the tortoise & the hare

In today’s episode, Brooke and Ben dive into different ways of thinking — open and closed, fixed and fluid and whatever exists in between. They discuss their different approaches to rule-following, how they deal with opinion chameleons and why finding common ground is one of the most effective ways to have a constructive conversation.
Ben also explains why he loves playing the devil’s advocate (and why Brooke finds it infuriating!) and finishes with a hard-hitting question: rigid or flexible lollies — which is better?
They discuss:
hypersensitivity
Brooke’s EMDR experience
dealing with narrow-minded people
chameleon opinions and why they’re so confusing
rule-followers vs rebels
improving cognitive flexibility
how to engage different opinions without losing your mind
why hope hurts sometimes
the great lolly debate: rigid vs flexible
Thanks for listening!
Links:
Find everything mentioned in today’s show at brookemcalary.substack.com
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If video is your jam, subscribe to our YouTube channel @thetortoiseandthehare
Access the full, human-made transcript here
Credits:
the tortoise & the hare is a McAlary Media production.
Produced and hosted by Brooke McAlary and Ben McAlary
Edited by Ben McAlary
Studio equipment supplied by shot.studio
Theme music is Edgar Allan Poe by Modern Aquatic
Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to age and youth, body image takes a beating at both ends. Can we find a gentler way through the years?
In today’s show, Brooke and Ben discuss the duality of wrinkles & pimples — i.e. the visible elements of youth and aging — and how they are literally in the middle of it right now, with both wrinkles and pimples (and grey hair and stiff backs in the morning).
They discuss:
changing body image in their mid-40s
why gender-affirming care (including hair removal, plastic surgery, make-up and hormone therapy) should be accessible to everyone
the changing role of body image for boys and men over the past decade
what our faces and bodies are actually for
the billionaires who want to live forever and go to great lengths to avoid aging
Thanks for listening!
Links:
Find everything mentioned in today’s show at brookemcalary.substack.com
Become a paying supporter of ttath and get double the episodes! Weekly shows delivered straight to your inbox for just $5AUD/month for a limited time
If video is your jam, subscribe to our YouTube channel @thetortoiseandthehare
Access the full, human-made transcript here
Credits:
the tortoise & the hare is a McAlary Media production.
Produced and hosted by Brooke McAlary and Ben McAlary
Edited by Ben McAlary
Studio equipment supplied by shot.studio
Theme music is Edgar Allan Poe by Modern Aquatic
Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

fast & slow | Is there a middle ground between the two? Or are we destined to wrestle our inner-tortoise and inner-hare forever?
In the first episode of the tortoise & the hare, Brooke and Ben revisit slow living one last time (no, really!) to see where they exist on the spectrum of speed today and why they decided to keep the slow living reference in the new show’s name.
Initially, slow living was a new way of seeing the world. It provided freedom and community and opportunity. But within a few years, the wellness industry exploded and slow-living voices competed to become a new version of the Joneses — the most slow, the most aesthetic, the most minimalist. What started as a fluid, adaptable idea became consumption-driven and highly aspirational.
Links:
Find everything mentioned in today’s show at brookemcalary.substack.com
Become a paying supporter of ttath and get double the episodes! Weekly shows delivered straight to your inbox for just $5/month for a limited time
If video is your jam, subscribe to our YouTube channel @thetortoiseandthehare
Access the full, human-made transcript here
Thanks for tuning in!
Credits:
the tortoise & the hare is a McAlary Media production.
Produced and hosted by Brooke McAlary and Ben McAlary
Edited by Ben McAlary
Studio equipment supplied by shot.studio
Theme music is Edgar Allan Poe by Modern Aquatic
Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the tortoise & the hare preview now. The first episode drops 20th August 2026!
Fast and slow. Young and old. Hard and soft. Open and closed. Real and fake. Hide and seek. Pleasure and pain… Life is full of dualities and extremes and pick-a-sides. But most of our days are spent in the messy middle.
the tortoise & the hare is a weekly show from Brooke and Ben McAlary, creators of the much-loved Slow Home Podcast (RIP). Each episode is a human-made, homegrown, perfectly imperfect conversation about the either/or of life and the vast grey area in between.
Because we all contain multitudes. So let’s talk about them.
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Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instead of the usual conversation between Brooke and Ben, today's episode is simply a reading of the final ever edition of The Tortoise newsletter. 
Take a listen, and please know that it has been an absolute pleasure to be heard by you over the years. 
https://brookemcalary.substack.com/p/sometimes-life-surprises-us 
Much love and thanks for listening,
Brooke and Ben xx
Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.