What's That Feeling In Your Gut: Mark McCartney and Sean DeLaney JUST PRESS RECORD

The common thread that got me thinking I should pull Mark McCartney and Sean Delaney onto a Just Press Record was they both did an incredible job interviewing Derek Sivers.

Mark is the host of the What is a Good Life? podcast, and between his calming demeanor, Irish accent, and patient approach to pacing his ideas, I’ve become a fast-admirer or his style since accidentally discovering him earlier this year. You can immediately see how and why he’s an effective coach. Plus, the obsession with silence, which as aware as I am about how stupid it is to say “let’s talk about not talking,” I was dying to talk to him about it.

Sean is the host of What Got You There, and between his encyclopedic recall of profound quotes, his athlete-turned-professional mindset (with all the insights that come with his experience), and his ability to synthesize complex ideas and emotions on the spot, he’s become one of my source checks for every interview I do.* Plus, after scrubbing social media connections and searching his extensive interview list I didn’t see Mark anywhere so I had a hunch A. that they had never met, and B. that they would be awesome to introduce.

The topic of scratchiness comes up partway through. It’s the felt experience of something as being, “off.” I’ve been thinking about it since we just pressed stop recording. It took me about 38 years of life before I started to acknowledge feeling the scratchiness in my adult life.

Call it trusting your gut, or call it just being aware you have a gut with something maybe a tiny bit important to say, but this “scratchiness” is a feeling I am very personally in tune with noticing as I approach my mid-40s. I am not surprised Mark and Sean both talk about it. I am not surprised Mark and Sean’s professional work is focused on the transformational aspects of helping others to be better connected to it.

Before you scratch the itch, you have to notice it. These two are masters at getting you to sit and notice it. They won’t tell you what to do next, but they will draw it out of you. Hearing the two of them go back and forth about this topic, was nothing short of magical.

Mark tells the story about the lightning bolt in his chest that told him not to take a much more financially rewarding job several years ago.

Sean talks about needing to get into the pool to swim, where he can’t take a phone, where he can’t hear anything or do anything but move and slightly think, just to make sure he’s connected to what his body is telling him.

This is a meditation on life. And I have a feeling these two will be staying in touch. If I have my way, I’ll be tuning in for an interview on each of their podcasts with each other someday too.

Just Press Play already.

*a funny side story about Sean, when I was preparing to interview Grant Williams for The Intentional Investor on Epsilon Theory, I had this whole line of questions and logic all mapped out after listening to several other interviews before the thought popped into my head, “I wonder if Sean Delaney ever interviewed Grant?” I went to Spotify, searched, and what do you know, of course he did. I pressed play, and then, what do you know again, I found out Sean had executed the entire playbook I had just mapped out for my interview! I was so p***** but so in awe I shot him an email to tell him. Then, I went back to the drawing board with my regular mantra, “what won’t Sean DeLaney think to ask” and settled in on a whole new approach to take with Grant. And, you know what? I am so grateful I did. It’s good to have people like Sean (and Mark!) out there doing good work to push you forward. Now, how do I get Grant on Mark’s show to take it one step farther…