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Sonia and Simon

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S1 · E69
Sunday · 1 hr 7 min
Why You Feel Lost: James Hollis on Ego, Purpose & Finding Your True Self
What if the life you’ve built isn’t actually the life that’s right for you? Dr James Hollis is a Jungian analyst, author and teacher who has spent decades exploring the unconscious forces that shape how we live, love, work and understand ourselves. He has written more than 20 books, including the bestselling Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life, The Middle Passage and Under Saturn’s Shadow. We Discuss: Why do we keep repeating patterns that hurt us? How much of our identity was shaped by our childhood? Why do successful people still feel lost? What happens when your career, relationship or identity no longer feels like you? Why do we project the parts of ourselves we don't want to see onto other people? And perhaps the biggest question of all: How do you know whether you're living your own life, or the life you were taught to want? Connect with James Website
S1 · E68
September 6 · 1 hr 8 min
Is AI Making Us Dumber? What It’s Doing to Your Brain | Joel Pearson
Could this be the first generation with a lower IQ than their parents? As AI becomes increasingly embedded in how we work, learn and think, are we becoming more capable or are we slowly outsourcing the very skills that make us intelligent? Professor Joel Pearson is a neuroscientist, psychologist, author and the world’s first Neuro Futurist. He is Director of the Future Minds Lab and Deputy Director of Human Readiness at the UNSW AI Institute, where he studies the human mind and how technology is reshaping the way we think, work and live. We Discuss: Could this be the first generation less intelligent than the last? What AI is doing to your brain Are we outsourcing our ability to think? Why humans struggle with uncertainty The future of creativity and intelligence What the next generation needs to prepare for Connect with Joel Website Instagram Linked In X Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : ⁠https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E67
August 30 · 48 min
HOW TO BE HAPPIER: The Science of Love, Relationships & Feeling Loved | Sonja Lyubomirsky
What actually makes us happy, and why do some things we think will make us happier fail to deliver? Sonja Lyubomirsky is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of happiness. A professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, her research has transformed how we understand what makes people happier. Her latest book, How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most, turns her research toward one of the most important parts of a happy life: feeling loved and connected. We Discuss: What really makes people happy How to feel more loved and connected The five mindsets that shape how we experience love Why we adapt to money, success and positive life changes How much control we have over our own happiness The role relationships play in long-term wellbeing What the science says about money and happiness Connect with Sonja: Website How To Feel Loved Book Instagram Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : ⁠⁠https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon⁠⁠
S1 · E66
August 23 · 56 min
How to Be a Man | Therapist Terry Real Breaks It Down
Why do smart, loving people keep having the same fights? Why does intimacy disappear? And why do so many men struggle to stay emotionally connected? Terry Real is one of the world’s leading relationship therapists and the founder of Relational Life Therapy. His work challenges the traditional rules of relationships, masculinity and couples therapy. We get into why the messages boys and men receive about masculinity keep shifting and why that confusion is quietly costing men their mental and physical health. We discuss: Why men need to learn vulnerability and relational skills What “fierce intimacy” really means How to stop fighting to be right and start fighting for the relationship AI, loneliness, and a generation craving connection The five losing strategies destroying relationships Get in touch with Terry Instagram YouTube X Website Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : ⁠https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon⁠
S1 · E66
August 16 · 1 hr
Mark Zandi: The Economy Is Sending a Warning
What if the biggest warning signs of a recession are already here and we’re not paying attention? Mark Zandi is one of America’s most respected economists and the Chief Economist of Moody’s Analytics. He’s spent decades analysing the economy, financial markets, housing, jobs and the forces that drive the next economic cycle. We discuss: - Whether a recession is actually coming - What happens to interest rates next - The state of the housing market - Jobs, unemployment and the future of work - How AI could reshape the economy Follow Mark: X YouTube Website Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E64
August 9 · 57 min
Everyone Needs a Personal Brand (Here's Why) | Caleb Ralston
What if the biggest thing holding back your career or business isn't your product… it's that nobody knows who you are? Caleb Ralston is a personal branding strategist, content creator, and entrepreneur who has helped some of the world's most influential founders build their online presence. Having worked alongside industry leaders like Gary Vaynerchuk and Alex Hormozi, Caleb has seen firsthand how a strong personal brand can open doors, create opportunities, and accelerate business growth. We Discuss: - Why everyone needs a personal brand - The difference between attention and trust - How to stand out in a crowded online world - Building a personal brand without millions of followers - The content strategy that actually drives business growth Subscribe for new episodes every Monday as we sit down with the world's leading thinkers to help you expand your worldview. Follow Caleb Ralston: YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Website Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E26
August 2 · 51 min
Why We’re More Successful Than Ever… But Less Happy | Hugh van Cuylenburg
Why are some people able to overcome adversity while others struggle to bounce back?Hugh van Cuylenburg is the founder of The Resilience Project, bestselling author, and one of Australia’s leading voices on mental wellbeing and resilience.Hugh shares the science behind building resilience and the practical tools we can use to handle life’s challenges, improve our relationships, and create a more meaningful life.We Discuss:• Why resilience is a skill — not something you’re born with• Why modern life may be making us less resilient• The habits that build mental strength and emotional wellbeing• How gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness can transform your life• Why success and achievement don’t always lead to happiness• How to navigate stress, setbacks, and uncertaintyA conversation about becoming stronger, more self-aware, and better equipped for the challenges of the modern world. Connect with Hugh Website Instagram Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E63
July 26 · 1 hr
How to STOP living pay check to pay check… | Money Mentor Graeme Holm
Most people think they're one pay rise away from financial freedom. Graeme Holm says they're wrong. Graeme Holm is a mortgage broker, financial educator and founder of Infinity Group, where he's helped thousands of Australians take control of their money and get ahead financially. He breaks down why so many people stay stuck in the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, even on high incomes; and what it actually takes to build lasting wealth. From hidden spending habits to mortgage strategy, cash flow, debt reduction and financial psychology, Graeme shares the practical systems behind his approach to money. We Discuss: The biggest money mistakes keeping people financially stuck How to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle Mortgage strategies that could save you thousands Why knowing what you spend daily is a budgeting unlock The habits that separate wealth builders from everyone else How to build a financial system that actually works Get in touch with Graeme: Infinity Group Coach The Money Mentor Book Facebook Instagram TikTok LinkedIn
S1 · E62
July 19 · 54 min
Democracy Doesn't Collapse Overnight (It's Already Started) | Anne Applebaum
Democracy feels like something we can take for granted, but few people are talking about how quickly it can unravel from the inside. Around the world, authoritarianism is on the rise, not through invasions or coups, but through the slow erosion of institutions, elections, and truth itself. It's a pattern that has repeated across countries and decades, and one that's now playing out closer to home than many would like to admit. Anne Applebaum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and staff writer at The Atlantic, and the author of Twilight of Democracy, Autocracy, Inc., and Gulag: A History. She has spent her career studying how democracies fall apart, and what it takes to stop them. We discuss: How authoritarianism took hold across Central and Eastern Europe The shared playbook autocrats use to consolidate power today Why democratic institutions are more fragile than we assume Whether America is following a path she's seen play out elsewhere What it will take to defend democracy before it's too late Get in touch with Anne: Website YouTube X (Twitter)
S1 · E61
July 12 · 48 min
The Future of AI Depends on This One Industry | Enaxiom CEO Reveals Why
AI is changing everything, but few people are talking about the infrastructure making it possible. As artificial intelligence accelerates, data centres are becoming one of the world's most critical assets. They power every AI model, every search, every chatbot, and every breakthrough. But they also face enormous challenges around energy, efficiency, and scalability. Antonia Collings is the CEO of Enaxiom, a company pioneering the next generation of AI infrastructure through advanced HydroCool™ technology. We discuss: Why data centres are the backbone of AI The growing energy demands of artificial intelligence How innovation is transforming the future of digital infrastructure The biggest opportunities and challenges facing the industry What businesses and leaders need to understand about the next wave of AI Get in touch with Tia Learn more about Enaxiom
S1 · E60
July 5 · 1 hr 16 min
Why The AI Revolution Is The Greatest Opportunity In Human History | Zack Kass
The Man Who Sold AI to the World: On Why Ordinary People Win the Most. Most people talk about AI like it's something happening to us. Zack Kass thinks that's exactly the wrong way to see it. Zack spent years at OpenAI as one of the key architects of its go-to-market strategy, the person responsible for taking the most transformative technology in human history and bringing it to the world. Zack pulls back the curtain on what AI actually means for your job, your kids, your healthcare, your education, and why the people who lean in early are about to have an unfair advantage the rest of the world hasn't woken up to yet. We Discuss: Why AI will become infrastructure as fundamental as electricity or the internet How AI could solve healthcare, education and housing where governments have failed What Gen Z actually needs to hear to thrive in an AI world Why AI safety has become the new religion Connect with Zack: Website: https://zackkass.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackkass/ Newsletter: https://substack.com/@zackkass Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZackKassAI Book: https://www.zackkass.com/books
S1 · E55
June 28 · 48 min
Nobel Prize Winner: Nobody Is Ready For What Quantum Does To AI | John Martinis
What happens when the technology powering today's AI gets left behind?We sat down with John Martinis, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, the man behind Google's quantum supremacy milestone, and co-founder of Qolab to find out what's actually coming next. This isn't theoretical. Quantum computing is already threatening the encryption protecting your money, your data, and the internet as we know it. We Discuss: Why quantum computing could make today's AI look like a calculator The science behind quantum bits, tunneling, and superposition explained How quantum algorithms could transform medicine, security, and industry The inside story of achieving quantum supremacy at Google and why he walked away What winning the Nobel Prize in Physics actually means for the future of technology Why cryptocurrency and current encryption systems are sitting on a ticking clock Academic papers: John Martinis' Nobel Lecture: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2025/martinis/lecture/ Quantum Computing Paper by Google: https://research.google/pubs/pub12345/ Michelle Simmons' Quantum Research at UNSW: https://www.unsw.edu.au/about-us/our-story/our-people/michelle-simmons Connect with John: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-martinis-5856911a6/ Official Website - https://qolab.ai/team/john-martinis
S1 · E58
June 21 · 1 hr
What Your True Crime Obsession Reveals About You
Why are humans obsessed with serial killers, disasters, and true crime? Dr. Coltan Scrivner is one of the world's leading researchers on morbid curiosity. We unpack the psychology behind our darkest fascinations: why millions binge true crime content, why women consume more of it than men, and whether our obsession with death and danger is a flaw or an evolutionary advantage. If you've ever found yourself unable to stop watching a true crime documentary at midnight, this is why. We cover: What morbid curiosity actually is (and why you almost certainly have it) The evolutionary reason your brain is drawn to threat and uncertainty Why women consume more true crime than men — and what that tells us The psychology of serial killers and mass disasters What your obsession with dark content reveals about who you are Connect with Coltan https://www.coltanscrivner.com/ Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E58
June 14 · 50 min
The #1 Skill Nobody Taught You | Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence
What if the most important skill of your life is one nobody ever taught you? Daniel Goleman is the psychologist and bestselling author who introduced emotional intelligence to the world. In this episode, he gets practical breaking down the four domains of EQ, why our kids are losing emotional skills to screens, and what it really takes to lead, connect, and thrive in a rapidly changing world. We Discuss: The hidden cost of screen time on children's emotional development How self-awareness actually works The gut feeling debate: when instinct is data, and when it's noise Why empathy is the most underrated leadership skill right now How AI is reshaping trust, in the workplace and in everyday life What the Dalai Lama taught him about living with emotional intelligence 🔗 Connect with Daniel GolemanWebsiteEI Courses 📚 Daniel's Books Emotional Intelligence Altered Traits A Force for Good Optimal Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E56
June 7 · 59 min
Everything You Were Never Taught About Sex, Love & Pleasure | Sex Professor Dr. Nicole McNichols
What's really happening to sex, intimacy, and relationships in the age of smartphones, porn, and AI companions? Dr. Nicole McNichols is a sex educator, researcher, and professor whose work focuses on helping people have more satisfying, fulfilling sex lives. In this episode, she breaks down what science actually says about desire, pleasure, and intimacy; and why so many people are struggling in silence. We Discuss: Why porn is giving young people (and adults) deeply unrealistic expectations about sex How loneliness and lack of intimacy is becoming a modern mental health crisis Why faking orgasms is quietly destroying communication in relationships The truth about female anatomy and pleasure that most people were never taught How AI companions and digital relationships are changing human intimacy Whether penis size actually matters (she settles it once and for all) 📚 Dr. Nicole's Book — You Could Be Having Better Sex: 🌐 Website 🔗 Instagram 🐦 Twitter/X Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E55
May 31 · 1 hr 3 min
The First 3 Minutes of a Fight Predict Your Relationship's Future | Dr. John & Julie Gottman
Most relationships don't end because of one big betrayal. They die slowly through small moments of disconnection. Drs. John and Julie Gottman are the world's leading relationship researchers, having studied couples for over 40 years, publishing more than 200 academic journal articles and 46 books. They are the co-founders of The Gottman Institute and the renowned Love Lab. In this episode, they break down what decades of research on thousands of couples reveals about communication, trust, and what actually destroys love. We Discuss: Why small daily interactions matter more than grand romantic gestures The Four Horsemen of relationship destruction: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling How to build and update Love Maps for deeper emotional connection Why emotional neglect is more damaging than conflict How smartphones are quietly eroding intimacy Whether relationships can truly recover after betrayal and infidelity 📱 Gottman Card Decks App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gottman-card-decks/id1071747474 📚 The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553447718 📚 The Relationship Cure: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553384393 🔗 The Four Horsemen Explained: https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen/ 🌐 Visit the Gottman Institute: https://www.gottman.com/ Join our waitlist to stay up to date on our events and connect with our community : https://boomstudio.ai/soniaandsimon
S1 · E54
May 24 · 51 min
Why Your “Type” Is Ruining Your Love Life | Paul Eastwick
Most people believe they’re clear on what they want in a partner. Science says they’re not even close.Paul Eastwick, one of the world’s leading relationship scientists, breaks down what decades of research actually reveal about attraction, dating, and long-term compatibility.We Discuss: Why your “type” is a poor predictor of real attraction The disconnect between preference and behaviour in dating How dating apps may be distorting who we choose Why love languages aren’t predictive of relationship success -Follow Dr Paul Eastwicks new Podcast here:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6D0q5uD...Everywhere: https://episodes.fm/1766543146Order his book Bonded by Evolution here
S1 · E53
May 17 · 1 hr 2 min
AI Won’t Replace You… But Someone Using It Will | Conor Grennan
AI isn’t coming it’s already here. And most people are completely unprepared.Conor Grennan Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern School of Business and founder of AI Mindset, breaks down what we are getting wrong about AI and why the biggest risk right now isn’t AI itself… it’s how slowly people are adapting to it. Conor works with Fortune 500 companies, training leaders to actually integrate AI into how they think and operate. His core message is blunt: people aren’t falling behind because they lack tools ,they’re behind because of behavior.We Discuss: The mindset shift required to stay relevant in the next 3–5 years How AI is changing the way we work, learn, and create The biggest mistakes people make when using AI Why we are prompting our AI chatbots all wrong Connect with Conor:🌍 https://www.ai-mindset.ai/https://www.youtube.com/c/ConorGrennan
S1 · E52
May 10 · 1 hr 15 min
How Mortgage Debt Is Driving Australia Toward Crisis | Prof Steve Keen
He predicted the 2008 crash, now Australia could be next. Prof Steve Keen breaks down why Australia’s housing market, global energy systems, and food supply chains are far more fragile than they appear and how rising debt is quietly driving it all.From the truth about mortgage debt and skyrocketing house prices, to the real impact of climate change, energy shortages, and fertiliser dependence, this episode challenges the economic narratives we’ve all been taught. We Discuss: Why rising house prices are driven by debt, not demand The hidden fragility of Australia’s economy Energy shortages, food security & global supply risks The future of work in an AI-driven world Climate change and the economic shocks ahead Connect with Prof Steve Keen: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ProfSteveKeen X: https://x.com/ProfSteveKeen You can purchase Steve's book, 'The New Economics: A Manifesto', Here
S1 · E51
May 3 · 1 hr 7 min
The Education System Is Broken - Here’s the Fix
What if kids only needed 2 hours a day to learn everything they need? MacKenzie Price co-founder of Alpha Schools breaks down the “2 Hour Learning” model, an AI-powered approach that’s challenging everything we thought we knew about education. If you’re a parent, educator, or just curious about where the future is heading this conversation will change how you think about school. We Discuss: How personalised learning is accelerating academic outcomes Why traditional classrooms may be holding students back What happens when kids spend less time memorising… and more time building real-world skills How AI is being used to revolutionise the classroom

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