Know More Know Less

I've been a consistent reader for most of my life, and the creative process of novel writing has always seemed fascinating. Creating a world, characters, places, motives, and an emotional resonation for the reader is like the grandest of magic tricks.  How can someone I don't know put images and sentences into my head that, in some cases, last a lifetime?! Magic!  In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Claire Isenthal, whose debut book, a thriller, The Rising Order, is out now.  Claire and I discuss:  Her 7-year journey to getting her book published How meeting an ex-neonazi-skinhead helped inform her villain How we inherently treat boys differently than girls without knowing Needing to rewrite a bulk of her book to change the narration type Why choosing the right villain and motivation is crucial  I had such a great time chatting with Claire, and I hope you'll all run out and buy her new amazing book, THE RISING ORDER.  You can find the book and everything Claire Isenthal related at: www.claireisenthal.com KNOW MORE KNOW LESS    Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219     Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299     Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA  

Divorce is a fascinating subject.  Nearly half of all marriages end there, yet it seems like societally, we pretend it doesn't exist until Whoooops, it happens to you.  In this episode, I had a great chat with family law attorney Seth Nelson.  Seth has run his law practice for over 16 years and has seen the best and worst of people navigating the end of their relationships.    His #1 reason for the disillusionment and demise of a marriage? Poor communication.    And what's the #1 thing needed to navigate a divorce in a healthy way? Communication.    If ever there were a recipe for disaster, this is it.    If you're in Florida and in need of a heart-centered attorney, you can find Seth here: https://www.nlgfamilylaw.com/seth-r-nelson   And his podcast: How To Split A Toaster - is available anywhere you listen to podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/6H3OmOU1cO3T3hSCDUy2G7   Hope you enjoy our chat! ------------   KNOW MORE KNOW LESS podcast     Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219     Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299     Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA

This one end up getting a lot more profound and mindblow-y than I had expected!  Ad Vingerhoets is a psychologist who received his master's degree and doctorate at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.  His research has been devoted to “stress and emotion in relation to health.” His decades of research and expertise include adult crying, the (non)expression of emotions, homesickness, nostalgia, quality of life, and suffering. Ad's book "Why Humans Weep?" deeply examines one of our species' most unique attributes and helps us understand the importance and value of this bodily function.  He is currently affiliated with the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology and the Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases (CoRPS) at Tilburg University, and he also teaches physical therapists and health-care psychologists.. Ad has written more than 300 articles in national and international journals and books and is a member of the editorial boards of several international journals  I learned a lot during this chat and hope you enjoy it!  For other platforms: Listen here:    Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299   For full episodes and clips:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA

My guest, Kevin, and I met in an improv class years ago and we're always looking for the funny and the profound every time we hang out.  So this episode is just two friends trying to come up with silly ideas, have a fun time, and not get too deep.  Varying success on all counts.  Enjoy the ride, if you can stand us for that long! Thanks for listening!  KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST    For other platforms:    🍎 Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219   🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299   📺 Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA    

This is a very special episode.  I've always wondered what it would be like to live with the challenges that come with losing one of our senses but I would never dare ask a stranger to share their experience with disability with me.   Well, today that's exactly what I did, and it was even more humbling and illuminating than I expected.  There are so many physical setbacks Fiona had to learn through her life that many of us will never experience, but the lessons she's learned about perseverance, reframing, and gratitude are applicable to all of our lives.   I hope you enjoy our chat.  Fiona is a social worker, resilience coach, and frequent keynote speaker. Fiona is also legally blind! Fiona shares the stories of her experience with disability and how she faces the world, embracing challenges and achieving so much. Her goal is to make all of us understand we already have the tools to overcome our perceived obstacles in life.   KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST    For other platforms:   🍎 Listen on Apple  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219   🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299    📺 Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA

It's no secret how tragically broken the US healthcare system is, but viewing it through the lens of physician burnout makes the landscape appear even more dire.  Several years ago, my guest, Dr. Sapna Shah-Haque had to endure the suicide of a fellow physician and her best friend who had been undeniably suffering through burnout.   Since then, Dr. Shah-Haque has written the book: "Thriving Through Burnout: A Compliation of Stories & Strategies to Reduce Physician Burnout" You find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Thriving-After-Burnout-Compilation-Strategies/dp/B0BRYZQX2P In this conversation we dive into the reality of being a doctor inside a system that values dollars over patient care, and a society that values productivity over humanity.     KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST    For other platforms:   🍎 Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219    🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299    📺 Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA    

It won't come as a shock to anyone that we live on a planet that's not only drowning in plastic but we are also depleting a finite resource to do so. #goodtimes I knew going into this chat that it might be a bit heavy for my brain but speaking with Mimi Wu was such a pleasure!  Seeing people focused and fighting a problem so enormous as our plastic addiction is inspiring. The fact that Mimi started fighting this fight FROM SCRATCH for 9 years in a country like Myanmar without knowing the language is truly incredible.  That's like taking your first tennis lesson by entering Wimbledon! I hope you enjoy our chat! ----------- Mimi is an impact-driven entrepreneur with deep experience in plastics waste management.  Her mission is to accelerate our transition to a zero-plastic waste future by reducing plastic production and consumption, building basic waste infrastructure for all communities.   Mimi founded one of the world’s only post-consumer plastic bag recycling companies in a country -  Myanmar - which consistently ranks in the top 20 hardest countries in the world to conduct business.  Since returning to the US in 2021 after Myanmar's military coup, she has been working with industry leaders, startups, and VCs to solve our climate and plastic pollution crises.  Among her many roles, she is currently Secretariat of the Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty.   KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST    For other platforms:    🍎 Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219   🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299 📺 Full Episodes and clips: https://youtu.be/cwy9u9Efo8k

This was a special conversation.  Lately, there seems to be something moving in the zeitgeist regarding alcohol. More and more people realize the cascading negative effects that even casual drinking can have on our mental and physical health and interpersonal relationships.   Personal testimonials from people like my guest prove that removing alcohol from your diet is the easiest lever we can pull to almost immediately improve our quality of life.  Sean Robinson is a 38 year old Electrician, Volunteer Firefighter, Father and Husband. In 2021, Sean was in a place where he felt he couldn’t talk about what was bothering him without being ridiculed by those closest to him. He bottled everything up.  At the same time, Sean weighed 320lbs, and finally had enough with how his life was unfolding around him. Sean decided to take a small break from drinking alcohol, "only one month" but kept extending his timeline as he felt the drastic effects on his wellbeing. Sean documented his experience and his challenges of rebounding back to old habits.  Sean challenged himself to be sober for a year and shared this journal in his book Going Dry - My Path to Overcoming Habitual Drinking. This challenge helped change his identity and become the person that he never thought he could be on his own.  He is encouraging others to remove the things in their life that may be holding them back as well.  KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST    For other platforms:   🍎 Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219   🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299    📺 Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA

This is a conversation I've been wanting to have for a while and might have again. In the aftermath of George Floyd I heard a lot of non-black Canadians claiming that there wasn't racism in Canada. I kept hearing that Canada was immune from the level of hateful dialogue and actions happening south of the border because Canada was a more diverse mix of recently landed immigrants. We don't need a statistician to tell us Canada is a less hateful, less violent, less racially volatile country.  But is Canada immune from racism?  That seems suspect. So I decided to have a fun chat with one of friends, Lloyd Grimes to get his perspective.  Lloyd grew up outside Toronto Ontario, the son of immigrants from Guyana.  He’s currently the Customer Success director at a large tech company in Toronto. He’s a dad 5 times over with 2 grandkids in his extended step-family. He’s a part-time coach using his love of basketball to give back to his community and impact the lives of the young people he meets. KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST    For other platforms:   🍎 Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219   🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299    📺 Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA

Andrew is the award-winning author and founder of www.ConsciousStories.com, a growing series of bedtime stories purpose-built to support a parent-child connection in the last 20 minutes of the day.  We had a very engaging and wide-ranging chat about Andrew's path that led to writing children's books that also help parents and how he comes up with his concepts and stories.  His professional background includes deep training in therapeutic healing work and mindfulness. He hosts speaking events and workshops for children K-5, parents, and teachers alike.  Andrew has been an opening speaker for Deepak Chopra, a TEDx presenter in Findhorn, Scotland and author-in-residence at the Bixby School in Boulder, Colorado and he is actively involved in men’s work through the Mankind Project since 2006. He counsels parents, helping them to return to their center, so they can be more deeply present with their kids.  -------- KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST:  For other platforms:   🍎 Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/know-more-know-less/id1652659219   🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fxCXp5AlfajmcTgvSWSGl?si=87be920940534299   📺 Full Episodes and clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4wkMATGEXMTU4Xrw-YZTA