Living A Life In Full
“Living a Life in Full” is the conversation you always wanted to have with that person who gave an amazing TED talk, or the author of one your favorite books, or that inspirational Olympian you always wanted to know more about. This show is for the intellectually curious. You want to not just know more about the interesting and the innovative, but also what makes them tick, and maybe even what makes them laugh. It’s graduate-level conversations with those making a difference in the world and the lives of others. This show brings you new ideas and approaches so you can live a life in full. The show is equal parts information and inspiration, but without the aphorisms and pablum. We cover a wide range of topics in an engaging way—from Burning Man to The Renaissance Weekend, from the United Nations to top universities, Nobel Laureates to astronauts—we have an amazing Rolodex. Interviewees are a who’s who of high performance athletes, bestselling authors, high-caliber leaders, world changing humanitarians, innovative researchers, amazing start-up founders, clever life-hackers, paradigm busting thought-leaders and global innovators. Cheers, and thanks, Chris http://www.alifeinfull.org/
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John Marks’ Journey from Provocateur to Peacemaker
11/01/2024
John Marks’ Journey from Provocateur to Peacemaker
It seems that almost everywhere in the world, there is conflict, distrust, and unrest – Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, and even here in the US. Oftentimes, any kind of diplomacy, cooperation, agreement, detente or finding a common ground seems impossible. But what if there was a different way? What if there was an organization that holds as its mission, “to transform the way the world deals with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions?” What if those tactics included dialogue training, joint development projects, public art projects, sports leagues, and social impact entertainment via radio, TV, film, and print? Well, these are all accomplishments that John Marks has achieved in his work as President of , a peacebuilding NGO he founded in 1982 and built with his wife Susan Collin Marks, predicated on social entrepreneurship. He is the coauthor of the controversial New York Times best-seller , the award-winning and we’ll be doing a deep dive into his latest book, , just recently published by Columbia University Press. John is also a and an The UN’s University of Peace awarded him an honorary doctorate for is work, and in 2018, Search for Common Ground was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. I found From Vision to Action to be both a memoir and somewhat of a practitioner’s guide to the underlying principles of social entrepreneurship. It offers a master class in effective negotiation and conflict resolution. It builds on a core strategy of understanding differences and acting on commonalities. John uses his own experiences of creating real-life breakthroughs during his time leading Search for Common Ground. John’s pioneering work has genuinely made the world a safer and better place for us all – he is an inspiration.
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Ben Guttmann on the Power of Simplicity
10/01/2024
Ben Guttmann on the Power of Simplicity
We are not as smart as we think we are. We're busy and distracted in a world that is incentivized to continually make us more of both. The only things that work, the only messages that cut through the noise, are sharp, clear, and direct. We’ve all been advised to “not judge a book by its cover,” to “not count your chickens before they hatch,” and that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Maybe for you, what comes to mind is something political, like Patrick Henry’s revolutionary “Give me liberty, or give me death!” or more recently, Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can.” Now think for a second about the other few thousand messages you heard in the past 24 hours –things told to you, like ads, warnings, instructions, or even things you’ve sought out, like articles, social media posts, or stories. How many of them do you actually remember? How many of the things that you’ve said, do other people remember? Do they actually even hear what you’re saying? The answer is simple. Literally. Simple. Regardless if these messages are trying to get your dollars, your votes, or just your thoughts, the most effective messages all share one thing. They-are-simple. Ben Guttmann is interested in the things and ideas that move people - why we make the decisions we make; why we vote for who we vote for; why we buy the products we buy, and ultimately, why we do what we do. We did a deep dive into his new book, . It emphasizes the importance of clear communication, and we discussed why he believes clarity is such a critical skill, both personally and professionally. Simply Put offers strategies for simplifying complex ideas and messages. Ben stepped me through the key principles and techniques listeners can use to streamline their communication effectively. It was a fun and informative conversation with one of the best. Ben’s work is a gift to not only his students, but to all of us who want to communicate more clearly, and simply.
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Daniel Goleman, PhD, on Emotional Intelligence and Optimal Performance on
09/01/2024
Daniel Goleman, PhD, on Emotional Intelligence and Optimal Performance on
You have likely seen moments of peak performance—perhaps an athlete plays a perfect game or a business that has a quarter with once-in-a-lifetime profits. Perhaps you have experienced something similar – playing a musical piece perfectly, making a faultless shot, or perhaps acing a final. But these moments are often elusive, and for every amazing day, we may have a hundred ordinary or even unsatisfying days. Now, imagine your best day at work - you exceed the goals set for you, your interactions with coworkers are productive and bristle-free, the new system you implemented has boosted productivity company-wide, and you leave the office feeling on top of the world rather than crushed under the weight of it. What if your best day could be every day? This is something that Dr. Daniel Goleman knows a lot about. Along with Dr. Cary Cherniss, they have written , which discusses how emotional intelligence can help us have a great day, any day, or said another way, to consistently work at our “optimal” level. Daniel Goleman is a renowned psychologist, author, and science journalist. For twelve years, he wrote for The New York Times, reporting on the brain and behavioral sciences. His 1995 book was on The New York Times Best Seller list for a year-and-a-half, was a bestseller in numerous countries, is in print worldwide in 40 languages, and has sold over six million copies. A frequent speaker on campuses and to businesses, he has worked with organizations around the globe, examining the way social and emotional competencies impact the bottom-line. Daniel is ranked as one of the 10 most influential business thinkers by the Wall Street Journal, and his articles in the Harvard Business Review are among the most frequently requested reprints. We covered topics of ways for a person to attain better self-awareness, organizational citizenship and becoming a “good organizational citizen” along with ways to become one. And research has found that, emotional intelligence can improve productivity and engagement, career advancement, job satisfaction, and better health. As I noted at the beginning, Daniel and his work have served as an inspiration and role model for me in my career as a psychologist, and I am deeply indebted. He shares his gifts with the world at large via living with purpose and fulfillment in order to live our lives in full.
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Topaz Adizes on How a Single Conversation Can Change a Relationship Forever
08/01/2024
Topaz Adizes on How a Single Conversation Can Change a Relationship Forever
Have you ever found yourself in the presence of someone you love dearly and had nothing to say? The silence, not indicative of your care for the other, nor of your desire to connect with them, and yet there were no words you could grasp to articulate the depth or quality of your connection to them. Or, have you found yourself in the same looped pattern of conversation with someone you love? Feeling as though you were treading the same path repeatedly, and it was simply exhausting? Or, even worse, it was deteriorating your connection. We all crave connection. But sometimes we need help getting there. Topaz Adizes offers a guide to having the conversations that can lead to that connection in his latest book, . After a decade of exploring human emotions and intimacy through more than 1200 conversations in his Emmy Award-winning experience design studio, The Skin Deep, Topaz has been studying and watching humans of all types, and in all kinds of relationships, simply talk. And it’s resonating, having over 1.2 million followers on and 900,000 on . Topaz is a writer, director, and experience design architect. He is an Edmund Hillary Fellow and Sundance/Skoll Stories of Change Fellow. His works have been selected to Cannes, Sundance, IDFA, and SXSW; featured in New Yorker magazine, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times; and have garnered an Emmy for New Approaches to Documentary, along with Two World Press photo awards for Immersive Storytelling and Interactive Documentary. He is currently the Founder and Executive Director of . Topaz studied philosophy at UC Berkeley and Oxford University. He speaks four languages, and currently lives in Mexico with his wife and two children. In this episode, Topaz shares what he has learned from witnessing over 1200 conversations and the lessons from his own first-hand experiences. Topaz’s creativity, like his humanity, seems boundless. His work on relationship developments is a useful approach to helping us all have deeper and more intimate relationships that helps each us live our lives in full.
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Rob Schwartz on Life's Greatest Lesson
07/01/2024
Rob Schwartz on Life's Greatest Lesson
Over 20 million copies of one of the most famous memoirs of all-time, “” written by , have been sold since its 1997 publication, and to this day it remains on many a college’s required reading list. Twenty-eight years after Morrie Schwartz passed away, his son Rob Schwartz, has edited his father’s last work, and posthumously published what has become a bestselling new book, “.” Rob is a journalist and entrepreneur, having founded a number of companies, both in Japan and the US, and held executive positions in others. He’s produced numerous film and music projects with international teams. His areas of expertise include the entertainment industries in Asia, the US, and Europe. His projects often have a special emphasis on music, film, online business development, and developing musical artists’ careers, as well as working for Billboard in Asia. He has appeared on Good Morning America, Nightline, PBS NewsHour, NBC10 Boston, and in WebMD, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest, and People magazine. Rob is currently one of the producers of Onetopia, a benefit music festival. I asked Rob what it was like growing-up in the in the Schwartz household along with his work and background, and what took him to Asia and his work there as a founder, journalist, and in production. The book’s been described as a profound, poetic, and poignant masterpiece of living and aging joyfully and creatively, but he first starts off examining ageism and explaining how poisonous it is and how wrong it is. In his reflections he confronts the false notion that people are somehow made less by the aging process, and his coining the term “age casting,” as an aspect of ageism and diminishing a person’s value solely based on their age. We wrapped-up our conversation with him sharing a bit about his efforts in producing a dedicated to mental health and has a playlist on Spotify. He’s also working on the development of Holocaust survivors’ story as a documentary as well. Rob’s perspectives, work and life serve as an inspiration to us all to live our lives in full.
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Alex Tapscott on the Promise of Digital Disruption
06/01/2024
Alex Tapscott on the Promise of Digital Disruption
When you think of modern technologies that aren’t gadgets and gizmos, you probably think of the Web, and with it, the Internet. If so, you aren’t really thinking of modern technologies. We are entering a new age. We’ve moved from the “Read-only Web,” which had little functionality for interacting with content, to the “Read-Write Web,” which offered seemingly endless collaborative opportunities, from sharing things with friends and family to shopping at your favorite brands. But the profusion of cyberattacks, data hacks, and online profiling have left many of us to view digital life as a Faustian bargain in need of a major rethink. It brings with it a new lexicon and vocabulary for concepts and tools like blockchains, the metaverse, NFTs, DAOs, decentralized finance, and self-sovereign identity. In this episode, Alex Tapscott will serve as our guide and interpreter of this brave new world. Alex is the author of the Wall Street Journal and The Globe and Mail Bestseller . He is also an entrepreneur and seasoned capital markets professional focused on the impact of emerging technologies, such as Web3, AI, VR/AR, the Metaverse, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, on business, government, and society. Alex is masterful in communicating via both the written and spoken word as to complex topics that are critically important to our future and living fuller lives. As he wrote “In the Read-Write-Own Web of Web3, we are not merely spectators; we are authors of our digital destiny, reclaiming control over our identities and assets.” This episode is not to be missed if you want to better understand what the future holds and how it will impact us all and society.
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Mountaineer, Entrepreneur, Guinness World Record Holder, and Mom: Jenn Drummond on Becoming BreakProof
05/01/2024
Mountaineer, Entrepreneur, Guinness World Record Holder, and Mom: Jenn Drummond on Becoming BreakProof
We all have an Everest. Even if you are not an alpinist or mountaineer, we are all on individual journeys, facing ascents and descents as we strive toward our personal and professional peaks. Whether yours is to achieve a big, audacious goal, or to find a way to coexist better with your mother-in-law, how you navigate the journey is up to you. You can choose to stop, to turn around, or to keep going. And you can choose to find meaning in the challenges along the way and embrace the joy in the journey. And what if you could transform challenges into triumphs? Well, Jenn Drummond has a lot to say about how to do that through resilience, determination, and mindset. Jenn is a Guinness World Record holder for being the first woman to climb all of the 7 Second Summits, and she’s also a successful business owner, international speaker, author, host of the Seek Your Summit podcast, and the mother of 7 remarkable children. She also helps others create thriving businesses and lasting legacies of their own through her speaking and writing; in fact we’ll do a deep dive into her new book, Listen and embark on a journey of personal growth and learn actionable strategies and exercises to build resilience and handle life's challenges. We discuss the importance of goal setting, continuous self-improvement and personal growth, along with ways to troubleshoot seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I think Jenn’s life and adventures can serve as a blueprint for becoming breakproof. Jenn has a wonderful set of amazing accomplishments in all aspects of life that are models of empowerment and inspiration on how to live a life in full.
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Octavia Goredema on Doing Work that Matters
04/01/2024
Octavia Goredema on Doing Work that Matters
How do you get the job, or position, or career, where the work that you do matters - and not just to your employer - but to you? Few experiences in life are as awful as the feeling of being trapped in the wrong career. But how do you find a job that truly resonates with you? And once you’ve found it, how do you develop the confidence to take the necessary steps to arrive at the career of your dreams? Or how do you recover from a career setback and seize new opportunities? Or, what if you are returning after a time away from being in the workforce? How do you deal with the uncertainty behind a career change and what gives you the confidence to hit a reset-switch on your professional life? These are the questions, areas and issues in which Octavia Goredema thrives, as she works to help others navigate their own personal career success. Octavia is the host of the Audible Original series, and the author of , published by Wiley. Octavia founded , a career coaching practice, where she has coached leaders at Google, American Airlines, Tinder, General Motors, Nike, and Dow Jones, to name but just a few. Her insights have been featured in leading media outlets including Fortune, CNN, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and Black Enterprise, among others. During the pandemic she co-hosted “HBR Now,” the Harvard Business Review’s weekly show on leadership, and this year she contributed a chapter to the Harvard Business Review’s new book, Navigating the Toxic Workplace. I see her work as a gift shared with her readers, her listeners, and her clients. Her wisdom, her transparency in the sharing of her experiences, and what she does, all demonstrate how she lives her life in full, and in the service of others.
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Creativity and Innovation in Business and Design: Lance Cayko on (re)Inventing Architecture
03/01/2024
Creativity and Innovation in Business and Design: Lance Cayko on (re)Inventing Architecture
At the intersection of architecture is art, creativity, design, engineering, sociology, psychology, and inspiration, not to mention survival, sustainability, and comfort. It’s been said that architecture is the art we live in. We’re all impacted by the communities in which we live, the spaces in which we work, along with the places we visit and experience throughout our lives. So what is it that makes for good architectural design? How does a space become iconic? How does an architect go from project, to design, to engineering, to completion? Well, Lance Cayko knows a lot about the answers to those questions, and more. Lance is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of the architecture firm, F9 Productions, with Alex Gore. His career in architecture, engineering, and construction spans over two decades and includes numerous design awards including the international Architizer A+ Award for Architecture + Living Small. Their firm earned the #1 spot as BizWest's Mercury 100 Fastest-Growing Private Firms. As an architect, Lance discussed the various benefits as also being the builder and developer on a project, both from a business success aspect but also in dealing with the various practical considerations of project management at scale. We also discussed the types of projects and clients that he finds most fulfilling to work with. Lance’s perspective on the intersection of design and entrepreneurship yields examples and lessons for architects as well as any other founder or entrepreneur, regardless of field, and how it has influenced his approach to business and achieving an amazing growth rate of 386%(!). He believes that a strong design strategy plays a powerful role in contributing to the success of a business. Lance is a great role model for living a life in full, not just a founder and architect, but also how to be antifragile in a field with more than its fair share of challenges via mindful leadership and creativity. I think you will enjoy this episode with such an authentic and innovative individual.
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Eduardo Briceño on the Performance Paradox: When Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect
02/01/2024
Eduardo Briceño on the Performance Paradox: When Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect
To succeed in a fast-changing world, individuals and companies know they must create a culture of growth, where experimentation and feedback are encouraged, and learning is integrated into the everyday. Yet we often get stuck in a well-worn pattern of habits that don’t move us forward. Why? How do you get better at something? You do a lot of it. The 10,000 hour rule. Practice makes perfect, right? Maybe not. What if our focus only on performing doesn’t lead to the hoped for improvements, and instead our performance suffers? Well, there is a strange phenomenon that runs counter to what most of us would think is a key ingredient to improving our performance--that is--if we spend all our time performing, we actually hinder our performance. Worse yet, this applies to us as individuals, to our teams, and in our organizations, and it’s called The Performance Paradox. Eduardo Briceño knows a lot about this phenomenon and he has written a new book on how to recognize it, and what to do about it. The book is aptly titled and is published by Random House. We discuss how to • avoid falling into the chronic performance trap that stagnates growth • identify when and how to unlock the power of mistakes • integrate learning into daily habits in ways that stick • lead teams that constantly improve and outperform their targets • grow your skill level and output simultaneously and for the long term Discover how to balance learning and performing to bolster personal and team success with this revolutionary guide from a world renowned expert on growth mindset. Eduardo Briceno's life is a testament to the profound impact that a growth mindset can have on personal and professional success. His relentless pursuit of knowledge and his mission to help others unlock their full potential continue to inspire individuals and organizations on their journeys toward excellence.
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The Aesthetic Technologist: Hussain Almossawi on Art, Design and Creativity
01/01/2024
The Aesthetic Technologist: Hussain Almossawi on Art, Design and Creativity
How do you become an innovator? What sparks creativity? What goes into creating something that becomes iconic? Instead of predicting the future, what if you could create it? Well, that is pretty much what Hussain Almossawi does. He easily walks between digital and physical worlds as he creates futuristic concepts, experiences and objects. Hussain is an award-winning industrial designer, CGI/Visual Effects Artist, and best-selling author of He has worked across industries and around the world consulting for companies such as Nike, Apple, Adidas, EA Sports, Intel, and Ford Motor Company, among others. He is a frequent keynote speaker on innovation and design, and has taught at the Parsons School of Design, The New School, and other institutions. Born in Bahrain, Hussain came to the US and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois, and his Masters in Industrial Design at the University of Alberta with his thesis on "Biomimetics, Innovation, and Design.” In 2019, Hussain founded , a multi-disciplinary design studio specializing in creating memorable, iconic, and bold experiences. He loves blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds, creating futuristic concepts and experiences, and storytelling. At the time of this conversation, Hussain has just won first place in the with his Lamborghini Performance Footwear project – which is beautiful and amazing. Hussain is an inspiration and works to make the world a more beautiful and functional place, I can’t wait to see what he does next!
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Profitability with Social Responsibility: Deb Crowe on a New Approach to Leadership
12/01/2023
Profitability with Social Responsibility: Deb Crowe on a New Approach to Leadership
Leaders come in a variety of types and approaches. There are the proverbial Chainsaw Al’s - those tough-talking executives who are aggressive in their turning around troubled companies by laying off workers and closing factories. There are the Jack Welch types who at first seem like geniuses, but are later found to not have created sustainable change. There is a litany of heroes and scoundrels, crooks and kings of all stripe, throughout various areas of work-life and the world. But what if there was a more heart-centered style of leadership? Something that binds the power of compassion, empathy, and authenticity together in making decisions and informing relationships with those we work and collaborate with? Well, there is, and Deb Crowe literally wrote the book on it, or should I say the Playbook, as she is the author of the newly published Deborah Crowe is an entrepreneurial leader with a wealth of experience coaching individuals at all levels, as well as consulting, training, and teaching, as a college professor. She also hosts the popular podcast and companion Substack newsletter, . Deb has navigated the entrepreneurial landscape for more than 30 years, and possesses a keen understanding of market dynamics, customer needs, and innovation. Coupled with her diverse life experiences, she is an out-of-the-box and innovative thinker. Her visionary leadership style fosters a collaborative and inclusive work environment, where employees thrive and contribute their best. Deb’s Heart-Centered Leadership Playbook is a transformative guide that redefines the traditional approach to leadership by emphasizing the power of compassion, empathy, and authenticity. In this groundbreaking book, author and heart-centered leader Deb Crowe delves into the core principles of heart-centered leadership, providing practical tools and strategies to inspire individuals and organizations to lead with purpose and passion. The Playbook is a must-read for aspiring leaders, seasoned executives, and anyone seeking to create positive change in their personal and professional lives. In this episode we covered what heart-centered leadership is, Heart-Centered Leadership Qualities - what they are along with some examples, and some simple and easy methods to integrate heart-centered leadership into one’s life and work, and much, much more. Be sure to tune in and hear the whole story. Deb is an amazing and heart-centered leader who sincerely walks-the-talk in her work and life, and is the epitome of how one can live a life in full, and in service to others and the world.
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Valerie Plame’s Modern Odyssey (and Cautionary Tale) of Speaking Truth to Power
11/01/2023
Valerie Plame’s Modern Odyssey (and Cautionary Tale) of Speaking Truth to Power
On July 6, 2003, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's historic op-ed, "What I Didn't Find in Africa," appeared in The New York Times. A week later, Robert Novak revealed in his Washington Post column that Ambassador Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, was a CIA operative. It ended her covert career and set off a political scandal that rocked the Bush/Cheney White House. The public disclosure of that secret information spurred a federal investigation and led to the trial and conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, and the Wilsons' civil suit against top officials of the Bush administration. Valerie had worked to protect America’s national security and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in particular, nuclear weapons. All that ended, with the public disclosure. Valerie has amazing resilience and skillsets. Today she is serves on a number of boards and is affiliated with the Santa Fe Institute, the trans-disciplinary scientific think tank created by two Nobel Prize winners to address the most compelling and complex problems in the world today. Valerie has lectured throughout the country and internationally on cyber security issues, national security, nuclear proliferation, women in intelligence, and the NSA revelations, and authored The New York Times best-selling memoir , which was also released as a major motion picture of the same name starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. Along with Sarah Lovett, she’s written two fictional spy thrillers and She also served as the narrator and appeared as an expert in the film Countdown to Zero, a documentary on the threat of nuclear war. Valerie also heads up the TED-like annual conference, in Santa Fe. Valerie has lived her life in full in public, and private service and is an inspiration to each and every one of us.
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Tina Davidson on Composing a Life in Full (Measure)
10/01/2023
Tina Davidson on Composing a Life in Full (Measure)
“I collaborate with the music.” Composer Tina Davidson explores in her memoir , described as “a lyrical reckoning with what it takes to compose a life of cohesion and beauty, out of shattered bits and broken stories.” In Let Your Heart Be Broken, Tina juxtaposes memories, journal entries, and insight into the life of an artist—and a mother—at work. Along the way, she meets Ernest Hemingway and Carl Sandburg, survives an attack by nomads in Turkey, and learns her birth father is a world-famous scientist. And throughout, there is the thread of music, an ebb and a crescendo of a journey, out of the past, and into the present, through darkness and into the light. Tina is a writer and classical composer, now for 45 years, whose works have been performed by ensembles and orchestras across the country, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Cassatt Quartet, as well as recordings with Albany Music and on Deutsche Grammophon, performed by Grammy winning violinist, Hilary Hahn - all while being a single parent. Her life is filled with experiences that are as amazing as they are touching, heart-wrenching as they are instructive, as she shares her dealing with depression and dissociation, and her work to reclaim herself through therapy and spiritual practice. Let Your Heart Be Broken has also been described as a “lyrical reckoning with what it takes to compose a life of cohesion and beauty out of shattered bits and broken stories” and we discussed her writing process as well, along with forgiveness, grieving and spiritual connection. Tina has written that “we are, in the end, a measure of the love we leave behind.” I cannot think of any better way to live a life in full.
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John Zolidis on Making Better Decisions and Recognizing Flawed Mental Models
09/01/2023
John Zolidis on Making Better Decisions and Recognizing Flawed Mental Models
Investment research created by large banks, mid-sized banks, and even smaller boutiques is frequently muddled by conflicts of interest, and its value diminished by over-distribution. Analysts often feel pressure to have positive ratings to support bankers or to generate corporate access. And the time horizon of most research is typically very short, causing analysts to miss long-term winners due to near-term considerations. But the biggest issue is that most analysts have no proprietary information or process. Additionally, what are the mental models that can best serve not only making investment decisions, but also the various other choices we make in our lives? John Zolidis has a lot to say about all that. As to the investment aspects, via Quo Vadis Capital, where he is President and Founder, he provides a research service that, while designed for the buy-side, is organized to solve for the sell-side’s issues. If you’re not exactly sure what that means, we’ll unpack all that and more in this conversation. John’s work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, The New York Post, Marketwatch.com, The Street.com and others; he was named in the Wall Street Journal’s “Best on the Street” list, and is a part of value-investing conferences in Vail, Cyprus, Klosters, London, and Dubai. Please note, in this episode, we are not providing any investment instruction or recommendations. Please consult your financial advisor for investment advice that is appropriate for your personal financial situation, risk tolerance and objectives.
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Michael Bungay Stanier on How to Rescue Difficult Work Relationships and Do Your Best Work
08/01/2023
Michael Bungay Stanier on How to Rescue Difficult Work Relationships and Do Your Best Work
Have you ever had the experience of working with someone and they just didn't “get” you? They do all the things that wind you up, put you off, and drive you nuts. And, have you ever worked with someone, and you just didn't “get” them? You couldn't figure out what made them tick, and you know that you were underwhelming, as a manager and leader for them. Of course you have. We all have. So why do those situations keep happening? Particularly when we’ve also experienced the opposite – great working relationships that soar. Our working relationships are fundamental, if not critical, to our success and happiness. Now imagine if you could keep your best relationships humming along for as long as possible. Imagine if you could contain the dysfunction of the messy ones so they’re less painful and more productive. Imagine if you could reset your solidly-OK-relationships so that when they wobble, they could more quickly get back on track. Well, in his latest book, internationally bestselling author Michael Bungay Stanier writes about a tested process that sets up working relationships for the best possible success. He understands that every working relationship, whether it’s with our direct reports, our boss, or our coworkers, will become challenging at a certain point. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to communicate about who you are, and what brings out the best and the worst in you. Michael has a gift for distilling big, complex ideas into practical, accessible knowledge for everyday people that helps them be a force for good. He is also at the forefront of shaping how organizations around the world make being coach-like an essential leadership competency. His books have sold over a million copies, with topping the Wall Street Journal bestseller list and it is also the best-selling coaching book of this century, with over a million copies sold. Seth Godin called it “” and Brené Brown said it is “.” He's also written an impressive shelf’s worth of other notable tomes, including: , , , , and his most recent book , which did a deep dive into in this episode.
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An Existential Slap Across the Face: Dean Rickles, PhD, on the Essence of Life’s Meaning
07/01/2023
An Existential Slap Across the Face: Dean Rickles, PhD, on the Essence of Life’s Meaning
Death might seem to render pointless all of our attempts to create a meaningful life. But Professor Dean Rickles argues that only constraints―and death is the ultimate constraint―make our actions meaningful. In order for us to live full lives, Dean believes it is the finiteness and shortness of life that brings meaning. In this episode we explore how this insight is the key to making the most of the time that we do have. Dr. is a Professor of History and Philosophy of Modern Physics at The University of Sydney. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Leeds with a thesis on conceptual issues in quantum gravity. He is also the Co-Director of the Sydney Centre for Time, an Advisor for The Lifeboat Foundation, and Co-leads a Templeton Foundation-funded interdisciplinary project on the flow of time. His primary research focus is the history and philosophy of modern physics, particularly quantum gravity and spacetime physics. Dean’s authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles along with a number of books. He is also a member of the and the . The primary focus of our conversation was on his latest book, . I personally really enjoyed it, and midway through I set it aside to send Dean a request to be on the podcast as I knew I needed to connect and discuss it. Life is Short explores how death limits our options and forces us to make choices that forge a life and give the world meaning. Therein Dean writes that people often live in a state of indecision, in a misguided attempt to keep their options open. “By reminding us how extraordinary it is that we have any time to live at all, Life Is Short challenges us to rethink what gives life meaning and how to make the most of it." Dean has said that he, himself feels that that life is too short, so I asked him about some of the ways he lives his, albeit too short life, in full. While this is a deep, deep conversation that covers many disciplines, our specific discussion on Life is Short I think will be of interest to anyone wanting to live their life in full.
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Nick Gray, The Underdog Wunderkind and Superconnector
06/01/2023
Nick Gray, The Underdog Wunderkind and Superconnector
Is loneliness the new smoking? A number of studies and polls have recently come out that indicate Americans of all ages, socioeconomic, and geographic locations are more isolated and alone that in any other time in recent history. Some postulate this has been spurred by people isolating themselves via increased screen time, alienating and divisive social media posts, remote working, and perhaps augmented by living in a post-Covid era. Regardless of the causes, Nick Gray is wielding name tags and a harmonica, and rolling up his sleeves to remedy this new plague, which we’ll be discussing in this episode. But first who is Nick Gray? Well, he is a bit of an underdog wunderkind. Let me explain. At age 14, Nick while in middle school, built websites and was making $70 per hour, which later on helped pay his tuition at Wake Forest University. After graduating, he helped build and grow the family business, which they sold and now Nick manages their family office. While living in New York and, based on his disdain for museums, but smitten on a date to The Met, he built and launched a multi-million dollar, Inc. 5000 company, called . He also did a TEDx talk about it (which has been watched by more than 75,000 people), and then sold the company, as many of us do. Along the way he also lived in India and . He’s been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and New York Magazine. In addition to having been a featured speaker at TEDx, he’s also presented at The DO Lectures and The Skift Conference, among many others. Needless to say, Nick is not your everyday entrepreneur, or person. His latest foray is that of author, and we’ll do a deep dive into his new book, The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, a step-by-step handbook that teaches you how to build relationships by hosting small gatherings. Nick is the poster-boy for living your life in full, connecting with others and building community more so than an audience. Tune in to learn how he does it, and how you can, too.
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The Ever Erudite Michael F. Schein on Secret Societies (and Why You Should Start One)
04/22/2023
The Ever Erudite Michael F. Schein on Secret Societies (and Why You Should Start One)
, , , the , , the , and more, are all so-called secret societies. Not so much because no one knows about them, but more so the question as to what do they do, who belongs to them, and how do you join? Is membership in the the modern day variant of such societies? What’s the psychology behind their creation and their intrigue? Well, Michael F. Schein, author, and CEO of , knows a lot about that, and in fact, he’s created his own secret society that we’ll be discussing in this episode. He was the former co-host of the “Access to Anyone” podcast and his writing has appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post, and he has been a speaker for audiences spanning from the northeastern United States to the southeastern coast of China. Michael is the author of the popular , published by McGraw Hill last year. So, it seems a little paradoxical that we’re publicly discussing “secret” groups, right? But by definition Michael explains how a secret society gets hyped in spite of it then no longer being “secret.” Michael helps us understand how to know something is not a scam or cult. As well as the crossroad of hype and , Web3, crypto, and journalists covering rises and flameouts and phenomena like the Bored Monkey Yacht Club. Michael is whip-smart and New York shrewd. He helps us all better know how to separate the wheat from the chaff in better understanding hype from value so we can better live our lives in full.
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Doing the Right Thing: Ella F. Washington, PhD, on Taking The Necessary Journey
04/01/2023
Doing the Right Thing: Ella F. Washington, PhD, on Taking The Necessary Journey
Quiet quitting has become quite topical in the media as of late. But perhaps the real story is quiet FIRING. That refers to an employer who doesn't give raises, or doesn’t provide promotion opportunities. Or they slight team members and actually diminish or stall their employees’ professional growth. Everyone, both personally and professionally, wants to feel seen, and heard. Some employers struggle to listen in order to learn, and inadvertently cause their staff to shut down. And this can be in spite of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Belonging programs being in place. Harmful inequity, influence, and ignorance can be found in many a boardroom and work setting. Work should create a space that elevates the minds of the people in it, and collectively supports each person's voice. These are the concepts researched by organizational psychologist and DEI expert, . Dr. Washington offers a wealth of experience as the Founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutions, serves as a Gallup Senior Scientist, and is also a Professor of Practice at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where she recently received the Excellence in Teaching Award from Georgetown's MBA Class of 2021, and she is the author of "" published by the Harvard Business Review, which we focused on in this episode. We wrapped up with her crystal ball predictions for the future of DEI, what’s next for workplaces. Dr. Washington’s work is an inspiration – as a leader, founder, and as a person. We all need to step it up, seek justice, and get on the journey to make our world a better place. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.
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Robin Landa on Strategic Creativity, Effective Ideation, and The New Art of Ideas
03/01/2023
Robin Landa on Strategic Creativity, Effective Ideation, and The New Art of Ideas
A great idea presents as a well-formulated thought or plan of action that spurs growth, change, advancement, adaptation, or new insight. Worthwhile ideas move the needle; they can change the playing field altogether. One of the most innovative thinkers in this area is Professor Robin Landa, author of , which is designed to help readers consistently produce worthwhile ideas by becoming nimble, and imaginative thinkers. Robin holds the title of Distinguished Professor at the Michael Graves College at Kean University. She has written 25 books about creativity, graphic design, advertising design, branding, and drawing. And she has won numerous awards for her writing, research, teaching, design, and humanitarian work. Robin is a former chair of the governance board of , a design research and practice organization, and serves as a creative consultant to the C-suites of various international corporations. Named “one of the great teachers of our time” by the Carnegie Foundation, she has taught university students as well as industry professionals how to generate worthwhile ideas. It’s no surprise people consider Robin a creativity authority, but she’s more than that, as she uses her creative powers for good, not evil. In this episode we do a deep dive into her latest book, The New Art of Ideas. We chat about how she started her career as a writer and academic—and the routines she has created that are "non-negotiable" in order to maintain her output. She also shares her passion for teaching and giving back to the next generation. Robin is a rare combination of creative, academic, author, humanitarian, and firebrand, that does much for the good of the world and helps so many others to live their lives in full. Listen in to learn what Robin has to say about living a strategically creative life. You won’t be disappointed.
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Brad Stulberg on the Paradox of Achievement and Sustainable Success
02/01/2023
Brad Stulberg on the Paradox of Achievement and Sustainable Success
In this episode, Brad Stulberg shares a healthier, more sustainable model for success. At the heart of this model is groundedness--a practice that values presence over rote productivity, accepts that progress is nonlinear, and prioritizes long-term values and fulfillment over short-term gain. To be grounded is to possess a firm and unwavering foundation, a resolute sense of self from which deep and enduring, not shallow and superficial, success can be found. Groundedness does not eliminate ambition and striving; rather, it situates these qualities and channels them in more meaningful ways. Achievement often comes at a cost. Angst, restlessness, frayed relationships, exhaustion, burnout, and even substance abuse can be the unwanted side effects of an obsession with outward performance. While the high of occasional wins can keep you going for a while, playing into the always-on, never enough hustle culture—what he calls heroic individualism—ultimately takes a serious toll, both on individuals and communities. In his newest book, , Brad offers a healthier and more sustainable model for success. Interweaving case studies, modern science, and time-honored lessons from ancient wisdom traditions such as Buddhism, Stoicism, and Taoism, Brad discusses how to cultivate the habits and practices of a more grounded life and the application of the six principles of groundedness. We wrapped up with discovering what Brad’s learned in the year since Groundedness has been out, and I must say it was as deep and reflective as you may expect from such a unique person. Brad’s work helps us all to live our lives in full, and with authentic meaning. This is a rich conversation with an amazing guy, be sure to tune in on your favorite platform.
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Asymmetric Creativity and Leadership with CEO and Retired Navy SEAL, Marty Strong
01/01/2023
Asymmetric Creativity and Leadership with CEO and Retired Navy SEAL, Marty Strong
What is the journey like to move from enlisting in the Navy at age 17, being recruited into the SEALs instead of going to law school, then serving as a SEAL Team member for twenty years, leading combat missions and helping to design and test new special operations capabilities while becoming a combat-decorated officer and later instructor, to next becoming an entrepreneur, novelist and nonfiction author, CEO and Chief Strategy Officer, Portfolio Manager, sought-after media expert and keynote speaker, while being a father of five and beating cancer – twice? Well, that’s what Marty Strong will be discussing in this episode, and how to apply what he’s learned, to your life and work. But let me first tell you a little bit more about Marty. In the Navy, he served as Former Task Unit Commander and Ops Boss, was a member of SEAL Team Two and SEAL Team Four, and was Leading Chief Petty Officer at the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado. He’s traveled to over forty countries, and been shot-at in a few. Marty is currently the CEO of three companies within an ESOP-enterprise structure and he runs his own consulting firm. He’s appeared on CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, and was a featured expert on two History Channel documentaries. In all, Marty has over 400 TV and radio interviews to his credit. Marty has taken the thread of leadership to stitch together the fabric of his vibrant, albeit challenging career and life. There is so much we covered in this episode – leadership, overcoming adversity, BUDs and being a SEAL Team Member and instructor, author, entrepreneur, and more. We also covered mindset, adaptation, and improvising, black swans, flow state a la Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, business leadership during crisis, motivation and the courage required to excel, and how to see risk as opportunity for accelerated outcomes. Marty certainly lives his life in full, and in the service of others in so many ways. This is a great conversation with an amazing leader.
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The Complex Elegance and Constant Contradictions of Derek Sivers
12/01/2022
The Complex Elegance and Constant Contradictions of Derek Sivers
Tim Ferriss says that Derek Sivers is one of his “all-time favorite humans... a philosopher-king, programmer, master teacher, and merry prankster.” Derek is an international man of mystery, or maybe contradiction. He’s known and loved by millions, done three super-popular TED talks, but he prefers to be alone, certainly when he’s working and creating, or “playing” as he’d more likely call it. Derek graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and has worked as a professional musician and plays a number of instruments. He started a record label, booking agency, and recording studio, and he is the accidental founder of CD Baby which became the largest seller of independent music on the web, with over $100M in sales for over 150,000 musician clients. He sold CD Baby in 2008 for $22 million, giving the proceeds to a charitable trust for music education, as well as a more recent donation of a quarter-million dollars in book-sales to charity. He's been featured in the documentary "Your Own Way Out," on the highs and lows of digital nomads. He’s lived all over the US as well as London, Oxford, Singapore, and currently New Zealand. Derek is a sought-after speaker and author of four very popular books, “,” “.” “,” and most recently, “: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion,” which we will focus most of our conversation on in this episode. Oh, and one more thing, he was a clown and worked in the circus for 10 years. Derek lives his life in full and provides the rest of us with the tools and inspiration to do likewise. This is an episode not to be missed.
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Neil Littman on Bringing Science Fiction to Life and Medicine
11/01/2022
Neil Littman on Bringing Science Fiction to Life and Medicine
Healthcare and medicine have long served as a hotbed of innovation. Perhaps the leading edge these days requires a paradigm shift – think digital therapeutics, Web3, the metaverse, CRISPR, Software as a Medical Device – this is the domain of Neil Littman, Founder & CEO of , a highly curated impact-investment venture platform exclusively dedicated to healthcare and to democratizing access to investing in early stage companies and startups. The Bioverge platform serves as a decentralized network linking capital to potential investment opportunities. Neil also hosts, Neil talked about his time at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and what it was like from both the scientific and business aspects. It was there that he learned that the institutional model of financing and investing could be applied to the retail sector as well. Combining those experiences and what he learned firsthand, lead to his creating the Bioverge platform. Neil discussed that the decentralized network he built provides warm referrals to Bioverge with the goal of linking capital for potential investment opportunities. But they also provide value added services beyond just capital that helps founders and portfolio companies that may need support and expertise along the way. Beyond sourcing deal flow, they conduct due diligence on the investment opportunities by leveraging their network of subject matter experts who also have deep domain expertise. Neil’s work is such a great example of “doing well while doing good” by helping to save lives and change the world.
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John Rossman on Innovation, Leadership and Making Better Decisions
10/01/2022
John Rossman on Innovation, Leadership and Making Better Decisions
I bet you are an Amazon Prime member, not because I’m clairvoyant, but because half of the US is. Half! Did you know that three-quarters of all product searches begin on Amazon, not Google, or a search engine? Or, did you know Amazon is valued at $1.6 trillion, and has become one of the fastest growing B2B companies in history, with Amazon Web Services. Or, that Amazon’s projected 2023 revenue is $780 Billion – with a B. My guest on this episode is the expert on the Amazon Way. He literally wrote the book on it. John Rossman is a former Amazon executive and now Managing Partner at Rossman Partners, and is the author of book series. John is an expert in leveraging the to help others innovate, compete and win in the digital era as he teaches business leaders and founders how to be like Amazon. We ended with a discussion as to whether Amazon has an Achilles Heel as John wrote that Bezos himself predicted that Amazon would go bankrupt one day. Tune in to hear John’s very straightforward response. John’s counsel on leadership, strategy and innovation is fundamental to living his life in full, and serves as a tool box for us to lean from as well.
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Colin O’Brady on Making the Impossible Possible for Everyone
09/01/2022
Colin O’Brady on Making the Impossible Possible for Everyone
Millions of people dream of living a more fulfilling life, yet many settle for a life of comfortable complacency, allowing excuses and negative thoughts to invade their minds. I don’t have enough time…I don’t have enough money…I’m afraid to fail...I don’t have what it takes—we allow these limiting beliefs to control us. Colin O’Brady has an empowered way of thinking that can help with that. So who is Colin O’Brady? He’s a guy that knows a lot about mindset. He is a 10-time world record breaking explorer and one of the world’s best endurance athletes. He isn’t your typical adventurer despite his unmatched athletic accomplishments including a world-first solo crossing of Antarctica, a world-first ocean row across Drake Passage (from South America to Antarctica), and summiting Mt. Everest twice. Colin is an expert on mindset, a highly sought-after keynote speaker and a New York Times bestselling author. He’s also a television host, an executive producer and an entrepreneur who has built and sold companies. And, he’s done it all after overcoming a devastating accident - that nearly left him unable to walk - to prove that anything is possible.
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Effective Altruism: Charlie Bresler, PhD, on How to Amplify Your Impact
08/01/2022
Effective Altruism: Charlie Bresler, PhD, on How to Amplify Your Impact
Extreme poverty has devastating effects on over 700 million people globally. Every year 5.3 million children, under the age of five, die, and more than half of these deaths could have been easily prevented if they would have been fortunate enough to have been born in the United States. Peter Singer has famously noted that “we have an ethical obligation to use some portion of our wealth and privilege to save lives and reduce the unnecessary suffering associated with extreme poverty—defined as living on less than $1.25 USD/day.” Almost a decade ago, Charlie Bresler became volunteer Executive Director and co-founder of , a non-profit dedicated to reducing extreme poverty. Through his financial support and leadership, Charlie has helped Peter Singer, develop the organization from the ground up. The Life You Can Save’s mission is to inspire more people to give effectively and end world poverty. And Charlie has famously said that it’s a privilege, not just a responsibility to save lives, reduce suffering, and empower livelihoods. The “amplification” of how much further a dollar goes in impoverished countries is the perspective Singer and Charlie suggest should affect our giving decisions. The effective altruism movement has reignited thinking how much we should give and where. “What greater motivation can there be than doing whatever one possibly can to reduce pain and suffering?” Charlie is a heroic figure that lives his ethos and life in full, and in the service of others.
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Jordan Metzl, MD, on High-Performance Ways to Optimize Lifespan and Healthspan
07/01/2022
Jordan Metzl, MD, on High-Performance Ways to Optimize Lifespan and Healthspan
With a practice of more than 20,000 patients, Dr. Jordan Metzl is widely known for his passion for sports medicine and fitness. His academic appointments are as an Associate Attending Physician and Associate Attending Pediatrician at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Which I consider to be the premier orthopedic surgery center in the United States. In addition to his busy medical practices in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut, Dr. Metzl is the author of the bestselling titles , and has also authored three other books including The Young Athlete. He serves as the medical columnist for Triathlete Magazine. He’s been recognized in Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors in the New York Metro Area since 2007, as well as being named one of New York Magazine’s Top Doctors for over 15 years. A former collegiate soccer player, Dr. Metzl is a 33-time marathon runner and 12-time Ironman finisher, so far… Jordan has done so many things, and done them so well, so we started with his origin story for his life path and career as a sports medicine physician. We discussed his books in the context of topics, and I had so many things to talk with him about. We also got into the role of diet and nutrition, science versus woo-woo in health and nutrition information, and even a little bit on We also talked quite a bit about running, the role of genetics and health/performance, the role of recovery is now much more appreciated and perhaps understood as a performance enhancer, and illness prevention. Jordan certainly lives his life in full and he helps millions of others do so as well. This episode is not to be missed.
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Augmenting Medicine with AI: Hassan Tetteh, MD, on Innovation in Healthcare
06/01/2022
Augmenting Medicine with AI: Hassan Tetteh, MD, on Innovation in Healthcare
Dr. Hassan Tetteh is a decorated Navy captain and Associate Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and adjunct faculty at Howard University College of Medicine. As a cardiothoracic surgeon, he was deployed in Afghanistan and on warships in the Persian Gulf. He’s also an unabashed medical “nerd,” part of a cadre of physicians board-certified in clinical informatics. Dr. Tetteh is the founder and principal of Tetteh Consulting Group, creator of The Art of Human Care book series, and a best-selling author of several books. He is board certified in thoracic surgery, general surgery, clinical informatics, and healthcare management and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association. In a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, it was noted that he has one of the coolest-sounding jobs in medicine – “Warfighter Health Mission Chief for the Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (or Jake).” Dr. Tetteh told us about the Center and his work there. We then start a dive into big data, Project Orion, and the JAIC’s suicide-prevention initiative and the idea of psychological autopsy and digital phenotyping. This is a wonderful conversation about not only living one’s life in full, but also the promise of technological innovation to help others do likewise.
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