Mere Mortals Conversations

Mikael Kristiansen is a handbalancing circus artist and a handstand coach with the Handstand Factory.In Conversation #93, Mikael and I discuss: the highs/lows of performing at a high level, why he is basically a robot in pain, the type of mindset needed to achieve the one arm handstand (OAHS), some anthropological observations from the circus and what he plans to do as he gradually transitions to another phase of his life.As always, I hope you enjoy. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro to Mikael(0:51) - Breakdown of Mikael's circus career(6:26) - Venue layouts(12:33) - The performative art of handbalancing(19:10) - Normal jobs (for shady companies)(23:44) - Behind the scenes of circus life(31:06) - Performance anxiety & pressure(38:05) - Getting outside of your comfort zone(44:30) - Why do people retire from circus?(54:50) - General injury prevention(59:09) - Overtraining is subjective(1:06:11) - Is wrist pain inevitable from one arm training?(1:11:25) - Determination & obsession for the OAHS(1:13:36) - Drilling vs playing(1:20:11) - Teaching the opposite of natural tendencies(1:25:23) - Burning out(1:30:51) - You can't contain obsessive passion(1:35:02) - Psychology during training/performing(1:41:03) - Were people in the past stronger?(1:45:06) - Circus families & crazy Chinese shit(1:51:14) - Recent rabbitholes: Micro Mouse & Colours(1:56:22) - Origami(2:00:11) - My handstand origin story(2:02:38) - Connect with MikaelMikael's Links:Website: https://www.mikaelbalancing.com/Handbalancing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikaelbalancing/Origami Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulsfolder/Handstand Factory: https://handstandfactory.com/Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastSupport the show

When life and work get put us under pressure this is how we release the tension.In Episode #405 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: people who chase after success and get burnt out, why I do everything I can to be as chill as possible, getting screwed around in work situations, ways that we reduce stress, a couple of fun hypotheticals and why we'll probably never see eye to eye on this subject.Massive thanks to Dave Jones, Petar, Cole McCormick & an unnamed Mere Mortalite for the support! Really do appreciate it.Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:48) - Epicenter Podcast(2:49) - General thoughts on burnout(7:29) - Definitely going to disagree on stress(13:37) - Defining stress(19:48) - Performing better under pressure?(26:34) - Burning out is good?(35:13) - Boostagram Lounge(41:54) - Voluntary vs involuntary stress(48:35) - Strategies to reduce stress(54:18) - Summary(1:00:24) - Do all the GOAT's burnout?(1:05:18) - V4V & sneak peakIntro Music by 'Signs Of New Growth':https://podcastindex.social/@SignsOfNewGrowthConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastSupport the show

You taste that ....... it tastes like it's goal time.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:41) - Juan's July 2023 goals(1:32) - Kyrin's July 2023 goals(7:20) - Support for the month(9:30) - Juan's August 2023 goals(17:46) - Kyrin's August 2023 goals(25:34) - Fitness progress(27:32) - V4V: Try out the PaypalIntro Music by 'Signs Of New Growth':https://podcastindex.social/@SignsOfNewGrowthConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastSupport the show

For real there are so many downsides, why do we keep doing this to ourselves haha?In Episode #404 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: my experiences going to many language meetups over the years, Juan's absurd goal over the next 10 years, the limitations you generally encounter whilst language learning, why it's a hard undertaking and takes so long, plus a sneak peek at what's to come in the next episode.Massive thanks to Dave Jones, Cardboard Giraffe, McIntosh and Petar for the support! Really do appreciate it.*I stuffed up the levels of proficiency and accidently switched the A's with the C's. Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & explanation of the topic(1:57) - Why I don't like polyglots(3:58) - Levels of proficiency (*see note above)(7:09) - Arrogance & pride(15:12) - Practical tips(19:47) - Is there a limitation to how many languages you can learn?(23:02) - Juan wants to learn 50 languages(27:16) - I'm content with maybe 4(30:17) - Boostagram Lounge(39:09) - General stratagems(40:51) - I don't believe in passive learning(47:15) - Our biggest struggles(53:38) - You're never finished because it degrades over time(59:17) - I think Juan is going to struggle with his goal(59:00) - Summary(1:11:03) - V4V: Try out the Paypal(1:17:11) - Sneak peak at next episodeIntro Music by 'Signs Of New Growth':https://podcastindex.social/@SignsOfNewGrowthConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Keep your eyes peeled for a Kyrin, coming near you!In Episode #403 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: my rough idea of 7 months going to Brazil-El Salvador-Nashville-Europe, why I want to focus on meeting people for this next trip, Juan's non-enthusiasm about the whole thing, our super power of not getting bummed out, Adam Curry once again creating a revolution and why the music industry is going to change.Thanks to everyone who's joined us all this way, hope to see you in person soon!Timeline:(0:00) - Super loud crows for 1 minute(0:25) - Exciting travel plans(4:52) - But Juan feels like being a downer(8:30) - Travelling for the cultural experience(14:24) - And also to meet people(17:59) - Post travel blues(22:02) - Questioning life & course correcting via introspection(27:19) - Journaling and reflecting(34:37) - Boostagram Ball(38:27) - The Million Sat bet(41:52) - Why I think Spotify is fucked(45:05) - Do we understand finance(51:02) - The Longer Tail(54:47) - Can Value 4 Value scale?(59:00) - Peer to peer vs middlemen(1:04:32) - Is this what 2011 Bitcoin felt like?(1:06:20) - V4V: There's lots of room to growValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Keep listening if you're keen to know more!In Episode #402 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: what's in the box, the YouTube rabbit holes we go down, Pinkydoll and watching stuff that isn't healthy for you, why I am 3rd deviation non-curious and Juan is bang in the middle of the bell curve, ways to become curious and why at the end of the day you won't get punished for lacking it.Massive thanks to Dave Jones, Andrew Crow, McIntosh and Cyber Pigeon for the support! Always encouraging to see some new names here.Timeline:(0:00) - Finding learnings & takeaways(0:44) - Definition and research(3:40) - Curiosity killed the cat(8:16) - But Micromouse brought it back(11:51) - NPC Livestreams(17:18) - Harmful variants of desire(28:08) - Boostagram Lounge(33:19) - The thrill of discovery & gamification(39:57) - Are we curious?(45:17) - The pros of curiosity(53:04) - Summary(57:55) - Website & a sneak peak at next episode(1:00:42) - V4V: Chux beanie merch?Intro Music by 'Signs Of New Growth':https://podcastindex.social/@SignsOfNewGrowthConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Jeff is back for his 2nd appearance after first appearing in Conversation #78.In Conversation #92, Jeff and I discuss: Bitcoin, Monochrome, Exchanges, Regulations, License Plates and more cars!Timeline:(0:00) - Warm Up(0:30) - Bitcoin Plates(5:53) - The Signal(11:23) - Trusting Information(18:55) - Freedom(25:04) - Monochrome Offerings(40:00) - Exchanges(48:20) - DeFi vs TradFi(55:51) - Bitcoin Uptake(1:02:29) - Digital Exchange?(1:05:29) - GT4 Racing and Experiences(1:14:08) - Supercar Owners(1:27:56) - Celebrating 800,000 blocksValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Jeff:Website: https://www.monochrome.co/Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

If I keep going down the rabbit hole will it pay off?In Episode #401 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: learnings from watching Peter Attia & Andrew Huberman, changing my mind on why I dislike recent science, Juan's smackdown of the WHO, rules of thumb I created for when to stop, how to use the Pareto principle effectively and a curious teaser for the next episode.Massive thanks to Iluvsushi, Dave Jones, Eselsea, Bitcoin Dad, Petar, McIntosh. Special shoutout to Cole McCormick from the 'America+' podcast for the absolute baller boost!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:33) - Cleaning up the start(3:31) - Why I chose this topic(6:53) - Recent research vs popularity(14:19) - Juan got triggered by coke/cancer link(23:30) - Bryan Johnson: Too deep down the hole(32:23) - Boostagram Lounge(48:42) - General: Utility & fun(57:57) - Researching something broad(1:05:25) - Summary(1:10:38) - V4V: Ads trigger me!Intro Music by 'Signs Of New Growth':https://podcastindex.social/@SignsOfNewGrowthConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastSupport the show

To celebrate a milestone we're giving you a glimpse at the closest thing we've ever had to a business meeting (lol).In Episode #400 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: dropping the care towards video because we're not YouTubers, general strategies around our use of social media, splitting the podcast into multiple audio streams vs just one feed, ideas around a potential fitness format and spicy questions of why we could break up.Thanks to everyone who's joined us all this way, there's plenty more to come!Timeline:(0:00) - We all made it to 400!(0:39) - Transparency (we didn't end up cutting anything)(2:38) - Less long form vids, same amount of clips(7:42) - Higher quality specific videos(12:28) - Clips & the risk of platforms we don't control(16:59) - We're not looking for emails(20:16) - The important role of going live(21:37) - One show vs multiple(25:23) - A new fitness podcast(32:38) - Choosing audio vs video(37:44) - Who are close to MM T-shirts?(39:09) - Who owns meremortalspodcast.com?(40:25) - Money, fame & ambition(47:57) - How to split the money(56:31) - V4V or die(1:02:39) - Book review changes & high quality editing(1:06:48) - Sustainability & not chasing views(1:10:25) - We don't want a big team(1:12:33) - What could cause resentment?(1:17:05) - Our progression over the years(1:22:00) - V4V: No Ads and send some 4's & 0'sValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Should we be sceptical of people who claim to be experts?In Episode #399 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: rules of thumb we use to decide who to listen to, why having some scepticism might be helpful, whether Sweden is a real place, whether you can separate the person from the ideas and trying to make the V4V pitch as simple as possible.Massive thanks to Tallsiii, Cole McCormick, Petar, McIntosh, Emcot, Iluvsushi. Was a huge week of support, you're all legends!Timeline:(0:00) - We're not experts(1:34) - Default & definition(4:08) - How do you know truth?(8:50) - Sceptical of people claiming expertise(14:53) - The bad rap: deciding between options(24:49) - Utility of scepticism(28:23) - Boostagram Lounge(39:44) - Red flags(49:02) - Green flags(58:15) - Summaries(1:07:55) - V4V: It's exceedingly simpleValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastIntro Music by 'Signs Of New Growth':https://podcastindex.social/@SignsOfNewGrowthConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show