“Asking the right questions takes as much skill as giving the right answers” - Robert Half If you were about to put a LOT of money and time on the line to invest in a fledgling startup, what would you want to ask? Well, that’s what today’s guest, Whitney Sales (Twitter: @thesalesmethod) has to talk about. She is the General Partner and Executive Director of Programming, based in San Francisco, for the top B2B accelerator Acceleprise. Whitney has 10+ years of startup sales experience and is...

One good conversation can shift the direction of change forever. - Linda Lambert Ever been saw someone and wish you went up to and spoke to them? In our world of ever increasing isolation and loneliness, I wanted to revisit the lost art of how to start a conversation. This episode keeps it nice and simple as we look at the 2 fundamental components of how to start a conversation. Make sure to check us out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.- Tony Robbins If you can ask one question to build a better connection with someone, what would it be? Well, that’s what today’s guest, Chris Schembra has discovered. But not only has he uncovered a very powerful question, he’s built a whole business (7:47 Club) around it that since July 2015, 7:47 has worked with over 5,300 leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals; advised 70+ companies, and sparked more than...

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle Where do we go from here? What is the next step in our journey to learn how to ask better questions? Well, on today’s episode, we reflect on where we’ve been so far and set out the map for where we can to go next. Make sure you follow the Better Questions Better Life on the socials and join in to the conversations using the hashtag #BQBL Make sure to check us out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

“Being different gives the world color.” - Nelsan Ellis How does a Human Centered Designer think about and ask questions? Well, there are few in the industry better to ask than the talented Chirryl-Lee Ryan. Chi has almost 20 years of experience in visual design, research, and human centered design. She’s worked, and led teams, at some of the most innovative and forward thinking companies in the world including Fjord, Isobar, and Idean. During part 2 of 2 of her interview, we get into more...

“Empathy is simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of you’re not alone.” – Brene Brown What is being empathetic? Is your knowledge undermining your ability to ask questions? These, and many more questions are asked, and talked about in today’s episode as we focus on shoring up the 3 foundational mindset pillars that everything else in this podcast is built upon. So don’t miss this episode! Make sure you...

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” - Walt Disney How does a Human Centered Designer think about and ask questions? Well, there are few in the industry better to ask than the talented Chirryl-Lee Ryan. Chi has almost 20 years of experience in visual design, research, and human centered design. She’s worked, and led teams, at some of the most innovative and forward thinking companies in the...

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead We already know this right? But leveraging a group of diverse people to ask proper questions, can be the most powerful environment to unlock strategies, tactics, and insights which all culminate to success in whatever we are striving for. However, all of that can quickly become unraveled by our own cognitive processes. What are those? Well, I take some time today to explore...

“The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you are asking yourself” - Toby Robbins What does a high priced Human Capital Consultant, someone with over 15 years of experience working in leading companies, have to say about how to ask better questions? Well it turns out, A LOT!! This is a rare glimpse into someone who has spent his whole career using questions to recruit, consult, and manage his own personal career to his current role of Director of...

“ego is the enemy of what you want and of what you have: Of mastering a craft. Of real creative insight. Of working well with others. Of building loyalty and support. Of longevity. Of repeating and retaining your success. It repulses advantages and opportunities. It’s a magnet for enemies and errors. It is Scylla and Charybdis.” ― Ryan Holiday, The Ego Is the Enemy It’s funny sometimes how our brain can work against us and undermine our own best interest. This episode takes a different path...

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Victor Frankl What does mindfulness and paradigms have to do with being able to ask better questions to live a better life? Well, today’s interview featuring David Walker, pulls from his years of work as both a Mindfulness teacher and his experience in his Consulting practice. The concepts that David takes us through on this interview, are...

“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together.” ― Brené Brown As we continue to dive in to human psychology, and explore the underlying processes and algorithms we use to have conversations, we have now come across two very important concepts: Social Desirability Bias & Impression Management. These two aspects, different sides of the same coin, really rob us of being able to lean into deeper conversations to explore meaning questions and find...

What does a People Scientist do? Can you ask too many questions? How do you ask questions to figure out which questions you need to ask? All these questions and more answered on today's episode featuring Chris Barrell who is a People Scientist working at (one of my favourite companies), Culture Amp.  Chris gives us a unique insight into the science and rigor behind how to conduct surveys in an organisation, shares his own personal questions that has served him well, talks about many of the...

While the world is a gold mine, you need to go digging in other people’s heads to unearth riches. Questions are your pickaxes and competitive advantage. - Tim Ferriss As we switch gears from the previous epsiodes, we start to dig a little deeper in to some of the challenges we face when it comes to asking good questions. This episode is the start where we will specifically tackle some of the most prevalent biases that hinder us in asking questions. While the concept of confirmation bias...

Ever wonder how a Qualitative Researcher asks questions? I know I did!!

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. - F. Scott Fitzgerald Following up from last week’s episode where we spoke about the two biggest barriers to asking good questions, we want to flip that around now and start to look at two fundamental keys that we can use to unlock good questions. This episode is going to seem basic, and I really hope it isn’t anything new. But at certain times, we...

Ever wonder how someone who comes up with apps or design website or experiences? Well, make sure you check Milly Schmidt's interview on the Why 2 Podcast. Milly has a vast career working in designing experiences, products, processes and even organisations. She is also a writer, teacher at General Assembly and all around really smart lady!  Thanks to her strong career and teaching experience, she is able to break down critical question asking principles and provides a lot of hidden wisdom of...

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ― Stephen R. Covey When it comes to asking the best questions to live the best life, we need to address the two biggest enemies stopping you from achieving this. We need to go back to basics and start to make sure that the concepts we will be building over the coming weeks and months aren’t being silently undermined by two silent phenomenon robbing you of your ability to ask good questions. In...

Today's episode is part 2 of Narelle Fraser's interview. Narelle is a retired Police Detective with the Victoria Police who has a career spanning 27 years. 15 of those as a Detective at the Rape and Homicide Squads and Missing Persons Unit, but dedicating much of her career to investigating child abuse and sex offences. This interview is an amazing glimpse and rare glimpse in to how she went about asking questions and investigations. Both with victims who had suffered some of the most...

“Look for people who have lots of great questions. Smart people are the ones who ask the most thoughtful questions, as opposed to thinking they have all the answers. Great questions are a much better indicator of future success than great answers.” ― Ray Dalio, Principles: Life and Work Welcome back to the second episode of the Why 2 Podcast miniseries all focused around how we can ask better questions to live better lives. This episode is really focused on taking stock of the questions...

Today's episode features Narelle Fraser who is a retired Police Detective with the Victoria Police who has a career spanning 27 years. 15 of those as a Detective at the Rape and Homicide Squads and Missing Persons Unit, but dedicating much of her career to investigating child abuse and sex offences. This interview is an amazing glimpse and rare glimpse in to how she went about asking questions and investigations. Both with victims who had suffered some of the most horrific things a person can...

“Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”  – Tony Robbins Welcome to the first episode in the Why 2 Podcast’s first episode of the new miniseries all focused around how we can ask better questions to live better lives. This first episode is a short introduction to this new project and centers around answering 3 key questions: 1. What is it? 2. Why did I create it? 3. Why should you care??!?!   www.projectwhy2.com

After having celebrated the Why 2 Podcast being over a year old now, interviewing over 25 amazing professionals from a variety of backgrounds, today's episode gets right at the heart of the Why 2 Podcast is trying to achieve. It's all about answering the question, how do you cross the chasm from where you are, to where you want to be? Simple question, but as many of you listening are well aware of, not as easy as it sounds. This process is fraught with uncertainty about where you are,...

This episode of the Why 2 Podcast is a very special one as I've invited the wonderful and talented Ruby Lee who hosts the Own Your Hustle Podcast, to take the microphone over in this Takeover edition of the Why 2 Podcast.  Ruby has been a personal inspiration for me over the last few years as I've followed her journey as she's developeded her own side hustle and meticulously honed her skills along the way. She's incredibly generous to share so much information about her journey and the...