It wasn’t long ago that the notion of the mind-body connection was considered New Agey. It was as if the mind and the body were two totally separate systems that had very little to do with each other. Now, with contributions from scientific research, wisdom-based traditions, and modern psychotherapy, the mind-body connection isn’t even questioned. Still, there’s a lot to learn about how our bodies and minds connect and I’m so glad I got to have this conversation with psychotherapist and dance instructor, Rachel Fleischman (https://www.blisscounseling.com/). Rachel is a seasoned therapist who does both traditional individual and couple therapy but who also integrates talk therapy with movement. As you will hear, she is wise, fun, and extremely skilled in pulling her information from various sources that contribute to her knowledge base. If you’re a fan of movement and want to learn more about how it can be a component of psychological healing, this episode is for you! So, listen in as Rachel and I geek out to the psychotherapy and movement.

Autism has been rightfully getting lots of media airtime lately. Indeed, it is a deeply misunderstood condition and, sadly, 85% of autistic adults are unemployed. As you’ll hear in this episode and in my 2020 episode with Dr. Temple Grandin, neurodiversity can help teams thrive and people on the autism spectrum often have a lot to bring to the table at the workplace. In fact, they may bring super strengths that could be akin to what my guest refers to as the Autistic Advantage.   My guest, Olivia Fox Cabane (https://www.askolivia.com/), is the author of a huge bestselling book, The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism. I loved this book and have given it out to countless people I serve. Yet, you’ll hear the personal story of why Olivia wrote the book and how, as an undiagnosed person on the autism spectrum, the publicity tours associated with the book were excruciating to her.You’ll also hear about how the diagnosis has been badly misunderstood, how many treatment modalities have been harmful—even extremely harmful—to people on the spectrum, and some things people need to know to better understand members in our community who are autistic. She even shares the cross-cultural aspects of being in a relationship with a neurotypical husband and some benefits of being in a neurodiverse relationship. So, listen in as Olivia and I talk about the Autistic Advantage. Please note, some descriptors of treatment modalities on this episode are graphic and violent in nature. Please listen accordingly.

Parents overwhelmingly want to raise kind children. Yet many concerning trends are on the rise including narcissism and bullying, leaving many parents to worry: how can I improve the likelihood of raising a kind child? And that’s why I was delighted to meet with author and journalist, Melinda Wenner Moyer (https://www.melindawennermoyer.com/). Melinda is a prolific science journalist and blogger and the author of a book addressing our fears with the hilariously titled, How to Raise Children Who Aren’t Assholes: Science-Based Strategies for Better Parenting--from Tots to Teens. I loved this book and raves for it have come far and wide from sources like Wharton Professor Adam Grant, CNN.com and Publisher’s Weekly who said, Melinda “crafts a winning guide for parents who wish to build a “better, fairer, stronger world.” This delightful mix of strategy and humor shouldn’t be missed.”  I couldn’t agree more and I’m confident you’ll love learning from her as well. So, listen in as Melinda breaks down the science of raising children who are kind and definitely aren’t assholes.Book link: https://tinyurl.com/83x7vcf6

Remember when work was a place we went? And, remember when zoom only meant going fast or, if you are from my generation, a goofy PBS children's TV show? For many of us, working virtually is the new normal. For others, it's back to the office or a hybrid of virtual and real life. What are the implications of working from home? How does it affect the employee? How does it affect the company? What are some ways to create win-win scenarios for corporations and employee well-being as it relates to working in person versus virtually? I'm so happy you and I get to learn from one of the best: Harvard Business Review’s Chief Human Resource Officer, Angela Cheng-Cimini. As you’ll hear, Angela is the perfect person to engage at a high level about these and other nuanced considerations that keep employees and their companies functioning at their best. So, listen in as Angela and I talk about the mental health implications of working remotely vs in-person or hybrid.

Since you've seen the title of this episode, I'm guessing that you have experienced some level a phenomenon called imposterism. It is usually referred to as imposter syndrome and, as you'll hear in this episode, my guest will be defining and challenging that term. Why do we feel it? And why do we hear that voice that says, “You're not good enough to do this!” or, another classic hit, “Just wait till they'll find out I'm a fraud!” It turns out, we’re in good company. Albert Einstein, Meryl Streep, and Maya Angelou have all experienced this. And I'm so delighted that my colleague, Dr. Jill Stoddard (https://jillstoddard.com/), a psychologist, TEDx speaker. and author has written a superb book on this topic. It’s called Imposter No More: Overcome Self-Doubt and Imposterism to Cultivate a Successful Career. As you’ll read in the book and hear in this interview, Jill is wise, kind, and super-relatable! You’ll learn more about your inner-critic, how to respond when it tells you not to go what you want to go for, and much more. So, listen in as Jill and I talk about quieting your inner critic that keeps you held back by imposterism.

What is civility? What are the consequences of its absence? And why is it so important? Many people may inadvertently believe the words “polite” and “civil” are interchangeable. But as you hear and think about these words, you're probably recognizing just how different they are. I am so glad my guest, Alexandra Hudson (https://alexandraohudson.com/), has dedicated years of her life to write a fantastic book about this topic and it is hot off the press. The book is called The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves. Alexandra’s website perfectly summarizes the book’s relevance with this statement, “In an era of fraught political tension, civility—a respect for the dignity of others—is the key to bridging the divide.”I couldn’t agree more. So many outstanding enterprises and causes—including the United States—have been the result of people with different points of view coming together and working together with civility. So, with that end in mind, listen in, as Alexandra shares her thoughts on the importance of civility.

Improv isn’t just for comedy. If there are superfoods like blueberries that are good for your health, improv may just be a super-skill that has implications and applications that are also good for your health. No joke. And the skills are highly learnable and can measurably help you become a better person. They can make you a better collaborator in marriage, parenthood, business, and just about everywhere in life. Many Fortune 500 companies, including Clorox, have been able to boost their bottom line by using the skills they’ve implemented from improv. I had the pleasure of speaking with Kelly Leonard (https://www.secondcity.com/people/kelly-leonard+), the Vice President of Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development of Second City in Chicago, the oldest continually operating improv center in the world. The list of graduates who have come from Second City is utterly astounding. If you are a fan of any of these people, you can thank Second City: Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Joan Rivers, Jordan Peele, Alan Alda, John Belushi, Stephen Colbert, Cecily Strong, and so many others. All of them developed their chops under the same roof, where my guest has worked for 35 years. Kelly is the author of an excellent book on improv called, Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, but" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration - Lessons from the Second City. I loved this book and so did a fella by the name of Stephen Colbert who said the book, “…is for anyone looking to be more creative in their work and in their life.” Other similar praise came from Dan Pink and Vanity Fair. In this episode, you will hear how improv works, and why you should consider developing these skills. You may even find yourself bringing people like Kelly to your workplace to help improve performance and employee morale through the types of play that only improv can bring. So, listen in as Kelly and I talk about why you need to learn improv, the super-skill in life.

We humans tend to be empathic, and our brains reward us with hits of dopamine when we help our fellow beings. So, it is no surprise that when we do good by providing charity or means for our fellow humans to improve their lives, we feel good.  And because of that, I am so excited to speak with the guest on this episode, Mark Gerson. Mark is an incredible human being. He has a JD from Yale Law School, he married a rabbi, is the author of a brilliant book, the host of a great podcast, and he has had spectacular success in the business world founding Gerson Lehrman Group also known as GLG, Thuzio, Tel Aviv Angel Group and, later, Maverick Ventures Israel, a venture capital fund. But these are just some of the things that impress me about Mark. At least as impressive has been his total dedication to his charities and to measurably making our world a better place. He oversees United Hatzalah, an inspired medical operation in Israel, as well as African Mission Healthcare Foundation, a similarly inspired medical operation that supports Christian Medical Ministries in Africa. He talks about the benefits of participating in charity work and the meaning and sustainable joy it provides. He also shares tips on fundraising: a Jedi level skill that requires incredible finesse and has been described as the most difficult sale of all. So, listen in as Mark shares timeless wisdom of charity: how we get so much more than we give, when we give. If you’re so moved, the link for African Mission Healthcare is: africanmissionhealthcare.org and the link for United Hatzalah is israelrescue.org.

The Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has recently warned of a loneliness epidemic in the United States and has cited research suggesting that loneliness can be as toxic to our health as 15 cigarettes per day. Unfortunately, societal trends do not support people getting together in real life. Attendance at virtually all community gatherings is on the decline, whether we are referring to social groups, religious organizations, or even picnics.Sadly, our 35,000-year-old brains are not wired for the isolation we are experiencing these days. Our social brains crave community and togetherness, and even the most introverted of us need some communal connection, but we rarely know how to do it or where to even look.And that is why I'm so happy to speak with Charles Vogl (https://www.charlesvogl.com/). Charles has spent time in diverse communities such as the Peace Corps in Zambia, Yale University where he did his master’s degree in spiritual traditions, philosophy, and business., and here in Silicon Valley where he has served at Google’s Vitality Lab. He is the author of a book I loved called The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging. Charles speaks about the principles that help communities thrive and why we need them. I agree with bestselling author Richard Leider, who said of the book, "At last, here is an insightful guide to create the community you have envisioned for yourself and others." Amen, brother.   So, listen in as Charles and I talk about the art of community.

On Labor Day, Steve Harwell, the front man of Smash Mouth, died at the age of 56. Like many people, I’m a big fan of the band and I’m really sad about this. Smash Mouth’s lead guitarist and songwriter was Greg Camp (https://gregcampmusic.com/) and, yes, he wrote all the songs you love including All Star. Fortunately, I’ve known Greg for many years, and he gave a great interview in episode #35 a few years ago. He was kind enough to meet up again to share some intimate, behind-the-scenes experiences of his relationship with Steve, as well as his memories of this icon of pop culture, describing Steve, the person behind his front-man image. Greg gives a beautiful homage to Steve in this episode, and he creates art in bringing Steve to life as he grieves the loss of his friend and bandmate. You will hear about Steve’s spectacular successes… you’ll also hear about Steve’s hardships… some of which utterly devastating. We touch upon the tragic loss of Steve’s only child, Presley, who died at the age of six months from leukemia. As you might imagine, this is a kind of loss that has no word or descriptor. I mean, there is a word for someone who’s lost a spouse (a widow or widower), or a child who has no parents (an orphan), but there is no word for what Steve experienced, and it is overwhelming to even imagine. You’ll also hear the lighter and inspirational side of Steve including how he convinced Greg to join forces with him to create Smash Mouth, Steve’s philosophy of “do something every day,” stories about who Steve was, how he changed Greg’s life and even saved Greg’s life, as well as the song that defined Steve in Greg’s eyes (interestingly, it’s probably not a song you’ll expect). In fact, I received permission to include that song at the end of this episode, so, appropriately, we close with the voice of Steve and the guitar of Greg and the music of Smash Mouth. So, listen in as Smash Mouth’s guitarist and songwriter, Greg Camp, remembers Steve Harwell. Photo Credit: Kelly Castro (https://www.kellycastro.photo/home#1)