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.
With her background in psychology and focus on global differences in value systems and communication patterns, Charlotte Wittenkamp leads a multinational and multigenerational communication training group. The third edition of her book Building Bridges Across Cultural Differences, Why Don’t I Follow Your Norms? comes out later this year.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Richard Goldstein. Since joining the New York Times in 1980, Richard worked as an editor and an obituary writer, focusing on figures from the military and sports world.
Read MoreDebbie Danielpour writes screenplays, libretti, fiction, and nonfiction and has been a professor of fiction or screenwriting for over thirty years. On the film side of her work, she’s written seven feature screenplays, a limited television series, and tv or feature scripts as a writer-for-hire. Her biopic, MIRIAM was just selected as a finalist in one of the preeminent screenwriting competitions, and her feature film WE’RE ALL HERE will be shot next summer.
Read MoreMy guest in this episode is Dr. Christine Mason. Chris is the Executive Director, Center for Educational Improvement; Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry Yale University School of Medicine, Program for Recovery and Community Health; Chief Advisor, Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative; New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. Dr. Mason has co-authored several books, notably Visioning Onward and Compassionate School Practices.
Read MoreMy 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.
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