Lead to Gold

063 - A New Relationship to Alcohol: Mindful Drinking - w/ Paul Lagerstedt

Paul Lagerstedt has always been drawn to fixing things and understanding how systems work. When he began to notice his own adverse reaction to alcohol without an explanation, he got curious: what’s actually in alcoholic beverages beyond ethanol, and why do people respond so differently? He began researching the trace compounds that can be present in wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails, and whether it was possible to reduce exposure to some of them before drinking.  That research led to ALKAA: a patented, in-glass sachet designed to reduce certain trace compounds in alcoholic beverages. ALKAA treats the drink, not the body. And today, Paul is here with us to explain how the product has led to an entirely new way of relating to alcohol and how it makes us feel, what a change its already made, and how it may even shape the future of drinking culture. Show notes:  * Meet Paul (and his lovely wife and co-founder, Sara) [https://alkaa.com/pages/the-team] * Read the official patent for ALKAA [https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0656/1310/3350/files/ALKAA-press-release-text_PDF.pdf?v=1764360079] * Shop ALKAA [https://alkaa.com/collections/sachet-styles] * Subscribe to the blog [https://www.leadtogold.blog/contact-2] * Follow me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lead.to.gold/] * Thanks to DayFox for the intro/outro song! Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2101401/fan_mail/new]

062 - The Reminders That Got Me Out of Rock Bottom

I'm going through a little bit of a hard time right now. So to be very candid, I needed a little bit of my own cheering up. I hope it helps you through whatever stuckness you're experiencing right now, too. In today's episode, I'm outlining five reminders or mantras that have helped me through difficult periods of my life, from lacking motivation to perpetuating negative self-talk, so much so that I still think about them to this day. This conversation really has it all - humor, inner child exploration, uncomfortable vulnerability, difficult family dynamics, and maybe even a few tears. We're going there today!! Show notes: * A few very relevant blog posts: Be careful, she bites. [https://www.leadtogold.blog/post/be-careful-she-bites] and How do you talk to yourself? [https://www.leadtogold.blog/post/how-do-you-talk-to-yourself] * Subscribe to the Time Capsule newsletter [https://www.leadtogold.blog/contact-2] * Support me & the show through my art [https://www.leadtogold.blog/category/all-products] :) * Follow me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lead.to.gold/] * Thanks to DayFox for the intro/outro song! Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2101401/fan_mail/new]

061 - In Defense of Jealousy

Jealousy gets a bad reputation, but what if it's actually trying to tell you something?  In this episode, I'm making the case for sitting with your jealousy instead of rushing to shame yourself out of it. We'll dig into why the current discourse around jealousy flattens a genuinely complicated feeling into either a character flaw or a feeling to normalize, and why neither of those is especially useful. We talk about the real difference between jealousy and envy, what it actually means to use jealousy as a map toward what you want, and how to start building the self-belief to go get it (without any manifestation speak). This one's for the jealous friend - you're not a bad person. You just need to tap in. Show notes: * Subscribe to the Time Capsule newsletter [https://www.leadtogold.blog/contact-2] * Support me & the show through my art [https://www.leadtogold.blog/category/all-products] :) * Follow me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lead.to.gold/] * Thanks to DayFox for the intro/outro song! Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2101401/fan_mail/new]

060 - "The Internet Isn't Fun Anymore" Part II: Going Analogue Isn't The Answer

Sigh...this was a big one. So big, in fact, I had to split it into two parts. Please listen to part one first if you haven't already! Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with trading Spotify for a record collection - I think it's a big step in the right direction. But if we've ironed out the true problems of the internet, the analogue movement isn't addressing or solving a large chunk of them. Today, in the conclusion of this conversation, we're discussing what the analogue movement does get right, but where and how we can actually move forward with the hellscape that is the current internet. Show notes: * A very relevant blog post: The end of the internet [https://www.leadtogold.blog/post/the-end-of-the-internet-ai-bubble] * A few videos that inspired this episode: * Levi Hildebrand: The Analogue Movement Already FAILED [https://youtu.be/YARPbtUcW2s?si=LsxRZouFpLXuxLiw] * Mina Le: You Don't Need To Be Productive [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihoW0D7MKaY] * Subscribe to the Time Capsule newsletter [https://www.leadtogold.blog/contact-2] * Support me & the show through my art [https://www.leadtogold.blog/category/all-products] :) * Follow me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lead.to.gold/] * Thanks to DayFox for the intro/outro song! Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2101401/fan_mail/new]

059 - "The Internet Isn't Fun Anymore" Part I: It's More Sinister Than You Think

Sigh...this is gonna be a big one. So big, in fact, I had to split it into two parts. In the opening chapter of our dive into the modern digital landscape, we move past the surface-level complaints of "too much screen time" to examine the structural rot making our online lives feel so hollow. We'll explore the transition from the internet as a creative "Third Space" to a monopolized factory floor where every interaction is a transaction, and every user is a product. From the "Brand Deal Dance" that compromises our authenticity to the annoying reality of building our digital legacies or leaving it all in the dust, we’re peeling back the veil on how the fun of the internet has been replaced by a quiet, persistent anxiety.  Show notes: * A very relevant blog post: The end of the internet [https://www.leadtogold.blog/post/the-end-of-the-internet-ai-bubble] * A few podcasts that inspired this episode: * Taylor Lorenz's Power User: Tech Billionaires Want Us Dead [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1dIC287Zz0&list=PLu4srHCWJrrjFyF0hHNi7lVFYssn35zog&index=17] * In Bed with the Right: Tech's Vibe Shift and AI Discourse [https://rss.com/podcasts/inbedwiththeright/2554719/] * Matt Bernstein's A Bit Fruity: The Campaign to Crush Chappell Roan [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeXeUFITgNA] * Subscribe to the Time Capsule newsletter [https://www.leadtogold.blog/contact-2] * Support me & the show through my art [https://www.leadtogold.blog/category/all-products] :) * Follow me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lead.to.gold/] * Thanks to DayFox for the intro/outro song! Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2101401/fan_mail/new]