15 Million Trivia Books In Print: Gordon “Uncle John” Javna of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
Release Date: 04/11/2016
Erin Passons on Working With Virtual Teams - Info for Business Owners During the COVID-19 Crisis Episode 3
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
In this episode, I speak with Erin Passons, the president and founder of Passons Consulting. She has spent her career helping business leaders, managers, and employees improve their performance and effectiveness. Erin works with a variety of organizations to create a Strengths-based approach to performance, leadership development, and team building, providing training and coaching in the areas of management effectiveness, employee engagement, and talent-based hiring. Her goal is to help people do what they do best, at work and in life. Erin can be found at I'm happy to use this podcast...
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What is the New PPP Business Emergency Loan? Info for Business Owners During the COVID-19 Crisis Episode 2
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
In this episode, I discuss the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan that was created as part of the CARES Act (Stimulus) to provide emergency relief to business owners during the coronavirus pandemic. Qualifying businesses are able to borrow up to 2.5x their average monthly payroll and 100% of the loan will be forgiven if the funds are properly applied. I'm happy to use this podcast feed to answer, as best as I can, questions from business owners who are trying to navigate these challenges. You can contact me directly at https://lizerbramlaw.com/contact This episode was recorded on April...
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Info for Business Owners During the COVID-19 Crisis Episode 1
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
I'm going to be using the Products of the Mind podcast feed to provide information to business owners during the coronavirus - COVID-19 crisis. This is an introductory episode in which I explain the project and cover a few topics briefly. I speak in a bit more depth about the unemployment provisions of the CARES Act, also called the stimulus, which passed on Friday, March 27, 2020. Unemployment benefits now apply to certain self-employed people, which may provide some relief to small and solo business owners who were previously ineligible for unemployment. For a bit more of what's discussed in...
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Tyler Cowen on Complacency, Movies vs. TV, and Food
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
Tyler Cowen, Economics Professor at George Mason University, on whether we're all too complacent, movies vs. TV, food culture around the world, and lots more.
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Visual Effects Artist Allan McKay Makes Robots Fight for Your Enjoyment
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
Welcome to Episode 52 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Allan McKay, founder of Catastrophic FX. Allan has done visual effects for loads of blockbuster movies, including Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Star Trek Into Darkness, 2012, Superman Returns, and Looper (a personal favorite of mine.) We talk about how a visual effect goes from conception to the final product that you see on screen, how the creative process works, and why visual effects production is moving all over the world. The latter topic is addressed in this recent New York Times article (which I reference in...
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Paul Bloom Asks “Is Empathy Really All That Good?”
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
Welcome to Episode 51 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Paul Bloom, the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University. We talk about his recent book . Paul Bloom can be found on Twitter @ Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind! If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page. Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking...
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Holiday Hiatus
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
This is a short episode in which I explain why I'm putting the show on pause for a bit, allude to future plans, and take a moment to thank everyone who's been a guest, a listener, or otherwise helped this show be such a successful creative endeavor. Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind! If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page. Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the...
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Election Special - Electronic Voting with Lori Steele Contorer of Everyone Counts
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
Welcome to Episode 49 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Lori Steele Contorer, Founder-CEO of Everyone Counts, an electronic voting company. Lori went from knowing nothing about the voting process to founding a company dedicated to making voting easier, more secure, and more transparent. How does paper voting actually work, and what are the downsides of the traditional methods? How did Lori learn everything she needed to know to start this business? How do you convince risk-averse bureaucrats to sign on with your electronic voting startup? Most of us just go to the polls...
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Cartoonist & Lawyer Stu Rees
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
Welcome to Episode 48 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with cartoonist, lawyer, and advocate Stu Rees. “Everyone knows in their heart of hearts that they shouldn’t, but they use the words ‘fair use’ as a defense in their own mind.” This episode further explores copyright law and fair use issues with lawyer and cartoonist Stu Rees. As a practicing lawyer and professional cartoonist, Stu has much to say on the issue of copyright law, fair use, and artists’ rights. Stu began his legal career investigating the contracts between newspaper cartoonists and major...
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Unstoppable Singer-Songwriter Anya Marina
Products of the Mind: A Conversation About the Intersection of Business + Creativity
Welcome to Episode 47 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with singer-songwriter Anya Marina. We’ll hear how writing songs in middle school ultimately led to hosting radio shows and hearing her songs on hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy. Anya fills us in on singing for different bands, smoking cloves outside the coffee shop, and a little bit about the attempt to write a memoir. Although the memoir may not have worked out, the music career did. Anya is very open about the ups and downs of her life and the practical realities of surviving as a well-known but non-superstar...
info_outlineWelcome to Episode 28 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with lover of facts and all things interesting Gordon Javna from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader.
It’s story time today with “Uncle John” of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader.
The Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader books have been helping people cure boredom during those (hopefully not too tough) times in the bathroom since 1987. Filled with short stories, facts, and interesting articles, the Bathroom Readers are family appropriate and suitable for nearly all readers.
But where do these facts and stories come from? In fact, where did this idea for a bathroom reader come from? In this episode, Gordon explains the history of the Bathroom Reader (including who the heck is “Uncle John”). An entrepreneur in his own right, Gordon discusses his many ventures before taking over the Bathroom Reader, including careers in music, real estate, and the craft beer business.
We’ll get insights on naming the book, developing the style and concept, and dealing with publishers. With over 15 million books in print, the Bathroom Reader is clearly doing something right; listen in to find out how Uncle John and the Bathroom Reader keep things fresh with new ideas and interesting stories. Also, Gordon shares a few sneak peeks from upcoming editions. Don’t miss out!
Links from today’s chat with “Uncle John:”
- Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Blog
- Follow Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader on Twitter @Bathroom_Reader
- Quacky Duck and his Barnyard Friends (wiki)
- Quacky Duck’s album Media Push (Amazon)
- Operation Yellow Ribbon (includes the story of the town of Gander handling the incoming planes that were stranded mid-air during 9/11)
- Come From Away (a musical inspired by the story of Gander)
- The Value of Blood (Interesting art piece by Phil Hansen)
Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!
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The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
The theme music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram