Where’s *your* focus? Where do you want it to be? Spurred by a suggestion from a Chicago-based listener, Ted and Lisa gallop into a fun conversation about focus. They start with a rousing round of the new game “D’jever?” (1:54) before Ted kicks off the conversation by mentioning the simultaneous different focus tracks in his brain (6:32). Lisa wonders about the difference between laser focus and soft focus (concentration vs. mindfulness?) (11:23) and then the two try to distinguish...

 Effective collaboration brings great joy. How the heck does it happen? In Part 2 of their two-episode conversation, Lisa, Ted, and Stanford colleagues Matt Abrahams and Adam Tobin (of the “Improvisationally Speaking” course) dive into what makes for joyful collaboration. Matt and Adam talk about what works well for them (1:24) before Adam playfully reveals that he has actually “cheated” on Matt before (5:10). All four suggest the ability to trade roles helps greatly (7:10) before Ted and...

Speaking on the spot can be tough. And you can get better at it! In the first part of a two-episode conversation with Stanford colleagues Matt Abrahams and Adam Tobin, Lisa and Ted dive into the details of “Improvisationally Speaking.” We get to meet Matt and Adam (2:32) and then hear Matt’s stress-filled public speaking origin story (11:26). Ted shares some of his battle scars in return (15:22) and both Lisa and Adam report that their beginning stories were much happier (18:16). The four...

It’s a Monster Baby birthday: time to consider some improv wisdom! On the 4th anniversary of Monster Baby’s first episode, Lisa and Ted celebrate by going through a recent blog post from their mentor, Patricia Ryan Madson. They start with the obligatory COVID check-in—we are going through a world-changing pandemic after all (2:10). Lisa makes reference to some help she got from Brené Brown’s image of “settling the ball” (7:11) and Ted mentions a great micro-blessing image he got from a...

That’s the thing about half-baked ideas: they could be gems; they could be duds. In a bit of frivolous departure from their usual deliberations, Ted and Lisa take up the fun task of considering a few half-baked ideas for coronavirus-inspired potential new products. Ted kicks off the episode with a couple rants and Lisa gives a lockdown update (1:53). They introduce the notion of half-baked ideas, acknowledging Ted’s advantage in this episode’s format, and considering Lisa’s first stab at a...

Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Are you sure? In their continued adjustment to living with the reality of a world-sweeping pandemic, Ted and Lisa turn their attention to one of their most noticeable differences. They start the episode by acknowledging the challenging circumstances of the time (1:49) and then begin by introducing the very concepts of extroversion and introversion (11:36). Ted offers a few clarifications for other types that overlap with introversion (17:38) and asks...

How do you make sense of living under lockdown? As citizens of the San Francisco Bay Area, Ted and Lisa have been holed up in their respective homes as the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold. Recorded over Zoom, they start this episode by considering their usual tolerance for germs (2:01) and then check in about their latest thoughts and feelings on the upheaval (5:10). They then discuss how living in lockdown is like virtual reality or the Twilight Zone where we’re really off the map...

With good reason, everybody’s talking about the coronavirus. We are too. In the midst of the growing global coronavirus pandemic, Lisa and Ted take a few moments to reflect on the impacts of rapid change and uncertainty. Well, actually, they start by reviewing Ted’s mouse-in-the-house scenario and setting up a Table of Contents for the episode (2:01). They review a listener’s response to “What hooks you about mindfulness and/or improv?” (7:26) and play a short round of the game “Tell That...

Presidential Primary season’s swirling into hurricane mode: how do we make sense of it all? Just before the big Super Tuesday Democratic Primary elections, Ted and Lisa take stock of their feelings and leanings. The episode begins with Lisa’s excitement about her new position as the Artistic Director for BATS improv (3:12), including some musings about a tarot card that suggests leadership possibilities for us all (12:04). Ted mentions a cool project he’s just about to take on (20:23) and...

What if your spiritual practice meant simply saying “Yes!” to life itself? In anticipation of this March’s “Yes to Life! The Improvisation and Spirituality Weekend,” Ted and Lisa welcome the retreat’s co-facilitators, Angelo John Lewis and Cindy Franklin, on to the Monster Baby Podcast. Lisa starts by coordinating an introduction of each guest, starting with Cindy’s eclectic background in corporate America and more spiritual circles (2:07) and concluding with some insight into Angelo’s...

What are your “thunderbolt” moments of insight from mindfulness and improvisation? Inspired by a listener’s question, Ted and Lisa consider particular moments of clarity and insight from their long experience in the worlds of mindfulness and improvisation. The episode starts with Ted recalling a recent “prince and the pauper” travel experience (3:09) and Lisa sharing about her highs and lows managing a just-finished project management effort (12:31). They bring in listener Jeremy’s...

What gifts do mindfulness and improv bring to your season of light? It’s the season of giving and Ted and Lisa are musing on the life-shifting gifts of their shared practice. They start the episode with an invitation for responses and then take a few moments for a warm-up game of “Three Things.” (4:11) The pair introduces the topic and Lisa explains the practice of Naikan as communicated by Patricia Ryan Madson (8:13). The pair notices how improv teaches both gratitude and sincerity...

How can you play if your string is too tight or too slack? Finding the right amount of tension matters hugely: in improv, in mindfulness, and in life. Along those lines, Ted and Lisa mine a moment of tension from the last podcast episode (1:48) before drawing on some wisdom from the worlds of astrology and Buddhism (8:09). Lisa explains how her impulse to preserve freedom and protect love have helped her deal with tension with a performer colleague (10:57) and we get the first of several...

Should you tell your story—or step out of it? Storytelling: it’s a topic that lies at the center of both improvisation and mindfulness practices. After recognizing that this episode has been a long time coming (2:14), Ted and Lisa dive into how foundational stories are, starting with the example of the stories we tell in relationship (7:18). Lisa describes her own brand of storytelling and offers a bread-related example of the mind as lightning-quick storyteller (15:02). She then posits...

What can you learn from improv without ever taking an improv class? After catching up a bit after a long stretch away from the podcast, Lisa and Ted reflect on a recent article in the Stanford alumni magazine that quotes each of them. Ted starts the episode with some thoughts on his recent trip to Maui and the curious “Aloha spirit” (1:45) and Lisa follows that up by musing on her experience officiating a friend’s wedding (11:06). Ted talks about the new student in his course who’s 86...

What if this (and every day) were the best day ever? Finding inspiration from their everyday interactions with others, Ted and Lisa offer up a Monster Baby grab bag of musings and insights. After opening up with a rousing game of Convergence (2:19), Lisa starts the conversation off by wondering about discipline in her life (8:03). Ted mentions Stanford author BJ Fogg’s notion of “tiny habits” (16:46) and Lisa introduces the idea of “start anywhere”—which then leads to some wondering...

“You don’t solve problems in life. You keep reconciling paradoxes.” –Thiagi Every now and then—if you’re lucky—you get to spend time “under a mango tree” in the presence of a true master. For Monster Baby Episode #67, Lisa and Ted had such a treat: chatting with experiential learning guru Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagaragan. After taking a few moments to settle in after a slight delay (2:54), Thiagi outlined his understanding of the three types of joy (4:54). Ted asked Thiagi about his...

Who holds you accountable? Even just a little addition of accountability can make a huge difference in the behavioral choices we make. What the heck makes that work? Given an unexpected gift of time and inspired by an agreement Ted has recently made with a buddy of his, Ted and Lisa dive into Monster Baby episode #66 to explore this very question. They start by musing on their initial lack of a topic (2:41) before Ted explains the Accountability Agreement he just stepped into (5:23). The...

What happens if you conspire for joy? Joy’s a huge part of improv—and hopefully, a huge part of life. On Monster Baby #65, Ted and Lisa explore the ins and outs of this delicious emotion. They start with a laugh-worthy warm-up game of “Convergence” (2:03) and a recap of Lisa’s great day (7:55). Ted distinguishes between improv and not being prepared (10:35) before Lisa shares her inspiration for this episode’s topic (14:36). The pair consider joy as both input and output—on stage and in...

When to say yes and when to say no—how do we know?  Both improv and mindfulness teach us to say yes to the unfolding story of life. But is that the whole story? On this, Monster Baby podcast episode #64, co-hosts Lisa and Ted explore the tension between the poles of yes and no, starting with Lisa’s recent thinking on the subject (1:40). The pair discusses the specific ways improv promotes the tenet of “yes, and” (7:06) and then also introduce the notion of the cheerful “Nope!” (11:02). Ted...

Can you quiet your Inner Critic and nourish your Inner Coach? Few things block your creativity more than the nastiness of the voices inside your own head. And it’s true for all of us. On episode #63 of the Monster Baby podcast, Lisa and Ted sit down with creativity evangelist, Denise Jacobs, to explore insights and recommendations from her book Banish Your Inner Critic: Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt to Unleash Your Creativity and Do Your Best Work. The trio starts by introducing Denise...

You are truly special. As is everyone else. Once more, the Monster Baby Podcast shows its affinity for paradox, this time diving into the topic of uniqueness. Ted and Lisa open with a check-in: Ted’s got lottery tickets for Hamilton and the pair struggles for Greek mythological references to describe their state of being (2:26) They continue their warm-up with a few tongue twisters that you can play along with (7:28) before fully entering the realm of this episode’s topic (8:56). Lisa...

Some family stories are unconventional from the start. Stepping into a vulnerable arena, Lisa shares her consideration of having a child on her own. Ted and Lisa start with an insight about improv and love from Lisa’s recent class (1:59) and note the ways that our environments help shape who and how we are (8:07). Lisa speaks openly about how her different sides and feel about the possibility of being a single parent from the start and then reflects on the power of owning and sharing...

Have you ever wanted to get a creative vision into the world? In Monster Baby episode #60, Lisa and Ted celebrate the release of Ted’s new book, Playful Mindfulness into the world! The conversation starts with some reflections on Ted’s current voice and presence class (2:14) before Ted describes the error-finding process of bringing the book to completion (5:15). Lisa asks about the arc of Ted’s creative journey, including finding a title, getting helpful advice from outsiders, and...

What behavior do you really want to encourage? Today’s episode starts with the mind-blowing wonder of Lisa’s recent night out at a magic show (1:41) before Lisa and Ted together jump into the realm of positive reinforcement (11:30). Ted helps clarify some commonly misused terminology (17:59) before sharing some thoughts about the game “Dolphin Training” (21:00). The pair considers the importance of timing when offering feedback, either on- or off-stage (26:36), which leads to Lisa...