Stolaroid Stories

Matthew Dicks is an internationally bestselling novelist, a storytelling champion, and the author of 2 non-fiction books that had a big influence on me.

One is Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling -- a book that inspired me to start this very podcast in 2021.

The other one is Someday Is Today: 22 Simple Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life -- a book that turned me into a more confident and productive creator.

I admire Matt.

He's a kind man who's dedicated his life to creating, teaching, writing, and connecting with others through stories (check out his YouTube channel below).

I invited him to discuss storytelling, creativity, the art of writing, and other things that writers and creatives may find interesting and useful.

Enjoy!

Connect with Matt

Matt's website - https://matthewdicks.com/

Matt's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4K0fcEJkzJLso5h6CN00LQ

Storyworthy - https://www.storyworthymd.com/

Matt and Elysha's podcast - https://matthewdicks.com/speak-up/

Join Better Writers (my private email list) - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Encouraging, empowering, illuminating — this is a book that changed me. Here’s what I learned and how I implemented the lessons. (Based on an article I wrote on Medium in 2023 - How I Changed by Reading Seth Godin’s “The Practice”, a Book Every Creator Must Read: What I learned from “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work” by Seth Godin) Read it here - https://baos.pub/how-i-changed-by-reading-seth-godins-the-practice-a-book-every-creator-must-read-0f0712e48163?sk=7446d8930bf249d6a395a97ba44ff2be Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Does school suppress creativity? In my experience, yes. Here's a rant and a few stories.

Videos/Books I mentioned: - Seth Godin's interview - https://youtu.be/DivRzYrs8BY?si=jcMDnH2yWptQDe-o

- Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&vl=en

- "The Element" by Ken Robinson

- "Stop Stealing Dreams: What is school for?" by Seth Godin https://seths.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/stop-stealing-dreams6print.pdf www.fabiocerpelloni.com

If you're a writer or aspiring author, there's something particularly valuable you can learn from "The Happiest Man on Earth." My reflections in this video. ***

Join Better Writers https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

My dear friend Lara -- one of the most creative, resourceful, and perfectionistic people I know -- joins us for an honest conversation about turning creative ideas into reality.

We hope this will help you reflect on how you approach your own creative process.

If you prefer watching, here's the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/vPFshoIJkvI

*** LARA's LINKS

Lara's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@IngleseConLara

Lara's Podcast - https://enbooo.com/category/enbooo-podcast/

MY LINKS

Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

It's okay to drop books you don't like.

Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

There are plenty of things that could go wrong in a sentence. June Casagrande, an American writer, journalist, and editor, has written this book to help you write sentences that say what you actually want them to say.

Here's my review of It Was The Best Of Sentences, It Was The Worst Of Sentences: A Writer's Guide To Crafting Killer Sentences -- a book to help you do what it says on the box.

LINKS

June Casagrande's blog - https://www.grammarunderground.com/

Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

Prefer watching? Here's the YT video - https://youtu.be/rPwNwa6p96I

You have no audience when you journal. Your reader doesn't matter because you don't have one. You write to and for yourself. Blogging is different. When you blog, you're in the business of helping your readers. What do they want? What do they need? What do they think? Most importantly, how can I help? Your next blog post could be 1 sentence long. Your next 1,000 blog posts could be that long too. Who says we need to write a 6-minute article every week? A tiny blog to be useful -- that's enough. You'll start forming opinions, noticing, reflecting, and questioning. "Why am I saying this?" "Wow, I never thought about that before!" "I don't believe what I've just written." "Why do I believe this?" "Total bullshit!" These are some of the thoughts that come to me when I blog. A tiny blog helps you, too.

STUFF I MENTIONED

- My TINY Blog - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/blog/

- My review of "Serveral Short Sentences About Writing" - https://youtu.be/UEJmxMuKecg?si=JtiZhB57FQtsXXuv-

-A chat with Zulie Rane - https://youtu.be/LtmND8ykEX4?si=B7rEKCfKYXpxgd1a-

- A video on my channel that many people found useful - https://youtu.be/2TrxmpeiKAM?si=5y7DqxxdsiUPARRJ

- George Kao (Authentic Business Coach) @GeorgeKaoCommunity 

Zulie Rane left her 9-to-5 job in 2018 to become a full-time online writer and content creator. She then became one of the most popular writers on Medium, a blogging platform that allows you to monetise your writing. Today, Zulie is back to a 9-to-5 job...at Medium.

What happened in between?

Zulie talked about reaching her audience, writing for fun, writing for profit, ghostwriting overcoming writer's block, capturing ideas for writing, burning out, writing a novel, making money on Medium, and many other things I guess only writers would be interested in. Enjoy the conversation.

(Available on my YT channel too - https://youtu.be/LtmND8ykEX4)

USEFUL LINKS FROM ZULIE

Browse 100+ publications in the Medium Boost Nomination Program - https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/23964242497559-Browse-100-publications-in-the-Boost-Nomination-Pilot

- Medium's Huge List of Publications Accepting Submissions - https://medium.com/@MediumStaff/list/mediums-huge-list-of-publications-accepting-submissions-7c0ec8037e61

- All the stories Medium staff have written about the Boost. https://medium.com/@zulie_at_medium/list/everything-about-the-boost-aea02a8f55f9

- Zulie's YT channel @ZulieWrites 

MY LINK

Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Writing consistently can be hard. In fact, doing anything consistently can be hard. But why? My partner Aloha and I had a long conversation about this and came up with 5 reasons. Here they are. Let me know if you have others.

***

Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Here's the link to the (anonymous) survey - https://s.surveyplanet.com/z2yvlesg

Thank you!!!

(The book I mentioned is "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick)

Someone on YouTube left the following comment on one of my videos. "Can you comment in regard to writing about something you had been thinking about for years and thought was a somewhat novel concept, only to find someone has already written a book on the same subject? So then, you're left wondering if you have anything of value to offer on it. This is somewhat discouraging. The subject is an overview and explanation of an element of design work that is often overlooked in architecture. Thank you. If you feel like this writer, I'd like to invite you to consider a few things. Join Better Writers -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

I used to consume lots of content. I used to listen to podcasts while running or driving, watch YouTube videos when having breakfast, and read online articles while queuing at the supermarket. I would squeeze in a bit of learning every time I could. I no longer do that. In 2023, I read Kerri Sackville's "The Secret Life of You: How a bit of alone time can change your life, relationships, and maybe the world." Kerri's stories made me realise I wasn't spending enough time "alone with my thoughts," I phrase I now love. I invited Kerri to share her stories and ideas on my channel. She's an Australian media personality. She's appeared several times on national Australian TV and radio, and she's a regular writer for Sunday Life Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald, and Melbourne Age. She's also the author of 5 non-fiction books. "The Secret Life of You" is her latest one. Read it. It'll change your life. Thanks to those who submitted questions for Kerri, and enjoy the conversation. "You cannot produce original thought without quality time alone in your own mind." -- Kerri Sackville, "The Secret Life of You" KERRI'S LINKS - The Secret Life of You on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-You-change-relationships-ebook/dp/B0BNPG9CDL - Kerri's website - https://www.kerrisackville.com.au/ - Instagram @kerrisackville - Facebook @Kerri.Sackville MY LINKS Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

(The episode is also available on YouTube - https://youtu.be/8UFjWDJhCWE)

Isn't it true that on a planet with 8 billion people there will always be someone more skilled and talented and qualified and experienced than us? Being the best in the world shouldn't be the minimum requirement for showing our work. Listen to my ramble for more. LINKS Subscribe to Better Writers for free. You'll get 1 short email a week to help you achieve 1 goal: become a better writer. -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

I forgot I blogged about "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/show-your-work/

Visit my website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/Vec1hXYIlp4?si=eRXxAEYqCLTvS3_-

A few weeks ago, I published a video titled "You Have a TINY Book in You. Write It." My story resonated with many people. Some viewers asked me specific questions too. This video is to answer those questions. Hope this helps! LINKS Subscribe to Better Writers for free. You'll get 1 short email a week to help you achieve 1 goal: become a better writer. -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ The "tiny book" video - You Have a TINY Book in You. Write It.   My (tiny) book - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-langu... My website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Kathleen Adams is one of the most prominent and established voices in the field of therapeutic writing. She's a best-selling author, speaker, and psychotherapist.

She's the founder and director of the Center for Journal Therapy, the premier source of education and training on the power of writing for healing, growth, and change.

She's also the director of the Therapeutic Writing Institute and adjunct faculty at the University of Denver, where she teaches Writing and Healing, a 10-week course. In an internet poll, Kay was listed (with Anne Frank and Anais Nin) as one of the three most significant influences on contemporary journal keeping.

I learned about her work when I read her first book, Journal to the Self (1990), a classic that has helped define the field of journal therapy. I then had the privilege to meet Kay to ask her questions about journaling.

- What is journaling?

- Why is it helpful?

- What misconceptions do people have about journaling?

- How can we start journaling?

- What journaling techniques are there?

- Is it better to keep a handwritten or digital journal?

- Should you journal only when you're sad?

- How can you become a better writer by journaling?

Kay and I hope this recorded chat will inspire you to write down your thoughts more often.

Enjoy the episode here or watch it on YouTube --https://youtu.be/8FvaRuz21uM

KAY LINKS

- Kay's first book, “Journal to the Self” - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/353624.Journal_to_the_Self

- Kay’s Books - https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/F7818742-54B0-4A8F-8DED-F5CFFC3B2148

- Kay’s gift for you - https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:571b7eb5-8dfa-4d29-8c3f-70d583a05bd9

- The Center for Journal Therapy - https://journaltherapy.com/

- The Therapeutic Writing Institute - https://twinstitute.net/

MY LINKS

- Subscribe to Better Writers. You'll get 1 short email a week to help you achieve 1 goal: become a better writer. -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

- My website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

"Avoid the passive voice" is cheap writing advice that helps no one. I'll tell you why in this rant.

Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch the rant on YouTube - https://youtu.be/eQJpUhZi9-g

You can write a TINY book today. You don’t need to have a talent. You don’t need to have an extraordinary life. You don’t need to have a big audience. These days you don’t even need a contract with a publisher. I had none of those things, and yet I published a tiny book — one of my proudest achievements in 37 years.

You can do that too.

LINKS

My Book - https://www.amazon.com/Any-Language-Want-Fabio-Cerpelloni/dp/B0CDYT58HW

Visit my website: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch the video on YouTube - https://youtu.be/2TrxmpeiKAM

"Several Short Sentences About Writing" by Verlyn Klinkenborg. I struggled not to highlight every sentence in this book. I loved it so much. It surprised me in so many ways and taught me things about writing I had never heard before. Here are my key takeaways, nerdy stuff only writers will find interesting. LINKS Subscribe to Better Writers for free. You'll get 1 short email a week to help you achieve 1 goal: become a better writer. -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ The blog about linkers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/avoid-overusing-linking-words/ The blog about this book - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/several-short-sentences-about-writing/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/UEJmxMuKecg

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:05 The writer's job

05:39 Writing by implication

09:00 Transitions and logic

14:05 In your head

18:20 Write what

24:00 Conclusion

In 1997, Derek Sivers (accidentally) started CD Baby, the largest distributor of independent music in the world. Ten years later, he sold the company for $22 million. What did he do with the money? Did he buy a Ferrari? A mansion? A private jet? He gave it all to charity. He then became a TED speaker and a writer. He's published 5 books: - Anything You Want (2011) -- Best business book I've ever read. - Your Music and People (2020) -- Best marketing book I've ever read. - Hell Yeah or No (2020) -- Best book on productivity and decision-making I've ever read. - How to Live (2021) -- Best book on life philosophies I've ever read. - Useful Not True (2024) -- Best book on beliefs I've ever read. Derek Sivers is the person I've watched, read, and listened to the most since I got an internet connection in 2000. No joke! I could’ve asked him questions about music, business, productivity, marketing, or public speaking, but many YouTubers and podcasters have done that before.

For 1.5 hours, we talked about one thing only: WRITING. - What brought him into writing? - Which writers inspire him? - How did he write his books? - Why succinct writing?- Why does he not use semicolons? - What does he do to actively improve his writing? - Does he have a sentence he's particularly attached to? We discussed this and other nerdy stuff about writing. Enjoy! DEREK'S LINKS His (succinct) website - https://sive.rs/ FABIO'S LINKS Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

YOUTUBE LINK for this episode- https://youtu.be/jI3efiQ2u_M

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

03:30 Starting to write

11:30 The influence of bad writing

15:55 Reading reviews

19:00 Different reasons for writing

23:20 Writing "How to Live"

28:43 Writing one sentence per line

34:34 The influence of writing songs

39:06 Derek's best sentences

40:00 Imitating other writers

44:51 Reading old books

47:15 The work is the practice

53:25 Publishing daily?

01:04:00 Why succinct writing

01:05:30 Using stories to illustrate a point

01:07:05 Semicolons

01:07:45 Reading with a writer's mind

01:09:50 Academic writing

01:12:40 Writing for English as a second language speakers

01:15:00 Next book?

01:17:30 Being disciplined

01:19:28 Saying just enough

01:30:30 Conclusion

Behind any creation, there's the work of a mind. That mind is often fearful and insecure.

"They might not like this. They might not like ME."

You're an artist. You can't afford to let someone else's mind harm your own. But you're also an artist who wants to be liked and accepted.

Do you have the courage not to be?

I invited my friend, Bree Aesie, to talk about this.

Bree studied psychology and has been building on the internet since 2020. Consistently. She's the host of "Into the Story," a wonderful storytelling podcast for learners of English I wish had been around when I was a learner myself.

You'll learn more about the psychology of creativity, and hear about our fears, frustrations, and joys as creators.

Enjoy!

(You can watch us on YouTube too -- https://youtu.be/eSJQR-TuBq0)

BREE'S LINKS

Into the Story (Bree's show) - https://intothestorypodcast.com/

FABIO'S LINKS

Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

We mentioned...

- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

- The Practice by Seth Godin

- Alan Watts (British writer)

- Laurie Skreslet (Canadian mountaineer)

- Sound School podcast with Ira Glass

- This American Life (podcast)

CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro

03:15 Bree + creating

09:10 The practice

15:55 Sincere vs serious

19:10 Move your body

26:00 The Lizard Brain pt.1

29:20 Creating is satisfying

37:35 Originality

41:30 AI for creativity

47:20 The Lizard Brain pt.2

54:40 Productivity and discipline

58:40 No.1 tips

01:02:10 Conclusion

Suggestions on how to cut the fluff in your writing (watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/MTll-KJl0ps?si=Szxbcuu_radtBZGL) Join Better Writers, my weekly newsletter for online writers who speak English as a second language. I share writing tips, insights, and resources to help you do one thing: become a better writer -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Henneke didn't see herself as a writer. She didn't even think she was creative. In school, English was her worst subject. The next was Dutch, her first language. Henneke never kept a journal, never wrote a poem, never published anything. Later in life, she realised there wasn't that much magic about writing, and discovered a passion that led her to some amazing achievements:

- Publishing “Blog to Win Business,” a book that was recommended as a must read for business writers by Inc.com and HuffingtonPost.

- Landing an interview with Inc.com and Forbes.com on the topic of seductive writing.

- Being named one of “50 Incredible Women in Marketing to Follow” by Search Engine Journal.

- Writing for Sally Hogshead, a Hall of Fame speaker.

Today Henneke describes herself as an "irreverent writer and educator on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook."

Her courses, books, and clean-looking blog -- Enchanting Marketing -- teach both first and second language English writers how to improve their writing skills. What can we all learn about writing, blogging, and engaging storytelling from Henneke? You're about to find out :)

(If you prefer watching, here's the link to the YouTube interview - https://youtu.be/_EYrp406itY)

HENNEKE'S LINKS

- Henneke's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennekeduistermaat/

- Enchanting Marketing - https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/

MY LINKS

- Better Writers, my weekly newsletter for online writers who speak English as a second language. I share writing tips, insights, and resources to help you do one thing: become a better writer. -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

- My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

3 simple things I did to improve my written English grammar (watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/RFYp-3Q3lws) Join Better Writers, my weekly newsletter for online writers who speak English as a second language. I share writing tips, insights, and resources to help you do one thing: become a better writer. -- https://fabiocerpelloni.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=47708257f1b95e40a2a89f367&id=40e2df9c6a www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/xWr4AxlLgLE

Philip Charter is a short-fiction writer and an educator from the UK who's worked as a writing coach since 2018. He uses his expertise as a language teacher and as an author to help multilingual professional writers develop their skills and future-proof their careers. He also runs the world's best community for multilingual pro writers.

In this episode, we talked about: - His passion for writing - Finding writing ideas - Online writing - Creativity - Helping multilingual writers We hope this is helpful to you. LINKS - Phil's website - https://www.englishwritingcoach.uk/

- Better Writers (my private email list) - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

We often mistake being creative for being original, but these are two different things. Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/ofQkI4x2ais?si=hr-4mPkeUzhDtad3

***

Sign up for Better Writers, my weekly newsletter for online writers who speak English as a second language. 👇 https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/uYHQ7crDwjU?si=Lt59Cnjjx815xQYl

"Non-native English Voices" is a Medium publication for people who have learned or are still learning English as an additional language. It’s for those who are aware their English isn’t as good as their first language but understand that showing their writing to the eyes of an audience is essential to becoming great writers. If this sounds like you, you’re welcome to join. Free of charge, free of judgment. Join me here - https://medium.com/non-native-english-voices/write-for-non-native-english-voices-c505e0d44009?sk=d078b6a9154aa280e6a3cba247b36de2

Reading online is not like reading on paper. (Watch on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/jj3y4l2bQyU) *** Sign up for Better Writers, my weekly newsletter for online writers who speak English as a second language. I share writing tips, insights, and resources to help you do one thing: become a better writer. Here -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/15XTQNiN8-Q?si=lk6Qx34pxFQg5j1r

Let me show you how to read like a writer. I dissect a short paragraph by Seth Godin, one of my favourite authors, and take you through 7 writing lessons I learned from it. I hope this is helpful! BETTER WRITERS (my new writing course for non-native speakers of English -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/better-writers/) Links and resources: - Linchpin by Seth Godin - - Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks - My website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/ - The video is based on an article I wrote, which you can read here -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/read-like...

Watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/xNaqmeugIzc

How do you find the time to read and write? Fiction or nonfiction? How do you come up with ideas for your stories? Do English language exam preparation courses really teach writing? English teacher, writer, and editor (of the International House Journal) Chris Walker joins me in one of the most insightful conversations about writing I've ever had. Enjoy!

Links

• Get Chris' books -- https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Christopher-Walker/author/B01N80YT77
• The blog post I mentioned -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/read-like-a-writer/
• The blog post I read out -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/exams/
• Any Language You Want (my book) -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/
• My group for non-native English writers (opening soon) -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/rga/

Other books we mentioned:

• The Penguin History of The Second World War
• 2666 by Roberto Bolano
• The Pillars of Hercules by Paul Theroux
• Someday Is Today by Matthew Dicks
• The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham by Selina Hastings
• Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess
• Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace
• The English Verb by Michael Lewis
• 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:00 Why Writing

06:11 Fiction vs Nonfiction (Pt.1)

09:56 Finding Writing Ideas

16:07 Chris' Writing Approach

25:29 Reviews & Amazon

30:42 Finding the Time to Write

39:23 Being an Editor

42.52 Fiction vs Nonfiction (Pt.2)

50:54 Useful Writing Strategies

54:30 English Is a Simple Language

59:32 English Exams vs Writing

01:09:12 Tips for Non-Native English Writers

01:15:24 Bye Bye

*** Visit my website: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Learn more about the group here (add your questions) -- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mChD0pZ3O4FI74JRyxX9DZTWi6_b9pu4VTXXDJEIP4s/edit?usp=sharing

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/SOulZKM5DR8

I hope this episode will help you find more ideas for writing, so you'll never say "I don't know what to write about" ever again.

Links

My blog - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/blog/

My Medium blog - https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/29p2i9fGWX8

Seth Godin is one of the most generous people I've ever met. He's an American entrepreneur, speaker, and the author of 21 bestsellers that have been translated into 39 languages.

Seth Godin, most of all, is a teacher. A few years ago, he wrote a manifesto on education titled "Stop Stealing Dreams: What Is School For?" This free e-book has been downloaded over 4 million times.

Because I'm a teacher too and because, without exaggeration, Seth Godin is one of my heroes, I invited him to have a chat with me about some of the ideas in his manifesto.

I'm so grateful I had the chance to talk to Seth for 40 minutes and I hope you'll enjoy listening to him. I always do.

(You can watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/DivRzYrs8BY)

Links

• Download and read "Stop Stealing Dreams" (illustrated version) - https://static.altmba.com/share/Stop_Stealing_Dreams_altMBA_200506.pdf
• "Stop Stealing Dreams" (text-only version) - https://seths.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/stop-stealing-dreams6print.pdf
• Read "Stop Stealing Dreams" on Medium - https://medium.com/@sethgodinwrites/stop-stealing-dreams-4116c7dbff7b
• Watch Seth Godin's "Stop Stealing Dreams" TED talk - https://youtu.be/sXpbONjV1Jc?si=iknhlQMf7tSePJmX
• Seth Godin's website - https://www.sethgodin.com/
• Seth Godin's blog - https://seths.blog/

• My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:26 Stop Stealing Dreams

06:15 Solving interesting problems

07:40 What to teach

13:00 The Drinking Bird

15:24 Teachers

19:30 Textbooks

25:40 Choosing what to study

28:50 Conforming

32:05 Passion

35:23 Creating

38:48 What is school for?

"The Carbon Almanac: It's Not Too Late" is a book of facts about a problem we should all talk about: climate change. In this video, I tell you about "The Carbon Almanac," why I decided to read it, and why I think you should read it, too.

Links:

• The Carbon Almanac -- https://thecarbonalmanac.org/
• The Story of Stuff (the other book I mentioned) -- https://www.storyofstuff.org/

Watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/IffwNJp_0DI

An episode where I go through one of my most viewed articles on Medium. The full title of the article is "Words of Encouragement for Non-Native English Writers Like Me: On doubting your writing, imitating writers, English grammar, and publishing with mistakes."

Watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/hzfHy-AhdZ4

Comments? Questions? Reply on Spotify or email me - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/contact/

Links

• Read the article on Medium for free -- https://medium.com/writing-cooperative/words-of-encouragement-for-non-native-english-writers-like-me-05c2dc362f21?sk=a5d4386e54ae22e9ba73e63d12b14615

• The article about using ChatGPT to learn how to write -- https://medium.com/illumination/41-useful-ai-prompts-to-help-non-native-english-writers-write-better-in-english-e96d40ea864c?sk=7e69a2b2221093a04e44cbccf9c659e8

• My book -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/

Chapters

• 00.00 Intro
• 00:32 Beginning
• 01:54 Doubting Your Writing
• 07:50 Imitating Writers
• 12:20 Beyond Grammar
• 18:20 Publish Imperfect Article(s)
• 22:35 Let's Rock
• 26:45 Conclusion

Barbara Serra is an award-winning journalist, TV presenter, TEDx speaker, author, and documentary-maker. She was born in Italy but has lived in the U.K. since the 90s. English has been her dominant language since learning it as a teenager in international schools across Europe.

Over 20 years ago, Barbara Serra made history as the first non-native English speaker to present a primetime news program on British TV, a remarkable achievement attained through hard work, determination, and a passion for her job.

Since then, Barbara Serra has worked for some of the most renowned international news networks, including the BBC, Al Jazeera English, and Sky News, where she is currently employed as a TV presenter and news anchor.

I invited her on my podcast, Stolaroid Stories, to discuss the challenges of presenting news with a foreign accent, her career as a non-native English journalist, diversity in journalism, the interplay between pronunciation and identity, and her course designed to help non-native speakers find their authentic English voice.

Links

• Barbara Serra's newsletter. "News with a Foreign Accent" -- https://barbaraserra.substack.com/

• Barbara Serra's Course: https://www.barbaraserra.info/
• Barbara Serra's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-serra-73830134/

***

Find out more about me on my website: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

My Book: Any Language You Want -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/

Journaling is super easy. In this episode, I tell you how I do it and why. I also recommend a great book to help you get started with journaling. It's titled "Journal to the Self" by Kathleen Adams. Questions or ideas? Write to me in the comments.

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/g6niItmliEY

What's anthropology? How can it change the way we perceive other cultures? And what's Lithuania like? I invited Paulius Juodis, a Lithuanian teacher with a degree in anthropology, to tell us more about these subjects.

You can watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SZNe0RKcPsE Links

• Get in touch with Paulius: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

• My interview with Paulius on his podcast: https://youtu.be/Yr4Zstn3T9w?si=rlr2QNMEnN2yAo4s

Resources Mentioned

• Timothy Snyder's work: His book "The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999" and his free lecture series on Ukrainian history are available on YouTube.

• Videogame: Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition

***

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Some suggestions on how to deal with grammar mistakes when you're writing in English. I hope this is helpful.

• Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GbJsW9rKyz0

• Check out my 3-week writing program -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/

• Consider joining my private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

If English isn't your first language, do you get offended if someone calls you a "non-native English speaker"? Is "non-native English speaker" a derogatory term? Let me know what you think :)

Watch on YT -- https://youtu.be/Rfi2kMBBrgc

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/fua7ian-Qgk

"English punctuation is a nightmare for me. I can't understand the logic of it," said a writer I interviewed last week. Many non-native English writers struggle with punctuation. It also used to be a problem for me. So here are my 3 tips.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro 01:32 Book

03:20 Exercise

05:15 Writer Brain

7:40 Conclusion

I mentioned:

• "The Best Punctuation Book, Period" by June Casagrande
• My 3-week writing program https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/qndgsE7k2Zo

Here's a book that could help you develop critical and clear thinking skills. It's called "The Art of Thinking Clearly" by Rolf Dobelli. In this episode, I'll share what I learned from it.

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/ZbO7WegbCnE

I discovered Alberto on Medium.com and was impressed by the quality of his writing. Alberto is an Italian writer and blogger who helps aspiring content creators become prolific by building custom systems that fit their busy lives. He started blogging in Italian in 2010 but then boldly stepped into the world of English writing to reach a wider audience.

In this conversation, you'll hear him talk about:

• His early beginnings in digital content creation
• His transition from writing in Italian to writing in English
• Recommended resources for non-native English writers
• Writing on Medium.com
• His writing process and approach
• Using ChatGPT

...and other things related to writing, content creation, learning English, and digital entrepreneurship.

If you find this useful, please email me to let me know. All my contacts are on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

01:38 - Switching to English

13:08 - Gaining Confidence

16:30 - Loving English

24:38 - Writing on Medium

35: 26 - Getting Better at Writing

43:30 - Writing & ChatGPT

52:08 - Books for writers

55:10 - Alberto's course

01:01:44 - Conclusion

Links & Resources:

- Medium: read Alberto's articles on Medium.com -- https://albertocabasvidani.medium.com/

- The Unstoppable Creator (Alberto's newsletter + free email course) -- https://albertocabasvidani.ck.page/052d7c645d

- The Tilt for content strategies and business insights -- https://www.thetilt.com/

- Ali Abdaal and Nicolas Cole -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIfEgvpEufU

Books we mentioned:

- "Storyworthy" by Matthew Dicks

- "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield

- "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser

- "The Art and Business of Online Writing" by Nicolas Cole

- "The 4 Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferris

Find out more about me and my work on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/his4qaunSmA

You don't need 127 teachers, YouTubers, or creators. One or two are enough. Choose one you trust and then get on with your learning without getting lost in a sea of contradicting voices. Links The only YouTube channel I used to learn English -- It was great in 2011. Imagine how great it is in 2024 -- https://www.youtube.com/user/engvidenglish My book: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4kfYRqxYtqA

What's the best way to learn a language? My first language is Italian but I've spent the past decade teaching English, a language I started learning in my 20s. I've also studied and researched second language acquisition as part of my MA in Language Education. Without bragging, I know the answer to "What's the best way to learn a language?" But I can't reveal the secret without first addressing a bigger question. I hope what I say in this episode is helpful. *** My book: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/

Do you use English idioms in speaking or writing to sound advanced? To impress someone? To look cool?

Don't.

Episode links

• Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/zW1x9ydBwHA
• Book: 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost
• My book -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/
• The video I mentioned -- https://youtu.be/P_AZvuGjS0w?si=kqiGQneeDh-8zcm8
• My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/WkYpKVokW4c

A fascinating interview with David Loewen from Canada. David is a writer, thinker and Doctor of Education. He's also the co-founder of Humanity Academy, a social enterprise committed to empowering individuals by unlocking the doors of knowledge, wisdom, and self-awareness.

David and I talked about:

• The Humanity Academy
• The shortcomings of traditional education systems
• The importance of thinking about thinking
• Learning journals
• Bears, Australia, and Creativity

I'm fascinated by David's work. I hope you'll find this interesting too.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:50 Humanity Academy

06:36 Problems with Traditional Education

13:05 Solutions

23:55 Learning Journals

36:35 Keeping a Learning Journal

49:31 Individualism

58:37 Talking to Ourselves

1:09:00 Consistency?

1:22:30 5-Day Crash Course

1:26:00 Conclusion

*Books we mentioned (hope I haven't missed any!)*

• The Secret Life of You by Kerri Sackville
• Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
• Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg

Links to David's Work:

- Personal website: https://www.davidloewen.org/

- Newsletter (2 free weekly issues): https://www.boxcutter.co/

- Humanity Academy: https://www.humanityacademy.life/

- The Learning Journal Crash Course: https://www.learningjournal.life/

David's Medium:

- https://medium.com/@thelearningjournals

- https://medium.com/@thedavidloewen

For more about Fabio (me) go to https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/gjDkyfaW-40

Keeping a journal or a diary has never scared anyone. But putting your words in front of other people’s eyes, well, yes, that might be intimidating, especially if you’re writing in a second language.

I never had an audience when I was learning to write in English. I would use pen and paper, and I never published a single word except for some status updates on Facebook.

I missed out.

Knowing that someone will read you may be scary, but it'll naturally force you to revise, improve, and polish your text. You’ll be checking the language you use, asking yourself whether your ideas are clear or not and, most importantly, you’ll be writing to and for real human beings who may even give you some feedback.

That's why I encourage you to publish your writing.

No special tools are required. You don’t need any expensive subscriptions. You don’t need to learn how to build a website or create a personal blog. You just need to open an account on Medium.com – a free blogging platform.

I’ve been there for a while too, so if you need any help or have any questions about it, let me know in the comments.

*Links*

• Medium - https://medium.com/
• My medium profile - https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni
• The Short Form - https://medium.com/the-shortform

Watch on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/P_AZvuGjS0w What's the best way to improve your writing? Here's a book that can help you. Great for beginners and intermediate writers. Useful reminders in it for more advanced ones.

Links and stuff I mentioned

"100 Ways to Improve Your Writing" by Gary Provost

An interview with Derek Sivers on the "Writers Ink" podcast: "The Art of Simplicity with Derek Sivers" -- https://writersinkpodcast.com/the-art-of-simplicity-with-derek-sivers/

My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

A ramble about what to ask yourself before writing. *** My 3-week writing program - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/JDPwhC987eM

In this episode of Stolaroid Stories, I'm joined by Niki Tisza, a non-native English writer and designer from Hungary. Niki started writing when she was a kid and her passion for the written word has never waned.

Here's what you'll hear her talk about:

- Journaling

- Negative feedback she received from teachers

- Her successes as a blogger

- Coping with criticisms about her English grammar.

- Arnold Schwarzenegger

- Reading books

- Writing tips

I hope her story will inspire you.

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬

- Niki on Medium - https://medium.com/@nikitisza

- Niki's website - https://www.nikitisza.com/

- 41 Useful AI Prompts for Non-Native English Writers (PDF) --https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SH_mfeXlBQjn92Jxmfn5HlZa_ggbNAlV/view?usp=sharing

- 3-week writing program - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝

- Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger

- Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger

- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

00:00 Introduction

01:06 Niki's Early Writing Journey

09:47 Negative Feedback

22:02 Writing in English

32:45 Blogging vs. Social Media

36:01 Writing Advice

41:33 Using ChatGPT

48:00 Reading + @ArnoldSchwarzenegger

53:50 Future Project +Conclusion

I have a monthly subscription to the ChatGPT 4, the "premium" version. I love ChatGPT. In one of my blogs, I wrote:

"An AI chatbot is a tool — like a hammer. You can use a hammer to put up paintings on the wall, build a hospital for kids, defend yourself from a mugger, or smash your partner’s head. A hammer is neither good nor bad. A hammer is a hammer. But what you use a hammer for can have good or bad consequences." An AI chatbot is the same. An AI chatbot is a terrible tool for you as a non-native English writer if you let the machine write for you.

(Read the full article here if interested -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/41-ai-prompts-for-non-native-english-writers/)

The Internet is full of junk and it's never been easier to churn out crappy writing. So let's use AI to learn, improve, and create great stuff -- not to become robots ourselves.

I'm doing a Master's degree in Language Education. I'm focussing my study on helping non-native English writers so I'm learning many things about writing and writers' processes these days. In this video, I share something that keeps coming up in the research. I hope this is helpful (you can watch this on YouTube too -- https://youtu.be/0GSR3XT1mj0?si=Qd_hKLnTYK41E0wD) *** My private email list for non-native English writers -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

More info about the program here -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/

5 ways I’ll be working on my craft this year:
- First, write
- Reading (about writing, too)
- Feedback
- MasterClass
- Medium
Episode Links

My 3-week writing program -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/services/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/6253Q9q6mhk

My private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

You'll find all the other links, books, and stuff I mentioned in this blog post I wrote on Medium -- https://medium.com/illumination/what-ill-do-to-improve-my-writing-in-2024-b6937712029c?sk=4e3c048f711425943df95628703d10a0

And on my blog too -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/improve-my-writing/

3 lessons from Jennifer Walker, a suicidal physicist turned professional art, travel, and culture writer.

Episode Links

Watch this episode on my YouTube channel -- https://youtu.be/0q5B7fE10g8

The interview with Jennifer (on YouTube) -- https://youtu.be/K3cTKx25ok4?si=y567h3jdwdIvN7tZ

The interview with Jennifer (on the podcast) -- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stolaroidstories/episodes/Writing-Was-the-Thing-That-Made-Me-Want-to-Live-Again-with-Pro-Writer-Jennifer-Walker-e2de91s

Join my private email list for non-native English writers -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

One of my listeners/watchers asked me how I read books with a writer's brain. Here's my answer.

Watch this on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/_5bVdedkbzM

My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

In this episode of Stolaroid Stories, you'll hear an interview with Jennifer Walker, a suicidal scientist who became a professional travel writer.

Jennifer shares her journey from hitting rock bottom during her PhD to becoming a successful full-time writer. She talked about pitching, tips to improve our writing, non-native English writers and more.

If this conversation inspires you, please leave a comment or email me to let me know. All my contacts are on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Episode Links

• Jennifer's website -- http://www.jenniferdeborahwalker.com/
• Join my private email list for non-native English writers -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/
• Watch on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/K3cTKx25ok4

Books we mentioned:

"100 Ways to Improve Your Writing"

"Eats, Shoots, & Leaves" by Lynne Truss

"On Writing" by Stephen King

"Someday Is Today" by Matthew Dicks

"Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon

"Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon

100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost -- https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Improve-Your-Writing-Updated/dp/1984803689

Join my private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Start writing on Medium -- https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni/subscribe

Get in touch for comments and questions -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/contact/

Watch the episode on my YouTube channel -- https://youtu.be/2l_PUcd_ejg

Here's the blog post -- https://medium.com/illumination/49-lessons-i-learned-about-writing-in-10-years-as-a-non-native-english-writer-57d195e48dc8?sk=5487d2eeb10dc8394faed27753a14b20

Get in touch -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/contact/

This episode on my YouTube channel -- https://youtu.be/kLlcoZExEXQ

A chat with Aleksandra, an English teacher who's passionate about reading and writing in English -- her second language.

Aleksandra shares her thoughts on the importance of writing about what she loves, reading and living a creative lifestyle.

She challenges the idea that big words are crucial for impactful prose and emphasises that even writers with basic language skills can be effective storytellers.

I hope you'll find this useful! Books we mentioned:

On Writing by Stephen King

Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Secret Life of You by Kerri Sackville

Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch

Stephen Fry's Great Mythology Series (by Stephen Fry)

Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins

The Practice by Seth Godin

Any Language You Want (by me)

Danse Macabre by Stephen King

Episode links

Watch this on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/Ip4nYlQfAVU

Aleksandra on Substack -- https://aleksandrawithks.substack.com/

Aleksandra on Instagram --https://www.instagram.com/aleksandra_withks/

Join my private email list for non-native English writers -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/HyeALWGOI30

The blog I wrote -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-approaches-for-non-native-english-writers/

The blog on writing and perfectionism I mentioned -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-and-perfectionism/

Join my private email list for non-native English writers -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

The blog I wrote -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/improving-your-writing-isnt-hard/

Watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/msmj9c3w0aA?si=XYBiafSssp4LnIw3

Book: The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin

Find out more on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

⁠Watch this on YouTube⁠ -- https://youtu.be/1JGccYaiI8I

On the homepage of her website, Lindsay Williams, a polyglot from the UK who speaks 14 languages, says this:

“I don't teach languages. I teach you how to learn a language.”

If you’re a teacher, that’s what you should do too if you want to keep your job.

Knowledge is not confined in the expert’s brain anymore. It’s on YouTube, ebooks and websites. So no matter what skills you teach – be they language, cooking, or management skills – training your students to access information and helping them discover how to learn independently are your two main responsibilities.

How can you charge more for what you do if you’re a mere explainer? Soon there won’t be any more room for the explainer.

Your ultimate goal is to empower the student. And that requires empathy, storytelling and human connection. These are elements no technology can replace. 

“Thank you, teacher, now I know how to learn by myself. I don’t need you anymore” is the most rewarding comment the modern teacher could hear.

Teaching learning: that’s the aim. And that’s what Lindsay does.

I’ve interviewed her on my podcast. We talked about learning languages, learner autonomy, culture, writing, self-assessment, the future of teaching and more. I hope you'll be inspired by Lindsay as much as I've been.

Episode Links

Lindsay's website -- https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/

Lindsay's YouTube Channel -- https://www.youtube.com/@LindsayDowLanguages

Join my private email list for non-native English writers -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

**www.fabiocerpelloni.com**

Download 41 Useful AI Prompts to Help Non-Native English Writers Write Better in English -- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SH_mfeXlBQjn92Jxmfn5HlZa_ggbNAlV/view?usp=sharing

Join my private email list for non-native English writers- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

⁠This episode on YouTube⁠ -- ⁠https://youtu.be/eR7kwI3NlaM

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Reading lots of books is great if you want to improve your writing.

But if your ultimate aim is to improve aspects of yourself, your life or your business, reading becomes nothing but mere intellectual entertainment if you don’t apply what you learn.

So when I met Andrew Zavada and learned he’s the co-founder of an online service that helps readers apply key ideas from bestselling nonfiction books, I could not resist inviting him on my podcast and YouTube Channel. I wanted to learn more about his business.

Andrew wasn’t sure though.

“I don’t know. English isn’t my first language and I started learning it only a few years ago,” he said.

I’m glad he didn’t listen to his worries. 

In Episode 117 of Stolaroid Stories, you’ll hear him talk about Storist.me, a young startup that teaches you how to put books into practice.

Storist.me provides book summaries of the best nonfiction books about business, personal development, problem solving, learning, creativity, communication, relationship, leadership and management.

But this isn’t just another platform where you can find book summaries for busy people. What makes Storist.me special is that it features real-life cases, quizzes, templates and interactive activities designed to help you turn words and sentences into actions.

Storist.me helps you become Iron Man or Wonder Woman. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too much. But you can try out Storist.me and see if it has that power too. Andrew has given my listeners free access to explore the platform and see how it works. (Scroll down to find a list of "Sorist" links to the books we mentioned in the podcast episode.)

But wait, there’s more. Andrew was so kind to give you a special discount: 60% off on the 12-month subscription. Use the following code (valid until the end of 2023): stolaroid

Enough of me talking now. Go listen to the episode or watch us talk on ⁠my YouTube channel⁠ --https://youtu.be/Mhjd05ASlzI

And if you find it useful, please get in touch to let me know.

Links

• The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick -- https://a3.storist.me/#/courses/the-mom-test

• Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg  -- https://a3.storist.me/#/courses/nonviolent-communication

• Everything is Negotiable by Gavin Kennedy https://a3.storist.me/#/courses/everything-is-negotiable

• Ultralearning by Scott H. Young  https://a3.storist.me/#/courses/ultralearning

• Get in touch with Andrew on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-zavada/

• Storist.me -- https://storist.me/

Watch this on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zWRLO8M2OFQ

In this episode, I'm answering some of the questions my email subscribers asked me about writing. I give some tips and share bits about my own experience as a writer.

Got a question? Email me at [email protected]

Episode links

Fill in the form: https://1f4iz6ffp0q.typeform.com/to/CijMQOym

Blog post about linkers: https://medium.com/illumination/how-to-avoid-overusing-linking-words-as-a-non-native-english-writer-f9eacc97dee4?sk=c902968f819bf78ee93d14c5c7e5f79f

Blog post about how I became a writer:

https://medium.com/illumination/a-self-interview-about-becoming-a-non-native-english-writer-7868ff49365b?sk=cb275addace38cb36622c0465118be6d

On Writing Well -- https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/dp/0060891548

Join my email list: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

The blog -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/falling-in-love-with-multiple-sclerosis/

Watch this on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/L3vIvle-o0Q

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Today my guest on Stolaroid Stories is Alastair Budge.

Alastair is a successful digital entrepreneur who, in 2019,  launched English Learning for Curious Minds, a podcast for learners of English that helps people improve their language skills while learning interesting things about the world.

At the time of writing, Alastair's show has been downloaded over 5 million times in 189 countries. Clearly, Alastair has created something people want. 

How did he do that? Was he just lucky?

I invited him on my podcast to talk about the business side of launching a successful product. Alastair shared insights into his business journey, past failures and his future plans as a digital solopreneur.

You can listen to the interview on my podcast or watch us on my YouTube channel.

And if this episode helped you in any way, please email me to let me know.

Enjoy!

AI-generated time stamps (are they accurate?):

• Introduction and Welcome (00:00)
• The Birth of Leonardo English (01:09)
• The Art of Creating Engaging Podcasts (03:33)
• The Role of Podcasts in Language Learning (06:55)
• The Business Side of Podcasting (09:39)
• The Challenges and Rewards of Starting a Business (10:46)
• The Importance of Persistence and Innovation (12:18)
• The Power of Personal Branding (14:26)
• The Art of Self-Promotion (15:57)
• The Importance of Finding a Niche (20:22)
• The Struggles and Triumphs of Solopreneurs (24:50)
• The Power of Persistence and Reinvention (27:58)
• The Importance of Customer Feedback (35:30)
• Overcoming the Fear of Failure in Business (41:40)
• Understanding the Sunk Cost Fallacy (42:38)
• The Importance of Knowing Your Target Market (43:12)
• The Success Story of Aurea Coffee Brewer (44:04)
• The Balance Between Passion and Practicality in Business (44:33)
• Future Plans for Leonardo English (45:19)
• Exploring the World of Fictional Podcasts (45:49)
• The Challenges of Creating Continuous Content (46:34)
• The Evolution of Leonardo English: From Podcasts to Fictional Courses (47:22)
• The Journey of English Learning: A Lifelong Commitment (47:58)
• The Importance of Audience Feedback and Staying True to Your Content (48:36)
• The Bagpipe Busker: A Unique Career Path (56:40)
• Finding Your Unique Skill and Solving Problems (01:05:44)
• Final Thoughts and Contact Information (01:11:39)

Episode links:

Alastair's Website -- https://www.leonardoenglish.com/

Alastair's YouTube Channel -- https://www.youtube.com/@LeonardoEnglishCom

Watch us on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/m6TUtTwx5Bs

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

The blog -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/5-types-of-freelancers/

Seth's course -- https://www.udemy.com/course/seth-godin-freelancer-course/

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

The blog -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/non-native/

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

The blog -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/rating-scale/

More info about my book club -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/book-club-for-business-owners/

The blog post -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/november-2023-read/

Email me to join -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/contact/

Read on my blog -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/dream-life/

Read on my blog -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tell-creators/

Read on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/best-thing-when-reading/

Read the article on my blog -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/long-emails/

Read the article on my blog - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/boredom/

Read the blog post on my website -https://fabiocerpelloni.com/priority/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/lsetgclOHsU?si=C4FBMMeUXolfeecm

In this episode you'll hear a conversation with Luke Thompson about the art of going on stage and making people laugh.

Luke is from the UK but he's based in Paris, France. He's the creator and host of Luke's English Podcast, a successful show for learners of English with a loyal audience in countries all around the world and over 1 million downloads a month. He knows how to make people laugh. And I think that's one of the reasons why people love listening to him.

Some of the questions we discussed in this episode include:

• How and why did you get into stand-up comedy?
• How do you come up with funny ideas, anecdotes, jokes and stories? Do you have a system?
• How do you know if your material is funny or not? Do you test your stuff?
• The audience doesn't laugh. What do you do?
• Ricky Gervais says there's nothing you can't joke about. Do you agree with that?
• How do you remember what to say on stage?
• How much is improvised and how much is scripted?
• How do you feel about recycling jokes?
• What are your ambitions as a stand-up comedian?

I hope you'll enjoy this conversation as much as Luke and I did.

Episode Links

• Luke's website -- https://teacherluke.co.uk/
• Luke's YouTube Channel (check out his COMEDY / STAND UP playlist) -- https://www.youtube.com/@LukesEnglishPodcast
• The Ricky Gervais clip we talked about -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xggQqUyLrCM
• The clip from the intro of this episode -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbZVfz0tv_I&list=PLAy2UiT23ET2-SzlofK2QOkQpFy1uqWBm

Books we mentioned:

• Show Your Work by Austin Kleon -- https://austinkleon.com/show-your-work/
• Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin -- https://www.amazon.com/Born-Standing-Up-Comics-Life/dp/1416553657
• Advanced Banter -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Banter

Thanks for listening!

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

My friend Cara and I talk about CO2 emissions. We answer questions from a questionnaire that the WWF UK put together to help us calculate how carbon footprint. Which one of us is the more environmentally friendly? Listen to find out.

If you'd like to improve your spoken English skills with movies, Cara is giving a live class on October 27th (2023) called ‘3 Simple Ways To Use Subtitles To Advance Your Spoken English With Netflix’. You'll learn how to use your favourite film to improve your speaking, listening and pronunciation by yourself.

Find out more and sign up here.

Episode Links

Take the questionnaire: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

Get in touch with Cara: https://leo-listening.com/

A link about the environmental impacts of food: https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impacts-of-food

Hannah Ritchie, who works at Our World In Data, wrote about the nutritional value of different types of milk: https://www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/nutrition-plant-milks

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

In this episode, you'll hear a conversation between me and with Veronica Llorca-Smith. Veronica is an inclusion consultant, a public speaker and a writer. She's originally from Spain but has lived in 9 countries and speaks 6 languages. She's also the author of THE LEMON TREE MINDSET, a nonfiction book for anyone who wants to reinvent themselves and find a new path in life. That's exactly what Veronica did after losing her job at Apple. She rolled up her sleeves and worked at building a new career. Veronica is now a successful solopreneur. I hope it'll inspire you to find your own way to reinvent yourself.

Episode Links

• The Lemon Tree Mindset - https://www.amazon.com/Lemon-Tree-Mindset-reinvent-yourself-ebook/dp/B0BT6VR75H
• Veronica on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicallorcasmith/
• Veronica on Medium - https://medium.com/@verollorcasmith
• Veronica's Newsletter - https://veronicallorcasmith.substack.com/
• Veronica's website - https://veronicallorcasmith.com/

***

My book - https://shorturl.at/nFUV7

My book club for business owners and freelancers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/book-club-for-business-owners/

A conversation with Masha, a Ukrainian English teacher living in Spain, on how reading, learning, and personal growth can lead to positive transformation and a more fulfilling life journey.

Key highlights:

• Masha's Journey
• The power of books
• Book recommendations
• Applying knowledge from books
• Balancing productivity and enjoyment
• Masha's book club starting soon

Episode Links

• Masha on Instagram -- @masha.fluentenglish
• Masha's "Read & Grow" Book Club -- https://forms.gle/9aHUJ5tjg3HSKpPF6
• Get your copy of Any Language You Want here -- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDYT58HW/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1691742033&refinements=p_27%3AFabio+Cerpelloni&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Fabio+Cerpelloni

Books we mentioned:

• "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman
• "The Power is Within You" by Louis Hay
• "The Voice of Your Soul" by Lain Garcia Calvo

Get your copy of Any Language You Want here -- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDYT58HW/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1691742033&refinements=p_27%3AFabio+Cerpelloni&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Fabio+Cerpelloni

Two people who have chosen not to have children engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the child-free lifestyle. We hope our conversation will broaden your understanding of this life choice and perhaps even challenge your own beliefs about parenting.

Episode Links

The article I wrote: Take No Shame in Saying You Don’t Want Kids -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/dont-want-kids/ Get in touch with Shweta

• Company page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthy-dynamics/
• Website: https://thehealthydynamics.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreesrbuddysmum/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HealthyDynamics

In this episode, you'll hear a conversation between me and my Australian friend Amber.

We discussed:

• Australian culture
• The pervasive and excessive drinking embedded within the Aussie culture
• Amber's battle with and recovery from alcoholism
• Australian spiders, sharks, and the endless white beaches of Australia

Anyone who's ever had a habit they can't kick (whether that's social media, smoking, or any other type of addiction) will find something they can take away from this episode.

We hope you enjoy our candid conversation ranging from the silly to the more complex question of how to overcome addiction.

***

The two books we mentioned:

• "Dark Emu" by Bruce Pascoe
• "Mutant Message Down Under" by Marlo Morgan

⁠Join my private email list ⁠- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

⁠Get in touch with me⁠ - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/contact/

Thoughts on a YouTube video I watched by Cal Newport, an American nonfiction author and associate professor of computer science.

Links

Cal's video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRBkIdc_VYU

My nonfiction reading community - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/community/

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

We're bombarded with advice but we must think with our own head.

Episode Links

YouTube Live with the Grammar Detective - https://youtube.com/live/zMXW6bnnEDo

Here too is the Linkedin livestream link: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7076996447576993793/ My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

The article I mentioned - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/language-learning-advice/

You don’t need another article titled “X Easy Steps to Improve Your Vocabulary” or “How to Speak Y Fluently in 2023” to learn a language.

I’m saying this against my own interest as I’m one of those who write these articles. But there’s a balance you need to maintain between the language learning advice you seek and the effort you put in to actually learn.

Links

The article - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/how-to-learn-a-language/

Self-development Reading community - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/book-discussions/

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Some unprepared reflections about why most people don't read enough.

My Reading Community

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," "Don't worry about failing," "Focus on the process, not the results."

Nothing new, obvious, clichè even. But can you actually apply this? Here's my ramble.

Episode Links

The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday -- https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-Triumph/dp/1591846358

My nonfiction reading community -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/community/

My private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- http://youtu.be/OW5HCEylHPU?hd=1

***

Do you see reading as a hobby? I don’t. I see reading as an essential activity for personal and language development.

Reading books made me become a better speaker and writer but it also changed my actions, my mind, and my life.

A book about storytelling made me start a podcast and connect with the world through my stories. A book about digital minimalism made me quit Instagram and reclaim my focus. A book about business and another one about life philosophies made me write my own book. Most of what I know about second language acquisition doesn’t come from the teaching training courses I took. It comes from books.

Everybody wants to have a great life, be a great person and have great English. But not everybody is willing to read to get that. I believe this is a missed opportunity for growth.

So I’d like to offer you this opportunity through my nonfiction book clubs. If you’re a C1 / C2 speaker wanting to perfect your English, connect with others, read, learn, and apply the knowledge from the best nonfiction books, you’re welcome to join me.

I don’t know if we’ll become great, but I guarantee we’ll grow — together.

Episode Links

Join my nonfiction reading community -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/community/

In this episode, I'm talking with Marty Green, an English teacher, and mentor who guides non-native English speakers to find their English personalities and become their confident selves.

Marty had to learn English when, at a very young age, her family moved from Poland to Australia. It wasn't easy but she was determined and motivated to become a proficient speaker of the language. Marty has helped hundreds of learners do just that.

Here's the content of our conversation:

• Meeting Marty
• Why does Marty have an American accent? 
• Is grammar the real issue?
• Marty's III Pillars
• Becoming an "advanced" learner
• Marty's students
• What we BOTH dislike about the language industry
• The language exercises we like
• Psychology!
• Read THIS book
• Part 2?
• My bookclubs
• How we read books
• Where you can find Marty

Episode links

Get in touch with Marty -- https://marty.education/bio/

My private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/GoFH2n-7I1w

In this episode, you'll hear a conversation with Rachel Williams from Fluent Medical English.

Rachel was a nurse working on the hospital wards and in the theatres (operating rooms) in England. She worked alongside nurses from the Philippines, India and Poland, doctors from Iraq, Germany and Spain. She saw the challenges they faced, communicating in a second, or third language in stressful situations. She then changed careers at 40 to train as an English language teacher and went back to university in 2018 to do her Master’s in Applied Linguistics.

A true life-long learner.

You'll hear her talk about:

- how she helps her clients

- grammar mistakes that can affect safety

- the value of self-correction

- a nonfiction book she would recommend to anyone

If you're a doctor or a nurse who needs help with English, I can't think of a better teacher for you than Rachel.

Episode Links

Rachel's website - https://fluentmedicalenglish.com/

Rachel on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelwilliams-professionalenglish/

The Checklist Manifesto - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6667514-the-checklist-manifesto

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

The second half of the conversation with Paul Duke, The English Grammar Detective. (Listen to the previous episode for Part 1)

Paul helps English teachers and learners understand the complexities and nuances of grammar. He’s an English Instructor, online tutor, and content creator based in Vancouver, Canada.

Paul was a private investigator and executive security specialist. In that profession, he learned a lot about asking questions and acquiring information and he has found a clever way to adapt these techniques into an inductive method of teaching grammar. In this 2-part conversation, you’ll hear us talk about:

• The connection between crime scenes and learning grammar
• Teaching grammar
• Grammar rules
• Why grammar is essential
• How to learn grammar
• Avoiding learning grammar
• Grammar in writing
• Knowing what you want to learn a language for
• English Weirdness (Paul’s grammar investigation series on YouTube)

Episode Links

⁠The Grammar Detective on YouTube⁠ -- https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrammarDetective

⁠Paul's website ⁠-- https://hardboiledenglish.com/

⁠Me on Paul's podcast⁠ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmQBYhmAlbU&list=PLicIpoe8_-n_86D0GKaWCeHB7NIKcFaBP&index=2

⁠My private email list⁠ -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

In this episode, I'm talking with Paul Duke, The English Grammar Detective.

Paul helps English teachers and learners understand the complexities and nuances of grammar. He's an English Instructor, online tutor, and content creator based in Vancouver, Canada.

Paul was a private investigator and executive security specialist. In that profession, he learned a lot about asking questions and acquiring information and he has found a clever way to adapt these techniques into an inductive method of teaching grammar.

In this 2-part conversation, you'll hear us talk about:

• The connection between crime scenes and learning grammar
• Teaching grammar
• Grammar rules
• Why grammar is essential
• How to learn grammar
• Avoiding learning grammar
• Grammar in writing
• Knowing what you want to learn a language for
• English Weirdness (Paul's grammar investigation series on YouTube)

Episode Links

The Grammar Detective on YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrammarDetective

Paul's website -- https://hardboiledenglish.com/

Me on Paul's podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmQBYhmAlbU&list=PLicIpoe8_-n_86D0GKaWCeHB7NIKcFaBP&index=2

My private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this on YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2w92akqLlk

Feel free to email me your thoughts on this.

All my contact info is on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/contact/

I reply to all.

My private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Part 2 of the interesting conversation about anxiety and fears with Samantha Lantagne, an English language coach, and facilitator from Canada who has a background in psychology and mental health.

Samantha delivers workshops and presentations on psychology and mental health topics for workplaces and she's a polyglot herself. She speaks English, French, Italian, and Spanish.

It was a long conversation so I split the episode into 2 parts.

In Part 1 you'll hear us talk about:

• Samatha's background
• Samatha's personal story about anxiety
• How anxiety works against the body and causes physical pain

In Part 2 you'll hear us talk about:

• How Samantha helps learners deal with anxiety through recordings.
• A simple technique for dealing with anxiety.
• Advice on how to overcome a fear of flying.
• Changing your thoughts to avoid anxiety and fear.
• My fear of not being able to sleep.

Episode Links

• ⁠Samatha's website⁠ - https://consciouscounsellingtherapy.com/about/samantha-lantagne/
• ⁠Samatha on LinkedIn⁠ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samlantagne/
• Read "Ego Is The Enemy" by Ryan Holiday - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju8WoRcR4Qo
• The book that kept me awake for 1 month ("Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker)
• ⁠My reading community starting on 22 May⁠ - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/community/

An interesting conversation about anxiety and fears with Samantha Lantagne, an English language coach, and facilitator from Canada who has a background in psychology and mental health.

Samantha delivers workshops and presentations on psychology and mental health topics for workplaces and she's a polyglot herself. She speaks English, French, Italian, and Spanish.

It was a long conversation so I split the episode into 2 parts.

In Part 1 you'll hear us talk about:

• Samatha's background
• Samatha's personal story about anxiety
• How anxiety works against the body and causes physical pain

In Part 2 you'll hear us talk about:

• How Samantha helps learners deal with anxiety through recordings.
• A simple technique for dealing with anxiety.
• Advice on how to overcome a fear of flying.
• Changing your thoughts to avoid anxiety and fear.
• My fear of not being able to sleep.

Episode Links

Samatha's website - https://consciouscounsellingtherapy.com/about/samantha-lantagne/

Samatha on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samlantagne/

My reading community starting on 22 May - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samlantagne/

Some personal stories about why knowing your "why" is helpful when learning.

My reading community - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/community/

The blog post I mentioned - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/hard-work/

A 10-week book club for strong B2 (upper-intermediate) and above nonfiction book lovers who want to:

• meet with other learners and connect through reading an interesting self-development book.
• practice speaking and writing in English.
• work on grammar and vocabulary.
• learn about the negative effects that our ego has on us and how to develop a humble mindset.
• find inspiration and motivation and keep developing as people.

All info here -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/community/

Watch me talk about it on YouTube - http://youtu.be/7TY4VMcA0j0?hd=1

Ambra is one of my best friends and she's one of the most fascinating people I know. She's been to 75 countries. She hitchhikes, falls from buildings and takes the most amazing photos.

I interviewed her in my house a few weeks ago and in this episode you'll hear her talk about:

• why she likes traveling alone
• hitchhiking and couchsurfing.
• falling from a building to avoid being sexually assaulted.
• not feeling excited about traveling anymore.
• how traveling helps you grow as a person.
• the least she (and I) need to have to feel happy.
• her favorite country.
• Italy, her native country.
• her traveling advice.

Episode Links

Join my private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Ambra's Instagram: ambra_peaceofsheet - https://www.instagram.com/ambra_peaceofsheet/

Do you feel you never have enough time to do the things you want to do? The same often happens to me. Here are my reflections on this.

I hope this helps.

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Watch this episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrJir4xvm10

Lucia Matuonto is a book author, podcaster, and children’s physiotherapist from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, who speaks English, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

During the global lockdown she started The Relatable Voice Podcast as a way to connect with others and share stories.

On her show she interviews people from all walks of life. Her guests range from book authors, life coaches, and public speakers, to survivors, healers, and storytellers. She invites them to talk about life, books, goals and, in Lucia’s own words, “whatever else comes up.”

At the time of writing, The Relatable Voice Podcast counts over 300 episodes.

Imagine how much speaking practice Lucia has done over the past few years. In fact, she says that since she launched her show in 2020, she’s been making noticeable progress in her English speaking skills and she’s now more confident in her ability to communicate.

You'll hear her talk about her experience with podcasting as a learner of English and I hope this conversation will inspire you to start your own podcast.

Episode Links

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Get in touch with Lucia - https://www.luciamatuonto.com/

The Relatable Voice podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-relatable-voice-podcast/id1552925382

Me on the The Relatable Voice podcast (coming soon)

Do you have to finish reading a book just because you started it? Should you avoid using subtitles when watching a movie in another language just because someone says so? If something works for everybody, but not for you, what should you do? Here are my thoughts on this.

Watch me talk about this on YouTube - http://youtu.be/tyeSLYKRjDc?hd=1

Find out more on my website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

A couple of weeks ago I posted an article about war. It's an article I wrote to myself. In this episode I read it out to you and share my reflections.

You can read it here. - https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni/you-say-youre-against-war-but-are-you-really-f7ec39540fda?source=friends_link&sk=ff1be6991b46fecc71432e9d55901beb

Watch me talk about this on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyCa-k7UXAM&t=11s

I hope this is useful.

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

In this episode, I talk with Lyn, a learner of English from Taiwan. Lyn has been learning English for a few years.

She also worked with me because she needed some help with her speaking.

You'll hear us talk about:

• Creating an English environment around you
• What Lyn found surprising about learning English
• Mindset and goals
• Our "learning English" stories.

I think Lyn is a brave learner who's doing a great job to improve and I hope this conversation will motivate you. Episode Links

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

The speaking program Lyn did with me, "4 Weeks with Fabio" - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/4-weeks-with-fabio/

The book club Lyn took with me last year - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/storyworthy-book-program/

If you'd like to help, check out my book club idea -- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1st_wYJtR0sCswlw7eki-1FjCsH_t18CG0r6aXrm1nRI/edit?usp=sharing

Or let me know what you think of book clubs by completing this 2-minute questionnaire -- https://forms.gle/h7Qefjd21NkGwKSu5

The blog post I mentioned in the podcast -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/book-clubs/

Join my private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EUS9oCaodU&t=530s

When I was learning English, I wanted to have a native English accent. I had 5 good reasons for this. Looking back, though, I realize that 3 of these reasons were stupid.  I’ll share all 5 of them with you. 

You can read the article I wrote about this too. - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/native-english-accent/

I hope this helps you.

In this episode, I play a personal storytelling game with Martin from Rock n' Roll English, the funniest English teacher and podcaster out there (in my opinion).

The game is called "3-2-1." Martin and I give each other 3 concrete nouns (e.g. pen, book, glass). We then choose one of these nouns and have 2 minutes to prepare to tell a 1-minute personal story about it.

"3-2-1" is a game that Matthew Dicks, a master storyteller from the US, plays in his storytelling workshops. I decided to play it with Martin as I know he loves telling stories.

You'll hear 6 stories including not wanting to marry Aloha, my partner, and acting like Homer Simpson. Some of these stories are not bad, some others are great. This is a light-hearted episode that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Episode Links

Get in touch with Martin - https://www.rocknrollenglish.com/

The Storyworthy Book Club - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/storyworthy-book-program/

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Falling in love with learning English is what helped me master it. Can this happen to you too?

Watch this on YouTube - https://youtu.be/qh9BXp9eGBc

***

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

In this episode, I talk with Philip Charter, an award-winning British writer and writing coach who loves helping multilingual writers share what they have got to say.

You'll hear us talk about:

• Why Phil likes writing
• How to get into the habit of writing
• Where to publish your writing so people can read it
• Exam writing
• The power of feedback
• How Phil helps multilingual writers
• ChatGPT
• Most common challenges multilingual writers face
• Reading books

Episode Links

Get in touch with Phil - https://linktr.ee/englishwritingcoach

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

My book clubs - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/book-discussions/

Medium (where to publish your writing for free) - https://medium.com/

Books we mentioned

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. & E. B. White

On Writing Well by William Zinsser

On Writing by Stephen King

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Please find 5 minutes a day to sit down and read a book. It's essential.

Watch this on YouTube - http://youtu.be/COjE_jW56CE?hd=1

Join my newsletter - www.fabiocerpelloni.com/private

I'm re-reading "Ego is The Enemy" by Ryan Holiday and in this episode I share some of my reflections on ego and learning.

I'm thinking of opening a book club to read this great book together.

Join my newsletter for updates on this -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this episode on YouTube - http://youtu.be/LV01WJTWLXU?hd=1

You'll hear a lot of swear words in this episode - f**k, f**king, sh*t, motherfu**er, a*s - but they're all needed 😅

It's a personal story about the very first English lesson I taught. It was 2015 and I was in Auckland, New Zealand.

I hope this story will inspire you to be brave enough to take the first step in whatever you're doing in life.

Any comments? Please email me to let me know.

All my contact info is on my website - www.fabiocerpelloni.com

In this episode, I tell you about my speaking program, how it works, and how it can help you. It's called "4 Weeks With Fabio" and it's a speaking course to help you improve your speaking.

All info on my website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/4-weeks-with-fabio/

Watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/cRCZyU_z3z4

In this episode, I talk with Roman Mironov, a Russian porn detox coach based in Toronto, Canada.

Roman discovered porn in 1996 when he was 14 and quickly became a porn addict. He felt alone and miserable. This nasty addiction even made his marriage fall apart in 2012.

At 32, he committed to quitting porn forever. He's 40 now and hasn't consumed porn for 8 years. He feels in charge of his life.

When Roman shared his story online, he discovered he was not alone. Many people resonated with his experience and they kept reaching out to him asking for guidance. He decided to help these people and in 2019 he became a full-time porn detox coach.

In this episode, you'll hear him talk about:

- his story (including how he learned English).

- porn addiction.

- how he helps people who're addicted to porn.

Episode Links

Roman's website - https://romanmironov.com/

Roman's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTpjfwxdtmsJ78QiPGMrsOQ

Roman's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/be20ofyourself/

Like this episode? Let me know :) All my contact info is on my website - www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Should you compare yourself to other people when you're learning English (or learning anything)? I used to do it and it helped me. I explore this in this episode.

I hope this helps.

Watch this on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voeWYvn8WDQ

www.fabiocerpelloni.com

In this episode, I talk with Trisha Traughber from Vagabond English.

Trisha is a Californian writing coach based in France who helps book lovers and readers capture their own experiences, tell their stories and connect with others. She has a community of multilingual writers, Vagabond English, and a beautiful voice too.

Trisha is also my writing coach. She's been helping me write Any Language You Want, a collection of conflicting personal stories on how I learned English, my second language. Her comments, tips, and advice have helped me improve my narrative.

You'll hear us talk about:

• What Trisha likes writing
• Keeping a journal
• Reading books
• How to improve your writing
• Where to publish your writing
• Vagabond English

I hope you'll find our conversation useful.

Episode Links

• Vagabond English - https://www.vagabondenglish.com/⁠⁠

• Trisha's newsletter - https://www.vagabondenglish.com/newsletter

• My newsletter - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NjbjgxDMco

In this video/podcast episode, I talk about a person who inspires me and why.

His name is Derek Sivers.

I've been following him for 2 years and he's one of my favorite people in the world right now. I love how he thinks.

Who inspires you?

Let me know if you like and thanks for joining me.

Watch me talk about this on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCheKJnvztJI_LSLV3U06Ppw

Some students say, "I had a bad teacher in school so I didn't learn." 

But are teachers 100% responsible for our learning? What percentage of that responsibility is actually ours?

I explore this in this episode.

If you'd like to let me know your thoughts, email me. All my contact info is on my website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

I reply to everyone.

In this episode, I talk with Antonello Zanini, an English language learner, software engineer, blogger, and technical writer from Italy.

Antonello fell in love with learning languages and transformed his freelance business as a software engineer into Writech, a company that provides technical writing content in multiple languages. He has clients from all 6 continents and says achieving this goal would have been impossible without his language learner mindset.

Antonello is one of the most motivated language learners I've met in my life. 

You'll hear him talk about:

• How he learned English and why.
• The system he developed to improve his English
• How he improved his writing by publishing articles on Medium, a free blogging platform.
• His language learning publication on Medium and why you too should publish articles there.

Episode Links

Medium - https://medium.com/ 

Antonello on Medium - https://medium.com/@antozanini

Antonello's publication on Medium: Language Hub - https://medium.com/language-hub

My Medium Publication: Read to Learn - https://medium.com/non-fiction-book-reviews

Fabio on Medium - https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni

Join my private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Watch this on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXZGix5Dxfo

All my book clubs are here - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/book-discussions/

Thanks for listening 🙏🏻

Watch me talk about this on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VnhZNk64-M

What's fluency? Do you need to learn more words to be fluent? How about grammar? Know what fluency is, so you can improve it.

This is the blog post I mention in the episode - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/fluency/

I hope this is helpful.

Please feel free to ask me any questions - I love talking about these things. 

All my contact info is on my website - www.fabiocerpelloni.com

You can watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/GwggZEjTHIY

***

Do you feel the way you use English is good but not as good as you’d like it to be? Does it feel like you’re not making as much progress as you used to?  The same happened to me.  When I got to a high level of English, everything slowed down and it felt like I was not advancing anymore.  

I wish I’d known this little formula:  further progress = specific problem + focused practice  

I hope this is helpful ✨  

Check out the blog post - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/keep-improving/   

And yes, the plural of the noun "medium" is "media" 😅

Watch this on YouTube - http://youtu.be/SYP6EeQIX3Q?hd=1

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/fabiofacebookpage

***

Some say, “Want to know the best way to get fluent in a language? Don’t study grammar! Speak instead!”

Great advice. I agree.

You can get fluent in a language without studying its grammar and you do have to speak to improve.

My Italian partner Aloha, for example, has never opened a grammar book but she can communicate well in English because she learned it while working in Australia and New Zealand.

She still makes some grammar mistakes though, so studying grammar is what might help her notice these imperfections to refine her English and communicate even better.

So “Don’t study grammar! Speak instead!” would be the best advice for you if you tend to bury yourself in grammar books and never get out in the real world to use the language.

But if you're like Aloha, then no, I don’t think that would be helpful.

It's so easy to find general advice about anything these days. But what may work for one person in one specific situation may not work for another.

I believe this is especially true in language learning as learning a language is a highly personal activity that doesn’t just involve learning rules and words, but also self-esteem, identity and self-confidence.

Please consume advice responsibly :)

Start a podcast in English.

It'll help you develop your language skills in so many ways.

• You'll develop fluency by speaking at length using the English that you already have.
• You'll listen to yourself and discover what you can do well, which will help you become more confident.
• You might have to prepare your episodes and search for words you don't yet have in your brain. This will expand your vocabulary.
• You might use words you've recently learned, which will help you review and reinforce vocabulary you've already acquired.
• You'll be listening to yourself and notice what errors you tend to make so you can get rid of them.
• If you decide to write the show notes, you'll get writing practice.
• If you decide to have guests, you will have conversations with others, share stories and learn from other people.

This list could go on forever.

Podcasting can help you solve language problems without spending money on courses, classes, and programs. And I’m saying this against my own interest as I sell courses, classes and programs, so I hope you believe me when I say that podcasting can take your English not to the next level, but to the top level.

It's free, doesn't require any expensive audio equipment and it can make learning English fun and motivating. Anyone can do it. 

You may say, "I don't have enough English!" No worries. You don't need to have mastered English to start a podcast in English. But you'll master English as a result of having a podcast.

Daniel Goodson, a learner of English who started a podcast to get more fluent, said to me, "It's 100% sure that you'll improve drastically if you start your own podcast. Guaranteed. If you do it on a regular basis, of course. 100% guaranteed."

Start a podcast. I really hope you’ll do it.

Episode Links

Watch this episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pziB6O8Mt1Y

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Find me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fabiofacebookpage

In this episode, I have a conversation with Daniel Goodson. Daniel is a learner of English from Switzerland who started podcasting back in 2016 as a way to improve his fluency. 

On his show, My Fluent Podcast, he chats with language learners, teachers, friends and polyglots. He's interviewed dozens of people, including Luke from Luke’s English Podcast.

I used to be shy", Daniel said, "but having lots of conversations on my show made me more confident with handling personal relationships in real life too."

My Fluent Podcast is not the only show he has. He's also the host of The Vocab Man, a podcast where he teaches new English expressions he learns. 

Have you ever heard of a more interesting way to learn vocabulary than this? I haven't.

You'll hear us talk about:

• How and why Daniel started a podcast.
• How he invited Luke Thompson from Luke's English Podcast.
• How Daniel's English improved as a result of podcasting.
• Some of the guests Daniel had in the past.

I hope you'll be inspired to start your own show too.

Episode Links

Daniel's show: My Fluent Podcast - https://www.myfluentpodcast.com/ 

The Vocab Man - https://www.myfluentpodcast.com/short-stories/ 

Daniel and I on My Fluent Podcast (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwBgDOBS4u4&t=1426s

Daniel and I on My Fluent Podcast - https://www.myfluentpodcast.com/personal-storytelling-to-improve-in-your-target-language-a-podcast-interview/

A blog article I wrote about starting a podcast as a way to improve - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/start-podcasting/ 

My New Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/fabiofacebookpage/ 

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Most people I know don't read enough. I never read enough either. But I think that if you're not reading you're missing out on something that can really help you improve yourself and your life.

I hope this is helpful.

You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Here's the link - http://youtu.be/QuEQguRO_Zk?hd=1

Any comments or questions? Email me - all my contact info is on my website - www.fabiocerpelloni.com

My thoughts on making language mistakes.  I hope this is helpful.  

There's a video version of this on YouTube. Here's the link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kDOvcF01u8   

My website - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/   

The podcast episode I mentioned in the video - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/chris/

A few thoughts on reading books in English. 

Here's the blog post I talk about in the episode - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/english-books/

I hope this is helpful.

Please email me any questions or comments. All my contact info is on my website - fabiocerpelloni.com

A student recently asked me what I did to go from an intermediate level of English to an advanced level. This is what I replied. I hope it helps.

Please feel free to send me your comments and questions. All my contact info is on my website - www.fabiocerpelloni.com.

This is the second half of the conversation with Christian Saunders from Canguro English. If you haven't listened to the first half, I suggest that you listen to the previous episode first.     (https://fabiocerpelloni.com/christian1/)

In this episode, Christian and I  talk about:

• why the concept of "best method to learn a language" is misleading.
• why Christian would love to burn all language textbooks.
• Christian's opinion about using ChatGPT for language lessons.
• the only word I remember from 3 Spanish classes I took in 2015 and why I remember it.
• why teachers can't really be blamed for how languages are taught.
• why it would be hard to overcome cultural limitations and the impact these limitations on language learning.
• language mistakes.
• Christian's online Academy and projects.
• some fun facts about Christian's YouTube videos.

Episode Links

Christian's English Test - https://canguroenglish.com/test-your-english/ 

Christian's website - https://canguroenglish.com/

The Academy - https://canguroenglish.com/academy/

Free discussion session on 25 February - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/events/

My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

There are language teachers who make inspiring and educational content, and Christian Saunders from Canguro English is one of them.

Christian is my favorite English teacher on YouTube, not least because we share the same teaching philosophy.

His YouTube channel has over 300,000 subscribers and Christian uses it to "change the way the world learns English". 

He's always told his learners the truth: learning a language is hard and it takes many years. I agree. Let me add that learning a second language is one of the most rewarding things you could ever do in your life.

In this episode, which is part 1 of the conversation I had with him, Christian and I talk about:

• what language is
• how Christian became an English teacher
• whether or not the language skills of a teacher matter
• what's wrong with the way languages are taught
• what Christian thinks of language levels (A1, A2, etc.)
• why Christian decided to become a YouTuber

Any comments? Questions? Feedback? Feel free to get in touch with me. All my contact details are on my website - www.fabiocerpelloni.com 

Episode links

Canguro English (Christian YouTube channel) - https://www.youtube.com/@Canguroenglish 

Christian's website - https://canguroenglish.com/ 

Free book discussion session on 25th February - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/events/

Fabio's private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

In this episode, I tell a personal story that might make you reflect on how you try to avoid uncomfortable situations. Listen to what happened to me in August 2022 while I was camping in Portugal. It might give you something to think about. 

Episode Links

Join my private email list at https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ for: 

• announcements about my bookclubs and programs
• special discounts
• language learning tips
• nonfiction book recommendations
• inspiring true stories
• free events I organize
• content updates (new blog posts, podcast episodes and more)

In this episode, you'll hear me talk about how I came up with the idea of writing "Any Language You Want", a collection of personal true stories on how I learned English.

Episode Links

Join my private email list  (https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/)

Become a writer on my Medium publication  - (shorturl.at/jnszP)

"How to Live" Book Club - (https://fabiocerpelloni.com/how-to-live/)

In this episode I talk with Tania, a highly experienced English teacher from Melbourne, Australia. Tania moved from Australia to Italy in 2006 and for the first time in her life she understood what it meant to not be able to speak a language and communicate. "It was horrible and frustrating," Tania says. 

Tania has been teaching English to Italians for nearly 2 decades and even had her own language school for many years. Teaching gives her a huge amount of satisfaction and she says that she has found her purpose in life in helping others communicate effectively in English.

You'll hear her talk about:

• her experience living in Italy and learning Italian
• the role of learning Grammar when studying a language.
• what she thinks about levels (A2, B1, etc).

Would like to support the show for free?

If you'd like to support the show, then you could do one of these things:

• Write a review on Podchaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXgdVIAWuio&feature=youtu.be 
• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to Stolaroid Stories
• Share it on social media / WhatsApp / Telegram
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you!

Episode Links

• Tania's Instagram @english.with.tania
• Tania's YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeu8tCjB_Gcc1wXvAxiFvZg)
• My book clubs (https://fabiocerpelloni.com/book-discussions/)
• A personal story about living in Australia (https://fabiocerpelloni.com/sunset/)
• Join my private email list  (https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/)

In this episode I interview Brenden Kumarasamy, a public speaking coach based in Montreal, Canada. Brenden is the CEO of MasterTalk, a company that helps people master their communication skills and give effective presentations. He's also a YouTuber. At the time of publishing this (January 2023) his YouTube channel has nearly 30,000 subscribers. Brenden uses it to help people communicate their ideas to the world in the best possible way.

You'll hear me and Brenden talk about:

• How and why Brenden started MasterTalk.
• Using personal stories to connect with your audience.
• Whether having a native English accent is important or not when giving a talk.
• Practical steps to give an effective presentation in English.
• Practical ways to practice giving presentations every day.
• The nature of anxiety and confidence.

I think you will find this episode especially useful if you give presentations in English, host workshops, present at events, give talks for work or if you need to speak in public for whatever other reason.

Would like to support the show for free?

If you'd like to support the show, then you could do one of these things:

• Write a review on Podchaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXgdVIAWuio&feature=youtu.be 
• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to Stolaroid Stories
• Share it on social media / WhatsApp / Telegram
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you!

Episode Links

• Join my private email list at https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/
• Listen to this episode on my website at https://fabiocerpelloni.com/brenden/ 
• Brenden's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@MasterTalks 
• MasterTalk - https://www.mastertalk.ca/

In this episode, I'm reading out one of my blog posts.

Here's the link https://fabiocerpelloni.com/use-swot-analysis/

Any comments? Please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of that page. I reply to all.

Join my private email list for inspiration, learning tips and more at www.fabiocerpelloni.com/private

In this episode I tell a personal story about a time I was leaving a language school in New Zealand. It took place in 2016 but I still remember that moment very well. I hope this story will somehow help you get through those life situations in which you feel you need to show everyone how good you are.

The transcript of this episode (only the story) is available at https://fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/farewell 

If you'd like to support the show, then you could do one of these things:

• Write a review on Podchaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXgdVIAWuio&feature=youtu.be 
• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to Stolaroid Stories
• Share it on social media / WhatsApp / Telegram
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you!

Episode Links 

The transcript of the story - https://fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/farewell

Join my private email list at https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/  

In this episode, I'm reading out one of my blog posts.

Here's the link https://fabiocerpelloni.com/swot-analysis/

Any comments? Please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of that page. I reply to all.

In this episode I'm joined by Urmi Hossain. Urmi is a proponent of self-development and continuous learning. She's also an author. She was born and raised in Italy by Bengali parents, who wanted her to be the typical Bengali girl: obedient and perfect for the community. In her book called "Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth From Interracial Struggle", she narrates what she had to go through in her childhood. She does this through reflections and confessions about what it felt like growing up in a household that wanted her to be someone she didn't want to be.

She's also a polyglot as she speaks 4 languages: Bengali, Italian, English and French.

You'll hear us talk about:

• Her book
• How she learned English
• Fear of being judged
• Fear of making language mistakes
• How to be confident in speaking a second language

The transcript of this episode is available here - https://fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/urmi

If you'd like to support the show, then you could do one of these things:

• Write a review on Podchaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXgdVIAWuio&feature=youtu.be 
• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to Stolaroid Stories
• Share it on social media / WhatsApp / Telegram
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you!

Episode Links

• Urmi's picture on my website  - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/urmi/
• Urmi's book on Amazon - · https://www.amazon.co.uk/Discovering-Your-Identity-Interracial-Struggle-ebook/dp/B0B75X14G7
• My private email list  - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ 
• Episode transcript on Gumroad - · https://fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/urmi

In this episode, I'm reading out one of my blog posts.

Here's the link https://fabiocerpelloni.com/bg/

Any comments? Please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of that page. I reply to all.

This is one of my favourite episodes. It's a conversation between me and Christopher, a US Army veteran from Texas. Chris served in the army for over 20 years. He fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, has a degree in psychology and one in philosophy, and he's the host of Wandering Vibes, a podcast about life and personal growth that I think you'll like.

You'll hear us talk about:

• Chris' life story 
• How not to be hard on yourself when speaking a second language
• Living an abundant life
• Personal growth activities

The transcript of this episode (the conversation part only) is available here - https://fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/chris 

If you'd like to support the show, then you could do one of these things:

• Write a review on Podchaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXgdVIAWuio&feature=youtu.be 
• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to Stolaroid Stories
• Share it on social media / WhatsApp / Telegram
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you!

Episode Links

• Chris' podcast: Wandering Vibes  - https://feeds.transistor.fm/wandering-vibes-podcast
• Wandering Vibes Podcast on Instagram 
• Free book discussion event - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/events/
• In hindsight 
• Transcript - https://fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/chris 
• Join my private email list for free tips and quiet announcements - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ 

In this episode, I'm reading out one of my blog posts.

Here's the link https://fabiocerpelloni.com/problems/

Any comments? Please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of that page. I reply to all.

In this episode, I'm joined by Craig Wealand from Ingles Podcast. Craig is a super friendly and experienced English teacher, Cambridge examiner and podcaster from the UK. He's based in Valencia and has been living in Spain for more than two decades. 

You'll hear us talk about:

• The intermediate plateau (briefly)
• Setting SMART goals to keep making progress
• What it means to know a word
• My first class at the British Council Italy
• Craig's story about being an expat

At the end of the episode I explain a word that Craig used while he was talking to me.

Episode Links

• Craig's photos - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/craig/ 
• Want to improve your speaking? Check out my speaking program - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/4-weeks-with-fabio/ 
• Want to learn with me? Have a look here https://fabiocerpelloni.com/learn-with-me/ 
• The word I explained at the end of the episode - https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/banter
• Craig's podcast https://www.inglespodcast.com/ 
• Craig's courses http://englishmasterclass.net/ 
• Craig on Tweeter - @mansiontweet

Join my private email list for free tips and quiet announcements - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Would you like to support the show for free? Then you could:

• Write a review on Podchaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXgdVIAWuio&feature=youtu.be 
• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to Stolaroid Stories
• Share it on social media / WhatsApp / Telegram
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you! 

In this episode, I'm reading out one of my blog posts.

Here's the link https://fabiocerpelloni.com/motivate-yourself/

Any comments? Please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of that page. I reply to all.

In this episode, I tell you a story about having children and being a parent. It’s a story that can connect with you if you have or want kids, but I think you’ll find it even more interesting if you don’t have or want them. At the end of the episode, you’ll hear me talk about a verb I used in my story.

Episode Links

Join my private email list at www.fabiocerpelloni.com/private. 

I send out one short email a week with tips about learning English, inspiring stories, language programs I offer, announcements, book quotes and recommendations and more. No spam, I promise! 

Support the show for free: Here’s what you can do to support the show (choose one):

• Write a review on Podchaser
• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to Stolaroid Stories
• Share it on social media / WhatsApp / Telegram
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you!

In this episode, I talk with Clare Whitmell, an English teacher and coach from Smart English Coach. Her beautiful accent is from Oxford, England, and I could listen to it all day! It's so nice and relaxing to hear. 

You'll hear us talk about:

• The relationship between language and culture.
• Why it's a good idea to learn lexical chunks, what Clare calls 'fluency phrases'.
• Differences between British and Italian people.

Clare also shares a personal story about a time she found a personal connection with the Italian culture. This is inspired by a photo of a memorial she took in Italy (link below).

Episode Links

• Clare's podcast (smartenglishcoach.buzzsprout.com/1969828)
• Clare's website (smartenglishcoach.com)
• The photo that inspired Clare's story (www.fabiocerpelloni.com/clare)
• How to review Stolaroid Stories on Podchaser. (shorturl.at/fnptU) 
• An awful lot  (shorturl.at/dJLU4) 

Join my private email list for free learning tips and inspiration to keep improving your English.

• Fabio's private email list (fabiocerpelloni.com/private)
  

In this episode, I tell a personal story about a trip to the Sahara I made while I was in Morocco in the summer of 2022. This is a story that might make you look at negative situations in a different way. I promise you don't need to go to the Sahara to learn why I learned. I can't say anything more than this otherwise I'll spoil the story! I uploaded some photos of that trip on my website (link below).

WARNING: I used the F-word a few times in the episode!

You can now get 3 episode transcripts so you won't miss any words while listening to my stories. Link below👇!

Episode Links

Get 3 story transcripts (fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/episode789)

The photos of the trip (www.stolaroid.com/sahara)

Join my newsletter (www.stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

PLEASE HELP: if you like Stolaroid Stories and would like to support the show without money, here's what you can do:

• Tell a friend about the show
• Subscribe to it
• Leave a review on Apple Podcast
• Rate it on Spotify

Thank you!

In this episode, I tell you three personal stories from my four-week trip to Morocco. You won't hear me talk about places I visited or the food I tried. Instead, you'll hear me rambling on about what I learned by solo travelling for a month. I talk about personal realisation moments, culture, getting old, interesting people, mental limits and Italy. You can see some of the photos I took there on my website (link below).

Some exciting news: you can now get 3 episode transcripts so you won't miss any words while listening to my stories. Link below!

Links

GET 3 STORY TRANSCRIPTS  (fabiocerpelloni.gumroad.com/l/episode789)

My private email list / newsletter (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide/)

Some of the photos I took in Morocco (www.stolaroid.com/morocco)

Derek Sivers' blog post about fish and culture (sive.rs/fish)

Get in touch with me 

Email me at [email protected]

Join my private email list (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I'm joined by Julie, a French teacher based in Barcelona. Julie is one of the six participants from around the world who joined the Storyworthy Book Program, a 10-week storytelling/reading/discussion program that I opened in April 2022. She crafted a personal story as part of the course and shared it with the rest of the group. Today you'll hear her tell that story, which is inspired by a photo she'd taken of a language coursebook (link below).

Julie and I also talk about:

• how she learned English
• communication problems she had when living in London
• what she learned in the Storyworthy Book Program
• what she learned by writing her own story

At the end of the episode, you'll also hear me talk about a verb Julie used in her story.

If you're an adult intermediate learner of French and would like to study with Julie, you can get in touch with her on Instagram (@juliezefrench) or join her newsletter (link below)

Links

• Julie's photo (stolaroid.com/julie)
• Storyworthy Book Program (stolaroid.com/storyworthy-book-program)
• Vocabulary focus (to rummage through something)
• Julie's newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/050dc23cc82d/guide-gratuit)

Get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

Join my private email list (fabiocerpelloni.com/private)

In this episode, I talk to Tanya, a lovely lady from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Tanya is an advanced English learner who took the Storyworthy Book Program with me and five other learners from around the world in April 2022. I invited her to join the podcast to tell a personal story that she had prepared as part of the storytelling course. You'll hear us talk about:

• Why she likes learning English
• What she finds challenging about learning English
• The Storyworthy Book Program and what she learned from it
• The power of personal storytelling and how she could use stories in her life
• Tanya’s story about living with her husband

At the end of the episode I also tell you what makes Tanya a successful learner of English and what you should do if you want to improve faster.

Links

• Tanya's photo (stolaroid.com/tanya)
• BBC Learning English (www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish)
• Quizlet (quizlet.com)
• Storyworthy Book Program (stolaroid.com/storyworthy-book-program)

Get in touch with me.

Email me at [email protected]

Join my private email list (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I'm joined by Mary Glazunova, an English teacher, coach and author from Kyiv, Ukraine. I met Mary at the beginning of 2021 in an online teacher training course on how to teach without coursebooks and we've been sharing lots of teaching ideas since then. In the episode, you'll hear us talk about: 

• How Mary learned English without ever living in an English-speaking country
• What made both of us fall in love with English
• How we like teaching English
• Mary's inspiring story of hope based on a picture she took in Canada, where she has recently moved because of the war in Ukraine
• The power of meditation

At the beginning of the episode, I talk about the 'Storyworthy Book Program', an English storytelling course I'm offering in September (link below). I say there are 5 spots available. That was true at the time of recording but there are now ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT, as another participant booked one. So...book yours today! Listen to the full episode because at the end of it I briefly focus on a very common idiom I used while chatting with Mary.

Links

• The photo that inspired Mary's story (stolaroid.com/mary)
• My blog post about the day I realised I had to learn English (stolaroid.com/reason-improve-english)
• Mary’s book on Amazon: How to reduce your time preparing for online classes and prevent emotional burnout
• Get in touch with Mary on Instagram @mary_glazunova or Facebook @Maria Glazunova
• Idiom ‘living proof’ (www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/living-proof)
• Storyworthy Book Program (stolaroid.com/storyworthy-book-program) 

Get in touch with me. Don't be a stranger! I reply to everyone.

Email me at [email protected] 

Join my private email list (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, you'll hear one of my own true stories from April 2022. It's a story inspired by a photo of my car. Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below).

At the beginning of the episode, you'll hear me talk about the 'Storyworthy Book Club', an online group program I'm opening again in September that will help you become a better storyteller, communicator and English speaker. At the end of the episode, you'll hear me briefly explain a phrasal verb I used in my story. 

Episode Links

The photo that inspired 'Girlfriend' (www.stolaroid.com/girlfriend)

Info and registration for the 'Storyworthy Book Program' (stolaroid.com/storyworthy-book-program)

The phrasal verb I used and explained (www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/tell-off)

Get in touch with me. Don't be a stranger! I reply to everyone.

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I'm joined by Cara Leopold from Leo Listening. Cara is an online English listening skills coach, and movie fan who helps adventurous expats and intrepid travellers harness their love of movies to understand authentic English, so they can connect with the cultures behind the films and other movie lovers around the world.

Cara has an amazing community called 'Movie Club'. 'Movie Club' is a community for movie lovers who want to understand authentic spoken English and speak it too. You’ll find new confidence in your listening, speaking and pronunciation skills because you’ll use short, regular activities that work to help you improve. And you’ll have a native speaker (Cara) watching alongside you to offer a quick explanation…or a little feedback when you need it.

She is a language learner herself as she's from Scotland but speaks fluent French, so you'll hear us talk about:

• understanding fast speech
• living abroad
• the importance of noticing language and active listening
• what's wrong with the way listening skills are taught
• watching movies in another language
• English accents and the sexiest English accent in the world

She also shared her own story about a photo of a dinner with her colleagues she took in Turkey (link below)

Given that this is mainly an episode about listening skills, at the end of it I decided to focus on a little pronunciation feature I'd noticed in Cara's speech: the glottal stop. This is a type of consonant sound that might make native speakers of English hard to understand. You'll find a link to a YouTube video below if you want to explore this in more detail.

Episode Links

• Cara's photo (www.stolaroid.com/cara)
• Cara's website (leo-listening.com)
• Cara's Movie Club (leo-listening.com/movie-club)
• Cara's free guide on how to understand movies (leo-listening.com/understand-movies-in-english)
• The Ricky Gervais Show (Season 1, Episode 1) Lots of glottal stops there! (youtube.com/watch?v=aRhiEhz5EIM)
• The Kiwi accent is the sexiest in the world (article) (lonelyplanet.com/articles/sexiest-accent-suvey-kiwi-new-zealand)
• The glottal stop explained (YouTube video by Pronunciation with Emma) (youtube.com/watch?v=chcjHwWwVxQ)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

Get in touch with me, don't be a stranger!

Download my free guide and join my private email list (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

When I think of superpowers, I usually think of flight, invisibility, x-ray vision or supernatural speed, but in this episode I tell a personal story about a more simple one that could really change my life. This is a story from 2022 inspired by a photo of my dad. Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below). At the end of the episode, I also talk about a grammatical structure I used in the story (get someone/something to do something).

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired 'Laugh' (stolaroid.com/laugh)
• Get clarity, focus and motivation with Story Review (stolaroid.com/story-review)
• Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)
• Get something/someone to do something (shorturl.at/sxTW3) 
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I talk with Alessio Garavello, a professional Italian guitarist, singer, songwriter, vocal coach, sound engineer and music producer based in London. Alessio has been working as a session musician for over two decades and has performed live all across Europe with A New Tomorrow, his hard rock band.

I first met Alessio in the UK in 2011. We worked together in a popular coffee chain shop and what immediately impressed me was his English pronunciation. He didn't sound Italian at all. I didn't think it was possible for an Italian to speak English without an Italian accent until I met him.

Another remarkable thing about Alessio is his sunny temperament. Although we were working in a very stressful and nerve-racking environment, I never heard him complain about anything. Never. He was always cheerful, positive and full of energy. His approach to life is just beautiful. I'm sure you'll notice this when listening to him and I hope you'll find his stories inspiring.

You'll hear him talk about:

• the music industry in London
• how he learned English
• his rock band
• singing and how he learned to sing
• his songs
• his feelings when he performs live
• a photo of one of his concerts in Kyiv (link below)

You'll also hear three of his songs (Spotify listeners only): A New Tomorrow, A Million Stars and Leaving All Behind (links below).

Episode Links

A New Tomorrow band website (www.anewtomorrowband.com)

Dirty Diana (Michael Jackson tribute) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYQdX7bZKks)

A New Tomorrow (www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEJcixIoZBc)

A Million Stars (www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU3bXWOTEh8)

Leaving All Behind (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul0s-5MCRbI)

The photo that inspired Alessio's story (www.stolaroid.com/alessio)

Alessio on Instagram @alessiogaravello

A New Tomorrow band on Instagram @anewtomorrowuk

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, you'll hear a personal story that reveals an aspect of my personality which I believe is common in most people. Perhaps it's an aspect of your personality too. The story takes place in Fiji, a beautiful country in the South Pacific I visited in 2016, and it's inspired by a picture of a Fijian man I took while I was there. You can see this photo on my website (link below). At the end of the episode, you'll also hear me analyse a complex grammatical structure (third conditional) I used in the story. Below you'll find the links to a couple of videos from BBC Learning English if you'd like to investigate this language point further.

Episode links

• The photo that inspired '69 Dollars' (stolaroid.com/69-dollars)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)
• Sign up for Stolaroid Room on Saturday 28th May (stolaroid.com/events)
• A 1-minute video from BBC Learning English about the third conditional (youtube.com/watch?v=YdCsmuBXahw)
• A 6-minute grammar explanation of the third conditional from BBC Learning English (youtube.com/watch?v=P4_kqBsj2sE)
• The traditional Fijian kava ceremony (royaldavuifiji.com/the-traditional-fijian-kava-ceremony)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, you'll hear the second half of Vale's story. If you haven't listened to the first half, this episode might not make a lot of sense to you, so I'd suggest you listen to Episode 22 first and then come back to this one.

In Part 2, Vale talks about how some people reacted to what she's been doing on Instagram and explains how she uses social media to help women in Iran discover their true potential. She also tells the story behind the photo that she had decided to bring to the show. It's fascinating. 

At the end of the episode, you'll hear me talk about two very useful communication strategies that she used while she was speaking with me. These are speaking strategies that you too can use to maintain fluency in a conversation so...don't miss them! 

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired Vale's story (stolaroid.com/vale2)
• Vale's Instagram @thevaastray (SHE HAS TEMPORARILY DEACTIVATED HER ACCOUNT)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, you'll hear a true story about oppression, rebellion, freedom and discovery. You'll hear me speaking with Vale, a young Iranian woman who left her country because she was feeling oppressed there. She comes from a traditionalist Iranian family but discovered a world she'd never seen before when she saw some pictures in her English textbooks. She's now living in Italy and uses social media to help other Iranian women discover who they are and what it means to be a woman. This is truly one of the most inspiring stories someone has ever told me. 

In this episode, you'll hear the first half of the conversation. You'll hear the second part in episode 23.

Vale's story was inspired by a picture she took in Iran. You can see it on my website (link below).

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired Vale's story (stolaroid.com/vale)
• Vale's Instagram @thevaastray (SHE HAS TEMPORARILY DEACTIVATED HER ACCOUNT)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I share a personal story from 2011, when I started working in a café in Central London. Living in the UK was my first experience abroad. I was 24 at the time, spoke little English and was very insecure. But writing this story gave me the chance to reflect on how much progress I've made, both as a person and as an English speaker and I hope this episode might inspire you to keep growing as well as stand up to those people who are not treating you the way they should. The story was inspired by a photo of the sign of the café I was working in (link below)

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired 'Insult' (stolaroid.com/insult)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)
• Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I talk with the legendary Martin Johnston from Rock n' Roll English. We talk about learning languages as he's from the UK but speaks fluent Italian! We also speak about having kids because Martin shares his own true story inspired by a photo of his Italian wife holding up a very important piece of paper ;)

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired Martin's story (stolaroid.com/martin)
• Martin's website (rocknrollenglish.com)
• Martin's ebook (rocknrollenglish.com/stories)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, I have a chat with Lara, the English teacher who founded enbooo.com. You'll hear talk about learning English, pronunciation and accent. Lara also shares her own true story about her first date with Marcos, her Spanish boyfriend. It's exactly like the title of the episode describes it: insane!

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired Lara's story (stolaroid.com/lara)
• Lara's website (enbooo.com)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)
• My free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, I tell my own true story about a time I told my partner, Aloha, that I was going to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp. This is a story inspired by a photo of us two on top of Mount Igen, an Indonesian Volcano (link below). Confusing, right? I know, but things will become clear as you listen, I promise! :) 

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired 'Auschwitz' (stolaroid.com/auschwitz)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)
• Stolaroid Room (stolaroid.com/events)
• The Mount Ijen miners (ndotravelteam.com/blog/the-miners-of-kawah-ijen)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)  

No stories today. Just an unplanned reflection on war and the current situation in Ukraine. 

If you're an online language teacher, consider buying Maria Glazunova's book to help a Ukrainian teacher of English from Kyiv. 

Episode Links

Gino Strada's full speech (en.emergency.it/culture-of-peace/abolishing-war-is-urgently-needed)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, I talk with Zdenek, an amazing English teacher and podcaster from the Czech Republic who teaches English through football. Zdenek talks about how he learned English and shares his own true story about his first English lesson at a language school where he'd just been hired in the centre of London. His story is inspired by a photo of him in a changing room. You'll find it on my website (link below).

Episode Links

• The photos that inspired Zdenek's story (stolaroid.com/zdenek)
• Zdenek's website (teacherzdenek.com)
• Zdenek's podcast (zdeneksenglishpodcast.podbean.com)
• Zdenek Instagram @teacherzdenek (instagram.com/teacherzdenek)
• Zdenek's YouTube Channel (youtube.com/c/TeacherZdenek)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, I tell my own true story about being an Italian abroad. This is a story that might make you think about your country and people, and it's inspired by a photo of a pizza I took in 2016.  Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below).  

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired 'Arrogant' (stolaroid.com/arrogant)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)
• Stolaroid Room (stolaroid.com/events)
• Michelle Daniel's Instagram (www.instagram.com/theheartofenglish.ca)
• The Heart of English Conversation Club (theheartofenglish.ca/conversation-club)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, I talk with my friend Rebecca, the owner of Inglês Express, a language school in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Rebecca shared her own true story inspired by a picture of her US passport (link below). You'll also hear us talk about travel problems, tropical fruit, falling teeth and being robbed at gunpoint. 

Episode Links

• The photos that inspired Rebecca's story (stolaroid.com/rebecca)
• Rebecca's language school in Brazil (inglesexpress.net)
• Stolaroid Room (stolaroid.com/events)
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, I tell a true story about a time I went shopping with my girlfriend Aloha. It's a story I briefly told in Italian as a vocal message on Whatsapp to some of my friends. When they heard it, most of them replied, "You MUST tell this story on your podcast!". So, here it is. It's inspired by a photo of me that Aloha took in the shopping mall. Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below).   

Episode Links

• The photo that inspired 'Gift Card' (stolaroid.com/gift-card)
• My blog post 'How Your English Improves by Telling Stories' (stolaroid.com/improve-english-through-stories) 
• My language program (stolaroid.com/podcast-language-program) 
• Zdenek's English Podcast (www.podbean.com/pu/pbblog-cn4wb-1fe680)
• In Episode 399 Zdenek and I had a lovely chat that you can listen to here. (www.podbean.com/ew/pb-76348-115ac26) 
• My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, I tell a true story about an aspect of the relationship I have with dad. We're very different but so similar at the same time. This is a story that might make you think about your dad or, why not, your mom. The photo that inspired this story is a picture of my dad's hands. Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below).

Episode Links

The photo that inspired 'Hands' (stolaroid.com/hands)

Would like to practise and improve your English by reflecting on meaningful moments of your life and telling your own personal stories? Check out my new language program here (the language program I talked about in this episode).

Check out Stephen's website and podcast at englishwithstephen.com. It's awesome. He talks about how to learn and learning strategies, something that not all teachers do. And he's got over 20 years of experience as a teacher! Imagine how many students he's helped!

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) https://stolaroid.com/podcast-language-program/

In this episode, I tell a true story about a time I was bullied. I was a kid but I still remember what happened very well. I then discovered something about the bully that had humiliated me. This is a story that might make you think about a time you felt humiliated or, maybe, a time you humiliated someone!

The photo that inspired this story is from 2001. Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below) 

Episode Links

The photo that inspired 'Bully' (stolaroid.com/bully)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

I spent years of my life far from my family and friends. If you did this too, or if you live far from your dear ones, I think this story will very much resonate with you. If you didn't, this is still a story that might make you think about the place that you call home.

What and where is home? Some people say that home is where your family is. Others say that the whole world is our home. Telling this story made me realise what home means for me and I hope it will help you find your own answers too.

The story is inspired by a photo of an Australian sunset and one of an Italian sunset (link below).

Episode links

The photo that inspired this story (stolaroid.com/sunset)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I share a personal story about Susy, a person that changed my life forever. This was a very hard story for me to tell but I'm glad I had the courage to share it. By crafting this story I reflected on many things and, I won't lie to you, I even cried. Some people told me it made them cry too, so it's probably a good idea to have some tissues at hand :) I hope you'll find this episode somehow inspiring and if you want to 'meet' Susy, you can see her on my website (link below).

Episode links

The photo that inspired this story (stolaroid.com/susy)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I tell a personal story about discovering what freedom might really mean for me. It's a story from 2013, when I was living and travelling around Australia. What happened in this story is probably one of the most important things I've learned in life and it's something that might make you reflect on your idea of freedom. What does being free really mean for you? Think about this question after you've listened to this episode, which was inspired by a photo of Ivan, our amazing van. You'll see 'him' on my website (link below).

Episode links

The photo that inspired this story (stolaroid.com/road-trip)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I tell a personal story about two people I met while I was backpacking in Bulgaria: Sasho, a cool Bulgarian guy, and Emma, a lovely girl from Greece. Meeting this couple made me reflect on the type of people I like hanging out with and I hope this story will inspire you to do the same. You'll see a lovely photo of Sasho and Emma on my website (link below).

Episode links

The photo that inspired this story (stolaroid.com/sasho-and-emma)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I tell a personal story about a 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreat I took in South Korea in 2017. I was isolated from the world for 10 days. No internet. No smartphones. No books. Nothing! I meditated all day every day and discovered what/who my biggest enemy in life is. This is a story that, I think, will really make you reflect a lot on yourself.  I'm not religious at all, but I highly recommend taking a spiritual retreat. It's an awesome eye-opening experience.

The photo that inspired 'The Enemy' is a picture of the meditation centre I took when I arrived there. You can see it on my website (link below).

Episode links

Here's where you can learn more about Vipassana (dhamma.org/en/index)

The South Korean Vipassana centre where I took the course (korea.dhamma.org)

The photos that inspired this story (stolaroid.com/enemy)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I tell a personal story about the way I tend to form impressions about people I don't know. It takes place in the summer of 2021 while I was buying a souvenir in Greece and it's a story that might make you think about the way you make judgments about strangers. The photo that inspired this story is not particularly special. It's not a picture of that moment but one of the souvenir I bought. You'll also hear me talk about another photo. You can see both of them on my website (link below).

Episode links

The photos that inspired this story (stolaroid.com/souvenir)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I tell a personal story about a time I was running in the woods near my hometown. I often go out running as this is a way for me to release stress, stop worrying about problems and reflect. As I was running, I started wondering if I was living my life on autopilot. This is a story that might make you reflect on how you live your life. If you feel you're going through the same routine day after day, this is a story you might want to hear. It was inspired by a photo of the track I was running on, which you can see on my website (link below).

Episode links

The photos that inspired 'Autopilot' (stolaroid.com/autopilot/)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I tell a true story about doing something that scared me. I was solo travelling from Romania to Bulgaria and found myself in a situation where the only option I had was to do something I was afraid of. This is a story that might remind you of a time you did something you were scared of, but it could also be a story that will inspire you to get out of your comfort zone and take more risks in your life. Comfort is very addictive and doesn't help you grow. Doing something that scares you is one way to step out of it and discover your true potential. 

The story was inspired by a selfie I took as I was doing this scary thing. You can see this on my website (link below). In the story I also mention a book by Derek Sivers, one of my favourite writers (link below).

Episode links

The photos that inspired 'If It Scares You, Go Do It' (stolaroid.com/if-it-scares-you-go-do-it) 

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

The book I mention in the story (sive.rs/n)

The page I was reading on the train (https://sive.rs/scares)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, I tell a very short story about a time I went for a slow mindful walk in my neighbourhood and noticed little things around me that made me feel grateful. One of the reasons I sometimes feel sad and frustrated is because I focus on what I don't have rather than appreciating what I already have. Appreciation, this is what this story is all about. It's a simple story that might inspire you to have a walk in your neighbourhood and pay attention to what's around you, so you feel happier. Being grateful is one way to feel happy. 

I took a photo while I was walking. It's not the greatest photo you'll ever see, but it very much reminds me of that day. You can see it on my website (link below).

Episode links

The photos that inspired 'Neighbourhood' (stolaroid.com/neighbourhood)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In Episode 1 of Stolaroid Stories, I tell a personal story about travel, love and separation. It's a true story from 2013. I was 25 back then and I was moving from Italy to Adelaide, Australia. The story was inspired by a photo that my mother took while I was getting ready to go to the airport and I think it's one that might make you think about a time you left someone you really loved. At the end of the story, I refer to another photo that I took in 2021. You can see these photos on my website (link below). 

Episode links 

The photos that inspired 'Leaving for Australia' (stolaroid.com/leaving-for-australia)

My podcast page on my website (stolaroid.com/stories)

How to get in touch with me 

Email me at [email protected] 

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid). 

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)