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What does it take to be unmistakable? That question has lead Srini Rao to develop a best-selling book, top podcast and unmistakable brand. If he can’t answer the question, nobody can. We’ve known Srini for a long time - we’ve gone running with him, taken him on countless road trips and he’s taught us so much. So, you can imagine what a thrill it was to finally meet him and have him on the show. A little background: Srini’s former podcast (Blogcast FM) was the very first podcast we ever listened to. He introduced us to the medium and his current podcast The Unmistakable Creative is one of the select few we subscribe to. After devouring so many of his words, we count him as a friend - the true mark of a good podcaster and communicator. In our chat, we venture off into some interesting territory where we find sharks, surfing, spontaneity and the reason we all need to get started. We ask Srini what he’s discovered after interviewing over 500 thought leaders and creative geniuses. It wasn’t hard for him to distill down the trait they all have. Oh, you thought I’d put it here for you to read, nice and easy like that. Nope, that’s what we call a tease. Listen to the podcast. Just like Srini himself, it’s inspiring and insightful. And, in case his words do touch you, we’ve added a Srini-inspired Spontaneity Sparker at the end of the show. A little exercise you can do to pump up that spontaneity muscle and get started on your journey to being unmistakable. Did you do the Sparker? Wanna share the results? We’d love to see what you came up with.  Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. Got an idea for the show or some general feedback - hit us up too! We love to hear from The Spontaneous. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your desire to be more spontaneous, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll be happy to send along some gentle reminders. We all need a nudge once in awhile and remember - it doesn’t always have to be epic (like this week’s challenge) it just takes a sprinkle of spontaneity to help happiness happen. Special thanks to our guest Srini today. To connect with him and devour some of his ideas - check out the links below. Resources: The Art of Being Unmistakable   The Small Army Strategy  

Isn’t it crazy how at this time of the year, we feel compelled to make these grand, sweeping resolutions? It’s time to stop the madness and set ourselves up for success instead. We’ve got a problem with resolutions. Actually - we have a lot of problems with resolutions. We don’t have a problem with goals (we actually love setting goals) but resolutions… the whole idea is, well, stupid. How stupid? Let us count the ways… First of all - they’re firmly placed in the future. We’re much more interested in doing what we can with today, with right now. Also they’re so definitive, so black and white. Resolutions also don’t account for the unexpected, like life happening. Plus, the timeline is too long. And, most importantly, unless you’re different from everyone we know - they usually fail. Or, we fail at them. Nobody likes to feel like a failure. You might note, that we left out the obvious in our list above. Resolutions are not spontaneous. In fact, they could thwart spontaneity and they can stop us from taking advantage of spontaneous opportunities. All true. But, we’ve got a hate on for resolutions for a bigger reason - because there is a better way to reach your goals. A more realistic way. A technique that you use everyday - not just by some far off deadline that you’re sure to miss if you don’t forget it first. In this podcast, we talk about how we set our goals, how our approach allows for the joys and opportunities for spontaneity and contribute to our happiness (you know, the opposite of how you feel when you fail to keep your resolutions).   We hope our ideas will get you pumped for tomorrow and have you resolving only to never make resolutions again. Cuz, they’re stupid. Are you a resolution resistor? Tell us how you keep your goals on track without the use of resolutions. Got an intention talisman? Tell us all about it! Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. We love to hear from The Spontaneous. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your desire to be more spontaneous, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll be happy to send along some gentle reminders. We all need a nudge once in awhile and remember - it’s the daily spontaneous stuff that makes a difference. It just takes a sprinkle of spontaneity to help happiness happen.

What if there was no such thing as money? What would you do? The answer for these two travel addicts was simple; just walk and meet people. So, that’s what they did. Urska & Gregor Kelt are couple whose wanderlust runs deep. When they are not traveling they are working to save money to travel. Last year, they found themselves working. Working hard. And, not making a lot of money. Frustrated, they stayed up one night to discuss their predicament. When they asked themselves that one important question - what would we do if there was no money in the world (an interesting take on the usual ‘what would we had all the money in the world)? The answer seemed so obvious to them - they’d travel but without money, they’d have to rely on their own feet and the kindness of strangers. The next question was not one that really needed an answer - why not? From that night on, they wound down their businesses and began to plan their adventure - to walk 3000 km around Europe. We caught up with them about halfway through their original kilometre goal to find out what they’d discovered about relying on strangers, spontaneity and being fearless. Their story is inspirational for anyone wanting to be fearless, reject the binds of everyday conventional living and live a fuller, richer life (even without much money). We finish our conversation with a spontaneity sparker straight from the Kents. They’ve got the one question you should be using as a measure to follow your heart, be fearless and live a life you love. Did you find Urska and Gregor’s story inspirational? Could you do what they did? Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. We love to hear from The Spontaneous and we’d love to know if this story inspired you to be more fearless. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your desire to be more spontaneous, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll be happy to send along some gentle reminders. We all need a nudge once in awhile and remember - it doesn’t always have to be epic (like this week’s challenge) it just takes a sprinkle of spontaneity to help happiness happen. Special thanks to our guests, Urska and Gregor. To connect with them and follow their wanderings (or offer them spontaneous lodgings or a meal) visit their website: walkfearless.org

With the holidays near, we thought it would be good to talk about the challenge many of us face in maintaining our happiness - family drama. Time to put that spontaneity muscle to work and put the happy back into the holidays. For a lot of people the best thing about the holidays is family and the worst thing about the holidays is family. Whether it’s an individual you just don’t get along with, some old hatchet that despite being buried seems to resurface every year or just the overall dynamics of so many different personalities in the room - family gatherings can be a bit like powder kegs - you never know when they might just go off. We know there are somethings that just can’t be fix and we say - stop trying! It may sound simplistic but it truly is one of the biggest happiness solutions in the world - stop trying to fix the things that truly have nothing to do with you (like your drunk uncle’s racism). When we learn to acceptance and park our expectations, family dynamics get a lot easier. This is just one of the 6 tips we have for you in this podcast aimed at defusing the family drama this holiday season (or any time). Find out what other mindset shifts and actions can make this one of you happiest holidays yet. Plus, we give you a spontaneity sparker to do at your next family gathering that should help to put things into perspective, keep you present in the moment and foster more feelings of love. Just one little exercise that can seriously stop the drama before it starts. Tell us what you do to keep family drama at bay. Or, share how our tips helped you this holiday season. Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. We love to hear from The Spontaneous (that you!) If you’re having trouble keeping up with your desire to be more spontaneous, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll be happy to send along some gentle reminders. We all need a nudge once in awhile and remember - it doesn’t always have to be epic (like this week’s challenge) it just takes a sprinkle of spontaneity to help happiness happen. Resources: Here’s a link to the Party Games blog we mentioned. Need more inspiration tackling family drama? Have a listen to these podcasts: 009 Lower Your Expectations 008 Strengthening Couples Connection featuring Luis Congdon 016 Get Out of Your Own Way to Happiness 018 Deep Listening featuring Jennifer Swanson 024 The Mindfulness Spontaneity Connection

Most of the time when we tell people that there is a close connection between mindfulness and spontaneity they look at us like we’re trying to convince them that aliens are among us. Fine. If you don’t want to believe us (about the mindfulness spontaneity connection) we’ll bring in an expert! Courtney Sunday is a mindfulness expert who writes about the topic for publications including USA Today, Mind Body Green and Elephant Journal. She’s also a meditation and yoga instructor who runs combined retreats in beautiful places. Because we wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery - what’s the connection? - we dove right in to find out exactly what mindfulness is (and how it’s different from meditation), why it’s so important and what similarities she sees with spontaneity. It didn’t take long for us to start to see the many cross-overs between the two premises.   And, because we treat spontaneity as a mindset (as opposed to an action) the direct links were even easier to demonstrate. So, if you still don’t believe us after this podcast, well… tell us why! Plus, we want to see the fruits of your mindfulness inspired Spontaneity Sparker - dish it up! We love to hear from you. Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. We love to hear from The Spontaneous. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your desire to be more spontaneous, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll be happy to send along some gentle reminders. We all need a nudge once in awhile and remember - it doesn’t always have to be epic, it just takes a sprinkle of spontaneity to help happiness happen. Special thanks to our guest Courtney Sunday for blowing our minds(fulness). To connect with her, get a free meditation or enjoy one of her mindfulness and yoga retreats visit: http://letgobelove.com/ And, here is the video we shot with her trying to convince people to participate in a little spontaneous mindfulness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WosIQ5JJrQY Copyright tuja wellness

Adventure doesn’t have to involve putting your life at risk - you can have adventures anytime, anywhere with the right mindset. That’s what we discovered when we created and started practicing Zufall. We get a lot of questions about Zufall. A lot of the same questions. So, we thought we’d share a bit more about this idea, share some of our stories and explain how it lead to us living a life of little adventures. And, of course, we also get into how you can too. This episode is not about Zufall it’s about the mindset we developed as a result of Zufalling. We share all kinds of ways that we developed this spontaneous mindset and pack the episode with ways that you can too (NO Zufall dice required). Our challenge this week is epic. We want you to commit to 5 days of having mini-adventures every day. It’s really easy and we can’t wait to see how it works out for you. We’ll be doing it too so join in on the fun. #Zufall5DayChallenge.  Look for your #ZufallDailyRoll on our Facebook page and our Twitter. Don’t forget to tell us how you’re doing and where your adventure lead you.

Are we all just making it up as we go along? Yes! Nobody has a script for life and that’s why learning improv is a great way to make life a little easier (and more fun). Our guest this week, Vicki Eisenstein, is a chicago-based comedian, improviser, performer, writer and filmmaker. She’s an improv addict having studied at Groundlings, iO Chicago and Second City Conservatory. She explains how boning up on her improv skills has helped her on and off the stage. Improv is a more versatile skill than most people realize. It can be used in a business setting to blue  sky ideas, develop a team atmosphere and even solve problems.  We’ve also found that it’s incredibly useful in relationships and travel too. Plus, if shows like Who’s Line is it Anyway is any indication - it’s also a great way to channel some creativity. Improv is a lot like spontaneity. You have to let go of all preconceived notions of what’s going to happen, let go of expectations (of you, the situation and the people you’re with) and you have to be open and accepting of the way the situation is going - go with the flow not against!  Plus, it’s imperative that you stay in the moment. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? The other way that improv is like spontaneity is that the more you practice, the better (and more fun) it gets. Take our spontaneity challenge this week - adopt the main improv tennant (“Yes, and…”) for one whole hour! Start right now by saying ‘yes, and…’ to this week’s Spontaneity Sparker! Let us know how it goes. Hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. Or, just drop us a line - we love email. Resources: Connect with Vickie via: Website:http://vickieeisenstein.com/ Youtube: http://youtube.com/c/vickieeisenstein Podcast “The Eisenstein Effect” Learn improv - check your community for improv classes or groups. They’re almost always looking for new players.

Let’s face it, comfort zones are well, comfortable but there are plenty of reasons to step outside of them. In this podcast, we cover a few key benefits and give you some tips if you feel trapped in your comfort zone. The comfort zone. It’s an imaginary boundary but it can be as confining as a brick wall. Breaking through requires little more than the deciding to do it but that doesn’t make it easy. Everyone’s comfort zone is different and that’s step one in getting outside of it - acknowledging it, understanding it and figuring out what drives it. After that, it’s all courage. We’ve got several tips to help you muster up that courage in this episode. But before you can take those steps, you need to want to. The benefits of getting uncomfortable are many. We list off quite a few in the podcast but we were particularly inspired by Michael Port when he was being interviewed on the Accidental Creative Podcast. He explained that discomfort is actually opportunity in disguise. So, get uncomfortable. Seize opportunities. Let go of perfection and expectation. Be present and alive. Discover you more about yourself and just how flexible those comfort boundaries really are. What’s your comfort zone? What’s just outside it? Set a target and tell us (or someone, anyone) that you’re heading outside your comfort zone. Go forth and remember to send us a postcard from the other side! Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. We love to hear from The Spontaneous. Need a nudge out of the comfort zone? Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll send you spontaneity reminders and exercises on the regular.

What would you say to three week around-the-world adventure where all of the destinations are a complete mystery to you? There is something so magical about not knowing where you are going. There is a thrill in heading to destinations unknown - the possibilities are endless! Plus, when you get there, you are likely to have a more amazing and authentic traveling experience. For us, traveling without a rock solid plan or not really knowing our destination has countless benefits, including: Lowered or no expectations No pre-conceived ideas of what ‘should’ happen leaving us open to ‘whatever’. More interaction with local people and culture An ability to stay present in the moment and the experience of the place A better partner experience as we figure things out together, and, we can’t prove this but, A high propensity for phenomenal things to happen. For us, travel is about the journey, not necessarily the final destination. That’s why we were so thrilled to have professional traveler and kindred spirit, William Chalmers on the show. This guy is impressive. He’s circumnavigated the globe thirteen times with over 100 countries visited. In 2002, National Geographic Traveler dubbed him the "World’s Greatest Traveler." He’s also authored three books (see below) and countless articles on travel. He also created and coordinates an annual trip around the world, technically a contest, called Global Scavenger Hunt. He calls it a ‘blind date with the world’. Select participants jet off on a 23-day adventure that Bill has put together for them. When they get on the ground, there’s no shuttle to the all inclusive resort - it’s time for them to explore, interact and complete challenges in their scavenger hunt before they jet off to their next location. If you’re thinking that this sounds a little bit like The Amazing Race, you’re right except without the cameras, the chance you’ll get booted back home and panic and mayhem (okay, maybe a little mayhem - it is traveling afterall!) In this episode, Bill shares his veteran travel philosophy, gives us tips on how to really experience a place (not just check it off our bucket list) and reconnect with ourselves and humanity. His fervour for authentic travel experiences is so tangible that we should probably warn any recovering travel-holics that this will definitely get that wanderlust burning again! At the end of the podcast, we issue our biggest spontaneity sparker ever. This is our epic challenge but we think you’re ready for it. After all, you ARE The Spontaneous! Did you take the challenge? Tell us about your adventure! Got something to share (like an idea or an opinion about the show). Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. We love to hear from The Spontaneous. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your desire to be more spontaneous, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll be happy to send along some gentle reminders. We all need a nudge once in awhile and remember - it doesn’t always have to be epic (like this week’s challenge) it just takes a sprinkle of spontaneity to help happiness happen. EXCERPT for post (just reminder for Tim) What would you say to a blind date with the world? Our guest today, Bill Chalmers, is the ringmaster of a 3-week, around the world adventure and the participants have no idea where he’s sending them. We find out why he believes that traveling with a spontaneous mindset is not just thrilling but profoundly life-changing. Now boarding: armchair trip to destinations unknown. Resources: Twitter: @wmchalmers Website: http://globalscavengerhunt.com/   Books: America's Vacation Deficit Disorder: Who Stole Your Vacation? On the Origin of the Species homo touristicus: The Evolution of Travel from Greek Spas to Space Tourism A Blind Date With The World: The Great Global Scavanger Hunt

How many times a day do you say or think that you ‘should’ be doing something. That seemingly innocuous word could be getting in the way of your happiness. Not long ago, we posted a question on our Facebook page - “What is the #1 challenge you face in your quest to be happier?” A response we got from our Facebook friend Robyn Elaine got us talking. She said, “Releasing fear of the unknown as I stray from the straight & narrow (and icky) path of “should”.  We have to commend Robyn for bravely facing the unknown (spontaneity bonus points) but also for recognizing what a negative trap ‘shoulding yourself’ can be. It turns out, ‘Shoulding Yourself’ is an actual psychological term coined by psychologist Clayton Barbeau who described it as a cognitive disorder (yep, it’s that bad). The disorder feeling the need to act out of obligation not supported by reason. Think about that - how many times a day do you do something out of sheer obligation or to live up to someone’s expectations - often at the expense of what you really want to be doing? Okay, okay - we know. We can’t go around ignoring some of our most prime societal obligations and doing whatever our heart desires - that’s another disorder! Somewhere in the middle there is a healthy level of behaving in accordance with societal norms that doesn’t involve feeling bad every time you think you ‘should’ be doing (or being) something else. We take a trip to shoulds-ville and discover it’s not a very happy place - especially since spontaneity can’t live there. That’s no fun! It’s time you stop shoulding yourself and we’ve get some tips on how you can decrease the ‘shoulds’ in your thinking and language. Plus, take our spontaneity challenge and see how long you can go without thinking or saying should!  Report your results on our Facebook Page or on Twitter. Are you ready to join the war against ‘should’?   A special thanks to Robyn for the inspiration! Tell us what you’d like to hear a show on. What’s your biggest challenge on your quest for greater happiness? No shoulds about it - you NEED to sign up for our newsletter where you can get a lot more of this spontaneous mindset goodness. Signing up is like a pledge to be happier.

Are you listening? Really listening? In our busy, multi-tasking world you can be forgiven for half-listening but on today’s podcast we make a case for deep listening once in awhile. We are joined by the Communication Diva, Jennifer Swanson. She is an author and an expert on using communication to truly connect with an audience and those around you. She shares the concept of deep listening with us. It’s really just as it sounds -- listening deeply and intently to someone -- yet it turns out that it’s far from an easy thing to do. But, as Jennifer explains, it’s well worth it. Developing deep listening skills can lead to a more honest connection, increased compassion and a greater happiness. Plus, deep listening keeps you connected to the present moment and in a state of spontaneity. Whether you use it for good (as a gift to someone you care about) or for the not so good (eavesdropping - which one of us confesses to doing), deep listening is well worth learning. Listen to find out how. A big thanks to Jenn for sharing her brilliance with us. Please check out her book: What They See: How to stand out and shine in your new job    And you can connect with her through her website: Communication Diva or through Twitter: @JennSwanson2 Okay, so you read all the way down to the bottom but did you LISTEN? Tell us all about how you did with the Spontaneity Sparker - the Deep Listening Challenge! Share your thoughts on deep listen and we promise to deeply hear them on our Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter. Or, get in touch with us using the CONTACT page.

Is every second of your free time scheduled? It’s time to set it free by scheduling in spontaneity. In this episode we share a letter from our listener, Jess who says that she’s started to leave room for spontaneity in her busy social calendar and the results astounded her. Her letter inspired us and reminded us that free time is only free if you let it be. Are you suffering from social obligations, booking your days off as busily as your work days? Are you wearing your busy-ness like some kind of badge of honour. If you said yes to any of the above, then we’re also guessing you’re feeling pretty stressed. In Episode 16 we talked about what’s getting in the way of your happiness - and we’re guessing that if you’re freetime is feeling fully booked then that might just be what’s getting in the way of your happiness. Let us help you let go of the busy-ness. In this episode, we talk about making time time for spontaneity. It’s not a complicated idea but we still walk you through it so that you don’t have any excuses for not doing it! We want you to be happy and unplanning some time is step number one!   Spontaneous hugs to our listener, Jess for sharing her experience with us. It means the world to us when we hear that our ideas, these crazy spontaneity ideas that have changed our lives, are also making a positive impact on your life. Keep the love going. Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter. Or, get in touch with us through our contact form. In our podcast we promised to share our Zufall Original Dice Kit free-shipping promotional code with you.

So, you want to be happy, right? What if the only thing getting in the way of your happiness was, you? We speak with author about Marilu Holmes about how this reality is an epidemic. There are so many socially acceptable self-sabotaging practices that it’s pretty hard not to fall into that trap. We do so many things in life to be happier. But whether it’s working working hard to make money or dedicating time to relationships, we find ourselves still struggling to lay claim to that elusive ‘happiness.’ Some of us never find our way because we can’t get past the barriers. Marilu Holmes was struggling through a difficult time when she decided that she was going to get her hands on happiness and hang on. What followed was an interesting inner journey that resulted in her latest book “What’s Getting in the Way of Your Happiness.” The book is a collection of contemplative images and ideas that will help the reader identify their own barriers to happiness and find ways to remove them. In this episode, we dive deep into the common things that get in our way. From hanging on to history to fabricating realities to failing to love yourself - we break down those barriers. We also talk about the importance of being present in the moment and how Marilu uses spontaneity to do that. Hint: Improv and tango are involved! If you’re on a quest to find more happiness (and aren’t we all), give this a listen. BONUS: We’re thrilled that Marilu has offering The Spontaneous - that’s you - an amazing offer. You can grab her book for 50% off which means it’s only going to be $10 plus shipping. Wow, right? I think it would make a great present - can’t you just picture this poking out of a stocking in a couple of months? Here’s how to get this exclusive deal: Go to: Marilu's Book Deal Enter Password: exclusive DOUBLE BONUS: In this week’s Spontaneity Sparker, we mentioned that Marilu has offered up one of her beautiful contemplative posters. Sign up here to get your FREE download and complete this week’s challenge. Happiness & Spontaneity await.   RESOURCES: Find Marilu here: MariluHolmes.com

You read about entrepreneurs who were in the ‘right place at the right time’. That’s BS, they used their instincts and spontaneity to seize a business opportunity. You can too. How do we know? Because we’ve done it. In this episode, we reveal what we’ve been upto in the past couple of months. [spoiler] We’ve been building a business that started when we noticed a gap in the market and were willing to jump at taking advantage of that opportunity. Sure, plenty of businesses come from years of research and good planning but there are just as many that come from unexpected opportunity.  Take for example viagra - when medical scientists discovered that an angina medication had an ‘unpleasant’ side effect, they could have thrown it out and chalked it up as a failure. Instead, they saw the opportunity to solve a very different problem in the marketplace. These things can’t be planned for but, of course, the business part comes after the opportunity is recognized and taken advantage of. And, then comes the planning and hard work. Now consider if the barrier to entry on these opportunities was really low. Say, for example that all that is needed is a website, some valuable content and a really great marketing plan? That’s why online entrepreneurs need to be hyper-aware of spontaneous opportunities. There are countless examples of online businesses that seemingly popped up overnight because someone saw an opportunity and pounced on it. Yes, much work goes into these businesses but the biggest part of the whole equation is the ‘going for it.’ How many times have you had an idea or seen an opportunity in the market, sat on it only to see someone else doing it a few months (or years) later? The only difference between them and you is that they acted. They took the spontaneous leap. And, now we are too. Listen in to find out about our latest project / business venture. We’re very excited about it - not just because we think it’s a good idea or business but because our toned up spontaneity muscles made it possible for us to ‘just do it’. Maybe our little story will inspire you! Have you taken the leap too? Tell us about how you’ve taken advantage of (or missed) spontaneous opportunities. We love to hear from you! Drop us an email or share your story on our Facebook page or via Twitter. Tim’s New Web Business:    Podcast Performance Coach

If Cuba wasn’t on your must-go list before it will be after this podcast. Cuban travel expert Chen Lizra romances the experience and warns that visiting Cuba has a way of changing your life. Cuba has long been on our list but because we’ve left so many of our recent trips to chance (no regrets) it hasn’t made it to the top. It’s a place we’d love to visit and after talking with Chen, we are aching to go. In this episode we get beyond the postcard beaches and quintessential images of cobblestone streets and classic cars. Chen runs a boutique travel company and takes small groups to Cuba. She gives us her firsthand advice on tapping into the heart of Cuba. Listen in to find out why she thinks every traveler needs to adopt the country’s attitude of “Depende.” She also gives us the must-do things in Havana including how you should be experiencing dance in Cuba. There’s so much good stuff about Cuba in this week’s podcast but true to our (and Chen’s) spontaneous nature, we do veer off on to a few side topics including how to keep that vacation-y feeling alive when you get home. Be sure to take on our Spontaneity Sparker this week and it will help you do just that! And, don’t forget to tell us all about how you did with this week’s challenge. Drop us a note on our facebook page, Twitter or via our contact form. We LOVE hearing about your quest to be more spontaneous - a little bit at a time.

Have you ever noticed how many ads feature spontaneous people? For years, advertisers have been using your desire for spontaneity to sell you everything from beers to cars to hair dye to tampons (yes, tampons). With our particular passion for spontaneity, this has been on our radar for years. So, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring it up when we got together for drinks with our friends who also happen to be award winning creative directors. (Yep, that’s right, invite us over for a drink and you run the risk that we’ll show up with a microphone.) Lyranda Martin-Evans and Travis Cowdy are co-creative directors at DentsuBos based in Toronto, Ontario. Right away, they were able to name off products that have used spontaneity as a brand trait. They even shared how one brand discovered that spontaneity can be a double edged sword if you aren’t careful about the messaging around it. In this podcasts, they share their insights into why so many brands want to appear to deliver spontaneity into your life. Plus, they take the conversation to the realm of social media - where spontaneity should rule supreme. They explain how some brands get it wrong by not respecting the spontaneous opportunities that social media affords. Thanks to Lyranda and Travis for sharing their ideas and a few secret ways that they use spontaneity to come up with their award winning ideas. It was a real treat for us to sit down with them and drink in their spontaneous spirit (not to mention their wine). What do you think about how advertisers use spontaneity to sell you products? Do those unpredictably whimsical couples driving cars off road or the super-fun night friends drinking beer make you want to buy their brand of spontaneity?  Tell us your favourite ad featuring spontaneity and which one was a total misfit - share your ideas on our Facebook page.   By the way, we mentioned in the podcast that Lyranda is also a best-selling author for her book Reasons Mommy Drinks. It’s hilarious even for use folks who don’t have kids and it makes a great gift (especially for new moms with a sense of humour).  Here’s a link for you: And, while we’d love to take credit for noticing spontaneity in advertising, we’re simply not the first.  Here are some great books about advertising and spontaneity in case this podcast sparked something in you.   Hidden Persuasion: 33 Psychological Influences Techniques in Advertising Seducing the Subconscious: The Psychology of Emotional Influence in Advertising Consumerology, New Edition: The Truth about Consumers and the Psychology of Shopping

Whether you’re an artist, a writer or a musician you’ve likely experienced the slump, aka the creative block. Just when you need your muse, poof she’s nowhere to be found. We know how to get her back - it just takes a little seduction and maybe a dash of spontaneity.   In this podcast, we offer up some quick fixes that are like catnip to the muse. Plus, we chat with the unstoppable Monica Lee. She’s an artist, an entrepreneur, a supporter of creative biz types, a podcaster and she recently launched her own designer line of accessories. It sounds like her muse is working over time so we wanted to find out how she does it.  We chat with about her creative process, how she keeps the juices flowing and what she does when the muse has checked out.   Monica also shares some of the things she’s learned from interviewing phenomenally creative peeps on her podcast, Smart Creative Women. Plus, Monica gets into Be More Spontaneous spirit and offers up this week’s Spontaneity Sparker. Don’t miss her colour photo challenge that will help you  pump up your spontaneity muscle and seduce your muse all at the same time.   A big thanks to Monica for sharing her inspiration and joie de vivre with us. You can check out her podcast, her work and her fabulous new accessories line, XO Monica on her WEBSITE. Did you do Monica’s challenge? We want to see what it looks like - share your photo album or collage and what it inspired in you. Share if you dare on our Facebook page or Instagram. Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

A Be More Spontaneous listener sent us a note about an experience she had with some inconsiderate family members. They like to blame spontaneity for a whole lot of rude behaviour. They’re giving spontaneity a bad name, and we can’t stand for that.   In this podcast, we out their rude ways, share her story and look at that real problem of spontaneity gone wrong. Where is the line between responsible (good) spontaneity and the dark side of spontaneity where rude, inconsiderate, selfish people reside? How do you make sure you don’t cross that line?   We also question if some people are scapegoating spontaneity by blaming it for behaviour they know full well is unacceptable. Oh, it makes our blood boil! To make sure you don’t cross the line or develop a spontaneity bad habit we give you tips for keep your spontaneity far, far away from the dark side. Don’t miss our 5 essential for responsible spontaneity.   And, just for fun - we play a little game of RUDE OR SPONTANEOUS! See how our contestants do and find out how you can use this fun game to spark an interesting conversation with your loved ones (so they don’t end up writing to podcast shows about your horrendous behaviour!)   Thanks to our listener, [name-withheld] for raising the issue and sharing her atrocious experience. And, thanks for knowing that not all spontaneous people are like this!   We love to get email and would love to hear from you too. Have you had a borderline rude experience under the decorative veil of spontaneity? Have you ever dabbled in the dark arts of using spontaneity as an excuse? Your confessions, stories and opinions are all welcome!   Share it all with us on our Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter. Or, get in touch with us directly using the contact form.

Think back (way back for some of us) to highschool. Which teachers made the biggest impact? Were they spontaneous? We go to the source to find out what the benefits are of adding spontaneity to the lesson plan.   Finding a spontaneous teacher wasn’t hard - one of Tim’s best buds is a teacher who (no surprise) loves to keep his classes spontaneous. He’s a music teacher so that makes it a bit easier but in this episode of the podcast, we find out what the benefits are of keeping things fluid when teaching.  We also delve into the opportunity that teachers have to also teach kids to be spontaneous (both in how they learn and how they use their knowledge out in the real world.)   This podcast isn’t just for parents of high school students (or the students themselves) because this topic - the idea that spontaneity can help the learning process - is universal. And, if you’re a life-long learner like we are, then this should give you some new ideas on how to keep it up in a fun and possibly random way. What was the last thing you learned? Did it feel like a chore? Discover the power of spontaneity in the learning process and have a lot more fun getting smarter.   Stick around to the end for our Spontaneity Sparker that will have you heading out into the wild world of knowledge and spark some random learning. Here’s to life long learning (and spontaneity)!   Don’t forget to tell us what you learned on the Be More Spontaneous Facebook page or ask for a randomly selected location on that same page or tweet us using the hashtag #SpontaneousSparker.

We have a saying: disappointment is always preceded by expectations. Our culture has an expectation problem (some might call it excessive entitlement) and it’s leading us down a dark road to disappointment and depression.   But this podcast isn’t meant to be depressing! On the contrary - we want to inspire and promote happiness. Despite our propensity to expect so much from our friends, family, the people around us not to mention, ourselves, we can correct it. In this podcast, we talk about real ways to release yourself from the stress, disappointment and unhappiness that excessive expectations can cause. But don’t worry, we’re not talking about letting go of your ambition or your hopes and dreams. There is a fine balance and we aim to get you back to it.   It’s time to get real about the bad habit many of us have (and may not know we have) of allowing unrealistic expectations to limit our happiness. Plus, we give you a great exercise to help you let go of those expectations.   Did you do the Spontaneity Sparker? We want to know how it turned out for you. Do you have a picture to share? And what about this podcast - did it change your perspective on the idea that we should constantly expect the best? Are you ready to be a little more compassionate toward yourself and others? Let us know - we love your feedback!