The Futur Podcast is a show that explores the interesting overlap between design, marketing, and business. Our host (and CEO of The Futur), Chris Do, hold candid conversations with inspirational people from the worlds of design, technology, marketing, business, philosophy and personal development. These conversations go deep. With the aim of understanding who these incredible people are, what drives them to do what they do, and what can we--the listener--learn from it all. Visit thefutur.com/podcast for show notes and additional information from each episode.
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The Futur Podcast is a show that explores the interesting overlap between design, marketing, and business. Our host (and CEO of The Futur), Chris Do, hold candid conversations with inspirational people from the worlds of design, technology, marketing, business, philosophy and personal development. These conversations go deep. With the aim of understanding who these incredible people are, what drives them to do what they do, and what can we--the listener--learn from it all. Visit thefutur.com/podcast for show notes and additional information from each episode.
In this episode, Chris Do sits down with Tansel Ali, a four-time Australian Memory Champion, to explore how anyone can train their brain to remember anything — from names and speeches to entire books or phone directories.
Together, they unpack the science and art of storytelling for memory, the role of emotion in recall, and how tools like spaced repetition and the memory palace can transform how we learn. Tansel explains that memory isn’t a talent but a trainable skill that anyone can develop. Listeners will walk away with clear, actionable techniques to strengthen their focus, recall, and retention.
Timestamps
(00:00) - Intro
(01:00) - Meet Tansel Ali, memory master
(02:20) - Memorizing two phone books
(04:40) - Short-term vs long-term recall
(05:55) - Storytelling as a memory tool
(08:20) - Remembering names creatively
(10:40) - Visualization and imagination hacks
(12:30) - Why emotional memory sticks
(15:00) - Spaced repetition explained
(16:40) - Inside the memory palace method
(19:00) - Recall vs storage mindset
(21:40) - Mind mapping for better learning
(23:30) - Speed reading that actually works
(27:00) - Training focus through memory practice
(31:40) - Turning memorization into understanding
(37:20) - Applying memory skills in real life
(54:30) - Final takeaways
Check out today's guest, Tansel Ali:
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/tanselali
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TanselAliMemory
Website: https://tanselali.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tansel.a.l.i/?hl=en
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
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The Futur with Chris Do
The Futur Podcast is a show that explores the interesting overlap between design, marketing, and business. Our host (and CEO of The Futur), Chris Do, hold candid conversations with inspirational people from the worlds of design, technology, marketing, business, philosophy and personal development. These conversations go deep. With the aim of understanding who these incredible people are, what drives them to do what they do, and what can we--the listener--learn from it all. Visit thefutur.com/podcast for show notes and additional information from each episode.
