
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

Jun 9, 2014 • 33min
Brad Stone
Brad Stone - Amazon.com has revolutionized the way humans around the world shop AND read. From teapots to toilet bowls and everything in between, anything you want is now just a click away. But how did they do it? Many say that amazon.com is a bully, utilizing unfair practices and harsh working conditions to create an advantage, while others tout their genius. This week on the show, Brad Stone provides us with a behind the scenes view of this mammoth on-line retailer. Brad is the author of the highly controversial best-selling book, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon. With this book, Brad utilizes his unprecedented access to current and former Amazon employees and Bezos family members, in order to give readers the first in-depth account of life at Amazon. Brad is a senior writer for Bloomberg Businessweek and best-selling author.
"Select carefully the topic you devote your life to. Make sure it's a topic where the interest scales proportionally to the time you invest in it."
- Brad Stone
Quotes from Brad:
What we learn in this episode:
How did Amazon change the world in even MORE ways than just shopping and reading?
Who is Jeff Bezos and what makes him a fantastic leader and innovator?
Why did Brad hunt down Jeff Bezos's biological father? Spolier alert - the father didn't even KNOW his son was the CEO of Amazon!
Resources:
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
http://www.businessweek.com/authors/411-brad-stone
Twitter: @bradstone
This episode is brought to you by:
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Jun 2, 2014 • 51min
Adam Bryant
Adam Bryant - Don't you wish you could get inside the minds of the top CEO's in the world to learn the secrets of their success? That's exactly what our guest this week has done. Adam is the author of Quick and Nimble; Lessons from Leading CEOs on How to Create a Culture of Innovation. His book is a summation of many of the lessons and anecdotes he has learned through hundreds of interviews with top CEO's as part of his Corner Office' series in The New York Times. Prior to working at The New York Times, Adam was a senior writer and business editor at Newsweek magazine.
"The best CEO's don't have all the right answers, they have all the right questions."
-Adam Bryant
Quotes from Adam:
What we learn in this episode:
Are CEO's born leaders or do they pick it up along the way?
How do CEO's lead inside their company as opposed to within their industry?
What qualities do CEO's have that explains why they get promoted all the way to the corner office?
Resources:
Quick and Nimble; Lessons from Leading CEOs on How to Create a Culture of Innovation
http://adambryantbooks.com/
Corner Office' series in The New York Times
Twitter: @nytcorneroffice
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May 25, 2014 • 41min
Joe De Sena
Joe De Sena - CEO and co-founder of the Spartan Race and author of Spartan Up!: A Take-No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life. Joe is a legend in endurance and adventure racing. He completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultra-marathon, raced the 140.6 miles of Lake Placid Ironman, and finished a 100-mile trail run in Vermont....all within one week! This week we learn about grit, determination, and the absolute need to live life to the fullest.
"The thing that frustrates me the most is the fact that 99% of people are just sleepwalking through life. They are living in a bubble wrapped existence."
- Joe De Sena
Quotes from Joe:
What we learn in this episode:
What's it like to grow up in the organized crime capital of the world?
Is it possible to learn to be more resilient?
How do you get out of your comfort zone? What are some things you could do today to truly experience life?
How to build obstacle immunity.
Resources:
Spartan Up!: A Take-No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life
http://spartanupthebook.com/
http://www.spartanrace.com/
Twitter: @spartanrace
This episode is brought to you by:
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May 19, 2014 • 41min
Suzanna Walters
Suzanna Walters - Gay rights. Recent years have ushered in a whole new meaning to the idea. Many believe that with gay marriage becoming legal and more gay role models we are becoming much more tolerant. But what about the idea that they need to be tolerated in the first place? Do any of us have the right to simply tolerate someone? This week we speak with Suzanna Walters, Director of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Professor of Sociology at Northeastern University, as well as the author of the new book, The Tolerance Trap: How God, Genes, and Good Intentions Are Sabotaging Gay Equality.
"The notion of tolerance already has built into it a kind of tepid acceptance of that which you do not really embrace."
-Suzanna Walters
Quotes from Suzanna:
What we learn in this episode:
The slippery slope we encounter when we talk about tolerance around gay rights, as if it is something that we can only tolerate and not embrace.
By focusing on singular issues surrounding gay rights, we miss out on the entire idea of individual rights in general.
How social inclusion and celebrating others differences is a key part of a truly thriving society.
Resources:
The Tolerance Trap: How God, Genes, and Good Intentions Are Sabotaging Gay Equality
http://thetolerancetrap.com/
Twitter: @suzannadwalters
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May 11, 2014 • 38min
Gerald Chertavian
Gerald Chertavian - How and why does a Wall Street millionaire start a company to help troubled young adults move from poverty to professional careers in a single year? This week we interview Gerald Chertavian, CEO of Year Up, one of the most incredible non-profit organizations we have ever come across.
"You can't give until you have. "
- Gerald Chertavian
Year Up provides intensive professional education to urban young adults. His organization was recently recognized by Fast Company and The Monitor Group as one of the top 25 organizations in the nation using business excellence to engineer social change. Prior to starting Year Up, Chertavian co-founded Conduit Communications and served as the head of marketing at Transnational Financial Services in London. Gerald recently wrote the book, A Year Up: How a Pioneering Program Teaches Young Adults Real Skills For Real Jobs With Real Success.
He was also awarded the 2003 Social Entrepreneurship Award by the Manhattan Institute and the 2005 Freedom House Archie R. Williams, Jr. Technology Award. A graduate of Bowdoin College and Harvard Business School, Chertavian was born and raised in Lowell, MA.
Quotes from Gerald:
What we learn in this episode:
How to balance taking versus giving. How to understand what you can take from the universe as well as what you owe to the universe.
For the first time in the history of this country upward mobility is lower in America than many other developed countries. That is an opportunity divide.
What is the winning formula for social good?
Resources:
A Year Up: How a Pioneering Program Teaches Young Adults Real Skills For Real Jobs With Real Success
http://www.yearup.org/
http://bigthink.com/users/geraldchertavian
Twitter: @yearup
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May 5, 2014 • 46min
Sam Rashkin
Sam Rashkin - Author of Retooling the U.S. Housing Industry: How It Got Here, Why It's Broken, and How to Fix It. He is currently the Chief Architect of the Building Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Sam also managed the Energy Star for Homes since its start in 1996. Sam knows everything there is to know about renewable energy and "zero energy homes".
"One of the most significant infrastructure issues that we have in this country is the 115+ million existing homes. We talk about roads and bridges and utility issues, but people don't realize the impact these old homes are having on our economy, energy usage, and health issues." -Sam Rashkin
Under his leadership, ENERGY STAR for Homes has grown exponentially to more than 6,500 builder partners and over 940,000 labeled homes. He is also introducing a new EPA Indoor Air Quality label for the housing industry linked to ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes and an advanced technology new home program called Climate Choice for elite builders.
Quotes from Sam:
What we learn in this episode:
How was ENERGY STAR formed? How did Sam make it so effective and grow it to what it is today?
What are the health implications of living in many old homes?
Did you know you can actually MAKE money by asking for an energy efficient mortgage? Sam tells you about it!
What is a "zero energy ready performance" home?
Resources:
http://energy.gov/contributors/sam-rashkin
http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/doe-challenge-home
http://www.energystar.gov/?c=new_homes.hm_index
This episode is brought to you by:
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Apr 27, 2014 • 40min
Tony Stubblebine
Tony Stubblebine - CEO and co-founder of Lift, a life changing app that helps you form habits. More than that, Tony is a fanatic about human potential, creativity, and the power of action! Tony is also a "serial entrepreneur", having worked on a number of tech startups, including working with the guys who founded Twitter. Tony often blogs here, on Medium.
"It takes 10 years to become an overnight success." -Tony Stubblebine
Do you want to build the habit of meditation? Check out Lift's How to Meditate page with free guided meditations!
According to Forbes.com, Lift app is one of the most affordable self-help products ever created.
Quotes from Tony:
What we learn in this episode:
How has Tony built a number of successful companies?
Do young investment bankers feel that the money is worth the long hours?
What is some advice on getting angel investors early on in starting a company?
Behavior design
Resources:
Lift's How to Meditate page with free guided meditations
https://lift.do/
https://medium.com/@tonystubblebine
Twitter: @tonystubblebine
This episode is brought to you by:
Harry's: Harry's was built out of respect for quality craftsmanship, simple design, modern convenience and most importantly for guys who know they shouldn't have to overpay for a great shave. For $5 off your first purchase, go to harrys.com and use promo code smartpeople.
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Apr 20, 2014 • 38min
Kevin Roose
Kevin Roose - Bestselling author of Young Money: Inside the Hidden World of Wall Street's Post-Crash Recruits. Kevin spent more than three years shadowing eight entry-level analysts at leading investment firms. He chronicled their stories, triumphs, and disappointments in this unprecedented (and unauthorized) story. Kevin currently writes for New York magazine and previously for The New York Times.
"Writing this book made me want to go to every Ivy League college in the country and give students there a hug."
-Kevin Roose
Quotes from Kevin:
What we learn in this episode:
• What is it really like to be a new hire on Wall Street?
• Do young investment bankers feel that the money is worth the long hours?
• Did you know their is an 80 year old "secret society"/fraternity for Wall Street workers? Yup - Kevin is going to tell you about it!
Resources:
Young Money: Inside the Hidden World of Wall Street's Post-Crash Recruits
http://www.kevinroose.com/
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/04/heres-a-video-of-wall-street-bankers-stripping.html
Twitter: @kevinroose
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Apr 14, 2014 • 44min
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang - Author of Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America. Andrew is the Founder and CEO of Venture for America, an organization dedicated to connecting promising recent graduates with startups with the hope of fostering a generation of entrepreneurs who can create economic value.
Venture for America will recruit the best and brightest college grads to work for two years at emerging start-ups and early-stage companies in lower-cost cities (e.g., Detroit, Providence, New Orleans). Modeled after Teach for America, Venture for America will provide a path for entrepreneurship to college grads who want to learn how to build companies and create jobs.The goal is that a substantial proportion of VFA Fellows will become successful entrepreneurs, preferably rooted in the communities to which they are assigned.
Andrew was recently named one of the "Top 100 Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company.
Quotes from Andrew:
What we learn in this episode:
How do we encourage innovation and creativity as opposed to comfort and stability for recent graduates?
How do you transition from a career you don't like to a brand new field at any age?
What is the hardest part about starting a company and how do you overcome that?
Resources:
Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America
http://ventureforamerica.org/
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Apr 6, 2014 • 39min
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz - President of the Charles Schwab Foundation, Senior Vice President at Charles Schwab & Co., and the daughter of Charles Schwab! Her newest book is The Charles Schwab Guide to Finance After Fifty: Answers to Your Most Important Money Questions.
This week we discuss what it was like for Carrie growing up, how finance was in her blood, her deep understanding of the tough financial questions and what you can do to tackle your toughest money issues at any age. Through Carrie’s popular “Ask Carrie” columns, her leadership of the Charles Schwab Foundation, and her work across party lines through two White House administrations and with the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, she has become one of America’s most trusted sources for financial advice.
Quotes from Carrie:
What we learn in this episode:
How Carrie deals with work, life balance?
What was it like watching Charles Schwab & Co. grow from a one man company to the financial massive company that it is today?
What is the single most important financial advice you give people on a daily basis?
What does Carrie personally believe is the future of Social Security?
Resources:
www.schwab.com/book
http://www.schwabmoneywise.com/public/moneywise/home
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