What does it take to be unmistakable? That question has lead Srini Rao to develop a best-selling book, top podcast and unmistakable brand. If he can’t answer the question, nobody can. We’ve known Srini for a long time - we’ve gone running with him, taken him on countless road trips and he’s taught us so much. So, you can imagine what a thrill it was to finally meet him and have him on the show. A little background: Srini’s former podcast (Blogcast FM) was the very first podcast we ever...

Isn’t it crazy how at this time of the year, we feel compelled to make these grand, sweeping resolutions? It’s time to stop the madness and set ourselves up for success instead. We’ve got a problem with resolutions. Actually - we have a lot of problems with resolutions. We don’t have a problem with goals (we actually love setting goals) but resolutions… the whole idea is, well, stupid. How stupid? Let us count the ways… First of all - they’re firmly placed in the future. We’re much more...

What if there was no such thing as money? What would you do? The answer for these two travel addicts was simple; just walk and meet people. So, that’s what they did. Urska & Gregor Kelt are couple whose wanderlust runs deep. When they are not traveling they are working to save money to travel. Last year, they found themselves working. Working hard. And, not making a lot of money. Frustrated, they stayed up one night to discuss their predicament. When they asked themselves that one...

With the holidays near, we thought it would be good to talk about the challenge many of us face in maintaining our happiness - family drama. Time to put that spontaneity muscle to work and put the happy back into the holidays. For a lot of people the best thing about the holidays is family and the worst thing about the holidays is family. Whether it’s an individual you just don’t get along with, some old hatchet that despite being buried seems to resurface every year or just the overall...

Most of the time when we tell people that there is a close connection between mindfulness and spontaneity they look at us like we’re trying to convince them that aliens are among us. Fine. If you don’t want to believe us (about the mindfulness spontaneity connection) we’ll bring in an expert! Courtney Sunday is a mindfulness expert who writes about the topic for publications including USA Today, Mind Body Green and Elephant Journal. She’s also a meditation and yoga instructor who runs...

Adventure doesn’t have to involve putting your life at risk - you can have adventures anytime, anywhere with the right mindset. That’s what we discovered when we created and started practicing Zufall. We get a lot of questions about Zufall. A lot of the same questions. So, we thought we’d share a bit more about this idea, share some of our stories and explain how it lead to us living a life of little adventures. And, of course, we also get into how you can too. This episode is not about...

Are we all just making it up as we go along? Yes! Nobody has a script for life and that’s why learning improv is a great way to make life a little easier (and more fun). Our guest this week, Vicki Eisenstein, is a chicago-based comedian, improviser, performer, writer and filmmaker. She’s an improv addict having studied at Groundlings, iO Chicago and Second City Conservatory. She explains how boning up on her improv skills has helped her on and off the stage. Improv is a more versatile...

Let’s face it, comfort zones are well, comfortable but there are plenty of reasons to step outside of them. In this podcast, we cover a few key benefits and give you some tips if you feel trapped in your comfort zone. The comfort zone. It’s an imaginary boundary but it can be as confining as a brick wall. Breaking through requires little more than the deciding to do it but that doesn’t make it easy. Everyone’s comfort zone is different and that’s step one in getting outside of it -...

What would you say to three week around-the-world adventure where all of the destinations are a complete mystery to you? There is something so magical about not knowing where you are going. There is a thrill in heading to destinations unknown - the possibilities are endless! Plus, when you get there, you are likely to have a more amazing and authentic traveling experience. For us, traveling without a rock solid plan or not really knowing our destination has countless benefits, including:...

How many times a day do you say or think that you ‘should’ be doing something. That seemingly innocuous word could be getting in the way of your happiness. Not long ago, we posted a question on our Facebook page - “What is the #1 challenge you face in your quest to be happier?” A response we got from our Facebook friend Robyn Elaine got us talking. She said, “Releasing fear of the unknown as I stray from the straight & narrow (and icky) path of “should”.  We have to commend Robyn for...

Are you listening? Really listening? In our busy, multi-tasking world you can be forgiven for half-listening but on today’s podcast we make a case for deep listening once in awhile. We are joined by the Communication Diva, Jennifer Swanson. She is an author and an expert on using communication to truly connect with an audience and those around you. She shares the concept of deep listening with us. It’s really just as it sounds -- listening deeply and intently to someone -- yet it turns...

Is every second of your free time scheduled? It’s time to set it free by scheduling in spontaneity. In this episode we share a letter from our listener, Jess who says that she’s started to leave room for spontaneity in her busy social calendar and the results astounded her. Her letter inspired us and reminded us that free time is only free if you let it be. Are you suffering from social obligations, booking your days off as busily as your work days? Are you wearing your busy-ness like...

So, you want to be happy, right? What if the only thing getting in the way of your happiness was, you? We speak with author about Marilu Holmes about how this reality is an epidemic. There are so many socially acceptable self-sabotaging practices that it’s pretty hard not to fall into that trap. We do so many things in life to be happier. But whether it’s working working hard to make money or dedicating time to relationships, we find ourselves still struggling to lay claim to that elusive...

You read about entrepreneurs who were in the ‘right place at the right time’. That’s BS, they used their instincts and spontaneity to seize a business opportunity. You can too. How do we know? Because we’ve done it. In this episode, we reveal what we’ve been upto in the past couple of months. [spoiler] We’ve been building a business that started when we noticed a gap in the market and were willing to jump at taking advantage of that opportunity. Sure, plenty of businesses come from years...

If Cuba wasn’t on your must-go list before it will be after this podcast. Cuban travel expert Chen Lizra romances the experience and warns that visiting Cuba has a way of changing your life. Cuba has long been on our list but because we’ve left so many of our recent trips to chance (no regrets) it hasn’t made it to the top. It’s a place we’d love to visit and after talking with Chen, we are aching to go. In this episode we get beyond the postcard beaches and quintessential images of...

Have you ever noticed how many ads feature spontaneous people? For years, advertisers have been using your desire for spontaneity to sell you everything from beers to cars to hair dye to tampons (yes, tampons). With our particular passion for spontaneity, this has been on our radar for years. So, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring it up when we got together for drinks with our friends who also happen to be award winning creative directors. (Yep, that’s right, invite us over for a...

Whether you’re an artist, a writer or a musician you’ve likely experienced the slump, aka the creative block. Just when you need your muse, poof she’s nowhere to be found. We know how to get her back - it just takes a little seduction and maybe a dash of spontaneity.   In this podcast, we offer up some quick fixes that are like catnip to the muse. Plus, we chat with the unstoppable Monica Lee. She’s an artist, an entrepreneur, a supporter of creative biz types, a podcaster and she recently...

A Be More Spontaneous listener sent us a note about an experience she had with some inconsiderate family members. They like to blame spontaneity for a whole lot of rude behaviour. They’re giving spontaneity a bad name, and we can’t stand for that.   In this podcast, we out their rude ways, share her story and look at that real problem of spontaneity gone wrong. Where is the line between responsible (good) spontaneity and the dark side of spontaneity where rude, inconsiderate, selfish...

Think back (way back for some of us) to highschool. Which teachers made the biggest impact? Were they spontaneous? We go to the source to find out what the benefits are of adding spontaneity to the lesson plan.   Finding a spontaneous teacher wasn’t hard - one of Tim’s best buds is a teacher who (no surprise) loves to keep his classes spontaneous. He’s a music teacher so that makes it a bit easier but in this episode of the podcast, we find out what the benefits are of keeping things fluid...

We have a saying: disappointment is always preceded by expectations. Our culture has an expectation problem (some might call it excessive entitlement) and it’s leading us down a dark road to disappointment and depression.   But this podcast isn’t meant to be depressing! On the contrary - we want to inspire and promote happiness. Despite our propensity to expect so much from our friends, family, the people around us not to mention, ourselves, we can correct it. In this podcast, we talk...

Whether you’ve been in a relationship for a long time or a little, maintaining your romantic connection can be vital to your survival as a couple. Spontaneity may just be the key to making that happen.   In this week’s podcast episode, we explore romantic relationships and how good communication and connection can keep those fires burning and those partnerships purring. For us, spontaneity has been a big help. We connect with Luis Congdon, host of the Lasting Love Connection Podcast and...

In this episode of the Be More Spontaneous Podcast, we attempt to cut the tech tether - that line that keeps us permanently (and sometimes desperately) connected to our smartphones. Think you’re not tethered? A lot more people are addicted to their connection than you might think - just listen to the symptoms of cell phone addiction and you might be surprised.   How long could you go without your smartphone? How long could you disconnect? How much would we have to pay you to do it? We asked...

It turns out we’ve unlocked an ancient chinese secret - spontaneity is the key to happiness. Well, we didn’t unlock it so much as interview the guy who wrote the book on it.   In this episode we get our minds blown by Professor Edward Slingerland from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) who wrote the book, Trying Not to Try: Ancient China, Modern Science, and the Power of Spontaneity. He explains something called wu wei which was a way of existing without effort which was highly...

Summer gets busy and then before you know it, Fall will be here and you’ll be all, ‘we should’ve had a picnic when we had the chance.’  Avoid the future regret - make it happen, spontaneously.   First things first, picnics are awesome. Who doesn’t love the freedom of dining in the open air, nibbling on summer salads and finger foods, and working off all that noshing with some frollicking in the park? It’s what summer is all about! Yet, all too often the idea of planning it somehow puts us...

You’ve seen those cooking shows - the ones where chefs have to prove their worth by combining randomly selected ingredients and crafting a meal fit for a five star restaurant. Michael Lyon is a chef who not only wins those competitions, he lives his life like that just for fun.   In this episode of the Be More Spontaneous Podcast, we chat with this double-celebrity chef (he’s had his own cooking show AND he cooks for celebrities like Maria Shriver, Jason Mraz and even Martha Stewart). His...