This episode turns the tables on Northstar Unplugged’s host, Kristen Rainey.  Guest host Holly Fowler navigates the conversation to explore various threads from Kristen’s past and present, including her prior work in sustainable food at Google, her inability to slow down, her recent move to Bozeman, and the launch of Northstar Sleep School  and The Northstar Unplugged podcast.About Kristen:Kristen Rainey is the founder and CEO of Northstar Sleep School, offering online classes and in-person workshops to help people get better sleep. Using a data-driven approach, her students learn what behavior changes they can make in their daily lives to yield the most impact.Kristen recently finished a six-year run at Google, where she led sustainability and procurement for Google’s 271 cafes across 54 countries. She is a graduate of Princeton University and received a MALD in International Affairs at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and an MBA at Cornell University.She has lived, worked, and studied in Indonesia, France, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Mexico, Thailand, Italy, Spain, and Australia. After 33 zip codes and an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, she has landed in Bozeman, Montana.Resources:Northstar Sleep SchoolNorthstar Unplugged podcastKristen’s book recommendations:Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life (William Finnegan)The Golden Spruce (John Vaillant)The Orchid Thief: a True Story of Beauty and Obsession- Susan OrleanEuphoria (Lily King)Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker)Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (Susan Cain)Anything written by Jhumpa Lahiri

About Katie (in her own words):I grew up in Maryland, was a lacrosse goalie, went to Princeton and taught high school for 2 years prior to med school at University of Maryland.  Since I loved taking care of babies, children, teens and adults, as well as doing procedures, I landed in family medicine and did my residency at the University of Vermont.  A one-year Obstetric fellowship took me and my husband to Seattle, and then back to Vermont where he was raised and we now have three daughters, 11, 9, 6.  He and his family own Butternut Mountain Farm which produces and distributes maple syrup, so our girls are growing up with the working knowledge of running a sugarbush.  They drive 4 wheelers and stack wood and aren’t afraid to get dirty.  In the spring as sugaring wraps up, I still coach lacrosse at our local high school, going on 11 years now.  Mentoring girls is important to me, especially in an underserved community where they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn and be good at a new sport.  For similar reasons I work at a FQHC, Federally Qualified Health Center, where we see all comers, regardless of their ability to pay, and work to make basic high quality health care both accessible and affordable.  As it should be.  Finally, as for family medicine, I still love the variety, and have found a strong passion for taking care of community members with substance use disorder.  Dispelling stigma around this topic really improves access to care, and saves lives.  I enjoy the work because I know that it benefits not only these patients and their families, but also the whole community and therefore my children.Resources:www.VTMAT.blogStowe Family Practice Facebook pageTake Back Day- to return unused medications   Katie’s book recommendations:Mindset (Carol Dweck)Good Night Rebel Girls (Francesca Cavalo)When Breath Becomes Air (Paul Kalanithi)

In 2011, Jesse Friedman and his wife Laura began welcoming both friends and strangers into their 500 sq ft apartment in Brooklyn for a series of dinner parties to celebrate the cuisine of each of 194 countries, in alphabetical order. Since then, they have moved to Portland, OR, and have since hosted dinners featuring 152 out of 194 countries’ cuisines. Although interrupted by COVID, they look forward to resuming sometime in 2021 with Senegal.About Jesse (in his own words):I'm from Oakland, graduated with a degree in linguistics from the University of Chicago, and lived in San Francisco and Brooklyn for most of my eleven years at Google.​I now live in Portland, Oregon. Outside of work, when we're not tending to our hilarious and strong-willed daughter, my wife Laura and I run United Noshes. It's a series of 194 dinner parties, one per UN member. It's a stimulating culinary challenge, a deep dive into the ingredients and cultures of the world, a fantastic community builder, and a successful fundraiser. I'm also a passionate home gardener, mildly enthusiastic cyclist, and studious travel planner. My two dogs and two cats are adorable, but useless as interns.​For the business side of things, please reference LinkedIn.Resources:https://www.jessefriedman.com/https://www.unitednoshes.com/Video & articles about United NoshesGlobal Table Adventure  Everyone Speaks Food (Google Translate’s multicultural pop-up restaurant in NYC)Jesse’s book recommendationsSalt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Samin Nosrat)Salt (Mark Kurlansky)Winners Take All (Anand Giridharadas)

About Naomi:Naomi Darling, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP is founding principal of Naomi Darling Architecture and Five College Associate Professor of Sustainable Architecture. Prior to founding Naomi Darling Architecture in 2011, Naomi worked in Seattle, Washington, with Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, in New Haven with Studio ABK and in Tokyo, Japan with Kengo Kuma and Associates.  Resources:www.naomidarling.comhttps://www.instagram.com/naomidarling_architecture/https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/architecturalhttp://fcarch.org/Thailand collaborative studioSea Education AssociationSolid Foundations: Naomi Darling on her Commitment to Sustainability, Managing her own Expectations and to Doing More With Less (Madame Architect, Oct 8, 2020)Naomi’s recommended books:Cradle to Cradle (William McDonough and Michael Braungart)In Praise of Shadows (Jun'ichiro Tanizaki)Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (Alfred Lansing)The Songlines (Bruce Chatwin)

In the wake of suddenly losing his job, marriage, and grandmother at the beginning of 2019, Tim left home and headed west. What he imagined would be a brief solo road trip has become something else entirely: a multi-year pilgrimage across America's wildest places, especially its National Parks. He shares reflections, stories, and images from his wanderings on his website (This Walking Life). Tim is currently writing a book about his experiences on the road these past two years.  Resources:Tim’s blog: www.thiswalkinglife.cominstagram: @this.walking.lifeNew Year’s Virtual Retreat (co-led by Tim)US National ParksMap of US National ParksBrown Bear Cam @ Brooks Falls in Katmai National ParkEJI- Equal Justice InitiativeTim’s book recommendations:The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter WohllebenThe Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hahn A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung are world-traveling early retirees renowned for their financial wisdom. They share their journey of retiring by their 30s, emphasizing budget travel and investment strategies over owning a home. The duo discusses adapting to pandemic disruptions, embracing slower travel for richer experiences, and the emotional aspects of redefining one's purpose post-retirement. They also promote the benefits of index funds for stability and recommend insightful books for financial literacy and personal growth.

Dr. Annie Fenn is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist specialized in menopausal health. After practicing medicine for 20+ years in Jackson, WY, she began focusing on health care through the lens of diet and lifestyle. She traded her stethoscope for a chef’s coat and went back to school to study culinary arts in Mexico, Italy, and at the Culinary Institute of America.In 2015, Dr. Fenn founded the Brain Health Kitchen, an evidence-based online resource about how and what to eat to resist cognitive decline. The Brain Health Kitchen Cooking School, founded in 2017, is the only school of its kind focused specifically on fending off Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Dr. Fenn lectures frequently about the impact of lifestyle and diet on Alzheimer’s risk as part of the Sempre Sano Wellness Retreat in Tuscany, Italy and as a frequent Visiting Chef at Rancho La Puerta.Dr. Fenn serves on the Science Advisory Board for actor Seth Rogen and his wife Lauren’s HFC (Hilarity For Charity) where she also creates content helping caregivers eat for brain health. She partners with Maria Shriver and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement to host events to fund grants for female-specific dementia research. She also serves on the Scientific Advisory Council for the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation.A 25-year resident of Jackson, Wyoming, Dr. Fenn partners with her local hospital to provide the Brain Works 7-day Boot Camp, a novel community-based dementia prevention program. When not developing recipes, writing, or teaching the Brain Health Kitchen method of cooking, Dr. Fenn enjoys hiking, cycling, skiing, fly-fishing, and foraging for mushrooms and huckleberries with her husband, sons, and dogs Orzo and Olive Oyl. Resources:Website: Brain Health Kitchen What to Eat to Fend Off Alzheimer’s Foods to Avoid to Keep Your Brain HealthyFree monthly Brain Health Kitchen Newsletter Instagram: @BrainHealthKitchenFacebook: @Brain Health KitchenAnnie’s blogHara Hachi Bu: Okinawans’ practice of eating until they’re 80% fullIntermittent fastingpaper referenced by Annie about coconut oil raising LDL and cardiovascular risk factors Annie’s recommended books:The New Rules of Aging Well (Lipman & Claro)Hidden Valley Road (Kolker)The Murmur of Bees (Segovia)

Tim McCollum is founder and CEO of Beyond Good. In 1999, Tim traveled to Madagascar as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Twenty years later, that experience still colors Beyond Good’s mission and model.Today, Beyond Good is the only brand in the U.S. making chocolate at source in Africa. Beyond Good recently celebrated one year and one million bars at Africa’s most modern chocolate factory. Beyond Good sources organic, heirloom cocoa from 100 farmers and employs 42 full-time employees at origin in Madagascar. By manufacturing finished product in Africa, Beyond Good is redefining quality and sustainability for the global chocolate industry.Prior to Beyond Good, Tim spent several years at the American Express Company. He managed a team in global marketing, but often found himself on uninspiring conference calls, gazing at the world map in his cubicle, eyes and mind inevitably landing on Madagascar. While formative experiences, neither the Peace Corps nor American Express left him particularly qualified to run a start-up, much less challenge the status quo in the global chocolate industry. Most of Beyond Good’s success can be attributed to an outsider’s perspective, never giving up, and the ability of a dedicated team to do things differently.Tim has been recognized by Food & Wine Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list of Americans “changing the way we eat and live” and named a Leader of Change by the United Nations. Fast Company recognized Beyond Good as one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World.For the first 10 years of Beyond Good’s existence, Tim’s favorite chocolate bar has been Beyond Good Sea Salt & Nibs, 63% cocoa, heirloom chocolate from Madagascar. That status is now threatened by the new Beyond Good Crispy Rice, 73% cocoa, single origin chocolate from Uganda. Always, he rations himself to 1/3 of a 2.64 oz bar per day, the exact serving size in the nutrition facts. Almost always.Resources:Beyond Good US report: Much of the world’s chocolate supply relies on more than 1 M child workers  (Washington Post)Cocoa: a Bittersweet Supply Chain (visualcapitalist.com)Tim’s book recommendations:Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell)The Snow Leopard (Peter Matthiessen)Zero to One (Peter Thiel)

This episode goes behind the scenes with Lynn Simon to hear how she has addressed nearly 20 years of battling insomnia; her recent transition to a multi-generational household; and her career path in the sustainable building industry, including her current role leading real estate sustainability globally for Google.Lynn’s bio:Lynn N. Simon, FAIA, LEED Fellow, is head of Sustainability for Real Estate and Workplace Services at Google. She leads a team that focuses on three primary areas: accelerating carbon free buildings, mobility & living; advancing circular systems; and cultivating healthy spaces and places. Lynn is responsible for leading the strategic vision across REWS sustainability initiatives and programs from establishing baseline standards across a global real estate portfolio to strategic thought leadership on targeted aspirational goals.She is a recognized pioneer in the sustainable building industry as well as an entrepreneur and catalyst for change. Lynn has consulted on millions of square feet of sustainable projects ranging from multi-family, affordable housing to large scale commercial and institutional projects. She is an experienced and popular speaker on sustainability and leadership topics. Lynn has received several honors including the USGBC’s President's Award (2011); the Women in Sustainability Leadership Award from gb&d magazine (2017); and the SHERO Leadership Award from the USGBC Pacific Region (2020). Lynn is also a certified professional coach through New Ventures West.Resources:Cognitive therapy courseFitBitNew Ventures West coaching programLynn’s recommended books:Daisy Jones and & The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid- loosely patterned after Fleetwood MacTeam of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by Stanley Gen. McChrystal The Weight of Ink, by Rachel Kadish

In this episode,  Leon Pellicer shares the significant lifestyle changes- giving up alcohol, meat, and dairy- that he has made over the past few years. He is an enthusiastic wellness advocate, and includes running, meditation, and healthy eating into his day to day, all while raising three beautiful young daughters with his wife and managing a demanding day job overseeing the food program at Google's Pacific Northwest locations.Resources:The Science of Well-Being- online course (Yale/Coursera)The Happiness Lab & PodcastPurple CarrotWhistler Ironman eventSeattle MarathonBoku productsMeditation apps:Insight TimerCalmHeadspaceLeon’s book recommendations:The Power of Now (Tolle)The Untethered Soul (Singer)Team of Teams (McChrystal)Authentic Happiness (Seligman)