Episode Details

Penn and Kim Holderness are a beam of light in the world.

If you aren't one of the billion people -- like, an actual billion -- who've watched their viral videos, well then, let me quickly usher you over to their YouTube Channel or Instagram feed. From their original 2013 "#XMAS JAMMIES" singing Christmas card (parodied by Kristin Wiig and team on SNL) to their truly astounding "Hamilton Mask-Up Medley" at the peak of the pandemic -- well, it's all right there. Laughs, connection, love offered as endless simple and reorienting gifts in our disorienting world.

I was flattered a few months ago to be invited on their intimate, high-energy Holderness Family Podcast. They have such unique chemistry and I didn't know what to expect. Well, they came in hot! Pushing past the typical "Tell us your story" stuff and getting right into the meatier "Come on, really?" questions that helped us fall into a deeper, richer conversation covering so much ground in (somehow) a wee 58 minutes.

Listen to Kim, Penn, and I discuss: finding an ikigai, ambition versus contentment, the joy of making, the 4 S's of great work, a better name for ADHD, how to tactically get the phones out of the bedroom, how much money we need to be happy, replenishing decision-making energy, the true meaning of awe, why Our Book of Awesome is my last awesome book, reconciling a desire to be happy with what we have with a desire to improve, and, of course, fitting for these hyper-talented twenty-first century Weird Als (and I mean that in the best possible way), our go-to karaoke songs.

Thank you deeply to Kim and Penn Holderness for having me on their show. Subscribe to The Holderness Family Podcast, follow them everywhere right here, and I hope you enjoy this Bookmark episode of 3 Books.

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3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 22-year-long quest to uncover and discuss the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter discusses the 3 most formative books of an inspiring person. Sample guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gla