My Smart and Simple Matters podcast explores the slower, simpler side of life: think mindfulness, real connections, and meaningful conversations.
No new episodes since 2019, but it’s still going strong with chats on meditation (hi, Andy Puddicombe), belonging (hey, Cormac Russell), and even death (yep, with Humaira Hamid) … among many other topics.
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Smart and Simple Matters
Joel Zaslofsky
Joel Zaslofsky – your community-animating, convention-challenging show host – wanders through time-tested and quirky strategies on a variety of topics. In general, we’ll explore the slower side of life: think mindfulness, real connections, and meaningful conversations. No new episodes since 2019, but it’s still going strong with chats on meditation (hi, Andy Puddicombe), belonging (hey, Cormac Russell), and even death (yep, with Humaira Hamid) … among many other things.
This special solo episode features how to kick start any conversation, keep it humming, and leave people buzzing. Plus, how to have influence without the need for power or control and the key qualities of great facilitators.
This episode features Ry Edwards to explore the nine core human needs that govern everything in life, simple questions that will help you understand why you do what you do, and why love is helping others meet their core human needs.
This special solo episode features what wins the water wars: distilled, reverse osmosis, tap, or spring water. Plus why your light environment is more important than food, exercise, and sleep. AND how grief is culturally learned and when empathy isn’t serving anyone.
This episode features Cormac Russell to explore why our unexpressed gifts can do tremendous harm, how an institutionalized five-year-old changed his life direction, and why community makes a better verb than a noun.
This special solo episode features what the loneliness industry is rubbing your nose in (often successfully), some eye-opening stats about how much our isolation costs us, and what the President of the Rugged Individualists Society needs you to know.
This episode features Dan Hayes on how to be a strong believer without an organized belief system, why a walk can be better for your head than your body, how the origins of our modern simplicity movement started with the Industrial Revolution, and how Dan and his wife lived in 40 square feet for seven…
This episode features Kristoffer “KC” Carter on which sacred life ingredients are needed for full life integration, why self-care is about consistency – not duration, and why the numbers 1:5:10 are so meaningful.
This episode features Ma’ikwe Ludwig on how Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage happily uses 90% less resources than the average American, how competing cultures and classes can mix in beautiful ways, and why the economics, equality, or sustainability of resource-sharing works so well in intentional communities.
This episode features Annie Raser-Rowland on how a frugal lifestyle can be the highest form of luxury, how to own your pleasure-seeking urges without paying for it, and what lesser known pollution may be doing to you.
This episode features Emilie Wapnick on how to have the three pillars of a great multipotentialite work life – money, meaning, and variety – with approaches as diverse as the Group Hug, Slash, Einstein, or Phoenix. (And maybe even join her band of weirdos.)
This episode features Sarah Susanka on how to bring useful beauty to every room in your home, how to schedule your passions and actually act on them, plus why Sarah emphasizes “not so big” over small.
This episode features Stephen Warley on how to make big changes without a major crisis forcing them on you, why we learn best when things are hard, and how to deprogram yourself to take on the “risk” of self-employment.
This episode features Julie Gray on how to create systems so you can work less and contribute more, why stress management seems so stressful, and how to tap into the power of your innate intelligence.
This episode features Humaira Hamid on why just about everything in life comes back to death and dying, how and where to become death literate, plus how to surf the waves of “identity death” throughout your life.
This episode features Ryan Nicodemus on a surprising path from minimalism into environmentalism, why he doesn't do anything for anyone else on the Internet before 12:30 p.m., and three circles of relationships to guide who to connect with.
This special solo episode features five simple, powerful benefits of an Offers and Needs Market, why your friends, family, and neighbors are counting on you to own your gifts, and how to elevate your own and other people's gifts.
This episode features Brooke McAlary on how to consistently question what's necessary in your life, a surprising (and rare) hallmark of the slow-living community, and why the minimalism label can be limiting – even if you own it.
This special solo episode features what the food industry is rubbing your nose in (often successfully), what Citizens against Quiet, Idle Hands, and Saving needs you to know, and some eye-opening stats about how much stuff Americans actually own.
This episode features Daniel Vitalis on the difference between natural, wild water and processed water, how to see yourself as and act like a sovereign being, and why we're not biologically designed for houses, jobs, or modern institutions.
This episode features Shanna Mann on how to strategically use constraints to pole-vault over your obstacles, how she got left on the side of the road with a traumatic brain injury, and how to grow your own intentionally small bonsai business.
This episode features Warren Talbot on how to borrow bravery when you're coming up short, how to make conscious decisions to have your “Plan A” life, and how to tell fear, “I hear you … but this is still happening.”
This special solo episode features why and when social security is more important than Social Security, the history of Social Security and how the word “social” got attached to it, and why your social capital is literally keeping you alive.
This episode features Charlie Gilkey on what's required to talk reasonably and openly about self-identity, race, and discrimination, how to say, “What about this?” without discounting others' views, and why Charlie shifted his focus to engage would-be allies more than current allies.
This episode features Courtney Carver on how she got 2,000 people to almost instantly ask her to come to their city, how she fell in love with forty strangers in one day, and why starting with the mechanics of simplicity is so helpful.
This special solo episode features how to transcend our hard-wired fear of death and dying, the step-by-step process of how I practice dying, and what finally shattered the emotional walls between my pal Sal and his father.
This episode features Join Christine Walker on what to do when your mindfulness muscles are weak, how the “Pentagon of Wellness” works to heal you, and why going fast is addictive in our brains and culture.
This episode features Joshua Fields Millburn on how you can have more meaning and less stuff with a slight pivot, why a ninety-something great-great grandma took five family generations to a book tour stop, and how to align your short-term actions with your long-term values.
This special solo episode features why community becomes a bigger deal the more you don't have it, the 3 qualities of a great question for any community setting, and which of the 6 crucial conversations you need to have in your community.
This episode features Kelly Exeter on how her total breakdown led to a less frantic life, a gift that every parent can (should?) give their kids, and why more “doing” is not the solution to feeling overwhelmed.
This episode features Joshua Becker on why generosity is an act of bravery (even though everyone wants it), how minimalism lets you pursue happiness or fulfillment where you want, and the three layers of clutter … and how to get rid of each one.
This episode features Alexx Stuart on why food as love can be unhealthy – especially for children, how to align what's best for you with what's best for our planet, and the #1 tip to give your kids ownership over what and how they eat.
This episode features Emily McDermott on why asking for help early prevents getting overwhelmed later, how having an accountability partner can change your life (even if you've never met), and whether happiness can come from making yourself replaceable at work.
This episode features Barbara McAfee on why fear is like an outfit that looks bad on everyone, the five distinct elements of your voice and how to use them, plus how innate talents are trained out of you (and how to get them back).
This special solo episode features what artists influenced my youth – and that I'm now disowning, attributes of the 26 songs I kept (and the 246 I deleted), and how to reassess what experiences you invite into your life.
This episode features Jeff Sandquist on how to uncover your core values and live in alignment with them, why relying on external validation is such a dangerous trap, and how tasting life's brittleness is both a curse and a blessing.
This episode features Carl Honore on how to prevent social obesity while gorging on meaningful connections, how to make your smartphone your servant instead of your master, and who wins the parenting race: the tortoise … or the hare?
This special solo episode features my new vision of how I contribute best to your life, why my favorite currencies are hugs, smiles, and authentic chats, and why I made the big move from Value of Simple to JoelZaslofsky.com.
This episode features Colin Beavan on how to help people wake the heck up to their personal power (and what happens when we do), how the “monk and the merchant” paradox applies to you, and how to participate in an eco-Sabbath – No Impact Project style.
This episode features Toku McCree on why self-awareness is the most powerful catalyst for change, what his one universal truth is, and – of course – Toku's five secrets of super-fast mindfulness.
This episode features Tsh Oxenreider on how pretending to move overseas can help you declutter, where to find freedom when you're tethered to your town, and why simple-living can be as simple as living holistically with your life's purpose.
This episode pays tribute to Live Your Legend's founder and my friend, mentor, and hero – Scott Dinsmore. Remember his legacy with me and discover how to change the world by doing work you love, where to find the most amazing people in your local community, the fastest way to do things you don't think…
SimpleREV 2015 brought 55 simple-living enthusiasts together and the impact was big. Discover why we loved sticking 241 Post It Notes on a wall (and what we did with them), how one small clothes donation quickly changed a family's life, why you can't get a positive answer from a negative question, and the #1 thing…
This episode features Greg McKeown on why you need to create s-p-a-c-e to discern what's essential, how a “personal quarterly offsite” helps you find consistent clarity, and the best way to become an Essentialist.
This episode features Alex Jamieson on how to have cravings that empower you instead of enslave you, the four root causes of cravings – and what to do about each one, plus why eating food is the most intimate thing we do with others (in public).
This episode features Eugene Cooke on why you need a food abundance system more than abundant food, how to ease poverty with local solutions and NO legislation, how to make nature your church, and why the men who spoke the least influenced Eugene the most.
This episode features Miriam Ortiz y Pino on why clutter is really just unresolved piles of decisions, the five simple steps to streamline your stuff and life, and how Miriam went from a “pack-rat stacker” to an organized simplifier.
Discover just how freakin' rich I am, what pisses me off, why I'm so scared of you listening to this episode, how I've wronged my dogs, why SimpleREV makes me feel like an entitled parent (or spoiled brat), and who I was, am, and want to be – truly and completely.
This episode features Cliff Hodges on the benefits of “moving at the pace of nature,” how to reconnect with your primal, animal heritage, and the 4 pillars of survival (one of them unique to humans).
This episode features Kim John Payne on how our chronically overwhelmed culture creates an undeclared way on childhood, giving kids the gift of wandering or boredom, and the shifting parental role from Governor to Gardener to Guide.
This episode features Vernon Foster on why attachment to outcomes can hold you back from best ones, how Costa Rica made him feel like he landed on another planet, a dynamite question that can change everything, and (perhaps my favorite) why you don't have to be Jean-Claude Van Damme every day.
This episode features Sash Milne on how to break down the new, hidden barriers to human connection, why you have to act locally to be felt globally, what the “Economy of Human Connection” is (and how to participate), plus how the invisible walls of privilege can come crashing down.
This episode features Jared Brock on how living at an eco-resort or intentional community can change everything, what happens when a little kid loses a $20 bet (with money he doesn't have), why you need to do a full life audit to become carbon neutral, and why Pope Francis asked Jared to pray for him.
This episode features Stephen Warley on why having tons-o-free time isn't enough (and what else you absolutely need), some of the habits that can make you “unstuckable,” how thinking less helps you align your time, money, and energy toward what you truly want, plus when (and how) to take control over what you purge.
This episode features Joan Sotkin with a simple, instant mindset shift to control your money worries, how to become someone who doesn't fear losing anything, why were not designed to have abundance (and why nothingness is so important), plus what happens when you eliminate sugar from your diet for 42 years.
This episode features Sean Rogers on how to transform gratitude from just a word into a mindset, the “reverse outsider” perspective, how to find gold when life piles on the clay, and why self-love is a life-long journey (and can get easier every day).
You're invited to celebrate Joel's five-year personal renaissance anniversary with a special podcast episode about some crazy experiments, the most amazing communities, resources in the “Refuge of Simplicity,” and wild speculation about the next five years.
This episode features Aaron Kennard on how to find euphoric joy in immense pain, eliminate bad days forever, use discomfort to trigger gratitude, the meaning of “Ho’oponopono,” and why empowering habits start as one small, simple act.
This episode features David and Christina (a.k.a. Tico and Tina) on how to make life happen for you instead of happen to you, the mysterious link between productivity and a minimalist lifestyle, how to love yourself (and others) by embracing your inner tensions, and how “streamlining” supports a simple life.
This episode features Anthony Ongaro on how to change your relationship with clothing (one load of laundry at a time), the quick tricks you can use to tame your smartphone, how one game helped him get rid of his excess stuff, plus the seemingly endless – and surprising – benefits of minimalism.
Do you know the misunderstood – but essential – difference between routine and rituals? What do morning rituals have to do with sharing my complete, unedited, and previously private daily promises? You're about to get some answers … and learn even more (like why maintenance is for gardens and machines, not humans.)
This episode features Sophia Bera on how to remove the distractions costing you time and money, what to do about student debt, and how to use your money to match your values (and achieve your dreams).
What are the surprising social norms of the most intentional, grateful, and inspiring people? Why is simplicity ready for you – right here and right now? Get answers to these questions and other practical, counter-intuitive tips like the “simplify by being a jerk” principle and how to reduce the stress of texts, tweets, blips, and…
This episode features Bill Powers on how to slow down, living tiny (and off-grid), why most world cultures are ecocidal, and where you'll find urban oases … in any city.
This episode features d'Arcy Lunn living on $1.50 a day for five weeks, the Happy Simply tiny house, how to hone your “attention to intention,” why global citizens are so content, and why crazy is the new normal.
Matt Ham joins Joel Zaslofsky and his special co-host, Andy Traub, to discuss the true meaning of being rich, replacing shattered dreams with better ones, why you need to plant gratitude early and often, and how 0.2 millimeters of skin might have saved Matt's life.
This episode features Chris and Sarah Wehkamp talking simple living, their quality Imagining Aloud audio stories for kids (and parents), plus invisible gifts you can give the child in your life … at any time.
Go behind-the-scenes of SimpleREV 2014 from an event organizer's unique perspective. You'll hear stories about tornado destruction, $11,000 Amazon bills, becoming “enoughist,” and overcoming the social stigma linked to intentional down-sizing.
This episode features Mark Sisson discussing the single most undervalued, overlooked aspect of your health. Mix in some mindfulness, gratitude, and primal living tips … and you'll be ready to “Grok” on in no-time.
This episode takes you behind-the-scenes of SimpleREV 2014 from an event organizer's unique perspective. Discover how 264 Post It Notes, three specific questions, a two-day bootstrapped event, and Huggr can help you be more simple and build community.
This episode features Joel channeling raw emotion into ways that you can be your own giving tree. Abundance is everywhere … regardless of whether or not you've been inspired by Shel Silverstein's book, The Giving Tree. Here's how you can spread it.
This episode features Dee Williams discussing the “bigness” of tiny house life, the profound freedom she's found by downsizing, what a “perfect storm of awakening” looks like, and how she reshaped her life by confronting death (over and over).
This episode features Andrew Mellen discussing the three simple rules of Unstuff Your Life, removing your physical obstacles to sustainable joy, using organizing to connect with what matters most to you, and the “stuff behind the stuff.”
This episode features Cecile Andrews as we discuss a move toward Gross National Happiness, the crossroads of simplicity and study circles, how you can have a joyful community, plus how to live a slow and examined life.
This episode features Joel Zaslofsky's curated recap of World Domination Summit 2014 (#WDS2014). Are you ready for surprising stories about “The Strider,” why you need to learn the value of Ho'oponopono, and how imperfect action leads to amazing opportunity? Just press play.
This episode features Robert Scoble as we discuss the culture around self-driving cars, how he actively follows 40,000 people on Twitter, if tech can help us slow down, and Facebook's attempt to addict us.
This episode features Vicki Robin, Duane Elgin, John de Graaf, Cecile Andrews, and Jerome Segal discussing the nature of simple living and whether we should embrace simplicity … or complexity. It's five former or current simple living all-stars at once, all lined up just for you.
This episode features Lauren Anderson as we discuss Collaborative Consumption, what an economy is for, how to tap into your idle time and skills (even if they're crazy), and why you want to live in a “sharable city.”
This episode features Luna Jaffe as we discuss Wild Money, the debate between “enough” and “plenty,” and what the voice of money sounds like (seriously).
This episode features Joel Zaslofsky sharing the grand vision for SimpleREV. Trust us: you'll want to discover how this brand of simple living is the cause of a generation.
This episode features Howard Rheingold as we discuss the role of the Commons, controlling your attention, how curating increases consciousness, and why you should thank the U.S. Department of Defense (yes, seriously).
This episode features Gordon Bell as we discuss how to organize your digital “lives,” how to be a paperless pioneer, and why e-memories are so valuable.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Chad Johnson and Richard Bonk of Bodhi Float Center. We discuss how to overcome gravity, exploring innerspace, stories of redemption, “nothingness,” and how to be ASWIM (that's “awesome” to you).
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Mohamed Tohami of Midway Simplicity as we discuss finding your passion, decluttering anything, how to stop your paycheck from controlling your life, and why simple-living is addictive.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Brooke McAlary of Slow Your Home as we discuss how to be simple enough, making positive and intentional living the default, and learning to love nothing more than zero.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Joel Zaslofsky and Experience Curating. He explores who really owns your social media experiences, why his framework is descriptive (and not prescriptive), the simplicity of the “Everywhere Doctrine,” and more.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Joel Zaslofsky going solo with Experience Curating. He explores how to spend 0.1% of your time maximizing the other 99.9%, the synergy between simplicity and curating, how to become an expert in any topic, and more.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Andy Puddicombe of Headspace as we discuss the science of meditation, looking after your mind like you would your body, and why softness is vastly underrated.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Shanna Mann as we discuss how to build rockin' systems, whether we should emulate Batman or Superman, why habits (even great ones) can be giant blind spots, and more.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Mike Burns as we talk about letting go of the need to control everything, why anti-distraction beats decluttering, what the “greater yes” is, and much more.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Laura Wittmann of OrgJunkie.com as we cover organizing without frustration, why your home office might work best in a coat closet, how to get your kids to organize for themselves, and more.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Warren and Betsy Talbot. We talk about turning a vision into a lifestyle, making huge deadlines (and actually nailing them), unconventional simplicity, and how to get rid of “it.”
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features the CEO of Scoop.it – Guillaume Decugis – as we talk about how curation can make you an expert, simplifying your self-expression, business failures that lead to success, and why “humanrithm” matters.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Ryan Avery as we discuss how to get a million dollar lifestyle for dirt cheap, finding opportunity during the rough times, showering children with love instead of money, and his four pillars to a good life.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Sarah Peck as we discuss positive addictions, undefining yourself, value-oriented work, and how to have self-compassion (even when changes come too slowly).
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features Cassie Tillett as we discuss a host of organization tips, “sentiment-fests,” and preparing for emergencies.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features my great friend Jessie Kinowski. We discuss a whole lot of “nothing,” how to manage people's expectations, why getting nothing (and being cool with it) is amazing, and why we can't get *the* answer.
This Smart and Simple Matters episode features CEO Bill Harris of Personal Capital. We talk about your biggest financial problem, investing in your investments, how Bill started a mutual fund when he was *thirteen*, and simplifying your finances.
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