There are interviews, and then there are conversations. The best podcast hosts know the difference, and the gap between the two is harder to close than it looks. 

In this bonus episode, I get to turn the tables. Jessi Hempel (host of the podcast Hello Monday and senior editor-at-large at LinkedIn) and I nerded out on the craft we both love: what it actually takes to walk into an interview prepared, how to stay present when a guest goes flat, and the moment a scripted exchange becomes something neither person planned for. 

If you've ever wondered what goes on in a host's head before and during a recording, this one pulls back the curtain. 

Jessi and I discuss: 
Why Jessi walks into every interview with no notes, and the preparation habit that makes it possible 
The AI experiment that went badly wrong, and what it taught Jessi about how not to prepare 
How to tell whether a podcast host has actually read the book (there's a tell, and writers always spot it) 
What to do when a guest is giving you nothing and the conversation is going nowhere 
The hardest interview challenge to crack, especially with big-name guests on book tour 
The moment an interview tips into a real conversation, and why you can't fake your way there 

 

Key quotes 

"The process of slowing down and sitting with material and stumbling over it and forgetting a lot of it, but just sort of tracing my own mind to figure out where I feel curious about it, is the process of preparation." 

"The best interviews tip into conversations." 

Connect with Jessi Hempel on Instagram. and LinkedIn. Check out her newsletter and listen to her podcast Hello Monday. 

 

If you haven't already, listen to the main episode with Jessi - where she gets into what actually works on LinkedIn in 2026. Check it out here. 

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits:  

Host: Amantha Imber  

Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler 

There are interviews, and then there are conversations. The best podcast hosts know the difference, and the gap between the two is harder to close than it looks.&nbsp;
In this bonus episode, I get to turn the tables. Jessi Hempel&nbsp;(host of&nbsp;the podcast&nbsp;Hello Monday and senior editor-at-large at LinkedIn)&nbsp;and I&nbsp;nerded&nbsp;out on the craft we both love: what it actually takes to walk into an interview prepared, how to stay present when a guest goes flat, and the moment a scripted exchange becomes something neither person planned for.&nbsp;
If&nbsp;you've&nbsp;ever wondered what goes on in a host's head before and during a recording, this one pulls back the curtain.&nbsp;
Jessi and I discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Why Jessi walks into every interview with no notes, and the preparation habit that makes it possible&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">The AI experiment that went&nbsp;badly wrong, and what it taught Jessi about how not to prepare&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">How to tell whether a podcast host has&nbsp;actually read&nbsp;the book (there's&nbsp;a tell, and writers always spot it)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">What to do when a guest is giving you nothing and the conversation is going nowhere&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">The hardest interview challenge to crack, especially with big-name guests on book tour&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">The moment an interview tips into a real conversation, and why you&nbsp;can't&nbsp;fake your way there&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Key quotes&nbsp;
"The process of slowing down and sitting with material and stumbling over it and forgetting a lot of it, but just sort of tracing my own mind to figure out where I feel curious about it, is the process of preparation."&nbsp;
"The best interviews tip into conversations."&nbsp;
Connect with Jessi Hempel on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jessiwrites/">Instagram.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessihempel/">LinkedIn.</a>&nbsp;Check&nbsp;out her&nbsp;<a href="https://jessiwrites.substack.com/">newsletter</a>&nbsp;and listen to her podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jessijhempel.com/podcast">Hello Monday</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
If you haven't already, listen to the main episode with Jessi - where she gets into what actually works on LinkedIn in 2026.&nbsp;Check it out here.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp;&nbsp;
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

You know those annoyingly successful people who seem to have it all figured out? Time to steal their playbook. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber gets world‑class achievers to spill their secrets - the daily strategies behind their success through to life hacks and productivity hacks they’d rather keep to themselves. We’re talking practical tips for boosting your output (including clever AI tools and shortcuts that’ll make you look like a genius), managing overwhelm without losing your mind, and optimising both work and wellbeing. No motivational fluff. Just battle‑tested tactics from people who’ve cracked the code.

You know those annoyingly successful people who seem to have it all figured out? Time to steal their playbook. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber gets world‑class achievers to spill their secrets&nbsp;- the daily strategies behind their success through to&nbsp;life hacks and productivity hacks they&rsquo;d rather keep to themselves. We&rsquo;re talking practical tips for boosting your output (including clever AI tools and shortcuts that&rsquo;ll make you look like a genius), managing overwhelm without losing your mind, and optimising both work and wellbeing. No motivational fluff. Just battle‑tested tactics from people who&rsquo;ve cracked the code.

Have you ever wondered if the worlds leading entrepreneurs, writers, musicians and business people construct their day differently to you?

How I Work

(BONUS) Behind the mic: the art of the interview, with Jessi Hempel

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/648668fd-d2c7-40cd-bec6-b4480055ba45/transcript

There's a moment a lot of professionals know well. You put real thought into a LinkedIn post, hit publish, and watch the likes trickle in. Five. Maybe six. One comment from a colleague you personally recruited into the thread. 

Meanwhile, your feed has started to look like it was written by the same person. Polished, vaguely inspirational, and somehow saying nothing at all. 

In this episode, I sit down with Jessi Hempel, senior editor-at-large at LinkedIn and host of the award-winning podcast Hello Monday, to get inside what's actually happening on the platform right now. Jessi has spent 25 years in tech journalism and eight years at LinkedIn, and she has a front-row seat to how AI is reshaping what it means to have a voice, both on the platform and in your career more broadly. 

We talk about why your LinkedIn profile is doing more heavy lifting than any post you'll ever write, how to approach content in a way that builds real conversation rather than chasing reach, and what the rise of AI-generated posts actually means for anyone trying to show up as themselves online. 

If you've been feeling like something's off with how your content is landing lately, this conversation will give you some much-needed clarity. 

 

Jessi and I discuss: 
The part of your LinkedIn profile that matters far more than your posts (and that most people ignore) 
Why Jessi's posting advice runs counter to what most social media gurus will tell you 
The one habit that has made the biggest difference to how Jessi's own posts find reach 
What AI-generated content is doing to trust on LinkedIn, and where Jessi thinks it's all heading 
The creator who has built one of the most engaged communities on the platform, and what makes her strategy work 
Why Jessi thinks a major career shift is becoming the smarter move for mid-career professionals right now 
The skill that no bootcamp can teach you, and why it matters more than ever in the age of AI 

 

Key quotes 

"If I get off of this conversation and I jump onto LinkedIn and I read a post from you and it sounds like an LLM wrote it, I'm gonna really have distaste in my mouth." 

"Success is being in real conversations that matter with people who have the potential to elevate the issues of concern for you in your career." 

 

Connect with Jessi Hempel on Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out her newsletter and listen to her podcast Hello Monday. 

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits:  

Host: Amantha Imber  

Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler 

There's&nbsp;a moment a lot of professionals know well. You put real thought into a LinkedIn post, hit publish, and watch the likes trickle in. Five.&nbsp;Maybe six. One comment from a colleague you personally recruited into the thread.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, your feed has started to look like it was written by the same person. Polished, vaguely inspirational, and somehow saying nothing at all.&nbsp;
In this episode, I sit down with Jessi Hempel, senior editor-at-large at LinkedIn and host of the award-winning podcast Hello Monday, to get inside&nbsp;what's&nbsp;actually happening&nbsp;on the platform right now. Jessi has spent 25 years in tech journalism and eight years at LinkedIn, and she has a front-row seat to how AI is reshaping what it means to have a voice, both on the platform and in your career more broadly.&nbsp;
We talk about why your LinkedIn profile is doing more heavy lifting than any post you'll ever write, how to approach content in a way that builds real conversation rather than chasing reach, and what the rise of AI-generated posts actually means for anyone trying to show up as themselves online.&nbsp;
If&nbsp;you've&nbsp;been feeling like&nbsp;something's&nbsp;off with how your content is landing lately, this conversation will give you some much-needed clarity.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Jessi and I discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">The part of your LinkedIn profile that matters far more than your posts (and that most people ignore)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Why Jessi's posting advice runs counter to what most social media gurus will tell you&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">The one habit that has made the biggest difference to how Jessi's own posts find reach&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">What AI-generated content is doing to trust on LinkedIn, and where Jessi thinks&nbsp;it's&nbsp;all heading&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">The creator who has built one of the most engaged communities on the platform, and what makes her strategy work&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">Why Jessi thinks a major career shift is becoming the smarter move for mid-career professionals right now&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1">The skill that no bootcamp can teach you, and why it matters more than ever in the age of AI&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Key quotes&nbsp;
"If I get off of this conversation and I jump onto LinkedIn and I read a post from you and it sounds like an LLM wrote it, I'm&nbsp;gonna&nbsp;really have distaste in my mouth."&nbsp;
"Success is being in real conversations that matter with people who have the potential to elevate the issues of concern for you in your career."&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Connect with Jessi Hempel on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jessiwrites/">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessihempel/">LinkedIn.</a>&nbsp;Check&nbsp;out&nbsp;her&nbsp;<a href="https://jessiwrites.substack.com/">newsletter</a>&nbsp;and listen to her podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jessijhempel.com/podcast">Hello Monday</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp;&nbsp;
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

I asked a LinkedIn insider how to actually stand out on LinkedIn in 2026

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/9e4ab952-bc83-4b30-8dbe-b4480055ba40/transcript

**Join the AI Agent Bootcamp here: https://www.inventium.ai/learnvirtually-agents** 

The word "agents" is everywhere right now. It shows up in product updates, LinkedIn posts, and conversations at work, and yet for a lot of people, it still doesn't quite click. What actually is an agent? Is it the same as agentic AI? And does any of this actually matter for the way you work? 

If you've been nodding along while quietly unsure, you're in good company. The AI industry has done a genuinely poor job of naming things, and it's created a lot of unnecessary confusion. 

In this How I AI episode, Neo and I cut through the jargon and get into what agents actually are, how they differ from agentic AI, and where both individuals and teams can start using them right now. 

What you’ll learn: 
Why the terminology around AI tools is so confusing, and the key distinction between "agents" and "agentic AI" that actually matters in practice. 
What an agent is versus what agentic AI is 
How individuals can use agents for tasks they repeat regularly 
How teams can use agents to standardise outputs like reports, reduce the burden of repetitive questions, and let people self-service answers using a knowledge agent  
What the best starting question is to know if a problem can be solved by an agent 

Connect with Neo Aplin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/neoaplin/) and via inventium.ai, where he leads Inventium's AI training and upskilling work with organisations and teams. 

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits: 

Host: Amantha Imber 

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber 

**Join the AI Agent Bootcamp here: https://www.inventium.ai/learnvirtually-agents**&nbsp;
The word "agents" is everywhere right now. It shows up in product updates, LinkedIn posts, and conversations at work, and yet for a lot of people, it still&nbsp;doesn't&nbsp;quite click.&nbsp;What actually is an agent?&nbsp;Is it the same as agentic AI? And does any of this actually&nbsp;matter for&nbsp;the way you work?&nbsp;
If&nbsp;you've&nbsp;been nodding along while quietly unsure,&nbsp;you're&nbsp;in good company. The AI industry has done a genuinely poor job of naming things, and&nbsp;it's&nbsp;created a lot of unnecessary confusion.&nbsp;
In this How I AI episode, Neo and I cut through the jargon and get into what agents&nbsp;actually are, how they differ from agentic AI, and where both individuals and teams can start using them right now.&nbsp;
What&nbsp;you&rsquo;ll&nbsp;learn:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Why&nbsp;the terminology around AI tools is&nbsp;so confusing, and the key distinction between "agents" and "agentic AI" that actually matters in practice.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">What an agent is versus what agentic AI is&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">How individuals can use agents for tasks they repeat regularly&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">How teams can use agents to&nbsp;standardise&nbsp;outputs like reports, reduce the burden of repetitive questions, and let people self-service answers using a knowledge agent&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">What the best starting question is to know if a problem can be solved by an agent&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Connect with Neo Aplin on LinkedIn (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neoaplin/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/neoaplin/</a>) and via&nbsp;<a href="https://inventium.ai/">inventium.ai</a>, where he leads Inventium's AI training and upskilling work with&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;and teams.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;
Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp;
Sound Engineer: Martin Imber&nbsp;

How I AI: Agents Explained in 10 Minutes (No Jargon, No Hype)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/81c45fa6-a9a3-467b-9b09-b44400318776/transcript

What would you do with four extra hours a day? Probably say you don't have them. But according to Laura Vanderkam, one of the world's leading thinkers on time, they're already there. You're just not seeing them. 

Laura has tracked her own time for 11 years. She's run large-scale time-tracking studies with hundreds of participants. And what she keeps finding is the same thing: the stories we tell ourselves about our time are almost always wrong. The tasks we dread feel longer than they are. The free time we insist we don't have keeps showing up in the data. 

In this How I Work episode, I sit down with Laura to dig into what 11 years of time diaries actually reveal, why tracking your time for just one week can make you feel dramatically better about your life, and how to reclaim those post-dinner hours that most of us write off as dead time. Laura is a bestselling author of many books on time and productivity, and her latest, Big Time, is one of the most practical and perspective-shifting reads I've come across in a long time. 

If you've ever ended a weekend convinced you had no time to yourself, this conversation will change how you see the week ahead. 

Laura and I discuss:
Why tracking your time for a single week raises time satisfaction scores by nearly 18%, and what's actually driving that shift 
The gap between how people think they spend their time and how they actually do, particularly for those who work flexibly or check email on weekends 
The concept of "golden hours" and why the four to five hours between dinner and bedtime are far more valuable than most of us treat them 
How to tell the difference between a complex life and a chaotic one, and the circus metaphor that reframes what a well-run household actually looks like 
The weekly planning ritual Laura swears by, including the three rings of the circus she reviews every Thursday morning 
Three surprisingly small changes that can make your workday feel genuinely better, without changing jobs 

Key quotes 

"Four to five hours is a lot of time to just write off as unusable. The day is not over after dinner." 

"Complexity and chaos are not the same thing. We're aiming for controlled complexity." 

Connect with Laura Vanderkam on Instagram placeholder], X (Twitter), and LinkedIn and her website, and check out her latest book Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance wherever you get good books. 

 

And if this episode resonated, I recommend my conversation with Oliver Burkeman on how to make time for the things that actually count. Check that out here. 

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits: 

Host: Amantha Imber  

Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler 

What would you do with four extra hours a day? Probably say you&nbsp;don't&nbsp;have them. But according to Laura Vanderkam, one of the world's leading thinkers on time,&nbsp;they're&nbsp;already there.&nbsp;You're&nbsp;just not seeing them.&nbsp;
Laura has tracked her own time for 11 years.&nbsp;She's&nbsp;run large-scale time-tracking studies with hundreds of participants. And what she keeps finding is the same thing: the stories we tell ourselves about our time are&nbsp;almost always&nbsp;wrong. The tasks we dread feel longer than they are. The free time we insist we&nbsp;don't&nbsp;have keeps showing up in the data.&nbsp;
In this How I Work episode, I sit down with Laura to dig into what 11 years of time diaries actually reveal, why tracking your time for just one week can make you feel dramatically better about your life, and how to reclaim those post-dinner hours that most of us write off as dead time. Laura is a bestselling author of many books on time and productivity, and her latest,&nbsp;Big Time, is one of the most practical and perspective-shifting reads&nbsp;I've&nbsp;come across in a long time.&nbsp;
If&nbsp;you've&nbsp;ever ended a weekend convinced you had no time&nbsp;to&nbsp;yourself, this conversation will change how you see the week ahead.&nbsp;
Laura and I discuss:
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Why tracking your time for a single week raises time satisfaction scores by&nbsp;nearly 18%, and&nbsp;what's&nbsp;actually driving&nbsp;that shift&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">The gap between how people think they spend their time and how they&nbsp;actually do, particularly for those who work flexibly or check email on weekends&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">The concept of "golden hours" and why the four to five hours between dinner and bedtime are far more valuable than most of us treat them&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">How to tell the difference between a complex life and a chaotic one, and the circus metaphor that reframes what a well-run household&nbsp;actually looks&nbsp;like&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">The weekly planning ritual Laura swears by, including the three rings of the circus she reviews every Thursday morning&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">Three surprisingly&nbsp;small changes&nbsp;that can make your workday feel genuinely better, without changing jobs&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Key quotes&nbsp;
"Four to five hours is a lot of time to just write off as unusable. The day is not over after dinner."&nbsp;
"Complexity and chaos are not the same thing. We're aiming for controlled complexity."&nbsp;
Connect with Laura Vanderkam on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lvanderkam/">Instagram</a>&nbsp;placeholder],&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lvanderkam">X (Twitter)</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauravanderkam/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;her&nbsp;<a href="https://lauravanderkam.com/">website</a>, and check out her latest book&nbsp;<a href="https://lauravanderkam.com/books/big-time/">Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance</a>&nbsp;wherever you get good books.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
And if this episode resonated,&nbsp;I&nbsp;recommend&nbsp;my&nbsp;conversation&nbsp;with Oliver Burkeman&nbsp;on how to&nbsp;make time&nbsp;for the things that&nbsp;actually count.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/want-to-make-time-for-the-things-that-count">Check that out here</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;
Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp;&nbsp;
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

Why you feel busy all the time (even when you’re not), with Laura Vanderkam

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/d444867a-6149-49c2-a730-b44100d2fc4d/transcript

(BONUS) Behind the mic: the art of the interview, with Jessi Hempel

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