

The Long and The Short Of It
Peter Shepherd & Jen Waldman
A weekly podcast for curious people ready to explore the art and science of being human from every possible angle: macro, micro, Australian, American, tall, short and everything in between.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 24, 2026 • 17min
391. Replaced by AI?
This week, Jen and Pete noodle on the ways that AI cannot replace humans...yet.
Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:
What role do love and care play in the workplace?
Why is having a coach important for skill development and growth?
How might we incorporate AI into our work, without relying on it?
To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.
You can subscribe to our Box O’ Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on.
To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.
Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Mar 17, 2026 • 17min
390. Normal
This week, Jen and Pete define (and redefine, and redefine, and redefine) the concept of what it means to be normal.
Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:
What is the relationship between normal and average?
When might it be a good thing to be normal? When might it be a good thing to not be normal?
How might we push back against normalcy, where we want to be extraordinary?
To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.
You can subscribe to our Box O’ Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on.
To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.
Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Mar 10, 2026 • 18min
389. Aspirational Prototyping
This week, Jen shares with Pete a new phrase she's coined, in order to turn dreams into aspirational prototypes.
Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:
How might we move inch by inch towards our goal?
In what ways might defining the perfect day or week or schedule or calendar be useful to us?
What are some different ways to think about the relationships in our lives, our goals for the next ten years, and our overarching dreams of what our reality could be?
To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.
You can subscribe to our Box O’ Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on.
To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.
Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Mar 4, 2026 • 18min
388. Zone 2
Inspired by another learning from his triathlon, Pete shares with Jen a training technique, and both of them noodle on what it might look like to work within Zone 2 (and not constantly overexerting in Zone 5).
Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:
What are the five zones of energy and effort?
Why is it important to take periods of rest?
How might a more continuous method of training be more efficient and impactful than a high intensity one?
To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.
You can subscribe to our Box O’ Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on.
To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Feb 24, 2026 • 17min
387. Revising Goals
They explore a simple framework to revisit commitments: recommit, revise, replace, or remove. They talk about scheduling revisits as a win and using context changes to recalibrate goals. They discuss adding a clear "so that" purpose and share quick, practical checklists and real-life examples to regain focus and energy.

Feb 17, 2026 • 17min
386. Physio
A physio visit sparks a chat about leadership as caring and creating conditions for others to thrive. They compare clinician and leader skills like curiosity, listening, storytelling, and hard conversations. They debate when to ask versus when to give direction and how clarity of objective shapes that choice. Practicality and elegant simplicity in guidance and design get praised.

Feb 11, 2026 • 17min
385. Fear Reminder
They revisit a question about whether fear is keeping you safe or keeping you stuck. Practical tactics come up, from the five-second rule to using regular practice to test worries. They separate process fears from outcome fears and share everyday examples like auditions and phone calls. The value of naming and sharing fears is emphasized as a way to normalize taking small risks.

Feb 4, 2026 • 20min
384. Writing
After listening to James Clear talk on the habit of writing, Pete talks with Jen about their writing practices, and how he might investigate new and old ways of writing and thinking.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How might the act of writing help us change up our patterns of thinking?How might we give up the idea of having to be perfect on our first try?What is Pete's writing practice? And Jen's?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O’ Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Jan 27, 2026 • 17min
383. Reframing Tonsilitis
As Pete prepares to have his tonsils removed, he asks Jen for mental frameworks he can use during his two-week recovery.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How might we use our internal google translator to switch negative language into positive action?How might we switch the words "have to" to "get to"?When life throws us a curveball, how might we embrace this unexpected path?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O’ Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Jan 20, 2026 • 19min
382. What To Do?
Jen faces uncertainty about her studio lease and seeks Pete's guidance on navigating change. They explore what success truly means and how to reframe challenges into opportunities. Using brainstorming techniques, they unleash creativity to devise alternatives. The duo discusses the importance of clarifying one's purpose in their work and challenges the notion of a traditional studio space. Ultimately, they emphasize embracing uncertainty as a vital skill, prompting Jen to define her vision of success as a guiding principle.


