At the time of the release of this episode, it is busy season for mortuaries. According to the CDC, the time of year Americans die most frequently is December through February.And while the only sure things in life are death and taxes, in American society, we are fascinated and simultaneously repelled by death. Our mortuaries are tucked away and so much about death is hidden from daily life.Yet, I believe that when we talk about and get to know a thing, we can become less troubled by it. And that’s why I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to talk with someone who knows death well. In fact, this man deals with it every day.Todd Harra (www.toddharra.com) is the author of four books, on being an undertaker and how societies have dealt with death throughout history. Todd has worked as an undertaker for the last 10 years and he is now vice president at McCrerry and Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory in Wilmington, Delaware. In fact, and as you will hear, Todd comes from a lineage of undertakers that starts before the American Civil War.Todd unpacks so much about the work of an undertaker about grief, and about death itself. Seriously, you don’t want to miss this episode. This is a mind-blowing conversation!So, listen in as Todd shares the inside world of an undertaker. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6826a5.htm

How many of us just wish that we could think faster and talk smarter? I'm going to take a guess that pretty much all of us would like that skill. And that is why I believe that my guest, Stanford Business School lecturer, author, coach, and podcaster, Matt Abrahams (https://mattabrahams.com/) has something to teach us all. Matt is the author of two books including his most recent, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot. I loved the book, really liked Matt, and have a good reason to believe you will as well. He’s very popular among Stanford Business students where he received the prestigious Alumni Teaching Award in recognition of his teaching students around the world. So, let’s get ready to boost our skills as Matt shares his secrets of thinking faster and talking smarter.

A few summers ago, my wife and I went on a trip to four South African countries. We spent a large portion of the trip on safari, and it was everything we could have hoped. While I was there, I was really impressed with the safari guides. I was blown away by all that they needed to know including: understanding the animals, their behavior, and their footprints, an intimacy with the land, how to keep the animals and the travelers safe, balancing the disparate needs and desires of the individuals in the group, and so many other seemingly superhuman skills. It was as though they had to have the knowledge and brain power to pull off impossible feats every second.  As I prepared for the trip, I read the book of safari guide Peter Allison, the guest on this episode. The book is called, Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of A Botswana Safari Guide. It is gripping, information-packed, and totally entertaining. I agree with National Geographic that said of Peter and his book, “His misadventures make Whatever You Do, Don't Run an absorbing read. . . . The material is rich, and Allison is a gifted storyteller.” As you will also hear, Peter is good-humored, passionate about his work, extremely knowledgeable, and just the kind of guy you would want driving your Jeep on Safari. So, listen in as Peter talks about the inside world of a safari guide.

I'm going to take a guess that most of us--pretty much all of us--would love to be hugely successful in our chosen fields. Unfortunately, there was no class on success in school. In fact, if anything, we learned how to be “good enough” but generally, not exceptional.  And if such a class existed, we would have learned what my guest has studied at the deepest and highest levels.  Dr. Ruth Gotian wrote a book I wish I’d read decades ago called The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance. I loved the book and I’m not alone. Countless thought leaders you likely know and love have praised her book including SuperPsyched guest and Duke Business School professor, Dorie Clark, who said, “Ruth Gotian has reverse-engineered the path to success, based on her research with extreme high achievers, and offers useful tools and strategies which will give you a giant leap forward on your own path to greatness."  Beautifully stated, Dorie! So, listen in as Ruth unpacks the science of success, and what it takes to achieve at the highest levels.

Many New Year resolutions can be directly or indirectly related to this year-end episode’s content: cultivating curiosity. When we are overcome by our emotions, especially fear or anger, our brain can lose its capacity to reason. When this happens, it’s hard to think, and the phenomenon is referred to as an amygdala hijack. The amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anger, and other emotions, takes over the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for executive thinking, judgment, reasoning, and higher thinking. But here’s a great brain hack to deal with this, as described by multiple New York Times best-selling author, the hilarious and brilliant AJ Jacobs: get curious, not furious. Activating curiosity can override the action of the amygdala and activate your prefrontal cortex, so your executive brain can call the shots. So, listen in as four-time guest, AJ and I talk about getting curious and not furious, as well as sprinkling in some gratitude for good measure.

We all experience some degree of FOMO, also known as the fear of missing out. In fact, it is baked into our genes. Like social comparison, FOMO has contributed to the survival of the species. However, the way it plays out these days is generally less positive. We see friends on social media doing awesome things and it somehow diminishes the quality of our lives. We say “yes” to go to a party because we don't want to miss it even though, deep down we really want to spend a quiet evening reading or watching a movie. FOMO has been getting a lot of press these days and, believe it or not, the guy who came up with the term is the guest on this podcast episode! Feel free to Google the originator of the term as my son did and you will find out that person is none other than Patrick McGinnis (https://patrickmcginnis.com/)! Patrick is the author of “a book I loved called Fear of Missing Out: Practical Decision-Making in a World of Overwhelming Choice. You’ll hear all about FOMO and its annoying cousin, FOBO, also known as fear of a better option. Knowing about these very human characteristics, you can be more in control of them rather than have them be in control you. So, don’t miss out (see what I did there) and listen in as Patrick and I talk about making FOMO work for you!

Choosing a college major can be daunting. Personally, I changed my major a few times, at least partially because there was so much that I wanted to learn. What if you could earn multiple degrees and explore a bunch of majors? How about 17 degrees? Sounds like a fantasy but, believe it or not, that is exactly what my guest on this episode did. Dr. Benjamin Bolger (https://bolgerconsulting.com/) is known as a perpetual student and is the second most degreed individual in the history of the United States. He has studied in various fields and has attended schools like Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Dartmouth, and Columbia. In fact, during the window of 2000 to 2004, he earned six different master's degrees! Ben currently works as a college admissions counselor, and he has appeared in many national newspapers like the NY Times and TV programs like the NBC Today Show. I had no idea what Ben would be like and it turned out he was as likeable as he was educated. It was so much fun to geek out with Ben about the topic of learning and all it can do for us. This is an unusual opportunity to listen as one of the most educated people on the planet talks about the benefits of being a perpetual learner.

Has anyone ever said to you, “Wow, you are too sensitive!”? Or do you know someone who seems very sensitive? I’m guessing the answer to at least one of these questions is “yes,” because, it turns out that approximately 20% of the human population is highly sensitive. As you’ll hear, high sensitivity is not a pathology but, rather, a function that helped our human tribes survive in the not-so-distant past. The sensitive people of the tribes could hear, smell, or otherwise perceive danger far faster than those who were less sensitive.  Another interesting finding is this: the trait of high sensitivity exists in nearly all species and at the same incidence of 20% --- regardless of species! I’m so excited you will get to learn from my guest, psychotherapist and educator, Alane Freund, MFT (https://www.alanefreund.com/)! Alane is a therapist in private practice, and she gives talks all over the world on Highly Sensitive People, also known as HSPs. Also, as you’ll hear, the term “highly sensitive person” or HSP for short, maybe a regrettable term as Alane prefers “people with finely tuned nervous systems.”  Having a finely tuned nervous system myself, I agree! Alane shares incredibly useful information for people who identify as HSPs as well as people who love them.  So, listen in as Alane and I talk about Highly Sensitive People.

What's in a name? Turns out a lot! Whether you are naming a company, a project, a meeting room, a team, or a baby, names are deeply meaningful.  In fact, some businesses may have failed because their name is so confusing that no one can figure out how to say it, how to spell it, or what they do.  Of course, we can all think of some exceptions to that rule—sure, there are companies that have done well despite having a bad name. But wouldn't it be better to start off on the right foot and stack the cards in favor of a better outcome? Addressing this is a recognized expert on branding and naming things. Alexandra Watkins (https://eatmywords.com/) is the owner of a business called Eat My Words and the author of a book I absolutely devoured called, Hello My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names that Stick! I loved this book, as did thought leaders like Adam Grant and Nir Eyal. And I am confident you’ll love learning from her as much as I did.  So, listen in as Alexandra and I talk about the power of naming.

Expectation Effect Shownotes Do our expectations affect outcomes? Are there things we can do to increase the likelihood of getting outcomes we want? Are there thoughts that may interfere with these positive outcomes as well?There has been a lot of non-scientific information circulating about these questions. Fortunately, there are people like David Robson (https://davidrobson.me/), sorting the science from the non-science. David is a science writer, a graduate of Cambridge University, and he has won awards for his writing from the Association of British Science Writers and the UK Medical Journalists’ Association. He's also the author of The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life. I loved his book, so have major thought leaders like Daniel Pink, and agree with the New York Journal Review that said, “If you’re looking to make major or minor changes in your life, this book will help you leave the starting gate with positive expectations of success.”So, listen in as David shares how your mindset can transform your life.