By Paula Pant
A.J. Jacobs is the Editor-at-Large of Esquire Magazine and the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books. His three TED Talks have collectively garnered more than three million views. He describes himself as “a father of three, husband of one, and cousin to millions.”
And he’s probably your cousin. Twice removed.
AJ joins me […]
By Paula Pant
Robin Dreeke is former head of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program.
His primary role, at the time, was to thwart foreign spies and recruit American spies. That’s not an easy task.
To accomplish this, Dreeke needed to gain people’s trust — even when they had no reason to trust him.
He spent years developing […]
By Paula Pant
How can you be awesome at your job?
That’s the question that today’s guest, Pete Mockaitis, and I tackle on the latest Afford Anything podcast episode.
Pete hosts one of iTunes’ top 10 career podcasts, called — appropriately — How to Be Awesome at Your Job.
In typical nerd fashion, I launch our interview by […]
By Paula Pant
Do you enjoy spending time alone? Does your inner monologue chatter constantly? When you were a student, did you sometimes stay quiet even when you knew the correct answer?
Do you avoid confrontation? Does small talk bore you?
Have people told you that you’re “too intense” or that you “get deep quickly?”
Do you live […]
By Paula Pant
Jenny Blake used to have an enviable job.
As a Career Development manager at Google, she enjoyed the perks of a Silicon Valley life, plus the satisfaction of helping people everyday. She co-founded Google’s Career Guru Program, and helped countless Google employees find their right career “fit.”
But, ironically, Blake sensed that her own career […]
By Paula Pant
Last January, I went to a party at a trailer park that featured a huge bonfire, a few llamas, and a member of Public Enemy.
(I realize that sounds like the setup to a joke. Welcome to my life.)
While I was there, I met a former competitive chess player named Steve Gossett. Steve is […]
Written By Paula Pant
It’s an old familiar hum:
Every January, we kickoff the calendar year with New Years Resolutions: lose 10 pounds, make smarter investments, create an extra $1,500 per month on the side.
Yet by February, we’ve returned to life as usual. The discarded New Years Resolution has become a tired cultural trope.
We blame ourselves […]
By Paula Pant
Billy Murphy says poker made him a millionaire …
But not in the way you might guess.
Billy, now a serial entrepreneur, says poker taught him probabilistic thinking. He learned how to analyze the likelihood of various outcomes. He learned when to double down and when to fold.
He achieved financial independence at age […]
Written By Paula Pant
You should see my Inbox after I’ve left it unchecked for a few days.
The sheer volume of crappy pitches, press releases, “check out my infographic” and “could you link to us?” requests would make your head explode.
I leave my Inbox untamed for 2-8 days stretches on a semi-regular basis, and when […]
By Paula Pant
There are five procrastination triggers, says author Stephen Guise:
Fun: We enjoy TV, video games, and anything else that’s easy. Fear: We’re afraid of failure, and therefore we avoid trying. Overwhelm: When the task ahead is daunting, we escape into distraction and avoidance. Brain Overheating: When our mental energy wanes, we’ll ‘zombie’ out with YouTube or social […]
