How Cool Is This?

Andrew and Mike made their way to SXSW to show off Mado Dynamic — their new solar-powered, fully automated shades, which we got the chance to test out in the Lively Grit Daily House.

We talked about the product, Curb Your Enthusiasm, the perils of corded blinds, “pane” points, being “baller”, how to get strangers to think your new product is cool, western shirts, The Sound of Music, and a lot in between. 

“ I thinkI'm a good listener. I talk to people, I understand their position in life. And so, I just listened to how they think and talk about how that product might solve problems for them. Most of the time people really resonate with like, ‘Oh, I never thought of that. Oh, I never thought I could afford that. Oh, that's super interesting’.” 

Learn more about Mado Dynamic and back their Kickstarter. 

Special thanks to Lively and Audience 101 for hosting us at SXSW, and YouGov for running the survey that supported our series of conversations. 

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Kati had a busy South by Southwest, speaking at the Lively Grit Daily House, a panel at the convention center, and a session at New Mexico House.

We sat down with her early in the trip, right after her speaking gig at Lively Grit Daily House.

The conversation ranged from basketball to bands to whether or not it's cool to have a political stance (spoiler: Kati says it is!), gaming, coolness as a parent, and a lot in between.

She also spoke about her job at Meow Wolf - an immersive art adventure and experience - and the brand’s relationship with the fleeting concept of coolness.

“Now that we have millions of visitors a year, like, I want my next door neighbor, who is a soccer mom, I want her to bring her kids there, you know? I want her to enjoy it and not feel as though she's not cool enough to be there. But at the same time, I want to still have that value described by us, while also being accessible.”

Connect with Kati on LinkedIn and find a Meow Wolf location near you (they’re coming to LA and New York soon).

Special thanks to Lively and Audience 101 for hosting us at SXSW, and YouGov for running the survey that supported our series of conversations. 

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Between wrangling speakers and everything else that goes into putting on a speakeasy at SXSW, Lisa popped into the studio to talk about why she, Mike, Mary, and the team hosted the Lively Grit Daily House at SXSW 2025.

We talk about dogs, parenthood, the gender dynamics of cool, and more.

“It's your personality and how you connect with people and what your vibe is and how you're communicating and talking and treating people… The way you treat others makes you cool or not.” -Lisa DelMonte

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn, and learn more about the work of Audience 101, the curators and connectors behind the Lively Grit Daily House SXSW 2025 Speakeasy.

Special thanks to Mike White, Lisa DelMonte, and Mary Parkinson of Lively and Audience 101 for hosting us at SXSW. 

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JC is no stranger to cool. He might be more of an expert than us. We connected at The Lively Grit Daily House to get his take on what’s worth paying attention to. 

We talked about the pressure to talk about AI, not caring, spicy guacamole, Jaws, the Johari Window, British words we’d never heard of before, and a lot in between. 

“If you don’t think you’re cool, other people won’t think you’re cool, and you’re going to think other people don’t think you’re cool.” 

Connect with JC on LinkedIn. 

Special thanks to Mike White, Lisa DelMonte, and Mary Parkinson of Lively and Audience 101 for hosting us at SXSW. 

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We tried to turn off the mics. We really did.

But we're back and podcasting from The Lively Grit Daily House in Austin, TX for SXSW 2025.

Stay tuned for more conversations with cool people, people who think they're cool, and maybe a robot.

Drop by if you're in town:

The Lively Grit Daily House Details

And hit us up at 848-863-9917 if you want a free code to get in.

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Die cool, or live long enough to see yourself become uncool. After more that 5 years and 200 episodes, How Cool Is This? is finally ready to answer our original question: what IS cool?
For our 200th episode and series finale, we’re revealing the results of a YouGov survey to discover what Americans really think is cool - with a few twists.

After more that 5 years and nearly 200 episodes, How Cool Is This? is finally ready to answer our original question: what really is cool?

But is that even possible? And more importantly, is answering the question cool?

Take the Cool Survey.

RSVP for the Episode 200 live stream on Sunday, February 23 at 8 PM EST.

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Brian and Nick discuss whether or not this medium is cool. But is it a good thing that podcasts feel more powerful than ever? And more importantly, is that cool?

You can call (848) 863-9917, but you probably won't get your idea on the show.

Stay tuned for details on a LIVE episode 200.

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America is currently deciding whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be the next president. But are either of them actually cool? And more importantly, is it even possible for the president to be cool?

Get your idea on one of the last episodes of How Cool Is This? by leaving us a voicemail at 848-863-9917.

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X user @PaperWash has an idea for a haunted house that brings together people from your past. Would this really be that scary? And more importantly, is it cool?

Happy Halloween!

Get more from @PaperWash on X.

And get one of your ideas on one of the last episodes of How Cool Is This? by leaving a voicemail at 848-863-9917.

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