290: The Voices You Listened to the Most
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Summary
“Getting Unstuck” is somewhat of a rare animal in the world of podcasting. It’s offered timely content focused on change, education, and curiosity for close to 5 years and sits in the top 3% of all podcasts. 44% of all podcasts have less than 3 episodes, according to two tracking sources. Most podcasts don't make it past 10 episodes. Conversely, we just passed the 300-episode milestone, which is somewhat of a magic marker for podcasts.
As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to take a moment to thank my listeners and recap 2023 in three parts:
1. the top episodes in terms of downloads,
2. the episode that meant the most to me, and
3. my most popular episode over the life of the podcast.
The episodes in 2023 that garnered the most listener attention
What follows are the top downloaded episodes for 2023. Not surprisingly, each of the five episodes focused on the major themes I emphasize in the podcast: overcoming personal resistance, recognizing and taking advantage of serendipity, defining a new purpose of education, experiencing the meditative aspect of fly fishing and the natural world, and the power of curiosity.
Here, then, is a short description of these five episodes in no particular order:
250 - How a Life-Altering Event Can Still Mean A Rich Life, Fulfilling Life
Rick Locke is an excellent example of someone who literally had to look at life from a different angle. While he was losing his central vision due to macular degeneration, he could still see out of the corner of his eye. And that, as it turns out, was the lens through which he could see – and share – a whole new world of wonder.
249 - How to Become All-in as a Solopreneur
April Vokey couldn’t help but look at life from a different angle. From a very early age, April loved fishing and hunting. She decided to shun more traditional work and instead start a business where she would guide, provide instructional courses, write, be a keynote speaker, and host a podcast on all things related to her fishing interests, all while becoming a wife and mother. Her decision also came with the expected challenges — and one challenge that men doing the same work never face.
239 - What is the Purpose of School?
In this episode, educator, author, and futurist Rhonda Broussard and I touch on various reasons for our K-12 system of schooling. Is it to prepare students for a career, acquire knowledge and skills, or develop creative thinking and problem-solving abilities? And what about student agency? How much voice and choice should we allow students to determine what and how they want to learn?
246 - Dr. Christian Busch on Connecting Life's Dots Going Forward
Steve Jobs famously said, “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” Today’s guest, Christian Busch, Ph.D., would respectfully disagree. He writes, “Serendipity is not just about a coincidence that happens to us, but it is actually through the process of spotting and connecting the dots that we start to see bridges where others see gaps.”
253 - How Can You Reframe Your Inner Story to Create a Healthier Reality?
Valerie Gordon is a 10-time Emmy-winning television producer with over 20 years of developing and overseeing award-winning content. She knows what makes a story meaningful and memorable and the incredible power of stories to engage, educate, and entertain. And she’s detailed how we can tell a healthier personal story – and overcome our inner narrator – in her highly readable book, FIRE YOUR NARRATOR: A Storyteller’s Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Life.
The 2023 episode that meant the most to me
268 - Getting the Best Revenge Standing Inside the Room
This episode grew from my experience traveling to Berlin and Amsterdam this past summer to immerse myself in local aspects of the Holocaust. Here, I traveled to Wannsee, Germany, a suburb of Berlin, where on January 20, 1942, 15 high-ranking Nazis gathered in a villa to resolve various aspects of the “final solution of the Jewish problem.” As a Jew, standing in the room where the Nazis met was a chilling experience in its own right, but it was made more so because Adolf Eichmann had been one of the Nazis attending.
My most popular episode over the 5-year life of the podcast
201 - Learning About Life and Leadership from a Fly Fishing Guide
And finally, I wanted to acknowledge that episode 201 - “Learning About Life and Leadership from a Fly Fishing Guide,” remains the runaway listener favorite over the podcast's life. Initially, I was nervous about posting an episode about fly fishing, but my conversation with guide Spencer Seim was anything but what one might expect. It wasn’t about the technical aspects of fly fishing; it was about how Spencer approaches his clients every day as a leader. So, I think the focus on leadership played well, but that said, I’ve done a number of episodes since related to fly fishing, including #2 in this year’s top 5, and they were all well received. Who knew?
About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
"Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.