Now. Your ideas don't have to wait now they of everything they need to come to life del technology, Ease and intel are creating technology that loves ideas, loves expanding your business eve. Solving your passions? We push what technology Gee can do so great ideas can happen right now, find out, how to bring your ideas to life at del dot, com, slash welcome to now. today, something you should know. What's the best seat on an airplane, be answers a little more complicated than you might think. Then how albert einstein changed our lives and what a life he wept. I like to look at him as the first modern day celebrity. He was the brad pitt, the car dashing sooner all road into one and again, if you walk out

a ten year old there, a fifty year old or an eighty year old, he say you know, who's differs intelligent person that comes to mind everyone's gonna say: einstein, all Would you guess women with blonde hair, make more money or less money than everyone else? A re imagined way to look at personal ambition. We really need to fix an idea of what invasion me you can search. it'd be ambitious about work, but I think when we get more imaginative about what ambition can be, we can apply that same kind of care, drive and vision to other aspects of our lives. Today on something you should know seems like, one gets to that point sooner or later, when you get tired of take out and you get sick of rotating the same couple of things for dinner every night and sounds familiar to you it's time to try hallo fresh, I'm sure you ve heard Hello, fresh now's, the time to try it hello, fresh, is where you get

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section of the plane, is the worst in terms of your risk of dying if the plane crashes, but the risk of the plane crash is pretty small in terms of comfort, the back room, of the airplane is the worst because well couple reasons the sea don't recline your by the bathrooms, which could be a rather unpleasant experience and you will be the last off the plane which might make it stressful. If you have a connection to make in terms of your of window seats are a problem. Primary reason seems to be that if you're sitting by the window, your less likely get up and walk around, because you don't want to disturb the other passengers in euro. But when you it still for long periods of time, gravity cause your blood to pool in the legs, making it easier for blood clots to form, and that can be real health problem, and that is something you should know This is,

a topic that when I first saw it, I thought it's not a topic. First, Then you should know we don't typically do biographical interviews about famous people, but the more doug into it. I thought this is really interesting, because it's about albert einstein who, when you think about it, he's like rockstar, but he's been dead a long time and people still reference him in conversation. Kids know who he is. He is like the benchmark for brilliant. People say about someone he's a real. weinstein depending whether there being sarcastic or not? You know exactly what is meant Albert einstein was and is amazingly famous and I'm sure you can picture his face in your mind, there aren't allowed. Other scientists or p in general, who have achieved that level of sustained fame. So how did this happen

so special about albert einstein. Will that turns out to be a great thing to discuss and here to discuss it is benyamin cohen, Benjamin And- he's pretty cool. He manages all of albert einstein's social media accounts. He is the voice, albert einstein on social media any has over twenty lillian followers he's the author of a book, the einstein effect how the world's favorite genius got into our cars are bathrooms and our minds. I benjamin both of you, something you should know hey MIKE thanks for having me on Did you I'm in europe that relatively young guy? How did you apparently into the whole einstein thing and end up managing his social media account? I was in college

and I read a book about einstein's brains specifically about when einstein died in nineteen fifty five, the pathologist performing the autopsy stall cracked, open einstein's had install einstein's brain and he was doing it mattered. You know he wasn't like Indiana jones trying to get a relic or anything like that. He was trying to study it to see what made einstein's brain so special. He didn't get the family's permission and the brain went missing for many many years, but I was reading that book and I was thinking to myself how come they didn't teach that in school when we learned about einstein like what else is there, but I am saying that people dont know about and that kind of sent me on a journey to find out as much as I could about einstein and so what is it just from your involvement, but it step at what is it that make him? So me, know what the word is, but I mean he's so evergreen he so right there I mean there's allow

smart scientists. What makes him so, special that he stands out years after his death. Then wait. Let me see just that smarter and everybody else. I like to look at him as the first modern day celebrity. He was the bread the car dashings. You know all road it rolled into one. You know of his era. He was the most famous person on the planet and I think you know many people had not understand the average. Joe did not understand what he was talking about, but he had this sweet, genteel grandfather, we quality, he always had a pithy quote, and I think people connected with that. I think he also came to become famous right around the time when, you, you had all these different types of media, yeah, newspapers and radio and movies we're just coming out, and so he kind I showed up at this intersection of of mass media and he was instantly famous. Unlike us, he was the most famous person on the war in the world at that time, and you know

Ninety, ninety nine, when time magazine was deciding who make their person of the century they picked albert einstein, you know over gandhi, princess and are the beatles or martin luther king or any of those people was his fame deliberate. Was he trying to be famous, or was he just so whatever that is that he became famous he hated fame? He did not like you know, going to parties. He did not like social graces. He is the walk around princeton in his pajamas, but he did understand that he could use his fame to promote the ideals that he believed him. He took advantage of that in a positive way and he became a really big humanitarian and, for example, when he fled germany in nineteen thirty three, as the nazis rose to power, he came to the united states and

We created an organization called the international rescue committee, which is and refugee resettlement organization, and still around today is one of the largest refugee resettlement organizations around today. Its helping ukraine in refugees today and that that's a huge part if his legacy, he was very involved in the civil rights movement. He didn't understand. You know he had left a place in germany at you know in the beginning of world war, two where people were others and people were discriminated against and he came to america and he couldn't Leave you. No discrimination was going on here as well, a different kind of discrimination, so he just felt it was a personal mission of is to fight discrimination wherever he saw it, and so he like, I said it was very active.

rights movement, he spoke at lincoln university, which was the first university to give degrees to black students. He spoke there at the commencement ceremonies even paid for one of the students tuition. He just really wanted to do every could to help. Was he rich not at all? Now, as a matter of fact, funny story, he made some money from the nobel prize that he won in eighteen, twenty one, but he had gotten divorced a few years earlier to it. From his first wife however, and as part of the divorce agreement she knew this was before he won the price. She knew that one day he would win the nobel prize, and so as part of the divorce settlement, she asked for all the money that he would win from the no it's. So how to pay her all that money. Some, he wasn't a poor person, but he was certainly not rich. You could drive by if you ever in princeton his house, which is about a mile from prince, university, it's a pretty small, very modest house, so he was a wealthy. Men are all so we

einstein for his theory of relativity, but but what in just kind of a shopping list like water, the other contributions that stein made. My favorite example of this is gps, so we use gps in our cars and our phones. You know getting directions, places all the time you know, if you think about the next time you have a pizza deputed, though every guy comes your house. He found your house because it gps and the whole without getting into the signs of it, namely because I'm not a scientist but the way if he s works, is you know you're moving your cars moving? The earth is rotating an essay lights and spacer are moving constantly. All three of those things are constantly in motion. An einstein theory of relativity came up with the mathematical equation to have all those things work in unison, so you could say that the satellites here that earth this year and you're driving down the street. We know exactly where you're gonna be five seconds from now ten seconds and help,

seconds from now, and so that's all because of einstein. What else in popular culture is is he was possible for orb or had a part in he had. Nineteen o five. He was just twenty six years old. He probably had he peak early. He added prolific year ever in nineteen o five at the age of twenty six the historian, simply call it einstein's miracle year and during that year, I wrote for revolutionary papers that just kind of turned science on it's head and have from those papers a lot of technologies came about, so lasers were invented because of those techno. Because of those papers, remote controls stemmed from einstein's miracle year, when you walk into a grocery store and the doors automatically open up again without going into the science has to do with light and a beam of light and a beam of light

is you walking in it opens the doors einstein came up with that idea. Einstein's theories can be seen in the stock market and whether predictions in camp who compounds like shampoo in your bathroom he's he's really everywhere. If my goal is, is kind of to show people that he's there. But don't you think that says somebody else would have figured out the grocery store door thing if he hadn't been there It doesn't seem like it takes an einstein to come up with that. One actually what he won the nobel prize for yeah yeah. It was not for the theory of relativity it was not for equals. Mc squared. It was because of his light theories, which sure I mean his light theories- are in the space travel there. Other everywhere has his light theory, so I think he does he well here that nobel prize His family were well deserved. When you say a lot of things have been invented as a result of einstein's work. Is it because

was trying to invent things for the world. or he was doing his science in his research and his teaching and it was result of that work that somebody else then invented this stuff. I would say the latter was a theoretical physicists. So he came up with a lot of ideas. He wasn't the type physicists, like you, know, wearing a lab code in other inner with beakers, and you know actually coming up with things from practical perspective. We came up with the ideas and then people will take those ideas and turn them into practical things. He did how ever patent several inventions during his lifetime. He came up with a refrigerator that did not need to be plugged in. I guess you can call it the first eco friendly refrigerator. He came up with a very he has a patent. Hmm, I enough I'd call this a technology invention, but he has a patent and expandable shirt so that you know when you eat dinner, like after thanksgiving dinner, you're feeling kind of heavy the shirt would expand,

and so he has a patent on that sure you see now. If, if you gave me a list of things that einstein invented and that was on there and it said pick pick one that didn't belong, that would be the one that didn't mean that doesn't sound like an einstein thing, no, not at all. now it is everywhere and, like you were mentioning earlier, it's not just sign. I his. He has been such an inspiration to people across industries, you'd. Look, I interviewed a bunch of actors and artists who look at einstein as their amuse. You know, there's been so he's appeared in pop culture, he's been in in a movie he's been in tv shows he's been in books. You know you don't that with galileo or even our shakespeare use, you know he just has that I qua I you know he has that everyone wants to everyone can relate to him on some level. You know, even if you're, not a scientist and again, if you walk up to a

you know a fifth grader a ten year old or a fifty year old or an eighty year old. You say you know: who's who's, the first genius who's, the first intelligent person that comes to mind everyone's going to say, einstein, We are discussing the life career and contributions of albert einstein with Benjamin Cohen. He is the manager of albert einstein, social media accounts and author of the book, the einstein effect if you're apparent. I bet that, subject of technology has come up in conversation with your kids u s. Cellular knows how important your kids relationship with technology is, and they ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital happen. Early on. That's why they partner with screen sanity, a nonprofit dedicated to helping kids navigate, the digital landscape and for a smarter start to the school year. U s. Cellular is also offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing

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Fi dotcom, slash s why s k. So benjamin it that isn't to say choir. You were talking about that. I, like I said, there's, there's a lot of really smart scientists and and yeah. Maybe he was a little smarter than but he's he's like this rock star and I dont Your stand, just exactly what that genocide qua ism, and maybe that's why we're calling it a genre sake, ache, LA exactly so might job is, I am the official manager of us einstein's official social media accounts. So he has to million fans across facebook, twitter and instagram? He's? Probably the most active dead celebrity on so you know John John wayne is on twitter, but he really doesn't have much to say you know Ellen on twitter marilyn Monroe was on twitter, but none of these people have

Many followers as I'd stay einstein has more facebook friends. Then Tom hanks and I think it's you know it is a shame quiet skokie. Why does he have twenty? My followers and Elvis? Doesn't or galileo doesn't or newton customer or any these famous scientists it people relate to him. I met and, like other dead celebrities. His stuff must be very valuable. There's a large market for einstein, relics at auction houses solely einstein's pipe goes up for auction. Its other bees are. a couple of years ago the largest einstein auction happened in paris, for it was over eleven million dollars. It was a twenty pages of his scribbling about the general theory of relativity went for over eleven million works well, we so I was so I was

writing, a lot of stories about einstein and the einstein. Archives are located at most people really closely associate einstein princeton university, which is where he spent the entire spent most of his career, but he was found. Most people don't notice. He was a founder of hebrew university in Jerusalem. He was one of the founders of that school and he wanted to quit his estate to them when he died so all of his papers. Everything is at the hebrew university in Jerusalem and the archives. They have. Eighty five thousand documents there they have is original They have the nobel prize there they have. The original forty six pages of the theory of relativity does agree stain on page forty. Five by I can tell you. but that's run by academics, the archives they don't really than that really into social media, and so they were. To hire someone who could post several times a day stories about einstein

and so they saw. I was writing all these articles in the they offered me, the gig, and so I've been doing that for the past five six years have been doing that, and you know just a circle back a full circle moment in this all started with meat. Reading about einstein's brain a book, I wanted to find out where the brain was so the eyes, and I mention the pathologists, stole the brain and echoed it up. It little pieces and was sending little pieces to brain scientists all around the world, but he kept most the pieces in mason jars and We're, like you, know in his basement and a beer cooler for decades and he died. In two thousand seven- and nobody knew where the with, where the beer cooler was with einstein's brain in it, but able to track down another doktor princeton has it now. And got to hold it in my hand, this jar of einstein's brain and in

it was a real spiritual experience for me holding that brain. You know it's not just. Ok, here's the last physical vestige of albert einstein, which in itself is kind of amazing, but it's what his brain represent. So he became famous, but was his fame, gradual or was there some moment in time where all of us in the spotlight went on, and everybody said, look at this guy absolutely so the day he became famous, I like to say the day he became immortal was made. Twenty ninth nineteen nineteen. Nobody knew who einstein was before. May twenty? Ninth nineteen, I mean nobody outside germany knew who einstein was before. May twenty? Ninth nineteen nineteen, so he had come up with this general theory of relativity, which quickly. You know several hundred years before him newton had come up with the with how the world worked. Everyone just believe. That's the way the world works, and then several hundred years later einstein comes along and says: nope I have a completely different framework about the universe, operates and that

his theory of relativity and nobody believed him, he couldn't prove it. He came up with it. Nineteen sixteen, I think nobody believed him and the only way prove that the fear of relativity worked again without going into all the signs was too. Photographic, solar eclipse and during a solar eclipse, the star as in the sun are aligned just in a certain way. That would prove his theory. so he sent out. He had astronomers helping him all over the world. There was a team expedition in Brazil and there was an expedition in africa off the coast of western africa that photograph this was the longest eclipse of the twentieth century. It was over six minutes long and they took all these photographs and, and those photographs proved the theory of relativity, and so they had this big press conference in london and they made this announcement and people were so surprised. They were not expecting it. The near.

I'm sent their gulf reporter to cover the events at the next day. It was on the front page of the new york times: Einstein you know trot, I think you're. The headline was einstein triumphs and ever since then he became this international rocks. Was he a nice guy He was, I think he knew it was a very empathic guy brain pathetic. He was the typical like we imagine absent, minded professor. He was always losing his keys. You know him, walk into a room- and you know, forget what he was doing. He got lost all the time. You know we talked about gps. The irony is: einstein had a horrible sense of direction. He never got his driver's license, use the love sailing that was the most full time for him, but just to be out in the water by himself, and he always got lost and people how to help bring his boat back too sure, because he couldn't be couldn't figure out there You mentioned a couple of times that the person who did the autumn the young einstein took his brain or how did he not get into

Well, for that, how did the family not scream? Wait? You can't take his brain. He ass, he told the family afterwards, a few days there was no and they were, they were furious because Einstein did not want to be buried anywhere. He wanted to be cremated and because he didn't want his grave site become The shrine in other people would throw worship him, as he wanted to see, was. Cremated are the very next day after he died, and then the family found out? Oh by the way we have this brain here and they were very upset and they tried to get it back and the doktor begrudgingly convince them to let him keep the brain and study it and but just the doctor he was a pathologist and I wasn't really a brain researcher, and so he didn't know what to do with it, so it just kind of sat there on his shelf.

Years and years and years, and it wasn't all the ninety ninety so late, ninety nineties, that he actually got pieces of the brain into scientists who figure ina, who could actually do serious research on it? At that point, you know einstein. The executor of einstein estate had died already that point, but this doctor who, when I say that he died in two thousand seven, he died feeling like he accomplished what he was trying to do, because he he felt vindicated, because some scientists did see that einstein spray will you make sure he has become a meal I guess he's always been since he's been around this part of our culture, part of the vote killer. When you call somebody and einstein you'd, be people know what you're talking about what did the dog in back to the future's name, was Einstein yeah and speaking of that movie, christopher lloyd, who played doc brown told me, because I interviewed him for the book as well, and he told me that that character of doc brown wasn't

by einstein goes back to what we were saying earlier. It's not just scientists who are inspired by inside, but its pop culture. You know depictions of einstein, inspire people as well ma bright. You look at the dark brown from back, future the hair, the white hair, the crazy hair. I mean deadly upheaval, wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was and his dogs name. Dynamiters, hello, yeah, like I said christopher. I said einstein was his template for that character, and he also told me that that's the one character of all the movies he's been in. You know, people come up to him and say it was an inspiration. You know I decided to become a scientist because of character and that movie or what a great story and the and clearly it appeals and resonates with that off a lot of people. You ve got twenty million social media followers. I mean that's just, but just amazing I've been, king with Benjamin Cohen? He the manager of albert ice. in social media accounts and

author of the book? The einstein effect how the world's favorite genius got into our cars are bathrooms and our minds there's only two that book in a show notes. Thanks for coming on benny absolutely this? Is I've been looking forward to this for a few weeks? Thank you. So much a k, p m d is people who make the difference for their clients with tat two teams leveraging the right technology to uncover insight that illuminated opportunity, p m d advisers and bid themselves in their clients. Business working together is true team members to help grow and transform their enterprise ready to make the difference together visit their website at visit, dot, kpmg dot. U s backslash transformation to learn more. the there is one word in the english language that seems pretty straightforward, not controversial, even admirable. It's the word ambition

Having ambition is a good thing. It is the need to achieve were taught to be ambitious. We want our kids to be ambitious, but perhaps There is another side to ambition that we don't talk about much and here to discuss that is ransford staffer she's, a journalist and speaker and author of a book called all the gold stars reoccur joining ambition and the way we strive. High rates heard welcome something you should know hey there. Thank you For having me, so you talk out our productivity culture, which I sense what that means that we work to be productive, that that product, but he bring success which in many ways feels very natural, almost human nature, you want to get ahead and be successful. You have to work hard, be ambitious. That seems by the way? It is that's the way it has been so how do you see it when I think of this? The first

thing that comes to mind. Is the idea that we are supposed to work our way into worthiness that, through how We work the achievements we locked down and our outputs. We prove that were worthy of rest of fine the space we take up and how we spend, time is connected to self worth, in the sense that the more productive we are, the better we are, and we see this, all kinds of ways by it happens earlier than we realise the connection. achieve and connection between what you produce and how you feel about yourself starts early for out of us, it starts when were children and when you think of gold, star stickers and school kids needing to be the best at a dozen activities and excel in the classroom, which of course put pressure on parents too, and then that transition is the higher education. If you pursue it, it transitions to work, and it spells out

coupled with a society that tells us always being on, is the best thing we can do slowing down feels unrealistic, if not impossible, and I think the hard part about that is its really broken idea of what it means to be the directive when we zoom out that's a really narrow framing of what productivity can mean because taking care of yourself as productive spending with your loved ones, is productive. Getting better a hobby that matters to you also productive, but those things are seen as extra or luxuries after we ve worked our way into them. First, what would be ideal that? What what is it that you are proposing, that's different than the way things are. What are you suggesting that that there is a better way, a couple things here? I think, if we're going to, port people's ambition. That means giving them the resources and support necessary to pursue their ambitions on their own terms. I think really,

in italy. We really need to expand our ideas of what ambition can be. You can search We be ambitious about work, I'm ambitious about mine, but I when we zoom out and we get more imaginative about what ambition can be and what back and look like, whether that spending time with your loved ones, whether its practising a beat whether it's getting ambitious about serving your community. We can apply that same kind of care in engine drive and vision to other asked of our lives and make it more robust as a result, but what, if you don't want to what? If does I can remember but when I had my first job and it was in the radio business and I love and I lived it breathed it ate. It slept it I there nothing else I wanted to do I loved it? What's what's wrong with that? I think it for you nothing's wrong with that. I think what I've in play out in my reporting, is that a lot of a narrow idea of size,

it means to be ambitious within those confines, isn't working for a lot of people, and I What comes through is that there is not a one size fits all definition of any of these things of what it means to be ambitious of what it means to be productive. I think, if some wants to poor their whole heart in there identity and their whole self into work? Then that's a valid choice if it feels right for them. I also don't think that should be the expectation for all of us, and I think that by broadening our idea of what it means to be ambitious, we give people the space to make that choice for themselves. You really think that that there is this expectation that everybody, excel in, thing in issue like who sets that expectation. I think our system It says that expectation is for everyone. I think we have a lot of specific and defined irc types of what it means to be successful and timelines on which to do it. I think it looks like being

a star student and a star at your extracurricular and knowing exactly what you want a major and when you go to college and graduating in four years. I think it looks like entering one career path and going up that career. adder with very little exploration along the way, and that certainly to say everyone does that, but I do think that that remains the stereotype of what it means to be successful, and I think that that only not only overlap the structural components and barriers along the way. But again, I think it is That's our ideas of how we discover new paths, didn't, discover new things were good. I think it strips away an element of curiosity that, in my opinion, is really important for ambition it. Though, like if you want yet in two? Let's say I really press ages college. You have got to work like crazy to get your grades up to get to do all the ducks in a row that you need to to get in college, if you don't

if you say well, you know I have things I need to pursue, and I need to do that these other things you're not going to get in you're not doing what you need to do, because those are the requirements to get it now. I dont disagree with that at all, but I would argue, the idea of a really prestigious college varies based on the needs of a student. You know for myself. I wasn't concerned about the reputation of the school I attended, as I was the other parts of my life that were happening at the time. The job that I had beneath that I had the reality he's of working? While I was in school all factored into my college choice? I think that the broader point there is that we think of invasion only as working hard in one specific way in my opinion we just lose out on a lot for a lot of people, an absolutely looks like committing themselves to following a dream and

academia or in work or in these things that are considered traditionally successful, and I think that for a lot of people in, it looks like something else and that both are valid, it sounds like what your offer you basically an invitation to get out of the rat race to step off the treadmill There are other ways to go if you're feeling stuck in that, but but if you are stuck in mad like how do you do this? Do you move from where, from that, the more traditional conventional definition of ambition to your day, the mission of ambition. How do you that transition- that's a great question, because a lot of systems uphold one idea of achievement. It does feel very much like stepping off the wheel or kind of going against the grain to do something a certain way. But when I spoke to people, I heard of a couple key thing number one, instead of separating things out

like thinking what I'm going to work less, I'm going to do less, something that I thought was really interesting with how many people talked about adding things in that when they prioritized friendship and fine. An hobbes and these things that we think of this kind of being on the sidelines of our lives, is being extra, are after thoughts. by centering them. It made them feel much more. Fulfil the much more engaged and more productive in those spaces. I think number two, setting your own idea of milestones is really important, because we have quite the social script that tells us what it looks like. To achieve something in when we ought to achieve it. I would encourage people to step back and think of what matters to them in terms of the future of their lives, and that might very well be something like graduating college or a big achievement at work, but it can also be lot smaller and making time deposit and celebrate those smaller wins goes

long way in terms of not just rethinking your ambition, but also making sure that you feel system in and supported along the way which fires you up to whatever your pursuing keep going on your own timeline. What if you want to do something, though that requires the more conventional ambition. If you want to be a doctor, you gotta go to medical school. You that, as you know, you're gonna be workin, pretty hard. You're not gonna, be having a lot of time for friends and hobbes, because that's what it takes to become a doctor, you can't say: well, I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna re prioritize this and not go too far, this week and you can't do that. No, but I also don't think anyone's being asked to. I think it goes back to the idea that we have different needs at different points of our lives and if especially, if you're in a career, that's intensive, like you're in the medical profession, theirs and down. the legal and to be points of life where your work gets the most of you, it gets the most time it gets the most energy. I think that thing

in consciously about those trade offs is really important and I even think it's important from a work perspective. So you know why you're putting and all that effort and why it matters to you so much I have to say I also spoke to people in the medical profession and they talked a lot about how having things like hobbes or other outlets. or staying in the moment and focusing on what they're doing as they're doing it do actually help them again, I'm sure this looks a little bit different for everyone, but I dont think that the solution is dont work hard or don't do what you need do especially in a career matters to your in something you're passionate about. I think it's about giving more people the upper edge opportunity to do those things, but you can understand, though, that that when I hear you talk it, it does sound like you're telling people not work so hard. I'm sure that's how some people worry that I have absolutely. No doubt I don't think that's what came

in the conversations I had with people when I think about some of the individuals I spoke to the idea of them. Now working hard of them. Not caring of them not being invested, really does seem laughable but I also am of the opinion that people should not have to work so impossibly hard and overwork. More specifically, in order to live a safe and fulfilled life this all begins. You know it seems to begin in school where, where you have to be somewhat competitive, you have to get good grades on your papers in and do well on tests that you need. So you have to be ambitious to be at the top of your class, and so it seems like it starts there and that kind of sets the tone for the rest of your life. I do

It starts a very early. I think that this one specific idea of ambition starts long before we might use the word ambitious, especially when thinking about children, but I also think There is a lot to be said for not ever student is going to be at the top of the class. That's not possible! wouldn't be a topic of the class. So I wonder a lot about how it would look if it was focused more on every student being able to foster. If they're interested in how they invest, time and knowledge and how those skills play out and putting them in environments where that's really supported and encouraged and teachers are compensated accordingly, which kind of takes the competitiveness out of it. But removes none of the hard work or discipline required to practice something and be good at it

That may I get that. That's that's important and I think that the undercurrent of all of this or a lot of this is if you're not ambitious. If you dont work hard, if you don't focus on that, You will suffer that their you What have the money? You won't? Have the power stage in life that that there's a there's a meant him underneath. All of this is pushing people big. I guess out of fear, I think Out of it is fear and the idea that we can work our way in to safety and security, which is just fundamentally not true for a lot of people, and I think that work harder is. then it is the solution in a lot of different directions. If you're working a job its abusive or under pays, you you're supposed to work harder to find a different job if you're working a job you like, but maybe you're a little burn out where you dont know what to do next, you're supposed to work harder, and to prove yourself long enough to get to take a rest, and I think that

when we kind of zoom out and think about what that does it's not so much about hard work as it is about people trying to hang on and when I think about the ideas, we lose out on the things that we missed from people in terms of their talents and their gifts and the things they share with the world. That's what I think of when I think of the idea that we can accomplish or achieve our way into security. We ve seen time and time again that play out in society is completely untrue and for a lot of us completely impossible, and so again, if more people had access to resources, benefits like time off, they'd have more opportunities to be ambitious about more things. I like what you're saying, because it for myself have always been

she's in the more traditional sense, and- and I know that I bet you always have this thing in the back of your mind- that if you don't someone's gonna overtake you someone's it like you, ve gotta stay focused in. I think that's the way. A lot of people are that that you know work first and then, if there's time for everything else. I do think that that's a really common mentality and look if that works for someone. If that genuinely fulfils them, I think that they should have every opportunity to pursue it in that direction. I think when I think about this, though, I think that's a really narrow definition of what it means to be successful or what it means to be productive and work hard and I'm more interested in how we create. Spaces, for people to think about ambition or chasing their dreams are doing these things. They require a lot of dr that are not necessarily inherently connected to work. A lot.

That c drive is the is that force that we haven't really talked about, but but, and some people have a lot more of it than others, and I think that helps to or the that partly responsible for which way you go and how fast you get there is is, is how driven you are and see I think a lot of it depends on on structures, because I can be as as driven as I want, but if I dont have some sort of support along the way people helping me getting from point a to point b, I'm not sure I've matters as much and that's not to say it doesn't matter at all. I think I admire so many people who have said you drive and such commitment when how they think about the world, but I also don't think that dr weir, talent alone. Are the end because, in terms of where someone ends up, I think it is a much bigger, broader picture of the contacts thing

this then, and the support they have that fosters that drive that encourages those too once that opens those doors. I think the context that really matters, but if you, If europe say you wanna be a guitar player and you don't practice and make it a real focus you want to develop other things in your life, your friendship, your hobbes and everything else, but you, you still have to bid. You still have to put in the time to become a great guitar player or you won't become a great qatar player I think, of course you have to put in the time and the effort- I you know, I think about this in myself. In terms of writing, I obviously really wanted to be a writer, and I spent a lot of time practicing that fast. during that skill, sat trying to learn as much as I could, which is something I will be trying to do for ever learn from every conversation, learn as much as I can and figure out how to practice that in my own writing. But I also think that,

One of the reasons that I have been able to write. The way I have been is because a lot of people took chances on me. A lot of people were willing to men tore me. They were willing to open doors for me, and so I dont think it was just about. how much time and energy and effort I put an. I think that there is a lot of luck and a lot of grace from other people. Inherent in that and again It depends on the individual. I can only speak for myself and the conversations that I had during my reporting by pouring down into other things thinking about the world differently because of the conversations I was having in those spaces made me in my opinion, a better writer and a better thinker than I was before and so I think, a lot of the time, even if you're not focused specifically in a moment on practising a concrete skill, a lot of the time the expiring

this is your having in your life, come into play to foster that in very unexpected ways. I think, though, to that when you, that people helped you along the way people tend to help people where they see some potential. They're, not gonna, help somebody if they'd. If they don't see that you, you ve, got that whatever. That is. though, that it thing that that you know I mean I mean that that they clearly it as a writer you, you have something that people recognise and that's a talent. They were willing to help. You foster- and I think I'll always be grateful to them, for helping me foster that I think the question kind of preoccupies. A lot of my time is what does it mean for someone to have potential and who got the opportunity to develop it, because I dont think that I just

was born on this earth, with its specific skills that I think that a lot of my time and energy went into it for sure. But I also think that I was in a position where I had people who encouraged me to be curious, encouraged me to keep trying. Even when I failed and really spectacular ways, and not everyone that our systems are not set up for everyone to have that. So I think that we lose out on the potential of a lot of spectacularly talented people in a lot of different fields because of lack of access, lack of resources and lack of support So let me ask you to sum this up, because you're really kind of re, imagining the concept ambition for many of us, So. What is that vision? What is it that you see ambition to be we re imagining ambition, looks like getting more ambitious about more things. I think it looks like investing in your committee, your friendship,

your colleagues, the people around you with the same sense of drive and care as you would work accomplishment. I think that back and look at both as putting standing at check in call with a friend on your calendar every week. I think it can look like reaching out to people to let them know how much you love their work or something that you're really grateful for that they ve done for you in your life. I think it looks like practicing hobby doing something beyond work, that's interesting and in terms of work, I think it also. like broadening what it means to be ambitious about that? How can we move beyond just our individual accomplishments and make work more collective and open doors for more people well. This is certainly a different and fresh way of looking at ambition, and kind opens up a lot of opportunities. So I appreciate you, come on. Ransford has been making

she's, a journalist and speaker and the name of her book is all the gold stars re imagining ambition and the way we strive, and there is a link to that book in the show notes. Thank you for coming rainsford? Thank you so much I appreciate it. the it true. Blonds have more fun maybe, but it is true, blondes make more money. A survey looked at thirty. Thousand women over the span of twenty seven years, and here are some of the results of that survey. Blondes, each the other women on test scores and education blondes had the highest percentage of college degrees and masters diplomas. Blondes ages were seven percent higher and blondes. spouses earned six said more than other husbands, brunettes scored the highest on self esteem and reported feeling the most respected at work. Redheads head

dr and log, the most the job hours, and that is something you should know, there are two things you can do to help support this podcast. Why This is to do business with our advertisers their great. advertisers, they have great products and if what they are selling, it's good to you, I hope you'll buy them, and, secondly, tell someone about this podcast to help grow our audience, If everyone would tell one person, we would have a lot of new listeners. I might carruthers thanks for this Today to something you should know, acting benjamin's with Joe and his good friend oji. Not only has great financial insight. Its lay back with humour to the LE pen's owe so much survey I wanted to know. Was it really cheaper to around bag it every day, or was it cheaper to go through these school lunch? The most expensive sandwich of all forty six percent increase is the first time a sandwich has ever touched. Five bucks

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