MetaLearn Podcast

Josh Kaufman is an entrepreneur, researcher, and author of three bestselling books – The Personal MBA, the First 20 Hours, and How to Fight a Hydra. I had Josh on the podcast previously where we spoke about the power of storytelling for promoting behaviour change and mastering complex projects. Josh's book The Personal MBA provides a crash course in business by covering timeless principles and recently hit its 10th Anniversary. The 10th Anniversary of the podcast was an excellent excuse to get him back on the podcast for another chat, which was so good and went on so long, that I've split it into 2 parts. In this first part, we discuss: The concept of exploration/exploitation and how that can help you decide what to work on The system Josh uses for choosing what to outsource How Josh applied the fundamental law of marketing to his book Personal MBA We also cover the five sections of business value creation, marketing, sales, value delivery, and finance that Josh structures in the business section of the book, and in Part 2 we'll touch on some of his ideas around people and systems as well as his research methods.

Paul Kirschner is a renowned educational psychologist and author. He is an Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands Guest Professor at the Thomas More University of Applied Science in Mechelen, Belgium and owner of kirschner-ED. His most recent book How Learning Happens, explores 28 key works on learning and teaching, chosen from the fields of educational psychology and cognitive psychology, and discusses what they mean in practice. He's also written books on Evidence Informed Learning Design and Urban Myths about Learning and Education. In this episode we discuss: The educational researchers that have inspired Paul and laid the foundations for the field Why teaching is an art informed by a science, and how teachers should incorporate research on learning into their process The concept of self efficacy and how our beliefs about our abilities impact our performance We also discuss when students should learn about how learning happens, the importance of teachers in goal setting and the debate on domain-specific vs domain-general skills.

In this episode I'll reflect on my experience building the podcast over the last few years and share some of the lessons I've learned about the creative process from 150 episodes. I discuss: How being willing to look foolish is the starting point of every great creative achievement The importance of promoting your own work and how to get over resistance to doing it The severe consequences of not doing creative work as a creative person I hope these insights will prove useful for you. Thank you for listening to the MetaLearn Podcast!

Ben Saunders is one of the world's leading polar explorers and an acclaimed keynote speaker. He is the 3rd person in history to ski solo to the North and South poles and holds the record for the longest ever polar journey on foot. In this episode we discuss: The daily life of a polar explorer including the training, the fundraising and the trekking The nature of motivation and grit and how Ben's lessons from polar explorations can be transferred to your daily life How to quit or ask for help when you need it - Ben recounts a tough decision he had to make and how it's influenced the way he operates Ben's experience is unique and inspirational. The amount of obstacles he had to overcome mentally and physically to do what he did is right at the limit of human potential and I hope it will inspire you to dream a little bigger and grind a little harder.

Jack Butcher is a designer, entrepreneur and the founder of Visualize Value, a content platform teaching people to communicate through design and build great online products. In this conversation we discuss - The principles of design that separate forgettable brands from iconic ones - How to productize your skills and standout in the new economy - The curriculum building methods Jack has used for his successful courses So if you want to learn more about visual communication, or separate your income from your time, this episode has you covered.

Anna Gát is the founder of the Interintellect, a global community and talent platform for public intellectuals. In this episode we discuss: - The moments that change lives – so called 'Damascus moments' that lead to personal transformation – and whether these moments can be forced. - What it means to be an adult in an age where there are no clear transitions set out by society anymore and how we can manage that process ourselves. - The notion of vocation – whether we all have something we're uniquely capable of doing, the process for discovering that and the need to harmonise your dreams with your practical reality. I'm really impressed by what Anna is doing with the Interintellect and she's definitely spent a lot of time thinking about these questions in depth, so I'm sure you'll find this discussion valuable.

Sam Sethi is an award winning radio presenter, podcaster and entrepreneur who hosts the podcast Sam Talks Technology. In this episode we discuss: - How to apply second curve thinking in your career to stay futureproof - The future of podcasting and how listening habits differ across the world - The cutting edge of voice tech and what's on the way I'm becoming increasingly curious about the future of podcasting and voice tech and Sam was the perfect person to get into the weeds with on this, as well as providing some great insights on career, the army and much more.

Erica Young an expert in the field of network science and founder of the Reliants Project, a blog and podcast that educates people about the invisible impact of networks on our lives. In this episode we discuss: - The networking myths that hold people back from proactively building relationships - How understanding network science can help you progress in your career - The habits of superconnectors, including running events and making introductions We also talk about some of the core concepts in the field of network science, what the pandemic has done to our networks and much more.

Anna Gát is the founder of the Interintellect, a global community and talent platform for public intellectuals. In this conversation we discuss: - How to build a thriving intellectual community and the inspiration behind the Interintellect - Why utility tyranny and over optimisation is so harmful and how to combat it - The mindsets and processes involved in facilitating great conversations We also talk about Anna's educational experience which included managing Hungarian rockbands, her favourite lockdown books and podcasts and much more.

Anthony Metivier is a world renowned Memory Expert, the Founder of the blog MagneticMemoryMethod.com and author of the new book The Victorious Mind. In this episode we discuss: - The importance of metaphors and analogies for understanding the mind - How to master meditation and safeguard your mental wellbeing - How to navigate the world of self-help effectively We also speak about the cultural conversation around mental health and the nature of knowledge.