The Ridiculously Human Podcast

Michael Bungay Stanier - is recognised as one of the world’s top coaches. He is an influential keynote speaker, has authored many books, the most well-known being, The Coaching Habit. This is a short and sweet, supplementary version of our weekly Podcast. It’s a taster to give you a flavour of what to expect from the full Podcast episode. Connect with Michael Bungay Stanier - http://bit.ly/MBSboxofcrayons Listen to Full Podcast - http://bit.ly/RHPMichaelBungayStanier

Curious Communicator. Author. Coach. Listener. Keynote Speaker. Podcaster. Rhodes Scholar. Bookworm. Founder and CEO of Box Of Crayons. Probably the most important ingredient of any relationship in the world is communication. You would think that everyone in the world would be an absolute expert at communicating well, if you follow the 10,000-hour philosophy that is. However, sadly, that is not the case and poor communication, and lack thereof, seems to be the catalyst to the downfall of most things. Our guest this week, Michael Bungay Stanier, knows this all too well after spending 1,000’s of hours teaching people how to be better at managing their employees, by being curious for longer and holding back to offer advice Michael grew up in Canberra, Australia, where he flourished as a child. He was born with a cleft lip and slight speech impediment, but that didn’t phase him in the slightest as he had so much else going for him. He enjoyed playing sport but was also a massive bookworm. He was able to read rather quickly which allowed him to become a well-read and intelligent young man. He was also grounded with good morals and ethics early on, by working as a milkman for four years. Michael remembers a few incidents which left him feeling powerless, frustrated and made him start questioning what power means and the responsibility which comes with it. Those incidents instilled values in him which are focused around fairness and not abusing your power. After school, he studied English and Law in Australia, before moving over to the UK where he studied Modern Literature at Oxford University. Oxford was also where he met his wife, Marcella! After a few years of working in the corporate world while living in London and Boston, he and Marcella moved to Toronto. That’s where Michael set up his business, Box of Crayons. Box of Crayons, is a training company which champions coaching as a force for manager excellence, leadership development and cultural change. Michael is also recognised as one of the worlds top coaches. He has written many books, his most well-known being, The Coaching Habit. Although one book he wrote which is close to his heart called, End Malaria, raised $400,000 for the charity organisation, Malaria No More. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Let’s find out what it means for Michael Bungay Stanier, to be Ridiculously Human. Your fellow beings, Craig and Gareth SHOW NOTES Background, Context & Reference Connect with Michael Bungay Stanier: Website | FaceBook | YouTube | Twitter | LinkedIn | Michael’s books: End Malaria Do More Great Work Get Unstuck & Get Going Great Work Provocations The Coaching Habit Michael’s Podcasts: The Great Work Podcast The Coaching Habit Podcast Other relevant points discussed and mentioned:   Oxford University Malaria no more foundation Books Mentioned The Hobbit - J.R.R Tolkien Lord of the Rings - - J.R.R Tolkien A Room Of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf Flawless Consulting - Peter Block The Answer To How Is Yes - Peter Block Saga - Brian K. Vaughan An Imaginary Life - David Malouf Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka A Brief History of Everything - Bill Bryson People Discussed Peter Block Seth Godin Places Mentioned Canberra, Australia Toronto, Canada Music By The Bambuseae Rhythm Section - Check them out here The Simon Van Gend Band - Check them out here Right Hook Request HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE PODCAST? We know this is always a big one to ask and you hear it a million times but anything you can do to help us get our podcast out there into the ether will be massively appreciated! Please tell Your Friends & Share Online Subscribe, Rate & Review:  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeartRADIO | Follow us on: Website | YouTube | Medium | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy RHP #006: John Sanei, Trenovator, Futurist, Moonshot Chaser and Author RHP #057: Sophie Sabbage, Bestselling Author, Keynote Speaker, Patient Activist, Transformational Facilitator, Cancer Convalescent RHP #058: Seth Godin, Blogger, Speaker, Marketing Guru, Bestselling Author of Linchpin, Tribes, Purple Cow and This Is Marketing RHP #059: Dr Heather McKee, Behaviour Change Specialist, Habit Coach, Bit Sized Habits Podcast Host, Research Geek, PhD in Weightloss Psychology

Donovan Marsh - Award Winning Filmmaker. Screenwriter. Artist. Writer. Editor. Cinematographer. Hollywood Film Director of Hunter Killer. Dad. Creative Genius. This is a short and sweet, supplementary version of our weekly Podcast. It’s a taster to give you a flavour of what to expect from the full Podcast episode. Connect with Donovan Marsh - http://bit.ly/DonMarsh Listen to Full Podcast - http://bit.ly/RHPDonovanMarsh

Award Winning Filmmaker. Screenwriter. Artist. Writer. Editor. Cinematographer. Hollywood Film Director of Hunter Killer. Dad. Creative Genius. Life is such a beautiful thing when you begin to start noticing the little details. There are so many things which we just take for granted without even batting an eyelid. However, when you do tune in and become more aware of the minutiae, you open up a whole new unseen world. Our guest this week, Donovan Marsh, is somebody who is totally aware of the necessity of details. He understands the emotions which can be conjured by using and manipulating the different human senses. Donovan was born in Swaziland, a small country within South Africa. He spent a lot of his childhood growing up in different countries around the world. During high school, he always wanted to be a psychiatrist, because he had a fascination with medicine and human behaviour. He enrolled in medical school, but soon realised that he wanted to go more down the creative path, after seeing the making of a film called ‘The Never Ending Story’! He attended drama school in South Africa, for four years, where he almost had to teach himself how to make films. After that, he spent six months at a professional film school in London, where he learnt the real technicalities of filming. He returned to South Africa and got his first job in the industry, which was changing the large commercial pneumatic videotapes in the editing room. His trajectory shifted as a result of visiting his parents in the UK, where he saw a show called Gladiators. When he went back to South Africa, he inquired about the rights to it, and next thing you know, at twenty-five years old, he found himself as the director of the show! Donovan’s latest film is called, Hunter Killer. The research that went into the film was absolutely fascinating. Going to Pearl Harbor, the most nuclear and secure place in the world, was an eye-opening experience. Spending three days underwater, with the US Navy, on a highly secretive vessel, allowed him and producer, Gerard Butler, to create a true to life, action-packed Hollywood movie. Donovan is a fascinating man to speak to and he encourages us to be a little bit crazy, as it’s important for our own creativity. He fuses the invisible lines between art, science, psychology, emotion and entertainment in this Podcast for us. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Let’s find out what it means for Donovan Marsh, to be Ridiculously Human. Your fellow beings, Craig and Gareth SHOW NOTES Background, Context & Reference Connect with Donovan Marsh: FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Donovan’s films: Dead End Spud and Spud 2 Dollar$ + White Pipes iNumber Number Hunter Killer Other relevant points discussed and mentioned:   Bishops Diocesan College Neverending Story Laurel and Hardy Three Stooges Dungeons and Dragons MTN Gladiators - South Africa Film Grammar Product placement in films Hardcore History Podcast Religulous Artificial Intelligence People Discussed Terence Hill and Bud Spencer Charlie Chaplin Adolf Hitler Gerard Butler Bill Maher Gary Oldman Places Mentioned Swaziland / Eswatini Pearl Harbor Music By The Bambuseae Rhythm Section - Check them out here The Simon Van Gend Band - Check them out here Right Hook Request HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE PODCAST? We know this is always a big one to ask and you hear it a million times but anything you can do to help us get our podcast out there into the ether will be massively appreciated! Please tell Your Friends & Share Online Subscribe, Rate & Review:  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeartRADIO | Follow us on: Website | YouTube | Medium | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy RHP #006: John Sanei, Trenovator, Futurist, Moonshot Chaser and Author RHP #051: Devin Lester, Professional Photographer, Dream Chaser, Technical Artist, Realist, Black Belt Karate and Founder of DLP RHP #069: Richard Mulholland, Punk Rocker, ex-Roadie, Speaker, Author, Serial Entrepreneur and Founder of Missing Link, Talk drawer and HumanWrit.es RHP #071: Arno Carstens, Platinum Singer-Songwriter, Lead Singer of Springbok Nude Girls, Fine Artist, Smiler, Rock Star, South African Legend

Damara Ryder - Family Lawyer. Ex-Investment Banking Director. Dancer. World Traveller. Networking Professional. Snowboarder. Smiler. Nature Lover. Wife. Mum. Entrepreneur. This is a short and sweet, supplementary version of our weekly Podcast. It’s a taster to give you a flavour of what to expect from the full Podcast episode. Connect with Damara Ryder - http://bit.ly/thriveleadershipdamara Listen to Full Podcast - http://bit.ly/RHPDamaraRyder

Family Lawyer. Ex-Investment Banking Director. Dancer. World Traveller. Networking Professional. Snowboarder. Smiler. Nature Lover. Wife. Mum. Entrepreneur. Often in life, to find inspiration and motivation, you only need to look as far as those people who are in your immediate network. By simply having a deeper level conversation with them, you’ll be able to feed off their challenging and heroic stories. Our Podcast guest this week, Damara Ryder, is exactly one of those sorts of ladies and friends. Damara and Gareth, met each other through a mutual friend, many many years ago in London. Since then they have always kept in touch and enjoyed dance-offs and fun times in Ibiza and Hong Kong. You’re not a true Australian unless you have a nickname. With Damara’s maiden name being Cox, she is now more affectionately known as ‘Coxy’! A nickname in Australia is with you for the rest of your life, even if you get married and change your surname! Coxy was born in a very small town of 1,000 people called Lockhart, Australia. Her family were very much community orientated and sporty people, who loved the outdoors and Aussie Rules football. Her Dad was an amazingly charismatic, fun and mischievous guy. Sadly, he was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease when she was a teenager. It was a time of much sadness and created a fair bit of anger and frustration for her and her family too. Her Dad, asking her to research how he could die, was very tough for her to deal with. Damara qualified as a family lawyer, but spent 15 years as an Investment Banking Director, working in Australia, Hong Kong and Canada. Being someone who is short, blonde and looks extremely young for her age, posed many challenges, especially when dealing with Asian cultural traditions and hierarchy. 2018 was a year which provided the biggest challenges of her life. Her Dad died after his battle with Huntington's. He spent his last 15 years in care, was unable to speak for his last couple of years and weighed 30kgs when he passed away. Coxy also experienced severe inflammation and autoimmune complications that year. Both of these incidents as well as the loss of a close friend, made her re-assess her own life and encouraged her to make big changes to it. As a result of her own health issues, she needed to move closer to the beach, to reconnect with nature and be in warm weather. She put her career as a family lawyer on hold and moved to Queensland, with her two young kids and husband. Now, through her business, Thrive Leadership, she shares an alternate way to the grind of the 9 to 5. Life is meant for more living and less stressing! We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Let’s find out what it means for Damara Ryder, to be Ridiculously Human. Your fellow beings, Craig and Gareth SHOW NOTES Background, Context & Reference Connect with Damara Ryder: Website | Instagram | FaceBook | LinkedIn | Other relevant points discussed and mentioned:   Aussie Rules Huntington’s Disease Macquarie Bank Kinesthetic Arbonne, Network marketing Autoimmune Fight or flight response Affiliate marketing Places Mentioned Lockhart, Australia Canberra, Australia Hong Kong Music By The Bambuseae Rhythm Section - Check them out here The Simon Van Gend Band - Check them out here   Right Hook Request HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE PODCAST? We know this is always a big one to ask and you hear it a million times but anything you can do to help us get our podcast out there into the ether will be massively appreciated! Please tell Your Friends & Share Online Subscribe, Rate & Review:  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeartRADIO | Follow us on: Website | YouTube | Medium | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy RHP #021: Joe Cross, Joe the Juicer. Filmmaker of Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead RHP #067: Jody Calitz, Women’s Health Expert, Ex-Pro Bikini Bodybuilder, Nutritionist, Vegan Athlete, Elite Personal Trainer RHP #068: Lilia Tarawa, ex-Gloriavale Daughter, Cult Convalescent, Author, Speaker, Smiler, Business Coach RHP #072: Margo Aaron, Accidental Marketer, Entrepreneur, Daywalker, Writer, Mom, Founder of That Seems Important

Gavin Aung Than - Cartoonist, Storyteller, Drawer, Comic Lover, Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Founder of Zen Pencils Gavin is a New York Times bestselling cartoonist and creator of Zen Pencils, a cartoon blog which adapts inspirational quotes into thought-provoking and fun comic stories. This is a short and sweet, supplementary version of our weekly Podcast. It’s a taster to give you a flavour of what to expect from the full Podcast episode. Connect with Gavin Aung Than - http://bit.ly/Zenpencils Listen to Full Podcast - http://bit.ly/RHPGavinAungThan

Cartoonist. Storyteller. Drawer. Comic Lover. Illustrator. Graphic Designer. Speaker. Writer. Founder of Zen Pencils. 90% of people are living a life which they think society requires them to live, or they come from certain cultural backgrounds with pressures to align themselves in reputable careers and industries. Fortunately though, for anybody living in this current era, it is easier now than it ever has been, to try something new if you feel stuck. For our guest this week, Gavin Aung Than, cultural expectations and family pressures were real factors that impacted his decision with what he really wanted to study and also the career he had to settle on choosing. Gavin was born in Perth, Australia, and is of Burmese heritage. Growing up, he was always distracted by doodling in class. Gavin and his brother used to collect comics which was a way for them to become better readers, or so they say ;) Comics like, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers, helped nurture and shape his learnings and creativity. He always wanted to be a cartoonist and his parents sadly never believed he could make a career out of drawing. Eventually, he settled on studying graphic design. His first job was working at a local newspaper as a graphic designer. After working there for eight years, he was worn out. During that time he had also posted over 350 cartoons in the newspapers cartoon strip section, but he still didn't have the traction he had hoped for. After going down the self-help route, it triggered him to go 100% into the cartooning industry. Gavin and his wife sold their house to have a financial safety net and he gave himself a six-month window to see if his new venture called, Zen Pencils, would work… These days, Gavin is a New York Times bestselling cartoonist and creator of Zen Pencils, a cartoon blog which adapts inspirational quotes into comic stories. His work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Slate, Buzzfeed, Gawker, Brain Pickings, Upworthy, Mashable and has been published into four book collections. His work has encouraged some of his readers to also quit their jobs and pursue their dreams, he has readers who get tattoos of the quotes in his cartoons, other readers use his cartoons to learn English. The cool thing is, he is just getting started. He continues to inspire others through his art and is soon launching a new kids book series. This man is an inspiring human and we encourage you to check out his thought-provoking, quirky, funny and beautifully crafted cartoons. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Let’s find out what it means for Gavin Aung Than, to be Ridiculously Human. Your fellow beings, Craig and Gareth SHOW NOTES Background, Context & Reference Connect with Gavin Aung Than: Website | Instagram | FaceBook | Tumblr | Twitter | Gavin’s books Inspirational Kids Quotes Cartoon Quotes From Inspirational Folks Dream The Impossible Dream Creative Struggle Other relevant points discussed and mentioned:   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Transformers 4-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau The Side Hustle School Podcast Calvin and Hobbes Forest app People Discussed Anna Sward Chris Guillebeau Phil Plait Carl Sagan Brian Cox Bill Watterson Nikola Tesla Mary Shelley Richard Feynman Places Mentioned Perth, Australia Melbourne, Australia Music By The Bambuseae Rhythm Section - Check them out here The Simon Van Gend Band - Check them out here   Right Hook Request HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE PODCAST? We know this is always a big one to ask and you hear it a million times but anything you can do to help us get our podcast out there into the ether will be massively appreciated! Please tell Your Friends & Share Online Subscribe, Rate & Review:  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeartRADIO | Follow us on: Website | YouTube | Medium | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy RHP #001: Anna Sward, Founder of Protein Pow, Cook Book Author and Protein Expert RHP #007: Eva Claire Marseille, Boeing 747 Pilot and First Officer. Fly with Eva RHP #031: Alvin Irby, Founder of Barbershop Books. Comedian & Entrepreneur RHP #040: Pamela Gay, PhD Astronomer and Astronomy Cast Host

Margo Aaron - Third-Generation Holocaust Survivor. Accidental Marketer. Recovering Psychological Researcher. Entrepreneur. Daywalker. Writer. Mom. Wannabe Astronaut. Founder of, That Seems Important. This is a short and sweet, supplementary version of our weekly Podcast. It’s a taster to give you a flavour of what to expect from the full Podcast episode. Connect with Margo Aaron - http://bit.ly/TSImportant Listen to Full Podcast - http://bit.ly/RHPMargoAaron

Accidental Marketer. Recovering Psychological Researcher. Entrepreneur. Daywalker. Writer. Mom. Wannabe Astronaut. Founder of, That Seems Important. What does a name truly represent and how important is it? Across various cultures and traditions, they are revered in many different ways. For our guest this week, Margo Aaron, her name had a huge influence on her and greatly impacted the subsequent decisions she has made throughout her life. Margo was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She is what is known as a third-generation Holocaust survivor. She is named after her grandfather’s sister “Margot” who died in Auschwitz when she was sixteen years old. Her grandfather was one of three, who escaped before ever being in a camp. Growing up in a family where the patriarch lost everything, made them very close and really grateful every single day for what they had. As a child, Margo’s family travelled a lot on vacation. Her escapades to third world countries were ones she never quite enjoyed but looking back, she’s incredibly grateful for those experiences. Travelling prepared her for the unpredictable and the skills she learned are still relevant to her today in life and business. She worked as a psychological and mental health research assistant at the Emory University School of Medicine. She says that learning how to be empathetic was one of the biggest parts of her training. Margo spent some time in the corporate world, but realised it wasn’t for her. She found corporate culture rather toxic, antiquated and inefficient. So she set up her own business to enjoy the flexibility and challenge it offered. Being a Mom and solopreneur taught her many a thing about being as efficient with her time as possible, and that when there is poop to clean up, then that takes precedence over everything! Margo shoots from the hip and speaks wisely beyond her years. She runs a business called, ‘That Seems Important’, which teaches people to build a business they are proud of. She is a writer by heart, and has been rewarded for her great writing skills by being published in many well known and renowned online publications. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Let’s find out what it means for Margo Aaron, to be Ridiculously Human. Your fellow beings, Craig and Gareth SHOW NOTES Background, Context & Reference Connect with Margo Aaron: Website | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Medium |   Margo’s articles Margo’s book recommendations Other relevant points discussed and mentioned:   Podcast Movement Holocaust Third-generation Holocaust survivor NASA The Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program of Emory University's School of Medicine Copywriting altMBA On Writing by Stephen King Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl Start Up Pregnant People Discussed Fei Wu Seth Godin Brian Cox Places Mentioned Czechoslovakia Houston, Texas Auschwitz Alaska Music By The Bambuseae Rhythm Section - Check them out here The Simon Van Gend Band - Check them out here Right Hook Request HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE PODCAST? We know this is always a big one to ask and you hear it a million times but anything you can do to help us get our podcast out there into the ether will be massively appreciated! Please tell Your Friends & Share Online Subscribe, Rate & Review:  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeartRADIO | Follow us on: Website | YouTube | Medium | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy RHP #058: Seth Godin, Blogger, Speaker, Marketing Guru, Bestselling Author of Linchpin, Tribes, Purple Cow and This Is Marketing RHP #059: Dr Heather McKee, Behaviour Change Specialist, Habit Coach, Bit Sized Habits Podcast Host, Research Geek, PhD in Weightloss Psychology RHP #060: Helena Escalante, Translation and Communication Expert, Entrepreneur, Bibliophile, Chief Bookworm Officer of Entregurus RHP #062: Emily Penn, Earth Changer, Ocean Conservationist, Artist, Plastic researcher and Assailant, Founder of Running eXXpedition RHP #068: Lilia Tarawa, ex-Gloriavale Daughter, Cult Convalescent, Author, Speaker, Smiler, Business Coach