Mere Mortals Conversations

What if God was one of us, just a machine like one of us.

In Episode #496 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: if AI is becoming our new god, why some people are treating AI less like a tool and more like an authority, grift vs belief vs larping on social media, what would convince us that it is indeed God, the human propensity for subservience and control (Big Brother vibes), whether competing AI “faiths” might emerge (mirroring historical religious splits) and simulation theory/multimodal AI/brain–computer interfaces that might make an AI religion feel inevitable.

Huge shout out to Petar & Cole for the support, absolute legends!

Cole's AI Episode: https://www.youtube.com/live/s_yQtFUUscw
Taylor Lorenz Video: https://youtu.be/zKCynxiV_8I
Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:03:53) Personal Use of AI
(00:07:21) What qualifies as a god? Powers, myths, and behaviour
(00:11:00) Motivations online: believers, grifters, and larpers
(00:14:05) Everyday grifts and aiconsumer traps in AI land
(00:19:09) What would make AI feel divine? Predictive power and control
(00:24:24) Three omnis test: omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent
(00:30:02) The Big Brother model: power without benevolence
(00:32:44) Boostagram Lounge
(00:36:22) Black boxes and emergence: when no one understands how
(00:41:18) Complexity isn't divinity: medicine and chess analogies
(00:44:08) Model pluralism: different AIs, different answers, different sects
(00:49:00) AI as the God via simulation theory
(00:54:29) Local scene: Brisbane AI meetups and investing interest
(00:56:23) Wrap-up: V4V

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

That's right, we're going to begin manifesting oioioahahaoiaoiaheyayy!

In Episode #495 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: the power of language in goal-setting, how small word choices can meaningfully shift direction over time, changing nouns to verbs (e.g., “find” to “bond,” “create” to “forge,” “build” to “care”), softening health goals as we get older and injured more frequently, verbalising intentions & how speaking thoughts aloud can catalyse action, reviewing long-term goals sparingly and focussing on habits that embody who you’re becoming, not just what you want to have.

Huge shout out to Petar & Cole for the support, absolute legends!

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro and Butters’ birthday
(00:01:46) Kyrin’s long-term goals history
(00:04:25) Evolving the ‘partner’ goal: from finding to bonding
(00:08:40) Biggest overhaul: spirituality reframed after loss
(00:11:19) Health goal shift: from building strength to caring wisely
(00:15:10) Juan’s framework: eminent human levels and resistance to change
(00:18:36) Generators vs trophies: rewriting annual goals into behaviours
(00:22:15) Leading with verbs: forge, care, settle—language that directs action
(00:24:55) Travel and learning: from ‘experience’ to ‘settle’ and broader skills
(00:27:06) Meta-goals over domain goals: keeping curiosity flexible
(00:33:08) When to edit long-term goals: cadence and life seasons
(00:35:47) New categories Juan is toying with: brave, strong, fierce, obsessed
(00:38:17) Boostagram lounge: community messages and quick replies
(00:41:36) Verbalising to act: Comic-Con, Sexpo and taking initiative
(00:46:47) Writing vs saying vs doing: aligning thoughts, words and actions
(00:52:24) Advice for different life phases and evolving goal language
(00:54:56) Wrap-up and support links

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.

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?

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:12) Juan's September 2025 Recap
(00:06:16) Kyrin's September 2025 Recap
(00:13:14) Support Overview
(00:15:59) Juan's October 2025 Goals
(00:24:17) Kyrin's October 2025 Goals
(00:33:39) Fitness
(00:38:45) V4V

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

We're analysing what I got up to in 2025 and changing my focus to the future.

In Episode #494 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: tax-optimising mistakes/language detours, fantastic one‑arm handstand progress, an only ok year in review, a new overarching theme of revitalising hunger/focus, quarterly fitness blocks (legs, pull, running, endurance) with side quests like ballet and the Brisbane Marathon 2026, moving house to get out of a malaise, pruning relationships, moderating sugar, reworking financial information diets and embracing courageous conversations.

Huge thanks to all the streamers for the support, it means a lot!

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:20) Setting the theme: annual goals and approach
(00:04:58) Money lessons: don’t optimise for tax
(00:07:00) Language goals stall and tech’s impact on learning
(00:10:41) Partner goal: creating serendipity and effort
(00:13:20) Health wins and one‑arm handstand progress
(00:17:06) Character work: taming unhelpful thinking
(00:20:31) Reflections on the year: neither stellar nor dire
(00:24:44) Boostagram lounge and experiments with community
(00:30:33) Overarching focus for 2025: rekindling drive
(00:34:58) Doing hard things: rejection, social skills, charisma
(00:37:36) Redefining the partner goal: bonding over checklists
(00:42:22) Relationships: courageous conversations and feedback
(00:43:35) Finance 2025: fewer voices, more fundamentals
(00:46:01) Health by quarters: legs, pull, running, endurance
(00:49:19) Travel and environment: moving house over Asia
(00:50:45) Character vices, sex talk, and moderating sugar
(00:51:48) Media diet overhaul: filtering inputs and thoughts
(00:53:57) Wrapping the 2025 plan and next steps
(00:56:40) Listener ruts, timing goals, and building community

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

In this episode of Mere Mortals, I break down the crucial difference between trophies (wealth, fame, happiness) and generators (the daily actions and systems that actually create them). Chasing the scoreboard leads to shortcuts, burnout, and emptiness. But when you build the engine—your habits, integrity, and craft—the trophies arrive as inevitable by-products. I share personal stories, practical frameworks, and timeless wisdom to help you shift from chasing shadows to building substance.

(00:00) – Why You Shouldn’t Chase Money, Status, or Happiness
(00:28) – Personal Backstory: Goals at Age 27
(01:23) – Setting “Trophy” Goals: $1M Assets & $8.5k Monthly Income
(03:01) – The Hidden Power of Generators
(04:24) – What Really Produces Wealth, Love & Happiness
(05:32) – The Feeling of True Success
(06:14) – Breaking Down the Generator Equation (Action × Consistency × Time)
(08:23) – Why You Overestimate a Year & Underestimate a Decade
(10:28) – The Dangers of Chasing Fast Trophies
(12:08) – The Bee & Honey Analogy: Purpose vs By-products
(13:04) – The Importance of Choosing the Right Generators
(14:20) – Sleep, Habits & Foundations That Build Everything Else
(14:54) – Final Reflections: Why Generators Always Win

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

What does it really take to build a cult brand? Andrew Taylor, founder of Live Co, returns to share the uncomfortable truth: belief beats noise, community beats clout, and data beats feelings. We dig into 300% growth in a year, the Ultra Fit hat that solved a real problem, why followers/likes don’t matter, and his “push it till it breaks” method for scaling ad spend. We also cover picking the community’s car (hello HSV), limited-edition strategy, and the next 5–10 years.

00:00 – Intro & setup
01:12 – Belief swings & 300% growth reality
03:36 – Community over everything; customer service focus
04:28 – Who buys Live Co? Ranger / C63 / HSV archetypes; more women coming in
05:48 – Ultra Fit origin (up to 68cm), sell-outs & NZ street tests
09:07 – Limited drops: 65–70% returning customers; lesson from “too many” drops
11:11 – No influencer marketing; how the Troy partnership actually works
16:56 – Channels that matter now (IG, TikTok underrated) + content plans (YouTube series)
19:28 – Community-chosen brand car experiment (HSV)
23:06 – The vanity metrics trap: why followers/likes/views don’t matter
24:10 – “Push till it breaks”: redline scaling & attribution overlaps
27:16 – Marketing expense ratio & stepwise ad scaling (real client jump)
30:37 – Systems, process, and protecting mental health/time
34:07 – 5–10 year vision: #1 hats AU/NZ; US push; acquisitions to help founders

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Is Juan about to create the newest version of LOTR or Gorillaz?

In Episode #493 of 'Musings', Juan and I discuss: the origins of various types of lore, how these worlds are constructed with varying degrees of complexity and interactivity, hard versus soft world building, a creator's control over the narrative, how modern technology and platforms like Fandom wikis allow easier access, the challenges of maintaining a coherent narrative in a world where anyone can contribute to the story and the strategy we would take to create a new universe.

Huge thanks to The Late Bloomer Actor for the support, greatly appreciated!

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:00:38) World Building in Fiction & Examples
(00:05:36) Hard vs Soft World Building
(00:17:26) Entry Points into World Building
(00:24:36) Boostagram Lounge
(00:30:28) Interactivity and Audience Participation
(00:44:06) Challenges and Future of World Building
(00:50:15) Personal Approaches to World Building
(01:04:06) V4V

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

What's the current day equivalent of lead, radiation, asbestos or cigarettes?

In Episode #492 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: hidden dangers in our environment that can significantly shorten our lifespan, whether you can do anything to avoid things like microplastics, how 'Bad Science' shows media & exaggerated information is unhelpful for informed decision-making, the potential future 'silent killers' that could emerge with new technology, how our modern conveniences might come with hidden costs & the ultimate importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a defence against these unseen threats.

No boostagrams this week, very sad puppy.

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:42) Environmental Factors and Longevity
(00:06:04) Vaping and Modern Health Concerns
(00:10:01) Microplastics and Future Health Risks
(00:14:46) The Impact of Prosperity on Health
(00:23:02) Calcium, Nutrition, and Media Influence
(00:27:34) Boostagram Lounge
(00:29:11) Researching Future Silent Killers
(00:33:41) Loneliness as a Modern Silent Killer
(00:37:07) Nutrition Myths and Realities
(00:44:54) Sugar and Insulin Sensitivity
(00:50:02) Personal Health Practices and Toxins
(00:57:50) V4V

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.

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:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:00:56) Juan's August 2025 Recap
(00:08:17) Kyrin's August 2025 Recap
(00:15:10) Support Overview
(00:21:51) Juan's September 2025 Goals
(00:29:51) Kyrin's September 2025 Goals
(00:37:46) Fitness
(00:40:49) V4V

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Juan didn't disappoint with his wacky, hair-brained ideas .... that he won't be able to protect!

In Episode #491 of 'Musings', Juan and I discuss: a day in the life of the year 2100, the potential for cities to become the new countries, multigenerational housing as life expectancy increases, human-AI symbiosis plus normalised AI babies, humans becoming gods through digital universe creation, a world where everything is nearly free & creativity/consciousness/reserve currency/physical space/robotics and why it will probably be neither utopian nor dystopian.

Many thanks to Anton for the support of the Mere Morpheus podcast, but a sad puppy with no boostagrams here.

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:39) Borders & National Identity in 2100
(00:05:59) Physical Space & Technology Integration
(00:11:02) Future of Families and Longevity
(00:20:01) Human-AI Symbiosis
(00:28:29) Boostagram Lounge
(00:32:26) Currency and Economy in 2100
(00:43:06) Energy Solutions: Mini Fusion Reactors
(00:51:41) Humans as Gods: Creating Universes
(01:03:53) Creativity and Intellectual Property
(01:04:53) Role of Robots in Future Society
(01:15:14) Day in the Life in 2100
(01:24:04) Human Evolution and Technological Change
(01:35:31) V4V

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast