Arielle & Ned's Daily Tips...Podcast: What The Show Gets So Right About Tips & Life Lessons

 TikTok is infamous for numerous tropes -- people dancing like the Houghs to a popular song such as Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees, Ridiculous sovereign citizen police stops, Karens gone wild, and, of course, comedians proving they're not woke with the most outrageous jokes that often sacrifice wit for wildness.

Then we have the life lessons, life hacks, and daily tips. So many. Too many. After watching hours of these lessons / hacks /tips, I'm convinced that WD-40 can solve our renewable energy crisis, eliminate all credit card debt, and resolve the Middle East crisis. Apparently, WD-40 can do almost...well, everything.

 This article airs my gripes with some of these life lesson, life hack, daily tip posts, sites, and shows, and offers an engaging outlet for those fascinated by such arcane and useful knowledge.

Let me start with the glass half full. Positivity, right?

In December 2023, a new podcast launched, "Arielle and Ned's Daily Tips That May Or May Not Help You." Right away, I liked this concept. No pretentiousness such as some sites or shows with titles like, "Life Hacks That Will Save Your Life" Or "Secret Life Lessons That Only You Will Know After Reading, Liking, and Reviewing With Five Stars" in this article.

Instead, Donovan and Nissenblatt tell you right in the title of their podcast that their daily tips may not help. There's no money-back guarantee that their tips will revolutionize your life.

This new podcast -- now nearly 180 episodes -- showed off podcasting at its most flexible, fun, and informative. It is only two minutes in length, offering life hacks and lessons of high or minor value, and is fun to listen to. 

The counterpart to this approach are those articles or podcasts (sometimes, NPR-adjacent) where life hacks are so weighty and unknown that a pledge of silence is required before they are revealed to you.

I read an article a few years ago titled, "The Secret Life Hack that will save your Marriage." Really? I was married for 24 years, then divorced, and I did not believe that "never going to bed mad" was that effective, or a secret. 

When I was a newbie to management for a Fortune 50 corporation, my boss said to me, "Frank, the secret to success here starts with the mantra, 'to be early is to be on time.'"

To be fair, that is not the secret to success in any corporation, but my boss was right. It sure helps a lot. Don't screw up anything else, and being early and time-reliable can be the factor that separates you from the pack of "I was stuck in traffic" wannabe execs.

Donovan and Nissenblatt offer commonsensical advice that is A. not a secret and B. often not followed and more often ignored. 

For example, in their July 31 episode, Donovan offers a simple yet highly effective tip about conversations. Ned rightfully points out that people have a professional and personal life. Don't just focus on one, usually the job part. Ned is so right. At a dinner party, I met a man who was a retired U.S. Mint agent. I thought he'd be dying to tell me tales of counterfeit money and sting operations. However, he didn't get engaged until we started talking about bourbons, specifically Blanton's. What ensued was a fascinating tale of his visits to these Kentucky distilleries and his furtive efforts to attain more Blanton's single barrel bourbon. 

In the July 19th episode about hanging picture frames, Ned blows me away with a simple hack to hang pictures easily and correctly. I could tell you, but then you won't go the episode. It's not a secret (like some TikTokers assert about every life hack) but it works.

A few years ago, someone gave me (possibly a re-gift) a one-a-day calendar with a quote to live by for every day of the year. To be clear, it's not a long article with hints of Freemason-type secrecy or exclusivity of comprehension. It's a quote. Here's one example from Greek philosopher Plutarch, who said, "What we change inwardly will change outer reality." 

Great stuff. I don't need more. I just need to act upon that simple wisdom. That's what Arielle and Ned's Daily Tips That May Or May Not Help You gets so right. Overthinking and over analysis in long, jargon-heavy or "I know something you should know" articles or podcasts tends to divert energy away from doing into contemplating, reviewing, evaluating, and assessing.

"We wanted to create a show that feels like a daily dose of inspiration and entertainment. Life is full of challenges, big and small, and we believe that sharing practical tips – no matter how quirky or unexpected – can make a positive impact on our listeners' and viewers’ lives," says Arielle Nissenblatt, co-host of the show.

Ned Donovan, the other half of this duo, adds, "Arielle and I are people who love trying new things and optimizing our lives. We’re taking that passion and bringing it to audiences in a quick, digestible, fun format to add a little spice to your day."

Notice the lack of pretension in Ned's words. He's not predicting that a listener's life will do a 360-degree flip by listening to their daily tips.

Nissenblatt and Donovan have more modest goals, yet, they have the potential energy to make real change in people's lives.

I've listened to every episode of the show and then evaluated every tip. If I followed every tip -- from an act as consequential as  "Being knowledgeable about your friends" to something as simple as "Maximizing your toothpaste," I would be the type of human being I would like to hang out with. Until I get there, of course, I'll avoid myself as much as possible, even ghosting myself when necessary. 

To wrap up, there are no "secrets" to success and happiness. Sadly, those two attributes are partially determined by race, class, and serendipity. The other half is effort, persistence, and emotional capacity.

Are there guidelines and map coordinates to getting what you want out of life? Absolutely. Daily tips and life hacks are designed to make life a little bit easier and more frictionless.

Ironically, I am ending with a tip. Want to make your life incrementally better every day? Then listen to "Arielle and Ned's Daily Tips That May Or May Not Help You." 

After all, "Arielle and Ned's Daily Tips That May Or May Not Help You."  recently won the Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Award (AKA The Earlobes) for Best Short Form Podcast. The award is determined by a committee. One committee member cited their favorite episode of the show, which was a May 2024 episode about how to crack pistachio shells that won't open. All the other committee members thought he was nuts...