Michael shares stories from his own journey, from academic rule-breaking to the creative tension between precision and chaos, inspired by... more

Neil Pasricha reads from A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz, a novel celebrated for its humour and philosophical... more

Greg M. Epstein reads from E.B. White’s essay, Once More to the Lake, and Madeline Ostrander’s essay on the ethics... more

Today’s guest is Frankie Thorogood, an entrepreneur who has navigated the intersections of creativity, business, and sports. Frankie shares his... more

Today's guest is Dr. Angel Acosta, a leading voice in healing-centered education and leadership development. With a doctorate from Teachers... more

Jeremy Lent reading from the Tao Te Ching and discussing the importance of interconnectedness, the essence of a life-affirming civilization,... more

Katherine Morgan Schafler reads from Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” and discusses creativity, perfectionism, and trusting yourself. We explore how we... more

Today’s guest, Raj Sisodia is the FEMSA Distinguished University Professor of Conscious Enterprise at Tecnológico de Monterrey and Co-Founder and... more

Today’s guest is Will Guidara, author of the national bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality. Known for transforming Eleven Madison Park into the... more

A favourite quote of mine, a call to action really and one that I reference in How to Begin, is... more

If you're an anglophile and of a certain age, then you'll know the comedic operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, The... more

The year is 1888. Queen Victoria is celebrating her 50th year ruling over an empire on which, famously, the sun... more

Who holds up a mirror to you? We're all on our journeys forward, trying to figure things out and understand... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant W. David Ball. Get book links and... more

Vicki is the “Founding Activator” of Coralus, a venture capital company with a unique approach to reimagining the world of... more

Scott is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, a podcast host, computer programmer, and an avid reader. He’s also an... more

Kaya Thomas is an app builder and creator of the We Read Too app, a mobile directory of children and... more

Mark Brackett is a psychologist and professor at Yale University, known for his groundbreaking work in emotional intelligence and the... more

Jay Papasan is the best-selling author of The One Thing, which has sold over 3 million copies and appeared on... more

Amy Elizabeth Fox is a transformative figure in the realm of leadership development and personal growth. As the co-founder and... more

It's not just our tech-enabled world that runs by algorithm. We meat machines, we humans, we one and all have... more

With the new year, we’re doing something new with 2 Pages with MBS. Twice a month, you can listen in... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Do you have a posse of people with whom you create “good trouble?”... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Stephanie Harrison. Recommend this show by sharing... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe. Recommend this show by... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages One of my favorite songs is Hole In The Bucket by Spearhead, the... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I remember being in New Orleans some years ago where people were offering... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Are you living for 70 years, or are you living the same year... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages So how are politics going in your country? ... No, no, don't tell... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages ‘The map is not the territory.’ This is one of those obvious yet profound... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages What was your first dream that felt big? The first time you set... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I did a beginner’s class in ceramics earlier this year, and it was... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I often get asked how I sold more than a million copies of... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages As I’m recording this, I’m currently in Australia where we’re about two weeks... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages The very first hotel that I got quarantined into, I looked out over... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages What does it take to be an ambassador, to be a diplomat? …If... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages My great grandparents feel fictional to me. Sure, I’ve seen pictures and I... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages The idea at the heart of my book, How to Begin, is that... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages In today's fast-paced world, change is the only constant. Yet, how do we... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Tolstoy famously started his novel Anna Karenina, “All happy families are alike; every... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Kathryn Mannix. Recommend this show by sharing... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Brian Christian. Recommend this show by sharing... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Haesun Moon. Recommend this show by sharing... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Madeleine Dore.  Recommend this show by sharing... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Caroline Webb. Recommend this show by sharing... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages The previous guest on this podcast was W. Dave Ball, a fellow Rhodes... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Where do you find your people? I think I’m still looking for mine,... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I remember reading that one of the ways to become luckier is to... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages For the final episode, I chose a chapter that’s about resetting a relationship... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages As it’s book launch day, I picked one of the deep-dive chapters titled... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages My new book is on the near, near horizon. It’s called How to... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages My new book is on the near, near horizon. It’s called How to... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages How do you navigate the big decisions in your life? There’s a maxim... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Once, long ago, I chatted with Brené Brown about the possibility of writing... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’m working on building community at the moment, and I’ve noticed I have... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages A little over 6 weeks are left until my new book, How To... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’m the most amateur of magicians. I have about ten tricks, all of... more

Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Thibault Manekin. Recommend this show by sharing... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages For one of Marcella’s significant birthdays, we went to the Fogo Island Inn,... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Way, way back, when it was raining too hard to go out and... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages   The smell of wood smoke, particularly burning eucalyptus wood as I’m sitting around... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Growing up, there were a couple of my dad’s high school track trophies... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages One of the most powerful lessons I learnt was from the author Peter... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I read recently that there’s a drop in the number of people going... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’ve been very lucky to work with some of the TED Fellows, a... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I had a lucky break when I started working. Having lingered in university... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages It’s 1985, I’m 17, in my final year of high school, and I’m... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Our inability to think long-term is encapsulated in a system we barely notice:... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Who do you think of when I say, ‘designer’? My brain goes into... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Malcolm Gladwell famously made popular the idea of 10,000 hours of practice for... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages How are you labeled? How have you been labeled by others? And how... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages A question for you - who do you trust with your work? Whatever project... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Two things I love about Whitney Johnson are her relentless drive for self-improvement,... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages When I first published The Advice Trap back in 2022, it was accompanied... more

2 Pages with MBS is on holiday break until January 10th. I’m cheering you on for the rest of 2022 and... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I had two quite different experiences of a library when I was a... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages What makes you uncomfortable? And, how do you hold yourself when you’re in... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Actor Viggo Mortenson once said: ‘To be an artist, you don't have to... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages My first job out of university was with a company that specialized in... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’ve done my fair share of work in organizational development, some of which... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Despite its good intentions, activism can be exhausting. Finding motivation to keep the... more

Simon Alexander One reading from Brianna Wiest’s book The Mountain is You, and discussing resilience, self-mastery, and expanding your comfort... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I am an accidental entrepreneur, and as exhilarating as it’s been, it’s also... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages What skills do you think an entrepreneur requires? I’ve been mulling it over... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’m a bit of a geek about models, specifically the ones that reveal... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Atul Gawande is a top-notch surgeon, a champion for healthcare reform in the... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I still remember reading my first Nicholson Baker book, The Mezzanine. This extraordinary... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’m working on a new book about how to strengthen working relationships, so... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I am a charming man. It’s an optimistic view of who I am.... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Bobby Herrera, author of The Gift of Struggle, is the co-founder and CEO... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’m writing a new book that’s due for release in the middle of... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Keep this between us, but I have an offer for you. There’s this... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages Nir Eyal is a former lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business,... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages ‘Why bother’ is a question we ask ourselves at certain moments in our... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages    What does it mean to be a radical? Karl Marx had this to... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages What’s your relationship with ambition? I feel I’m both ambitious, and not. On... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages The book I’m writing at the moment is about relationships. I’m neither a... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages One of my favorite questions is simply this: How can I help? The... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages I’m just back from an extended visit to Australia, and as a farewell... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages   If you’ve read my new book How to Begin, you'll know that I... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. Today, we're pulling one of... more

One thing I don't mention often is that the thesis I wrote for my law degree was an attempt to... more

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages A young woman stands, one hand on top of a chair, the other... more

=> Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages If you had the chance to listen to my recent interview with... more

=> Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages  As a reader and someone who’s been immersed in business for 30... more

=> Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages ‘When a man turns 30, he realizes that his life isn’t working.’  I... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. If you’re a listener of... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. ‘Traveller, there is no path.... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. Picture this: King Arthur, the... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. Today, we're pulling one of... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. What’s the language you go... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. Of the little reality surrounding... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. A famous quote by Albert... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. If you were to summarize... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. You might know this fable:... more

On the radio the other day, I heard something that I can’t forget: “If you’re unhappy with the state of... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.   With so much of the... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.   I’ve resisted therapy for almost... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.   There’s no doubt that I... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.   What’s your relationship with ambition?... more

2 Pages with MBS is going to be releasing only one new episode per week from now on. Michael explains... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.   One of my favourite words... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. If you can imagine a... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. The pandemic has brought about... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. During the first phase of... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. Have you ever wondered what... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. It’s launch week for How... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. Today is January 11th, 2022... more

In anticipation of the new book’s launch in January, we’re reaching into the vaults to pull the best episodes for... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. I was in a mastermind... more

In anticipation of the new book’s launch in January, we’re reaching into the vaults to pull the best episodes for... more

In anticipation of the launch of Michael’s new book, we’re reaching into the vaults to pull the best episodes for... more

Ainsley Brittain is my co-conspirator at MBS.works; pretty much the other half of the company. She’s a lovely person, friend,... more

In anticipation of the launch of Michael’s new book, we’re reaching into the vaults to pull the best episodes for... more

Writing a book can be lonely, scary, and confusing, but one of the things that has been brilliant about writing... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. When I was in Lisbon... more

Octavia Goredema is many things; a British woman thriving in LA, a career coach, a champion for women, and a... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. We’ve probably all had the... more

Mark Bowden and I have known each other for at least 15 years. He’s a great friend, and a wonderful... more

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com. ‘We shape our buildings; thereafter... more

I had a few nicknames growing up; Flat Stanier after the book series Flat Stanley, which was shortened to Flat... more

One of my first business trips was to Scotland, and it was more like a nightmare rather than a dream... more

Briefly, at The Australian National University, I was a member of AIESEC, an international group of economics students. There were... more

Where did we get this idea of ‘the youth will save us’? What a burden for them, and what a... more

One of the influences on my life is a man called Simon Bailey. He was a visualiser; he’d show up... more

At the ANU Law School, I wrote a thesis about applying English Literature theory to reading laws: ‘How have what... more

I’m an accidental entrepreneur. I started Box of Crayons about twenty years ago because I had just been fired from... more

It irks me to confess this, but I am still in thrall to my to-do list. I’ve been writing about... more

I’m a reader. Not only do I love books, I love to read them in an old-school way: my eyes... more

When my wife, Marcella, retired from Box of Crayons about three years ago, she spent a bit of time feeling... more

Sometimes it’s just hard to wrap your head around science. How old the planet is, is actually impossible to really... more

My surname is Bungay Stanier. It used to be just Stanier, but when I got married back in 1995, Marcella... more

What’s the clearest memory you have of something from a while ago? I’ve got a few flash moments that come... more

I’ve just come back from a run. Today is a beautiful autumn day, and yet I missed most of it.... more

If you’re listening to this podcast, my bet is that you, like me, are a reader. You love a good... more

We don’t know about matter. 96% of the universe’s mass is unaccounted for. We don’t understand consciousness either. No one... more

During the first phase of the pandemic I experimented with a type of online gathering, which I called Cocktails and... more

Shell ran their first scenario planning session in 1971, and they’ve been sharing some of their insights since then. In... more

Now I’m in my fifties, I’m no longer calling myself ‘young’. That time has come and gone. Being this age,... more

Have you ever done a trust fall? The strong hands of your team catch you and support you, and in... more

Christmastime in Australia is in mid-summer. The Northern hemisphere traditions of ugly sweaters, roasted meats, and roaring fires really just... more

I have a new book coming out in January, it’s called How to Begin. The book is about setting a... more

I’ve never been that great at following a map. When I’d go hiking or tried orienteering, I’d struggle to put... more

How do you head for the heights and not lose yourself? Is it possible to be ambitious and strive for... more

I’m seven, playing cricket in my backyard in Canberra. I’m batting, my seventy-year-old grandmother is bowling, and I hit an... more

Jenny Valentish reading from William Giraldi’s The Hero’s Body and discussing the ups and downs of reinventing yourself.  How far have... more

Tom Vanderbuilt reading from David Epstein’s Range and discussing the art of beginning and learning new skills. There’s a New Yorker... more

Here’s a saying I heard once - it used to be hilarious, now I guess it’s just painfully true: “Inside... more

When I think of philosophy, I think ... lots of words, mostly humourless. So, it’s extraordinary when someone can make... more

Part of the genius of humankind, the very bedrock of civilization is our ability to have ideas and to share... more

Most of us understand why diversity and inclusion matters, in theory. But, how do you go from theory to practice?... more

Science and economics, two models underpinning society, base their theories on humans being rational people doing rational things. Yeah. You,... more

I started my career in market research, running focus groups. I was seeking consumer insights so we could find and... more

The pandemic has accelerated this conversation around the future of work in a way that would have felt inconceivable two... more

We are all investors. Whether it concerns our time, our focus, or our money, we choose where we want to... more

Do you measure time passing by years or by days? Did you know that an 80-year-old has about 30,000 days... more

Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Justin Trudeau’s father and former Prime Minister of Canada, famously said 'There's no place for the State... more

Does business shrink the heart or does it help it expand? Does it nourish the spirit? Can it even nourish... more

Have I ever been embarrassed by some of the things I've done in the past? Endlessly. Have I ever been... more

The belief that we have free will and that we are in charge of what goes on around us is... more

Much like Dug the dog from the Pixar movie ‘Up,’ we all have our version of a squirrel that distracts... more

Does doing your work add to your sense of humanity … or lessen it? In this episode, Luke Burgis discusses... more

Who's your favourite superhero? And now … what's the colour of their skin? Excluding greens and blues and purples, there... more

What power do you have? We know power can be taken and hoarded, but can power be given away? I’ve... more

Did you have rules growing up? As the eldest child, I definitely had some of the ‘good in theory’ rules... more

Have you ever felt like a victim of your reputation? You gain recognition for something; you claim it as your... more

On a scale of 1-10, how good of a person are you? Yeah, tricky question. And even trickier: Is the... more

There are times when I feel sad. My sadness is often accompanied by feelings of loneliness - I feel disconnected... more

Whatever country you’re living in, perhaps you feel the divide between ‘us’ and ‘them’ is becoming sharper. And that chasm... more

We all have labels - some are given to us, and some, we give ourselves. Christa Couture says that how... more

There’s a scene in the music mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, where one character reveals his amp collection. One, in... more

Let me be blunt: most of our learning experiences are TERRIBLE. They are not bad, just thoroughly, blandly, mediocre. I’m... more

Failure is well and good in theory ... but how do we become comfortable with it in practice? Ashley Good... more

We network, and we’re LinkedIn connected … and at the same time, we’re not known, and we’re not seen. We’re... more

If you can imagine a painter, musician or dancer, then you can probably bring to mind where they do their... more

“Living is easy with eyes closed Misunderstanding all you see It’s getting hard to be someone but it all works out  It doesn’t... more

“Human resources”

What is it to make a brave choice? Where do you find the courage to not only choose, but to... more

One of the most troubling trends among people who work for and in social change is the sense that you... more