Todd Nief's Show - SoundSage

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Paul Bearer is the vocalist for one of the most influential and underrated New York Hardcore bands of all time: Sheer Terror. Sheer Terror came out of the very strange New York Hardcore scene of the 80s — before the music became codified into the metallic, bouncy mosh parts we think of as NYHC today. While Sheer Terror is certainly no stranger to blending metal and punk, their sound is much more Tom G. Warrior plus Oi! rather than syncopated, single-string riffs. Nothing against bouncy mosh parts, but Sheer Terror is much more my cup of tea, personally.

Paul and I talk not only about the weird world of punk and hardcore in New York in the 80s, but also about Paul’s cooking and his aggressive and comical pet Russian tortoises.

Learn more from Paul and Sheer Terror here: * Instagram: @djdontlikeu | @officialsheerterror * Facebook: @sheerterror | @joecoffeeband * Merchandise: Dead City Merchandise | Socks at Omerta Mia

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You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Many of these interviews are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

Show Notes: * [02:36] Paul’s DJing and the dangers of developing a habit collecting Northern Soul records * [13:36] How to get into Northern Soul. And, artists finding out they’re unexpectedly famous. * [27:20] The difficulty of being creative during the pandemic. And, Paul burned all his old, unused lyrics notebooks. * [37:42] Paul’s specialty dishes * [43:51] Obsessive music collecting and getting into punk. Plus a meditation on aging and hard living. * [56:19] Paul’s thoughts on fitness (Don’t miss this…) * [58:50] New York was a weird place during the 80s and New York Hardcore was a weird scene. Plus, the violent, sketchy world of skinheads and the evolution of anti-establishment politics. * [1:15:51] New Sheer Terror music and how to buy Sheer Terror socks

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Northern soul * The Jackson 5 * Lee Charles * Eunice Collins * Northern Soul: An Oral History | Red Bull Music Academy Daily * Throbbing Gristle * Industrial Records * Major Lance * Keisha Lance Bottoms * Searching for Sugar Man * Russian tortoise * Polish Hunter Stew * The Sweet & Savory Spot * Humble Pie * Alice Cooper * Sabbath Bloody Sabbath * Mott The Hoople * David Bowie * Bruce Springsteen * Nancy Spungen * No Wave Compilation * The Dickies * The Stranglers “Bring On The Nubiles” * The Plasmatics * Red Hot Chili Peppers “One Hot Minute” * Craig Setari * Antidote * Bad Brains * MDC * Crass * Thin Lizzy “Baby Please Don’t Go” * Infanterie Sauvage * Bowling For Soup

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Monetary policy is confusing. What even is The Fed? How do they control interest rates? Is The Fed different than the Treasury? Why do different cities have different feds? And, most importantly, do people with laser eyes on Twitter actually know anything about inflation?

These are all things that I've wondered about — fortunately, my friend Chris Russo is a post-graduate research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and an expert on monetary policy. And, he lifted some weights at South Loop Strength & Conditioning while pursuing his education at the University of Chicago.

Chris does a great job of breaking down how monetary policy impacts our daily lives, and gives an enlightening explanation of some of the plumbing that keeps our monetary system functioning. Plus, we discuss a zoomed out perspective on how to think about the inflation numbers in the news.

Learn more from Chris here: * Website: www.russoecon.com | Mercatus Profile * Twitter: @RussoEcon

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [02:06] What is the US Treasury? What is The Fed? What do the Treasury and the Fed have to do with inflation? * [13:36] A history of the organization of The Fed including: why cities have their own Fed, how the fed regulates monetary policy, and what it means to “print money” * [27:44] How does the money supply impact prices and inflation? And, the importance of the equation of exchange: MV = PQ * [33:10] Paul Krugman’s babysitter club analogy and how it explains monetary policy * [45:40] Why does The Fed target 2% inflation? * [51:02] Interest rates, full employment and the Fed’s mechanisms for inflation targeting * [01:02:11] How should people think about inflation numbers in the news? * [01:12:11] Summary of key takeaways on monetary policy

Links and Resources Mentioned: * United States Department of the Treasury * Federal Reserve * United States Treasury security * Full Employment Definition * Federal Funds Rate * Hamilton vs. Jefferson on Monetary Policy * Why Does Missouri Have Two Federal Reserves? * Federal Open Market Committee * Why Does The Fed Buy Mortgage-Backed Securities? * The Great Depression According to Milton Friedman * The Equation of Exchange * “Baby-Sitting the Economy” by Paul Krugman * The Impact of Interest Rate Changes by the Federal Reserve * Why Is Deflation Bad for the Economy? * Helicopter money * Neo-Fisherism vs. Conventional Central Banking Wisdom * The Fisher Effect * “Inside the Black Box: The Credit Channel of Monetary Policy Transmission” by Ben Bernanke * The Taylor Rule: An Economic Model for Monetary Policy * Consumer Price Index

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I first encountered Spenser’s work through his writing for the Morning Chalk Up, and at some point I clicked on enough links to realize that the majority of his work is on voting rights and election reform.

I’ve been a subscriber to Spenser’s voting rights newsletter, so I wanted to get his take on how things went with New York City’s experiment in ranked choice voting in their Democratic mayoral primary.

While election fraud and voter suppression are hot-button culture war issues, there are also a lot of low-hanging fruit for bipartisan election reforms. Spenser’s understanding of the voting rights landscape is deep and nuanced, so I’m thrilled that he decided to indulge my questioning.

We also discuss Spenser’s forthcoming book with Mat Fraser, in which Mat finally spills the beans about his training, his injuries (that he didn’t want competitors to know about), and more. You can pre-order Hard Work Pays Off here.

Learn more from Spenser here: * Substack: spensermestel.substack.com * Website: www.spensermestel.com * Book: “Hard Work Pays Off” by Mat Fraser and Spenser Mestel * Twitter: @SpenserMestel * Instagram: @spensermestel

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [02:35] How has ranked choice voting gone in the New York mayoral primary? And, what’s the deal with the New York Board of Elections? * [10:57] Did any of the theoretical benefits of ranked choice voting show up when it was tested in New York? * [27:42] What is the “steelman” case for voting rights restrictions? What is the prevalence of voter fraud? * [34:02] There is a history of political machines and electioneering. How concerned should we be with these kinds of manipulations? * [39:32] What’s the deal with voter ID requirements? And gerrymandering? * [52:50] Writing a book with 5 time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser — and the mental challenges of being an elite athlete * [1:05:55] Learn more from Spenser and subscribe to Spenser’s Super Tuesday

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Ranked-choice voting * 2021 Georgia runoff election * Vote Tally Mistake Causes Confusion In New York City Mayoral Race | NPR * First-past-the-post voting * Voter Fraud Map: Election Fraud Database | The Heritage Foundation * Machine Politics * Study: voter ID laws don’t reduce voter fraud — or voter turnout | Vox * Leaked Audio: Trump Adviser Says Republicans Rely on Voter Suppression | Business Insider * Gerrymandering * Mathew Fraser * How I Conquered 'American Ninja Warrior' by Spenser Mestel | Rolling Stone

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Dave Bland is one of the most creative drummers currently playing extreme music. While technical wherewithal with blindingly fast blast beats is always appreciated, the ability to adapt to the varied styles present on Full of Hell records as well as the more straightforward death metal of Jarhead Fertilizer requires much more perspicacity.

I first met Dave over 10 years ago when he was a high school student who left to go on tour with Full of Hell without his parents’ permission. Since then, Full of Hell has grown into one of the best bands in extreme music, and Dave’s drumming has become unbelievably impressive.

Dave’s death metal project Jarhead Fertilizer finally released their debut full length album this year on Closed Casket Activities after letting it marinate for several years.

In this interview, Dave discusses his difficult upbringing as well as his late father’s run ins with the law — and how those experiences shaped him as well as proving inspiration for Jarhead’s music.

Dave also discusses his best tips for smoking meats (he works as a chef while not touring) and whether he prefers small or big sunglasses.

Learn more from Dave, Full of Hell, and Jarhead Fertilizer here: * Bandcamp: Jarhead Fertilizer | Full of Hell * Instagram: @davebland | @fullofhell | @jarhead_fertilizer

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [02:10] Dave’s tips for smoking meats and wearing shades * [10:54] The evolution of Jarhead Fertilizer * [13:51] Dave’s late father’s wild life story — and how that comes out in Jarhead’s lyrical content. * [26:00] Lessons learned from Dave’s upbringing * [33:50] Meeting Spencer and joining Full of Hell as a child * [41:40] Dave’s skills as a guitar player and how he writes Jarhead Fertilizer songs * [46:00] Dave’s forthcoming solo record — and how he things about collaboration, improvisation, and writing songs with a focus on drums * [56:20] Creating a cohesive vision from disparate influences * [01:06:30] All of Dave’s upcoming releases — and starting a YouTube channel

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Like Rats * Kung Fu Necktie * Louisiana State Penitentiary * Globe Gastro Theatre * Bolt Thrower * Britney Spears’s Python * Do snakes have ears? * Kool Keith * Tony Williams * Billy Cobham * John Caution * Machines with Magnets * Seth Manchester * The Body * Daughters * Lightning Bolt * Kurt Ballou * Developing Nations Recording * Closed Casket Activities * Sepultura “Inner Self” * Eloy Casagrande * Igor Cavalera

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Humans have an intuitive sense for who is important and well-connected. We like knowing “movers and shakers,” and we regularly engage in complicated social machinations — conscious or otherwise — to position ourselves close to the seat of influence.

But what about the formal study of the spread of information through human networks? Matthew O. Jackson is a professor of economics at Stanford, and his book “The Human Network” is a fantastic primer on the complex dynamics of human relationships. He’s also done fascinating work on the spread of microfinance in southern India with Arun Chandrasekhar and Nobel Laureates Abhijit Bahnerjee and Esther Duflo.

In this podcast, we discuss the spread of microfinance in villages in rural India — as well as some unintended consequences that that came as a result of disrupting the social structures of these villages. And, as sometimes happens, we also had a brief detour to discuss Frank Herbert’s “Dune.”

Learn more from Matthew here: * Website: Stanford Homepage * Books: The Human Network | Social and Economic Networks * Twitter: @jacksonmmatt * Coursera: Instructor Page

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [02:08] “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” * [05:56] The spread of microfinance in southern India provides a natural experiment for tracking the flow of information through social networks — and the consequences of altering the social graph in communities. * [20:17] How did companies try to spread loans in India? What types of people best spread information about microfinance in their communities? * [26:30] Information spread “decays” the further out in the network it gets. What causes this? * [38:00] A quick detour into Dune and Lord of the Rings * [42:26] The consequences of microfinance on the social networks in villages — and externalities on those who already have week social ties * [55:40] Does disrupting the social networks of rural villages cause any positive externalities like less caste segregation? * [01:00:17] Using “policy cocktails” to help counteract the unintended consequences of interventions. * [01:10:00] How to learn more from Matthew, follow his research, and purchase his books.

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Eigenvector centrality * Centrality * Abhijit Banerjee * Esther Duflo * Arun Chandrasekhar * Microfinance * Dune * Twitter’s main character * Def Leppard * Dune (1984 film) * J.R.R. Tolkien * Marxism and the theory of “Long Waves” * Sericulture * Robert D. Putnam * Bowling Alone * WEIRD Psychology

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Yautja plays lurching, uncomfortable music, so it is fitting that their new album is called “The Lurch.” I first met Kayhan back in approximately 2010 when I was on tour with Weekend Nachos and we stayed at Kayhan’s place in Birmingham, Alabama. At the time, Kayhan was in a band called Legion (funny enough), and since then has gone on to play in several excellent hardcore and metal projects like Coliseum, Die Young, and — of course — Yautja.

Yautja’s most recent record is fantastic, so I wanted to get Kayhan on the podcast to discuss how they write such weird but catchy songs. The conversation also took a detour into some of Kayhan’s wild experiences working at his family’s convenience store during a pandemic, so stick around for that as well.

Learn more from Kayhan and Yautja here: * Bandcamp: yautja.bandcamp.com * Instagram: @yautjagram * Facebook: @YautjaTN

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:29] The power of naming things “Legion” * [06:50] Being viewed as an off-the-rails weirdo due to an interest in extreme music — and the differences between music, sci-fi, and fantasy fandoms * [15:04] Getting into hardcore and punk, and the benefits of a mid-sized scene on creativity in Birmingham, Alabama * [20:28] Straddling genre lines with Yautja and being the misfit band on most concert bills * [29:17] The impacts of the country music industry on the Nashville underground music scene * [35:07] Yautja’s songwriting process — and the importance of rhythm, variations, and other subtleties in their compositions * [47:17] Yautja plays difficult and weird riffs, but is not really a “technical” band * [57:55] Yautja’s plans as the US emerges from the pandemic * [01:03:29] Kayhan’s comical and frustrating experiences working in his family’s convenience store during a pandemic * [01:14:14] How to purchase “The Lurch” and support Yautja

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Weekend Nachos * Legion * Deicide “Legion” * Integrity “Dawn of a new Apocalypse” * Legion in popular culture * Birmingham Legion FC * The Home Despot * Wish * Machine Head “Burn My Eyes” * Keep Staring I Might Do a Trick T-Shirt * Doctor Who * The Lord of the Rings * Robert Jordan * George R. R. Martin * Darkman * Virus (1999 film) * In Defence * Revocation * Exhumed * Rivers of Nihil * Voivod “Dimension Hatröss” * Morbid Angel “Formulas Fatal to the Flesh” * Morbid Angel “Gateways to Annihilation” * Hella * Gnarwhal * Mutilation Rites * Alraune * Steve Cloutier and Luc Lemay of Gorguts guitar lesson * Gorguts “Obscura”

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I’ve often spoken on the Legion Strength & Conditioning podcast about the desire for “simple solutions to complex problems.”

I figured I’d reframe and refine that discussion for a solocast based upon the cynefin decision-making framework, Julia Galef’s great new book “The Scout Mindset,” and some marketing intuition from years of running a small business.

Over years of creating content for a fitness audience, I’ve learned that the things that resonate with people are often not the things that are actually correct. Understanding the difference between a “complicated” environment and a “complex” environment has helped me clarify what’s going on here.

People tend to listen to podcasts, read articles, and buy coaching products to solve problems that they know they have. Most people intuitively frame things as “complicated” problems — meaning that there is established expertise out in the world that, messy as it may be, can come up with a flow chart or system that will guarantee an outcome if followed correctly.

Instead, most real-life things are complex — meaning that outcomes are only loosely coupled with the “correctness” of inputs, nonlinearities, emergent phenomena, and threshold effects dominate, and it’s really hard to extract signal from noise.

So, if I were being more parsimonious in my statement, I could rephrase it as “people want complicated solutions to complex problems.” Here’s why the best way to market yourself as a coach is not the best way to actually coach.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [00:13] Introduction to the cynefin framework — Obvious | Complicated | Complex | Chaotic * [05:14] Moving from the realm of the complicated to the complex in real life environments like training, coaching, and business * [11:40] The Scout Mindset — and the weakness of epistemic humility when marketing to people thinking in a “complicated” not a “complex” way * [16:10] The prestige trap — and the desire to copy what successful people do under the misconception that there is a linear path to accomplish what they’ve accomplished (like people complaining that Mat Fraser’s new programming doesn’t show exactly what he did leading into his final CrossFit Games championship)

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Cynefin framework * “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making” from the Harvard Business Review * Emergence * Threshold Effects * Insulin resistance * Julia Galef * “The Scout Mindset” by Julia Galef * Philip E. Tetlock * ‎Hybrid Unlimited: Ep.83 Putting a strength coach in your pocket ft Mat Fraser and Ian Kaplan * Dr. Ian Kaplan * Hayden Bowe

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At some point in the last year or so, I started listening to the Epidemiology Counts podcast. I was thrilled to learn that the host, Bryan James, is a Chicago local at Rush University — and he’s a CrossFitter at Goose Island CrossFit. Bryan and I recently collaborated on an article for BarBend about controlling the spread of Covid in gym, as well: COVID In Gyms: What The Research Says About Mitigating Spread.

In his day job, Bryan’s research focuses on the epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease, so I wanted to get his take on some common misconceptions about Alzheimer’s. Most of us have a family member who has been touched by Alzheimer’s or dementia, and my family is no different. Bryan’s work focuses on population-level analysis of some of the things that give us “buffering capacity” to delay the onset of dementia, as well as some of the hidden costs of Alzheimer’s and dementia that don’t always show up in our statistics.

In Bryan’s role as a podcast host, he is also an expert communicator about nuanced epidemiological topics and public health. There’s a lot to talk about with the litany of public health communication catastrophes we’ve seen through the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the descent into epistemic nihilism playing out daily on our social media feeds. Bryan has been wrestling with some of these problems in his own work, so his insight here is invaluable.

Learn more from Bryan here: * Podcast: Epidemiology Counts | Episode 1: Why should I trust that new health study? * Website: Rush Profile * Twitter: @bryandjames | @rushalzheimers * Selected Publications: Late-Life Social Activity and Cognitive Decline in Old Age | Contribution of Alzheimer disease to mortality in the United States

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:51] The difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia — and the role of cognitive reserve capacity in preventing dementia * [13:36] How to determine causality in a multifactorial complex system — and the changes in “prevalence” and “incidence” of Alzheimer’s over time * [24:50] What does epidemiology tell us about developing cognitive reserve capacity? * [33:29] Bryan’s paper on the correlation between social activity and Alzheimer’s * [41:47] Controlling for reverse causality and potential outside causes in epidemiological research * [50:04] The challenges in public health communication and the flaws in the way epidemiology research is presented in the media. * [01:03:24] Misinformation, publicly communicating nuanced topics, combatting epistemic nihilism, and restoring trust in institutions that have made public mistakes * [01:10:10] The Epidemiology Counts podcast and properly weighting the information from observational studies

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Grandpa Simpson walking in and out * Lewy body dementias * TDP-43 Pathology, Cognitive Decline, and Dementia in Old Age * Amyloid plaques * Neurofibrillary tangle * Cognitive reserve in ageing and Alzheimer’s disease * Epidemiology, Prevalence and Incidence * Image of Alzheimer’s Brain vs Normal Brain * Reverse Causality * U.S. POINTER Study * Person, woman, man, camera, TV * “Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV” Video * MoCA Montreal – Cognitive Assessment * Assessment of memory complaint in age-associated memory impairment: the MAC-Q * Controlling for a variable * Effect of purpose in life on the relation between Alzheimer disease pathologic changes on cognitive function in advanced age * “SARS-CoV-2 and Potential Airborne Transmission” from the CDC * “FAQs on Protecting Yourself from Aerosol Transmission” from Jose-Luis Jimenez * “Still Alive” Astral Codex Ten * Gell-Mann Amnesia * Malleus Maleficarum * Prior probability

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James Pligge is back by popular demand. This time, we talk about some of the many misconceptions that people have about James and Harm’s Way — as well as James’s ill-fated attempt to make a protein shake with Coca-Cola.

To be honest, talking about making a protein shake from Coca-Cola probably doesn’t do a lot to correct any of those popular misconceptions about James…

Either way, this is a hilarious conversation. James explains why Harm’s Way is more influenced by The Jesus Lizard than by Madball and also ridicules contemporary powerlifting culture.

Learn more from James and Harm's Way here: * Website: www.harmsway13.com | Bandcamp * Twitter: @harmsxway * Facebook: @harmsxway * Instagram: @harmsway13

These interviews are also posted on YouTube with video. Check out my channel here.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:19] The challenges of remote learning (and teaching) * [10:25] James’s hatred of metalheads in high school * [15:20] The tribalism of adjacent subcultures * [22:20] James’s tough guy reputation * [28:23] Misconceptions that people have about Harm’s Way — and the challenges of making your art legible to an audience that doesn’t share the same background * [37:33] Powerlifting has become embarrassing * [47:40] James’s Coca-Cola protein shake * [52:15] Writing music in quarantine for the next Harm’s Way album * [01:06:40] The artistic direction of new Harm’s Way material * [01:16:45] How to follow Harm’s Way online. And the importance of Interpunk and No Idea Records mailorder on our development years.

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Zoombombing * Dimmu Borgir * Youth Of Today * Throwdown * Madball * The Legendary Study That Embarrassed Wine Experts Across the Globe * Terror * Cannibal Corpse * Ghostemane * Godflesh * Sepultura – Chaos AD * The Jesus Lizard * Suffocation “Liege of Inveracity” * Suffocation “Funeral Inception” * Larry Wheels * James Harden * Jay Cutler’s Coca-Cola Post-workout Shake * Save Our Stages * The Locust * Saetia * Circle Takes The Square * Planes Mistaken for Stars * Beneath the Wheel * Five Fingers Half a Hand * Interpunk.com * No Idea Records * Vitamin X * Combatwoundedveteran

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I feel like I say this about a lot of my friends that I have on the podcast, but John Caution is one of the weirdest and funniest people I know. I’m happy to talk to John endlessly about funny things that people we both know did 15 years ago, but, in this interview, we talk about the legacy of Weekend Nachos.

We talk about the trolling instinct, the impulse to create — either in riff form or otherwise, and being in a band that defined the identity of a lot of angry but funny social misfits.

I laughed pretty hard during this interview, and I laughed even harder while relistening to it. John’s instinct for saying hilarious things and pushing people’s buttons remains as strong as ever, even as a suburban father.

John is currently working on a book detailing the history of Weekend Nachos, so wish him happy and painless writing on that endeavor.

Learn more from John here: * Bandcamp: Weekend Nachos | Sawblade | Ledge * Twitter: @weakenednachos

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:03] Spontaneous experimental trolling — and how the trolling instinct helped create Weekend Nachos * [13:57] How Weekend Nachos incorporated both anger and humor into their music * [19:30] Creating a blend of different styles of music that sounds cohesive * [23:58] Having a brain that is constantly full of riffs — and the social consequences thereof * [35:20] John is a suburban dad now and will call the cops on any local punk shows. * [44:17] Does John want his daughter to get into punk? And how extreme music helps people channel aggressive emotions. * [50:20] John’s experiences with therapy, marriage counseling, and dealing with negative emotions as an adult with a family * [01:05:10] The forthcoming book on the history of Weekend Nachos

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Born from Pain * Pele * Circle Takes the Square * Orchid * Portraits of Past * Slayer “Altar Of Sacrifice” * Slayer Demos * Slayer “Disciple” * Slayer “Jesus Saves” * Trap Them * Black Breath * Bad Luck 13 * Blood for Blood * First Blood Hoodie * Jacob Bannon * Kid Dynamite

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Speaking with Matt is like being blasted with a firehose of information. He is entwined in the worlds of politics, database engineering, and 3D printing, and he speaks in dense, reference-laden paragraphs. This is thrilling to me, since I love information. I also feel empathy for folks who have been subject to my own tendencies to speak in dense, reference-laden paragraphs, since it’s not always easy to keep up.

While infrastructure isn’t exactly a sexy topic, we’ve seen a lot of institutional failings over the last few years, so I wanted to get Matt’s take on why we see so much bureaucratic rot and ineptitude — and what we can do about it.

I also wanted to get his significantly more optimistic take on the future of small-scale manufacturing, since he is starting a new company with plans to democratize 3D printing. The costs and infrastructure required to make small runs of products in your own home are plummeting, and we will likely see a revolution in direct-to-consumer businesses because of it.

Enjoy this conversation with the always fascinating, always reference-laden Matt Parlmer.

Learn more from Matt here: * Website: Substack | General Fabrication * Twitter: @mattparlmer

Enjoy this conversation with the always fascinating, always reference-laden Matt Parlmer.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:45] Is it “time to build”? And, why have we seen so many institutional and infrastructural failures since the 1970s? * [10:47] Matt’s take on the Texas power grid failure * [19:24] The engineering parable of the construction of the London sewers * [27:10] Why are we better at digital infrastructure than physical infrastructure? * [34:34] Lessons from the iterative development practices of technical infrastructure that can be applied to physical infrastructure * [41:54] Matt’s nuclear power pitch — and how the regulatory state has failed on nuclear * [56:53] The coming transition from “needing a warehouse full of equipment” to “at home manufacturing” * [01:06:45] What is changing that will cause massive cost reductions in small-scale manufacturing and electrochemical machining * [01:16:17] General Fabrication, 3D printing farms, and the “direct from producer” business model * [01:28:30] How to learn more from Matt and why you should really reach out to him about manufacturing and 3D printing

Links and Resources Mentioned: * 2021 Texas power crisis * Nassim Taleb’s Black Swan Thanksgiving Turkey * Isambard Kingdom Brunel * “How London got its Victorian sewers” from OpenLearn * Square–cube law * Howard Hughes * 2020 United States federal government data breach * “MySpace admits losing 12 years’ worth of music uploads” from BBC News * Version control * Idaho National Laboratory * Hydraulic empire * “Loan program that funded Solyndra finds success in Tesla and many others” from The Mercury News * Nuclear Regulatory Commission * West Africa Squadron * Mainframe computer * Blackpill * Electrochemical machining * “How Switzerland Came to Dominate Watchmaking” from The New York Times * “Neuromancer” by William Gibson * Red Hat’s Business Model * China Using Anal Swabs for COVID Testing

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Andy is one of the most talented musicians I know. Some people think of musical talent as a preternatural gift for shredding through neoclassical riffs on guitar or ripping through Chopin concertos as a pre-teen. In Andy’s case, this talent manifests itself as incredible taste and intuition for songwriting and audio production. When you hear a song written by Andy — whether it’s the, uh, powerviolence of Weekend Nachos or the alt rock throwback of Sourmouth — you know it’s an Andy song.

Fortunately, Andy gets to share his gift with others not just with his own music but through his work as a producer and audio engineer at Bricktop Recording.

I didn’t expect to make ill-founded quantum mechanics analogies with Andy in this conversation about songwriting, but that’s what happened.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:27] How Andy writes an album’s worth of songs every few months — across different genres * [11:46] The difference between “idea generation” and “idea editing” in songwriting * [23:19] How does Andy facilitate creativity in the studio while still keeping sessions on track? * [31:13] The difference between “producing” and “engineering” * [40:27] The value of a skilled editor in any creative endeavor. And, why it’s easier to edit other people’s work than your own. * [48:45] How to avoid getting too precious with your own creative ideas. * [54:29] Getting spacey with some theoretical physics analogies to songwriting * [01:07:54] How to learn more from Andy

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Daniel Higgs * Killing Joke * Killing Joke “What’s THIS For…!” * Preston Weippert (Of Feather and Bone | Volunteer Coroner) Interview * Wristmeetrazor * Isaac Hale * Polyptych * Guitar Pro * Lurk * Mike Watts * Oasis) * Attractor * Wave function collapse * Morrissey * Robert Smith * Jaz Coleman * Jeff Tweedy * Noel Gallagher * Double-slit experiment * Spelling Bee – The New York Times

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Jeff edits many of these podcasts…and now it is time for him to speak!

Jeff is a prolific musician and artist — creating in a variety of genres and formats. His works appear as stand-alone albums, as complements to performance art, and on pirate radio stations.

I’ve long been a fan of Jeff’s music, and, in 2020, he released two of my favorite albums of his: Ditch and Scale with Zeena Parkins.

I wanted to talk to Jeff about the differences between creating for “the art world” vs creating as a musician, as well as the role of improvisation in his process. Jeff also has some wild and hilarious stories about the variety of things that can go wrong when making art.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:59] Did Jeff inspire the Nathan For You sketch about smoke detectors? * [18:40] How does creation differ between “making sound art: and “making music”? How does composition change when complimenting a performance vs “making an album”? * [37:50] The crossover between punk, skate culture, and high art — and Jeff’s background in BMX * [45:24] Jeff’s record with Zeena Parkins — and the role of improvisation in music and dance. * [01:07:47] Jeff’s radio project Radius — and using radio as an “art form” * [01:14:27] How the live performance of “Ditch” resulted in Jeff at the New York City police department at 6am * [01:24:00] Check out Jeff’s Bandcamp and listen to Radius

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Nathan Fielder * Nathan For You “Nathan’s Band” * Nathan Fielder Trolls Austin Police Department with Fake Thank-You Cards * “Smoke Detector” by Jeff Kolar * Circuit bending * Creation is Crucifixion “Gameboy AKA This is Where Technology and Anarchy Fuck” * Chiptune * Jennifer Monson * Zeena Parkins * Björk * Ben Frost * Dark (TV series) * Chernobyl * Chernobyl Soundtrack * BMX Tabletop * The High Line * Brian Eno * Five Finger Death Punch * Pantera * Obituary * Watain * “You Coulda Called Him Al” from the Miami New Times

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Of Feather and Bone put out one of the best records of 2020 with Sulfuric Disintegration, so I was really excited to speak with drummer Preston Weippert.

Like Rats played with Of Feather and Bone in Baltimore a few years back, and I was very impressed with them. Since then, they’ve released two albums and dropped any pretense of being anything other than a death metal band.

Fascinatingly, they compose most of their music through improvisation and jamming, which is not typical for most death metal bands. Of course, I wanted to get into the weeds with Preston and really understand their creative process, and how they hold their output to such a high standard while creating music through improvisation. Hint: they’re willing to scrap an entire album’s worth of material if they think it isn’t up to snuff.

Learn more from Preston here: * Bandcamp: Of Feather and Bone | Volunteer Coroner | Trust Collective * Instagram: @v_coroner | @offeatherandbone

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:54] Is it cheating to do a two foot blast? * [04:30] Of Feather and Bone writes their songs by jamming together—which is somewhat unusual for a death metal band. How much is pure improvisation? * [12:29] Of Feather and Bone’s most recent record “Sulfuric Disintegration” is a rewrite of an entire album that was scrapped. * [19:37] Many bands start strong and get worse over time, but Of Feather and Bone has had the opposite trajectory. And, the interplay between hardcore, death metal, and other extreme genres. * [29:10] More on improvisational composition and developing the skill of improvising. * [39:28] Denver has an excellent scene for extreme music. Where did this come from? How are bands handling Covid? * [48:28] Preston’s electronic project Volunteer Coroner—and learning to appreciate ambient and noise music * [01:00:49] Learn more from Of Feather and Bone, Volunteer Coroner, and Trust Collective

Links and Resources Mentioned: * Morbid Angel * Immolation * Incantation * Celtic Frost * A389 Anniversary Bash * His Hero Is Gone * Tragedy * Urko * Battalion of Saints * Discharge * Dead Congregation Drum Cam * Funeral doom * Primitive Man * Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man | Many Blessings) Interview * Spectral Voice * Suffering Hour * Profound Lore Records * Blood Incantation * Casket Huffer * Vermin Womb * Mayhem “Silvester Anfang” * I said that the Mayhem intro was composed by Morton Subotnick but it was actually Conrad Schnitzler * Skin Crime * Dada * Posh Isolation * Vanity Productions * Total Black * Prurient * Outsider Art

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Like many, I am deeply concerned with the impact social media has had on our brains, our attention, and our society. I have a slightly different take on what the root of the problem is, though. While those worried about distraction, polarization, algorithms, and censorship all have a right to be concerned, I think the real issue is deeper and more fundamental. By creating a hyperconnected network for information flow, we seem to have kicked off a negative ratchet that leans on several compounding forces to fundamentally change the identities of those who carelessly venture onto the modern internet.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [00:10] I might as well pile on with everyone else criticizing social media companies. * [08:55] How the internet erodes trust in institutions and kicks off a negative ratchet of polarization, outrage, and epistemic nihilism * [14:21] Is the criticism of social media an unjustified moral panic? Most other new communications technologies were criticized widely at the time. * [20:31] Why I think “filter bubbles” are overrated—and why viewing alternate realities through the lens of identity and music fandom may be more helpful * [30:44] The internet creates an environment that evolves apex predator memes mimetic concepts * [38:31] Almost everyone recognizes that there’s a problem with social media. Not everyone agrees on what the problem is or what to do about it. Where should we go from here?

Links and Resources Mentioned * The Social Dilemma * Tristan Harris * Your Undivided Attention Podcast * Albert Kao, PhD (Santa Fe Institute) on the Wisdom of Crowds and Hyperconnected Networks * “Why Bankers Need to Be Put Into Little Boxes” from the Harvard Business Review * Inside Job * “The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium” by Martin Gurri * “A ratchet with leverage” by Seth Godin * European wars of religion * John R. Brinkley * Nuts! * “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam * Joshua Becker, PhD on Polarization, Collective Intelligence & Social Tipping Points * How did you get in to metal? Who was your “gateway band”? * Renée DiResta * K-pop * Dreamcatcher “Good Night” * Mr. Bungle “Travolta” * Chiodos “The Undertaker’s Thirst For Revenge Is Unquenchable…” * Attack Attack! “Stick Stickly” * Falling In Reverse “Bad Girls Club”

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This episode with James from Harm's Way is one of the most consistently downloaded episodes of the podcast, so figured this would be a good time to revisit it.

If you haven't seen the Harm's Way Running Man memes that offered a much needed moment of levity this summer, then spend some time giggling right here.

And, the original show that sparked the memes from hate5six's YouTube channel is absolutely fantastic as well. Check that out here.

New shows will return in January 2021.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

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This conversation is a repost from the From Coach to Business podcast that I did with my friend Brandon last year.

With the recent announcement that San Francisco CrossFit is closing their doors, I wanted to revisit this conversation since there were several key takeaways on operational excellence.

In the best of times, running a functional fitness gym in a major urban environment is already a grueling, low-margin business.

When a global pandemic devastates the entire fitness industry while simultaneously causing huge swaths of the population to vacate major urban environments like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, welll...that's 2020 for ya.

While San Francisco CrossFit rests in peace, the Starretts are still going strong with The Ready State so be sure to check them out there.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

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This is a holiday repost, which pairs very nicely with the recent episode with Cedric Chin discussing tacit knowledge, expert intuition, and deliberate practice. If you enjoyed that episode, you will hopefully also find Scott Young's work fascinating—since he distills research-based best practices in learning and skill acquisition into highly actionable strategies and tactics.

Here's the original episode post: I’ve long been a Scott Young fan from my early days of reading blogs (miss you, Google Reader), so I was thrilled to get the chance to interview him about his new book Ultralearning.

As a relentless consumer of information and a sometimes autodidact, I’ve found Scott’s blog to be very insightful in terms of approaching new projects and learning skills like coaching and coding without going through a formal educational process.

With the current ubiquity of information – including entire college curriculums, endless video interviews with world-class experts, and entire industries of online courses – we should be able to learn just about anything we want.

However, as anyone who has either attempted to learn a new skill or, God forbid, teach someone else a skill has experienced, learning is really, really hard.

How can we actually transfer what we learn from theoretical lectures and books to real-life application? How can we practice skills in a way that makes us better at the skill itself – not just at random drills?

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Check out more from Scott here: * Website: www.scotthyoung.com * Book: Ultralearning

Show Notes: * [1:50] Scott seems to understand that learning is most successful in an environment of doing and not in one of reading, lecture attendance, and video watching. However, he’s published a book about learning – so what exactly is its purpose and why did he choose to write it? * [4:21] There’s a lot more to learning than simply practicing, as certain skills seem to involve endless amounts of practice while others have more apparent, speedy transfer. Learning becomes more difficult when the type of practice performed deviates from how the skill is used in a real-life setting. Scott gives some examples of when these transfer problems arise and how transfer problems can arise even in learning about theoretical ideas. * [8:46] Directness and actual application are significant in order to learn all skills, but the order in which they’re performed matters. A learning strategy is likely transferring effectively when exposure to a skill is direct prior to performing any sort of drill and, once drills are introduced, it becomes important to return back to those situations of direct exposure regularly. * [13:01] Skills can be built up individually while lacking functionality outside of largely abstract situations, meaning that drills must be specific and relative to real performance of the skill. Feedback on those drills (and, generally, on performance of the skill being learned) shows to be a nonessential piece of the learning process. * [20:12] We can get knowledge into our heads, but accessing a learned skill isn’t done by pulling out a ‘saved’ memory from the brain and feedback is self-generated through realization of what is not able to be recalled – that aspect of retrieval is vital to performance of any skill, making the sophistication of recall more effective than repeated exposure. * [24:38] Studies may not be representative of all populations since skills vary so greatly in context – amount of acquired knowledge and ease of retrieval positively correlate, and sample sizes tend to be small. Giving learners opportunities to apply what they’ve learned can be a step toward bridging the gap in education where people review and ‘understand’ concepts but cannot seem to make any real change behaviorally. * [25:54] Experience is one of the many reasons experts perform better than novices at almost any skill – an expert’s experience in a particular skill allows them to chunk things together and to see prior patterns, obvious mistakes, and recognition of solutions to problems more readily than a novice, who likely attempts to piece together a multitude of individual parts of a larger concept. * [33:13] Learning a skill in order to solve problems rather than to simply know the information and to have it ‘stored’ can improve one’s ability to transfer. Autonomy is a necessity though: being able to apply a skill that you don’t really want to use is unlikely, no matter what super effective strategies or level of established intelligence or personality traits are present. Anyone can learn almost anything if they want to. * [43:04] Many people have negative experiences with learning and associate learning struggles with failure. Once you know how to put together a puzzle, it isn’t a puzzle anymore, but confidence and persistent engagement are keys to keep trying at that puzzle. * [53:10] Knowledge decay isn’t as serious as many believe because large ideas are retained – making a habit of performing physics problems or speaking in a particular language can help in maintaining those learned skills, but even more abstractly reminding yourself of formulas that exist can be helpful. * [57:38] Attitudes surrounding learning are the difference between either merely knowing about many concepts and drowning in self-doubt or having the confidence to succeed in complicated areas of work such as ultra learning. Can we make it prestigious to be a motivated self-educating person? * [1:04.35] Being able to copy someone else’s behavior or learn how someone else performs well at a particular skill by being able to watch and communicate with them about the subject can enhance and expedite the learning process. However, it’s possible that this is true in skills with more clearly defined ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs.’ * [1:14.10] How to get Scott’s book if you want it. And you probably want it. And you probably also want to check out some more Scott content. So here’s how to get all of that.

Links and Resources Mentioned * Duolingo * “Learning With Retrieval-Based Concept Mapping” by Janell Blunt and Jeffrey Karpicke * Many-worlds interpretation (Quantum Mechanics) * Copenhagen interpretation (Quantum Mechanics) * “The Classical Theory of Fields: Volume 2” by L D Landau and E.M. Lifshitz * “The Secret of Our Success” by Joseph Henrich * Speedrunning * Roger Bannister * “The Roger Bannister Effect: The Myth of the Psychological Breakthrough” from The Science of Running

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Certain clusters of nerds on the internet can find it very frustrating when successful people say a lot of incorrect stuff ("Just focus on your passion and be yourself!") about how they found success in their field.

To be clear, I am such a nerd.

Cedric Chin has researched and written extensively about the academic literature on skill acquisition and expertise—and has made these concepts extremely practical for knowledge workers looking to improve their career skills at his Commonplace blog.

Through Cedric's writing, we can build a better model of how experts build their models, which should help us develop our own skills, especially in areas of complexity and uncertainty like management, building a business, or growing an audience.

If you are interested in developing practical expertise, check this episode out and follow Cedric's work for more great info.

Learn more from Cedric here: * Website: www.commoncog.com | Commonplace Blog * Twitter: @ejames_c

Selected Articles & Series: * The Tacit Knowledge Series * The Chinese Businessman Paradox * A Framework for Putting Mental Models to Practice

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:55] A disagreement on tacit knowledge vs deliberate practice—and establishing some definitions * [14:00] Why “purposeful practice” is useful to almost everyone—and why “deliberate practice” has a much more narrow application * [22:10] The necessary conditions for expertise—and why most of the skills that people want in their lives aren’t easy to research * [25:50] “Tacit knowledge” is knowledge that can’t easily be put into words. Experts aren’t very good at explaining what they’re doing, but naturalistic decision-making researchers are able to extract what’s actually going on. * [32:27] How athletes make quick decisions—with examples from judo, racquet sports, and Cristiano Ronaldo * [40:48] Experts are able to prioritize the most important things in complex environments and are able to easily recognize different “prototypes”—plus a practical management example * [49:51] How should someone create an environment that helps people learn and recognize prototypes? * [56:25] Having an accurate model of the world doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to be more successful * [01:06:10] Sometimes having an inaccurate model of the world is beneficial and makes people more successful in marketing and in sport * [01:19:50] How to develop the skill of trial and error * [01:25:00] How to learn more from Cedric

Links and Resources Mentioned * “The Making of an Expert” by K. Anders Ericcson * “Deliberate Practice and Proposed Limits on the Effects of Practice on the Acquisition of Expert Performance: Why the Original Definition Matters and Recommendations for Future Research” by K. Anders Ericcson and Kyle W. Harwell * “Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise” by K. Anders Ericcson * Manager Tools * Todd Nief’s Show: Sarah Sentes (Manager Tools) on managing in industries that resist management * Naturalistic decision-making * “The Two Settings of Kind and Wicked Learning Environments” by Robin Hogarth and Tomás Lejarraga * “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized world” by David Epstein * “Superior self-paced memorization of digits in spite of a normal digit span: The structure of a memorist’s skill.” by Yi Hu and K. Anders Ericcson * The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance * “The relationship between expertise and visual search strategy in a racquet sport” by Bruce Abernethy and David G. Russell * “Conditions for Intuitive Expertise: A Failure to Disagree” by Gary Klein and Daniel Kahneman * Recognition primed decision * “Developing cognitive task analysis and the importance of socio-cognitive competence/insight for professional practice” by Julie Gore and Adrian P. Banks * “Friendly casualty outcomes: choice of counter Improvised Explosive Device tactics matters on the asymmetric battlefield” by Larry D Baca and Michael D Proctor * Cristiano Ronaldo scores in complete darkness * Jimmy Pedro * “Sources of Power” by Gary Klein * “The Power of Intuition: How to Use Your Gut Feelings to Make Better Decisions at Work” by Gary Klein * “A New Model of Scheduling in Manufacturing: Tasks, Roles, and Monitoring” by Sarah Jackson and John R. Wilson * Explicit and tacit rationality * Expected utility hypothesis * Bayesian inference * Lean startup * “Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction” by Philip Tetlock * “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” by Chris Voss * “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman * “Psychobiology of Fatigue During Endurance Exercise” by Samuele Marcora * Predictive coding * “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport

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Leonard Suryajaya creates lush, harrowing, and hilarious images in his photography, and I was fortunate enough to be a part of his process for his recent work with The New York Times.

While I initially wanted to talk to Leonard about his creative process, I couldn’t help but indulge and take a detour into the history of Indonesia.

Leonard’s story of immigrating from a repressive culture in Indonesia to a theater department in California is fascinating, as are his insights about American and Indonesian society.

He also has an enlightening perspective on how people can use fitness to “punish themselves,” and his own learning about being gentler on himself in training.

If you haven’t seen Leonard’s photographs, please spend some time on his website at www.leonardsuryajaya.com.

Learn more from Leonard here: * Website: www.leonardsuryajaya.com * Instagram: @leonardsuryajaya * The New York Times: “The Comforts of Clutter”

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:22] How God initially disapproved of and then finally approved of Leonard’s name * [08:47] The history of conflict in Indonesia—and how it impacted Leonard’s ethnically Chinese family * [13:26] Leonard’s drive to leave Indonesia, and what surprised him about moving to America. * [25:59] How the repression of the Indonesian government created tension in Leonard’s family * [41:09] Getting your family to do absurd things in the name of creating art * [49:47] How Leonard incorporates humor and confrontation in his photos * [01:00:30] How does one improve at photography? What skills are necessary? * [01:04:44] How did Leonard create his photographs for his recent New York Times piece? * [01:14:10] What are the challenges of being into both art and fitness * [01:20:19] Learning not to always push through and punish yourself in the gym * [01:35:54] How to learn more from Leonard and check out his photos

Links and Resources Mentioned * Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 * Chinese Indonesians * The Act of Killing * The Look of Silence * List of islands of Indonesia * Dutch East Indies * What is ISO? (And Why ISO Matters in Photography!) * Bulldog Rubber Mat Scrubber

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John Nerst, in some sort of bizarre ascetic practice, enjoys studying people disagreeing online.

While online discourse is a cesspool of bad intentions, bad faith, and, of course, bad arguments, John is able to divine some deep insights about the fundamental nature of human disagreement.

In this interview, we discuss how the abstractions we use let us down when we are trying to be precise in moral arguments, how the “decoupling vs contextualizing” axis explains how smart people with good intentions can endlessly talk past each other, and why the “tilted political compass” gives many folks who are alienated by contemporary political discourse a home.

Learn more from John here: * Website: www.everythingstudies.com * Twitter: @everytstudiesr

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Suggested Posts from John: * “Erisology: The Science of Arguing About Everything” from The Atlantic * The Tilted Political Compass, Part 1: Left and Right * The Tilted Political Compass, Part 2: Up and Down * The Nerd as the Norm * Case Study: The War on Christmas * Science, the Constructionists, and Reality * A Deep Dive into the Harris-Klein Controversy * 30 Fundamentals

Show Notes: * [01:38] The anxiety associated with the overwhelming amount of interesting things there are out there to learn—and how John focuses on things outside of his comfort zone in order to keep learning. * [06:44] John’s mental model for piecing together arguments that he doesn’t agree with. And, a primer on postmodern philosophy and contextualization. * [14:01] Many arguments result from a disagreement on the definitions of abstractions. It’s easy to pick apart the vagaries of arguments that aren’t on “our side,” while simultaneously giving the benefit of the doubt to conclusions that we like. * [25:55] Abstractions are “leaky,” and are often the root of disagreements. * [37:50] An argument intended to correct for a worldview that has “swung too far” can seem totally out of touch to someone who doesn’t have the same shared context. * [44:17] Contextualizers vs decouplers: should information be interpreted in abstractions and toy problems, or should the social context in which arguments exist always be paramount? * [53:28] Certain arguments and pieces of information are mimetically fit and can jump outside of their original context—sometimes to the chagrin of the original author * [01:03:39] How contextualizing vs decoupling helps create the tilted political compass—and how the tilted political compass helps several people alienated by contemporary political discourse find their home * [01:13:01] The dopamine hit from finding a validation of your identity online * [01:16:38] Where to get started with John’s blog Everything Studies

Links and Resources Mentioned * Postmodernism * Post-structuralism * Universal grammar * Noam Chomsky * The Social Construction of Scientific Knowledge * Eric Weinstein * String theory * Michel Foucault * “Nobody: ” from Know Your Meme * Richard Dawkins’s controversial Tweet * “The ‘10,000-hour rule’ about becoming an expert is wrong — here’s why” from Business Insider * “The Wisdom of Crowds” by James Surowiecki * Condorcet’s jury theorem * “Albert Kao, PhD on the Wisdom of Crowds and Hyperconnected Networks” from Todd Nief * “The cognitive decoupling elite” from Dross Bucket * Wittgenstein’s “family resemblance” * Black Sabbath * Iron Maiden * Suffocation * “A Thrive/Survive Theory Of The Political Spectrum” from Slate Star Codex * WEIRD psychology * Jonah Peretti * “Negations: Capitalism and Schizophrenia” by Jonah Peretti

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Albert Kao of the Santa Fe Institute has been researching collective behavior in animals — including really crazy things like using their own bodies as a bridge to invade a wasp nest. As we mention in the podcast, this absolutely needs to be made into a horror movie if it hasn't already.

In addition to animal behavior, Albert has also created some really insightful models that find that smaller groups do a better job of converging on accurate information in complex environments — contrary to the well-known "wisdom of crowds" model, where more information entering the system is better.

While the math in these models can be a little bit tricky, there is deep insight here into how our world is organized — from schools of fish to optimal team sizes in organizations to, of course, our current engagement with social media.

Albert, along with several other scholars, has started thinking about how to apply some of the knowledge that folks studying complex systems have about network design and dynamics in order to help guide policy decisions in regulating companies like Twitter and Facebook.

I think this is some of the most important work of our time, since the easy potshots on social media (distraction, vanity metrics, privacy invasion) may not be what we are grappling with — we may instead be grappling with fundamental aspects of hyperconnected networks.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:04] When do we experience the “wisdom of crowds” and when do we experience the “madness of crowds”? * [08:24] The bizarre collective behavior of ants * [17:15] When does adding more people make collective decision-making more accurate — and when does it make collective decision-making less accurate? * [25:52] Mid-sized groups seem to strike the balance between benefitting from the wisdom of crowds without being susceptible to the madness of crowds. * [37:19] How are academics from the Santa Fe Institute and other areas thinking about making policy recommendations for regulation of social media and other hyperconnected networks? * [49:06] What do we want our social networks to be optimizing for? Can we design the networks to encourage the behaviors that we want? * [59:10] Speculation on the ability of modularity in networks to improve creativity in things like music scenes — and the sometimes positive dynamics of rivalries. * [01:09:10] How to learn more from Albert

Links and Resources Mentioned * Army Ant Death Spiral * How do army ants build bridges with no one in charge? * Conway’s Game of Life * Play John Conway’s Game of Life * Condorcet’s jury theorem * Limits of information for trading and investing | overconfidence vs. accuracy * “The wisdom of partisan crowds” by Joshua Becker, Ethan Porter, and Damon Centola * Wu-Tang Clan * Prisoner’s dilemma

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I’m often asked “how I handle it all,” and — while I think the true answer may have something to do with several deep flaws in my fundamental personality, I do think I have a framework that helps me get a good amount of stuff done.

I tend to manage too many projects at once pretty much all of the time — which is actually probably not very good for my mental health nor my overall effectiveness.

Still, I’ve developed some systems that enable me to keep things moving along.

The biggest update from my previous soliloquy on productivity is the introduction of “daily buckets.”

I organize my projects into three categories:

High cognitive load work projects
Content creation/Creative work
Admin

Every day, I pick one project from each category to move forward. This has been the biggest win for me, and I hope it’s helpful for someone else.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [0:10] An analysis of the flaws in my personality that also result in high productivity * [04:21] The Jane Jacobs model of productivity — creating systems with optimal opportunities for self-organization * [08:10] A tangible example of splitting a large priority into discrete projects — and how to organize those projects into different buckets throughout the week * [13:56] Creating weekly project priorities and then converting those into daily priority projects * [19:52] Finding the optimal balance of structure and flexibility in any system — and the flaws of being too structured in your planning

Links and Resources Mentioned * Palu app * ‎Asana * Getting Things Done

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It doesn’t always work well to try to corner artists who you like and make them explain how they do the thing that you enjoy about their work.

Sort of like getting a comedian to explain their jokes. Maybe not the best thing for your ongoing enjoyment of humor.

Still, I will not be deterred, and I wanted to get Ethan from Primitive Man on the podcast to pressure him into explaining how he thinks about the dissonant soundscapes he creates not just for Primitive Man, but for all of the musical projects that he’s involved with like Many Blessings and Vermin Womb.

Ethan — like many creatives — cannot be contained and also has his fingers in visual art (including designing the cover art for the Hate Force record we put out somewhat recently) and booking all kinds of shows.

Check out more from Ethan, Primitive Man, and Many Blessings here: * Website: www.hellsimulation.com * Bandcamp: Primitive Man | Many Blessings | Vermin Womb * Instagram: @primitivemandoom

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:12] How does Ethan use dissonance as a tool in his creativity? * [08:44] How Ethan uses influences from other genres to spark creativity in Primitive Man — although passed through a “horrifying” filter, of course. * [17:21] Are there unexplored avenues of “heaviness” in heavy music? * [25:59] How Ethan’s visual art differs from his musical art. * [32:50] How distrust, disinformation, and the getting implanted with a microchip fall create a dystopian environment. * [48:50] Denver’s extreme music scene and the necessity of new bands taking the reins. How will shows bounce back after COVID? * [56:32] What is Ethan’s role in booking shows and what opportunities will there be for people to get involved when live music returns? * [01:08:10] Check out Primitive Man, Ethan’s Art & Many Blessings

Links and Resources Mentioned * Hate Force album cover * ‎Recode Decode: with Boots Riley * “Sorry to Bother You” film * “Aimen Dean | Nine Lives of a Spy Inside Al-Qaeda Part One” from The Jordan Harbinger Show * NIVA | National Independent Venue Association * Save Our Stages * David Blaine and Ricky Gervais

Bands and Artists Mentioned * Incantation * Immolation * Today Is The Day * Godflesh * Neurosis * Crowbar * Disembowelment * The Haxan Cloak * Lawrence English * SUNN O))) * Revenge * Impetuous Ritual * U.S. Maple * Portal * The Coup * Cephalic Carnage

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As I mention in the intro to this podcast, I know John Murphy as the pilot of a 90s era Pontiac Trans Sport — aka the “Egg Van.”

The world, however, knows John as co-founder and gameplay designer at Young Horses, the indie games collective responsible for the much beloved hit Octodad.

As a lad, I was an obsessive and nerdy player of role-playing games for the Super Nintendo. Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Chrono Trigger…as well as “also rans” like Breath of Fire and Illusion of Gaia.

Since then, I haven’t kept up much with video games, so I was excited to pry into John’s creative process in a medium that I think is often underrated by outsiders in terms of its potential for expressiveness and imagination.

John was also part of a team that — despite all the odds — turned a school project into an international video-gaming hit. I can tell you that none of my school projects ever approached anything that anyone would possibly care about, so we also discussed the dynamics of building a real business from an unlikely beginning.

Check out more from John, Young Horses, and Bugsnax here: * Twitter: @johmmmmmm | @YoungHorses * Website: www.younghorsesgames.com | www.octodad.com | www.bugsnax.com

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [02:30] Is it ethical to leverage the powers of technology and understanding of human psychology to lock people into fantasy worlds? * [15:18] How did Young Horses turn a school project into Octodad — a game with international success and renown? * [24:22] How do different “scenes” work in the video game industry? How do these scenes lead to innovation and creativity? * [33:51] The process of developing a video game involves a certain amount of “lock in.” How do developers get user feedback and iterate? How does this impact the creative process? * [43:35] How do “influences” impact the creative process of game design? What games and developers influence John and Young Horses? * [58:06] Existing between “genres” in the video game space — how does Young Horses balance the strangeness of their games with the playfulness? * [01:08:45] Is finding the right genre necessary for success in marketing a video game? * [01:21:12] How to play Young Horses’ games — including Bugsnax holiday 2020

Links and Resources Mentioned * DePaul MFA in Game Design * The Fireside Bowl * Revealed preference * The Last Dance * “Loot boxes in online games and their effect on consumers, in particular young consumers” from Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies | European Parliament * Opportunity cost * Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn * “Lumosity to Pay $2 Million to Settle FTC Deceptive Advertising Charges for Its “Brain Training” Program” from Federal Trade Commission * Independent Games Festival * Andy Nelson * Danny Polak * Three 6 Mafia * Ayn Rand * Marty Friedman * Megadeth * Square * Rare * Like Rats * Weekend Nachos * James Brown * Pixar * Kero Kero Bonito * “The 7 Romantic Comedy Movie Poster Clichés” from Empire * Being John Malkovich * “I build a world with fantasy master N.K. Jemisin” from The Ezra Klein Show * Jonathan Blow * Devon Scott-Tunkin

Games Mentioned * World of Warcraft * Fortnite * Acid Couch * SimTower * Battletoads * BioShock * The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild * GoldenEye 007 * Donkey Kong * Pokémon Snap * Ape Escape * Call of Duty * Ooblets

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Dirk Verbeuren has played drums on more extreme metal releases than is reasonable or appropriate for any single human.

He took over for Chris Adler as the drummer for Megadeth in 2016, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to release underground release after underground release — including material with the recently revived Cadaver.

Dirk not only has freakish technical skill, but he also has the ability to deploy that skill as an improvisational master, an incredible mimic, or a deliberate and exacting architect of complex drumming.

Dirk is not just a musician, but is also a drum teacher. His analytical side allows him to be self-reflective and discuss what his thought process looks like while composing and playing.

And, this conversation took some unexpected turns into the dangers of conspiracy theories and why even folks with a “dark side” who gravitate toward extreme metal should still work on being more present.

Check out more from Dirk here: * Website: www.dirkverbeuren.com | www.megadeth.com * Instagram: @dirkverbeuren | @megadeth | @bentsea_ * Bandcamp: Bent Sea * Radio Show: Dirk’s Extreme Blast airs on Gimme Radio

Dig into Dirk’s impressive discography and a few of his recommended releases here: * Encyclopedia Metallum * Sybreed “Antares” * Obsydians “Psychodynamics” * Tronos “Celestial Mechanics” * Scarve “Irradiant”

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [02:34] Improvisation vs having specific instructions when doing drum session work * [07:00] Mimicry vs creativity while filling in — including for Megadeth. Dave Mustaine’s desire for everyone in the band to have creative freedom. * [17:46] Growing up with parents supportive of Dirk’s interest in musice — including buying Cannibal Corpse and NWA records with “concerning” cover art * [21:55] The balance between being analytical and creative — including Dirk’s interest in science as a kid and the dangers of science denialism and conspiracy theories. * [33:20] Touring internationally and being exposed to different cultures * [37:05] What is the difference between the ability to mimic and the ability to be creative? How can musicians learn to “turn off” their analytical side in order to be creative? * [50:00] Learning to be more present and the dangers of overwork and burnout. * [57:33] People into extreme music often have a “darkness,” but that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from cultivating the skill of presence. * [01:05:00] Dirk’s various projects: recording the new Megadeth album, Bent Sea’s new releases, starting a recording studio, running a radio show for Gimme Radio, and underappreciated gems from his discography

Links and Resources Mentioned * Aborted “Meticulous invagination” drum part * Megadeth “Wake Up Dead” opening groove * Megadeth “The Conjuring” heavy part * Wind of Change Podcast * Jon Stewart * Control (2007 film) * Herzog on the obscenity of the jungle from “The Burden of Dreams”

Bands and Musicians Mentioned * Aborted * Soilwork * Slayer * Dave Lombardo * Paul Bostaph * Gar Samuelson * Carmine Appice * Vinnie Colaiuta * Chris Poland * The New Yorkers (Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson’s jazz fusion group) * Scorpions * Mikkey Dee * Joy Division * Hypocrisy * Cannibal Corpse * N.W.A. * Red Hot Chili Peppers “One Hot Minute” * Busta Rhymes * Wu-Tang Clan * Beastie Boys * Sean Reinert * Morbid Angel * Repulsion * Napalm Death * Imperial Triumphant * Dodecahedron * Shane Embury * Midnight * Feastem * Nasum * Godflesh * Justin K Broadrick

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Figuring out how to prioritize in any sort of complex system is really, really difficult.

We see this all the time in working with athletes.

A simple, linear mindset results in athletes trying to do more, more, more training — and expecting to get more, more, more results.

In reality, there are trade-offs involved in any sort of training plan.

These are not just the trade-offs between the zero sum competition between training time and ability to adapt, but fundamental trade-offs between constraints being imposed on the system.

If only there were some sort of lens through which we could view the process of making trade-offs between competing priorities in complex systems…

Fortunately, Courtney Kelly is a coach and a copywriter, and she has a background in psycholinguistics.

In linguistics, there is an understanding of the way that humans generate grammar and speech based upon trade-offs between different constraints.

This theory is called “optimality theory,” and Courtney wrote a fantastic article on its application to training here.

Check out more from Courtney, Ethos Alchemy, and Strength Ratio here: * Article: Performance optimization? How ’bout optimality theory? * Website: www.strengthratiohq.com | www.ethosalchemy.co * Instagram: @strengthratio | @ethos_alchemy

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:01] A background on psycholinguistics and universal grammar — and why grammar is a lot more interesting than “just punctuation” * [14:24] So, what is optimality theory? What does the way that humans generate speech have to tell us about trade-offs in complex systems — particularly in fitness? * [28:10] A tangible example of the trade-offs involved in training for a triathlon vs building muscle for aesthetics * [34:00] Optimality theory treats constraints as “binary” — not on a sliding scale * [40:15] An grammatical example of optimality theory in action * [49:02] The importance of having a robust theory of mind for effective communication * [59:09] The practical applications of understanding theory of mind for copywriting and sales — how to understand clients’ hopes, fears, and dreasm * [01:13:32] How to know when it’s ok to “exclude” someone with your copy who isn’t a good fit for your business * [01:18:02] Learn more from Courtney, Ethos Alchemy, and Strength Ratio

Links and Resources Mentioned * Slipknot “Psychosocial” * Generative grammar * Noam Chomsky * B. F. Skinner * Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization * “Let’s face it: reading acquisition, face and word processing” from Frontiers in Psychology * Reading Rehabilitation | American Stroke Association * Optimality Theory * “Optimality Theory – Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar” by Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky * Zach Greenwald * Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns * Markedness and Faithfulness Constraints * Ruble sign * Géraldine Legendre * Theory of mind * Kurt Vonnegut * James Joyce

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In this episode of "Between Two Todds," Todd Jones discusses his songwriting process for Nails and why he thinks of himself more as a "music fan" than a "musician."

Todd has a public perception that is often totally out of alignment with his actual personality. Some of this is likely a side effect of being the front man of one of the most aggressive bands currently playing in metal and hardcore.

However, we get to see Todd as an introspective and curious fan of music on his new podcast called Unsilent Death. He interviews other musicians and producers, and digs into all of the aspects of the craft of making music - from songwriting, to production, to touring.

After you listen to this episode, check out a few episodes of Unsilent Death as well.

Check out more from Todd, Nails, and the Unsilent Death podcast here: * Website: www.unsilentdeathpodcast.com * Podcast: Unsilent Death * Instagram: @nailstyrrany | @unsilentdeathpodcast

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [00:57] The dynamics of first discovering subcultures — and why Todd resonated so much with hardcore * [11:15] Music as a vehicle for delivering emotion to listeners — and why Todd thinks of himself more as a "music fan" than a "musician" * [17:14] The different roles that a musician needs to play in order to bring music into the world: actually composing the music, doing promotion in the press or in music videos, and project managing behind-the-scenes. * [28:30] Using the The Unsilent Death podcast as an opportunity to dig into the craft of creating music with other musicians — rather than just asking the same standard interview questions * [41:14] Todd’s songwriting process: playing punk and hardcore with tight musicianship, obsessing over the finished product, and finding ways to be creative with the framework that Nails has established * [51:24] Writing songs based upon specific riffs — or writing songs based upon a big picture "idea" or theoretical song structure * [01:03:07] Learn more about The Unsilent Death podcast and Nails

Links and Resources Mentioned * Brendan Kelly * Road to the Skeleton Coast podcast with Brendan Kelly * Mastering (audio) * Joe Rogan * Feedly * Google Reader * Sepultura (Cavalera's Return To Roots) - Ambush & Drum Jam Solo * Deicide "Dead by Dawn" live - with the Hoffman brothers looking jacked

Music Mentioned * The Mighty Mighty Bosstones "Someday I Suppose" * The Offspring "Smash" * Minor Threat "In My Eyes" * Youth Of Today "No More" * The Lawrence Arms "Quincentuple Your Money" * Slapstick "Cheat to Win" * The Broadways "15 Minutes" * Mother Love Bone "Stargazer" * Operation Ivy "Sound System" * Less Than Jake "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts" * The Honor System "Nails" * Alkaline Trio "Bleeder" * Converge "Concubine" * The Dillinger Escape Plan "43% Burnt" * Iron Maiden "The Trooper" * Blink-182 "First Date" * New Found Glory "Hit Or Miss" * Slint "Spiderland" * Rancid "Ruby Soho" * NOFX "Linoleum" * Good Riddance "One for the Braves" * Black Flag "My War" * Ulthar "Providence" * Averse Sefira "Deathymn" * Deathspell Omega "Paracletus" * Deicide "Once Upon the Cross" * Deicide "Legion" * The Damned "Love Song" * Antidote "Real Deal" * Urban Waste "Ignorant" * Chain of Strength "True Till Death" * Gorilla Biscuits "Start Today" * Jerry's Kids "Is This My World" * Sepultura "Roots Bloody Roots" * Deicide "Lunatic Of God's Creation" * Obituary "Slowly We Rot" * Cannibal Corpse "Hammer Smashed Face" * Morbid Angel "Rapture" * Deicide "Insineratehymn"

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Every small business that has any level of success hits a tipping point where the fact that business is going "kind of well" becomes the most stressful thing to the founders. I vividly remember hitting this point with South Loop Strength & Conditioning several years ago. The gnawing worry that we were missing something or doing something wrong with our business was replaced with a constant feeling of suffocating in emails, meetings, coaching, and duct taping together the cracks splitting apart in seemingly every area of the business. Every business book says that all you have to do is "systemize and delegate." Well, what happens when none of the tasks that you delegate get done properly, you find out your employees are doing crazy things when you’re not in the building, and it seems like everyone hates each other? In the fitness industry, "management" is seen as something for stuffy suits in office jobs. But, a lack of management results in something much worse taking its place. Sarah Sentes taught the Manager Tools conference that Paul and I attended several years back - and that was a game changer for operations at SLSC. I wanted to have Sarah on the podcast to talk about practical takeaways in management for people who hate the idea of managing - particularly those in the start-up scene or involved in the fitness industry.

Check out more from Sarah and Manager Tools here: * Website: Manager Tools * Podcast: Manager Tools | Career Tools | Manager Tools Basics

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:11] Sarah’s background in managing IT professionals – without a technical background. How should managers deal with impostor syndrome? * [08:58] People often bristle at management – especially in start-ups or in the fitness industry. What are the costs of not having management structure in place? * [16:30] How do organizations know when they are at the tipping point where they should start implementing formal management? * [23:59] If you don’t have management structure, something more nefarious and toxic – aka “politics” and “clicqueiness” – will take its place. * [28:50] Relationships are the foundation of good management. Without solid relationships, people find negative explanations for decisions. * [33:10] Why even people who “hate meetings” should do regular one-on-ones * [41:20] What management principles can coaches apply to working with their clients? How can coaches deliver helpful feedback to clients? * [48:23] How to prioritize when and where to give feedback. Feedback is for the future, not the past. * [54:46] Should people give use the “shit sandwich” to give feedbacK? * [59:00] What are the most actionable starting points for people looking to implement management structure? * [01:02:57] Where should people start with Manager Tools?

Links and Resources Mentioned * Impostor syndrome * Goodhart’s law * “Role Power Revisited” from Manager Tools * “Assume Positive Intent” from Manager Tools

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Wayne is the principal in residence at KIPP Team Academy in Newark, New Jersey. I’ve wanted to have Wayne on the show for awhile to talk about education since I’m endlessly fascinated with learning, learning about learning, teaching, teaching others to teach, and basically every other possible recursion and iteration of the words "teach" and "learn." Given the climate in the world right now, we discuss Wayne’s expertise through the lens of suddenly transitioning into remote learning due to COVID-19. We also discuss the climate of race in 2020 and Wayne’s experiences as a black, gay man. We also dig into the pending "cancellation" of Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, and we work through how to reconcile someone’s contributions with their toxic personal behavior. There’s a lot of hot button and potentially dangerous issues in this conversation, so I appreciate Wayne being vulnerable. Hopefully we were able to touch these topics in a nuanced and helpful way.

Check out more from Wayne and KIPP here: * Website: KIPP TEAM Academy * Instagram: @banksylifts

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [02:42] Wayne’s experience suddenly transitioning into online learning - and also likely having COVID-19 in February. Also, the importance of access to resources in education to facilitate moving to online education. * [14:20] How can children engage in self-guided learning? How can educators? Facilitate self-guided learning? * [22:15] What is the role of motivation in learning? How is Wayne preparing for a likely "middle ground" in the future with some online learning and some in-person learning? * [28:45] What transfers over from an in-person learning environment into an online learning environment? * [36:04] How to have high expectations and "hold someone’s feet to the fire" - both in managing teachers and in educating children. * [47:30] What have we seen exposed as far as systemic inequalities through both COVID-19 and the protests in response to the killing of George Floyd? * [58:52] What are Wayne’s recommendations for self-educating regarding social justice issues? How should we think about racism in our current society? * [01:11:10] How should we think about "cancel culture" - and what are some unintended consequences of online shaming? * [01:23:23] How do we reconcile the contributions of people who are unethical in their personal lives but who have made important contributions to their field? This is especially timely in the context of Greg Glassman, the founder and former CEO of CrossFit. * [01:30:55] How to learn more from Wayne

Links and Resources Mentioned * "The Results Are In for Remote Learning: It Didn’t Work" from the Wall Street Journal * Khan Academy * "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell * "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott * Stonewall riots * "The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson" * "13th" * Jane Elliott * Video of Jane Elliott's brown eyes and blue eyes experiement * "Counting Prison Inmates Differently Could Shift Political Power to Cities" from The Pew Charitable Trusts * 'Head Of CrossFit Retires After Telling Staff On A Zoom Call, “We're Not Mourning For George Floyd”' from Buzzfeed * "James Watson Had a Chance to Salvage His Reputation on Race. He Made Things Worse." from The New York Times * "In Defense of Greg Glassman" from Dale Saran

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I recently wrote a controversial oped for the Morning Chalk Up on why my CrossFit gym isn’t an essential business. John Wooley, from the regularly hysterical CrossFit satire account @makewodsgreatagain, wrote a thoughtful response disagreeing with my claim that CrossFit gyms are not essential. I figured it would be interesting to have a recorded conversation where we hash out where we agree and where we disagree. While John and I don’t completely agree on everything, I think this is a complicated, nuanced issue, and working it out in public is hopefully helpful to some people. You can check out the full conversation here.

Check out more from John, Make WODs Great Again and Make Pods Great Again here: * Website: www.makewodsgreatagain.com * Instagram: @makewodsgreatagain | @makepodsgreatagain * Podcast: Make Pods Great Again

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [0:47] Quick summary of Todd’s op ed – and the ensuing controversy * [3:29] John’s take on my article: What should and shouldn’t be considered an essential business? Also, John’s family’s background with CrossFit. * [15:50] How are we defining “essential?” What are regulators thinking about when deciding what should and shouldn’t be considered “essential?” * [27:30] How should we think about the trade-offs between the negative impacts of chronic disease vs the negative impacts of a spreading pandemic? * [35:50] What do gym owners need to be thinking about as different states start to reopen? What is the potential downside risk of opening early? How can we prevent a second wave of infections and economic shutdowns? * [45:49] What will be the role of ongoing government regulations? What will the regulatory burden be on smaller gyms? * [54:20] How will members be thinking about getting back into the gym? * [01:05:40] The social dynamics of getting roasted online

Links and Resources Mentioned * Morning Chalk Up * OpEd: One Box Owner’s Opinion, “My CrossFit Gym is Not an Essential Business” from the Morning Chalk Up * At-Home Workout: Hops, Bent-Over Rows, Planks, Chair Dips from CrossFit * Saxon Panchik * Spencer Panchik * CrossFit Cliffside * Big Five personality traits * Moral hazard * “Endothelial cell infection and endotheliitis in COVID-19” from The Lancet * Rethinking Our Assumptions During the COVID-19 Crisis with David Krakauer from the Santa Fe Institute * “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam

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When people think of the culture of a country or a city, food is one of the first things that comes to mind. But, with the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, a lot of folks - myself included - have serious concerns about the ability of restaurants to make it through to the other side of an extended shutdown. As a fan of regional ethnic cuisine, I’m concerned that a big chunk of my “to try” list is going to be wiped out - and for the implications on the families that run these restaurants. I think there’s a lot of parallels between the fitness industry and the restaurant industry, and I’ve spoked with Jeff multiple times about these similarities. So, I wanted to get Jeff’s take on how COVID-19 is impacting both his food truck business and his brick and mortar restaurant business.

Check out more from Jeff, Yum Dum Truck and Modern Asian Kitchen here: * Website: www.makrestaurant.com | www.yumdumtruck.com * Instagram: @yumdumtruck

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:11] What is the difference in business model between the food truck and the brick and mortar restaurant? * [05:42] What has the impact of COVID-19 been on both businesses? * [11:14] How can restaurants – with already thin margins – survive in an environment with reduced dining room capacity? * [18:56] How does Jeff react to negative reviews? And what are some of the more ridiculous things people have said on Yelp? is any negative feedback from review sites actionable? * [23:59] Are apps like Grubhub and DoorDash a net positive or a net negative for the restaurant industry? * [32:49] How do the fees for delivery apps actually work? What do the agreements look like between restaurants and delivery apps? * [38:12] Why hasn’t there been a white label online ordering option that competes with delivery platforms? * [49:15] What did Jeff’s upbringing in a restaurant family look like? And, how robust are small ethnic restaurants to the disruption presented by COVID-19? * [55:45] How to follow – and order from – Jeff’s restaurants

Links and Resources Mentioned * “SF Michelin star restaurants put their unique spin on takeout during shelter in place” from SFGate * Fat Rice * “Fat Rice, Chicago’s acclaimed fusion restaurant, has closed” from Eater Chicago * “Aggregation Theory” from Stratechery by Ben Thompson * Shopify * Toast * Cashdrop * Sweetgreen * Alinea * “Nick Kokonas on Resurrecting Restaurants, Skin in the Game, and Investing” from Tim Ferriss

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Brad Stulberg has a list of accomplishments that would make most authors drip with envy. Hundreds of thousands of books sold. A regular column in Outside Magazine. Contributions to publications like The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Wired. A blue checkmark on Twitter and tens of thousands of followers. A lot of Brad’s message is about avoiding the trappings of chasing external validation - yet, he remains acutely aware of the necessity of playing the status game in order to create the opportunity to do the work that he loves and spread the message that he cares about. Check out the full conversation with Brad to learn how to chase lofty goals without burning out, how to properly balance chasing status with focusing on the internal process, and how to mitigate the damage of burning the candle at both ends when it’s necessary.

Check out more from Brad and The Growth Equation here: * Website: www.thegrowtheq.com * Podcast: The Growth Equation Podcast * Twitter: @bstulberg * Amazon: Peak Performance | The Passion Paradox

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:05] What’s the deal with burnout? Is this a millennial thing or what? * [06:13] What are the costs of the performative culture of social media? What are the differences between online environments that encourage performative behavior and “real life” environments that encourage performative behavior? Is this type of performing a net positive for certain personality types? * [16:00] When are external signals of your social status the actual limiting factor in achieving your goals? And, why are humans wired to endlessly strive for “more” and “better” rather than being content? * [24:41] Most people understand that they should “focus on the process,” but having an environment in which you can focus on the process is often dependent on achieving some level of external success. * [29:10] The marketplace of ideas related to performance and self-development is full of opinions that aren’t actually helpful for people because extreme views sell. How do you get attention for your ideas in a noisy marketplace without becoming the thing you hate in order to get attention? * [42:00] How do you decide when it’s appropriate to burn the candle at both ends working or to “see God” in a workout? And, when it’s time to go to extremes, how do you minimize the long-term consequences to yourself? * [51:15] More about The Growth Equation and Brad and Steve’s weekly newsletter and podcast.

Links and Resources Mentioned * The Last Dance (TV series) * Michael Jordan * Dennis Rodman * Grant Hill * Kim Jong-un * The Arrival Fallacy * Jocko Willink * Whole Foods Market * Tony Robbins * Barack Obama * Phil Jackson * “Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me)” by Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson * Lance Armstrong * Joe Rogan * David Foster Wallace

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Cal spent a long time chasing money, social status, and all kinds of external validation. And he didn’t just chase it. He was good at getting it. As an interest rate trader in Chicago, he had checked a lot of the boxes that people think will make them happy. (Including playing golf with Michael Jordan - crazy, right?) Cal was in the audience at the Route 91 Festival shooting in Las Vegas, and - since then - his priorities have changed. Through his podcast, The Great Unlearn, Cal hopes to share his message with other hard-charging, successful people. The happiness and validation you’re looking for isn’t on the other side of whatever mountain you’re climbing.

Check out more from Cal and The Great Unlearn here: * Website: www.thegreatunlearn.com * Instagram: @bunkercal * Podcast: The Great Unlearn

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:36] Cal transitioned from interest rate trading into fitness and was an owner of the Phoenix Rise in the National Pro Grid League – but only recently has he been able to view the failure of the NPGL through a positive light. Learn how. * [07:03] So, what even was the NPGL anyway? * [12:33] Why was Cal so hard on himself for losing money in the NPGL if he knew going into it that it was a very risky investment? * [20:35] Reframing a loss – and not just engaging in sanitized corporate doublespeak * [24:34] Cal’s personal experience as a trader in the 2008 financial crisis * [34:33] Did the 2008 financial crisis offer any opportunities for individuals or systems to shift out of of any negative patterns? Were we able to learn anything from the crisis? * [39:23] How being present at the Route 91 festival shooting in Las Vegas made Cal realize that he had been optimizing his life for the wrong things. * [52:14] Why is external validation so appealing? And, why doesn’t leave us actually fulfilled? * [58:14] How to “play the game” of building an audience – which requires chasing certain kinds of external validation – with the inner work of not needing external markers of success in order to be fulfilled. * [01:12:42] The writing process for Cal’s forthcoming book – and how he hopes to share his message with people who are not just chasing external rewards, but are good at it as well.

Links and Resources Mentioned * OPEX Fitness * National Pro Grid League * James FitzGerald * Tony Budding * Dave Castro * Larry King * Eliezer S. Yudkowsky * “Inadequate Equilibria” by Eliezer Yudkowsky * 2017 Las Vegas shooting * Jordan Spieth * Rickie Fowler * Justin Thomas * Michael Jordan * Peyton Callahan * Inception * Dr. Shefali

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So, what’s the deal with chiropractors? Are they all just full of it? Ian Kaplan is the COO of Hybrid Performance Method (Stefi Cohen’s training company) and soon to be doctor of chiropractic, and he’s also one of the most thoughtful and skeptical people in the fitness space. In this conversation, Ian breaks down how he thinks about uncertainty and providing treatment options when a lot of the research shows that most things that we talk about in the fitness and rehab space - well - don’t actually work. He also lays into some of the most common issues he sees with other chiros. And, of course, we spend awhile getting into the weeds and discussing pain science, Bayesian reasoning, and the future of artificial intelligence in guiding treatment protocols.

Check out the full conversation with Ian if you want to hear two dorks talk about things like "epistemic humility" - or if you want to hear one of the smartest fellas in fitness explain how he thinks about pain.

Check out more from Ian and Hybrid Performance Method here: * Website: www.hybridperformancemethod.com * Instagram: @kaplanfitness.hybrid | @hybridperformancemethod | @hybridperformancemethod | @steficohen * Podcast: Hybrid Unlimited

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:04] Ian’s beefs with the field of chiropractic – and what it means to be “evidence-based” in a field with so much uncertainty. * [11:50] How should someone actually think about treatment given the inherent uncertainty in dealing with complex systems? How does Ian weigh the costs and benefits of a potential treatment? * [18:46] Why are clinicians so easy to fool: regression toward the mean and threshold effects. And, how to give patients hope without lying to them. * [25:46] Is it better to try to treat pain with targeted tissue interventions or is it better to focus on the brain? * [33:31] The role of artificial intelligence in developing precision medicine models for treating pain patients * [39:51] What are the barriers to effectively analyzing treatment data from chiropractors and physical therapists? * [44:50] A brief summary of Bayesian inference and its value for treatments, pain science and making business decisions * [56:56] How does Ian think about Bayesian inference as a unifying principle for weird stuff we see in pain science like placebo effects and extreme pain sensitivity * [01:07:54] How to check out more from Ian

Links and Resources Mentioned * Humorism * What’s the Difference Between a “Straight” Chiropractor and a “Mixer”? from Gutierrez Chiropractic * Sensitivity and specificity * Threshold effect * Opportunity cost * Regression toward the mean * Bean machine * “Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy versus Sham Surgery for a Degenerative Meniscal Tear” from the New England Journal of Medicine * “Null hypothesis significance testing: A short tutorial” from F1000 Research * Confidence interval * “Learn About Lookalike Audiences” from Facebook * Tempus * Externality * Introduction to Bayesian networks * Information theory * “The Bayesian brain: the role of uncertainty in neural coding and computation” from CellPress * Frequentist probability * “Frequentist And Bayesian Approaches In Statistics” from Probabilistic World * “How to take the ‘outside view’” from McKinsey * “The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect” by Judea Pearl * Neural network * “To Make Sense of the Present, Brains May Predict the Future” from Quanta Magazine * Greg Lehman

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People are predictably irrational, right? We have a poor intuitive understanding of statistics, we leap to drawing cause and effect relationships where none exist, we don’t understand exponential growth very well, and we gorge ourselves on junk food and junk television. We’re broken! While there are all kinds of quirks to our built-in reasoning hardware, some of those quirks might not be as irrational as they seem. Jason Collins has a PhD in economics and evolutionary biology, and he’s long been writing about they ways in which our "cognitive biases" may - in some cases - actually be adaptive decision-making strategies. In this episode, we dig into some of Jason’s recent posts on ergodicity, and how that may inform the "loss averse" ways that humans make decisions. While this episode does get pretty technical, anyone who is interested should take a look at Jason’s blog posts on the topic.

[Note: In this episode I talk about logarithmic functions as asymptotic functions. This is incorrect, and I apologize in advance to anyone who I may offend with such foolishness.]

Check out more from Jason here: * Website: www.jasoncollins.blog * Twitter: @jasonacollins

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:50] What is “cognitive bias?” What kinds of systematic judgment errors do humans make – and why do some people think that these errors are actually adaptive heuristics? * [06:50] What are the ethics of “nudges”? What are the actual effect sizes of “nudges”? How do the actual results of interventions in things like organ donation and retirement account opt-ins actually play out? * [12:40] What heuristics should someone use to evaluate whether a social science claim is worth paying attention too? Is the effect size too large? Why would humans have evolved a certain type of “bias”? And, what is the piranha problem and what is the garden of forking paths? * [22:53] How context dependent are social psychology effects? What do we typically see in attempts to replicate studies? * [28:53] What actually is “loss aversion”? How do we differentiate loss aversion from risk aversion and negativity bias? * [36:07] “Loss aversion” may actually be a rational response to certain types of systems where people have a risk of having their wealth wiped out. * [43:01] What is the variance across individuals in terms of psychological effects and different strategies relative to risk taking? * [46:32] What is “ergodicity”? What are real-life examples of ergodic and non-ergodic systems? * [58:14] What is the optimal strategy for trying to maximize your wealth in a non-ergodic system where gains and losses are potentially compounded? * [01:05:20] Would we expect people to have evolved some sort of intuitive understanding of non-ergodic systems based upon the real-life dynamics of things like wealth and prestige? * [01:16:16] How can the rules of an experimental game impact the ways that people strategize? Do people have an intuitive sense that they are likely to be iteratively playing the same game over and over again with the same people?

Links and Resources Mentioned * “Nudge” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein * Freakonomics * NPR * Dan Ariely * “‘Opt Out’ Policies Increase Organ Donation” from SPARQ * “Comparison of organ donation and transplantation rates between opt-out and opt-in systems” from Kidney International * Default effect * “Judges are more lenient after taking a break, study finds” from The Guardian * “Impossibly Hungry Judges” from Nautilus * “Overlooked factors in the analysis of parole decisions” from PNAS * “Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action.” PsycNET * “Priming Effects Replicate Just Fine, Thanks” from Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science * “Walking Fast and Slow” from Marginal Revolution * Andrew Gelman * “The piranha problem in social psychology / behavioral economics” from Andrew Gelman * “The garden of forking paths” from Andrew Gelman * “The WEIRDest people in the world?” from Behavioral and Brain Sciences * Loss aversion * Risk aversion * Negativity bias * St. Petersburg paradox * Kelly criterion * Gerd Gigerenzer * “Gigerenzer versus Kahneman and Tversky” from Jason Collins

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Joshua Becker studies computational social science - particularly collective intelligence and tipping points. Joshua has recently published some papers on polarization showing that the grim headlines about an increasingly fractured society unable to agree on basic facts about the world might not be quite right. Joshua also discusses the way that societies hit "tipping points" and how the networked relationships of human beings interact to create change. Check out the full episode to find out how polarization impacts our ability to learn from each other and why "be the change you wish to see in the world" isn’t just a corny platitude.

Check out more from Joshua here: * Website: www.joshua-becker.com | Research * Twitter: @joshua_a_becker

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:14] Are echo chambers a real thing? * [12:47] Is the backfire effect real? Or, do people still learn from sharing information with each other – even in highly polarized environments? * [21:38] Different studies show different effects depending on exactly what is being measured as an effect of “polarization.” * [30:10] Both academics and journalists are motivated to provide “compelling narratives,” “counterintuitive ideas,” and “difficult problems that must be solved!” * [39:39] How do people organize to solve collective action problems? * [45:12] What types of organization emerge in complex social systems? * [49:30] Is there such a thing as a “collective consciousness”? How do people coordinate conventions like which side of the road to drive on? * [01:00:58] “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” – this isn’t just a platitude, the mathematics of network dynamics and social tipping points show that this is how you can actually change the world. * [01:05:14] How can we create a sense of community – and what actions does Joshua take to create community in his own life? * [01:14:32] How to connect with Joshua online

Links and Resources Mentioned * Backfire effect * Wisdom of the crowd * Multimodal distribution * The Polarization Lab at Duke University * Chris Bail * Ross Douthat * Ezra Klein * “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam * Social capital * Collective action problem * Complex systems * Coherent Systems * Why army ants get trapped in ‘death circles’ * Albert Kao at the Santa Fe Institute * Karl Marx * Lumpenproletariat * (Spooky) Action at a distance * Quantum entanglement * Andrea Baronchelli * “God is dead” * Opportunity Cost * Transaction Costs * “Inadequate Equilibria” by Eliezer Yudkowsky

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Jason Crawford studies the history of innovation on his blog The Roots of Progress with detailed case studies on things like the invention of the bicycle, the invention of steel, and how we decided between alternating and direct current. In this conversation, we discuss why my skeptical and argumentative 16-year-old self was misguided about the nature of progress and what Jason has learned through his studies of historical progress. We also discuss possible causes of stagnation in economic growth and scientific discovery, as well as the differences between studying history from a top down vs a bottom up approach.

Check out more from Jason and The Roots of Progress here: * Website: www.rootsofprogress.org | www.jasoncrawford.org * Twitter: @jasoncrawford | @rootsofprogress

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:04] Disabusing my 16-year-old self of some misguided assumptions about the nature of progress – and all the ways in which life is better now for just about everyone than it was in 1700. * [10:10] Common arguments against “progress”: zero-sum thinking and Malthusian concerns about population. And, the unexpected developments that change the population calculus. * [17:16] Why Jason is skeptical of arguments about “relative happiness” and increasing inequality. * [19:27] Behaviorally modern humans have been around for a long time, so why wasn’t there “progress”? What changed that caused us to start inventing things much more quickly? * [28:13] Are there broad sociological trends that kickstart progress (like WEIRD psychology and the Catholic Church)? * [34:27] Jason prefers to take a bottom-up approach to understanding progress through specific examples of inventions like bicycles, steel, vaccines, etc. * [41:02] What about ideas that potentially require several things to go correctly at a time? Do these kinds of ideas resist “tinkering” or are do they have tangible intermediate steps? * [45:40] Are we really in a period of scientific and economic stagnation – as argued by Tyler Cowen, Patrick Collison, Peter Thiel and others? Or, are we just waiting for the next “S Curve” of progress to take off? * [53:14] Why hasn’t the increased accessibility to information facilitated by the internet resulted in more progress? What are the negative impacts of things like bureaucratic calcification and institutions that optimize for things like prestige and politics over progress? * [01:06:42] Coming soon on The Roots of Progress: Mortality rates and public health improvements, agriculture and the economics of food, and how to build a bridge that doesn’t collapse.

Links and Resources Mentioned * Adbusters * Malthusianism * “Mouse Utopia” from Gwern * “The Population Bomb” by Paul Ehrlich * Our World in Data * “A Culture of Growth” by Joel Mokyr * “How the Catholic Church Created Our Liberal World” by Tanner Greer * “The Origins of WEIRD Psychology” by Jonathan Schulz, Duman Bahrami-Rad, Jonathan Beauchamp, Joseph Henrich * “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress” by Steven Pinker * Alex Tabarrok * “Ideas Behind Their Time” from Marginal Revolution * “Isaac Newton, World’s Most Famous Alchemist” from Discover Magazine * Peter Thiel * Patrick Collison * Tyler Cowen * “Is Science Stagnant?” by Patrick Collison & Michael Nielsen * “Is the rate of scientific progress slowing down?” by Tyler Cowen & Ben Southwood * The Large Hadron Collider * Khan Academy * Marc Andreessen * Reid Hoffman * “The circular flow and GDP” from Khan Academy * Y Combinator * “The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge” by David McCullough

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Brian Speronello is a copywriter who runs a boutique copywriting shop called Accelerated Conversions. He works closely with a handful of clients - including The Ready State (formerly MobilityWOD). Brian was recently involved in the rebranding of MobilityWOD to The Ready State, so he shares some of the copywriting lessons that he’s learned over the years of writing high-converting sales pages - as well as how he applied those lessons to a tangible project like working with the Kelly and Juliet Starrett on changing the name of their company. Check out the full interview with Brian to learn how to write persuasively.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Check out more from Brian and Accelerated Conversions here: * Website: www.acceleratedconversions.com

Show Notes: * [01:22] Why Brian chooses to only work with a select group of clients – and why turning your craft into a “business” can pull you away from doing the work that you love * [15:03] Why would someone pay thousands of dollars per month to put words on a website? * [19:47] How Brian gets people’s attention – without compromising his ethics or resorting to clickbait * [24:02] How does Brian figure out what people actually want and will pay for – as opposed to just what they say they want * [30:23] Dissecting one of the most famous examples in copywriting (Schlitz Beer) – and understanding how to prove claims in your copy so your clients find them believable * [48:03] The value of constant feedback from clients – and how Brian uses feedback to better understand his market * [55:46] The ultimate test to find out if your sales pitch is ethical * [57:10] The rebranding and relaunch of The Ready State – and how Brian applied the principles from this conversation to this real life example * [01:09:30] The power of a guarantee to further build trust and credibility * [01:14:10] How to connect with Brian

Links and Resources Mentioned * “What is difference between maxima (or minima) and global maxima (or minima)?” from Mathematics Stack Exchange * Jay Abraham * “Jay Abraham, Claude Hopkins, Schlitz Beer And Preeminence” from Copywriting Secrets * “How to Write a Good Advertisement” by Victor O. Schwab * “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath * “Entrepreneurs, Credibility and The Sinatra Test” by JP Solano * “Three Ways To Grow A Business” from Jay Abraham * The Ready State * Kelly Starrett * Juliet Starrett * Free Trial – The Ready State | Example of Headline Copywriting * Organifi

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Jessica Danger is a creative writing professor, an editor at the Morning Chalk Up, and a co-host of the "A Fresh Cup of Fitness" podcast. I’ve been writing #content for well over a decade now - starting with a polemical high school zine - and I haven’t put too much thought into my writing other than just vomiting ideas out. I was eager to get the perspective of an actual writer, editor and professor on how to improve writing, and I found many of her tips to be both super insightful and actionable. We also discuss balancing the incentives of clicks and engagement with maintaining an editorial standard when curating content for the Morning Chalk Up, as well as Jessica’s own creative projects like her new podcast "A Fresh Cup of Fitness" and her renewed focus on publishing her memoir.

Check out more from Jessica, the Morning Chalk Up & A Fresh Cup of Fitness here: * Website: www.jlynndanger.com | Morning Chalk Up * Podcast: A Fresh Cup of Fitness * Instagram: @mamadanger | @morningchalkup

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:15] Writing is a skill that is learned through constant practice and iteration - just like skills in fitness. It's less magical than people think. * [07:05] There's one consistent stumbling block that shows up for beginning, intermediate and advanced writers - it just presents itself differently. * [14:52] Does reading actually translate into making people better writers? Or is there some other mysterious skill that makes people good at writing? What other drills can people use to improve their writing? * [26:15] Most people make this mistake when trying to write and edit their work. And - what are other drills that people can use to become better editors? * [35:00] What is worth sharing with the large audience of the Morning Chalk Up? What different types of people read the newsletter, and how does Jessica develop an intuition for what they are interested in? * [42:00] No click bait and no "iceberg lettuce" in the Morning Chalk Up * [49:40] What should a potential contributor think about when pitching an editor? And what drives editors crazy about bad pitches? * [59:13] "A Fresh Cup of Fitness" podcast - and the difference between written content and a more conversational podcast * [01:11:11] Jessica's memoir - and her plans to prioritize getting published after focusing on different aspects of her career

Links and Resources Mentioned * Romantic poetry * "Shitty First Drafts" by Anne Lamott * Fan fiction * John Updike * John Irving * Raymond Chandler * Ogden Nash * "The Fourth State of Matter" by Jo Ann Beard * Brittany Marsh * Pocket * Leo Tolstoy * "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson * "Neuromancer" by William Gibson * "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

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I’ve put a lot of thought into learning over the last year or two - both in terms of learning things myself (like coding, improvisation on guitar, and assorted wide reading into too many different interests) and in terms of teaching coaches who I work with. Learning is a super power, since acquiring new skills allows you to quickly level up. In the case of an organization, if you can learn effectively and then teach effectively, you can compound your gains in skills. I don’t feel great about my understanding of the "transfer problem" (the ability to apply learning from one scenario into another), and I’d love to learn more about how to overcome this barrier. Anyway, check out what I’ve learned about learning and level up!

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [00:09] Learning and teaching are superpowers. Not only can you level up your own skills - if you can pass that information on, you can level up everyone in the organization. * [03:33] Understanding one thing has dramatically improved my ability to teach and pass along skills: People need to be solving a problem in order to learn effectively * [10:41] What is the optimal blend of theory and practice? Some people end up doing a bunch of "drills" and "skill transfer" exercises that result in little real progress. Others spend a lot of time on "book learnin" that doesn't have practical application. How do the best blend the two? * [17:40] Transfer from practice scenarios into real life application is extremely difficult. How can we create practice scenarios that recreate the chaos and unpredictability of real life? * [24:44] Pattern matching and "chunking" facilitates creativity and understanding of nuance - and also creates the illusion of "genius" or "talent." * [30:55] Better improving the transfer problem is probably the highest leverage activity we can focus on in learning and teaching

Links and Resources Mentioned * Scott H Young * Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career by Scott Young * Scott Young (Author of Ultralearning) Interview on Todd Nief’s Show * Socratic Questioning on Todd Nief’s Show * Transfer of learning * Cristiano Ronaldo - Tested To The Limit! - YouTube * Shopify * Magnus Carlsen * Magnus Carlsen: ‘You need to be very fortunate to be No 1 in fantasy football’ * Leo Messi * 33 Alien Goals by Lionel Messi 👽 - YouTube

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This is a cross-post from the From Coach to Business podcast. My friend Brandon and I both often get questions about starting and growing a coaching business - either online or in the brick and mortar space - so we put together a season with answers to some of the most common questions we get as well as some insight on the mistakes that we made while we were starting out.

This episode is with Will Hoekenga from Copygrad. A few years ago, Will was pumping out some great content on copywriting on his blog that I found super valuable. Since then, he's gone on to work with some bigwigs selling some pretty impressive products.

I found this to be the most personally helpful episode of the From Coach to Business podcast. Even if you don't think of yourself as "a copywriter," developing the basic skills of writing persuasively and understanding how to communicate to people makes just about everything in life easier. Highly recommended!

If you're in the fitness industry and you want to check out the full season, head over to www.fromcoachtobusiness.com/season-1 or search "From Coach to Business" in your podcast player of choice.

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Gretchen Leslie is the Director of Operations for GrowthLab and I Will Teach You To Be Rich. I recently attended a live event that Gretchen and the GrowthLab team put on in New York, and I wanted to talk with Gretchen about her management philosophy and how she manages an entirely remote team. Gretchen has an extensive background in Six Sigma and large organizations, so - between that and her work with GrowthLab - she has deep insights from a wide variety of organizational scenarios. Anyone who works with people will get some excellent takeaways from this episode, particularly if you have to hold people accountable, coordinate the work of multiple folks into a cohesive vision, and create a culture where employees are bought in and actively trying to make things better.

Check out more from Gretchen, GrowthLab and I Will Teach You To Be Rich: * Website: GrowthLab | I Will Teach You To Be Rich

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes: * [01:07] “The Venice of the South” – where you can take your boat to the casino and pick up a daquiri on the way * [06:46] Tips and tricks for running operations on a distributed team – and what to look for in order to hire people who are a good fit for remote work * [14:09] Gretchen’s key management framework: “What does done look like?” And why just having a hyper-detailed spec sheet doesn’t mean that everyone is aligned on a project. * [21:15] A real life example of successful project management coordination across teams: The “Founding Class” event that GrowthLab recently put on in New York. * [27:29] How to find the balance between bottoms-up idea generation and top-down decision-making in an organization. And, how to effectively challenge employees so that they are able to vet their own ideas. * [35:20] The two types of mistakes that organizations make when tracking data. And, how Gretchen uses psychology to create compliance to process. * [45:50] How to make meetings not suck – and why GrowthLab has a “No Meeting Wednesday” policy. * [53:45] Music, subcultures, and the trajectory of “excitement” to “jadedness” within a subculture.

Links and Resources Mentioned * Kanban board * “The Beginners’ Guide to Agile Project Management Methodology” from Workfront * PMP Certification * Six Sigma * Jira * Asana * Jimmy Buffett * Stephanie Lee * Coachella * Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival * Rhythm & Roots Festival * Old Crow Medicine Show * Gene Simmons * Kiss * Debbie Harry * “Face It” by Debbie Harry * New York Dolls * The Stooges * Beat Generation * CrossFit * Dungeons & Dragons * Magic: The Gathering * Stranger Things * Furby * “Inside the Bizarre World of ‘Bronies,’ Adult Male Fans of ‘My Little Pony’” from The Daily Beast * Ramit Sethi * Straight edge

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Anyone who has coached or competed in CrossFit for awhile sees things that kind of don’t make sense. Athletes with 15+ unbroken ring muscle-ups and a 6:30 2k row who are surprisingly bad at “metcons.” Athletes who can only do 5-10 unbroken strict handstand push-ups who are able to quickly chip away at a set of 50 and beat athletes who can do 20+ unbroken reps. Evan Peikon from Training Think Tank has done a lot of work with the Moxy unit on measuring muscle oxygen saturation and blood flow, and he’s developed a model that is able to explain a lot of these seemingly confusing contradictions in performance. While this conversation gets a bit into the weeds, a lot of these details are necessary to understand the complexity of fatigue in CrossFit as a sport. If you’ve ever seen something that doesn’t make any sense in CrossFit, Evan’s framework may give some insight into what’s actually going on with different “types” of athletes.

Check out more from Evan and Training Think Tank here:

Instagram: @evan_peikon | @trainingthinktank
Website: Evan’s Interviews and Articles | www.trainingthinktank.com
YouTube: @trainingthinktank

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[01:10] Evan’s opinions on metalcore
[10:55] The basic physiology of oxygen delivery and what different measures like VO2 max, muscle oxygen saturation and heart rate can tell us about performance
[16:58] What are different types of fatigue that can occur at the muscle level? And – the 3 different types of limiters in CrossFit athletes.
[23:35] What is the difference between Evan’s model of fatigue based upon his work with muscle oxygen saturation and more traditional models of fatigue based upon acidosis?
[31:45] What is happening when athletes feel “burning” in the muscle vs when athletes feel a “pump” in the muscle? How do these sensations in the muscle create global feelings of fatigue? What role does the “mind” play in governing our effort?
[41:44] Psychological gamesmanship in racing – particularly in track athletes
[45:00] What role do occlusions play in creating fatigue for athletes in CrossFit? And – the 2 different types of occlusion and what those mean for your ability to “push through.”
[01:03:40] Why do some people always have one specific muscle group “blow up” – like their grip, their shoulders, their low back, their calves, etc.
[01:09:23] How can athletes who tend to get muscle pumps improve their ability in CrossFit? What would an ideal training session look like for this athlete – and why do some common training protocols potentially make this kind of athlete worse?
[01:17:25] What does Evan think the most common limiting factor is for athletes who do not tend to occlude in their muscles? These athletes often struggle to build strength – how should they structure their strength training protocols so they can actually get stronger?

Links and Resources Mentioned

Norma Jean
Josh Scogin
Cory Brandan
Norma Jean – Redeemer
The Chariot
CTP
Underoath
Slipknot
Pound Classes
What is muscle oxygen saturation?
NIRS(Near-infrared spectroscopy)
Moxy Monitor
VO2 max
The Phosphocreatine System
Anaerobic glycolysis
Cellular respiration
Energy system utilization chart
Bicarbonate buffer system
5-1-5 Step Test
Improvements in Cycling Time Trial Performance Are Not Sustained Following the Acute Provision of Challenging and Deceptive Feedback
Max El Hag
Travis Mayer
James Jowsey

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This is a cross-post from the From Coach to Business podcast that we just launched. My friend Brandon and I both often get questions about starting and growing a coaching business - either online or in the brick and mortar space - so we put together a season with answers to some of the most common questions we get as well as some insight on the mistakes that we made while we were starting out.

This episode is with Juliet Starrett, the co-founder of San Francisco CrossFit and The Ready State (formerly known as MobilityWOD). Juliet has tons of insightful takeaways on client retention and crafting an excellent onboarding experience - as well as how to actually dial in operations so that your business is able to consistently execute on giving clients a great experience.

If you're in the fitness industry and you want to check out the full season, head over to www.fromcoachtobusiness.com/season-1 or search "From Coach to Business" in your podcast player of choice.

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I think this episode with productivity and digital organization expert Tiago Forte is applicable to people outside of the fitness industry as well, since we get into some pretty insightful stuff about how to organize your digital life and how to think about using software as your "second brain."

If you're in the fitness industry and you want to check out the full season, head over to www.fromcoachtobusiness.com/season-1 or search "From Coach to Business" in your podcast player of choice.

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We're going back in the archives this week to last year with a repost of an interview with Adrian Bozman - the Head Judge of the CrossFit Games. You can check out the full show notes from the episode here.

I've been hard at work finishing up the first season of From Coach to Business, which will be released in the next week or two. I'll be releasing an episode on this feed when the podcast goes live, so stay tuned.

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Chris Mills is the drummer for Harm’s Way - and he’s also a clinical social worker for an addiction and mental health residential program. Many folks who are touring most of the year piece together random part-time jobs or have their hands in a few different pieces of the music industry (management, booking, merchandise, etc.). Chris, however, is a highly trained professional in an extremely difficult field. We dig into music nerd stuff about how Harm’s Way writes songs - and how they think about the roll of “heaviness” and “rhythm” in their songs. And Chris also explains why he thinks that many of the models that we use to think about addiction are outdated - and what he prefers instead.

Check out more from Chris and Harm’s Way here:

Instagram: @harmsway13
Bandcamp: Harm’s Way

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[01:08] Getting into nu-metal as an adult – and how that influenced the process of writing music
[08:31] Harms Way’s change in sound was more “organic” in that the new riffs that they were writing started to sound different. And, how songs can be “heavy” without just focusing on the “breakdown.”
[15:15] The album writing process: trying to create a cohesive work – and writing through jamming, building songs in practice, and grinding it out.
[26:02] The crappy practice space that Like Rats and Harm’s way share.
[29:08] Working as a social worker in a residential program in the field of addiction and mental health. How does Chris prioritize what clients work on in terms of their biggest priorities in treatment?
[37:44] What’s the difference between the 12 step model, the disease model of addiction, and a more behavior-based model? What framework does Chris prefer for treating his patients?
[45:42] Differentiating psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers – and understanding what is usually the biggest obstacle to creating lasting behavioral change?
[54:14] Harm’s Way’s history as a straight edge band, and how Chris thinks about playing in a band that often focuses on negative emotion in its art through the lens of a social worker.
[58:14] Harms Way’s upcoming touring plans

Links and Resources Mentioned

Nu metal
Slipknot
Korn
Max Cavalera
Sepultura – Chaos A.D.
Sepultura – Roots
Sepultura
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Cryptopsy
Andy Nelson
Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone
New York hardcore
Biohazard
Cro-Mags
Snapcase
Vision of Disorder
Like Rats
Hate Force
Bob Marley
Bob Marley Posters
Gateway Foundation
Twelve-step program
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Ghostemane
The Devil Wears Prada
Every Time I Die

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Fundraising for your business is often a stressful, opaque and time-consuming process. I’ve gone through it on a minor scale in order to take on a lease and build out a building for South Loop Strength & Conditioning - but my good friend John Friel is currently in the process of attempting to raise venture capital for his start-up Art in Res. Venture capital is a whole different animal, so we discussed the process of applying to Y Combinator, understanding the various incentives of different investors, the obstacles to the hypergrowth that the venture capital model demands and - my favorite part - the distinction and overlap between fans, nerds and utilitarians when it comes to art, musical equipment, sports, and coffee.

Check out more from John and Art In Res here:

Instagram: @johnfriel | @art_in_res
Website: www.artinres.com

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[01:21] Going through the Y Combinator application process required “stepping back” and looking at the entire structure of Art in Res – rather than getting caught up in the day-to-day, in-the-weeds aspects of operating the business. It also required understanding how to “storytell” to investors – which seems to require different skillsets for finance people and venture capitalists.
[12:30] Why play the venture capital game rather than bootstrapping and attempting to create a “lifestyle business?” What will it take for Art in Res to grow to a scale that would justify venture capital investment?
[24:15] How much money should you actually raise during the fundraising process? There seems to be conflicting advice regarding being frugal – but also raising more money than you think you’ll need. And – the cognitive biases that make it necessary to game the system so that you can signal a constant and impressive upward trajectory.
[37:31] Thinking about the incentives of venture capitalists and why they want to invest in companies – and going down a rabbit hole to parse out the difference between nerds, fans and utilitarians. And how art collectors, coffee snobs, music gear heads and sports fans all probably follow a similar archetypal structure in terms of their enthusiasm for esoteric knowledge.
[53:45] How to potentially tap a latent market for art collectors – and understanding the psychology of potential consumers in order to create a marketplace on which commerce actually takes place.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Y Combinator
xhbtr
“WeWork I.P.O. Is Withdrawn as Investors Grow Wary” from The New York Times
Pets.com
Gumroad
“Reflecting on My Failure to Build a Billion-Dollar Company” by Sahil Lavingia
Blue Bottle Coffee
Containers Podcast

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Jason Leydon is an elite-level CrossFit coach - and, much like myself, a continuing education junkie. I’d been looking forward to this conversation, since Jason is not just very successful in his ability to develop athletes, but also very self-aware about his process and how he’s developed his knowledge and his methods. Jason is the real deal, and he can articulate exactly what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. In this conversation, we don’t just hit the nitty gritty details of developing athletes (although there is some of that). We spend a lot of time on Jason’s process for continuing to learn - and how he actually turns the things that he learns through books, seminars and courses into tangible results for his athletes and his coaches.

Check out more from Jason, Conquer Athlete & CrossFit Milford here:

Instagram: @jasonleydon | @conquerathlete | @crossfit_milford
Website: www.conquerathlete.com | www.crossfitmilford.com
Podcast: Conquer Athlete Podcast

If you're enjoying the show, the best way to support it is by sharing with your friends. If you don't have any friends, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[1:08] What’s up with Jason’s accent? Is this how people from Milford speak? And – the sudden and shocking end to Jason’s basketball career.
[11:17] How to handle the sudden change in identity as an athlete who can no longer compete. And – the transition from athlete to coach, as well as the coinciding dedication to continuing education.
[20:21] How does Jason actually apply the things that he learns from seminars, books and courses? How does Jason think about solving tangible problems with the material that he learns – and how does he go about asking for help when something isn’t clicking for him.
[25:36] Connecting the practical, in-the-gym application of concepts with the theoretical learning that occurs in books or courses. Outcomes are often messy, so how does Jason figure out what’s actually working and what is just happenstance and chaos?
[31:14] How does Jason teach coaches who work with him to hold the same standard of coaching? Not everyone is able to learn from courses in the same way, so how does Jason pass knowledge on?
[37:00] How does Jason decide what his coaches need to prioritize in their coaching development? And, what lessons from learning to manage rowdy teens in a gym class are applicable to coaching adults?
[44:24] How does Jason manage the sport-specific needs of his competitive CrossFit athletes with their long-term development? How does a coach prioritize what an athlete needs to work on – and how does a coach create sustainability for an athlete in the sport?
[52:40] How to find out more about Conquer Athlete and the Conquer Athlete Podcast

Links and Resources Mentioned

Michael Phelps on the Tony Robbins Podcast
Jumpsoles
Dan John
James FitzGerald
FRC (Functional Range Conditioning)
Louie Simmons
Juggernaut Training Systems
“The 4 Disciplines of Execution” by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey & Jim Huling
The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Brett Bartholomew
“Conscious Coaching” by Brett Bartholomew

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Shelby Lermo plays guitar for Vasum and Ulthar, and used to oversee the tangled web of death metal, interviews and conspiracy theories that was Illogical Contraption. This conversation was a real pleasure for me, since I’ve known Shelby as an “online friend” for probably close to a decade, and have long admired his work from afar. For those concerned with the stagnation of the extreme metal underground, we discuss possible iterations on the form of death metal outside of the contemporary postmodern juxtaposition of seemingly disparate genres or the rehashing of the past through “old school death metal.” For those concerned with conspiracy thinking, we discuss the allure and the dangers of conspiracy theories, as well as the mechanisms that have pushed conspiracy into the mainstream.

Check out more from Shelby, Illogical Contraption, Vastum & Ulthar here:

Bandcamp: Vastum | Ulthar
Illogical Contraption Archives: Blog | Podcast

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:Show Notes:

[01:12] The process of making internet friends before social media, and the tangled web of content that was Illogical Contraption.
[09:17] The evolution of music discovery and communication in the underground from tape-trading to music blogs to Spotify - and how Shelby thinks about consuming music vs listening to music.
[19:58] The stagnation of the death metal genre, and how to think about composing outside of the standard idioms of the form.”
[24:21] Shelby’s creative process for multiple different projects, and the differing levels of collaboration between different projects.
[29:35] Where can death metal go next? Do the popular styles of metal in the underground follow cyclical patterns (ie thrash -> old school death metal -> technical death metal)? Will anyone create a new form for underground metal that isn’t just a postmodern hodgepodge of varied styles and instrumentation?
[40:48] Being disciplined regarding creativity: scheduling time to create, not waiting for inspiration, and separating the process of creating from the process of editing
[48:10] The allure of conspiracy theories - and why you shouldn’t believe them, as well as the surprising “mainstreamification” of conspiracy thinking.
[59:00] Implausible beliefs are a signaling mechanism for in-group loyalty, which can create feedback loops that increase the strangeness of conspiracy theories.

[1:05:05] Shelby’s favorite interviews from the Illogical Contraption podcast

Links and Resources Mentioned

Mediafire
RapidShare
Megaupload
Spotify
Pavor
Incantation
20 Buck Spin
Suffocation
Cryptopsy
Destruction
"The Least Successful Human Cannonball" by Destruction
Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Sailing the Seas of Cheese" by Primus
"Pork Soda" by Primus
Melvins
Devourment
Defeated Sanity
"Storm Of The Light's Bane" by Dissection
ByoNoiseGenerator
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Naked City
"Graves of the Archangels" by Dead Congregation
Brian May
Queen
Alpha Draconis
"Stop Falling For This Facebook Scam" from Forbes
QAnon
WALL-E
Bill Zebub
Dave Attell
Dave Attell on Illogical Contraption Radio
Dave Brockie
Dave Brockie on Illogical Contraption Radio
Longmont Potion Castle
Longmont Potion Castle on Illogical Contraption Radio
Alex Trebek
Where In The Hell is The Lavender House? The Longmont Potion Castle Story
Killtown Death Fest

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We’ve got Jake Rhodes from BearKompleX and Jason Yule from Boxstar Apparel and Harbor Park CrossFit on the podcast. I met both of these fellows when they exhibited at the inaugural South Loop Games in 2016. This episode isn’t just for CrossFit geeks, since we dig into the ways that Jake and Jason think about building a market for their businesses in a complicated and dynamic fitness landscape. The nuances of balancing promoting competitive CrossFit and whether that detracts from the mission of health and wellness is tricky to unpack, and Jason and Jake have some interesting perspectives from working with every day people in CrossFit affiliates as well as being involved with sponsoring high level athletes and the CrossFit Games themselves.

Check out more from Jason, Boxstar and Harbor Park CrossFit here:

Website: www.boxstarapparel.com | www.harborparkcrossfit.com
Instagram: @jasonjyule | @boxstarapparel | @harborparkcrossfit

Check out more from Jake & BearKompleX here:

Instagram: @bearkomplex
Website: www.bearkomplex.com

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[1:37] Jason’s feelings toward Wisconsin always being paired with some sort of nod to cheese – particularly within the CrossFit Games.
[4:03] Marketing in the CrossFit world must find balance between the mission of improving health and wellness for those who feel intimidated by the sport, and the showcasing of ‘freaks’ doing muscle ups and handstand walking. By focusing on the elite athletes in the sport, folks who are curious to try CrossFit can be intimidated and put off from going to the gym.
[11:10] CrossFit is its affiliates, not its one weekend each year where the best athletes perform. There’s a place for showcasing the sport’s best athletes, but stepping away from making those people the whole CrossFit image is important in recruitment of more ‘everyday’ people.
[15:24] Businesses need to figure out how to retain customers – BearKompleX can’t only target those who are ripping their hands for the first time forever, and the focus begins to shift more toward high-level athletes as the business progresses.
[17:53] People view elite athletes as role models – people who they strive to be like, whose gear choices influence their own gear choices, etc. It grants companies credibility to have the support of high-level athletes. Those who are newer to CrossFit had to see an ad in their box or a cool video (with a high-level athlete as the face of the brand) and want to improve their athletic ability through gear to buy product, though. As time goes on, Jason and Jake have moved their companies away from focusing on the over-saturated elite athlete field and instead toward focusing on the average athletes who are influencers within their specific CrossFit community.
[29:00] The goal of being able to compete in the sport of CrossFit is more attainable now, whereas competing at Regionals was previously the goal of the most elite athletes. The changes to the Games structure have affected athletes immensely – they have to be able to handle unpredictability as a piece of the ultimate test, along with the fact that they could devote their lives to CrossFit just to fly across the world and run 400m.
[37:45] Will someone like Brent Fikowski struggle to compete with the new structure of early cuts at the CrossFit Games? One bad workout can send athletes home early, and it makes it more challenging for outliers in body size to compete in the sport. And why is the stereotypical elite CrossFit athlete so different than the stereotypical elite athlete in other sports?
[45:14] Jason and Jake’s companies have to establish strategic marketing plans. Placement at events is significant (years ago, they hustled for a main vendor spot at the South Loop Games), along with having the resources to now have representation at sanctionals worldwide.
[53:44] The vendor floor is very saturated and companies struggle to break even with giving away free gear on top of paying a high price to have a spot at events.
[57:47] Online traffic spikes for a few weeks after a company is present at an event, which could be due to spectators returning to their boxes and showing off their new gear. Giving out discounts doesn’t produce much increase in purchasing but the chance of having referrals in the future makes it worth it.
[1:03.58] Priorities change as the Games structure changes – global expansion tactics, prize giveaways with partnerships, and continuing to find further affiliate retail space is essential. Successful worldwide representation is a struggle, but having affiliate owners get on board with carrying gear in their boxes is as well.
[1:15.11] More on Jason and Jake: social media accounts, opinions on quality Wisconsin beer, and the story behind BearKompleX’s name.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Mathew Fraser
Rich Froning
Tia-Clair Toomey
Greg Glassman on Pursuing Health with Julie Foucher
Nick Urankar
Noah Ohlsen
Dylan Martin
Streat Hoerner
FitAid
Kill Cliff
WODprep
Granite Games
Wodapalooza
Patrick Vellner
Brent Fikowski
Dave Castro
Josh Bridges
Ben Smith
Rory Mckernan
Dre Strohm
Ron Dayne
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Rogue Invitational
Challenge Me App
Spotted Cow

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Scott Young is a prolific blogger and the author of Ultralearning. Scott first gained notoriety on the internet for his MIT Challenge - where he completed the entire MIT computer science curriculum in less than a year. He has also documented his projects in language learning (going a year without English and learning four languages), portrait sketching, and quantum mechanics. As someone who often attempts to learn things on my own (with varying degrees of success), and who also spends a lot of time trying to teach things to others (both clients and coaches) - I’ve found the process of transferring knowledge from one human mind to another to be one of the most interesting and also frustrating things in the world. Check out the full conversation with Scott for a fascinating framework on how to teach yourself anything - without just doing a bunch of random drills, getting frustrated and quitting.

Check out more from Scott here:

Website: www.scotthyoung.com
Book: Ultralearning

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[1:50] Scott seems to understand that learning is most successful in an environment of doing and not in one of reading, lecture attendance, and video watching. However, he’s published a book about learning – so what exactly is its purpose and why did he choose to write it?
[4:21] There’s a lot more to learning than simply practicing, as certain skills seem to involve endless amounts of practice while others have more apparent, speedy transfer. Learning becomes more difficult when the type of practice performed deviates from how the skill is used in a real-life setting. Scott gives some examples of when these transfer problems arise and how transfer problems can arise even in learning about theoretical ideas.
[8:46] Directness and actual application are significant in order to learn all skills, but the order in which they’re performed matters. A learning strategy is likely transferring effectively when exposure to a skill is direct prior to performing any sort of drill and, once drills are introduced, it becomes important to return back to those situations of direct exposure regularly.
[13:01] Skills can be built up individually while lacking functionality outside of largely abstract situations, meaning that drills must be specific and relative to real performance of the skill. Feedback on those drills (and, generally, on performance of the skill being learned) shows to be a nonessential piece of the learning process.
[20:12] We can get knowledge into our heads, but accessing a learned skill isn’t done by pulling out a ‘saved’ memory from the brain and feedback is self-generated through realization of what is not able to be recalled – that aspect of retrieval is vital to performance of any skill, making the sophistication of recall more effective than repeated exposure.
[24:38] Studies may not be representative of all populations since skills vary so greatly in context – amount of acquired knowledge and ease of retrieval positively correlate, and sample sizes tend to be small. Giving learners opportunities to apply what they’ve learned can be a step toward bridging the gap in education where people review and ‘understand’ concepts but cannot seem to make any real change behaviorally.
[25:54] Experience is one of the many reasons experts perform better than novices at almost any skill – an expert’s experience in a particular skill allows them to chunk things together and to see prior patterns, obvious mistakes, and recognition of solutions to problems more readily than a novice, who likely attempts to piece together a multitude of individual parts of a larger concept.
[33:13] Learning a skill in order to solve problems rather than to simply know the information and to have it ‘stored’ can improve one’s ability to transfer. Autonomy is a necessity though: being able to apply a skill that you don’t really want to use is unlikely, no matter what super effective strategies or level of established intelligence or personality traits are present. Anyone can learn almost anything if they want to.
[43:04] Many people have negative experiences with learning and associate learning struggles with failure. Once you know how to put together a puzzle, it isn’t a puzzle anymore, but confidence and persistent engagement are keys to keep trying at that puzzle.
[53:10] Knowledge decay isn’t as serious as many believe because large ideas are retained – making a habit of performing physics problems or speaking in a particular language can help in maintaining those learned skills, but even more abstractly reminding yourself of formulas that exist can be helpful.
[57:38] Attitudes surrounding learning are the difference between either merely knowing about many concepts and drowning in self-doubt or having the confidence to succeed in complicated areas of work such as ultra learning. Can we make it prestigious to be a motivated self-educating person?
[1:04.35] Being able to copy someone else’s behavior or learn how someone else performs well at a particular skill by being able to watch and communicate with them about the subject can enhance and expedite the learning process. However, it’s possible that this is true in skills with more clearly defined ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs.’
[1:14.10] How to get Scott’s book if you want it. And you probably want it. And you probably also want to check out some more Scott content. So here’s how to get all of that.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Duolingo
“Learning With Retrieval-Based Concept Mapping" by Janell Blunt and Jeffrey Karpicke
Many-worlds interpretation (Quantum Mechanics)
Copenhagen interpretation (Quantum Mechanics)
“The Classical Theory of Fields: Volume 2” by L D Landau and E.M. Lifshitz
“The Secret of Our Success” by Joseph Henrich
Speedrunning
Roger Bannister
“The Roger Bannister Effect: The Myth of the Psychological Breakthrough” from The Science of Running

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Ben Dziwulski is the founder of WODprep, where he and his team of coaches teach CrossFit athletes the fundamentals of advanced skills. Ben has helped thousands of people learn new skills and built an impressive online business in the process. This episode is not just about CrossFit, but about foundational principles of teaching, asking probing questions, and deeply understanding what people want in order to better serve them and help them reach their goals.

Check out more from Ben and WODprep here:

Website: www.wodprep.com
Instagram: @wodprep
YouTube: @wodprep

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[01:30] True expertise comes from being able to explain things simply and prioritize effectively – how Ben avoids the “curse of knowledge" and breaks down coaching cues in ways that people can understand and relate to their goals
[07:30] Consistency is more important than perfection. When learning new skills, it’s much more important to start somewhere, work on figuring out a basic level of competency, then iterating over time.
[12:40] How to understand what a market actually wants and what will pay for – as opposed to just what they say they want. And some miscalibrated predictions that Ben has made throughout WODprep’s history.
[23:00] The danger of going it alone when learning new things: People tend to want to either skip steps, or they will think they have to check off an endless list of prerequisites before they even attempt the thing that they’re working on. Having a coach can eliminate both of these problems.
[31:24] People are motivated to do silly things both by blindly copying others and by trying to increase their status in their group. Plus, two stories of CrossFit heartbreak including Ben doing an Open workout with a sever staph infection and Gary Helmick breaking his ankle right before Regionals.
[41:54] Everyone understands that you should spend some time training your weaknesses, but how do you honestly look at yourself and figure out what’s holding you back? For many people, the lack of consistent focus and being willing to tackle one thing at a time is a bigger issue than anything else.
[47:10] What has been changed and iterated on with WODprep in order to better help people? The value of making things simple and having clear step-by-step instructions in order to increase compliance, hiring great people and giving them autonomy, and giving more options and avenues for clients to communicate with coaches.
[58:00] Sign up for Ben’s newsletter – and the new WODprep course on hip mobility

Links and Resources Mentioned

How to Snatch: And then…a miracle occurs
Richard Feynman
Blue Crab CrossFit
Muscle Up Madness: Learn Muscle Ups Faster
"Eva" – Named CrossFit Workout
The Secret of Our Success by Joseph Henrich
Michael Jordan’s Sweatband Position
Gary Helmick
Jordan Troyan
Ben Smith
Mathew Fraser

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Tony Gentilcore is a strength coach, the owner of CORE Fitness, and a co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance. Tony has been creating strength & conditioning content on the internet for ages that is both deeply insightful from a movement and biomechanics perspective, as well as hilarious and full of nerd references. Tony is an expert on both movement assessment and designing long-term, progressive training programs for both sport specific athletes and every day folks looking to live long and prosper.

Check out more from Tony here:

Website: https://tonygentilcore.com/
Instagram: @tonygentilcore
Strong Body, Strong Mind workshop in Chicago at South Loop Strength & Conditioning on August 18th – Early bird pricing ends July 18th.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[02:20] A Tribe Called Quest, 90s hip-hop and what the kids are listening to today
[13:31] What are common mistakes that people make when trying to increase shoulder range of motion? What is the difference between “smashing” vs doing positional breathing and stability work to change range of motion? What misconceptions do people have about stretching?
[27:40] How do you get buy-in and create competency with clients so that they are compliant with their exercise prescription? How much corrective exercise should people do in their program vs how much “hard training” should they do? How do you create quick wins for clients so they can feel successful?
[39:45] The dangers of searching for dysfunction that isn’t there – and why convincing clients that they’re broken and need the help of a coach is not a good business model.
[44:46] Many clients want to get destroyed every day in training. Getting people to prioritize consistency and shoot for “progress not perfection” is key to long-term training success.
[58:23] How should people filter the mindset advice they see on Instagram from self-styled life coaches? How does Dr. Lisa Lewis (Tony’s wife and presenting partner for the Strong Body, Strong Mind seminar) approach they psychological pitfalls that clients run into during training?
[1:03:54] Some content on social media is actually intended to be helpful – and some is intended just to make you feel good while scrolling. Be careful which advice you follow. And, Tony will be in Chicago for the Strong Body, Strong Mind workshop in August and will be releasing a new shoulder and hip resource with Dean Somerset.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Eric Cressey
Mike Robertson
Mike Boyle
A Tribe Called Quest
"The Low End Theory” by A Tribe Called Quest
Prodigy (online service)
Max After Dark
Nas
Mobb Deep
Wu-Tang Clan
“Midnight Marauders" by A Tribe Called Quest
The Source
Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy
Gang Starr
“The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Busta Rhymes
Tony Gentilcore on Mike Robertson’s Podcast
DJ Premier episode on Take It Personal Radio
DJ Premier
DJ 360
Redman
”Illmatic” by Nas
Postural Restoration Institute
Bill Hartman
Indianapolis Fitness And Sports Training
Cressey Sports Performance
Chris Chase
Sade
Mike Reinold
Dan Pope
Tony Gentilcore on T Nation
”Lifting weights isn’t supposed to tickle”
Dean Somerset

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Austin O’Neal and Megan Benzik return for a round two on the podcast - although it’s a round three for Megan. They moved into a van last summer, but they wouldn’t consider themselves minimalists. Instead, their decision was based upon a desire for freedom and has given them perspective on the dangers of hyper-intention and outcome-dependence in competitive CrossFit. They have also recently launched their own coaching business, called Live ATOP coaching.

Check out more from Austin & Megan here:

Website: www.liveatopcoaching.com
Instagram: @atoneal_liveatopcoach | @megbenz_liveatopcoach | @live_atop_coaching

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[01:19] The social dynamics of van life and the descent into hippiedom after 10 months of living in a van
[04:40] Moving into a van wasn’t necessarily about minimalism – it was more about finding freedom and creating clear priorities. A lack of options allows for increased efficiency.
[09:18] Many people fantasize about minimalism or starting a business, so there’s a lot of fluffy content that appeals to the crowd who hates their job and wishes they were doing something else that isn’t actually applicable to people who are really living that lifestyle.
[15:11] Transitioning from normal life to van life was surprisingly smooth – although there were a few surprises.
[22:00] Finding a balance with fitness and maintaining a serious training routine while living in a van – and getting out of a counterproductive and outcome-focused relationship with competitive CrossFit
[26:30] Most people are pretty supportive of van life – but occasionally a cop kicks you out of where you’re trying to sleep
[35:45] Taking a risk and starting your own coaching business – while minimizing that risk and building confidence through exposure to world class coaches
[44:30] Getting enough initial clients that starting a business doesn’t feel totally insane and risky – and thinking through the competitive implications for the changing season structure in the competitive CrossFit landscape
[58:23] Best national parks and hiking spots

Links and Resources Mentioned

“How Minimalism Brought Me Freedom and Joy” by James Altucher
Marie Kondo
OPEX North Scottsdale
CrossFit Back-on-the-Bar
“Matt Foley: Van Down By The River” from Saturday Night Live
Windy City Strength & Conditioning
Alo Moves
Sedona
Lost Coast Trail
Moab

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Chelsea Troy is a self-taught and informally educated software engineer and data scientist who also specializes in machine learning. Chelsea also blogs regularly at www.chelseatroy.com. In this conversation, we discuss the process of self-educating in a variety of software-related disciplines, the state of machine learning and whether or not its going to swallow our society, and how technology companies can improve diversity in their workforces - both in terms of tangible actions for employees and managers as well as higher-level organizational changes.

Check out more from Chelsea here:

Instagram: @misschelseatroy
Website: www.chelseatroy.com

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes:

[0:07] Self-educating in software development and data science through a project-based approach – and the strengths and weaknesses of project-based learning vs a formal academic model
[08:48] Almost all of your time in software development is spent at the margin of what you know how to do, so you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Improvement often comes through bettering your ability to solve the inevitable problems that you will run into.
[19:12] Reduce the feedback loop as much as possible and create testing scenarios in order to rapidly iterate on software. One weird trick to learning software development: copy the changes that more experienced developers make to their code by hand
[30:30] The best learning comes from realizing that you’ve made a mistake. Having a generalist approach and understanding multiple programming languages enables solving problems in non-traditional ways.
[37:42] Should we believe the hype on machine learning? What will be the future of machine learning and how will humans work with this technology as we are able to automate more and more tasks and better recognize patterns in data?
[48:02] The dangers of algorithmic recommendations and the amount of resources going into increasing advertisement clicks through machine learning. Can we have machine learning algorithms make their decisions and categorizations “human legible”?
[1:03:07] How can tech companies move the needle on diversity in hiring? What actionable communication and management behaviors can individuals employ in terms of making technical companies more welcoming to underrepresented folks?
[1:14:07] How do we get more viewpoint diversity in the upper echelons of technology companies? Viewpoint diversity seems to clearly help companies improve performance, but can be painful and create more conflict within the organization.

Links and Resources Mentioned

John Conway's Game of Life
Deliberate practice
What is the difference between FragmentPagerAdapter and FragmentStatePagerAdapter?
GitHub
Pivotal Labs
“Leveling Up Skill #6: Commit Tracing” from Chelsea Troy
Zooniverse
Hubble Telescope
Hanny's Voorwerp
Janelle Shane
“Try these neural network-generated recipes” from Janelle Shane
“Do neural nets dream of electric sheep?” from Janelle Shane
“Metal band names invented by neural network” from Janelle Shane
“The neural network has weird ideas about what humans like to eat” from Janelle Shane (this one kills me)
Decision tree learning
Game of Thrones

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People enjoy listening to successful people explain how they were able to achieve the things that they’ve accomplished. (I should know, I often interview them). Unfortunately, a lot of advice from successful people is absolutely terrible. It fails to take into account the thousands and thousands of other people who “dedicated their life to their passion,” “sacrificed everything to make themselves better,” “did a great job and focused on their product,” and “pushed themselves to work harder every day.” When we only focus on those who made it, this is called “survivorship bias” and it leads to some pretty unfortunate errors and, particularly in athletics and business, a toxic form of magical thinking. Cut it out!

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

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Marcus Filly is the owner of Revival Strength and Revive-Rx, as well as a multiple time CrossFit Games athlete. Marcus has popularized the concept of Functional Bodybuilding and a more measured approach to intensity in fitness training - especially for people whose goal is to look good, feel good and move well (not necessarily compete at a high level). Marcus is a highly analytical individual, and we discuss finding the balance between being systematic and going with the flow, creating content for yourself and creating content for an audience, and many hilarious stories from training with Danny Nichols and the GRID League.

Check out more from Marcus, Revival Strength & Functional Bodybuilding here:

Instagram: @marcusfilly//@functional.bodybuilding//@revivalstrength
Website: www.functionalbodybuilding.net//www.revival-strength.com (Sign up for Marcus’s e-mail list here!)//www.revive-rx.com
Podcast: Look Good, Move Well Podcast

Show Notes

[01:51] The differences between posting training on a WordPress blog and posting training on social media – and the differences between posting to have a record of what you’ve done, posting to self-reflect, and posting to share for an audience.
[11:17] What was the tipping point to move from the personal fitness blog to social media?
[15:20] The difference between systemizing and going with the flow – and how to decide when a system is helpful and valuable, and when it’s overly restrictive.
[20:04] “Letting your hair down” – how being overly analytical can cause roadblocks, and why what got you here won’t always get you there
[31:53] Training with Danny Nichols – and strapping him to the pull-up bar with lifting straps to teach him kipping. And tales of folly and intensity from the Grid League including a broken hand from touch-and-go power snatches.
[42:59] Tying multiple different businesses together – and the challenges of running an in-person gym when you’re running a successful online business.
[52:38] How to create content for a large audience – and how to think about people misunderstanding the message
[01:03:25] How to handle and react to negativity on the internet – and how handle the opportunity cost of helping everyone who reaches out for advice while still being grateful for the fact that people are paying attention.

Links and Resources Mentioned

TrueCoach
Marcus Filly’s Travel Blog
James FitzGerald
National Pro Grid League
Pat Barber
Gabe Subry
Blair Morrison
Neal Maddox
Danny Nichols
Craig Kenney
Ryan Rapenport
Super Size Me
Fat Head

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Orion Melehan is the co-founder and CEO of LIFEAID - known throughout the CrossFit community for the bubbly delights stored in gym fridges across the land. Orion and I discuss the trade-offs of rapidly scaling a growing business, how to understand proper sequencing in terms of when it’s appropriate to take certain actions in business, and how LIFEAID plans to stay true to their mission as they expand outside of the fitness subculture into more mainstream markets in grocery stores. Orion also has a background as a house DJ, which allows for a bit of digging deep into musical details (always a great time).

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:43] Orion’s seemingly contradictory background as both a certified financial planner and a DJ, as well as his early entrepreneurial ventures (including a record store).
[08:30] The process of crafting a DJ set – and balancing your own desires with the desires of the audience. The differences between being a “technical” DJ and going off the feel of the crowd, and developing DJ skills in a time before comprehensive DJ software.
[15:25] Starting LIFEAID with multiple different SKUs, and figuring out how to prioritize the many different options. The benefits of understanding direct response marketing and split testing offers with different markets.
[24:33] How to manage ultra-fast growth – and how to figure out what you’re going to let break and what you’re going to stay on top of. And why being starved of capital during a growth phase is better than being flush with capital.
[33:18] Breaking into the very high barrier to entry beverage space through direct response marketing, understanding the long tail and subcultures, and hiring during rapid expansion.
[40:47] How LIFEAID plans to manage its expansion from a niche community (CrossFit) into mainstream areas like grocery and convenience stores while maintaining the vision for the company. Just continuing to create products for already healthy people doesn’t serve the mission of getting the population off of sketchy energy drinks.
[52:45] How to find the optimal balance between optimizing things that are already working while still being innovative and expanding into new markets. LIFEAID’s goal of solving different problems for their customers throughout the day – the goal is to have products for all the different “jobs” customers buy beverages to accomplish.
[01:00:32] How to think about the sequencing of growth in a company and do things in the correct order. Crafting new quarterly vision statements and creating alignment across the team based upon objectives and key results – as well as creating an environment in which the best ideas can percolate throughout the organization from the bottom up.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Frankie Knuckles
Robert Owens
Model 500
Juan Atkins
Acid house
DJ Dan
Donald Glaude
Aaron Hinde
Phil Knight
“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight
Topgrading
OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)
RXBAR
Peter Rahal
Kellogg’s
Andreessen Horowitz
“Zero to One” by Peter Thiel

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Ah yes, the delightful process of asking obnoxious leading questions. What could be more fulfilling? Well, it turns out that - in order to teach the complex reasoning necessary for something like coaching, simply receiving complicated, theoretical lectures is not enough. Nor is it enough to have a ton of real-life experience. The best bounce back and forth between abstraction and reality and build complicated models of how the world works. And, in order to teach others to do this (like, say, employees at a CrossFit gym), it’s not enough to just lecture at them. Instead, you must engage in pointed questioning that comes from a genuine place of curiosity and that helps clarify reasoning and assumptions. One might call this Socratic questioning in fact...

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[00:00] How to become an obnoxious person who people don’t want to be around in social situations
[05:45] How some people build mental models of the world – and how they constantly check their models against both their real life experiences and theories from experts
[13:52] People only work to solve problems that they know that they have. Everything else is just intellectual entertainment.
[21:57] How to cultivate a genuine curiosity to guide questioning rather than being a pedantic blowhard

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James FitzGerald is the founder and president of OPEX and an all around systematic thinker and pattern matcher who has developed some pretty impressive insights into what makes people successful in mixed modal fitness. He’s applied this insight into winning the CrossFit Games himself in 2007, coaching multiple other CrossFit Games athletes through OPEX and Big Dawgs, and developing continuing education through the OPEX CCP and the more recent Mixed Modal course. In this conversation, I wanted to dig into how James systemizes his thoughts and updates his mental models based upon experiences and new information - and how he knows when his pattern matching is going off the rails and when he’s developing new insight.

Check out more from James, OPEX & Big Dawgs here:

Instagram: @jfitzopex//@opexfitness//@opexfitness//@bigdawgsathlete
Website: www.opexfit.com///Mixed Modal

Show Notes

[2:03] Special Newfoundland pronunciation of vowels and consonants – and how to build and extract systems from reality and reason from first principles.
[9:27] How James builds and updates his mental systems based upon both thoughts and experiences – and how to build the metacognition to “notice your noticings”
[15:37] How James goes about confirming or disconfirming his beliefs. And one thing that James has changed his mind on over the years: the role of muscle endurance in mixed modal sport.
[24:11] The role of chaos in mixed modal sport – and how to systemize mixed modal sport as a whole in terms of monads, diads, triads, etc.
[34:03] How to pattern match in a chaotic environment like mixed modal sport – and finding the appropriate amount of variance in the skill acquisition process for mixed modal sport
[48:13] How do you know when the patterns that you’re seeing are real? What is the application of something like peer review in fitness? What incentives would pull people out of silos as far as best practices in fitness coaching?
[56:54] When did system building behavior start for James? And what resources have helped him in building mental models and systems?
[01:05:38] How does James approach content consumption? How does he balance consuming content for fun vs trying to solve a specific problem?
[01:13:24] The balance of giving people what they want vs what they need – especially in the context of fitness vs sport
[01:19:09] What is happening in individuals who are resistant to fatigue in mixed modal sport? What would the process look like to truly do research on the various fatigue models for how people utilize fuel in a mixed modal setting?

Links and Resources Mentioned

Ernest Shackleton
Rusty Shackleford
Bernie Novokowsky
Isaac Newton
John Forbes Nash Jr.
International Functional Fitness Federation
10% Happier Podcast with Dan Harris
Sudoku
Sam Harris with Nick Bostrom
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
Peter Attia
Chris Masterjohn, PhD
Peter Forsberg
Mathew Fraser
No Rules Folders

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“I just want to make heavy brutal shit that makes people feel anything at all.”

My friends Heather and Seth play in a band called HIDE that - in addition to offering a disorienting and bludgeoning live experience - creates pulsing, lurching soundscapes that I think are some of the best sounds to come out of Chicago of late. Their 2018 debut full length is called “Castration Anxiety,” and I think it’s fantastic - so I got them on the podcast to talk about it - as well as the relationships in behavior between repeatedly watching funny YouTube clips and enjoying minimalist music and the usage and subversion of religious iconography in HIDE’s visual art.

Check out more from Heather, Seth & HIDE here:

Instagram: @hide_music//@heathergabel
Bandcamp: https://hide3.bandcamp.com/

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:23] Seth wasn’t into pop punk growing up. Heather was on tour with pop punk bands, but only liked “real punk.” And sitting with albums and listening to them deeply in the pre-internet era.
[10:45] The association between live performance and recorded music – and filtering the amount of content you consume through the lens of live performance. And how the spirit of HIDE relates to Heather’s punk background and Seth’s metal background even if the surface aesthetics may be different.
[27:53] Overanalyzing repetitive watching and listening behavior in viral videos as well as music. And what is the role of repetition in HIDE’s music? And how do Heather and Seth balance competing desires for minimalism and variation?
[50:42] Use of symbols and iconography in association with HIDE’s imagery, and Heather’s bizarre and uncomfortable experiences with the way that people react to their body in art, in performance and in daily life
[1:08:21] Humans are humans no matter where they go, and engage in shitty behavior even in subcultures that ostensibly value more progressive views – and the reaction of creating online “call out culture” is probably not the best response
[1:23:00] Check out “Castration Anxiety” and do whatever you want – as long as it is exactly what Seth wants you to do

Links and Resources Mentioned

Alkaline Trio
Green Day
NOFX
Screeching Weasel
New Found Glory
Blink-182
The Cure
Crass
Ramones
120 Minutes
Napster
Daughters
Lingua Ignota
Pantera
Rowland S. Howard
ADULT.
Rudimentary Peni
Public Image Ltd
Nitzer Ebb
Dark wave
Industrial music
Wumpscut
Bolt Thrower
Wolf Eyes
Gouge Away
Goats Yelling Like Humans
Scott Stapp
Nickelback
Creed
Stapp sings 'Marlins Will Soar'
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill's Instagram Comments on National Geographic
Sen Dog
B-Real
Tangerine Dream
Swans
Adrian Bozman
Adrian Bozman on my podcast
Dais Records
Dave Brubeck “Take Five”
Meshuggah
Allan Holdsworth
Magma
Pietà
Carl Jung
Sam Harris
“Fear is the mind-killer.”

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Jim Crowell is the CEO of OPEX. I first met Jim back in the OPT days at one the CCP certifications in Scottsdale - and now he’s friggin' running the place. We talk about how to think about competition in the fitness industry (you’re not just competing with other gyms offering similar services…), how to find the balance between creating systems and structure while still allowing for the creativity and craftsmanship of the coaching profession, and how to leverage tribalism in your target audience to create a marketing message that actually resonates.

Check out more from Jim here:

Instagram: @crowelljim//@opexfitness
Website: www.opexfit.com//www.opexgyms.com
LinkedIn: @jim-crowell

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[3:21] How Jim's background as an MBA hedge fund guy with degrees in finance and economics set him up for entry into the CrossFit market as a true capitalist. “I need to build this thing because somebody else is going to build it if I don't.”
[11:18] The winner-take-all dynamics of local fitness businesses - and why you must be the leader in your subcategory
[20:48] How OPEX is seeking to create the "personalized fitness" category in the market - and how they are looking to position themselves compared to personal training or group training
[26:38] The necessity of targeting a specific audience to reap the benefits of tribalism – versus risking speaking to no one at all. “You don't create your brand; the market tells you what your brand is…You can just try to influence what that market reaction is.”
[32:53] The growing pains of restructuring and the importance of not confusing and alienating your target audience - and how OPEX decided to split out the remote coaching business of Big Dawgs from the work of certifications and licensing.
[40:40] Tribalism and the desire “to be a part of something…[and feel] a deeper meaning behind why they're doing what they're doing" - and how this relates to marketing and retention in facilities
[56:06] Allowing for creativity in coaching while still providing standardization and consistency in processes.
[01:04:34] How the start-up cost and business structure of opening a CrossFit gym has changed since 2005 to now.
[01:10:25] Differences in managing a gym with 150 members versus a gym with more than that, and attempting to get in front of problems before they happen.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Box Tour: Integrated Fitness from the CrossFit Journal
OPEX
OPEX Coaching Certificate Program (CCP)
CrossFit Games
Penn State
University of North Carolina
Orange Theory
Peloton
YouTube
CrossFit Central (TX)
OPEC
F45
Fit Body Boot Camp
CrossFit
Apple
Samsung
Huawei
Facebook
MySpace
Ben Thompson's “Stratechery”
Amazon
LinkedIn
Instagram
South Loop Strength & Conditioning
Tesla
Colgate Palmolive
Johnson & Johnson
Big Dawgs
CrossFit Invictus
Misfit Athletics
Tribalism
Tristan Harris
Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
Tyler Cowen's The Age of the Inforvore
Tyler Cowen's Marginal Revolution blog
Biohacking
Tim Ferriss
James FitzGerald
Tony Robbins
SoulCycle
Rogue
OPEX Coach’s Toolkit

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I was recently a guest on my buddy Angelo's Alpha Hippie podcast. I got some good feedback on the interview, so I figured I'd share here with all of you as well since you seemingly have some interest in what I have to say.

You can check out more from Angelo here:

www.alphahippiepodcast.com
iTunes
@thealphahippie

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Michael Cazayoux – co-founder of Brute Strength and host of its eponymous podcast, president of Working Against Gravity, and 2012 and 2013 CrossFit Games Champion as part of Hack’s Pack – joins the podcast to discuss his thoughts on developing a robust and resilient mindset. Mindset is a hot topic with a lot of fluffy content, but Michael explains both his personal experiences through rehab from addiction and therapy as well as the steps that he is taking to internally develop the Working Against Gravity staff.

Check out more from Michael here:

Instagram: @michaelcazayoux//@workingagainstgravity//@brute.strength
Website: www.brutestrengthtraining.com//www.workingagainstgravity.com
Podcast: Brute Strength Podcast
Recommended Episodes of the Brute Strength Podcast: Stephan Guyenet//Chris Duffin

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[2:20] How podcasts facilitate having deep conversations - and how Michael brings that curiosity to his every day interactions. Plus: reframing small talk.
[8:22] The importance of prioritizing and saying “no” to things, and how to make room for (and actually schedule) the things that really matter to you. And, how to figure out what matters to you by being crystal clear on your personal values - and what people you want to spend time with and what activities you want to spend time doing.
[16:43] How to learn to recognize your own emotions and utilize those to develop your priorities. And how Michael used group therapy in his rehab process to build self-awareness - and how he learned to dismiss the negative cultural role models of quiet gruff men who are out of touch with their emotions.
[24:52] The need for defining specific and measurable goals, and the formula of breaking down a long-term goal into sub-goals and processes that make it “inevitable” to achieve that outcome.
[30:40] The importance of picking a goal that gives you a certain amount of pleasure, and the fallacy of “falling [totally] in love with the journey.” And how to focus on a specific on a specific outcome without becoming emotionally dependent upon achieving those results.
[37:44] Rolling out a personal development program for the staff at Working Against Gravity - and getting real buy-in and accountability for behavior change (rather than just having people treat the concepts as “motivational quotes”)
[41:55] Committing to truly sharing emotions in group therapy, and the value in being authentic in expressing emotions - and Michael’s history of walling himself off from others during his addiction
[49:19] Being surrounded with other people who are into self-development and getting spacey with the Barbell Shrugged guys and Angelo Sisco. And how diving into your past and looking at what your faults are “will naturally and quickly improve your mindset tenfold.”
[01:00:14] How the Brute Strength Podcast both builds trust with Michael’s audience - and how it facilitates having deep discussions with thought leaders

Links and Resources Mentioned

Wodapalooza
No “yes.” Either “HELL YEAH!” or “no.” | Derek Sivers
Jack Bauer
Commitment bias
Hedonic treadmill
Carol Dweck
Alcoholics Anonymous
Angelo Sisco // Alpha Hippie Podcast
Barbell Shrugged
Tim Ferriss
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Self Authoring Suite
Adee Cazayoux
Kabuki Strength
Game of Thrones

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We’re trying something different on the podcast this time - this time, I’m pseudo-interviewed by my childhood best friend John Friel. John is not the most fitness-inclined individual, so we thought it would be interesting to have a discussion on why someone like him (a self-taught programmer working on an art marketplace start-up called Art in Res) would care about training - and we engage in a bit of conversational sparring that we’ve honed over decades of arguing with each other about ideas.

Check out more from John here:

Instagram: @art_in_res
Website: www.artinres.com//www.xhbtr.com//www.johnfriel.net

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[03:25] How fitness is still important for people who don’t care about chasing six pack abs or a back squat PR. “To what end is fitness valuable?"
[08:44] Training may increase your overall “pool of energy” throughout the so - even though you’re taking time out of your day to exercise - your overall productivity may be higher
[17:21] Understanding the concept of asset allocation for fitness goals in terms of trading-off short-term performance improvements for long-term longevity losses - and how to maximize healthy longevity
[26:59] How does the concept of “antifragility” compare to the concept of mechanical wear and tear in biological systems? And what are the mechanisms for injury or loss of range of motion?
[35:20] How does the nervous system control range of motion? And how does this relate to stretching? And does lifting weights make you tight?
[46:37] How does a layperson go about integrating this information into their training? How do you decide what information to trust? “Anything is better than nothing” – gaining traction to build momentum and develop consistency.
[51:15] The 5 buckets of health that affect performance and longevity: training, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and social connections. Nutrition is the “biggest bang for your buck” for health - and how consistency in one bucket of health “breeds consistency” in other buckets.
[57:41] How training helps with stress reduction management by improving “your overall ability to tolerate stress…by stressing yourself appropriately” (but not excessively). And how great athletes are able to mount very robust stress responses - and then recover very quickly.
[1:08:25] What do you think about the idea of someone treating themselves as a guinea pig? Should individuals engage in self-experimentation? And the need to set goals and iteratively approach them with the guidance of an expert.
[1:20:19] Do you have recommendations for resources that people can use to self-educate on the different pillars of health?

Links and Resources Mentioned* What is Fitness?

Gamification
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
Daniel Pink on the Tim Ferriss Show
National Football League
IRONMAN triathlon
Modafinil
Peter Attia
Standard of care
Statins
PCSK9
Antifragility
Stuart McGill
Hormesis
Antioxidant
DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization
Hypermobility
Aubrey de Grey
Red Queen hypothesis
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
CrossFit
Circadian rhythm
Boiling frog
Super Size Me
Fat Head
Slayer
Supertraining by Yuri V. Verkhoshansky & Mel C. Siff
The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat by Stephan J. Guyenet, Ph.D.
Perfect Health Diet: Regain Health and Lose Weight by Eating the Way You Were Meant to Eat by Paul Jaminet Ph.D. & Shou-Ching Jaminet Ph.D.
Paleolithic diet
Ultimate MMA Conditioning by Joel Jamieson
OPEX Fitness
Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches by Greg Everett
Movement: Functional Movement Systems by Gray Cook
PRI (Postural Restoration Institute)
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky

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This is a cross-post from the Legion Strength & Conditioning podcast - where we get much more into the weeds with CrossFit coaching and competition. Figured this may be interesting to some of the folks here, so bringing this across the divide

Phil Mansfield is a multi-disciplinary coach with a history competing and/or coaching in rugby, cycling, swimming, triathlon and more. In the CrossFit world, he is best known as the coach to multi-time CrossFit Games podium finisher Sara Sigmundsdottir. We got up early - well, early for me (Phil’s internal clock was still on Denmark time) - after Wodapalooza to have a quick chat before Phil did a postmortem on the competition with Sara.

Check out more from Phil and RedPill Training

Instagram: @philmansfield_msi
Website: www.redpilltraining.com
YouTube: @redpilltraining

Show Notes

[00:14] A proper coffee
[01:34] What are the consequences of fast tracking an athlete - and having someone who is very good in sport but who has skipped steps during athletic development?
[06:04] Almost all training can be broken down to either working on skill acquisition or threshold training.
[09:51] How to find the appropriate amount of variation in skill acquisition training. “Once we say ‘for time’ everything changes.”
[20:49] How do you convince an athlete to potentially back off and focus on rebuilding if they’ve “skipped steps” in their development?
[33:18] The value of mindset coaching in competitive sport - and where a lot of people go wrong with their approach to mental toughness.
[44:04] How do you help athletes create organization and structure for their thoughts? And how do you translate practicing meta-cognition into training and competing?

Links and Resources Mentioned

Dunning–Kruger Effect
James Jowsey
Gary Gray
Sara Sigmundsdóttir
Dubai Crossfit Championship
Wodapalooza

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Justin LoFranco is the founder of the Morning Chalk Up - a daily CrossFit newsletter with many, many thousands of subscribers. Justin has an extensive background in political campaign work - and was able to use his insight and know-how to deliver long-form, text-based content to CrossFitters when everything else seems to be moving in the direction of short, controversial videos.

Check out more from Justin and the Morning Chalk Up here:

Instagram: @jaylowone//@morningchalkup
Website: www.morningchalkup.com
Facebook: @morningchalkup
YouTube: @morningchalkup

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:54] Using mountain climbing as an expression of fitness outside of the gym - and finding something enjoyable, then escalating it until it’s a challenging and difficult task to complete.
[12:38] People say that long content is dead and that bite-sized pieces on social media are the future: "I just decided to go the opposite direction. Let's focus on on doing words right. Not driving clicks.”
[18:17] Getting into the weeds with e-mail marketing: segmenting audiences, measuring user behavior and the degree to which the Chalk Up finds these kinds of analytics valuable
[24:14] Who are the archetypal readers of the Chalk Up: Every day CrossFit athletes, coaches and affiliate owners, elite athletes, elite coaches, CrossFit industry, and CrossFit media - and how flipping from focusing on the elite to focusing more on the affiliate community resulted in growth.
[33:16] Finding the right balance between the aspirational content of the CrossFit Games vs seeing every day people accomplishing something great. “Who you think you are as a brand may not be who your customers think you are.”
[39:33] Justin’s background in politics: in political campaigns, you need to get buy-in from every day people and you need to convince them the a candidate is the right person from the job. However, CrossFitters are already bough in. “I don’t need to convince a bunch of CrossFitters that they want to read about CrossFit”
[49:02] The CrossFit community doesn’t have the cynicism of the political climate. Even though the Chalk Up will cover controversial topics, the goal is not to fan the flames of outrage or drive clicks.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Pat Sherwood
Ben Bergeron
Jason Khalipa
Jason Khalipa's podcast with Justin LoFranco
Tia-Clair Toomey
Josh Bridges
CrossFit
CrossFit Games
OPEX
Big Dawgs
South Loop Strength & Conditioning
Legion Strength & Conditioning
Wodapalooza
Sean Hannity
Anderson Cooper
Donald Rumsfeld on "Unknown Unknowns"
John Kerry "Flip Flopper" advertisement

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Most musicians in the world toil in obscurity - hoping that anyone at all will find and resonate with their music.

For those select few who do achieve some level of success via their music, they quickly become part of a machine focused on touring, album cycles, support acts, and management companies.
So, for the established artist, they long to be creative without restrictions and baggage from expectations from their fans and the music business that sustains them.

I discuss this dichotomy with Mike Hranica, the lead vocalist ("screamer" lol) from The Devil Wears Prada (a band with a lot of fans, and thus a lot of expectations) and God Alone (a band that purposefully defies expectations). We also discuss how he views discipline - or lack thereof - in his creative process, and how he scratches various creative itches through different outlets.

Check out more from Mike here:

Instagram: @mkhrnc//@tdwpband//@godaloneband
Website: www.mikehranica.com//www.tdwpband.com
Twitter: @mkhrnc

If you're enjoying the show, the best way to support it is to share with your friends. So pass it along! If you don't have any friends, why not a leave a review on iTunes? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

Show Notes

[02:01] Establishing rules in creativity and having obsessive tendencies - and finding the appropriate balance in sticking to the record and improvising live
[20:39] Balancing a breadth and depth of music consumption, and finding the right amount of focus to kickstart creativity
[33:00] The process of maturing creatively and developing better songwriting skills - and which influences still hold up as an adult.
[45:15] The ridiculousness of backing tracks in contemporary metalcore and the real-life consequences of selling out (or not selling out)
[50:59] Finding a creative outlet with no expectations in God Alone and a censored YouTube video
[01:00:09] Do writing lyrics and writing prose scratch the same creative itch? And how do lyrics “fit in” with God Alone or The Devil Wears Prada?
[01:12:09] The opportunity cost of maintaining relationships - and how to decide which relationships are worth maintaining
[01:18:24] Starting a coffee company - and what people mean when they say a coffee is “bright” or “fruity”
[01:31:54] Getting in touch with your sensory experiences via things like appreciating coffee, appreciating guitar tones, and meditation. And the physical toll that touring takes on the body.

Links and Resources Mentioned

The Jesus Lizard
The Tick (1994 TV series)
Josh James
Andy Nelson
Bricktop Recording
Julien Baker
Julien Baker "Sour Breath" (Live on KEXP) - YouTube
The Devil Wears Prada "Sour Breath"
Hate Force
James Pligge Interview
Drew Brown (@from_my_stacks)
Vastum
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
Stephen King
Norma Jean
Norma Jean "O' God the Aftermath"
Curl Up and Die
Every Time I Die
Lagwagon
Black Sabbath
Silverchair
Silverchair "Frogstomp"
Radiohead
The Jasta Show
Hatebreed
Slayer
War "Lowrider"
American Pie
Electrical Audio
Sanford Parker
Steve Albini
Adam Sandler "Do It For Your Mama"
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore knocks off Chubb's hand and truck runs it over
Billy Madison
Nick Cave
Grinderman
Charles Bukowski
Chicago Music Exchange
Handlebar Restaurant
Metric Coffee
Vans Shoes | The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada Coffee Collaboration | Metric Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee
Folgers Coffee
Intelligentsia
Kickapoo Coffee
Madcap Coffee

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Here it is...at long last. My first ask me anything episode!
I put out a call for some questions on the e-mail list, and got some pretty good responses.

I picked three to discuss in detail...then I started recording without plugging my computer in or checking my battery so I only got through two before I started getting warnings about my dying battery.

So, we get two questions in about 40 minutes. Hopefully that is in alignment with the level of detail you have come to expect from me.

Here's what I discuss:

[00:32] How do you motivate yourself to train during the "black hole" times?
[20:47] How do you teach coaches to modify or scale workouts for an aging or deconditioned population?

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

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You know when you're walking through the airport wearing a CrossFit shirt and you see someone else in a CrossFit shirt?
Or when you're going about your business at the grocery store wearing a Morbid Angel shirt, and someone down the aisle has an Incantation shirt on?

Well, maybe you don't know that feeling of t-shirt related camaraderie and acknowledgement, but rest assured that I do.
As we discuss in this interview, Danny and I are often the two guys at CrossFit related events wearing punk or metal apparel.

When Danny told me that he liked my podcast, I was thrilled because if one of the only other people who owns a CrossFit gym in a major urban environment who grew up playing in bands in a DIY punk and hardcore scene didn't like my podcast...well then I don't know what the hell I'm even doing.

In this conversation with Danny, we discuss:

Growing up in a real melting pot of a DIY punk scene in South Florida - and how that has both helped and hindered Danny in entrepreneurship
How staying true to his own taste (and trying to make Team Soul like a 90s skateboarding company) has resulted in raving fans...and some harsh detractors
How CrossFit Soul has seen the CrossFit bubble in South Florida pop - and why they're still standing while many others are not
Becoming involved in the programming for Wodapalooza - only to learn a few weeks later that Wodapalooza would be a sanctioned event sending qualifiers to the CrossFit Games

**Check out more from Danny here:

Instagram: @dannyxsoul//@teamsoul//@crossfitsoul//@thewodapalooza
Website: www.crossfitsoulmiami.com//www.teamsoultraining.com//www.wodapalooza.com
Bandcamp: Aversion//All Hell Breaks Loose

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Show Notes

[01:28] Growing up in the South Florida punk scene - and the melting pot of genres including punk, hardcore, death metal, and pop punk
[14:27] Being in bands growing up - including a rap metal band (Danny did not rap)
[18:11] What influence has growing up in the DIY culture of punk and hardcore had on small business ownership? And growing up hating jocks.
[26:29] Starting a CrossFit gym and making a ton of mistakes - including bad relationships with business partners and purposefully not having a plan. Plus, surviving the consolidation of the market as more and more gyms are closing.
[34:50] What did Danny do to learn how to run a business and how to coach - without a formal background in either? How did he reach out to people and apply their insight to his own business?
[44:42] The genesis of the Wodapalooza Programming Collective - and Danny’s role with Wodapalooza (including the changes to the CrossFit competition season)
[1:03:24] The art of the rip-off shirt

Links and Resources Mentioned

Fat Wreck Chords
Discharge
Chris Carrabba
Dashboard Confessional
Hibernus Mortis
Poison the Well
The Agency
Further Seems Forever
Strongarm
Shai Hulud
Fall Out Boy
Unearth
Every Time I Die
25 ta Life
Arma Angelus
Eulogy Recordings
Remembering Never
7 Angels 7 Plagues
New Found Glory
Gorilla Biscuits
Fear Factory
Pantera
Sepultura
Earth Crisis
Slayer
Powerman 5000
NOFX
Endo
Nonpoint
Chuck Schuldiner
Death
Morbid Angel
Cannibal Corpse
Morning Again
A Jealousy Issue
Harm's Way
Slipknot
Korn
Twice the Sun
Roadrunner Records
Glasseater
These Arms Are Snakes
Against All Authority
Groovie Ghoulies
The Mr. T Experience
Chokehold
Dead Kennedys
The Quest for 100 Pull-ups with Chris Spealler
CrossFit Journal
Coach Burgener
Soulseek
Madball
Jason Khalipa
CrossFit South Brooklyn
Westside Barbell
Jeff Tucker
Street Parking
CompTrain
Wheel WOD
Misfit Athletics
Dylan Malitsky
Brenda Castro
Michele Letendre
Laura Horvath
Matt O'Keefe
How Greg Glassman is Reshaping the CrossFit Games from the Morning Chalk Up
Brent Fikowski
Mathew Fraser
Dubai Crossfit Championship
South Loop Games
Tiësto
DJ Lethal
Limp Bizki
Deftones
Three 6 Mafia
Fat Music for Fat People
Descendents
Misfits
Rancid
Hatebreed
Bad Brains
CM Punk
Another Victim
Alien Workshop
Toy Machine
Path Of Resistance
Mobb Deep
Wu-Tang Clan
Cash Money Records
No Limit Records
Death Row Records
EPMD
A Tribe Called Quest
Black Eyed Peas
Vans Warped Tour
Ground Zero Crew
Fergie
Dead Prez
Common**

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Given that Josh has already told the tales of being kidnapped in Egypt and playing one of the first shows that an American hardcore band in Kenya has played, I was worried that he might not have any stories left for me when he agreed to do this interview.

Never fear. Josh delivers the goods - and this is probably the hardest I've laughed during any podcast that I've recorded.

Josh has been a full-time touring musician with bands like Evergreen Terrace, Casey Jones, Stick to Your Guns and Eighteen Visions for many, many years. In his spare time, he often travels to countries with unstable governments. As such, he's accumulated a lot of hilarious stories.

When Josh is in Chicago, he stops in at South Loop Strength & Conditioning to train, so it's always a treat to get to chat with someone who likes the two things that I like: heavy music and extreme fitness programs.

Note: There was an issue with Josh's mic during the first 10 minutes or so of the podcast. We caught the issue and fixed it - and I did a little bit of post-production management to adjust the levels - so just skip the beginning part of the quieter audio is annoying. Apologies for that!

Check out more from Josh here:

Instagram: @joshjamesxxx//@stygoc//@18v_official
Website: www.sticktoyourguns.net//www.18vofficial.com

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You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:00] Working out on the road - and some perils of awkward men working out
[07:21] Josh’s first “real band” (Evergreen Terrace) and growing up in punk music - including buying a Misfits shirt without knowing who the Misfits were
[10:53] The mic is fixed!
[11:17] The process of digging for bands as a child in the pre-internet era (thanks lists, interviews, zines, etc)
[15:19] Joining 18 Visions and Stick to Your Guns
[19:55] Purposefully blending genres on tours - and the struggles of playing to an audience that isn’t into you as well as the upside of catching an all new audience
[32:44] How does Stick to Your Guns write new music while keeping in mind the expectations of fans who like their previous output?
[41:43] When is the last time you moshed?
[45:04] “I want to be a janitor at a mall or something like that” - and being forced to learn an instrument by your mother
[49:09] Going on crazy adventures in countries without stable governments - and the learning that occurs from being in unfamiliar situations
[56:34] Accidentally ending up on CNN throwing rocks

Links and Resources Mentioned

Casey Jones
Evergreen Terrace
Quads Gym
Vans Warped Tour
Again Faster
Misfits
MC Hammer
Milli Vanilli
Rancid
Minor Threat
Gorilla Biscuits
Youth of Today
Strife
Earth Crisis
Grateful Dead
Type O Negative
Prince
Phish
The Goonies
Poison the Well
Unearth
Guttermouth
Norma Jean
Lagwagon
Pennywise
Parkway Drive
Counterparts
Stray from the Path
Motionless In White
Chelsea Grin
Bleeding Through
Slipknot
Piece By Piece
Emmure
Disturbed
Rivers Cuomo
Weezer
H20
Negative Approach
Terror
Adolescents
Bane
Propagandhi - How To Clean Everything LP
Black Sabbat
The Insane Clown Posse
Teenage Bottlerocket
This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb

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This is a cross-post from the Legion Strength & Conditioning podcast.

If you want some more detailed information on training, make sure to subscribe to that pod as well on iTunes as the "Legion Strength & Conditioning" podcast. Now, for the standard show notes:

Jon and I both worked with Kristin during the NPGL's amateur GRID tournament - remember GRID? We put together a team of misfits and went out to LA to compete, and we actually did pretty well. We took second overall, which meant that we got an automatic bid to the next year's tournament. Still waiting for that invite...

Kristin has gone on to make two CrossFit Games appearances with OC3 Black (in 2017) and CrossFit Mayhem Independence (in 2018). She will compete with CrossFit Mayhem Freedom in the 2019 season - which is shaping up to have quite the interesting structure.

Show Notes

[0:14] How did Kristin end up at CrossFit Mayhem? And the anxiety of “trying out.”
[7:03] Commuting several hours to compete with OC3 in 2016
[13:19] Kristin’s dietary restrictions
[19:44] Getting started with competing in CrossFit
[23:42] What actually happens at Mayhem on a daily basis (There are no schedules)
[34:53] Mayhem athletes mostly train individually - so how do they develop the team communication skills necessary to compete?
[46:36] How is Mayhem approaching the changes to the 2019 CrossFit Games season?
[52:21] How do Mayhem athletes work on their own individual weaknesses while still training as a group?

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Even though we live in an era of "big data" and huge amounts of our internet usage and content consumption are governed by algorithms (Facebook's newsfeed, YouTube's related videos, Google's predictive search, the advertising we're served online, etc.), many people don't trust algorithms when they're presented with the opportunity to use them in their own decision-making.

Berkeley Dietvorst thinks this results in people making a lot of very foolish decisions, and wasting a lot of time, money, and effort.
So, he's been researching the concept of "algorithm aversion" for several years and he's published several highly illuminating papers on the topic.

Berkeley has developed a theory of why humans don't like to use algorithms (they're probably chasing perfection in their predictions and they excessively punish algorithms for making visible errors) and he continues to work on understanding ways in which we can increase the trust that human decision-makers place in algorithms.

Check out more from Berkeley here:

Website: Berkeley's Chicago Booth Profile//Berkeley's Research

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Show Notes

[1:28] Berkeley is a marketing professor - yet studies algorithm aversion
[4:22] Humans are algorithmically averse - what’s our problem?
[12:10] Humans are risk-seeking so will choose not to use algorithms in order to seek outsized reward
[19:02] Humans err by regularly changing the weighting they give things based upon emotions
[26:22] Humans are more likely to use algorithms when they’re allowed to modify an algorithm
[35:20] Increasing human adherence to using superior algorithms to make predictions
[40:58] Are there ever good reasons for humans to distrust algorithms?
[1:04:17] How do we optimize the decision-making for individual decision-makers? And what would Berkeley like to know about how large tech companies get humans to use algorithms?
[1:11:15] How can people learn more about Berkeley’s research? And what research projects is he currently working on?

Links and Resources Mentioned

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
The Wharton School
Did Target Really Predict a Teen’s Pregnancy?
Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?
Robyn Dawes
CompStat
Medium.com
Nate Silver – FiveThirtyEight
Magic: The Gathering
Dungeons & Dragons

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Many people dream of achieving success - thinking that once they achieve at a certain level that they will be happy. Tara Brach calls this "If Only Mind."
If only I got that promotion...If only we hadn't broken up...If only I made this much money...then I would be happy.

My friend Brian Blake plays drums for a band called Real Friends that has achieved a level of success that most bands only dream of. Headlining tours across the country, prime billing at the Vans Warped Tour (RIP), and millions of streams on their YouTube videos.
But, that success did come with a cost for Brian in terms of his constant self-judgment relative to his performances - and it created an almost crippling anxiety and self-awareness surrounding his playing.

We dig into Brian's experiences with meditation to come out of these negative feedback loops, but don't worry - it's not all serious. We spend a decent amount of time talking about nu-metal and JNCO jeans as well.

Check out more from Brian and Real Friends here:

Instagram: @brianbillyblake//@realfriendsband
Facebook: @realfriendsband
Website: www.realfriendsband.com

Listen to Real Friends here:* Spotify: "Composure" * Bandcamp * Songs:"From the Outside"//"Me First"

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Show Notes

[01:16] Early creative output with the Baa Baa Show
[07:20] Being nu-metal and having ridiculous hair - and early musical experiences in school band and local metalcore acts
[16:00] Improving the craft of drumming - both through formal instruction and without formal instruction
[27:21] Being your own worst critic - and finding the balance where that enables you to improve without cosntantly beating yourself up
[32:56] Getting into meditation to combat self-judgment
[40:57] The judgment of the crowd vs the judgment of your peers
[47:34] The negative feedback loop of hyperfocus on technique and worrying about screwing up
[52:37] Joining Real Friends and experiencing a bunch of fans suddenly caring about your band
[01:04:26] Finding the balance between your own creativity and keeping fans engaged
[01:15:19] Working with a producer and creating more of a pop" record than a "pop punk" record"
[01:24:45] Writing songs in the studio - and writing as a group vs separately
[01:33:49] How to learn more about Real Friends

Links and Resources Mentioned

*** Footlight Frenzy

Jackass
Stella shorts
Andy Nelson
JNCO
Sepultura (Live in Barcelona in 1991)
Headspace
The yips
Showoff
Def Leppard
Cave In - Jupiter
Cave In - Until Your Heart Stops
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin
Gin Blossoms
The Flying Luttenbachers
Mike Green
Fireside Bowl
Steve Evetts
The Starting Line
Kenny Vasoli
Hed PE
Debonair Social Club**

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Anyone who obsessively consumed everything in the CrossFit Journal from 2008-2014 learned a lot from Boz.

Here's Boz explaining what to say when a member is concerned about their knees when squatting below parallel.

Here's Boz talking to Tony Budding.

And here's an in-depth profile that introduced the CrossFit community to Acid Witch (I'm sure they sold a ton of records from this).

Well, hopefully we can add to the Boz canon with this interview.

Check out more from Adrian here:

Instagram: @apbozman//@tuxedo_social_club

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You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:27] A Brief History of Silicon Valley & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
[08:09] Meeting at the CrossFit Level 1 Course
[09:53] Growing up in a small town punk scene
[15:36] Studying classical composition in university and playing trombone as a youth
[24:59] Rapid iteration and postmodern underpinnings in contemporary pop music and getting into doom metal
[31:46] Early experiences with Black Sabbath
[35:12] Understanding the appropriate context for various movement standards - and Instagram technique trolls tagging Boz in videos
[42:08] The standards of a competition create a framework for people to express themselves and their capacity
[47:24] How do you handle the emotions of competition - and how do you get comfortable with upsetting people to uphold the standards?
[55:36] How do you prepare the judging staff to judge at the CrossFit Games?
[01:02:29] Developing the emotional resilience to keep moving forward and focus on the things that matter in sport.
[01:07:22] What skills have you learned and seen carryover between working as a CrossFit coach, a CrossFit Level 1 seminar staff member, and as the head judge at the CrossFit Games
[01:17:14] Using a back injury as an opportunity for continuing education
[01:19:29] Connecting with Boz

Links and Resources Mentioned

The Secret History of Silicon Valley
Stanford University
Rogue Fitness Athletic Socks
Interpunk
Afterthought
Hudson Mack
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Electric Wizard
Phish
Local H
Vancouver Island University
Sleep - Jerusalem
Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics
Acid King
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Joe Cocker
Dire Straits
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Your Favorite Band Sucks - Red Hot Chili Peppers Suck
David Allan Coe
Meet Adrian Bozman from The CrossFit Journal
Agreeableness (Big Five Personality Model)
Conscientiousness (Big Five Personality Model)
Mathew Fraser
Rich Froning
Rich Froning
Tia-Clair Toomey
Bally Total Fitness
Dave Castro
Nicole Carroll
Stuart McGill

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You certain wouldn't accuse Mike McGoldrick of having an over-bearing sense of bravado, but he has achieved a trifecta of fitness business success that few other folks can match.You certain wouldn't accuse Mike McGoldrick of having an over-bearing sense of bravado, but he has achieved a trifecta of fitness business success that few other folks can match.
In 2013, he competed individually as a competitor at the CrossFit Games.
In 2016, he hosted Barbell Shrugged (one of the most popular podcasts in the health and fitness space) for a year.
And, he's also a coach at one of the most highly respected coaching organization on the planet -- Training Think Tank.
So, what does Mike do that has allowed him to achieve at high levels in all of these different areas? How did an engineer become one of the fittest on earth, a podcast host, and a high level coach?

Check out more from Mike here:

Instagram: @mcgcoaching//@trainingthinktank
Website: www.trainingthinktank.com

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:40] CTP's transcendent content vision
[05:56] McG's training journey from extreme devotion to competition to backing off - and finding a return to competition
[17:39] How do you balance competing and training with your ability to be hyperanalytical as a coach?
[23:52] How much do the athletes at Training Think Tank chirp each other? - and working around several world-class coaches
[35:05] Training breathing dynamics through inspiratory muscle training
[47:22] Does Mike miss the weekly content creation grind of the Barbell Shrugged podcast - and the role of content creation in fitness businesses
[57:02] How to learn effectively - and the trade-offs between taking in content and creating content
[01:05:01] Training Think Tank's new movement course

Links and Resources Mentioned

OPEX
CTP
Creativity, Inc.
Mike's Article on Balancing a Self-Concept
Optimum Performance Training
Travis Mayer
Noah Ohlsen
Evan Peikon
Grizzly Man
Werner Herzog
Breathe Strong, Perform Better
Gray Cook
Barbell Shrugged
Cal Dietz
Barbell Shrugged Episode with Cal Dietz
TriPhasic Training
Training Think Tank Movement Course
What We Need is Speed
Westside Barbell
Chris Masterjohn
Alan Aragon
The Oxygen Advantage
The Alchemist

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Earlier this year, Megan Benzik was selected for a drug test at the South Regional. Weeks later - if not months - CrossFit HQ released a statement that she had tested positive for several banned substances.

I immediately started getting texts since I had coached Megan for 2016 and 2017 season (so I can't imagine how many messages she was getting).

Megan made an Instagram post explaining that she was taking both Vyvanse (a prescription ADD medication) as well as Anavar (a steroid) - and that the Anavar was likely contaminated with the other banned substances that she tested positive for.

Since Megan and I have kept in touch since she moved to Arizona last year, I figured it would be a good conversation to have her on the podcast to discuss the situation.

I also feel the need to offer some sort of disclaimer, since I've found that the capacity of humans to misunderstand and take information out of context to be boundless:

I certainly don't support the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport - and neither does Megan. While we do spend some time talking about reasons and justifications for drug usage, this is not meant to be an attempt to make excuses. Rather, we are trying to dig into the compartmentalization and other psychological gymnastics that an athlete can get into as they go further down the path of performance-enhancing drug usage.

Check out more from Megan here:

Instagram: @megbenz210//@thefitvanlife
Website: www.thefitvanlife.com

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You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

01:50 Moving into and living in a van (down by the river)
09:01 - Breaking up with CrossFit - and the feeling of being selected for a drug test
17:26 - How did you carry on with the competition knowing that you had likely just failed a drug test
22:18 - The difficulty in expaining to people why you weren't yourself on the competition floor
25:27 - Owning your mistakes rather than creating excuses
31:47 - How do you justify doing something consistently that you know is ethically wrong?
39:30 - Working on mindset" and being able to say the right things - but not actually believing them"
44:39 - What do you think your path would have been if you hadn't been selected for a drug test?
50:45 - How did you get started taking performance enhancing drugs?
55:36 - Feeling like your performances are a fluke and that you don't belong
01:04:31 - What are your goals post-CrossFit?
01:13:24 - Documenting disconnecting and moving into a van...on social media

Links and Resources Mentioned

CrossFit Games Announcement: Athletes in Breach of Drug Policy
Megan's Statement on Instagram
Austin O'Neal
OPEX
James FitzGerald
Eckhart Tolle
The Untethered Soul
Mike Lee
Oxandrolone (Anavar)
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)
Icarus
Reefer Madness
Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
Underground Steroid Handbook

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Some people seem to have an insatiable, irrepressible, uncontainable urge and desire to create.Some people seem to have an insatiable, irrepressible, uncontainable urge and desire to create. My friend Shawn fits into that category. We spend some time discussing where that urge comes from, but the reality is that neither of us really knows. But something is certainly driving Shawn, since he's on tour all the time with Child Bite, puts on an annual festival in Detroit, organizes Samhain tribute compilations, designs tour posters and album artwork, and works a graphic design job in corporate America.

NOTE: We recorded this podcast in the green room at The Empty Bottle, and part of the recording features Unsane sound-checking. I did some editing to make this less distracting, but apologies for the background noise.

Check out more from Shawn, Child Bite & Berserker Fest

Instagram: @shawnknight000//@childbite
Website: Child Bite
Facebook: Berserker Fest

And, check out WE ALL WANT OUR TIME IN HELL - the Samhain tribute comp Shawn put together. All the records are sold out, but bands do still have copies. If you want one, reach out to me directly since Like Rats has copies left.

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:04] Does Child Bite sound like The Jesus Lizard on purpose? --And being the "odd band out" on most shows.
[05:57] The beginnings of Child Bite as part of a collective of Detroit weirdos
[14:53] Where do the creative impulse and the impulse to share come from?
[18:33] Experiments with living in a tiny house.
[26:44] What is the creative vision for Child Bite and how does the writing process work?
[34:45] Recording with Wes Borland from Limp Bizkit
[40:55] What's going on with Berserker Fest?
[57:48] The creation of We All Want Our Time in Hell" - a Samhain tribute compilation - and receiving a cease and desist letter from Danzig"
[01:08:27] Where to find out more about Child Bite and Berserker Fest

Links and Resources Mentioned

The Jesus Lizard
David Yow
Testament
Obituary
The Rapture
Thunderbirds Are Now!
New Grenada
Slayer
Mr. Bunglea
Primus
Deerhoof
Liars
Some Kind of Monster
Lars Ulrich
Lars playing a funny drum beat in Some Kind of Monster
Deveo - "Hardcore Devo: Volume One"
Misfits
Dead Kennedys
Black Flag
Headbangers Ball
Metal Maniacs
Kerry King
Metallica - "The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited"
Pushead
Skankin' Pickle
Chevrolet
Thousand Trails RV Resorts
Earth Crisis - "Firestorm"
Killing Joke
STNNNG
Shellac
Wes Borland
Limp Bizkit
Big Dumb Face
Golden Torso
Fury of Five
WrestleMania
Gwar
Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals
Macabre
Negative Approach
Housecore Horror Film Festival
Unsane
Maryland Deathfest
South Loop Games
Ritual Howls
Bauhaus
Decibel Magazine
Midnight
Green Day - "Longview"
Green Day - "Dookie"
Hell's Headbangers
Shed the Skin
Incantation
Anal Cunt - "Kyle from Incantation Has a Mustache"
Battlecross
Tombs
Homewrecker

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The folks at Kabuki Strength spend a lot of time getting people to roll around on the ground like babies.

And I like that. I recently attended the Kabuki Movement Systems course, and I found it to be quite valuable - and I also really enjoy going to courses outside of my comfort zone (I am definitely not a powerlifter).
I've done a lot of similar continuing education as the Kabuki folks in the physical therapy realm, so seeing how they apply their takeaways to their sport as illuminating.
And, we of course got to discuss and joke about the consistent "point missing" that most folks have with regards to movement practice Check out more from Brady, Brandon and Kabuki Strength

Instagram: @kabukistrengthlab//@brandon_senn//@brady_cable
Website: Kabuki Strength
YouTube: Kabuki Strength YouTube If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes

[01:26] The archetypes of people who misunderstand and misapply the principles taught in seminars - and a discussion on technique trolls
[11:30] Less secure coaches tend to be more combative - so how do you get buy-in from people without arguing with them?
[18:33] Some cues are passed down like a bad family heirloom
[23:47] What do we actually mean when we talk about breathing and bracing?
[34:49] How to correct movement patterns in a remote coaching setting
[45:38] Finding the appropriate stress level to create adaptation in training for an individual.
[54:14] Finding the balance between dense, theoretical content - and just posting big lifts that get likes
[01:10:31] Where to find out more about Kabuki Strength

Links and Resources Mentioned

DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization)
Chris Duffin
Gray Cook
Stu McGill
Cal Dietz
Larry Wheels
Rudy Kadlub
Wu Tang Clan
"Wu-Tang is for the children"
Joe Sullivan
Chris Bridgeford
Functional Movement Systems
The Conjugate Method

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My friend Ron has a long history of being in bands with ridiculous names that become popular.My friend Ron has a long history of being in bands with ridiculous names that become popular.
We've got Weekend Nachos. We've got Bongripper.

There's something to be said for the idea of making yourself laugh in your creative work - and sometimes that strikes a nerve with other people as well. In fact, when I was standing outside of the Metro for Bongripper's recent show, there was a Jimmy Buffett concert at Wrigley Field just down the street.

A cadre of Hawaiian-shirt clad Parrotheads hurried past me - only to stop in front of the Metro and loudly exclaim in excitement upon seeing the name "Bongripper" in giant letters across the marquee. Hopefully they checked it out.

But Bongripper isn't just a band with a clever name. They've pulled together an incredibly loyal following of people who like slow and heavy riffs and long songs.

Check out this conversation with Ron to hear:

How Bongripper creates songs - and how they think about the relationship between structure, riffs, and the overall texture of the song. And - the frustrations of practicing 20 minute songs while everyone is counting each part differently.
How Ron listens to music and records, and how he processes different styles of music as an analytical musician
Ron's top pop music recommendations, including Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Tove Styrke

Oh, and definitely check out Bongripper's new album "Terminal" as well.

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Check out more from Ron and Bongripper

Instagram: @bongripperdoom
Facebook: @bongripperdoom
Website: wwww.bongripper.com
Bandcamp: bongripper.bandcamp.com

Show Notes

[0:38] "Sir, I can't transfer you to eBay."
[07:34] Sitting quietly and listening to records - and being a hyper analytical musician
[18:34] Doing a lot of counting at Bongripper practice
[25:45] Roadburn is the best festival - and learning to appreciate tone
[36:35] Playing with tension and release to write Bongripper songs
[54:03] Subverting fans' expectations and making yourself laugh during the creative process
[59:57] Vomit, back spasms, and torn wrist ligaments

Links and Resources Mentioned

Reverb
eBay
Longmont Potion Castle
Chicago Music Exchange
Reverb LP
Hop Along
YOB
Spotify
CSTVT
Taylor Swift
Max Martin
Carly Rae Jepsen
The Arcade Fire
Saint Vitus Bar
Roadburn
Lars Ulrich
Metallica "Fight Fire with Fire"
Torche - Meanderthal
Justin K Broadrick
Jesu
Rickenbacker
Fuzzrocious - The Demon
Gotti (2018) - Rotten Tomatoes
WGCI-FM
Twista -" Make A Movie"
Mind Eraser
Icy Hot
Fires Within Fires | Neurosis - Firest Within Fires
Tove Styrke
Burzum
Blow Up That Gramophone

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Michele Fumagalli just missed the CrossFit Games in 2015, and decided that she would be back in 2016.
But, life got in the way, and she discovered she was pregnant leading into the 2016 Open.
When she didn't qualify for Regionals in 2017 after getting back into training, she thought that her CrossFit dream was over.
However, she locked down a 4th place finish in one of the more competitive regionals out there securing her spot to the 2018 CrossFit Games as an individual athlete.

How was Michele able to qualify for the Games after having nearly given up on her dream - and having the additional responsibility of a family and a career as a registered dietitian?
Well, don't look to me for answers, but you can check out this conversation to hear:

How to experience repeated set backs and remain resilient - and how to not give up on your own personal dreams when you become a mother
The emotional play by play of being on the cusp of qualifying for the CrossFit Games in a highly competitive Central Regiona
How to develop a positive relationship with food - and avoid toxic all or nothing thinking

If you're enjoying the show, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Check out more from Michele and Fit Plate Nutrition

Instagram: @fumagalli_fitplate
Website: wwww.fitplatenutrition.com

Show Notes

[01:22] Getting your desk decorated like a high school teen's locker
[03:40] Just missing qualifying for the CrossFit Games, having a child, and coming back
[10:54] How do you balance the aspirational self that thinks you can do anything with the more realistic, rational self that recognizes limitations and obstacles
[14:33] Giving up on the competitive fitness dream - and doubting yourself coming back into training
[21:54] When did you realize you had an actual chance at making the Games?
[28:03] Which Games athlete has the fewest Instagram followers? And your dreams aren't over when you have kids.
[31:04] The drama of Event 6 - and being held in a "jail cell" for drug testing.
[41:03] Fueling and nutrition during Regionals
[47:30] Getting a nutrition coach as a registered dietitian and nutrition coach.
[52:14] Helping people understand their relationship with food
[55:47] Working with cancer patients on their nutrition
[01:04:16] Where to find out more about Michele

Links and Resources Mentioned

CrossFit 630
CrossFit Naperville
Tommy V
Angelo Sisco
Val Voboril
Misfit Athletics
CompTrain
CrossFit Thunderbolt
South Loop Games 2017 Podium
Chris Hinshaw
Rory McKernan
The Redeemed & The Dominant
Kristi Eramo
Airrosti
Nicole Holcomb
Jennifer Smith
Amanda Barnhart
M2 Performance Nutrition
Sam Dancer
Pedialyte
Nuun
Becca Chilczenkowski
Ben Bergeron
Dave Castro

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Lindsey Love Jenks used to coach over 100 individuals on their nutrition. But, she realized there was a much larger market for something in between the individualized nutrition coaching she was offering and impersonal, unadaptable templates.

Lindsey spent a summer training at South Loop Strength & Conditioning in 2016 and - since then - has built and grown Macrostax in an impressive fashion.

Macrostax offers customized macronutrient prescriptions, as well as a meal generator feature. But, I was mostly interested in learning how Lindsey handles the psychological foibles of the individuals who are using the app - and how she's built and grown her company.

Check out this conversation to hear:

The common and damaging psychological traps that CrossFit athletes fall into with their nutrition
How to lead and manage a technical team as a non-technical founder
How to take user feedback and figure out what people really want - rather than what they say they want

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Check out more from Lindsey and Macrostax

Instagram: @lindseylovejenks // @macrostax
Website: wwww.macrostax.com
Pinterest: @macrostax
YouTube: @macrostax

Show Notes

[01:22] Moving from a high touch, one-on-one coaching environment to a more scalable coaching solution
[06:24] Transitioning away from a more high touch coaching environment and maintaining consistency over time.
[14:36] Seeing a hole in the market - and trying to fill it with Macrostax
[18:54] Building an app and leading developers as a non-technical founder
[27:32] Collecting direct feedback from clients - and understanding how to prioritize it.
[32:33] Finding the appropriate trade-offs between specifics and flexibility in nutrition coaching.
[35:48] Starting in the CrossFit space - then expanding outside of it. What are the differences in marketing and positioning?
[47:58] What will the role of the coach be as machine learning improves?
[55:04] What are the main priorities and next steps for Macrostax?

Links and Resources Mentioned

Peter Diamandis - 6 D's of Exponential Growth
Papa John's Pizza
Triscuits
Harris-Benedict Equation
Fitbot
Orangetheory Fitness
Travis Mayer
Alexis Johnson
Jessie Graff
MyFitnessPal

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I went to a party at Debra's dance studio to celebrate that it was full of toxic mold and that it was shutting down.

That could have been the end of Design Dance, but - after getting fired from a call center that "a dog could work at" - Debra decided to start calling schools to see if they needed an after school dance instructor.

10 years later, Design Dance isn't the studio she originally envisioned. Instead, they run after school programs teaching dance all throughout the Chicagoland area. And Debra runs a non-profit called Prismatic focused on teaching students entrepreneurship in the arts - because not all companies have to be started to create some sort of app.

Check out this conversation to hear:

How a mold-infested dance studio morphed into a company focused on dance education
How to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders in a business: school administration, students, contracted teachers, and parents
How to handle being talked down to and minimzed as a female business owner

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Check out more from Debra and Design Dance

Instagram: @debra_nicole // @design.dance
Website: wwww.designdance.net // wwww.prismaticmovement.org // www.debragiunta.com

Show Notes

[01:39] A physical studio with some problems
[07:37] Getting fired from a call center: "A dog could work here"
[13:13] The dream doesn't have to be owning a dance studio...
[21:19] Developing enough technical proficiency in an art form to be creative.
[32:09] Transitioning into hiring people - and managing remote employees
[38:49] Running a business with three stakeholders: parents, students and schools - and protecting your culture
[49:07] Challenges of being a female business owner - "Go tell your boss..."
[01:02:15] Operating both a for-profit business and a non-profit - Why create two separate organizations?

Links and Resources Mentioned

Total Attorneys

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Mike Lee is the Director of Coaching at OPEX - and he's worked with some pretty big names in the competitive CrossFit community like Tennil Reed, Marcus Filly and Amanda Goodman.

I met Mike at one of the OPEX CCP Level 2 courses a few years back, and - since then - he's gone on to take over the coaching of most of the competitive athletes in OPEX's system.

This year, OPEX has also brought several sponsored athletes onsite to train at their HQ in Scottsdale, Arizona (which we discussed in this previous podcast with Megan Benzik and Austin O'Neal).

Mike and I get into the nitty gritty of:

How to manage egos, emotions and social dominance in groups of highly competitive athletes (Hint: it's not all the hugs and high fives that you see on Instagram)
The difference between real coaching (allowing athletes to take responsibility for their own results) and play-acting as a coach (lots of emotion and screaming and overly detailed instructions)
The process and best practices for training the elite of the elite

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.
You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Check out more from Mike and OPEX Instagram: @mikeleeopex//@opexfitness//@opexathlete * Website: http://opexfit.com Show Notes [01:55] The emergence of dominance heirarchies in groups of competitive athletes

[07:55] How do you prevent competitive athletes from going too hard in training when they're training together?
[14:22] Qualification in CrossFit is a zero-sum game - how do you communicate with your athletes surrounding that?
[21:57] People who are good in the sport of CrossFit are probably going to be good no matter what they do.
[24:49] How do you balance minimum effective dose with maximum tolerable dose in training for CrossFit Games competitors?
[21:57] How do you prevent being beaten regularly in training from becoming psychologically damaging for individuals?
[36:33] How coaches are actually supportive - and weird fake coaching" behavior"
[43:33] Being forcefully reprimanded by Charles Poliquin
[48:50] How do you continue to learn and evolve your prescriptions in a sport like CrossFit that is relatively young?
[54:33] How much sport specific training is necessary for success in the sport of CrossFit?
[01:02:47] What is the role of innate genetic potential in the development of a CrossFit athlete?
[01:12:55] How to find out more about OPEX.

Links and Resources Mentioned* Tennil Reed-Beuerlein

Amanda Goodman
Megan Benzik
Austin O'Neal
OPEX CCP
Charles Poliquin
Marcus Filly
Rachel Campbell
Colleen Fotsch
James FitzGerald
Renaissance Periodization
Nick Saban - How Good Do You Want to Be?
Bill Walsh - The Score Takes Care of Itself
Bobby Knight throws a chair
Michael FitzGerald
Michael Bann
Functional Bodybuilding
Fitbot

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Any complicated, multi-layered skill is made up of potentially dozens of other "micro-skills" - and coaching is no different.

It's not enough to have book knowledge of energy systems progressions.

It's not enough to have an eagle eye for movement flaws and an over-flowing toolbox of ways to correct them.

Nor is it enough to be charismatic and engaging with clients.

The intersection of these skills - as well as plenty of others - are what defines a great coach.

In this solo effort, I break down some of the major elements of coaching, as well as the "table stakes" quality of each skill and some higher order manifestations as well.

Check out this soliloquy to learn:* How great coaches compare movement to an idealized version of a pattern in their head to figure out flaws * How coaches use higher order pattern recognition to help them in correcting movement flaws - and how the best coaches are able to quickly iterate their cuing to get what they want from an athlete * How to zoom in and zoom out when working with an athlete so you can find the lead domino that makes all the next steps easier * How to build trust so that your cues are taken seriously by a client - rather than getting eye rolls, argument, or non-compliance

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.

You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list.

Show Notes* [0:53] The many different skills required for great coaching

[3:53] Coaches must have the ability to see movement and recognize flaws
[11:45] Once a coach sees a problem, are they able to correct it?
[16:46] Seeing and correcting are table stakes - then we need to be able to prioritize
[29:26] How do you create the emotional buy-in and trust with clients to get them to invest in the process of improvement with you?
[40:12] Asking questions rather than being directive is one of the best tools for a coach's communication toolbox

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"Actually choosing to try to be an artist as a terrible idea. Nobody should do it.
It's really fucking stupid. It's like one of the stupidest things you could do with your life.
And it's really hard. And you're an idiot if you think it's a good idea, or that it's going to be easy."
Well, I guess it's kind of sad that my friend Daniel decided to ruin his life through art.
You've probably seen Daniel's photographs, although you may not realize it. He's done plenty of high profile journalistic and commercial work - most notably photographing Barack Obama for Fast Company.
And - although many people would kill to have the types of job offers that Daniel regularly gets, he turns most of them down to focus on his artistic practice.
Why does he choose to turn down lucrative photo shoots that will be seen by millions of people? To make a photography book that will only have 1000 copies printed, of course.
Check out this conversation to learn:

How to face the embarrassment and fear that comes when you create something - and how to put it out into the world anyway.
How Daniel chooses to balance commercial photography with his artistic practice - and what skills and frameworks are universal across the different modalities
How to justify "selling out" to your younger, punker self
How to balance the tension between having free, unstructured "creative time" with the demands to meet deadlines, respond to emails, and have a schedule

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Check out more from Daniel and get a copy of 43-15 10th Street* Get a copy of the book: 43-35 10th Street * Website: www.danielpshea.com * Instagram: @danielpshea * Tumblr: Daniel Shea's Studio Tumblr * Gallery Representation: Andrew Rafacz Gallery

Show Notes* [2:34] Embarrassment over being confronted with "the early work" and relics from the past due to having to clean out old stuff from your parents' house * [8:55] Feeling awkward and hating your work - and putting it out into the world anyway

[16:39] So, what was the most embarrassing art from your past?
[20:17] What is the tension between having an artistic, a journalistic, and a commercial photography practice?
[26:03] How would you justify selling out" and "commercialism" to your younger self?
[43:34] Do you have any practices relative to improving your skill as an artist?
[49:07] How do you collect and curate images for a cohesive work - specifically relative to 43-35 10th street?
[01:02:06] The ineffectiveness of art as a medium for communicating a specific message
[01:11:54] The influence of punk and DIY principles on later entrepreneurship and creative behavior - and disastrous early touring experiences
[01:17:42] The tension between being creative - and actually having to follow-up with people, meet deadlines, and have to-do lists

Resources and Individuals Mentioned* Like Rats

John Friel
Joy Division
New Order
Adbusters
Steampunk
James Pligge of Harm’s Way Interview
Harm's Way
Hate Force
Slayer
Tim Ferriss
Sam Harris
President Obama: The Fast Company Interview
Maximum Rock N Roll
Book Your Own Fuckin' Life
Gretchen Rubin's "The Four Tendencies"
Ragú
Eminem "The Way I Am"

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Cal Wysocki is the founder of Fulcrum Education Solutions, a company dedicated to improving the quality of instruction in our schools.

In this discussion with Cal, we focus on the strategies and tactics that he uses to elevate the processes by which schools improve their own teachers. This is not a simple discussion of a few "quick tips." Instead, Cal is thinking in multi-year processes surrounding building trust with staff, getting quick wins for teachers in the classroom, building trust with students, developing consistency in order to change the dynamic of feedback in a school's culture, and integrating all of this with long-term professional development strategies.

If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2" rel="noopener" target="_blank">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. Check out more from Cal and Fulcrum Education Solutions* Website: Fulcrum Education Solutions//Class Dismissed Podcast//The Decisive Element Challenge * Podcast: Class Dismissed Podcast on iTunes

Show Notes* [2:13] Teachers having meltdowns and abandoning children due to improper feedback

[6:36] When tactics fail - why building trust before implementing changes is paramount
[8:54] What is the process that Fulcrum Education Solutions uses to work with schools? And how do you actually improve teaching performance?
[17:30] How do you build trust and cut through skepticism with teachers since you're an outside consultant"?"
[22:37] What are some of the typical quick wins" that you see work well for teachers to immediately improve the quality fo their instruction?"
[28:42] Using role-playing to practice skills of classroom management with teachers.
[36:00] What is the assessment process for figuring out what a teacher needs to work on - and what a school needs to work on asa whole?
[45:47] The nuts and bolts of the observation and coaching process for improving teacher performance.
[59:28] How do you coach teachers to handle students who are disruptive or who push back?
[1:04:06] Creating systems for deliering feedback effectively to create behavior change - and avoiding resentment and mistrust
[1:16:46] The many parallels between the fitness industry and education consulting.

Resources and Individuals Mentioned* “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”-Haim G. Ginott

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Carleen Matthews is a multiple time individual CrossFit Games competitor. It's always interesting to hear how people competing at the highest level in a sport think and operate on a daily basis - but Carleen's story has another layer.

She has a history of addiction as well as eating disorder, and this gives her insight into the mental battles people fight underneath the surface that we don't always see.

Carleen owns and operates CrossFit St. Helens in Oregon, and also runs a program out of her affiliate specifically for people who are on the path to recovery from addiction.

Through some enterprising members and her connections in the local community, Carleen was able to get government help to fund this program. If you're interested in working with the recovering population in your area, Carleen almost certainly has some insight in terms of how to set up a program, hurdles you may face, and how to potentially get help from your local government. Direct message her on Instagram if this is something you're interested in: @teamcarleen

If you're enjoying the show, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. Check out more from Carleen and CrossFit St. Helens

Instagram: @teamcarleen & @crossfitsthelens
Website: CrossFit St. Helens

Show Notes

[01:35] How was coaching today? And first CrossFit workouts.
[05:38] Steady improvement in the sport of CrossFit every year
[09:58] Finding motivation for the daily grind of training - and re-evaluating her why" after finally making it to the CrossFit Games"
[19:20] Turning focusing on the journey" into more than just an inspirational quote"
[25:39] Getting coaching on proper mindset for competition
[31:38] How do you get into the zone" to compete?"
[36:09] Carleen's personal battles with addiction and the recovery process - On suffering and being comfortable with the uncomfortable
[45:40] How do you coach people who are in recovery?
[58:13] How CrossFit St. Helens developed its program for working with people in recovery
[01:02:40] Recovering from a neck injury at the 2017 CrossFit Games

Resources and Individuals Mentioned
My Favorite Moment of the Day Journal

Carleen Matthews on the Mind Muscle Project

Phoenix Multisport

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You may think that James is an intimidating and frightening man.

But, it turns out that he is one of the weirdest and funniest people I know.

Check out this discussion to learn about James's long-standing fascination with Fear Factory, the process of stealing riffs for Harm's Way songs, and how he trains for powerlifting while injured and on tour.

Check out more from James and Harm's way

Instagram: @harmsway13
Facebook: @harmsxway
Bandcamp: @harmswayband
Website: www.harmsway13.com
Video for "Become a Machine":

Show Notes

[2:15] Being recognized by students while substitute teaching - and denying it
[10:19] The influence of metropolitan Chicago's melting pot of extreme music
[15:52] Learning about bands, digging in the crates, and becoming Youth Crew James
[24:26] Passing the torch from one generation of extreme music to the next
[31:04] Meeting Billy Milano from the Stormtroopers of Death
[34:27] The writing of "Posthuman" - writing riffs, writing transitions, collaborations amongst band members, and how to write songs when you can't actually pay guitar that well
[47:38] A treatise on stealing riffs
[57:38] A disagreement on nu-metal
[1:03:23] Training while touring - a change in mindset from maximizing performance to maintaining strength while working through injuries

Resources and Individuals Mentioned
Backtrack

Title Fight

Morbid Angel

Burzum

Slayer

Death

Famous Hulbert

Fat Wreck Chords

Metallica

Record Breakers

Gorilla Biscuits

Youth of Today

Minor Threat

Bane

Fireside Bowl

Angelfire

Soulseek

Audiogalaxy

Kazaa

Future

Hewhocorrupts

Kung-Fu Rick

Empire Productions

Weekend Nachos

Soulfly

Max Cavalera

Sepultura - "Chaos AD"

Billy Milano

M.O.D.

Madball

Cro-Mags

Peter Gabriel

Hate Force

Like Rats

Godflesh

Black Sabbath

Mercyful Fate

Triptykon

Celtic Frost

Kid Rock

Celtic Frost - Os Abysmi vel Daath

Jacob Bannon

Primitive Future: Tom Warrior Interview

Discharge

Battalion of Saints

Motörhead

Are You Morbid?: Thomas Fischer

Fear Factory

Slipknot

Prong

Machine Head

Iron Maiden

At the Gates

Insane Clown Posse - "The Great Milenko"

Biohazard

Jared Skinner

American Barbell Club

The Reverse Hyper

Jesse Norris

Peter Thiel

Joe Rogan Experience #1066 - Mel Gibson & Dr. Neil Riordan

Longmont Potion Castle

The Blood Brothers

The Locust

YMCA

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Austin and Megan have both spent significant amounts of time at South Loop Strength & Conditioning as both athletes and coaches, and - last year after competing at the Central Regional - they've moved out to Scottsdale, Arizona to be part of OPEX's sponsored athlete program.

The goal of this program is to allow athletes to train full-time - and not have to worry about coaching classes, working a day job, or running from gym to gym throughout the day. Getting better in training is all about maximizing your ability to respond and adapt to stressors - which means minimizing the stress in your life outside of the gym.

Check this episode out to learn how Megan and Austin have learned to trust the coaching process (and avoid self-doubt and constant questioning of what they're doing), what they do to prioritize their recovery outside of the gym, and how they approach the mental grind of training on a daily basis.

Check out more from Austin and Megan

Megan's Instagram: @megbenz210
Austin's Instagram: @atoneal32
Austin's Training Blog: Austin on OPT

Resources and Individuals Mentioned

Alan Webb
On Coaching
OPEX Athlete
Mike Lee
James FitzGerald
CrossFit Back on the Bar
Amanda Goodman
Jake Berman
Rachel Campbell
Colleen Fotsch
Tennil Reed
Back squat neuromuscular efficiency test
Barbell Shrugged
Blue-blocking glasses
Tony Robbins
Tim Ferriss
David Goggins

Show Notes

[3:12] What is the OPEX Athlete program? What does it look like to professionalize the process of training for the sport of CrossFit?
[7:45] Transitioning from a remote coaching relationship to working with a coach on the floor - and how to accept constant feedback and what could be perceived as criticism
[14:06] The dynamics of being around so many high level athletes. How do you stop yourself from just constantly doing more training?
[24:30] Balancing external stressors and finding your own personal "why" - and what do Austin and Megan actually think about during tough sessions?
[30:50] A slight SD card error - and how to be consistent over tie. What personality traits correlate with maximizing time spent outside of the gym, and how do you make decisions on what to prioritize as far as recovery and stress management?
[38:53] What is the biggest learning you've had from having a coach watching you on the gym floor?
[42:30] Competing for Instagram followers
[45:51] What does prepping for the Open look like? How do you maintain a culture with a healthy competitiveness amongst so many elite athletes without them starting to bicker and cut each other down?
[56:00] How do you handle the pressure to succeed during the Open - and how do you prepare emotionally for the stress that will come during the Open?

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"An alpha hippie is a tree-hugger who can rip out the tree and smash you with it, too."

Angelo has built O'Hare CrossFit into a thriving business, which is much, much harder than it seems in this market, and he was also head of coaching for Barbell Business/Barbell Logic - which means he was overseeing the coaching for 100s of gyms.

Check out this conversation to learn what bizarre depths Angelo will sink to in order to keep learning, how he finds mentors, how he changed how he changed his on mindset and relationship with conflict despite having tons of success, how he helps business owners prioritize what they need to work on, and why strange men harass him because of his chest.

Check out Angelo and O'Hare CrossFit

Website: O'Hare CrossFit//CrossFit Harwood Heights
Angelo's Instagrams: @angelo_sisco//@thealphahippie
Gym Instagrams: @oharecrossfit//@cfharwoodheights
Facebook: O'Hare CrossFit//CrossFit Harwood Heights

Resources and Individuals Mentioned

Atlas CrossFit
Kelly Starrett
Power Monkey
Hank Williams -
"Your Cheatin' Heart"
Nick's Beer Garden
Brian Urlacher
Casey Urlacher
Bon V
Planet Fitness
Joe Rogan
Tait Fletcher
Metta World Peace
Mark England
Mayflower Motel
Jason Leydon
CrossFit Milford
OPEX
Craig Kenney
Ron Ortiz
Annie Sakamoto
Shawn Ramirez
Kaleena Ladeairous
Rob Orlando
Mindbody
Barbell Shrugged
Rick Ross
Markus Gerszi
Apollo & Rocky training on the beach
The Ritz-Carlton

Show Notes

[2:55] Angelo showed up to a kipping pull-up clinic at Atlas CrossFit that was intended to be just for members. Why put yourself out there and go into situations that you don't totally belong? How did Angelo learn about CrossFit and training methodologies when there wasn't a ton of information online?
[7:35] Having a bootleg pizza business selling pizza outside of bar - making really good friends with everyone and making sure that relationships are not one-sided
[11:58] Starting to train people in the "early adopter" days of CrossFit - and why people skills have become much more important over time as the marketplace changes
[15:11] Tipping points in the growth of O'Hare CrossFit over time - how becoming a better listener and unlearning emotional habits that had led to a certain level of success were both crucial to long-term business development
[20:13] Becoming an alpha hippie - "An alpha hippie is a tree-hugger who can rip out the tree and smash you with it, too"
[27:08] Finding a mentor in Jason Leydon - Taking a trip to Milford and staying at a seedy motel,
and relentlessly following through on advice given
[36:23] Jason Leydon's fear of male nudity
[40:38] How to prioritize areas of focus for business coaching clients - aligning your perfect day with your vision for your business and making sure that your product is good enough to achieve the level of success that you want
[50:20] Creating a specific client experience in a gym - "People are coming here for an emotion"

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I recently re-read Getting Things Done as part of my obligations for a book club that includes my business partners at South Loop Strength & Conditioning, and I realized I had gotten sloppy with a few key areas and I had simply failed to implement others.

Also, my life as a business owner has put me in a situation where I will always have a never-ending to-do list - which is a totally different psychological space than a person working a part-time job and spending a lot of time working on music (which was my life situation when I first read the book).

I put together a nice little cast laying out some of my biggest takeaways from my re-read of the book - which was probably one of the best and most well-timed re-reads of my life.

Check out the full post and show notes here.

Resources and Individuals Mentioned

David Allen
"Getting Things Done" by David Allen
"The Effective Executive" by Peter Drucker
Toodledo
South Loop Strength & Conditioning
Asana
Evernote
OmniFocus
Zapier
Pareto Principle
Legion Strength & Conditioning
Like Rats
Decision Fatigue
"Paradox of Choice" TED Talk by Barry Schwartz

Show Notes

[0:50] The purpose of to-do lists: Don't forget stuff and prioritize the stuff that you have written down. Most people think they'll remember (they won't) or they have endless, unprioritized lists that are numbing to look at.
[4:11] Effectiveness, prioritization, and efficiency - These are all different but are all key to long-term success and completion of projects
[5:52] At some point in my life, I had more to do at any given time than I could ever realistically accomplish. This leaves me with a constant sense of unease, but I'm getting better.
[9:36] One of David Allen's most crucial insights is thinking of tasks as "next actions" rather than nebulous projects like "dentist" or "redesign website"
[15:35] Capturing tasks vs Processing tasks vs Prioritizing tasks vs Executing tasks (All are slightly different and all require different mental states and amounts of cognitive energy)
[21:25] The necessity of creating a frictionless inbox for capturing tasks - without having to categorize them at the same time
[23:01] The necessity of creating completable projects (ie "redesign layout of workout of the day blog posts") vs amorphous categories ("Legion website redesign")
[25:38] Protect your calendar and your daily to-do list. Don't allow everything you might "like to do" to end up cluttering your list of "must dos" for a given day.
[28:53] Don't just "buckle down" or "try harder" - learn how your psychology works and set yourself up for success

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Misbah Haque runs a really great podcast called The Airborne Mind. We discuss being overly analytical and potentially socially awkward, the process of connecting with influencers even when you have "nothing to offer," and creating narrative and story through interviews and conversations.

Check out Misbah and The Airborne Mind here:

Website: The Airborne Mind
Instagram: @airbornemind
Facebook: @airbornemind
iTunes: The Airborne Mind Show

Recommended episodes of The Airborne Mind:

63 – Inside The Mind W/ James FitzGerald
60 – Functional Bodybuilding, Aerobic Development, And Individual Design W/ Marcus Filly
23 – Behind The Scenes: Pimpin Aint Easy W/ CTP

Resources and Individuals Mentioned

CrossFit Invictus
OPEX
James FitzGerald
Marcus Filly
Jason Phillips
Revival Strength
Michael Cazayoux
Adee Cazayoux
Brian Mackenzie
Noah Ohlsen
Joe Rogan
Ramit Sethi
Earn1k
Larry King
The Chris Farley Show
CTP
Christopher Vogler - The Writer's Journey
Joseph Campbell - The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Oprah
Tony Robbins
Deepak Chopra
Brene Brown
James Altucher
Cheryl Strayed
Tim Ferriss - Tools of Titans
Mike Lee
Calvin Sun

Show Notes

[1:51] Deciding to start a podcast and jumping in before being totally prepared
[7:32] How Misbah went from being a random guy in Philly with a blog and a podcast to interning at Invictus - and how he connected with so many influencers in the fitness industry
[17:51] Reaching out to potential guests for the podcast - and positioning your "ask" even when you had "nothing to offer"
[24:08] A back injury that cause Misbah to re-examine his purpose in fitness - and how he burned himself out with too many spin classes and bootcamp classes
[29:53] The process for researching guests, understanding their story, and creating a narrative arc for listeners through character development and the hero's journey
[40:53] Balancing what an audience wants to hear with your own curiosity as an interviewer and a participant in the conversation
[50:15] On being more vulnerable in content creation: share yourself and your journey even if it seems boring or obvious to you
[59:10] The individual coaching process at Revival Strength - including an extreme devotion to coaching development and discussion of best practices
[1:07:46] How to find out more about Misbah and The Airborne Mind - and the launch of the online course "The Art of Connection through Questions"

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Stefi used to be the weightlifting coach at South Loop Strength & Conditioning, and his since gone on to set world records in powerlifting while working towards a doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Miami.

We discuss screaming at walls as a childhood Scientologist, autoregulation in training, and holding onto perceived slights to motivate yourself in training.

Check out Stefi and Hybrid Performance Method here:

Website: Hybrid Performance Method
Instagram: @steficohen // @hybridperformancemethod // @hybridperformancemethodgym

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Dylan Walker from Full of Hell chats about spooky childhood stories, the in-group signaling of grindcore freaks, how to maintain a creative vision, and tells tales of the Cavaleras.

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Flying solo this time to discuss how performance-based athletes and coaches can benefit from an understanding of rehab principles - without diving into a sketchy rabbit hole of telling people that you're going to fix their pain or being over-protective and telling athletes they can't ever do anything if their form is not 100% perfect.

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Jason Phillips comes on to talk about how to manage stress and training in athletes relative to their nutrition prescription, what to do when someone doesn't want to count their macros, and how to grow your business to the point that you're personally overwhelmed with clients - and then how to replace yourself when you reach that point.

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There's been a culture war raging for decades - high carbohydrate diets vs high fat diets, paleo diets vs vegan diets, people tracking all of their food in apps while others shout that "calories don't matter," and a bunch of people off in the corner sipping exogenous ketones. Stephan Guyenet is a neuroscientist and researcher who wrote "The Hungry Brain" on how our brain regulates are appetitie.

Todd Nief's Show: Recent Episodes

Todd Nief

63 – Inside The Mind W/ James FitzGerald

60 – Functional Bodybuilding, Aerobic Development, And Individual Design W/ Marcus Filly

23 – Behind The Scenes: Pimpin Aint Easy W/ CTP