100 Episodes of Extrology: A Milestone of Persistence and Learning

Last week saw the release of the 100th episode of Extrology. Typically, I’m not one to dwell on milestones—I'm much more focused on where I'm heading rather than where I've been. But on this occasion, I find myself thinking a little differently. After all, there’s undeniable value in reflecting on the past, even if, as a species, we often fail to learn the lessons history has to offer.

Did you know that more than 50% of podcasts don’t make it past their 10th episode? It’s a phenomenon known as "Podfade," where the initial enthusiasm wanes, and the reality of the work involved sets in. Even fewer podcasts—likely less than 20%—reach the 100-episode mark. So, to be here, celebrating 100 episodes of Extrology, feels like an achievement worth acknowledging.

One of the driving forces behind my journey into podcasting was a deep fascination with people—their stories, their diverse backgrounds, their struggles, and their triumphs. I’m drawn to the inevitable ebb and flow of life, the lessons learned along the way, and even those missed. How could I not learn from the experiences of those I engage with?

After 30 years of interviewing people, I've always felt that this knowledge is a privilege—one I’m compelled to share. Spoiler alert: None of the lessons I’ve learned have been earth-shattering revelations. They are consistent, honest, authentic, and sometimes brutally truthful.

We often seek something bright, shiny, and new—a shortcut, the quickest path to success, whatever that might mean for each of us.

The best example I can think of right now to illustrate the key takeaway from my 100 guests is getting in shape and staying in shape. Each of them has had to overcome significant hurdles—challenges or life-changing traumas—to realise their goals and dreams.

Spoiler alert: What got them there was the grind, the repetition, the compound effect of showing up every day. So much of success is simply turning up, doing the work, and taking a step forward, no matter how small, toward realising our goals. Arriving at that goal, the realisation dawns — it’s the journey where the growth really happened. The next step is arguably harder. To continue the metaphor, staying in shape requires the same daily commitment: show up, repeat, repeat, repeat.

It’s not sexy. It’s not glamorous. In my experience, it’s not what many of us want to hear because it forces us to examine how willing we are to commit to putting in the reps consistently over time, to realise the compound effect of success.

Allow me to clarify—this isn’t just about working hard. There are countless people grinding every day just to survive, and they deserve immense respect. No, the hard work I'm referring to involves making the tough choices—what to give up, what to sacrifice, what to forego—and pushing yourself far beyond your comfort zone, physically, mentally, or both. That’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It’s not glamorous. Furthermore, it takes grit, resilience, and the ability to get up again and again when you least feel like it. It’s about repetition.

Overnight success is a myth. We rarely see the years of graft that go into achieving what appears to be sudden success.

So, 100 episodes in, and I know there’ll be 100 more. And 100 more beyond that. I have too, not least to honour each one of the incredible guests I have had the privilege to interview who’ve shared this message: success, whatever that means to you, requires a relentless, unwavering commitment to show up and put in the work.