“At Depth”

I used to be an idealist. 

Then I became a cynic.

I graduated to being a “realist.”

And now I aspire to become a mystic.

I hope I die an old fool who knows how to laugh like a 5-year-old.

When Aly first mentioned the idea, it wasn’t the first time it had crossed my mind. “Ben, you would be great as a podcast host,” she said with profound conviction, “seriously, this could be your thing.”

But I wasn’t so sure she was right. Partly because I don’t like the word “podcast,” actually. It smells of the early 2000’s and the outdated language of retro-coolness just still hits me weird. I don’t like saying it. But despite my great disdain for the word and for social media in general, and an ever-deepening desire to pitch this godawful smartphone into the deepest ocean, I have found the most meaningful thoughts and ideas of the past 8 years have come through this medium. The podcast.

So maybe, it’s worth a  shot?

One to Many, Sincerely

I also don’t like marketing. I don’t like being sold everywhere I look. I'm talking to you , whoever you are, who pays to put that bathing suit advertisement in my thesaurus window from the one time Emily used my computer to look up bathing suits this summer. But as “icky” as marketing has gotten, it has also found some relevant and meaningful places to live. Ergo, the podcast.

See, what I like about them is that the marketing part of it is really obvious, or it’s really logical. Whenever you hear a competent  person sermonizing or interviewing someone really well, it starts an organic conversation that draws us in. It’s very human and I like that. I like hearing thoughtful people have intentional dialogue. Most often I listen while working out, so it’s not like I’m really available to have a meaningful conversation myself at that time anyway.

I also like having to be a listener. We all try to talk too much, me included, but this one-way method really forces me to hear what people are thinking. I feel a part of it. Like a participant. I often forget that I’m probably one of ten thousand people listening at that moment, because the people talking feel engaged, not forced. They are allowed to say what they want and explore where they will. It’s sincere. It’s so pure. 

Conversations I love, shared with my favorite people

So with this backdrop of authenticity, Aly’s thought started to take root. I average twenty unique individual conversations a week, and most of them I’m trying to call Danny, or Byron, or Emily or Ray about it afterwards because I want to tell them how neat this person is and what inspired me about what I just learned. 

I like to share the ordinary brilliance of regular people with others. And in this “content-starved” day and age, I’m like the only one in the audience at the most interesting symposium you could ever attend. So, why not fill the lecture hall?

And so
the At Depth Podcast
is born. 

My heartbeat is just that simple. Creating a corner of time and space in which we can have meaningful conversations with some of the most interesting people that you wouldn’t have noticed or met otherwise. These are folks who are profoundly wise in simple and ordinary ways. My great joy in life is asking the kinds of questions that get these folks to ponder more deeply. That’s where people tend to shine most, and when you get a great entrepreneur or investor or leader or innovator speaking at this level, it’s shocking how much inspiration they have bottled up inside. 

Throughlines

The theme of At Depth is to proactively explore the throughlines that connect what human beings value to how they lead businesses, invest dollars, build brands, visioncast for the future generations, etc. We interview people of all kinds from CEOs to artists, from mattress-makers to venture capitalists spanning all the industries we’ve dipped our toes into over the decades. 

It has always surprised me how the greatest wisdom often comes into view when it’s explained by someone in a totally different field or worldview than my own. At Depth is all about exploring into and uncovering that kind of inspirational perspective.

My hope is this becomes a perfect medium for sharing a peek into this very interesting and central aspect of my calling as a “listener”. I invite you to join me every couple of weeks as we journey to the depths with someone new and wonderful. I ask that you, my friends, listen with care, send me feedback with candor, and find something to inspire you along the way. 

The first episodes will be released in January, and for anyone wanting to get the first one, you can signup here: theatdepthpodcast.com