
Smart People Podcast
Smart People Podcast is a biweekly, interview-based podcast that features today's most well respected thought leaders engaging in authentic, insightful conversation for the benefit of the listener. The host, Chris Stemp, and his co-host/producer Jon Rojas, utilize their insatiable curiosity and relatable charm to provoke their guests into giving the interview of a lifetime. Every single guest has achieved a high level of recognition within their arena and in doing so has collected a wealth of experiences and insights that are brought to life in this top ranked podcast. Show topics include: psychology, leadership, education, technology, entrepreneurship, relationships, and much more.
Latest episodes

Oct 9, 2018 • 54min
Jeffrey Gitomer - Be Intriguing from the Outset
This week, we speak with Jeffrey Gitomer. Jeffrey is best known as the "King of Sales." He is an author, a professional speaker, and a business trainer. Jeffrey has written thirteen books, including multiple New York Times best sellers. His works range from The Sales Bible to The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude to The Little Red Book of Selling. He's sold millions of copies and has been translated into 14 languages!Jeffrey's newest book, Truthful Living: The First Writings of Napoleon Hill comes out on October 30th.To find out more about Jeffrey, head over to his site at: www.gitomer.com.We discuss:
What if you don't know what to sell or don't have anything that you deem valuable?
How do you figure out what you should be spending your time on to keep growing?
How do you handle what things to focus on when you have multiple interests?
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Sep 25, 2018 • 36min
Brad Staats - Never Stop Learning
Dr. Staats is a professor at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Never Stop Learning: Stay Relevant, Reinvent Yourself, and Thrive. Brad also works with companies around the world to develop their learning and analytics strategies. He advises individuals and organizations on how to learn and improve in order to stay relevant, innovate, and succeed on an ongoing basis.Brad is published in numerous places and has won numerous awards, including the Wickham Skinner Early-Career Research Accomplishments Award from the Production and Operations Management Society, the Poets & Quants award, and the Warren Bennis Prize for the best article in Harvard Business Review.To find out more about Brad, head over to his site at: www.bradleystaats.com.We discuss:
How much of lifelong learning is inherent curiosity and how much is cultivated because people recognize they need to grow?
Why wouldn't we want to specialize versus continuously learn throughout our life?
How do we work around our brain when it constantly wants us to take the 'easy route'?
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Sep 11, 2018 • 56min
Brandon Webb - Conquer Fear Like a SEAL
This week we interview Brandon Webb. Brandon Webb is a former US Navy SEAL sniper, New York Times bestselling author, Experimental aircraft pilot, and entrepreneur. He’s the founder of the Hurricane Group, a U.S. based digital entertainment, news and e-commerce company. Brandon is a member of the New York YPO (Young Presidents Organization) chapter, and serves as a board member on the veterans advisory committee to the U.S. Small Business Administration.Brandon has written numerous books, but his most recent is Mastering Fear: A Navy SEAL's Guide. After reading Mastering Fear, check out his best-selling book, The Red Circle: My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and How I Trained America's Deadliest Marksmen.To find out more about Brandon, head over to his site at: brandontylerwebb.com.We discuss:
What's harder... raising three kids or going through SEAL training?
What is the hardest and most necessary skill for a sniper?
How can you get over trauma and become better by getting through it?
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Aug 28, 2018 • 54min
Joan C. Williams - Class Clash in America, The Forgotten Workers
This week we interview Joan C. Williams. Joan is a rock star in her field, who focuses her work on issues faced by women in the workplace. She currently serves as the Founding Director at the Center for WorkLife Law and is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Hastings School Law. Joan contributes to many publications, including the Harvard Business Review blog, the Huffington Post, and the Psychology Today blog.Joan has written numerous books, but her most recent is White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America.To find out more about Joan, head to her site at: https://joancwilliams.com.We discuss:
What does it mean to be working class?
Why do we have to focus on white working class, why not all races?
Why does the white working class resent the "elites" but admire the truly rich?
Why don't people just move to where good jobs are located?
When you think white working class, do you think hicks? White trash? Stupid? You won't after this interview.
Have you ever said, "I'm not religious, I'm spiritual," or gotten a job through a friend? You may be part of the "elite" class.
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Aug 14, 2018 • 1h 33min
Dr. Will Bulsiewicz - Gut Health, Gut Check
This week we interview "Dr. B," Dr. Will Bulsiewicz. Dr. B is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine. He trained in internal medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and gastroenterology at The University of North Carolina Hospitals. He also earned a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) from Northwestern University and a certificate in nutrition from Cornell University. Dr. Bulsiewicz is board-certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology.To find out more about Dr. B, head to https://theguthealthmd.com.We discuss:
What does bacteria matter so much?
What bacteria is considered 'bad' bacteria? How do remove those?
What are the thoughts around testing for food sensitivities?
Studies mentioned in the episode:How diet impacts gut microbiome: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/Benefits of substituting whole grains for processed grains:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28179226
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170208151337.htm
Gluten free diet reduces short chain fatty acids and damages gut microbiome:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3023594/
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Jul 31, 2018 • 57min
Bob Rosen – Leading with Consciousness
This week we interview Bob Rosen. Bob is a trusted CEO adviser, organizational psychologist, and bestselling author. Bob set out to help executives become better leaders so he founded Healthy Companies International.Bob is frequently a keynote speaker across the globe. Bob has spoken in all areas of leadership: transformation, innovation, and growth.Bob is the author of many books, but this week, we focus on Conscious: The Power of Awareness in Business and Life.We discuss:
Are leaders in organizations struggling with the balance of monetary incentives and purpose driven cultures?
What do you think is being missed in the leadership conversation?
What are recommendations for those that don't feel like they are "in that right place?"
What have you learned about how fear distracts us from becoming conscious?
You can learn more about Bob at http://bobrosen.com.
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Jul 17, 2018 • 54min
Mike Rognlien – What Does it Mean to be Truly Fulfilled?
This week we interview Mike Rognlien. Mike spent most of his career in tech. He worked at Facebook, where he built their first-ever professional and manager development programming. He also partnered with COO Sheryl Sandberg to build Facebook’s Managing Unconscious Bias course. He is an expert facilitator that focuses on leadership, strengths, and talking about the tough stuff.Mike is the author of, This Is Now Your Company: A Culture Carrier's Manifesto.We discuss:
What do you have to do to enjoy where you work?
Where do you start to go down the right path of 'enjoying what you do'?
How do you think you go about cultivating curiosity?
Why did you write your book and what do you hope to change in the world?
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Jul 3, 2018 • 58min
Due Quach - Find Your Calm
This week we interview Due Quach. Due is a refugee from Vietnam and a graduate of Harvard College and the Wharton MBA program. Due overcame the long-term effects of poverty and trauma by turning to neuroscience and meditation. After building a successful international business career in management consulting and private equity investments, Due traveled throughout Asia to study various contemplative traditions and then created the Calm Clarity Program to make mindful leadership accessible to people of all backgrounds. Due is the author of, Calm Clarity: How to Use Science to Rewire Your Brain for Greater Wisdom, Fulfillment, and Joy.We discuss:
How can we find meaning or believe that we have meaning?
Do you feel that everyone has the power to change our mental state in a way that can be positive, productive, and happy?
How do we progress out of focusing on fear or the downside of things?
Learn more about the Calm Clarity Program at https://www.calmclarity.org.
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Jun 5, 2018 • 1h 2min
Dr. Traci Stein - Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Brain Hacks
This week we interview Dr. Traci Stein. Dr. Stein is a Columbia-trained, licensed clinical psychologist and health educator. She is also certified in clinical hypnosis by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). Her focus has been on helping people to reduce uncomfortable physical and emotional symptoms and gain greater insight into who they are and want to be. Dr. Stein is also the author of, The Everything Guide To Integrative Pain Management.We discuss:
What is the cause of chronic pain?
What IS hypnosis?
What are verbal suggestions? What does it mean? What are examples?
What can we do on our own to work with hypnosis?
Biofeedback, what exactly is that?
How did you get into the idea of 'intuition' and wanting others to develop it?
You can learn more about Dr. Stein at http://www.drtracistein.com.
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May 23, 2018 • 54min
John Hooker - Solving Ethical Dilemmas
This week we interview John Hooker. John Hooker is Professor of Operations Research and Holleran Professor of Business Ethics and Social Responsibility at Carnegie Mellon University. His book, Taking Ethics Seriously: Why Ethics Is an Essential Tool for the Modern Workplace, develops an intellectual framework for analyzing ethical dilemmas that is both grounded in theory and versatile enough to deal rigorously with real-world issues. We discuss:
What does the term 'ethics' truly mean?
How did John become so dedicated around teaching ethics and social responsibility?
What is the downside of not taking ethics seriously?
How can we come to an agreement around ethics that works for an entire culture?
Learn more about Professor Hooker at http://centerforethicsandpolicy.com/faculty/hooker.html
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