Curiosity sits at the intersection of creativity, effective human interactions, problem-solving and purposeful change. Unfortunately, the pace of life — at home, work, and school — often sidetracks our natural curiosity. So, listen as we look at the familiar from a different angle or something new as a possibility to consider.
My guests in this episode are Melissa Hughes Ph.D., a neuroscience researcher, educator, keynote speaker, and author of Happier Hour with Einstein — Another Round, and Michael Appelgren PsyD, a licensed psychologist, private practice owner, and executive functioning and parent management coach. Together we explore the roots of curiosity, some of the obstacles that stand in the way of actualizing it, and the benefits of increasing and leveraging it.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Dennis Pitocco. Dennis is Chief Reimaginator of 360° Nation, an organization and approach to life that includes the award-winning BIZCATALYST 360°; Real Voices 360°, and GoodWorks 360°. Everything Dennis and his team do is “for good” versus for-profit and founded upon their quest to rediscover humanity at its very best.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Sarah Elkins. Sarah is a storyteller, the podcast host and author of “Your Stories Don’t Define You — How You Tell Them Does,” and Gallup certified StrengthsFinder coach.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Pat McHugh. Pat McHugh ia the Executive Vice President of Sales for the hand2mind school publishing company, which develops supplemental curriculum, social and emotional learning products, and hands-on resources.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Mary Thomas-Vallens. Mary, a 40-year classroom teacher in the Irvine California Unified School District, currently serves as a moderator and in various other capacities for the Braver Angel organization, which works to depolarize “reds” and “blues,” “conservatives” and “liberals” and help them become better listeners.
Read MoreSue Inches is an experienced environmental advocate, educator, and policy consultant. She is the author of the highly acclaimed Advocating for the Environment: How to Gather Your Power and Take Action.
Read MoreWhy are some of those shelves empty in your go-to stores? What’s one of the real causes of inflation? St. Claire L. Gerald is the VP of Supply Chain for RTG Solutions Group, a consulting firm that helps business leaders improve their organization’s efficiencies. Mr. Gerald is a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP). He is also an instructor working with individuals seeking to gain their supply chain certification.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Leanne Gordon, the principal of Leanne Gordon, a firm dedicated to helping individuals navigate what overwhelms them in the realm of change, their personal or their organization’s false starts in change initiatives, and the inevitable resistance to change they’ll encounter leading change.
Read MoreTania Marien is an independent environmental education professional and the Director of Talaterra, a network of independent environmental education (EE) professionals who contribute to lifelong learning and environmental health in communities.
OK, that’s Tania’s official bio. After talking with her for a couple of hours and studying what she does and how she works, I prefer to describe her as a “citizen for our age”: she’s a connector, an organizer, a contributor, a doer, a giver, and infinitely smart about how to approach the highly complex topics of the environment and climate change.
Read MoreToday’s guest is Steve Ehrlich. Steve is an avid fly fisher who is now applying his experience and interests in adult learning, psychology, and literature toward a new chapter — bringing the transformative lessons and stories from the fly fishing environment to support personal and professional growth.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Donna D. Curtin Ph.D, a historian serving as the Executive Director of the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, MA. Pilgrim Hall is “the oldest continuously operating public museum in the country and America’s museum of Pilgrim possessions. I wanted to talk to Dr. Curtin because as a former high school history teacher and developer of social studies classroom materials for more than 35 years, I’m very concerned about the restrictions being placed on what some history teachers can teach. Having met Donna on a tour of the Pilgrim Hall Museum, I felt she would bring the professional historian’s view of the role and value of history for young and old alike.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Bradley Wright PhD, a professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut and host of the “School of Purpose” podcast. When I began to investigate curiosity, Bradley’s focus on purpose was one of the first ideas that intrigued me because I don’t ever remember saying to myself, “That’s why I’m here! That’s what I meant to do in life!” Instead, it was more like, “Well, maybe I could teach.” Curious as I am, I wanted to explore the relationship between my passion for curiosity and the appeal of discovering life's purpose. So, too, it turns out, did Bradley.
Read MoreHow do you go about telling a very inviting and understandable story in film? My guest in this episode, Rita Grant, is an award-winning documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, and the driving force behind Sweet Sage Pictures. In our conversation, she explains how she harnesses her technical skills, curiosity, instinct, and heart behind the camera.
Read MoreErica Nelson is a member of the Navaho Nation. Erica is a fly fishing guide, host of the “Awkward Angler” podcast, and a contributor to the “Awkward & Clueless Beginning Fly Fishing” show on YouTube. She is a Brown Folks Fishing ambassador, a community that cultivates the visibility, representation, and inclusion of people of color in fishing and its industry. She is also the passionate co-founder of REAL Consulting, which focuses on bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion to the world, including the world of fly fishing.
Read MoreBill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned writer of narrative non-fiction, specifically a forthcoming book about an incident in Winston Churchill’s tenure as Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II. Our conversation explores the incident, which we then use as an opportunity to examine what makes a great leader great, what constitutes the art of writing great, truthful narrative non-fiction, and Bill’s personal journey to satisfy his curiosity.
Read MoreWe rarely reveal our true self to others, and sometimes (very often?) we don’t reveal it to ourselves. Sadly, we can’t interact effectively with others if there are layers of our personal onion between us. Diane Wyzga, a self-described story doula works to help professionals pull back the curtain and get to the heart of their message — their authentic story.
Read MorePeriodically, I have the table turned on me, and I ,the interviewer, becomes the interviewee. It’s always an interesting experience because I get to engage in some good, healthy self-reflection. In this recording, I sit across from a new friend, Anette Carlisle, on her “Anette on Education” podcast.
Read MoreWhat can we learn through non-traditional sources if we’re willing to look at things differently? How can we break out of our often self-imposed boundaries to see what the universe is offering us.? For example, this podcast is broadly about “education,” but specifically it’s about thinking and doing things differently to get different results. How can we view “education” more broadly than through traditional schools? And in the case of this episode, what can a fly fishing guide tell us about leadership? And how tuned in are we to seemingly random events? What can we learn from them? Fly fishing guide Spencer Seim offers his insights.
Read MoreOur Trauma in Schools podcast series focus primarily on the trauma that students carry with them into the classroom. But, many school faculty, staff and administrators are also experiencing trauma. COVID has dislocated relationships and put pressure on educators to quickly address ”learning loss.” There is a critical need for school leaders at any level to promote self-care through mindfulness training. Mindful leadership expert, Michael Bunting, explains the first safe steps.
Read MoreBecause of COVID and the condition of our world today – think V.U.C.A: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity – educators need to move beyond the traditional moral purpose of education to better prepare today’s students. This is the time to dig deeper into the essence of our collective humanity, and engage the spirit and science of collaboration to achieve greater success when working together. Drs Michael Fullan and Mark Edwards explain.
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