The Curious Introvert

Rob Baedeker is the co-author of What to Talk About: On a Plane, at a Cocktail Party, in a Tiny Elevator with Your Boss's Boss . In this episode, he shares how to break free of the sleep-inducing conversation templates we've all had on repeat, deal with awkward political discussions & keep the conversational spark alive with our friends & family by converting small talk into real...

The thought of collecting hair is reserved in our minds for the worst episodes of Hoarders, but Lisa Gautier of Matter of Trust is using discarded hair to clean up the ocean. In this episode, she explains how her organization discovered mats & booms made of human & animal hair were super oil absorbers, who is using them, how they are disposed of  & how they’re using a politically agnos...

Rob Kenney is the “Dad of the Internet.” The accidental YouTube star shares the importance of mentorship, his reluctance to be in the spotlight & his journey of forgiveness towards his Dad who abandoned him & his 7 siblings when he was just 14 years old. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 94: IRISH CATHOLIC TO ORTHODOX JEW: CONVERSION, ACCEPTANCE & COMMUNITY   Guest: h...

Paul Vautrinot shares his story of living in the Las Vegas tunnels, or as he states it, beneath the neon. He shares what life in the Vegas underground city was like with the tunnel people, how he left, got sober & became a co-founder of Shine a Light Foundation. He shares the organization’s unique approach to ending homelessness & how they are by-passing wait lists. If you liked this episo...

Rob Annis is a freelance outdoor travel adventure writer & national park enthusiast who idolized the president who put the park system in place, Theodore Roosevelt. When learning the truth about the history of the National Parks, his favorite president & his father overlapped, and he had the difficult task of recognizing the darker aspects of the past. He shares what he uncovered in his re...

Dr. Brandon Warmke is an Associate Professor & philosopher at Bowling Green University & the co-author of the Book Grandstanding, The use and abuse of moral talk. He shares the different kinds of grandstanding, its link to narcissism & how to know if you are virtue signaling. We also touch on the outlook of public discourse & minding your own business. If you liked this episode, yo...

Chris Buckley shares how sobriety & voluntarily staying in jail were the catalysts for leaving the Georgia White Knights, his change of heart towards the queer community & an intense conversation with a Muslim. He also shares more about the programs at Parents4Peace that help veterans & police officers undo harmful job-related ideology. Trigger warning on basically all the triggers. If...

Chris Buckley was a war veteran returning home when he was recruited for a KKK chapter – the Georgia White Knights, but the events leading up to that were “a Petry dish of hate” that included abuse, addiction, death & displacement. If you’ve ever wondered what causes someone to join the KKK, this episode will give you perspective. Trigger warning on basically all the triggers. If you know some...

Jenny Radcliffe is a professional con-woman & people hacker who uses social engineering to test the vulnerability of professional security systems. She shares how she got started in her teens, avoided a life of crime & how we can all be less vulnerable. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 80: HELPFUL ADS OR DIGITAL PROWLING? HOW TO BE A LITTLE LESS TRACKABLE Guest: https://...

Dr. Rick Brinkman, author of the book “Dealing with Meetings You Can’t Stand” walks us through how to meet less & do more, what every meeting should have & why you should start on time even if not everyone is present. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 106: DEALING WITH PEOPLE YOU CAN’T STAND: MOTIVATIONS, REMEDIES &  EMAIL HALLUCINATIONS Guest: https://www.linkedin.co...

Garrick Jones is one of the authors of The Curious Advantage. In this episode, he shares his research findings on the benefits of curiosity especially in a digital world. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 102: DIVERSITY CREATES RESILIENCE? Guest: https://www.facebook.com/CuriousAdvantage |  https://twitter.com/CuriousAdvantge |  https://twitter.com/garrickjones |  https://www.lin...

Sue Reagan Kenney has been living a barefoot lifestyle for the last 12 years in Canada. The former shoe-obsessed corporate woman shares how her shoeless journey began, the health benefits she’s experienced from it & why dirtier feet may make happier humans. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 61: REDUCING STRESS THROUGH BREATHING: HACKS FOR THE NON-HIPPY Guest: https://www.suek...

In part two of my chat with Joe Sanok, author of Thursday is the new Friday, he shares how replacing your “to-do” list with a “to-be” list & gamifying it can launch consistency, how to discover your internal inclinations & sprint type & what a dead mouse can teach us about problem solving. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode Ep. 105 | OVERWHELM AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATIO...

Author of Thursday is the new Friday, Joe Sanok, shares how the signs of a shorter work week (& longer weekends) have been popping up since the 1980’s. In this episode he shares why a four day work week is critical to society’s advancement, examples of places already implementing alternative schedules & how we can recalibrate our minds away from the industrialist mindset. If you liked this...

If you’re an extroverted introvert, this episode is for you. In this solocast, I share insights on what it’s like to be an outgoing introvert, why the world needs introverts & tips on how to thrive as an introvert in an extroverted world. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 104 HOW TO NETWORK AS AN INTROVERT: 10 TIPS TO HATE IT LESS Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/   | h...

Natasha Miller wasn't the kind of kid you'd guess came from an abusive home. In this episode, she shares how she became homeless (& ultimately abandoned) in between violin lessons & straight As. We talk about mental health awareness in the American Midwest in the 1980s & how hardships can offer opportunities for transformational moments. If you liked this episode, you'll...

Carol Queen has a Ph. D. in Sexology & a passion for pleasure. She is the curator of the Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum in San Francisco, CA. In this episode, she shares the origin story of the museum & explains how vibrators went from doctor’s offices to bedside tables. She also explains why partner sex & self-sex are different activities, why pleasure should be a part of sex...

Living together while divorced sounds crazy, but it’s the story of Suzanne Vickberg, an author & psychologist who chose a divorce by design rather than a divorce by default. She shares her thought process & divorce success story to answer the questions, can divorce be a good thing? When is divorce the best option? She also shares the hilarious hiccups along the way. If you liked this episo...

If you’ve ever wondered how sex scenes are made without the actors really … ahem … you know, this episode is for you! Chantal Cousineau shares a day in the life of an Intimacy Coordinator, what’s in her special kit bag & what we can learn from the on-set concepts of informed & fluid consent. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 71 - Inspired by Love: Story Telling, History &...

Three listeners share their really bad date stories. Emily shares a bad first date that sounded a lot like the plot to the next true-crime series, Jamie shares how she got friend-zoned 3 months into her relationship & George shares a shock and awe tale of a date he couldn’t wait to end. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 86 ACCIDENTAL SWINGERS? Part 1 Guest: https://www.instag...

Jean Franzblau is the founder of the Cuddle Sanctuary, the Los Angeles destination for touch positive events and nationwide professional cuddling. She shares the in-flight ad & bad date that inspired her to start her business, the science behind touch & what lessons we can learn from people who pay to spoon. She also answers the burning questions we’re all thinking. Guest: http://cuddlesan...

Steve Berke shares how he went from judgmental jock to cannabis advocate. He explains how smoking a spliff with Sir Richard Branson was the beginning of his journey to breaking the pothead stereotype, the origin story of becoming co-founder of the International Church of Cannabis & his opinion on the increasingly stronger products offered at dispensaries. Special thanks to listeners Megan Stod...

In this episode, I talk with fellow podcaster, Joe Sills of the Get Lost Podcast, about interviews that changed our lives. He shares why his chat with Arctic Explorer, Mark Wood, made him want to be more vulnerable & how his chat with Oscar-Award-Winning Actor Matthew McConoughey helped remedy his imposter syndrome. Guest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-lost-podcast/id1466710154 | h...

In April of 2021, GMO mosquitos were released in the Florida Keys, but as Molecular Biologist, Dr. Natalie Kofler explains, they have been released in other regions prior to that. She helps shed light on the difference between GMO mosquitos and gene drive mosquitoes & the global impact of diseases spread by mosquitoes. We also take a deep dive into the ethical questions around who is creating...

For Native people in the Arctic region, the tradition of chin tattooing goes back generations, but until very recently, the tradition was not still in practice. Marjorie Kunaq Tahbone was raised in a fish camp near Nome, Alaska & from a young age, desired to more deeply connect with her Inupiaq and Kiowa traditions. In this episode, she shares her journey deciding to get a traditional chin tat...