Shawn Baker-Garcia and Scott Olson
2 Parachutes Podcast
The Two Parachutes Podcast is a collaboration, well, more like a conversation, between a CEO and an FBI Agent. Shawn Baker-Garcia and Scott Olson first met when they were working at US Embassy Baghdad; Scott for the FBI and Shawn for the US State Department. Over the years they’ve worked together, given advice and assistance to each other, and now see that the synergy which comes from open, civil, and thoughtful discussion is very much needed in the modern discourse. Join them as they dive into everything interesting to humanity. The goal of 2PP is to recreate the experience most people have h...
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Episodes
Joy, Agony, and Swimming in the Surf 09.07.2026 1:00:09
Shawn starts us off by observing we may be starting to see "rage fatigue" in the public dialogue. The 2PP dives into how to move from hatred to kindness and the ways we can notice what's happening around us in the world. Is fighting good? Or is it a fail? Is anger strong? Or is kindness strong? And where, in our interactions with each other, is humanity? Join us as we jump into the hard work of in...
Respect, Dignity, and other Emotions 07.07.2026 57:55
At 2PP we often say "Be thoughtful, have opinions, and be open to being to being convinced." Others have said "An open mind is an empty mind." So what does it mean to be thoughtful? How can you form opinions and then change your mind without being "wish-washy?" If you decide something shouldn't you "stick to your guns?" Join Scott and Shawn as they dive into how to form opinions through The Hard W...
A View of The View 01.07.2026 1:03:58
On June 16, 2026 on the American daytime talk show called The View, Moderator and Co-Host Whoopi Goldberg posed a series of questions to Vice President J.D. Vance to which he responded. It's an interesting example of why the hard work of interacting has such impact and what happens when people treat each other with dignity.
Get You Some Gratitude 25.06.2026 1:00:20
Are you grateful for anything? Do you think you should be, but you're not? Have you heard of having "an attitude of gratitude" but it seems to not be genuine? What about being grateful for getting part, but not all of what you wanted to get? Is that a cop-out or does it help us find agreement with those we find to be disagreeable? Scott and Shawn step off into these questions and more!
To AI or Not To AI . . . Wait, What's The Question? 27.05.2026 1:01:26
This episode starts with two opposite opinions about the future of AI. Steven Bartlett (Diary of a CEO) who thinks AI will allow us to become more human, and Tucker Carlson who seems to believe that AI will rob us of our humanity by taking away our need to create. Join Scott and Shawn as they unpack the facts and the inferences and dive into the disagreement in the 2PP way!
Sloganeering 11.05.2026 1:02:06
Scott throws a random pitch to Shawn without deep preparation. Tune in to see how Shawn responds and how the conversation goes from "No Kings" to "Sloganeering." Eventually, the discussion reveales an interesting question: "What if you're wrong?"
Just The Facts 01.05.2026 56:38
This episode dives into vaccinations. Yes! We take risks here at 2PP! Scott and Shawn start with the flu and shingles vaccines and (yes we do . . . ) go into Covid, Autism, polio, climate change and a few other controversial topics. Do you like being inspired to think? This is the episode for you!
Fragile Systems 28.04.2026 1:09:51
Scott and Shawn go on beyond operations and process as they jump into systems. What is a system? How is it different from a process? And what makes a system strong and more importantly . . . what makes a system fragile?
Being Open With Noble Intent 30.03.2026 1:02:27
Does your intent matter when you communicate? Does what you intend change how you connect, and does it change how others connect with you? Scott and Shawn decide to jump into this episode without a plan. Come ride the storm with them!
Pain and Suffering 20.03.2026 1:03:21
Is something that's hard to do also difficult? Is difficult stuff hard to do? What about pain and suffering? Do you have to suffer just because you feel pain?
The Language of Freedom 12.03.2026 58:36
We think we're free. But are we? And what does it mean to be free? Is it the old image of "Your right to punch ends at the tip of my nose"? Or is it something more?
The Lizard Brain 27.02.2026 56:30
We start with the winning and losing and then dive into the Amygdala, the Limbic System, and the Prefrontal Cortex. But it's not about the science, it's about how to be human!
Escaping the Narrative 16.02.2026 1:05:53
Scott and Shawn talk about ways to interact more productively in the public discourse. It's all about doing the hard work of interacting with other people!
Sovereign Immunity 13.02.2026 1:00:28
This episode dives into the unique problems faced by government and the impact on people and companies who interact with government.
Fear and Anger; Anger and Fear 19.01.2026 1:08:20
This episode starts with work stress which leads to talking about prayer and then descends into a discussion of how Fear and Anger interact.
Don't Force Don't Fight 14.01.2026 54:55
2PP takes a rare turn (for us) to talk about current political events.
Tempo and Time Away 14.01.2026 56:57
Shawn and Scott tell the stories of their Thanksgiving travels and find their way into a discussion of the tempo of living.
Vibrations in the Machine 14.01.2026 1:03:44
Shawn comes in hot with a personnel issue from work which moves into a discussion of how different people think, feel, and interact.
Baseball and Education 14.01.2026 1:01:19
Two non-fans talk about baseball and find their way into a discussion about performance standards, AI, and education.
What Do Words Mean 14.01.2026 1:03:53
The soundtrack isn't dialed in on this one - another rookie mistake! But we dive into a discussion about language and how it drives understanding.
Aaron's Laptop 14.01.2026 46:58
One of Shaw's baby birds deals with theft while attending an Ivy League school. Scott and Shawn talk about generations.
Chucky the Orange Menace 14.01.2026 1:03:35
2PP dives into pets and how they impact people.
The Straight and Narrow 14.01.2026 1:06:11
Scott and Shawn talk about when to push and when to let yourself get pulled.
Dangerous People 06.01.2026 1:01:54
This is the second try at the disastrous introduction and we confirmed that we won't do it again! But the episode itself dives into a discussion about dangerous people and what we ought to do.
Baby Bird Leaves the Nest 06.01.2026 51:59
This is an early episode where we tried to do an introduction to 2PP before we get started and it's an epic fail!! (We only tried it twice.) In the episode Shawn and Scott talk about the difficulties of letting people fail forward and letting successful people go when they need to grow.
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