Danielle Frimer is the Head of Conversation Design at Xandra (and Kat's Boss). Like Kat, Danielle is an actor. In this conversation, we talk about how she found herself writing Alexa Skills, how it's like acting, and some of the differences between art and design.

 

Learn more about Xandra at https://www.xandra.com/

Music by Joel Slabach.

Sue and Bruce Wilcox make chatbots that frequently win the world's top prizes for artificial intelligence. And the way they've made better chatbots is by pairing backgrounds in psychology with great creative writing and coding skills. In this episode, we learn more about the way they approach designing conversations.

Music by Hale

Learn more about Bruce and Sue Wilcox at http://brilligunderstanding.com/

What's the difference between making stuff that impresses people and making stuff that's actually good? Janelle Hardy is a visual artist who sought find out by placing herself in situations that meant she had to stop skipping steps. We hear how that process introduced her to a new way of looking at her art, and a the joy of mastering the basics.

Plus a huge announcement from Stevo!

Music by Mystery Mammal

How far can you run... before you realize you haven't been getting anywhere? Aiden Cooper is a sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York. And if that wasn't already competitive enough, a few years ago he was one of the most promising distance runners in the United States. We talk about both of these journeys and how easy it is to confuse pointlessly logging miles and deliberate practice, if you stop reflecting on why you want to get better at something.

More on Dan John's "Compass": http://betterca.st/compass

Music: "Gymnopédie No. 1" by Erik Satie, performed on electric guitar by Furkan KONCA "Gymnopédie No. 1" by Erik Satie, performed on vibraphone by August Pappas "Gymnopédie No. 2" by Erik Satie, performed on classical guitar by Tony Smith "Gymnopédie No. 3" by Erik Satie, performed on celtic harp by Vanessa Sheldon "Gymnopédie No. 3" by Erik Satie, orchestration by Claude Debussy, performed by Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy "Gymnopédie No. 3" by Erik Satie, performed on guitar and cello by Ten Strings "Gymnopédie No. 2" by Erik Satie, performed on piano by Olga Scheps "Gymnopédie No. 1" by Erik Satie, performed on Q119 and Q960 analog step sequencers by Clockgate

There's lots of stuff you know you shouldn't do, like text and drive. So why do you still do it? Julie Dirksen of Usable Learning joins us for a conversation about complexity and nuance of teaching everything from basic knowledge to advanced habits, and tells us some of the common mistakes that experts make when they seek to teach beginners what they know.

Part 2 of 2 on "how to teach"

More about Julie: http://usablelearning.com Julie's Book: http://betterca.st/25-book

Intro: "Steppin'" by Wake Outro: "Tonight by the Moonlight" by James Pants

If you get good at something, someone is going to ask you to teach them how you did it. But being good at something and being good at teaching it are not the same thing. This week, Nakita Pope recalls learning how to teach beginners and how it's shaped her understanding of her own expertise.

Part 1 of 2 on "how to teach"

More about Nakita: http://brandingchicks.com

Intro Music: Calabash by Co.fee Outro Music: Proton Beat by Gangi

Patrick Kelly Jones is one of the best, most highly sought-after actors in the Bay Area. So why, after 20 years of mastering his craft, is he giving it up? In what might be the most real, and vulnerable conversations yet on this show, Stevo talk with Patrick about how it feels to look back and re-evaluate a 20 year career. And why he needs to do it in order to protect what's left.

Intro Music, The OO-Ray: http://15people.net Outro Music, 2Cellos: https://youtu.be/ozNEdMcWZvQ

Has someone ever told you that you couldn't do something, and it only made you want you want to do it more? Kate Hamill knows that feeling. She's a playwright who started writing because she was pissed there were no shows for her to act in, and now her plays are some of the most produced in the country. In our conversation, we talk about how she turned that initial impulse to say, "F you!" and turn it into great art. Kate Hamill: http://www.kate-hamill.com/ Intro Music 1: Beethoven's Sonata No. 1 in F Minor Intro Music 2: https://youtu.be/fzY3NKs4COU Outro Music: https://youtu.be/7GhO4TARUXo

Yusuf took the name Yusuf when converted to Islam when he was 20. But it's taken him 20 years to live up to that name. We discuss the challenges of finding guidance in sacred texts that aren't in English, and how navigating a new religion as a convert prepared him for changing careers and starting a new business.

What does it mean to have a "biblical standard?" Mark Young is trying to be a better husband, and in our conversation we talk about what that means to him as a modern man using an old text for spiritual, and practical guidance. Part 3 of our 4 part series on faith and betterment. Mark Young is at https://about.me/markrjyoung Music by https://soundcloud.com/mysterymammal