People Who Are Good at What They Do Being Good at What They Do

Russell McFarlane
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I dive into the ties that bind us together: table games, movies, music, video games, mountain biking, healthcare, religion, comedy, and work.

  1. 03/31/2025

    S3 E1 Movies For When Crossover Event

    Do you love movies? Come on a journey all about movies and how they intersect our lives. After some introductory remarks, Denny and I discuss movies (1917, Sorry to Bother You, Spiderman Across the Spiderverse, Alone, Incredibles 2, The Creator, Squaring the Circle, Umbrella Academy, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, X-men Origins Wolverine, Wolverine and Deadpool, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, X-men, X-men 2, Bob Marley One Love, Bohemian Rhapsody, Boy George, Oppenheimer, The Imitation Game, Stand By Me,) broadly in "what are you watching lately" section. Later, (The Royal Tennenbaums, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). For the main course, we discuss the finer points of Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film "The Fabelmans". "It's like letting them read your soul's journal and just praying they don't laugh at it." (Denny Taylor) This gives way into a discussion about life and about our lives, specifically. We make time to touch on other directors Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and a host of other things.

    2h 8m
  2. S2 E21 Mark Barnett - Summer Camp at CLH

    08/14/2024

    S2 E21 Mark Barnett - Summer Camp at CLH

    Mark and I discuss the nuances of what makes camp... camp. Camp Longhorn has a storied history that has affected us both personally. So, we take time to figure out what it all means. We discuss everything from merits, Blob technique, stories about Tex, grotnot, the Sail-O, pickleball, Ropes, Hoss, the Ranger trip, King of Camp, Favorite Marine, Favorite Counselor. There is a lot to unpack, and we try to unwrap it for you. Finally, Mark makes a prediction about 4th Term weather, since that is when he heads back for his 27th year working professionally for CLH. After working for Camp Longhorn for 27 years professionally, and a connection spanning back to his childhood starting 33 years ago, Mark and I discuss the essence of camp. I find myself flipping back-and-forth between the feelings of: camp counselor, camper, and interviewer.

    1h 16m
  3. S2 E20 Syed pa 2 of 2 - Cooking, Board Games, and Mentorship

    06/17/2024

    S2 E20 Syed pa 2 of 2 - Cooking, Board Games, and Mentorship

    Listen to the passion in Syed's voice as he tries to move you toward wanting to cook more. He shares the virtuous cycle idea that cooking begets more cooking, and more enjoyment out of that cooking. Syed has married his passion for cooking with a passion for board games, and finds himself reveling in the gift of sharing his love of food and games with close friends. Likewise, he feels similarly passionate about mentorship. He shares some tips and tricks for people coming up as tech workers, coding engineers, and more broadly with young workers in general.

    51 min
  4. S2 E19 Syed Ashrafulla pa 1 of 2 - Food

    06/04/2024

    S2 E19 Syed Ashrafulla pa 1 of 2 - Food

    Syed and I go on a food journey around the world. Sushi in Japan. Bánh mì in Vietnam. We play an elimination game in the style of the Elite 8, wherein Syed has to pick the best dish. Then, we play a Jeopardy!-style trivia game, where Syed is challenged to come up with the names of seemingly obscure or novel foods. Syed name-drops "House of Three Gorges" restaurant, which I have since eaten the Dry Pot, and it's delicious. He gives practical advice on finding your inner cook. Then, we find the intersection between the journey of cooking, Bob Ross's painting style, and the development of dental skills all seem to meet.

    44 min
  5. S2 E18 Brian Ross pa 3 of 3 - Social Media on Children, Funemployment, Texodus, Mentorship

    05/20/2024

    S2 E18 Brian Ross pa 3 of 3 - Social Media on Children, Funemployment, Texodus, Mentorship

    Is Social Media the new cigarette? "The big change is that social media is not just targeting advertising to you, but, it is targeting content to you." This episode continues our discussion of social media on adults and children and how it is steering us. Funemployment helped serve as a sabbatical for Brian. He's landed happily into a great team with Favor (subsidiary of HEB.) Brian's story came by way of the Bay Area, like many people who now call Austin home. But, Austin is not the inexpensive panacea that it once was. Is the Texodus over? Mentorship in Brian's case has been instrumental in his story and shaped his life.

  6. S2 E17 Brian Ross pa 2 of 3 - Volunteering, Women in Leadership, Social Media, Performance Marketing

    05/20/2024

    S2 E17 Brian Ross pa 2 of 3 - Volunteering, Women in Leadership, Social Media, Performance Marketing

    Brian and I explore the various volunteering roles within the Church and the division of labor. We celebrate women in leadership roles at Covenant Presbyterian, in part because it is PCUSA. We start a discussion around Social Media and Performance Marketing, which we continue into the next episode. We make an effort to distinguish between the humble beginnings of social networking online Vs. the more developed and mature targeted marketing made possible through cookies, and Big Data.

    36 min
  7. S2 E16 Brian Ross pa 1 of 3

    05/13/2024

    S2 E16 Brian Ross pa 1 of 3

    Successfully coaching youth sports, organizing family connections, and building a successful work team have a lot in common. Brian shares the tips and tricks on summer youth coaching in Texas. We find out how he landed on pickleball. Then, we find out there are some surprising corollaries between coaching and teaching children softball, and connecting with adults. What are the pitfalls of remote work? Find out on this episode why Gen Z, (and certainly Gen Alpha,) may be in trouble when in comes to receiving institutional knowledge.

  8. S2 E15 Travis Mansfield pa 3 of 3 - Mentorship, NI, and Smoking Brisket

    05/07/2024

    S2 E15 Travis Mansfield pa 3 of 3 - Mentorship, NI, and Smoking Brisket

    We take a whirlwind tour through managers and mentors from Travis's 17 year heritage at NI (formerly National Instruments, currently Emerson). Ever wondered how a spreadsheet can take over your whole life, learn more... Then, we take a stab at the formula for a high quality, moderate work brisket. Maximize the quality of the brisket without having to output 100% of the effort. Learn about the Texas Crutch.

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
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3 Ratings

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I dive into the ties that bind us together: table games, movies, music, video games, mountain biking, healthcare, religion, comedy, and work.

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