Do you ever feel like we're now living in some sort of alternative reality?Like there was some glitch in the matrix and we diverged into some other universe in the simulation?Sam Harris has a line "most people spend every waking moment of their lives in the 'movie' of their lives."What happens when the illusion of that movie is broken?Today Josh speaks with Sam McNerney about the Insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th, "alternative realities", the subterranean spaces online that fueled them, and the repercussions that occur when those "alternative realities" conflict with the "real world."Some of the other things we dive into are:The growing division between Joe Rogan and his audience.Declining trust in institutions, mental viruses, and the rise of the conspiratorial "They."Bad incentives and how COVID was handled so poorly.Astroturfing, the "stolen election", and who influenced those that stormed the Capitol.Do we live in a "post-truth" world of alternative realities?The gamification of the media.How could we align the incentives for real institutional change?Can the next generation escape these feedback loops? How do we inspire that in a demoralized world?As a society, what are we optimizing for? What metrics do we measure that success by?How do we align the politically and socially divided on long-term goals?And much more.Sam McNerney is an applied behavioral scientist, market researcher, and brand strategist based in Brooklyn, New York. He has worked with brands such as Walmart, Procter & Gamble, and CitiBank.As a writer, he has interviewed business and academic leaders including Arianna Huffington, Andrew Yang, Jonathan Haidt, and Charles Murray – and his essays have been featured in publications like The Washington Post, Psychology Today, and Scientific American.Now as an independent consumer insights specialist, he specializes in using surveys to help businesses answer questions about their customers that unlock the greatest value.Connect with Sam:Website: sammcnerney.comTwitter: @SamMcNerneyMusic by Kirby Johnston – check out his band Aldaraia on Spotify

Today Josh speaks with Mark Cann about how to open up with others, be vulnerable, make friends, and grow your network authentically.Today we dive into:The differences and the best approach for both introverts and extroverts.Learning how to tell your story in an authentic way that resonates.How to be a good listener and ask good questions to get to truly know somebody quickly.Addressing the myth that people "don't want to have authentic conversations."Overcoming scarcity bias and reframing rejection.How to approach strangers and make friends while traveling.Approaching sales as genuinely helping people — not selling or pitching.How to authentically connect with people at networking events.Networking during a global pandemic.How online networking apps like Lunchclub are a fantastic low-risk way to start meeting new people and growing your network.The future of co-working in a post-pandemic world.And much more.Mark Cann is an entrepreneur, growth marketer, speaker, and outreach specialist. For the past 16 years, he has been a consultant, strategist and successfully led business development teams, including working with the team at Vungle which exited in 2019 for $750m. Mark currently is the Founder of Growth Warriors where he helps B2B companies grow through outreach and lead generation.Connect with Mark:LinkedIn: @MarkCannWebsite: growthwarriors.coTwitter: @MarkyCannMusic by Kirby Johnston – check out his band Aldaraia on Spotify

Josh Boone speaks with Sam McNerney, an expert on the history of propaganda. They discuss the influence of Edward Bernays, power dynamics, navigating conversations with different ideologies, the impact of storytelling and consumerism, creating better incentives for a sustainable system, managing stress and anxiety, and exploring meditation techniques. They also touch on the importance of finding common ground and share personal experiences.

Life is like a video game. You can be a passive player that follows the guide, or you can pave your own path on an epic journey into the unknown. So what are you optimizing for in this game you're playing?What if you took a step back and looked at your life as the game designer, rather than the player?What if you approached your own life like a user experience problem?Zaid Hisham is a Nielsen Norman Group-certified Strategist who over the last 15 years has worked with clients such as Expedia.com, Intel, and Microsoft to elevate the user experience of their products and services.Now he's applying his expertise to helping individuals design a life that fulfills them.In this episode we dive into:What a user experience is.How it differs from traditional design.The myth of working at a huge corporation.How his experience with Expedia.com completely transformed how he approaches UX with clients now.How he has applied those principles for optimizing his own life.His journey with working on ADHD, stuttering, and childhood trauma.How hiring personal coaches has changed his life.And much more.Follow Zaid on LinkedIn – or to work with Zaid to design your ideal life, book a session with him at ZaidHisham.comMusic by Kirby Johnston – check out his band Aldaraia on Spotify

There are over 600,000 active podcasts right now. That's a lot of noise. Why the hell start another one? Today we're diving into why I'm doing just that with my guest Zaid Hisham.  Zaid is a user experience strategist (ex: Apple, Expedia.com, Intel, Microsoft) and as a professional problem solver, he is an absolute wizard at asking the right questions. I think this gives you a taste of what's to come. Welcome aboard.Music by Kirby Johnston – check out his band Aldaraia on Spotify