Several years ago, I started “The Onward Project“—a family of podcasts meant to make your life better—happier, healthier, more productive, more creative. Each podcast in the group approaches that aim very differently, but they share a similar vibe. They’re fascinating, with great hosts, and they’re all full of concrete, manageable ideas, research, stories, and tips for how to make your life better.
I’m thrilled to announce that a new podcast is joining the Onward Project: Everything Happens, hosted by the brilliant Kate Bowler.
Some years ago, Kate Bowler was living an ordinary life: she was 35 years old, she was a professor at Duke Divinity school, married, with a new baby—when she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.
This experience forced her to reckon with her mortality. In a truly extraordinary way, she has grappled with this experience. She has a wonderful memoir called Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved. And she has a terrific podcast, called Everything Happens, and we’re so excited that it’s joining the Onward Project.
Here’s a description:
“Life isn’t always bright and shiny, as Kate Bowler knows. Kate is a young mother, writer and professor who, at age 35, was suddenly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. In warm, insightful, often funny conversations, Kate talks with people about what they’ve learned in dark times.”
The conversations are engaging, thought-provoking, and Kate manages to approach serious subjects with a light touch. Once you start, you’ll binge through every episode.
If you’d like to try an episode, try her interview with Emily McDowell: There’s no good card for that.
If you’d like to hear Elizabeth and me talk to Kate, we interviewed her in episode 239, and we talked to her again in episode 273—about trying to stay calmer and happier during the time of the pandemic.
And while you’re listening to great podcasts…check out the other podcasts in the Onward Project!
Side Hustle School
If you heard our episode 87, our live event in Seattle, or episode 268, you heard us talk to Chris Guillebeau—so you have a sense of what an interesting guy he is. In Side Hustle School, he talks about how to pursue a “side hustle“—a money-making project you pursue apart from your day job, as a way to give yourself more freedom, security, and expression. It’s not a part-time job; it’s not a hobby; it’s something you create. Chris is a Rebel, by the way. New short episodes every day.
If you want to try one episode, try the first episode in his Classroom series: “Goals, Agenda, and Your First Assignment.” Or for a great example of a successful side hustle choose any one from the hundreds of stories that Chris tells.
Chris also has a tremendous amount of online resources, so be sure to check out his site, too. Plus his many bestselling books, such as such as The Money Tree, Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days, The $100 Startup, Born for This, The Art of Nonconformity, and The Happiness of Pursuit.
Happier in Hollywood
Yes, Elizabeth co-hosts another podcast! This one is with her longtime writing partner, Sarah Fain. It’s about how to be happier, healthier, saner, more creative, more successful, and more productive in a back-biting, superficial, chaotic, unpredictable, fundamentally world. I love listening. Elizabeth and Sarah have the craziest stories.
If you want an episode to try, try episode 144: “What’s Your Personal ‘Canary in a Coal Mine’?”
They also have a very active Facebook Group, if you also like to connect by Facebook.
Do the Thing with Whole30’s Melissa Urban
Melissa Hartwig Urban is the Whole30 co-founder and #1 New York Times best-selling author.
On her podcast, she explores common challenges such as eating healthier, exercising, setting boundaries, managing money, recovering from addiction, healing from trauma, eliminating toxic relationships…we all have a thing we’ve been working on, but despite our best intentions, we just can’t make it stick. As Melissa explains, “this podcast explores what’s been missing every time you’ve tried to do the thing, so you can finally change the pattern and level up for good.”
We got a huge response after episode 52, when we interviewed Melissa about the Whole30 program. Whole30 is a very structured way of eating for thirty days, to re-set your body. As we discussed, it’s not an approach that works for everyone, but for many people, it’s life-changing (and I don’t use that word lightly). We also interviewed Melissa in a Deep Dive episode about giving things up.
If you want an episode to try, check out Setting Boundaries and Navigating the Feel-Bads, with Dr. Nicole LePera. It’s very timely, as we all struggle to set boundaries around things like coronavirus talk, work-from-home demands, and school requests for our now-at-home kids.
She also has several bestselling books, such as The Whole30, The Whole30 Cookbook, The Whole30 Slow Cooker, and The Whole30 Friends and Family.