Books & Big Ideas
268 episodes · 2018–2021 · 115 debates · 188 pieces of advice · 197 stories · 281 quotes
The Daily Talk Show — Australia’s daily podcast, hosted by Tommy Jackett and Josh Janssen — discussed books & big ideas across 268 of its 1,022 daily episodes between 2018 and 2021. This page collects what was actually said: 281 verbatim quotes, 188 pieces of advice, 197 stories told on air, 115 on-air debates, each linked to the exact moment in the episode and on YouTube.
Where they stand
Moments where the table disagreed, straight from the transcripts.
telling a child they can't do something due to a perceived limitation (e.g., hands too small for guitar)
Ep 1019▶ 11:24Questions why a teacher would tell a 5-year-old they couldn't play guitar, suggesting it's not a good thing to tell kids they can't do something.
Accepts it as the teacher trying to be nice/practical given his small hands at the time, though he blames it for never becoming passionate about music.
Tommy
These books oversimplify something complex and much of the advice is 'regurgitated' without people actually acting on it or changing their lives.
Josh
Simplification isn't inherently a trap — small, simple actions (like keystone habits) can have genuinely high impact, and the issue is more that people don't follow through, not that the advice is flawed.
Believes great books are almost always fiction because non-fiction books let you get the gist quickly and lose steam, whereas fiction takes you away and teaches you about yourself.
Tends to read non-fiction (e.g., Lost Connections, a book about water) but often stops partway through once he feels he's gotten the main point.
Notes that some people argue renting offers more freedom since you can leave anytime, versus owning which brings new financial burdens like rates, insurance and mortgage.
References the common saying 'rent money is dead money' as the opposing conventional view, without fully endorsing it.
value of an unscripted daily podcast format
Ep 100033:11Believes the lack of a heavily scripted format lowers the barrier to listening and made the show feel like 'catching up with friends,' which helped his mental health during lockdown.
Agrees, framing it as stripping back the 'perfection' that many podcasts are crafted around.
Believes the business has had to shift from the harder, resistance-filled 'upstream' original-content approach to an easier 'downstream' client-work approach temporarily, and that focus can't be split between both simultaneously.
Sees upstream resistance as training that builds strength for navigating downstream, and believes time can be spent in both modes depending on focus, rather than being an either/or choice.
Minimalism and productivity gurus are often selling a lifestyle or feeling, and decluttering doesn't fix the underlying habit of always wanting more; real change comes from sitting with your own mind.
Sees appeal in minimalism and simple premium pleasures (e.g. not drinking, fewer 'good things') as a way to feel more intentional, even while acknowledging he keeps repeating the same cycle of acquiring and purging.
Using expensive cinema equipment creates pressure and a 'full hog' posture that can be stifling, whereas cheap camcorders lower the barrier and let creativity flow without worrying about getting everything perfect.
Agrees cheap camcorders are accessible to non-filmmakers like Jess and produce a distinct, team-wide creative outlet separate from high-pressure client work.
Excitement is fleeting and shouldn't be the metric for whether you're doing the right thing; he doesn't actively seek it and instead finds satisfaction in small habits and ideas.
Raises the concern that the excitement of anticipating an idea (like ordering maple syrup) can exceed the value of the actual thing, questioning whether chasing excitement is reliable.
Wants a large, American-diner-style cup (around 32oz) and is annoyed at small 'hipster' Australian glasses.
Is more relaxed about cup size, pointing out Josh already has a large 2-litre bottle, though he agrees there's something indulgent about drinking from a big cup.
Has become enthusiastic about EDC culture, investing in a high-lumen torch, tactical backpack, and specialty gear ties, viewing them as quality long-term purchases.
Is more skeptical/amused by the EDC trend, noting he doesn't even own a backpack and questioning the practical use cases of items like the torch for an apartment dweller.
Thinks Gatorade is a bit of a scam despite containing electrolytes and sugar marketed for exercise.
Defends Gatorade as legitimately useful for athletic performance and hangovers, while also jokingly saying it's more of a scam than probiotics.
Advice from the show
all 188pieces →What was actually said, attributed and linked to the moment.
How should parents handle explaining death to young children?
Answer honestly based on what the child actually asks rather than relying on a scripted explanation, since no one truly knows what happens after death; let the child's questions guide how much detail to give.
What should I do if a habit doesn't stick?
Don't treat failure to stick with a habit as a personal flaw or identity ('lazy'); instead focus on the process and recognise that trying and failing still teaches you something useful for what's next.
What distinguishes a good book from a great book?
George shares his stepdad's framing: a good book teaches you something about the world, while a great book teaches you something about yourself, and most great books are fiction.
How much financial runway do I need before taking a risk on a business or passion project?
Tommy argues that standard startup advice (having months of savings/runway) isn't realistic for most people, and that this advice can become an excuse to avoid pursuing dreams; he notes he and Josh started their business with just $2,000 each and no computer.
How can someone figure out what they actually want from dating and relationships?
Stacey June advises 'wiping your slate clean' of inherited family and societal narratives about sex and relationships, then deliberately exploring your own life to discover what you actually want, rather than following scripts absorbed from media or upbringing.
How do you stay grounded while building something over a long period of time?
Try to stay present day-to-day rather than fixating on the future or idealizing the past, since memory of accomplishments fades quickly and negativity is louder than the good.
How can a birth partner best support someone in labour?
Be fully present, set a calm tone for everyone entering the room, use techniques like soft touch massage and pressure-point work, and avoid adding unnecessary stress since fear/adrenaline can slow labour.
Will quitting social media solve my feelings of addiction or inadequacy?
Quitting the platform alone won't fix underlying issues — you need to reconcile the internal need (ego, validation, fear of missing out) that the platform is being used to fill, otherwise the same patterns will show up elsewhere.
Should daily excitement be the goal in creative work or life?
Tommy advises against seeking excitement as a daily requirement, saying it's fleeting and not a reliable belief system; instead he focuses on enjoying the process some days and not others, and finds excitement in small habits and observations rather than chasing it directly.
How should you think about death to find peace rather than fear?
Tommy suggests engaging with teachings on mindfulness and presence (citing Ram Dass) rather than avoiding the topic, arguing that finding peace comes from being present in each moment rather than waiting for bucket-list achievements.
How should you prioritize your time to avoid regret later in life?
Tommy argues for living presently and communicating fully with loved ones now, rather than waiting until a terminal diagnosis to focus on legacy or connection, warning that waiting until the last six months would itself be a source of regret.
How can you avoid injuring yourself in an unfamiliar hotel shower?
Josh jokingly advises listeners to 'be careful in showers' after Tommy's slipping incident.
How do you keep reading manageable when buying new books?
Josh says he's committing to reading just one book (Be Here Now) at a time rather than buying multiple, to keep it simple and digestible.
How should you handle birthday gift-giving within a group of friends or colleagues?
Avoid assuming you know what someone will do for you (e.g., assuming a gift is or isn't coming), as it can create awkwardness or even annoyance if your assumptions are visible to the other person.
What should someone do if they can't figure out why they resist certain tasks?
Seek outside, more qualified perspective—such as seeing a psychologist—rather than relying on a partner's suggestions, because understanding the deeper psychological pattern (e.g., scarcity-driven behaviours) requires more expertise than casual decision-tree fixes.
What should I look for when buying a bed/mattress size?
Tommy recommends always getting a king-size bed, even in a small apartment, on the principle that the bedroom should be about 80% filled by the bed for maximum comfort.
Should romantic gestures only happen on milestone dates like anniversaries?
Doing nothing isn't romantic — true romance is doing something for your partner that you don't technically have to do, not just performing an obligatory gesture tied to a date on the calendar.
What practical steps can someone take for everyday self-defence?
Keep keys held in your fist when walking alone at night as a makeshift weapon, use disorientation tactics (like spraying an attacker in the face) rather than trying to execute 'correct' fighting technique, and prioritize escaping over engaging in a fight.
Should you get into a physical fight if threatened?
Avoid fights where possible and focus on using self-defence to create an opportunity to run away, since many people nowadays have some combat training (kickboxing, Krav Maga, karate).
How can I start capturing and retaining information from books, podcasts and articles instead of forgetting it?
Underline or highlight key passages as you read to force concentration and mark what matters; use a simple note-taking app like Drafts to jot down a few notes (or a voice memo) right after consuming content; and use a tool like Readwise to pull highlights from Kindle/Instapaper into a central note app (Notion, Roam, Evernote) for daily review and later searching.
How do I balance pursuing a big long-term vision with daily business realities?
Channel high energy/intensity into one specific project and take it to launch (a few weeks), then build systems/processes to reduce ongoing intensity, rather than trying to sustain constant high intensity across everything.
How should I think about results that don't seem to be paying off yet in business?
Recognize that current performance often results from work done years earlier (seeds planted), so keep investing in long-term fundamentals (like SEO) even if the payoff isn't immediately visible.
How can you control social media use without fully quitting?
Set specific, limited windows of time (e.g., one day a week for 2 hours) to download apps, post and check feeds, then delete the apps again afterward rather than having constant access.
Does leaving social media hurt your business?
Take stock of where the business is now versus before rather than assuming impact; your belief about whether it matters will shape whether it actually does, so approach quitting with an 'easy on yourself' mindset rather than fear-based assumptions.
Stories told on air
Josh reads the foreword he wrote for Dylan Torreville's book, recounting how the Canadian design student emailed the show offering to fly 21 hours to deliver 3D-printed squeegees (an episode 14 in-joke), arrived on Air Canada flight 2037 in a red cap and Roots tracksuit, and did a four-month internship. On the flight geese went into the engine causing a delay.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh recalls wanting to play guitar at age 5 under teacher Mr. Danson, but being told his hands were too small and being steered toward keyboard instead, which he blames for never becoming passionate about music.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh mentions having many arguments with his exercise-scientist brother James about overcomplicating simple energy-in/energy-out fitness principles.
told by Josh
Tommy recalls writing a children's book as a kid about a female ship captain, joking that he was unknowingly progressive for the era by centering a woman in a typically male role.
told by Tommy
Josh recalls reading only 30 pages of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a kid but bragging to everyone at school that he was reading it before giving up.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh describes former guest Jeff Jowett, whose ad/marketing company Body Trip did $100 million in sales through his copywriting skill, but who struggled with drug and sex addiction and alcoholism at the time; Josh notes Jowett is now a calmer person with less money who enjoys horses and golf.
told by Josh Janssen
The mystery grocery delivery unboxing
Ep 100021:46During the live stream, an unexpected grocery delivery arrives at the door; the hosts and George Martin unbox it live on air, finding crumpets, cheesecake, party pies, fruit cups, maple syrup, and other items, eventually learning it was sent by a viewer named Whitey.
told by Tommy Jackett and Josh Janssen
Josh describes picking up a newspaper at a café and reading an article about Iran, feeling proud of appearing like 'an interested guy,' then becoming hyper self-aware of his own face and body while reading, which leads into a discussion about consciousness.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh describes a YouTube video about a man who bought an entire California mining ghost town, where the underground water pump had been broken for about 14 years before recently being repaired.
told by Josh Janssen
Tommy recalls a teacher named Basil from his Year 9 camp who spoke to the students about the meaning of life, and Tommy's younger self believed Basil had the answer; looking back, Tommy now thinks Basil 'was full of shit,' using it to argue the meaning of life is personal rather than universal.
told by Tommy Jackett
Peter explains that since living with his partner Tracey since December, they've replaced watching Netflix/TV with reading together every night, resulting in him completing around 9 books so far this year.
told by Peter Shepherd
Tommy describes physically separating Josh's messy pile of newly bought books into ones Josh wants to keep and ones to discard, framing it as an act of care rather than obligation.
told by Tommy Jackett
After thinking about where his Darn Tough socks come from (Vermont), Josh watched a YouTube video about a man whose brother runs a small maple syrup farm called Rugged Ridge Forest, then DM'd the farm on Instagram about shipping syrup to Australia, learning he'd need to order in bulk to offset shipping costs.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh describes a period in late 2020 where he obsessively bought secondhand books, including finding a bulk lot of over 300 books on eBay for $50, nearly buying an entire closing bookshop's stock for $4,500, and eventually boxing most of them up to donate.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh recounts underestimating an 8km Grampians walk on his and Bree's 13th anniversary, running low on water, experiencing dehydration and possible sunstroke with hallucinations, needing Bree to navigate, and ultimately having her drive them home while he recovered at a McDonald's in Ballarat.
told by Josh Janssen
Tommy recounts listening to a podcast about Jason Rosenthal, whose wife wrote the NYT essay 'You May Want to Marry My Husband' before dying of cancer, and how he initially resisted but then found the episode peaceful and insightful.
told by Tommy Jackett
Tommy describes spending over an hour picking and writing personalized notes recommending two books each for Mason and Grace during their house stay, then realizing once in Geelong that he forgot to bring a book for himself, prompting a bookstore run.
told by Tommy Jackett
George recounts how a simple lunch invitation from his friend Jack spiraled into an elaborate theory that the team had organized a surprise birthday party, including him leaving the restaurant to go to the office when Jack asked to park there, and nearly answering a FaceTime call expecting to be told to look out the window at a surprise crowd.
told by George Martin
In their words
“Even though the daily talk show is finishing, the thing that remains is the relationships, which is cool.”
“No one who saw that photo of 1019 thinks that you got small hands.”
“The trap of all of this is that we are led to believe that good things need to be hard.”
“I was like, we need more female captains.”
“Well, just think about all the best books. The great books. Yeah. Hardly any of them are like non-fiction.”
“The whole book is about wiping your slate clean, pissing off your family narrative and what you learned from them, pissing off society's narrative, and then exploring your life to figure out what the fuck you actually want.”
“So it's slipping into a state, a mindful state where you are focusing on it.”
“Giraffes, the only mammal that can't swim.”
“I don't know. I think that the life— the meaning of life is to figure it out.”
“Is that a storey you're telling yourself?”
“I believe that the same fucking part in our brain that tells us we're going to starve starts to be triggered.”
“No, no, I mean, look, I'll take your children away if you don't purchase my fucking video.”
“I understand that that's living in the future, trying to obtain a future feeling in the present, which doesn't exist because the future hasn't happened yet.”
“If you were really bummed about not being excited and that's what you were searching for, like your belief was the thing I need to do every day is something that I'm excited about. I don't believe that's true.”
“Naked with a pair of shoes on feels way more naked than being completely naked.”
“Well, I was thinking it just takes one person to have used a $100 note as a bookmark.”
“I've had lots of friends die. I've thought about death a bunch of times. I still don't fucking like the thought of it.”
“The librarian had spent an hour and a half writing bespoke notes but forgot to bring his own book.”