The episode you're about to listen to was released back when the mere Christians podcast was called the call to mastery

Now if you love mere Christians, you're still going to love these older episodes because the majority of each

conversation focuses on how the gospel influences the work of our guests. With that disclaimer out of the way, please to the call to mastery. I'm Jordan Rayner. This is a

podcast for Christians who want to do their most exceptional work for the glory of

God and the good of others.

Every week I host a conversation with a Christian who's pursuing world-class mastery of their craft.

We talk about their path to mastery, their daily habits, and

how the gospel influences their work. Today's guest is my friend Neil Alston.

He's a crazy impressive co-founder and CEO of the Abide

Sleep and Meditation app, which was recently acquired by guide posts. Before Abide, Neil spent seven years at Google and

before that he was the Darfur Chad Refugee Program Manager for the United States

State Department.

Neil and I sat down recently to talk about how what you listen to before bed can rewire your

brain.

How do identify yourself as a Christian at work, and the 20 minutes of fun routine

that Neil does with his family to cultivate rest and joy. I think you guys are going to be really encouraged by this

conversation with Neil Alston.

Hey Neil, welcome to the podcast.

Thanks, it's great to be here.

So we were catching up on Zoom a couple weeks ago and I wish we could have had that conversation then, but your professional story is fascinating to me.

You started your career doing work in the developing world for food for the hungry, Department of State, and then you made the leap to Google. Seems like a big leap. What's the story behind that transition for you, Neil?

My operating motive is to always help people. Like that's what motivates me the most, but I'm a kind of a mathematician and a geek and I started out doing refugee work and humanitarian work in really, really tough places in Africa.

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