What is a Good Life?

On the tenth episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Baiba Rubesa.Baiba is a business executive across several industries, from natural resources, banking, automotive, telecoms, and most recently transport / railways – in which she served as the Chairperson & CEO at RB Rail.In this episode, Baiba takes us through her fascinating journey from her youth in Canada and Germany, born to Latvian parents with a dream of supporting her homeland, to ultimately being part of a shaping a post revolutionary society in Latvia later in life. From being the only woman on many boards to focussing on women’s economic empowerment (currently Co-founder at Novatore), while sharing her thoughts on the Golden Rule, seizing the day, intuition, pivoting, and focussing on one’s strengths.I wanted to interview Baiba as I believe she lives a truly unique life, and one I learned a lot from listening to her reflect on – as I am sure you will too.Running Order:  01:16 Podcast begins02:46 A call to supporting Latvia05:16 Life being shaped by personality, enjoyment, values07:36 Hold your plans lightly10:31 Intuition in decision making11:59 Supporting women in business17:16 Being the only woman in the boardroom23:36 The importance of listening, understanding, and communicating27:56 Seize the day29:56 Facing an early midlife crisis31:46 The importance of pivoting35:46 Learning to go with the flow / Intuition40:26 Dreams for Latvia45:21 “I was part of a revolution”48:46 Focussing on my strengths53:16 Knowing who you are57:46 What is a good life for Baiba?For further content and information check out the following: - For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Novatore's Website: https://www.novatore.eu/- Baiba's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baibarubesa/Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the ninth episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Jonny Camara.In this episode Jonny takes us through his journey of growing up in Belfast to an Irish mother and a Senegalese father, from repressing parts of himself to reclaiming them, from pain and suffering to creativity and connection, and ultimately to finding the trust and courage to being himself and understanding what he wants, and what matters, in life.Jonny is a Leadership Development Strategist and Coach, who’s path of suffering, self-inquiry, and alignment, is also serving as inspiration to his burgeoning screenwriting and acting endeavours.Having interviewed 150+ people around this question to date, if I had to name one thing that leads people to being more themselves, or to figuring out what they want in life, then suffering, or periods of struggle, would be it. This conversation with Jonny provides an inspiring example of this observation.Running Order: 01:40 How do I use all of my talents?05:25 Suffering leading to play & creativity08:20 Allowing our complexity to emerge10:10 Journaling13:05 The need for self-expression15:40 Growing up in a predominantly white environment19:45 Seeking belonging26:10 What stories do we attach to our difference?30:10 Deconstructing the lens through which we view life33:10 Turning pain into expression37:25 The pain of facing racism41:02 Stories to connect our humanity45:42 Reclaiming oneself48:30 Letting go & self-compassion50:32 “I hope you never find out who you are”53:38 What is a good life for Jonny?For further content and information check out the following: - For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Jonny's Website: https://www.jonnycamara.com/- Jonny's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonny--camara/Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the eighth episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Dr. Daria Chrobok, an artist, a scientist (PhD in plant physiology), and an entrepreneur.In this episode Daria takes us through her journey of cultivating more inner peace (via ice baths, meditation, and the grounding influence of nature), redefining relationships, releasing her creativity, stepping away from academia, setting up her own company (DC SciArt), and residing in her purpose.If you are still looking to identify what you want to do with your life, if you pay attention to Daria’s whole process, I believe you’ll observe many of the necessary steps to identify and engage with one’s purpose. Running Order: 00:00 Introduction01:00 Podcast Begins01:20 What attracted Daria to plant physiology04:00 The grounding of plants09:00 The need for Nature11:12 Getting out of her head – Ice bathing & Meditation16:00 Inviting small discomforts into our lives18:58 Rediscovering Art21:25 A rush of creativity25:28 Recognising the need to slow down29:10 Recognising when relationships no longer serve us33:30 Stepping into your own truth35:50 Engaging with the unknown40:06 Crisis leads to inspiration43:22 Difficulties with the academic system46:31 Balancing logic, emotion, feelings, and intuition50:05 Connecting Art and Science53:40 Challenges in experiencing a good life56:00 What is a good life for Daria?For further content and information check out the following: - For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Daria's Website: https://www.dariasciart.com/- Daria's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariachrobok/Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the seventh episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Alex Holmes, whose work focusses on the mental and emotional health of men.Alex is the Founder of The Mindful Life, an award winning Podcaster (Time to Talk with Alex Holmes, The Mindful Man), an Author, Time to Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection, and a Therapeutic Coach (using Bibliotherapy amongst other approaches). In this episode Alex takes us through his journey of experiencing breakdowns at work, to redefining his relationship with himself and those around him, establishing his values, to discovering his purpose in serving men’s mental health, and he brings up many of the challenges men face in addressing their mental health. Running Order: 00:00 Introduction01:07 Podcast begins03:22 Curiosity06:17 Starting off in Journalism08:07 what brought Alex to exploring men’s mental health12:32 Life can be lonely15:32 Experiencing breakdowns at work17:32 Developing and understanding better relationships21:20 The importance of developing your own values25:11 Learning to communicate when problems arise27:42 We need to give our relationships more attention29:29 Alex discovers his purpose35:07 Being in service to others37:37 The importance of looking inwards42:32 What stops us from looking inside?45:07 Accessing the inner child47:56 There is still hope51:40 Kinkeeping57:37 What is a good life for Alex?For further content and information check out the following: - For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Alex's Website: https://alexholmes.co/- Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/byalexholmes/Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the sixth episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Paul Gleeson. In his lifetime, Paul has rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, cycled across Australia, rowed the Northwest passage in Canada, participated in an expedition to the Artic, amongst many more adventures.Paul runs his own coaching and consulting practice, Turas Consulting, he has authored a book about his experience of rowing across the Atlantic, Crossing the Swell, and is currently writing a book about building an expedition mindset.  What’s more, Paul is a great mate of mine who I find to be one of the most effortlessly inspiring people I know, with no airs, graces, or pretences about him.In this podcast we discuss his experiences of fearing for his safety and handling uncertainty while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, finishing his ride across Australia despite being knocked down twice, and what lessons he has learned about himself, his mind, performance, and life, through these adventures.Running Order:00:00 Introduction01:35 Podcast begins03:37 First inspiration for adventure05:37 Are we getting too comfortable?10:13 Satisfaction in discomfort13:00 Motivation for cycling across Australia15:57 Getting knocked down 20:47 What you running from?23:12 3 lessons from cycling across Australia26:17 Getting knocked down a second time30:17 The importance of nature33:27 Deciding to row across the Atlantic Ocean with little rowing experience36:02 Two lessons from preparing to row across an ocean40:02 Handling fear42:32 The motivation for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean45:32 Handling uncertainty and risk48:47 Fearing for his life crossing the ocean 51:42 Seeing land for the first time in 85 days56:17 embracing Family after crossing the ocean59:47 Reconnecting with something primal1:02:17 Tips for finding your own expedition1:05:37 What is a good life for Paul?For further content and information check out the following: - For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Paul's Website: https://www.turasconsulting.com/- Paul's Twitter: https://twitter.com/paultgleesonSubscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the fifth episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by James Cussen, the Creator at The Living Philosophy. I discovered James’ work through his well-received YouTube channel of the same name, The Living Philosophy. I’d strongly recommend this to anyone with a curiosity for philosophy or a desire to broaden their thinking. Since devouring a copy of Albert Camus’s The Outsider as a teenager, philosophy has taken James on a journey from despair to immense purpose. His content, guidance, and ideas, have a strong emphasis on the importance of embodying the wisdom of philosophy and learning the art of the good life, so naturally I felt he’d be an ideal guest for this podcast.  In this podcast we discuss discovering purpose, focussing on the collective’s well-being as well as our own, building your own personal philosophy, the role of curiosity in James’ personal philosophy, and the considerable significance of family and close relationships in experiencing a good life.Running Order: 00:01 Introduction01:50 How James discovered philosophy04:55 Finding purpose06:52 Focus on the collective11:26 Balancing self-work and helping society14:13 Preconventional, conventional, postconventional morality18:10 Using my work to bring everyone to the table21:20 Processes for self-development23:20 Ayahuasca28:10 Acknowledging what could be beyond the material32:30 Racing to enlightenment!35:15 Anthony DeMello37:50 Simple doesn’t mean easy42:40 Simplicity or complexity45:35 Deeper understanding48:35 Building your own philosophy53:30 A tool for cataloguing ideas / thoughts / dreams55:58 Gardening my thoughts58:53 Curiosity is a golden virtue1:01:30 The more I know, the less sure I am1:05:12 Well-being and truth1:09:00 What is a Good Life for James?1:11:44 The importance of relationshipsFor further content and information check out the following: - For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- The Living Philosophy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLivingPhilosophy- The Living Philosophy Website: https://www.thelivingphilosophy.com/- The Living Philosophy newsletter: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the fourth episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Jindy Mann to discuss both our experiences of therapy. Jindy is a co-Founder of Leader Brother Son, a group that works with individuals and organisations, with the goal of helping men become better and happier partners, colleagues, fathers, leaders, brothers, sons - and men. Ultimately through having more open, honest, and vulnerable, conversations and engaging with topics men don’t typically discuss. A significant departure from his past lives in Management Consultancy and Banking. Jindy is also a good mate of mine, and we thought it would be helpful to have a conversation around our experiences with therapy, in part to break down stigma around what therapy is, how it works, what you could expect from it, and to show it’s a normal topic of conversation.  In this podcast we share what was happening in our lives that made us seek therapy, what moments instigated the process, what we wanted to explore or heal, how it started, what surprised us about it, and how our lives have changed for the better because of it. Running Order:01:35 Podcast begins03:10 When did Jindy start going to therapy05:45 Why Jindy needed therapy09:10 You seem to be carrying grief10:00 Why Mark needed therapy13:00 Tired of faking it (clip)17:18 Finding a therapist20:10 Needing someone independent and skilled24:25 How did your therapy journey begin?26:15 Letting go and crying30:00 Dealing with our past and events from childhood33:00 Using anger as a coping mechanism35:36 Not knowing how to express feelings37:00 Speaking in the first-person perspective41:00 What surprised you about therapy44:35 It felt good to cry47:00 Stigma 50:00 How did it affect your relationships?55:00 Is all vulnerability is good vulnerability?58:40 Redefining old friendships1:02:46 The biggest influence of therapy on our lives1:05:45 What is a good life for Jindy For further content and information check out the following: - For clips and video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Leader Brother Son website: https://www.leaderbrotherson.com/- Jindy's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jindymann/- Jindy's newsletter: https://jindymann.substack.com/Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the third episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Tom Goodwin.  Tom is the author of Digital Darwinism, a keynote speaker, an advisor to Fortune 500 companies and start-ups, and a commentator on the future of advertising, marketing, technology and business. He also contributes to publications such as The Guardian, TechCrunch, Forbes, and the World Economic Forum, among many others.In this episode:- Observing the oddity of knowing what is good for us, even enjoying it, and rarely making it a habit- Comparing social media and in-person communication- Questioning where we spend all this time we save by using various apps?- Exploring what Tom is both optimistic and pessimistic about regarding our use of technology- Questioning the obsession we have with the optimising of and streamlining of human behaviour- The importance of challenging our own views and not taking life so seriouslyThe point of this podcast, in general, is not to provide you with neat little Top 5 actionable takeaways, if life were simply about absorbing intellectual information, we’d all have 6 packs (if that was your thing) and live the most productive lives imaginable. The point is to curiously observe what is going on for us as humans and to bring more of our behaviour into focus, which can lead to incremental, maintainable changes over the long-term (may not sound too sexy but I’m tired of the instant nonsense, and endless lists, people are promising elsewhere).Running Order:00:00 Introduction02:00 Exploring makes me, me, what I am about04:20 We don’t get addicted to things that make us happy 07:00 Surprising how hard it is to do the things you like11:30 How Social Media and in-person communication compare15:30 Levelling up or deepening our conversations from small talk20:20 How authentic are we being in conversation and life (reading off a script)25:30 What brings Tom happiness 28:30 Seeking out different points of view31:50 VCs investing in making life more efficient without making the world better35:10 Stripping human connection out of life38:20 What innovations make Tom optimistic and pessimistic about the future with regards to technology?41:30 AI 43:50 Technology is still a mirror or a lever of human behaviour47:30 Try not to take life too seriously52:10 Stop worrying about things we can’t control54:30 Challenges to facing a good life – choosing the right thing is much harder than you think55:50 The Loop first thing in the morning – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – 45 mins gone58:15 What is a good life? for TomSubscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel for daily clips and weekly reflections.For further content and information check out the following: - For clips and video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

On the second episode of the “What is a Good Life?” podcast, I am joined by Nora Dietrich. Nora, is a Psychotherapist and she works with; individuals, couples, and more extensively with corporations to break Mental Health taboos, while creating healthier environments for us to work in. This episode is a great example of what I hope this podcast to be; substantive conversations around important topics, that share pertinent information and practical tips, along with personal experiences and perspectives - which help us handle these themes with more humility and humour, regarding the sometimes absurd, and paradoxical, experience of being human. Subscribe to get the latest episode every Tuesday.Running order:01:25 Podcast begins02:00 Trying to live a truly lived life07:18 Curiosity is the gateway out of perfectionism10:08 Paradoxes are to be held not solved14:20 Experimenting and failing16:25 Curiosity and feeling alive20:35 It takes 13 years on average before someone with Anxiety seeks help24:36 “How are you?” is not the right question26:43 Using pain as a guide or a clue29:08 It’s ok not to feel ok31:30 You don’t have to have the answer to help32.50 Anger can also be helpful36:50 Mental Health is not a DIY project41:20 Therapy can be ugly to start with44:20 Becoming more compassionate to others46:45 Connecting through our shadows, pain, and joy50:23 Sharing our emotions in the moment 52:31 Helpful tips for better mental healthTo find out more about Nora:- Her website: https://www.noradietrich.com/- Her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noradietrich/To check out more content from me:- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- For clips and video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videosKeywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

In this first episode I talk to Laurence Barrett. Laurence has recently written a book, A Jungian Approach to Coaching: The Theory and Practice of Turning Leaders into People, and runs his own consultancy group, Heresy, which focusses on Psychodynamic and Jungian Leadership and Organisational Development Consulting. In this conversation we explore how the work of Carl Jung has influenced Laurence's approach to life and, amongst other things, the significance of simply paying attention in our lives. Laurence is a wonderful source of knowledge and I enjoyed this conversation immensely, and I hope you will too.For those unaware of the work of Carl Jung:Carl Jung (1875 – 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, psychology, and religious studies.Among the central concepts of analytical psychology is individuation—the lifelong psychological process of differentiation of the self out of each individual's conscious and unconscious elements. Jung considered it to be the main task of human development. He created some of the best known psychological concepts, including synchronicity, archetypal phenomena, the collective unconscious, the psychological complex and extraversion and introversion. (Wikipedia)You can find Laurence's book here:https://www.routledge.com/A-Jungian-Approach-to-Coaching-The-Theory-and-Practice-of-Turning-Leaders/Barrett/p/book/9780367766351You can find out more about his work at Heresy here:https://heresyprogrammes.podia.com/- For clips and video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- The newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​