Todd Nief's Show

Quick Note: I'm currently doing a Master's degree in Computer Science, so my release schedule will be intermittent depending on my coursework. Todd Nief is the owner of downtown Chicago's #1 CrossFit gym and the coach to multiple CrossFit Games athletes. He has been featured by Men's Fitness, WGN Radio, and NBC Chicago among others. His background in chemical engineering and as a musician in multiple death metal bands gives him a unique lens with which to unpack the models that people use to solve problems in complex areas like fitness, business, nutrition, music, economics and psychology.

Paul Bearer (Sheer Terror | Joe Coffee) 09/27/2021

Paul Bearer (Sheer Terror | Joe Coffee) 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: | Facebook: | Merchandise: | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Many of 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/20518781

Christopher M. Russo (Mercatus Center) on Monetary Policy, The Fed, and Inflation 09/15/2021

Christopher M. Russo (Mercatus Center) on Monetary Policy, The Fed, and Inflation 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 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: | Twitter: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/20459996

Spenser Mestel on Voting Rights, Election Reform, and Writing a Book with Mat Fraser 07/23/2021

Spenser Mestel on Voting Rights, Election Reform, and Writing a Book with Mat Fraser I first encountered Spenser’s work through his writing for the , 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 , 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 . Learn more from Spenser here: Substack: Website: Book: Twitter: Instagram: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/19902158

Dave Bland (Full of Hell | Jarhead Fertilizer) 06/18/2021

Dave Bland (Full of Hell | Jarhead Fertilizer) 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 this year on 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 . Learn more from Dave, Full of Hell, and Jarhead Fertilizer here: Bandcamp: | Instagram: | | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/19512833

Matthew O. Jackson, PhD on Human Networks and Microfinance 06/01/2021

Matthew O. Jackson, PhD on Human Networks and Microfinance 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 “” 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: Books: | Twitter: Coursera: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/19270598

Kayhan Vaziri (Yautja) 05/21/2021

Kayhan Vaziri (Yautja) 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 , , 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: Instagram: Facebook: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/19178528

Simple Solutions to Complex Problems [Solocast] 05/04/2021

Simple Solutions to Complex Problems [Solocast] I’ve often spoken on the about the desire for “simple solutions to complex problems.” I figured I’d reframe and refine that discussion for a solocast based upon the , Julia Galef’s great new book “,” 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. 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/18965444

Bryan James, PhD on Alzheimer’s and Epidemiology 04/19/2021

Bryan James, PhD on Alzheimer’s and Epidemiology At some point in the last year or so, I started listening to the . I was thrilled to learn that the host, Bryan James, is a Chicago local at Rush University — and he’s a CrossFitter at . Bryan and I recently collaborated on an article for BarBend about controlling the spread of Covid in gym, as well: . 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: | Website: Twitter: | Selected Publications: | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/18755819

James Pligge (Harm's Way) Round II 04/05/2021

John Caution (Weekend Nachos) 03/22/2021

John Caution (Weekend Nachos) 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: | | Twitter: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/18409448

Matt Parlmer (General Fabrication) 03/11/2021

Matt Parlmer (General Fabrication) 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: | Twitter: Enjoy this conversation with the always fascinating, always reference-laden Matt Parlmer. 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/18277235

Andy Nelson (Bricktop Recording | Like Rats | Sourmouth) 02/25/2021

Andy Nelson (Bricktop Recording | Like Rats | Sourmouth) 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. Learn more from Andy here: Website: Instagram: | Twitter: Bandcamp/Spotify: | | | | Selected Production: | | | | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/18084032

Jeff Kolar 02/12/2021

Preston Weippert (Of Feather and Bone) 01/29/2021

Preston Weippert (Of Feather and Bone) Of Feather and Bone put out one of the best records of 2020 with , so I was really excited to speak with drummer Preston Weippert. 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: | | Instagram: | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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: I said that the Mayhem intro was composed by but it was actually /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/17732513

The Sloshing Social Information Ecosystem 01/15/2021

James Pligge (Harm's Way) [Repost] 12/29/2020

Juliet Starrett on Excellence in Operations at San Francisco CrossFit [Repost} 12/14/2020

[Repost] Scott Young (Author of Ultralearning) 11/30/2020

[Repost] Scott Young (Author of Ultralearning) 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? 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Check out more from Scott here: Website: Book: 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/16994444

Cedric Chin (Commoncog) on Tacit Knowledge and Learning from Experts 11/16/2020

Cedric Chin (Commoncog) on Tacit Knowledge and Learning from Experts 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 . 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: | Twitter: Selected Articles & Series: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/16822667

Leonard Suryajaya on Humor and Confrontation in Photography and Growing up in Indonesia 11/04/2020

Leonard Suryajaya on Humor and Confrontation in Photography and Growing up in Indonesia 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 . 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 . Learn more from Leonard here: Website: Instagram: The New York Times: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/16677203

John Nerst (Everything Studies) on Decoupling vs Contextualizing and the Tilted Political Compass 10/19/2020

John Nerst (Everything Studies) on Decoupling vs Contextualizing and the Tilted Political Compass 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: Twitter: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Suggested Posts from John: 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/16447565

Albert Kao, PhD on the Wisdom of Crowds and Hyperconnected Networks 10/06/2020

Albert Kao, PhD on the Wisdom of Crowds and Hyperconnected Networks Albert Kao of the Santa Fe Institute has been researching collective behavior in animals — including really crazy things like . 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. 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/16286807

Todd Talks: Productivity and Prioritization (2020 Edition) 09/21/2020

Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man | Many Blessings) 09/08/2020

Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man | Many Blessings) 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: Bandcamp: | | Instagram: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 Bands and Artists Mentioned /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/15805004

John Murphy (Young Horses Games) on influences and innovation in video game design 08/24/2020

John Murphy (Young Horses Games) on influences and innovation in video game design As I mention in the intro to this podcast, I know John Murphy as the pilot of a 90s era — 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: | Website: | | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 Games Mentioned /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/15534728

Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth) 08/10/2020

Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth) Dirk Verbeuren has played drums on 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 . 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: | Instagram: | | Bandcamp: Radio Show: Dirk’s Extreme Blast airs on Dig into Dirk’s impressive discography and a few of his recommended releases here: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 Bands and Musicians Mentioned /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/15479300

Courtney Kelly (Strength Ratio | Ethos Alchemy) on optimality theory, trade-offs in fitness, and copywriting 07/27/2020

Courtney Kelly (Strength Ratio | Ethos Alchemy) on optimality theory, trade-offs in fitness, and copywriting 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 . Check out more from Courtney, Ethos Alchemy, and Strength Ratio here: Article: Website: | Instagram: | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/15251948

Todd Jones (Nails) 07/13/2020

Todd Jones (Nails) 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 . 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: Podcast: Instagram: | 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 Music Mentioned /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/15131756

Sarah Sentes (Manager Tools) on managing in industries that resist management 06/29/2020

Sarah Sentes (Manager Tools) on managing in industries that resist management 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: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/14896685

Wayne Banks (KIPP Academy) on remote learning, protests, and race in CrossFit 06/15/2020

Wayne Banks (KIPP Academy) on remote learning, protests, and race in CrossFit 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: Instagram: 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, ? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at . 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 /episode/index/show/toddnief/id/14822000

Todd Nief's Show

TOPICS