re curious about. Take Simplify's FIRST EVER LISTENER https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ [1]-Ev’Yan’s Podcast: Sensual Self [2]Ev'Yan's Instagram [3]Recommended by Phoebe:The Power of Ritual by Casper ter KuileA Manifesto to Slowness by Ev’Yan Whitney and Ev’Yan Whitney’s Guide, Connect With Yourself, can be found in the Blinkist appWild Geese by Mary OliverPoetry of Raymond AntrobusRecommended by CaitlinThe Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee TaylorSimplify Episode with Sonya Renee TaylorThe Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine AronYou can listen to many of today’s recommendations on Blinkist for free for 7 days by signing up for the app at www.blinkist.com [4]Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [5], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [6]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [7].This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Phoebe McIndoe, and Luiza Carvalho at Blinkist.[1]: https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ [2]: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensual-self-with-evyan-whitney/id1124567779[3]: https://www.instagram.com/evyan.whitney/?hl=en[3]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[4]: www.blinkist.com[5]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[6] https://twitter.com/bsto[7] podcast@blinkist.com

Feb 2, 2023 • 38min
Julie Lythcott-Haims: Be an Excellent Adult
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.blinkist.com/en/books/your-turn-en [1].Julie explains why the "checklist" for adulting—graduate college, get a job, get married, have kids, buy a house, retire—doesn't work anymore, the exciting thing that replaces it, and how a lot of the work of being an adult is becoming a safe place for one another.SURVEY: Please take Simplify's FIRST EVER LISTENER SURVEY: https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ You'll be helping us immensely to know what you want to hear about and which authors we should talk to. Thanks!--Book recommended by Julie:Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood by bell hooksBooks recommended by CaitlinA General Theory of Love, by Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini and Richard LannonAdult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, by Lindsay C. GibsonTry Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to https://www.blinkist.com/simplify, tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code ADULT—or just follow this link: https://www.blinkist.com/friends/?v=adultLet us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [4], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [5]. You can write us all an email at podcast@blinkist.com [6].Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler and Odysseas Constantinou at Blinkist.[1]: https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/your-turn-en[2]: https://twitter.com/bsto[3]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[4]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[5]: https://twitter.com/bsto[6] podcast@blinkist.com

Jan 26, 2023 • 1min
Take the First Ever Listener Survey
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 about two minutes, but it will help us a lot.Thank you for listening, thanks for answering those questions, and look for more new Simplify very, very soon. Email us at podcast@blinkist.com [2] Find Caitlin on Twitter @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [3] Ben's at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [4]Or find the survey also at Blinkist's instagram https://www.instagram.com/blinkist/ [5]Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, and Odysseas Constantinou, who also made the music and has been helping us sound like adults since 2017. [1]: https://try.blinkist.com/simplify-learner-survey/ [2]: podcast@blinkist.com [3]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[4]: https://twitter.com/bsto[5]: https://www.instagram.com/blinkist/

Jan 5, 2023 • 53min
Thrive in 2023 with Tiffany Dufu, Ken Page, and Liz Fosslien
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 you for free. You can get it at our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blinkist/ [1] It'll help you turn your values into time, and was developed by Nir Eyal, author of Hooked and Indistractable, as part of his Guide, available on the Blinkist app: http://blinkist.com/ [2]Suggest an author or idea for Caitlin and Ben to check out! Email us at podcast@blinkist.comFind Caitlin on Twitter @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [3] or Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/caitlinschillerart/ [4]Ben's at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [5]Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to https://www.blinkist.com/simplify [6], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code 2023.Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, and Odysseas Constantinou, who also made the music and has been helping us sound like adults since 2017. Featured experts in this episode and where to get more of them:Tiffany Dufu: https://www.tiffanydufu.com/Drop The Ball: https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/drop-the-ball-enKen Page: https://www.deeperdating.com/Deeper Dating: https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/deeper-dating-enLiz Fosslien: https://www.fosslien.com/No Hard Feelings: https://www.blinkist.com/de/books/no-hard-feelings-enBooks recommended by Ben & Caitlin:The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron: https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/the-artists-way-enBuild by Tony Fadell: https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/build-en [1]: https://www.instagram.com/blinkist/ [2]: http://blinkist.com/ [3]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[4]:https://www.instagram.com/caitlinschillerart/ [5]: https://twitter.com/bsto[6]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify

Oct 28, 2021 • 19min
Ken Page: Meet Your Inner Mentor
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 Page, followed by the original tape of his guided meditation.Ken is a psychotherapist specializing 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 [1].For more context on this practice, you can find the full episode on the Deeper Dating podcast https://deeperdatingpodcast.com/speed-your-path-to-love/ [2]. In that feed, you'll also find a lot of other episodes with tips, questions and exercises that you can immediately apply in your intimacy journey. Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to https://www.blinkist.com/simplify [3], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code INNERMENTOR. There you'll also find Simplify episode with Ken, as well as all our other guests from the previous 7 seasons.Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Marta at @martatlon https://twitter.com/martatlon [4], Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [5] and Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [6]Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler and Marta Medvešek. Big thanks to Odysseas Constantinou for his audio engineering chops. ♥[1]: https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/browse/books/deeper-dating-en[2]: https://deeperdatingpodcast.com/speed-your-path-to-love/[3]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[4]: https://twitter.com/martatlon[5]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[6]: https://twitter.com/bsto

Jul 8, 2021 • 42min
Tiffany Dufu: Do What You Do Best, Drop The Rest
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-ball-en [1], and for her, dropping the ball means letting go of unrealistic expectations of doing it all, and engaging others in the process, so that you can live a life that you’re passionate about.Tiffany explains the repercussions of juggling too much, helps you find out why all these balls ended up in your hands in the first place, and finally, how to know what you can start to let go of. She also talks about the importance of having people in your life who hold you accountable for living your best life and being your best self—an idea she's bringing to life in her project The Cru https://www.thecru.com/ [2].Book recommended by Tiffany:Just as I Am: A Memoir, by Cicely TysonBooks recommended by Ben & Caitlin:Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder, by Reshma SaujaniI Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time, by Laura VanderkamFind Simplify episode with Laura Vanderkam here:https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/simplify-time-laura-vanderkam [3]Ben also mentions the Japanese concept of Ikigai, that roughly translates as ‘reason for being’.Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to https://www.blinkist.com/simplify [4], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code DROPIT.Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [5], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [6]Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler and Marta Medvešek. Big thanks to Luiza S. Carvalho for audio engineering chops and Odysseas Constantinou for music.[1]: https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/browse/books/drop-the-ball-en[2]: https://www.thecru.com/[3]: https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/simplify-time-laura-vanderkam[4]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[5]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[6]: https://twitter.com/bsto

Jul 1, 2021 • 44min
Ken Page: Respect Your Gifts to Find Real Love
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 parts of you that you're most embarrassed about—that you try to hide by being cool, low maintenance, or extra accommodating—are actually your most valuable gifts that will lead you to finding and keeping real intimacy. He also reveals what he considers to be the single biggest saboteur of healthy love, and talks about different ways in which we flee intimacy without being aware of it.Whether single or in a relationship, this episode is for everyone who wants to foster their skills of intimacy, and deepen their bonds with themselves and others.Books Ken recommends:Ken recommends Harville Hendrix’s work, especially Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples. He also mentions his work around Safe Conversations.Books Caitlin and Ben recommend:The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, by Gary ChapmanAttached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love, by Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. HellerGetting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples, by Harville HendrixCaitlin also mentions Imago Relationship Therapy, developed by Dr. Harville Hendrix and Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt.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 COREGIFTS.Let us know what you thought of this episode, what your core gifts are, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [3], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [4]Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler and Marta Medvešek. Big thanks to Luiza S. Carvalho for audio engineering chops and Odysseas Constantinou for music.[1]: https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/browse/books/deeper-dating-en[2]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[3]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[4]: https://twitter.com/bsto

5 snips
Jun 28, 2021 • 39min
Erica Dhawan: Master Your Digital Body Language
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 is the new listening and writing clearly is the new empathy."In today's episode, Erica will help you become aware of the signals you might be sending with your digital body without knowing it, and teach you how to reduce anxiety and frustration—both for yourself and others. She will also share ideas on what to do in order to avoid groupthink cultures in digital spaces and create psychological safety so that everyone can feel free to express themselves.Books recommended by Erica:Rituals Roadmap: The Human Way to Transform Everyday Routines Into Workplace Magic, by Erica KeswinRemote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere, by Tsedal NeeleyProfessional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual, by Luvvie Ajayi JonesBook recommended by Caitlin:The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything, by Stephen M.R. CoveyTry 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 DIGITAL.Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [3], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [4]Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler and Marta Medvešek, and our wonderful co-host today was Deborah Caulet, Blinkist’s Head of People Development. Big thanks to Luiza S. Carvalho for audio engineering chops and Odysseas Constantinou for music.[1]: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/digital-body-language-audiobook/[2]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[3]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[4]: https://twitter.com/bsto

Jun 24, 2021 • 45min
Natalie Lue: Your Boss is Not Your Parent
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 start changing these unhealthy patterns. This episode was recorded with a live audience in April 2021, and in the second part you will hear Natalie answer questions about dealing with anxiety, expectations and re-learning how to socialize in the workplace.Natalie is a speaker, author and podcast host around all things emotional baggage, and you can find the Shortcast of her show The Baggage Reclaim Sessions in the Blinkist App.You can try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to https://www.blinkist.com/simplify [1], tapping on Try Blinkist at the top right, and entering the code BOUNDARIES.Books recommended by Ben and Caitlin:Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, by Amelia Nagoski and Emily NagoskiWhen the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress, by Gabor MatéProfessional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual, by Luvvie Ajayi JonesYou can find Natalie's online course Reclaim Your Work Boundaries here: https://www.baggagereclaim.co.uk/reclaim-your-work-boundaries-online-course/ [2]Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at @caitlinschiller https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller [3], Ben at @bsto https://twitter.com/bsto [4]Simplify is produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler and Marta Medvešek. Big thanks to Luiza S. Carvalho for audio engineering chops, Odysseas Constantinou for music, and a special thanks to Chisanga and Evrim for their great questions![1]: https://www.blinkist.com/simplify[2] https://www.baggagereclaim.co.uk/reclaim-your-work-boundaries-online-course/[3]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller[4]: https://twitter.com/bsto


