WEBVTT - How to WIN every argument with Crystal Andrews 🕺 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:13.600 Welcome to the Rise and Conquer Podcasts. This podcast is 0:00:13.640 --> 0:00:16.599 for women who want to take ownership of their lives, 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:21.280 live unapologetically, and are ready to turn their biggest dreams 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:24.880 into their reality. If you're ready to be armed with 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:29.040 the tools that will inspire to take bold action, feel 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:33.080 confident within yourself, and conquer your goals, then you've come 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:37.160 to the right place. I'm your host, Georgie Stevenson. I'm 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:41.480 a lawyer turned entrepreneur, co founder of Naked Harvest Supplements, 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:45.640 and social media personality with a community of over. 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:46.760 Three hundred thousand. 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:50.320 I grew up believing I had to pursue the safe 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:54.040 option and fit into a mold others had created for me. 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:57.120 But then I entered my corporate law job and I 0:00:57.240 --> 0:01:00.520 realized that settling for a reality that did I didn't set 0:01:00.560 --> 0:01:03.720 my soul on fire, was something I was not prepared 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:06.920 to do. I wanted more, and I have a feeling 0:01:07.040 --> 0:01:11.000 you do too. Join me and special guests weekly as 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:14.360 we get down to the nitty gritty on all things health, 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:19.560 mastering your mindset, creating lasting habits, thriving in your career 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:24.280 and relationships, plus so much more, and together we'll gain 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:29.080 the knowledge and perspective to pursue our wildest dreams and 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:32.039 kick fear to the curb. Well, what are you waiting for? 0:01:32.520 --> 0:01:40.039 Let's rise and conquer, Hey guys, and welcome back to 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:43.000 the Rise and Conquer podcast. Today I am chatting with 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:46.920 Crystal Andrews. Crystal is a journalist and author of the 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.720 little Book with a Big Mission called How to Win 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:50.960 Every Argument. 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:52.760 Well bloody love that title. 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:55.960 This book aims to help people get informed on the 0:01:56.040 --> 0:02:00.080 fifteen hottest issues that shape our society and learn how 0:01:59.960 --> 0:02:03.960 to stay calm while debating them. And let me tell you, 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:08.400 we even had our little calm discussion about astrology in 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:09.720 this one at the end. 0:02:10.720 --> 0:02:12.200 I really loved this conbo. 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:15.120 We also dive into a couple of chapters about her 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:18.800 book and hear about why having big conversations on big 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:22.120 issues is so important and why it's also important to 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.720 be respectful of each other's views. I hope you enjoyed 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:28.600 this chat as much as I did. Crystal is super 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:31.639 down to earth and really knows her stuff. Let's get 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:34.680 straight into it. Welcome to the show, Crystal. 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:37.519 Thanks so much for having me. Georgie, it's a pleasure 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:39.840 to be here. Digitally virtually. 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:47.280 Yeah, actually, I know. I'm so excited because I, well 0:02:47.440 --> 0:02:49.360 the audience will know this, you would know this, but 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:52.919 I did law, and so I'm all about arguments. It's 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:56.200 something I'm very interested in and I'm really excited to 0:02:56.240 --> 0:02:58.040 chat to you and your book. 0:02:58.160 --> 0:02:59.440 But before we get. 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:02.600 Into that, something that I always ask my guests is 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:06.840 what season are they currently in. Of course, we are 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:10.200 in self isolation most of us right now, and I'm 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:12.560 just wondering what does this season look like for you? 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:16.359 Yeah, look, it's quite interesting actually because right now I 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:20.200 would say that I'm in a season of putting myself 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.679 out there, which is interesting for the time that we're 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:26.600 in right now. As you say, obviously everyone's lockdown in 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:29.359 self isolation, you know, depending on where they are in 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:33.040 the world. But yeah, this is really, I guess, my 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:36.480 time to put myself out there. But I would say 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:40.120 that's coming off the back of what has been a 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:46.119 past season of real self reflection and introspection. So it's 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:48.800 almost like I've had you know, we're all bunkered down 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:51.880 right now. But for me, metaphorically, that was kind of 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:55.400 what my twenty nineteen was like. I was really I 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:57.240 was lockdown, I was writing the book, I was working 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:00.960 on another manuscript and just taking lots of time to 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:04.800 work out what's important to me and what I want 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.520 from my life, and you know, figuring out what makes 0:04:07.560 --> 0:04:10.200 me tick and what my flaws are, what holds me back. 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:13.280 And I think that's almost like I needed that time then, 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:16.040 and you really need to do that self analysis before 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:18.679 you can push yourself like way out there. So coming 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:22.200 into to twenty twenty, I felt really ready to have 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:24.760 kind of my moment in the sun, and I'm just 0:04:24.800 --> 0:04:28.520 embracing putting out my book and my work and myself 0:04:28.560 --> 0:04:31.760 to just connect with as many more people as possible 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:35.039 in twenty twenty. And that got off to a real 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:37.680 rocking start at the beginning of the year, and over 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:40.640 the past kind of months it's taken on a different shape, 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:43.120 but that's kind of where I'm at now. It's interesting. 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:47.400 That's so interesting because, like you said, it's a little 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:51.560 bit opposite to what a lot of people are doing now. 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:54.560 But I really love that the fact that you know, 0:04:54.680 --> 0:04:56.920 you said, this is your season where you kind of 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:59.880 are putting yourself out there, and you're still able to 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:05.000 do that obviously, you know virtually and through online platforms 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:07.320 and all that sort of thing. So that's really interesting. 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:08.239 Thank you for sharing. 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:11.800 No problems, it's yet it's a it's a funny time 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:15.560 because I think it's almost opened up more opportunities. You know, 0:05:15.680 --> 0:05:19.359 even this, even this interview, I'm based in Sydney, so 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.240 it's not always, you know, an option for people to 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:25.120 travel or for me to travel to do interviews and 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:28.800 press and meet people and have those kind of connections. 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:33.120 But because everybody's not moving around, no one's traveling right now, 0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:36.560 everybody's looking at different virtual options. It's almost opened up 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:40.560 more possibilities I think in some ways and in certain industries. 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:45.240 Yes, exactly, it is. It's funny you say that because 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:49.240 when I started the podcast, I did most of my 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:54.080 interviews like online. I did a lot of people from overseas, 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:57.560 and then at the start of the year, I was like, 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.480 my twenty twenty goal is to do all these like 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:03.520 in person interviews, and I did do I did go 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:05.960 to Sydney and I did a whole bunch. But then 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:09.719 this happened and I was like, oh, okay, well back 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:12.600 to the online because it is it it's a lot 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:17.000 more accessible when you're obviously doing it virtually and all 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:20.159 that sort of thing. So yeah, interesting times. 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:22.120 Yeah, absolutely absolutely. 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:26.760 Okay, so well let's get into it. Can you give 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:30.320 the audience a bit of a snapshot of who Crystal 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:31.400 Andrews is? 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:37.039 Yeah? Wow, Crystal? Who is she? I'm a journalist and 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:41.400 media professional and I'm an author, and I'm super passionate 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:45.200 about getting young Australians. But I guess really just people 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:50.560 in general very much engaged with news and big social issues. 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.680 So I've just published a book called How to Win 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:57.279 Every Argument, and that really hones in on the fifteen 0:06:57.480 --> 0:07:01.520 kind of big topics that us shaping our world today 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:04.960 and gives readers kind of the language and the context 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:08.000 and the key information to have conversations around those topics, 0:07:08.040 --> 0:07:10.880 which is something I'm super passionate about. But then on 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:13.440 top of all of that, I would say, I'm a daughter, 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:17.200 I'm a sister, I'm a friend, I'm a mentor. I'm 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:20.520 a West Australian living in Sydney, and I'm self isolating 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:23.720 in a little apartment with my boyfriend Pierre and a 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:26.480 growing collection of plants slowly taking over my life. 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:32.120 Plants, indoor plans and outdoor plants are everything, are they? 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:35.200 It's just really keeping me entertained at the moment. Every 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:39.360 time I get a new leaf, it's just so exciting. 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:42.040 Oh well, thank you for sharing that with us. Let's 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:45.000 chat about your career. So I know that you've worked 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:47.720 in the daily mail, pop Sugar, and now you have 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:52.320 your own digital news platform called Zfeed. What urged you 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:54.400 to start your own media platform? 0:07:56.240 --> 0:07:59.680 I guess the main kind of driving force was out 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:03.000 of a need that I kind of needed to meet 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:05.960 in myself, which I imagine so many people who start 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:08.800 up side hustles or you know, entrepreneurs. It's the same 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:12.000 kind of thing. You look around and see a gap 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:15.200 that you yourself are looking for that information. So for me, 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:19.800 you know, I've worked for some incredible major global publishers 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:22.440 and I still do, so z Feed is my little 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:26.400 side hustle. But I was really looking for news that 0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:31.280 was produced specifically for social media and digital natives, which 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:33.440 I imagine you and I and most of the people 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:37.280 listening to this podcast are, but news that actually brought 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:41.240 all of the context in together to the one story 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:43.240 and gives you everything you need to know at once. 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:45.959 Because I guess what I've learned over my career is 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:48.760 that the nature of news is that it's new, so 0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:52.000 you only get the new piece of information with each article. 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:54.720 You just kind of get the latest development. But if 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:57.720 you're coming into that at that moment, there's a whole 0:08:57.720 --> 0:08:59.800 lot of background on context that you might have missed 0:08:59.800 --> 0:09:03.000 and can seem really intimidating to start at a big 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:05.560 topic kind of just in the moment when you don't 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:07.920 have that background. I felt that's what a lot of 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.439 youth news that was being produced, that's what it was lacking. 0:09:12.000 --> 0:09:15.319 So that's what I wanted to bring. Provide that context, 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:18.200 provide the background, and kind of do all of the 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:21.280 reading across you know, what might be five, six, seven, 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:24.480 eight different articles, and bring that all together in one 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:26.880 piece of content that someone could actually approach in a 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.880 more accessible way. That was really what I wanted to achieve, 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:31.520 And I think I'm doing an okay job so far. 0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:36.719 Yes, I absolutely love that, And I couldn't agree more 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:41.679 Because I am I'm someone who I don't look I'm 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:44.840 not gonna lie. I'm not the biggest news reader in 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:48.320 that regards, Like I personally cannot stand watching the news, 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:52.439 but I do like kind of pop culture news, if 0:09:52.480 --> 0:09:55.560 that makes sense, And something that I do find is 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:59.080 I will kind of come into something and be very 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:04.200 lost what is even, like, you know, especially a stuff 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:06.560 that is quite it's been going on for a while, 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:09.040 like the me Too movement and different assets like that. 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:11.600 So I've really really loved that aspect. 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:15.199 It's so true. And even you know, working in media 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:19.040 and working in news for my day job, like, even 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:21.360 I find it hard. And the only reason that I'm 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:22.960 so exposed to is because that's what I do on 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:25.280 a day to day basis. So I am already constantly reading. 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.320 I am already constantly consuming this content. But like, let's 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:30.520 face it, not everyone has the time to sit around 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:33.280 and read, you know, six or seven different pieces on 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:36.360 the same topic just to understand it. So it's really 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.600 just a necessity I think that people can have. This 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:42.240 is something you can just dive into, get the gist 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:44.160 of it, get the background and the key points, and 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:46.240 then feel like you can go out into the world 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:49.199 with a bit of a better understanding and actually engage. 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:49.839 With the topics. 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:52.880 Yeah, and have a bit of your own opinion because 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:57.439 you have the whole story exactly. That's exactly right, amazing, 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:00.320 and I wanted to ask you do you have because 0:11:00.360 --> 0:11:03.920 I know people listening, you know, whether they're in university 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:07.840 or they're just really interested in, you know, the news 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:10.200 and the media and that sort of side of things. 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:13.200 Do you have any advice for someone who's interested in 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:14.680 learning a career in the media. 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:18.960 Yeah, definitely. Look, it's an interesting time right now, and 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:22.719 I guess media broadly has been through quite a turbulent 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:26.320 kind of five to ten years and it's constantly changing 0:11:26.320 --> 0:11:28.960 and evolving. But I would absolutely say that at the 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:31.839 entry level right now, there are so many really big 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:36.280 opportunities to get your foot in the door in what 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:39.280 people might see is I guess maybe the more unexpected 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:43.040 kind of niches within media, So things like social media, 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:48.320 digital or video content production and podcasting is a really 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:51.520 big one as well. Those are kind of the opportunities 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:53.480 at the entry level right now, and it's an exciting 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:56.920 time because you can get your foot in the door 0:11:56.960 --> 0:11:59.560 with skills that are easy to build up just kind 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:01.120 of on your own time. You know, we're all on 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:03.319 social media all the time. We know how to produce 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.040 social media content. You know, if you have an interest 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:09.199 in podcasting and interest in audio, that's such a big opportunity. 0:12:09.960 --> 0:12:11.520 So I think it does really kind of pay to 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:15.640 be tuned into the industry, have your favorite publications and 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.800 follow what they're doing really really closely, read them all 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:21.199 the time, like just stay engaged so that you can 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:25.560 see the trendses they kind of arise. And like I say, 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:28.559 podcasting is a really good example because lots of big 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:33.640 media publishers are either starting or expanding their podcast teams 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:36.560 kind of recently. So if that's an interest, that's an 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:39.400 opportunity to kind of reach out and see if you 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:42.880 can help those teams. And if you have the audio skills, great, 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:45.240 But even if you don't, they still need people to 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:50.400 help research transcribing audio, which is such a nightmare. 0:12:50.400 --> 0:12:50.839 I'm sure. 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:54.000 I'm sure that you'll know so much about that. So 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:55.880 you know, even if you reach out and say, like, hey, 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:58.200 I'm really interested in getting a foot in the door 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:00.760 and media, I'm really interested in podcas. Do you need 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:03.960 someone help transcribing audio? If someone sent that to me, 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:07.800 I'd be like, yes, I do need help. So all 0:13:07.840 --> 0:13:10.880 those little small tassa and opportunity I think to get 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:11.600 your foot in the door. 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:15.360 That is such amazing advice. Chrystal and I couldn't agree more. 0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:18.720 It's funny when you were saying it. I remember kind 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:20.120 of growing. 0:13:19.880 --> 0:13:21.719 Up and I've been out of school for. 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:25.520 Oh good, like eighty years now or something, but I 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:29.360 remember when I first started my YouTube, I was thinking 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.040 to myself, I did have this like chance in school 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:35.600 to do like media and do like video editing, and 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:37.640 I remember thinking, oh my god, when am I going 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.600 to use that? And then like, I have this career 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:43.800 now which is very based off like editing and all 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:46.280 these things which I thought the skills didn't matter, and 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:47.840 I was like, oh my god, I just wish I 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:50.240 kind of, you know, like went with my gut and 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:53.000 just like went with these skills because they are, like 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:55.240 you said, it's stuff you can be doing in your 0:13:55.280 --> 0:13:58.679 spare time, because it's also stuff that can be super interesting. 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:02.040 And I actually have help with this podcast, and the 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:05.400 girl who helps me, Grace, she is doing her law 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:09.880 and journalism degree and she is super interested in podcasting, 0:14:09.880 --> 0:14:12.640 and I thought that is such a smart way to 0:14:12.720 --> 0:14:14.000 get your foot in the door. 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:18.640 Absolutely, it's such an opportunity because you know, bigger media 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:22.200 organizations are stacked up with people who have so much 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:24.520 amazing experience and have kind of come through those more 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:28.400 traditional pathways, but that means they don't necessarily have the 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:31.600 skills that you need for newer media. So for anyone 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:34.800 who's looking to get in, like, I really highly recommend 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:37.280 that as an avenue. It's also just fun to learn 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:39.280 new skills. I don't know, I really enjoy it. 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:40.560 I love that. 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:44.200 So let's switch gears and let's chat about your book. 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:45.400 So you were. 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:47.840 Lovely enough to send it to me, and I remember 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:50.400 looking at the cover and just going, oh my god, 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:52.600 I'm going to love this book. Like I said, I'm 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:55.280 very into winning arguments, have been since I was a 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:56.000 young child. 0:14:57.040 --> 0:14:57.640 Really why, I. 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:02.000 Studied law and I took a little with through a 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.800 little read and it is just such a great book. 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:08.280 So it's called how to Win Every Argument. 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:09.360 I've read it. 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:13.640 I've loved it. Each chapter dives into a very I 0:15:13.680 --> 0:15:16.600 would call them like in topic and it basically helps 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:19.040 people come up with a fact base come back to 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:22.560 a debate that you might be having. So can you 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:25.880 tell us, like, where did this idea come from to 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:26.640 write this book? 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:29.680 Oh my gosh, I'm so glad to hear that you 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:32.480 love it. I've got such a good reaction from I 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:35.320 think a lot of people who think the same as us. 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:37.120 Where you see the cover and you go, oh my god, 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:40.080 that is written for me. Just love to get into 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:45.040 these debates. It was inspired by a couple of different things. 0:15:45.200 --> 0:15:49.720 I'm from a big family. It's myself and there's four 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:51.960 kids in my family and my parents, and we're all 0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:55.000 really close. And I remember from the time of being 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:58.640 about ten or eleven years old, sitting around the dinner 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:03.240 table and getting into these really you know, interesting important 0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:07.560 discussions and debates, and our parents really encouraged us to 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:10.280 speak up and have an opinion, but also to be 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:13.520 prepared to back that up with some substance or some 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:16.280 you know, a little bit of something. So, you know, 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:20.280 I remember like getting into conversations about, you know, whether 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:24.080 homework is important to do, and whether you know, kids 0:16:24.080 --> 0:16:26.040 should have to wear school uniforms, and you know, those 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:27.800 kind of things like that you debate with your parents 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:30.360 when you're like ten or eleven, And it's something that 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:33.040 still definitely happens now whenever we're all together, and we're 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:36.280 quite a loud family, So if you're at the dinner table, 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:38.160 you've got to kind of be ready to hold your 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:42.400 own and bring your information to back you up. But 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:46.240 I think those those memories and having those debates my 0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:49.640 parents and my siblings really kind of set the foundation 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:53.760 of who I am, and then also this book. But 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.520 then a couple of years ago, I had a conversation 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:59.480 with my younger sister. She's ten years younger than me, 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:03.880 and she's very much conscious and engaged with the big issues, 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:05.720 and she'd just studded UNI and she was telling me 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:09.040 about this argument she'd gotten into with like some dumb 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:12.560 UNI guy about the gender pay gap, and she was 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.040 trying to explain to him why it was a real thing. 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:17.320 But she was telling me she got so frustrated because 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:20.680 in the heat of the moment she'd just forgotten everything, 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:23.080 like all the stats, all the numbers, and she wasn't 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:25.960 like fast enough to google it and find the information 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:28.439 to kind of get her point across, Like you know 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:31.240 that feeling when you just remember it after the argument 0:17:31.320 --> 0:17:34.800 is over. Yes, So that really got me thinking, like, 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:38.680 can is it possible create a guide that is quite 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:41.639 handy to the point, has all of the important information 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:43.760 with it, and it's written in a way that will 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:47.359 stick in your mind. And after toying with that idea 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:48.919 for a little bit. I thought, well, you know what, 0:17:49.000 --> 0:17:51.280 I'm just going to write it and see how this goes. 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:54.760 And I think I started with two or three topics 0:17:54.760 --> 0:17:58.440 and ended up with fifteen. So that's how the book 0:17:58.480 --> 0:17:59.000 came about. 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:01.040 That is so interesting. 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:01.600 I love it. 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:05.119 It's just so organic. And so what is your advice? 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:07.840 Because even though I did just say, you know, I 0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:12.000 love the title, I've always been one to stand up 0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:15.399 for myself and argue. I do kind of find in 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:21.480 this day and age, I do sometimes not go full 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:27.199 full force into an argument or a conversation because, you know, 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.959 just everyone has such different beliefs. There's a lot of 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:34.440 like hot topics, a lot of controversial topics. What would 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:36.560 your advice be to someone who kind of has a 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:40.600 bit of trouble communicating their beliefs, especially with people who 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:41.919 might disagree. 0:18:42.520 --> 0:18:44.520 Yeah, you're so right. Like, some of these topics are 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:48.399 very touching and like a bit sensitive, and people have 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:51.560 really closely held beliefs, so it can seem like quite 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:53.760 scary to get into it with someone, especially if it's 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:56.399 someone that you you love and you know that's in 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.119 your circle and you're worried about kind of offending them 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:03.119 or disagreeing with them. I guess, like my main tip, 0:19:03.320 --> 0:19:05.080 and this is going to sound a bit nuts, but 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:09.680 for those topics that you're really passionate about, it's kind 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:14.040 of a matter of really constantly repeating like the key numbers, 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:16.760 the key stats, the key facts to yourself over and 0:19:16.760 --> 0:19:19.719 over and over until they stick in your head, because 0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:22.080 that is kind of the biggest at least for me, 0:19:22.160 --> 0:19:25.080 that's the biggest challenge is being able to recall them 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:27.800 fast enough in the heat of the moment that it 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:30.159 just seems really seamless and natural. Because a lot of 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:32.399 the time that is what's most convincing to other people, 0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:35.719 that you kind of have a seamless communication of your idea. 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:38.480 So like I used to get into I still do 0:19:38.560 --> 0:19:40.720 get into arguments with my dad about, you know, whether 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:43.040 it's harder for people to buy a house now compared 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:46.240 to in his time. So I just had to commit 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:50.560 those numbers to memory that salaries have been increased by 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:54.480 five times, but the house prices have increased by twenty times. 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:57.280 So it's really clear then that there's not a comparable 0:19:58.119 --> 0:20:00.760 you know, there's not a comparable increase. It's really hard 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:04.320 to disagree with facts like that. But then I suppose 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:07.000 another tip would be to also like really listen to 0:20:07.040 --> 0:20:11.000 what the other person is saying, because sometimes you're both 0:20:11.080 --> 0:20:14.560 talking to slightly different things, which means you don't really 0:20:14.600 --> 0:20:17.560 get to the core issue, so you have to really 0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:21.199 listen to find out what they're like. Main beef is 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:25.720 kind of like it happens a lot with people who 0:20:25.760 --> 0:20:28.760 try to deny human involvement in climate change is a 0:20:28.760 --> 0:20:32.359 good example, because sometimes it's actually not that's not the 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:35.080 issue they're upset about or that they don't believe in. 0:20:35.440 --> 0:20:37.600 It might be something like the fact that they think 0:20:37.760 --> 0:20:40.440 their electricity bill is going to be higher with renewable 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:44.120 energy sources, which is kind of related to climate change, 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:46.760 but not really. So once you know what the real 0:20:46.800 --> 0:20:50.400 issue is, you can speak to that rather than you know, 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:53.560 just talking about two related but different things. 0:20:54.200 --> 0:20:56.560 I enjoy that. And something I just want to add 0:20:56.600 --> 0:20:59.680 on top of that is sometimes I find when you 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:03.440 are talking about a topic that you are quite passionate about, 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:06.879 you can often get into this mentality where you just 0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:09.200 don't even hear what the other person is saying because 0:21:09.200 --> 0:21:12.879 you just like you are so strong on your belief 0:21:12.880 --> 0:21:15.800 and you just you know, you know you're right or whatever, 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:18.760