A Closer Look with Pam Atherton
Fascinating interviews with newsmakers, business leaders, and people who are changing the world. Past guests have included astronaut Buzz Aldrin, business icon Harvey Mackay, and acclaimed performer Cher. It's radio...for the curious.
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Bestselling Thriller Author Steve Berry Talks Crypto and More
03/19/2024
Bestselling Thriller Author Steve Berry Talks Crypto and More
International bestselling author Steve Berry stops by for a chat about his latest Cotton Malone thriller, The Atlas Maneuver. We find out if Steve is a plotter or a pantster, if his characters talk to him, and whether Yamashita’s gold from WWII exists or not. We chat about his researching, where his ideas come from, and why remembering history is so very important. Plus - why we SHOULDN’T write about what we know!
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Finding Joy with former Def Jam music exec Grace Harry
11/08/2023
Finding Joy with former Def Jam music exec Grace Harry
How happy are you? Do you battle anxiety and depression, and wonder if your life has meaning? Enter Joy Strategist author Grace Harry to help change your life! Grace had an illustrious 30-year career as an exec at Def Jam and Jive Records, she managed Usher, and she’s worked with some of the top names in the music and entertainment industry. And now she’s turned her mind and heart towards helping people find joy. We’ll find out what we can do to start the process of finding joy, and how doing the thing that scares us the most might just be the thing to change our life.
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Money Out Loud with Berna Anat
05/22/2023
Money Out Loud with Berna Anat
So how much do you really know about money? Do you know the best way to pay down your debt? Do you have a budget? It’s fair to say that most of us have a complicated relationship with money. Enter Berna Anat! The author of Money Out Loud shares with us all the financial stuff that no one taught us. In our chat today we learn our money habits are directly connected to what we experienced as young people, (starting at age 7!), why paying just the minimum on our credit cards is just putting us in debt hell, and how we can make budgets work for US! Listen in to our lively and informative conversation about how to become the CEO of our own lives and create a YES Plan to give us financial stability.
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A Transformational Journey to Achieving Success with Acting Coach Bernard Hiller
01/16/2023
A Transformational Journey to Achieving Success with Acting Coach Bernard Hiller
Are you ready for a masterclass from the premier Hollywood acting and success trainer? Whether you’re a performer or not… we’ve got you covered! Bernard Hiller shares insights from his latest book, The Revolutionary Guide to Acting: A Transformational Journey to Achieving Success in Show Business and Life. We learn how to become unstoppable, how to create “wow” in an interview or audition, and why Al Pacino has gone to an acting coach weekly for 35 years. Plus, he shares the three stages of success, the secret of life, and tells us that we may be wearing the wrong coat! Get a pen and paper because there is so many gems packed into this interview. AND he gives us homework!
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Economist Howard Yaruss Explains the Economy in an Understandable Way
11/07/2022
Economist Howard Yaruss Explains the Economy in an Understandable Way
How much do you understand about the economy? Do you know how it really affects your life? Most of us don’t know more than what we’re told by people we are told are experts. But should we trust economists? And what’s the biggest misunderstanding people have about the economy? When I ran across a book written by economist, attorney, and NYU professor Howard Yaruss called Understandable Economics – Because understanding our economy is easier than you think – and more important than you know, I thought - this I have to hear! I’ll agree it’s more important than we know… but easier than we think?!? So in our chat, we find out why the economy is more like psychology than civics, what inflation is, and why we are supposed to stop spending when businesses need us to spend to survive. Why do we give corporations bailouts to help them survive, but not the little guy? And who decides how much money is worth anyway? And oh yeah… Bitcoin?!?! I promise, you will have a much better understanding of the economy after you hear this interview!
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Manhattan Cult Story author Spencer Schneider
09/18/2022
Manhattan Cult Story author Spencer Schneider
Have you ever wondered about cults? How do you get into one? How do you get out? Why don’t you leave when things get abusive? Why do people stay? Spencer Schneider is a former member of a Manhattan Cult, who finally got away after 23 years in the cult. His new book “Manhattan Cult Story” covers the journey from how he got in, to how he got out, and all the sordid details in between. In our chat we learn how people were targeted, some of their internal vocabulary they use, and how he came to doubt himself. We talk about gaslighting, mind games, and how relationships were regulated. Plus, how Spencer finally was able to leave. It's a rare insider view to the world of cults and how they work, with a strong dose of hope at the end.
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Crayon Activist/Author Bellen Woodard on More Than Peach
09/02/2022
Crayon Activist/Author Bellen Woodard on More Than Peach
Bellen Woodard is 11 years-old and the CEO of More Than Peach, but her story started when she was 8, and everyone in her class kept asking for the Skin Color crayon, meaning the peach crayon. But Bellen isn’t peach-colored. And she knew a lot of other kids weren’t either. Now, at 11, she is the CEO of the world's first multicultural art brand and Kid/Woman/Black-owned business. She’s the world’s first Crayon Activist, and has transformed an entire industry with her global movement. And she’s also the author of the children’s book "More Than Peach." In our chat we get her advice on how to handle things when you get discouraged, and what some of the challenges are that she faces as an entrepreneur. Plus - how a major brand changed their product in the wake of Bellen’s activism, why she wrote the book, and what she’s working on for the future.
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The BOUND Series- Our First Interview with Actor Michael O'Neill
08/04/2022
The BOUND Series- Our First Interview with Actor Michael O'Neill
In this very vulnerable interview, actor Michael O’Neill shares insight into his characters and how it can affect an actor’s mental health when a job is finished. In this interview taped right before the filming of BOUND, we find out how he felt about Council of Dads getting cancelled, why he went into therapy after one of his roles, and what it’s like to work with Shonda Rhimes. Plus, why he liked the character of Butterfield on West Wing so much and how HE says I bring out the worst in him!
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Writer/Director/Producer and Creator of Ghost Whisperer John Gray
07/12/2022
Writer/Director/Producer and Creator of Ghost Whisperer John Gray
When my friend Richard suggested I read the book The Desecrated, I was a little hesitant because it had a supernatural bent and I’m a pure detective fan. But when he told me it was written by John Gray – I knew I had to open it up! John Gray – the creator of the hit series The Ghost Whisperer. The director of Martin and Lewis with Sean Hayes and Jeremy Northam. The director of a ton of Grimm and Reckless episodes... Yeah, THAT John Gray. And I’m glad I did! I raced through the book that was set in a morgue and got caught up in all the twists and turns and quirky characters. I recoiled at some of the descriptions and laughed at some of the situations. All in all – I got caught up in the book that made me start thinking “this sounds like a great movie!” In our chat with John we find out why he delves into the supernatural, how he scared himself on a morgue set, and where he came up with some of his characters. Plus - we learn about the ghosts in his OWN home, how he turned the negative of the pandemic into a creative idea for a film, and what to expect from him next. Bonus pearl of wisdom – why it’s so important to ask yourself: “Am I leading my career, or is my career leading me?”
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The Short Film BOUND Interview Series - Actor Mike Pniewski interview one
07/07/2022
The Short Film BOUND Interview Series - Actor Mike Pniewski interview one
You’ve seen Mike Pniewski in everything from The Sopranos to The Good Wife/Fight, Law and Order (just about every incarnation!) and now Hightown on STARZ. He’s a face you don’t forget. He’s also a writer and an author. And calls fellow actor Michael O’Neill one of his best friends. So it was only natural that they would want to do a project together. When nothing right came along, they decided to create their own! Pniewski wrote the script for a 10-12 minute short film that featured just the two actors. In our first interview with Pniewski, we found out how dissecting human cadavers changed his career trajectory, how he found out he got a part on The Sopranos, and how people sometimes respond to him in public! Plus, insight into his character Ed on the show Hightown, a rapid-fire round of shows he’s been in, and a question from listener Rebecca Griffith. Oh – and what it’s like to act next to a Spit Bucket!
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Intelligence Expert Bob Baer on CIA Mole - The Fourth Man
06/22/2022
Intelligence Expert Bob Baer on CIA Mole - The Fourth Man
Anyone who is a spy history buff will know that American Intelligence caught three high-profile Russian spies in the 90s: Aldrich Ames and Edward Howard from the CIA, and Robert Hanssen from the FBI. But did you know that there have always been rumblings that there was a fourth man? Bestselling author and intelligence analyst for CNN, (one of the most accomplished officers in CIA history), Robert Baer says it’s time to talk about The Fourth Man (which happens to be the name of his new book!) – someone who may be the greatest traitor in American history – and who may still be alive. In our chat we find out how the intelligence organizations discovered the three moles within, and why there is credible belief that there was a fourth mole – the Fourth Man - and how these spies allowed Putin to come to power. In addition, we discover why people become spies, what the state of US spycraft is today, and what is the biggest danger in the world today. Plus – how he made ME part of the spy story!
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Ebony LaDelle on her *HOT* debut novel "Love Radio"
06/20/2022
Ebony LaDelle on her *HOT* debut novel "Love Radio"
What makes a book so hot that there are 11 publishing houses bidding in an auction for it? Today we find out as publishing professional and debut author Ebony LaDelle shares her experience as the author of a new YA novel - Love Radio. She tells us what actually makes a YA novel, and why music and Toni Morrison figure so prominently in the book. Plus – we talk about high school angst, the missing genre of books that her Love Radio fills – and why Shonda Rhimes needs to be dialing her up post haste!
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Bestselling Author Daniel Bergner on Mental Health
06/02/2022
Bestselling Author Daniel Bergner on Mental Health
Odds are you probably know someone in your life who deals with anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Maybe someone who deals with delusions, or hears voices. And maybe it’s even you. For example, I get panic attacks when I drive on the freeway. But we haven’t always done a good job in dealing with mental issues. We are only now starting to talk about it in any kind of meaningful way. It used to be that we only talked about it in whispers, or in private conversations, but never out in the open. Bestselling author Daniel Bergner says it’s time to talk about the mind -and its mind of its own- and he does just that in his new book The Mind and the Moon. In our chat he talks about what we used to do to people dealing with mental challenges, what we know about drugs being used today (not much), and what exactly happens in a lobotomy. It’s an eye-opening discussion that hopefully will encourage you to start a conversation with friends and family about mental health.
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Former Fighter Pilot and Bestselling Author Dan Hampton on VALOR
05/17/2022
Former Fighter Pilot and Bestselling Author Dan Hampton on VALOR
Lt. Bill Harris was a WWII hero you probably haven’t heard of. Award-winning author and retired fighter pilot Dan Hampton plans to change that. His new book VALOR introduces us to the Saga of One Man’s Defiance and Indomitable Spirit in a style that reads like an adventure novel. We chat with Dan about Lt. Harris, the power of resilience, why he thinks Ukrainian President Zelensky is so successful, and why the US Air Force is the best in the world. Join us for this fascinating and inspiring chat.
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Actor Michael O'Neill on Acting
05/17/2022
Actor Michael O'Neill on Acting
He's one of the most respected character actors in Hollywood, taking a one-day stint on The West Wing and turning into a 6-season job. MIchael O'Neill is one of those actors you see on the TV or movie screen and say "Oh, THAT guy!" We have a delightful chat talking about the very unusual way he was "discovered," what his two requirements were before he took on the part of the crazed gunman on Gray’s Anatomy, and how he still lives with the insecurity of the acting business. Plus... his sex scene in Rectify, and how he didn’t recognize Matthew McConaughey on the set of The Dallas Buyer’s Club movie. You will LOVE this guy!
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Cy Wakeman on living happy when life is messy
05/10/2022
Cy Wakeman on living happy when life is messy
Do you feel like your life is messy? That things are often in chaos and sometimes life just seems so unfair? Cy Wakeman wrote a book to give us hope. Titled Life’s Messy, Live Happy, she tells us that we are often the source of our own suffering, and how we can flip the switch from suffering to self-reflection. The subtitle is even more inspiring: Things Don’t Have to Be Perfect for You to Be Content. We’ll talk about how we’re NOT a self-help project, she’ll give us tips on avoiding the roller coaster of emotions, and we’ll hear the story of Good, Bad, Who Knows? It’s a fun chat with lots of good info tucked in to help you Life Happy, even if life IS messy!
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No Boundaries - 25 Women Explorers & Scientists - with Gabby Salazar
03/08/2022
No Boundaries - 25 Women Explorers & Scientists - with Gabby Salazar
When I was a little girl, all the astronauts were men. We would watch TV shows about Dr. Leakey, the archaeologist. And of course, we loved watching the shows with Jacques Cousteau. These were amazing people. But where were the women? We never saw role models at the time in science and exploration to inspire us. Could we even BE scientists and explorers? Fortunately, now we are starting to hear more of the stories of the women who pioneered the way in those areas. And for young women, and girls, National Geographic brings us “No Boundaries… 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Share Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice.” It’s a wonderfully colorful book, filled with bits and pieces of wisdom, and backstories on these women scientists. In this episode, we talk with Gabby Salazar, one of the authors, and a nature and conservation photographer and social scientist, who has traveled the world, living in tropical rainforests and on tropical islands. We’ll ask her how they chose the women to be included in the book, which story inspired her, and what she hopes girls and young women will take from this book. It’s a conversation sure to inspire you – and the young girls in your life!
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Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Michael H. Cottman on Segregated Skies
01/17/2022
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Michael H. Cottman on Segregated Skies
Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael H. Cottman introduces us to David Harris, the first black commercial pilot, in his new book “Segregated Skies.”
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Racial Extremism & the US Military - Dr. Megan McBride of CNA
01/03/2022
Racial Extremism & the US Military - Dr. Megan McBride of CNA
Of the 600+ people charged in the 1/6 insurrection, 12% had some sort of military experience. Dr. Megan McBride, a research analyst on both domestic & international terrorism, co-wrote a CNA report about racial extremism in the military. How big is the problem? How does the culture of the military fit in to solving this problem? What needs to be done? We get surprising insight.
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Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle on "Ocean - A Global Odyssey"
12/08/2021
Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle on "Ocean - A Global Odyssey"
Explorer, oceanographer & field scientist Dr. Sylvia Earle has advocated for the health of our ocean for decades. The author of National Geographic's "Ocean – A Global Odyssey," Dr. Earle navigates the deep for us and shares stories about everything from the personality of fish to what it was like to be an Aqua-Naughty!
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Lost Cities and Ancient Tombs with Archaeologist & NatGeo Editor Ann Williams
12/03/2021
Lost Cities and Ancient Tombs with Archaeologist & NatGeo Editor Ann Williams
Who isn't intrigued with history and lost cities? NatGeo editor & archaeologist Ann Williams shares historical discoveries in NatGeo's latest book "Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: 100 Discoveries that Changed the World." it's a feast of pictures & stories about astonishing discoveries from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Lost City of the Monkey God.
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Egyptologist Dr. Kara Cooney on The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World
12/02/2021
Egyptologist Dr. Kara Cooney on The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World
Dr. Kara Cooney returns to discuss her new book The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. The book covers 5 Egyptian pharaohs and discusses concepts surrounding power: how is it earned, who controls it, and why the many often give up power to the few. Oh - and does any of that correlate to our modern life?
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NatGeo Editor in Chief Susan Goldbert and The 21st Century
12/02/2021
NatGeo Editor in Chief Susan Goldbert and The 21st Century
We are already 21 years into the new century and National Geographic is celebrating with a beautiful, new coffee table book - The 21st Century: Photographs from the Image Collection. We chat with NatGeo Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg about this fabulous book that is set up chronologically with 250 photos in 400 pages, and discuss some of the amazing photographs that are products not only of traditional photography, but also images from the innovations of digital, drone and smartphone photography.
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LGBT Pioneer Arlene Goldberg on Simple Human Dignity
07/19/2021
LGBT Pioneer Arlene Goldberg on Simple Human Dignity
A pioneer in the LGBT community and lead plaintiff in a groundbreaking ACLU Federal lawsuit for gay marriage rights in Florida, Arlene Goldberg shares her story from her book Simple Human Dignity. We hear about growing up gay in the late 50s and 60s, having to lie to the people most important in her life. Arlene shares what areas we still need to work on, the surprising issues facing older LGBT Americans, and what allies can do to help. A snapshot in time before Rainbow Flags and Pride Parades
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More Bad Days in History with Michael Farquhar
07/13/2021
More Bad Days in History with Michael Farquhar
Having a bad day? You won’t feel so bad after listening to our chat with Michael Farquhar, the author of More Bad Days in History, Amongst all the laughs, he reminds us that history is not all black and white, and that we are all pretty much the same.
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Bestselling Novelist William C. Pack Says "Never Kiss a Chicken!"
05/18/2021
Bestselling Novelist William C. Pack Says "Never Kiss a Chicken!"
How do you go from the crazy world of Wall Street to the chicken coops of Montana, and write a sweet book for children, after you have a bestselling novel for adults?
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David Broyles on AI, Genetic Engineering and Bio-Tech
05/18/2021
David Broyles on AI, Genetic Engineering and Bio-Tech
Could we be close to making the blind see again, geting rid of diseases like cystic fibrosis, or getting taller?
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Dr. Seema Yasmin talks "Viral BS"
02/11/2021
Dr. Seema Yasmin talks "Viral BS"
In our chat with Viral BS author Dr. Seema Yasmin, we learn why people believe crazy medical ideas, and why facts DON’T change our mind. We learn about cognitive biases, why education level isn’t a good measure of who might believe false information, and how group-think figures in. Plus, how a little bit of truth can be a bad thing, how communication is key, and how social media plays into the spread of bad information. Oh – and the covid-19 vaccine WON’T change your DNA.
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One Step Further - The Children's Book About Katherine Johnson
01/07/2021
One Step Further - The Children's Book About Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was the NASA mathematician who was one of the subjects of the film Hidden Figures. Before she passed away in 2020, Katherine and her two daughters wrote a children’s book about her life and the racism and misogyny she faced. "One Step Further" is a deeply personal portrayal of female empowerment, women in STEM, and the breaking down of racial barriers across generations.
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Award-Winning Author David Giffels
11/02/2020
Award-Winning Author David Giffels
Ohio has picked the winner of the presidential election 29 out of 31, so they must be on to something. David Giffels traversed the state to find out what the people were thinking about the election and what challenges they were facing. The result is "Barnstorming Ohio, To Understand America."
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