Know More Know Less

If I'm clear on anything in life, it's that I dislike being forced or coerced to do something I don't want to do.  And after speaking with Therese Shechter about her new documentary My So-Called Selfish Life, I get the feeling many women likely feel the same about the pressure to be a mother.  I had never considered how ubiquitous this societal pressure is and how connected it can be with feeling accepted or rejected by loved ones and the groups we belong to. My 2 favourite quotes from Therese's film were (paraphrased), 1) "I don't mind if people have children. I want everyone who wants kids to have them and live happily ever after. But I also want all women to know that they don't have to if they don't want to. It really is a choice"     2) "Often more thought goes into not having children than actually having them, and it should be the opposite." Therese Shechter is an award-winning filmmaker, public speaker, and the founder of the production company Trixie Films. Her work fuses humor, activism, and personal storytelling to explore and confront what's considered most sacred about womanhood. Therese began her two-decades-long film career at Robert DeNiro’s production company Tribeca Productions. Since then, her work has been screened and streamed globally on TV and home video, at the Brooklyn Museum and the Kinsey Insitute, and at film festivals from Rio de Janeiro to Istanbul to Seoul. Therese's newest documentary, My So-Called Selfish Life is a paradigm-shifting journey through one of our society’s greatest social taboos: choosing not to become a mother. Created with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, New York State Council of the Arts, and close to 800 individual donors, it premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival in 2021 to critical acclaim. The film is currently screening at film festivals, colleges, conferences, non-profits, and global virtual streaming events. This topic has hit a nerve with her audience: the Facebook group she created for the film now has over 11,000 followers and a movement is growing. KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST:     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

As I've mentioned in previous episodes, my experience with psychedelics and reading the incredible novel, The Overstory expanded & deepened my appreciation for the natural world.  I see trees and forests differently than I once did, and it seems like every day, I find a reason to appreciate the animal world more than the day before.   In this episode, I was honoured to speak with Carl Safina, who has spent his entire life studying, appreciating, and sharing the secrets of the natural world with the rest of us.  I hope I assisted Carl in spreading his message even further.  Carl Safina is an American ecologist and acclaimed non-fiction writer.  His books focusing on the human relationship with the living world have won a MacArthur “genius” prize; Pew, Guggenheim, and National Science Foundation fellowships; book awards from the National Academies, the Lannan Foundation, and Orion Magazine; and the John Burroughs, James Beard, and George Rabb medals Carl has written ten books in all, two of which have been New York Times Notable Books of the Year, including his most recent Becoming Wild, which explores animal cultures, how much wisdom and intelligence humans miss in animals and how we have a moral duty to preserve the natural world if we wish for any chance of preserving human dignity. Carl's recent book is truly beautiful and I highly recommend it: Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST: 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

I first saw Marisa Amechi on Instagram talking about working in a skin care clinic in Los Angeles.  I realized all of my views on that industry, especially in LA, is "skin care clinics make people look weird." This is clearly false or there wouldn't be so many of them! So I've invited Marisa on the show to expand my knowledge and maybe save my aging face in the process!  We also discuss: What is IPL What are some non-needle treatments that really help you level-up your skin care routine? What's the grossest thing you've seen in your industry? Is it just me or is the lip filler trend getting crazy in some cities?  Why does Madonna look so weird? What does botox do and how often do people get it? Why would someone shoot Co2 into their eye skin? What is the recovery time for various treatments? What is a chemical peel and why do some people swear by them?  I had a great time chatting with Marisa. Please check her out on Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/nurse_marisa_/ KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST:      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    

Dr. Padda and I cover addiction, the broken/corrupt US food system and the worsening opioid epidemic.  We discuss the new drug Xylazine, why it's making its way into all street drugs, and skyrocketing overdoses.  I also learned how a shoebox of fentanyl could kill 30 MILLION people and why there's no such thing as a trustworthy drug dealer.   Dr. Gurpreet Padda is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical School. He is a board-certified Physician who specializes in Pain Management, Addiction and focuses on metabolic inflammation.  KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST:  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

I love chatting with people who think deeply about where we came from and why homo sapiens and our planet are so unique in such an expansive universe. Richard Anderson is one of those people.  Richard Anderson is an alumnus of San Jose State University with a master’s degree in microbiology and a passion for galactic exploration.  Before the pandemic, Richard spent his time researching what fascinated him during his university years. From that research, he discovered new information that became the subject matter for his book, The Evolution of Life: From Big Bang to Space Colonies.  Richard is also in the process of writing a novel that explores the challenges of making humans a multi-planet species.   KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST: 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  

Several months ago I joined a virtual men's group to connect with other expats in my adopted city.  Every other week we gather on Zoom to discuss relevant topics to our experience and share intimate parts of our lives for witnessing and feedback. I entered deeply skeptical but the value was quickly obvious.  What I learned is many men are going through similar experiences regardless of what their lives look like. Always branching from the desire for deeper connection and a mismatch with the complex box of what manhood is. The internal struggle is how to identify, accept, and acknowledge that our feelings matter. In an attempt to shed light on even 1% of this topic, I invited 3 men from our group - Ryan, Aaron, and Chris - to a local podcast studio to discuss what manhood & masculinity is in 2023 and what our individual journeys look like. For the full-effect, please watch on YouTube! KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST: 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

The most impactful portion of this conversation is Ylenia's core belief that all humans are creators, but because many of us don't build our identities or lives around creation we forget the potential we have to imagine and build our lives with personal intention.  Born and raised in northern Italy, Ylenia is the Founder and Chief Light Bringer of North Star Vision Coaching, where she specializes in Vision Clarity and Performance elevation for Founders & Leaders.   She’s an expert in using language as a mindset enhancement tool as her life’s work is dedicated to helping others recognize their brilliance and expand their identities for what they believe is possible.   Ylenia also has a major golf obsession and lives on a golf course in…. Lake Como. Not a bad hangout. KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST: 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

Los Angeles & Hollywood seem like a place fueled by ambitious dreamers & people with ADHD. The Venn Diagram is surely a complete circle. Opportunity and tragedy on every corner.  One of Hollywood's survivors and thrivers is Michael Stein.  Michael and I had a fun chat about the mania and confusion that was inherent in our 20s, having all the ambition with zero direction.  Michael tells stories like: - working as an extra with Brad Pitt - being in the original short film that became Boogie Nights - promoting nightclubs in Hollywood in the 80s & 90s - missing opportunities for mentorship due to fear - how starting self-development in any way is so crucial during your 20s - driving from Los Angeles to NY in 72hrs to bootstrap the start of his lifelong business Michael is an entrepreneur, actor, writer, director, producer, and stand-up comic who has acted and worked with multiple Academy Award-winning actors & filmmakers. Michael is also the Host of the Long Shot Leaders Podcast, which tells the story of underdogs who have found success; and finally, Michael is the Founder/CEO of Abadak Tarps, which has done over $100M in sales.  ------------------------ KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST: 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

In my travels and friendly encounters through the years, I've always enjoyed meeting someone who has lived a life so far removed from mine that it seems like a movie.  Enter Marci Warhaft. Marci is the author of The Good Stripper: A Soccer Mom’s Memoir of Lies, Loss and Lap Dances.  I listened to Marci's book on Audible before our chat and it was brash, honest, crass, and heartwrenching. I applaud Marci for taking her grief and shame out of the darkness and putting it into the world. Marci is also a Body image expert and a resiliency coach and we discuss how she helps people overcome similar mental health challenges she's also faced. Know More Know Less Podcast: All 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  

This was one of my favourite conversations yet.  No matter how many things I learn about climate change and the impact humanity is having on our ecosystem, there's always a 10-tonne elephant in the room that is never mentioned: Overpopulation!   Thankfully Nandita Bajaj & Alan Ware  from Population Balance are here to upgrade my knowledge... and scare the sh*t out of me (within the first 15min!)  In this episode we discuss: - why nobody is discussing overpopulation? - what evidence exists that we are exceeding our ecological boundaries? - what role does human supremacy play in how we treat the planet? - what is pronatalism? how does it affect our population? - can technology help us correct course? Nandita is the Executive Director of Population Balance, where she also co-hosts The Overpopulation Podcast. She is faculty at the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University and teaches two graduate courses - Human Rights as well as Pronatalism, Overpopulation, and the Planet, a first-of-its-kind course that she designed.  Alan has worked part-time with Population Balance since 2008 as a researcher, writer, and speaker. He also co-hosts The Overpopulation Podcast. You can find them here:  https://www.populationbalance.org/ Overpopulation Podcast:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6cp86TNMOVEMzzWUODyCL2?si=85eb393c6c174407 ------------- KNOW MORE KNOW LESS PODCAST: 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