The Thought Atlas Podcast

Revolutions often appear sudden from the outside. But what if they actually develop through recognizable stages long before the world realizes what’s happening? Today’s guest is Rick Hoppe, a retired intelligence officer, military analyst, and author of Eight Stages: A Primer on More Than the Revolution . Rick spent more than three decades working in intelligence, counterintelligence, and analysis...

What happens when someone longs for faith but finds themselves intellectually or emotionally unable to believe? Today’s guest is Dr. Jamey Hecht, a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst in private practice in Brooklyn, New York, as well as a former professor of literature and scholar of English and American literature. His work brings together psychology, literature, philosophy, and spirituality. His...

What if our approach to health should begin with better questions rather than simply treating symptoms? Today’s guest is Andrew P. Scheim, a wellness practitioner, educator, and researcher whose work draws from bodywork, nutrition, naturopathy, Chinese medicine, and various wellness technologies. Andrew’s journey began with a personal health issue at 28. Rather than immediately looking for someone...

What if many of the problems we see in business aren’t really performance problems—but relationship problems? Today’s guest is Joseph Rockey, an entrepreneur, author, and business strategist who says he has built 29 businesses throughout his career. His work focuses heavily on the psychology of human behavior, relationships, motivation, leadership, and the dynamics between businesses, employees, a...

What if being healthy isn’t simply about what we eat, how much we exercise, or how our bodies look? Today’s guest is Dr. Katherine Lanning, an occupational therapist, founder of Transformed For Life, and host of the podcast of the same name. Katherine’s professional experience includes working in hospital, school-based, and private-practice settings. Her own experiences with personal hardship and...

What is truth—and how do we know when we’ve found it? Today’s guest is Alan Gillanders, a writer and lifelong student of consciousness who has spent roughly four decades exploring questions about higher consciousness, spirituality, human potential, and the nature of reality. Raised in a Christian background, Alan later explored Hinduism and Buddhism, eventually developing his own understanding by...

What if the ordinary moments of your life matter far more than you realize? Today’s guest is Joseph M. Lenard, an author and podcaster whose work explores terrorism, culture, faith, politics, technology, mental health, and other subjects that have shaped his curiosity about the world. Joseph is the author of Terror Strikes, Coming Soon to a City Near You, as well as several books in his Life and L...

What if our beliefs aren’t meant to define us—but to help us understand the world? Today’s guest is John Bliss, a writer, engineer, entrepreneur, and lifelong student of history, philosophy, religion, and the mysteries of human existence. After earning degrees in history and mechanical engineering and spending roughly 25 years running an energy-efficiency company, John eventually turned much of hi...

What if getting older doesn’t automatically mean becoming weaker, less capable, or less engaged with life? Today’s guest is Karl Sterling, an NASM Master Trainer, neurological wellness specialist, author, and host of the Karl Sterling Podcast. Karl’s journey into neurological wellness began after transforming his own health. Once a professional drummer, he later became a personal trainer after fac...

What can 84 years of life, travel, journalism, and cultural experiences teach us about humanity? Today’s guest is Barry Maughan, author of Beneath the African Sun and a former Voice of America broadcaster who spent much of his life traveling and experiencing different cultures. In this conversation, Barry reflects on his experiences living and working across different parts of the world, including...

We all have the same 168 hours every week. So why do some people feel completely in control of their lives while others constantly feel like they’re running out of time? Today’s guest is Bill Korman, a retired U.S. Navy Chief, leadership strategist, resilience expert, entrepreneur, and author of The 168 Game: Time Ownership vs. Time Management. After 20 years in the U.S. Navy and a career that eve...

What happens when the story you once considered a source of shame becomes the very story you use to help others? Today’s guest is J. Rosemarie Francis, an author, mentor, podcaster, and host of Solo Moms Talk , a podcast focused on the experiences and challenges of mothers raising children alone. Rosemarie’s own journey through motherhood, abandonment, questions of identity, and faith eventually l...

What if the experiences you thought put you behind actually gave you capabilities that others had to learn much later? Today’s guest is Misty Carson, CEO of the Unbreakable Advantage Institute, host of the Unbreakable Advantage podcast, and a business development executive whose work explores leadership, resilience, and high performance. Misty grew up in poverty, experienced abuse, became pregnant...

What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of motivation—but a lack of clarity about where you’re actually going? Today’s guest is Tim Kelly, a former U.S. Navy Chief, rescue swimmer, real estate investor, bestselling author, and certified high-performance coach. Tim’s life has been shaped by a series of identity transitions. After spending years in the Navy, he began questioning whether cont...

What happens when a career built around evidence and logic leads you into questions that don’t have easy answers? Today’s guest is Jason Zuk, an attorney, psychic medium, and host of the 11-time award-winning Social Psychic Radio Show. Jason has practiced law since 2000 and says his spiritual journey began after the death of his grandfather in 2004, an experience he describes as profoundly changin...

What if a profound realization isn’t the end of transformation—but the beginning? Today’s guest is Michael Tierno, a transformational guide and relationship mentor whose work focuses on self-exploration, emotional healing, authentic expression, and helping people create more meaningful lives. Michael shares how a life that appeared successful on the outside still left him feeling dissatisfied, eve...

What if science fiction wasn’t really about the future… …but about reimagining how human beings live and work together? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Liam Begley—author of the self-published science fiction novel Broken Interstellar. Drawing inspiration from more than a decade working in Vancouver’s film industry, Liam imagined a future where interstellar civilization is built no...

What if the life you’ve worked so hard to build still leaves you wondering whether something is missing? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Michael Tierno—transformational guide, relationship mentor, and co-founder of Men of Integrity. After achieving what society often defines as success, Michael found himself searching for something deeper. A journey to Peru and an encounter with In...

What if the greatest impact you’ll ever make comes from the smallest decisions you make every day? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by David Petrash—a U.S. Navy veteran, entrepreneur, pastor, author of Ripple of Faith, and co-owner of City Wide Facility Solutions of Southern Arizona. From serving aboard nuclear submarines to leading in ministry and business, David’s journey has been sh...

What if the world’s biggest challenges aren’t isolated problems… …but interconnected systems shaped by human behavior? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Charlie Sheppard—professor of leadership, entrepreneur, inventor, and author of Get Off the Fence and Save Your Drama for Your Mama. Throughout his career, Charlie has worked with Fortune 500 companies, founded World Bridge Universit...

Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people will ever make—but it doesn’t have to be confusing. In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Jason Sharon—a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran, former nuclear engineer, mortgage broker, owner of Home Loans Incorporated in Charleston, South Carolina, and the author of five books on mortgages and real estate. After spending two decade...

Why do some digital products become indispensable parts of our lives while others are forgotten almost instantly? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Tetiana Kobzar—a product designer and behavioral design specialist with nearly two decades of experience building digital products in healthcare, wellness, and education. Drawing from years of designing products around human behavior, Tet...

What happens when hip-hop becomes more than music? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Grand Agent—veteran hip-hop artist, cultural organizer, founder of Philly Truce, and author of Brotherly Action. Growing up in Philadelphia during the early years of hip-hop, Grand Agent saw the culture evolve from a local movement into a global force. Over the decades, his journey has taken him thro...

What happens when artificial intelligence can generate endless articles, comments, images, and opinions in seconds? How do we know what’s genuinely human? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Richard Kersey—an engineering leader, AI practitioner, and creator of Chirpper, a social platform exploring new ways to preserve trust and human authenticity online. As AI-generated content becomes...

What if an ordinary deck of 52 playing cards was never just a game? In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Alexander Dunlop and Viki Scudieri, creators of The Source Cards, who believe the traditional deck of playing cards represents an ancient symbolic system for understanding personality, purpose, and the cycles of life. Alexander’s journey took him from studying philosophy at Harvard a...