Mere Mortals Conversations

Kyrin Down & Juan Granados
  • 4.8 (17)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Semiweekly

What is Effective Philosophy? Juan and I simplify hard to grasp concepts into pragmatic takeaways that can be applied to every day life (fitness, goal setting, work, parenting, travel, hobbies, finances, etc.,).

  1. Catching Up On Busy Life | Missing The End Of An Era

    11h ago

    Catching Up On Busy Life | Missing The End Of An Era

    After a mini break we're back and tired as hell. In Episode #521 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: being very busy versus truly tired, how priorities shift as life gets more complex and why sometimes the smartest move is pruning commitments instead of optimising them, reminisce on the “end of an era”—pinpointing a final carefree night with friends before marriages, kids and tighter schedules reshaped everything & maxing out your skills to learn what truly fits. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline:  (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:32) Today’s loose topics: busy, tired, and ends of eras (00:04:29) Work surge, funding cycles, and context switching (00:07:14) Time slipping: dating, late nights, and sleep debt (00:10:52) Merging habits: training with podcasts, dropping networking (00:13:20) Reducing decision fatigue, going with the flow (kids) (00:18:18) Meal batching as an antidote to micro decisions (00:21:24) The Springwood night: last carefree gathering (00:25:56) Complexity vs difficulty: why coordination gets hard (00:31:04) Revisiting UQ: inner child, fear and growth (00:35:00) Wisdom with age and limits of advice to your younger self (00:39:37) Practices over time: identity, social media shifts (00:44:21) University credential vs building ‘monsters’ (00:47:20) Purpose can wait; in youth, max your stats (00:51:01) Generational shift: job hopping and portfolio lives (00:53:38) Looks‑maxxing influencers and the price of attention (00:55:57) Capping off: embracing the thirties era  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    57 min
  2. Monthly Goals | June 2026

    May 31

    Monthly Goals | June 2026

    It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline:  (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:31) Juan May 2026 Review (00:14:18) Kyrin May 2026 Review (00:22:27) Juan June 2026 Goals (00:29:51) Kyrin June 2026 Goals (00:40:16) Fitness (00:45:06) Wrap-up  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    46 min

  3. May 16

    Fitter After 40: Strength, Tendons & Recovery | Chris Ryan

    At some point, the body sends you the invoice. In this episode of the Mere Mortals Podcast, I sit down with Chris Ryan, former Division 1 runner, fitness coach, Men’s Fitness cover model, former Mirror coach and founder of Chris Ryan Fitness, to talk about what it actually takes to stay strong, durable and fit as you get older. The core lesson: fitness is not just about effort. It is about intelligent effort, repeated long enough to become identity. Connect With Chris Ryan Website: https://chrisryanfitness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisryanfitness YouTube: Search “Chris Ryan Fitness” App: Search “Chris Ryan Fitness” in the App Store or Google Play  00:00 - Welcome to Mere Mortals 00:24 - Who is Chris Ryan? 00:42 - From sport to Division 1 running 01:26 - Why the 800m teaches toughness 02:26 - From athlete to fitness coach 02:48 - Men’s Fitness, NBC Strong and Mirror 03:15 - Mirror, Lululemon and building an app 04:41 - Why men learn about tendons too late 06:00 - Prehab beats rehab 07:09 - Why tendons need smart loading 08:16 - Marathon training mistakes 09:30 - The hidden cost of running on hard surfaces 10:00 - Why elite runners avoid too much pavement 11:19 - Zone 2 training and managing intensity 13:07 - Body checks and relaxed running 14:12 - What a coach sees that Google cannot 15:27 - Consistency as the foundation 16:10 - How to recover from a missed workout 17:05 - Heavy lifting after 40 18:39 - Pull-ups, grip strength and longevity 20:12 - VO2 max training and Hyrox 21:31 - Dumbbells, bands and simple home training 23:15 - Teaching people why they train 23:54 - Why people avoid hard intervals 25:37 - Run your fastest mile first 27:12 - Running form, heel striking and efficiency 29:13 - Four-minute intervals and VO2 max work 30:34 - How to raise active kids 32:15 - Making fitness fun for children 34:09 - Home gyms, pull-up bars and accessibility 36:27 - Building a fitness community 37:20 - Why community questions matter 38:53 - Members empowering members 40:36 - Chris’s expensive business mistake 42:04 - Why TV apps failed 43:36 - Let the marketplace tell you what it wants 45:01 - The overlooked power of rest and recovery 45:56 - Protect your bedtime 47:37 - Programming recovery into training 48:03 - Muscles grow when you recover 48:44 - Why 80% consistency still wins 49:43 - The habit most disciplined people neglect 51:07 - Where to find Chris Ryan  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    53 min
  4. Monthly Goals | May 2026

    May 4

    Monthly Goals | May 2026

    It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline:  (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:40) April review (Juan): running ramp-up, Achilles issues (00:06:09) April review (Kyrin): energy, social push and AI chats (00:20:55) Podcasting 2.0 update: AI slop, indexing, and curation challenges (00:24:51) Setting May goals (Juan): body, mind, soul focus (00:30:14) Setting May goals (Kyrin): energy, courageous conversations (00:37:31) Streamlining podcast workflows: thumbnails, uploads, automation (00:42:31) Thumbnails by AI? Tools, costs and what to keep (00:44:54) Interviews vs effort: where the time really goes (00:48:00) Always-on media: "Monitor the Situation" and live nuance (00:50:12) Fitness wins: 2-minute handstand and one-arm progress (00:56:41) Life admin rant: hail damage, insurers, and time trade-offs (00:59:30) Wrap-up and next week’s plan  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    1 hr
  5. Dreaming Big | Life Beyond The Average

    Apr 20

    Dreaming Big | Life Beyond The Average

    Can you succeed without setting expectations & goals to hit? In Episode #520 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: riff on dreaming big: how our top‑level life aims can stay steady for decades while the reasons and execution evolve, whether you truly need a “big dream” to reach elite performance, how to cultivate direction in your twenties by chasing curiosity and I tease a 20‑year out‑of‑this‑world goal that’s resurfaced from childhood. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:22) Decades, seasons of life and planning horizons (00:07:56) Hinting at a 20-year goal out of this world (00:10:29) Belief, luck, and the role of drive (00:14:29) Stumbling into success and the power of effort (00:18:14) Visualisation that works: mindset vs magic (00:23:01) Aspirations shift: presence over prestige (00:29:56) Massive Transformational Purpose and skill discovery (00:32:01) Follow your obsession? Benefits and pitfalls (00:36:00) Meaning, contentment and age (00:40:13) Small dreams, goals, and purposeful practice (00:45:26) Wrap-up and value-for-value sign-off  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    46 min
  6. Reward Thyself For Great Boon | Or Fall Into The Pit Of Hedonism

    Apr 17

    Reward Thyself For Great Boon | Or Fall Into The Pit Of Hedonism

    When does training become trickery become manipulation? In Episode #519 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: the messy art of celebrating wins, the difference between admiration and genuine celebration, how expectations can warp our enjoyment of milestones, how to separate rewards from celebrations, why minimum thresholds matter, and how to design simple, sustainable rituals that create real memories and why routine can quietly erase the impulse to recognise achievements. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:00) State of the podcast: cadence, book reviews, life updates (00:03:45) Milestones hit but rarely celebrated: listens, views, totals (00:06:50) From optimisation to ease: audio quality, AI cleanup, and routines (00:10:40) Gratitude for better gear versus big milestone parties (00:13:44) Tiny rewards after effort: beer in the shower and habit loops (00:16:56) Long‑term mindset: willpower, running mileage, and durable rewards (00:21:58) Birthdays, experiences, and low‑key celebrations for others (00:24:52) Do milestones create memories worth keeping? (00:30:00) Expectations shape feelings: two athletes, same silver, different joy (00:32:14) Should celebration be separate from expectations? (00:35:15) Rewarding effort vs outcome: half marathon thought experiment (00:40:05) Positive manipulation, parenting and intent behind rewards (00:44:45) Overblown rewards backfire: the doughnut race cautionary tale (00:47:56) Ritualising post‑run rewards without overdoing it (00:51:41) Wrap‑up: goals for next week and tongue‑in‑cheek yacht plans (00:55:18) Closing thanks and sign‑off  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    55 min
  7. Lifestreaming Ruins Your Life | Is 'Real Life' Interesting To Others?

    Apr 5

    Lifestreaming Ruins Your Life | Is 'Real Life' Interesting To Others?

    What do Michael Gerry, Big Brother and Clavicular all have in common? In Episode #518 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: broadcasting everyday life (potentially 24/7), how feasible it is to capture more of life with minimal setup, early backpack rigs to Michael Gerry’s 2019 year-long life stream, the pull toward performative behaviour, the appeal of using life streaming as a mirror for self-improvement, why human interest in real humans won’t vanish in an AI-simulated world, predictions on “life media”/consent challenges/audience capture risks and why intent matters more than ever if you’re thinking about streaming your life. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:06) Wearables and the dream of frictionless livestreaming (00:05:56) Social impact: cameras change behaviour and relationships (00:08:46) Predicted effects on relationships and self-discipline (00:14:56) NSFW pivot: audience shift, consent, and consequences (00:17:38) Costs, logistics, and why fame is unlikely (00:20:55) Community, new friends, catfishing, and fallout (00:24:56) Why even boring streams get views (00:27:50) Motivations: fame, money, connectionand a private pensive (00:31:02) The sexual attention problem and why lines matter (00:34:39) If we did it: gyms, runs, handstands, and zero-edit streams (00:38:53) The consent minefield and protecting loved ones (00:41:04) Audience capture and changing your life later (00:45:25) AI editors, multimodal search, and the end of manual cuts (00:47:18) AI characters vs human messiness: what viewers really want (00:56:00) Forecast: life media expands; humans keep watching humans (00:58:16) Try-before-you-go: real-time looks at venues and events (01:06:01) Housekeeping: Boostagrams paused, V4V still valued (01:09:18) One-person unicorns and why wed watch their day (01:11:23) Wrap-up and Easter sign-off  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    1h 12m
  8. Monthly Goals | April 2026

    Mar 29

    Monthly Goals | April 2026

    It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:33) Juan's March 2026 Recap (00:03:32) Kyrin's March 2026 Recap (00:10:46) Support Overview (00:15:55) Juan's April 2026 Goals (00:23:17) Kyrin's April 2026 Goals (00:38:35) Fitness Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    41 min
See All (782)

4.8
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

What is Effective Philosophy? Juan and I simplify hard to grasp concepts into pragmatic takeaways that can be applied to every day life (fitness, goal setting, work, parenting, travel, hobbies, finances, etc.,).

Information

  • Creator
    Kyrin Down & Juan Granados
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    782
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Mere Mortals
  • Show Website
    Mere Mortals Conversations