Best Barron Link Podcasts (2025)

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INTERLUDE: The Pleasure & Promise of Re-Reading 11:32

11d ago11:32

11:32

I wanted to drop in with a quiet interlude about re-reading (or re-watching, or re-listening) and its value in a world obsessed with new and different. Footnotes: Read the essay version of this episode. "Murderbot Gets Us In Ways Humans Don't" by Tara McMullin on Motley Bloom "Broken Links" by Tara McMullin Liquid Modernity by Zygmunt Bauman Capita…

1
EP 498: Breaking The Validation Spiral 24:04

1M ago24:04

24:04

Why is it that it seems like no amount of work, accolades, or achievement is enough? Why do we keep signing up for more, even as our capacity becomes ever more depleted? Why do we settle for mediocrity when we yearn for excellence? In today's episode, I revisit an idea from my book—the validation spiral—and provide a framework for understanding why…

1
EP 497: Please Support My Work 27:00

1M ago27:00

27:00

If you subscribe to newsletters, listen to podcasts, or watch videos on YouTube, I've no doubt that you’ve been asked to support the person or people who created them. You can always support with a like or a share, of course. But generally, the support they’re looking for is financial. And for good reason, life is expensive. Jobs with good pay and …

1
EP 496: What to Do When Things Get Messy 20:05

2M ago20:05

20:05

No matter how fastidious you are about creating and executing a plan, working toward any big goal will require adjustments. No matter how diligent you are about documentation and maintenance, any process will break down over time. The work we do is always changing—whether because of the people we work with, the market we operate in, or the cultural…

1
EP 495: Ann Leckie vs. The "Well, Actually" Bros 1:01:44

2M ago1:01:44

1:01:44

Is an AI chatbot, like ChatGPT, a search engine? Does it scour the internet for helpful information so that it can respond to user queries? These questions were at the heart of a small kerfuffle on Bluesky last week between decorated speculative fiction writer Ann Leckie and a few prominent tech thinkers. Honestly, it bummed me out. But I found tha…

1
EP 494: How Structure Transforms Ideas 23:49

2M ago23:49

23:49

"I have so many thoughts and not enough time to think them," I recently blurted out to my husband. For me, "thinking thoughts" means scribbling notes or writing messy paragraphs about whatever is on my mind. Of course, no one wants to read my scribbles or suffer through my unrefined musings. So once I've spent some time thinking thoughts, I have to…

1
EP 493: The Prescription Economy 20:15

3M ago20:15

20:15

"No one is ever completely safe from the critical gaze of a culture steeped in the makeover ethos." —Micki McGee I have a theory that you can measure the decline of any social media platform by the time it takes for its feed to become a firehose of unsolicited advice. Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are all sludge piles of advice now, but it took…

1
EP 492: How We Realize Higher Values Through Enabling Structures 26:20

3M ago26:20

26:20

Intractable challenges are often the result of a lack of imagination. That is, our solutions are constrained by existing systems and structures that likely created the problem in the first place. To dream up novel solutions that allow us to realize higher values, we need to build structures that enable and extend our imaginations. And sure, I'm tal…

1
EP 491: Meet Your Tiny Capitalists 18:08

3M ago18:08

18:08

Many of us (most?) have an inner voice that loves to remind us that "If there's time to lean, there's time to clean" or that "Coffee is for closers." We nag ourselves about being more productive, working more efficiently, or hustling for more money. Even if we value rest, care, and comfort, that voice can be hard to ignore. Well, meet your Tiny Cap…

1
EP 490: Standardize Me 25:02

4M ago25:02

25:02

Standardization is one of those ideas that, once you see it, you can't unsee it. It's a mental model that can explain, at least in part, many of our social, political, and personal challenges. Whether it's the clothes we wear, the language we use, the dates we go on, or the people we vote for, our choices are often unknowingly constrained by standa…

1
EP 489: Temporal Bandwidth 15:34

4M ago15:34

15:34

This episode is about the long term—the commitments, projects, and relationships we can work on when our "temporal bandwidth" widens. How we perceive time and our ability to do what's meaningful to us in time does have to be constrained by the urgency of now. There are ways to feel more grounded and create more possibilities at the same time. Footn…

1
EP 488: Honeydew (Or, 3 Biases That Derail Remarkable Projects) 19:51

4M ago19:51

19:51

Most of the work I do that's not this revolves around coaching, editing, and/or thinking with people who have meaningful ideas they want to better express to the world. In this work, the question I hear most often is about making sense of a complex idea—the kind of idea that contains many smaller, supporting ideas and stories and research. The sort…

1
EP 487: Rethinking Our Tech Mythology 19:00

5M ago19:00

19:00

The tech industry has a central role in shaping our work, our communication, and even our identities. Its mythology is woven into the products and services we use on a daily basis. So understanding how the people leading the tech industry think—how they perceive their own stories and generate their own hype—is a solid step toward making sense of wh…

1
EP 486: How Knowledge Really Does Become Power 26:50

5M ago26:50

26:50

What does my new website, the TikTok "ban," and the ongoing purge of "woke" from government websites have in common? The power to decide what content counts and what doesn't—and use that power to shape the knowledge and experiences of others. In this episode, I continue to examine the state of The Website today. Amidst a backdrop of diffuse epistem…

1
EP 485: Broken Links 41:56

5M ago41:56

41:56

I'm back! Maybe you noticed or maybe you didn't—but the show (and my newsletter) has been on its longest hiatus since its inception. In the final quarter of 2024, I decided I wanted to (re)consolidate my web presence, abandon most "platforms," and breathe some new life into my work. This episode reflects on both my own challenges with wrangling my …

1
EP 484: The Freedom to Buy 27:31

7M ago27:31

27:31

So, health insurance is in the news. And so is Americans' feelings about it. I got to wondering how we ended up with this terrible health insurance system in the United States. I uncovered a fascinating story about the marketing campaign that sunk Truman's national health insurance program in the 1940s. I also discovered some interesting parallels …

1
EP 483: Avoiding Acquiescence Bias 21:09

7M ago21:09

21:09

A problem, question, or challenge is often more than meets the eye. But we're biased to accept how an issue is initially framed. We acquiesce to the original terms. That's called acquiescence bias. When we don't counteract our acquiescence bias, we miss opportunities to get to the root cause or think creatively about a challenge. Today, I share 3 w…

1
EP 482: Seeing Software 17:57

8M ago17:57

17:57

Do you see your software? Do you see how it influences how you run meetings, brainstorm ideas, fulfill your responsibilities, and communicate with others? Do you see how its text boxes, radio buttons, tabs, search results, and menus train you to think? Do you see it, or do you just use it? Footnotes: "The impossible dream of good workplace software…

1
EP 481: Preservation in the Post-Information Age with Sari Azout 29:52

9M ago29:52

29:52

Stop me if you've heard this before: we're overloaded and overwhelmed by information. There's more content than you could ever hope to consume. More scientific theories, philosophical concepts, and art forms than you could ever hope to engage with. Enter personal knowledge management (PKM). It's a modern term for an ancient practice—how one collect…

1
EP 480: Exceedingly Complex Systems 20:32

9M ago20:32

20:32

In management cybernetics, there are 3 types of systems: simple, complex, and exceedingly complex. The systems we pay the most attention tend to be, you guessed it, exceedingly complex. In this episode, I explore what that means for how we do our work and run our businesses—and what happens when we forget that people are exceedingly complex systems…

1
EP 479: A Theory of Resourcefulness 17:50

9M ago17:50

17:50

You've probably heard of a scarcity mindset. Maybe you've even been accused of having one! In this short, I explore the false binary of scarcity and abundance mindsets to propose a third way: resourcefulness. Footnotes: "Thought-terminating cliché" on Wikipedia Adam Tooze on The Ezra Klein Show Information on the US tax gap "Breaking boundaries to …

1
EP 478: Data Never Speak For Themselves 23:50

9M ago23:50

23:50

We're constantly bombarded by data. And it's easy to think that with the right clues, we could answer the ultimate questions of life, the universe, and everything. But data aren't facts. They're not a secret code. Data are media—they mediate our interactions with the world around us. To make them useful and meaningful, we need a critical framework …

1
EP 477: Here's a tip 28:17

10M ago28:17

28:17

Today's episode is about tips. As in gratuity. Wait, wait, wait! Where are you going? I know, you probably don't receive tips for your work. Maybe you don't live in the US, and you're thinking, 'What is this American BS about tips?' Well, when I first heard about Trump's (and then Harris's) proposal to eliminate federal taxes of tipped income, my b…

1
EP 476: Cult Value 18:09

10M ago18:09

18:09

If a chatbot writes your novel, did you really complete NaNoWriMo? Two niche internet panics caught my eye over the last couple of weeks: a bungled AI policy by the organization that promotes National Novel Writing Month and a viral story about people hiring Strava surrogates to run for them so they can claim the kudos. And those two stories got me…

1
EP 475: Values aren't chains; they are wings 7:24

11M ago7:24

7:24

Inspired by the current vibe shift, I'm interrupting my rebroadcast of the Self-Help, LLC series with an interlude about values—personal values, business values, American values, even Christian values. And it's about what is so often misunderstood about values. Values aren't chains; they are wings. ★ Support this podcast ★…

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What Does Power Sound Like? 39:41

11M ago39:41

39:41

This is the 6th installment in the Self-Help, LLC series, which originally ran in October 2022. Today's episode has been revised and re-engineered! We form an impression of our voices early in life. While it might shift some as we age, those impressions tend to stick with us. For many of us, what we learn about our voices is how they don’t quite me…

1
The Spectacle of Influence(rs) with Sara Petersen 38:50

11M ago38:50

38:50

How influencers, well, influence the way we see the world, our work, our families, and ourselves? And how does the spectacle we immerse ourselves in daily contribute to our perfectionism, anxiety, or fear? In the fifth installment of Self-Help, LLC, I talk about all that and more with Sara Petersen. This is an edited version of an episode that orig…

1
What's Your Type? with Steph Barron Hall 31:05

11M ago31:05

31:05

This is the 4th part of my series Self-Help, LLC, which I'm replaying over the summer! Enjoy! If your Instagram feed or Explore page looks anything like mine, then you likely see a preponderance of posts about personality types, conditions, or other self-knowledge. We’re hooked on learning about ourselves! And perhaps even more hooked on sharing wh…

1
The Paradox of Self-Help Expertise with Patrick Sheehan 27:56

12M ago27:56

27:56

This is an updated version of the 3rd installment in my series Self-Help, LLC, from 2022. Enjoy! Our quest for self-improvement requires us to decide who (or what) to trust with our time, energy, and money. What book do you decide to read next? Which coach do you hire? What accounts do you follow? Our consumer choices seem endless—so finding someon…

1
"She Looks Like an Instagram" Or, How Empowerment Became a Brand with Kelly Diels 36:18

12M ago36:18

36:18

I’m continuing my rebroadcast of a series I did a couple of years ago called Self-Help, LLC, and asked the question, "Are we all in the self-help business now?" Today’s episode is all about the aesthetics of self-help and what my guest Kelly Diels has dubbed the female lifestyle empowerment brand. If you’ve ever fussed with your hair or outfit befo…

1
How Advice Culture Makes Us Winners (And Losers) 32:12

12M ago32:12

32:12

This is Part 1 of a series from 2022 called Self-Help, LLC. This summer, I’ll be republishing this series as I work on new essays and episodes. There’s a good chance this series is new to you, and if its previous reception is any indication, I think you’ll love it! If you listened to it the first time through, I’d love to know how it hits different…

1
EP 474: Making Non-Obvious Choices at Work with Samhita Mukhopadhyay 34:37

1y ago34:37

34:37

For justice-minded people, navigating the world of work in the 21st-century economy can feel... impossible. A real no-win scenario. There's a constant tension between what's good for the communities we inhabit and what's good (and necessary) for us as individuals. But it's in this tension that we find a "margin of maneuverability"—a source of hope,…

1
EP 473: Unpacking Attention Fetishism with Jess Shane 28:10

1y ago28:10

28:10

Our podcast feeds and streaming services are full of real stories of real people. And not all of those stories feel... true. I mean, even if the facts are accurate, the way something is edited, packaged, and marketed can dramatically alter a story's impact. Artist and audio producer Jess Shane wanted to create a project that would expose some of th…

1
EP 472: Speculative Investing Made Personal 15:39

1y ago15:39

15:39

Okay, this isn't really an episode about speculative investing. Well, it is. But I'm not talking about crypto or meme stocks. I'm talking about the challenges of living and working as a speculative investment. Today's episode is a brief reflection on self-speculation, the "anticipatory, speculative self," and why the second person is so ubiquitous …

1
EP 471: The Many Hats of Leigh Stein 32:26

1y ago32:26

32:26

What would happen if you archived all of your Instagram content, announced that you had taken a job at a fictional wellness company, and then got fired for disclosing your experience with company-mandated colonic hydrotherapy? Well, Leigh Stein did exactly that. Leigh wears many hats—novelist, poet, cultural critic, book coach, publishing expert. A…

1
EP 470: Rethinking Creativity—A Cautionary Tale 21:22

1y ago21:22

21:22

Good luck going anywhere today without running into a message about creativity. I was going to say, "anywhere online," but really, it's just about anywhere. We get creative in the kitchen. Creative in our workouts. Creative in bed. And of course, creative at work. Creativity is somewhat of a "cult object," as Samuel Franklin put it in his cultural …

1
NEW: World-Building for Business Owners 9:54

1y ago9:54

9:54

I'm teaching a new workshop on May 15 & 16, 2024! It's called World-Building for Business Owners, and it's based on a process I've been honing for more than a decade. I'll help you apply creative, even playful thinking to your business strategy—and help you create an internally consistent business that causes fewer headaches, meets your needs more …

1
EP 469: Building Solidarity in the Creator Economy with Kate Tyson & Charlie Gilkey 34:40

1y ago34:40

34:40

"How do I want to live?" Philosopher Rahel Jaeggi says this question is bound up in the concept of alienation. Our disconnection and dissatisfaction keep us from answering that question—but they also keep us from asking it in the first place. So in this episode, Kate, Charlie, and I ask that question—and five more. We examine how work in the creato…

1
EP 468: Figuring Out the Creator Economy with Charlie Gilkey & Kate Tyson 50:07

1y ago50:07

50:07

It seems the creator economy is booming. Or is it? And what even is the creator economy?? Platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TechTalk are quite happy to advertise the ways they support creators with features and advice. Their aspirational creator hubs give the distinct impression that becoming a creator is akin to getting paid to be yourself. B…

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EP 467: Organizing Indie Labor with Chiarra Lohr 38:22

1+ y ago38:22

38:22

The labor market has undergone a sea change in the last 20 years. A full third of US workers are part of the independent workforce, including gig workers, contract workers, freelancers, and sole proprietors. And yet, key provisions in our labor regulations do not cover independent workers. What's more, platform companies have further changed our id…

1
EP 466: Making Room for Others with Leonie Smith 32:43

1+ y ago32:43

32:43

The Center for Nonviolent Communication describes what they teach as "empathy in action." And so it seems fitting to close out this series on Decoding Empathy with a look at nonviolence, Nonviolent Communication, and making social spaces at work & beyond that work for more people. I talked with Leonie Smith, founder of The Thoughtful Workplace, abo…

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WATER WISDOM PODCAST: Episode 23: Maia Chrystine Nartoomid; Translator to Thoth and the Akasha 1:04:38

1+ y ago1:04:38

1:04:38

WATER WISDOM PODCAST: Episode 23: Maia Chrystine Nartoomid; Translator to Thoth and the Akasha This conversation is EPIC! Maia shares some gems about her life journey! As a baby, she was pointing to the stars and speaking clear words to her mother. She has experienced visitations from interdimensional beings. She has been guided and taught by highe…

1
EP 465: Learning Empathy from Copywriters & Doppelgangers with Samantha Pollack 35:23

1+ y ago35:23

35:23

I have learned a lot about cognitive empathy by learning copywriting. After all, copywriting is a puzzle—the puzzle of figuring out what someone is thinking or feeling and how you can connect your idea to that thought or feeling. So, it seemed only fitting that I would invite a copywriter to this series on decoding empathy to share her process and …

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Water Wisdom Podcast: Episode 22: Andrea and Sal Morningstar; Mentor to Higher Realm Creators, 8-Figure Biz Coach 1:01:16

1+ y ago1:01:16

1:01:16

Water Wisdom Podcast: Episode 22: Andrea and Sal Morningstar; Mentor to Higher Realm Creators, 8-Figure Biz Coach OOOOO I am so tickled to introduce to you Sal and Andrea Morningstar! These two gems have such a unique perspective to offer us this week! We will be diving into the role of DIVINE UNION and the awakening journey! I met Sal online a cou…

1
WATER Wisdom Podcast: Episode 21: Kerri Scott; Best Selling Author and Founder of Soul Selves Framework 1:08:48

1+ y ago1:08:48

1:08:48

WATER Wisdom Podcast: Episode 21: Kerri Scott; Best Selling Author and Founder of Soul Selves Framework Join us for an epic conversation with Kerri; ASTROPHYSICIST turned metaphysicist and founder of Soul Selves Framework! Kerri has an absolutely beautiful spirit. She has taken her grief journey (losing a dear friend to suicide 20 years ago) and tu…

1
EP 464: Decoding Accessibility with Erin Perkins 31:10

1+ y ago31:10

31:10

Typically, the question of accessibility online is considered in technical terms: How does this website need to be designed? What ALT text is appropriate for this image? Are captions available for this video? And obviously, knowing the technical aspects of accessibility is important. But if accessibility stops at the technical requirements, we forg…

1
EP 463: A Brand is a Constellation with N. Chloé Nwangwu 30:41

1+ y ago30:41

30:41

How do you get seen in a world that doesn't see you? How do you get recognized when so many systems are designed to keep you unrecognized? Those are the questions at the heart of today's episode. In the 2nd episode in my 5-part series on decoding empathy, I talk with behavioral scientist and brand strategist N. Chloé Nwangwu about how she helps und…

1
EP 462: Decoding the Language of Empathy 34:43

1+ y ago34:43

34:43

Today, we peel back the layers of a term that's become ubiquitous in the business world and beyond: empathy. In this episode, empathy's origin story. Er, stories. We'll explore its philosophical roots deep in the 19th century, through my personal trials and errors with empathy, to some of the challenges we face in empathizing with people we have le…

1
This is Not Advice: Process Entropy & Process Evolution 11:24

1+ y ago11:24

11:24

Are you waiting for a glorious day with your system, plan, or business just work? I hate to tell you this—but you will be waiting a long time. Plans, systems, and businesses evolve. Change isn't a bad thing—it's the only thing. In today's edition of This is Not Advice, I share how I recently coached Sean through a run-in with process entropy and pr…

1
Water Wizard Podcast: Episode 20: Audrey Barron; Gaia Chef, Medicine Woman 1:16:12

1+ y ago1:16:12

1:16:12

Water Wisdom Podcast: Episode 20: Audrey Barron; Gaia Chef, Medicine Woman I met Audrey almost 20 years ago when I was a massage therapist. She was a regular client of mine; and we connected on such a deep level!! She became a massage therapist too...a raw food chef...and so much more! Come listen to the story of how our paths have been magically i…

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