Curated Questions: Conversations Celebrating the Power of Questions!

"Questions are not neutral; they're interventions." - Ken Woodward What actually happens inside us when a question is asked? In this solo episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward explores the neurological, emotional, and psychological impact of being asked a question. Moving beyond techniques or tactics, Ken examines how questions hijack attention, trigger chemical responses in the brain, open u...

"Literally everything in life is hard. The question is, what cost are you willing to pay? And you pay that willingly and happily because you value it." - Mitchell Osmond In this episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward sits down with Mitchell Osmond, founder of Dad Nation Co., and host of the Dad Nation Podcast (Top 5% globally), to explore a hard but liberating truth: everything in life is diff...

"What are the questions you will be carrying into the year, such that it will be a celebration of your becoming?" - Ken Woodward This year-end Curated Questions episode is a reflective curation of the questions that shaped several conversations throughout 2025. Rather than offering a rapid recap of every episode, Ken highlights a handful of moments that reveal how intentional questioning can clari...

"Direction often emerges not from knowing what you want, but from finally admitting what you don’t." - Ken Woodward The Inquisitive Almanack: 2026 Edition closes the year with something Curated Questions has never quite done before—an affectionate, slightly irreverent, and deeply thoughtful almanack for the inner life. Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack, this episode blends dr...

"Not being a hundred percent sure all the time is a weird strength." - Haru Yamada In this episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward is in conversation with Dr. Haru Yamada, a sociolinguist, intercultural communication scholar, and author of Kiku: The Japanese Art of Good Listening, to explore what it really means to listen. Haru traces her early understanding of questions back to age four, when...

Episode Summary "If all you do is pay attention to what everyone else is paying attention to, then  by definition you're not likely to innovate anything or create anything very original or different or surprising." - Rob Walker Writer and cultural observer Rob Walker joins Ken to explore how questions and noticing reshape the way we move through the world. Rob traces his origin story back to disco...

"We vote with our labor for the world we want to create. If you don't reflect on what you're doing, how do you know you're casting the right vote?" - Radhika Dutt In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages entrepreneur and author Radhika Dutt in a profound exploration of how questions can transform organizations from goal-driven to puzzle-solving entities. Radhika is the autho...

"The Insight Pause is sitting in the rubble of your shattered worldview before clearing a single stone." - Ken Woodward In this solo episode, Ken Woodward introduces The Insight Pause—a five-step framework for navigating the moments that crack open our worldview. Through his own story of confronting the hidden history behind the Indigenous names and artifacts that shaped his childhood landscape, K...

"I'm gonna make an appointment with my curiosity." - Frank Sesno Emmy award-winning journalist Frank Sesno shares how curiosity and strategic questioning shaped his four-decade career covering presidents and world leaders as CNN's Washington Bureau Chief and White House correspondent. From a fourth-grade question about astronauts to interviewing five U.S. presidents, Frank reveals the power of del...

"When you have a trusting environment, it is exactly to hold each other accountable." - Jaimie Reese What does it take to build trust in one of the world’s largest bureaucracies? Former U.S. Navy Senior Executive (SES) Jaimie Reese joins Ken Woodward to explore how genuine curiosity and courageous questioning can reshape systems, teams, and lives. From the aftermath of 9/11 to boardrooms and the P...

"The closer you become with these people while you're wearing that mask, the more distant you actually feel from the people around you." - Garrett Wood In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages in a deep conversation with Garrett Wood, a national board-certified health and wellness coach and certified clinical hypnotherapist. Garrett shares his insights on the hidden tolls of...

Episode Notes 00:00 The Possibility Of Your Avoided Question 01:21 Welcome to Curated Questions 01:59 Tangled Wings' Impact 04:31 The Question That Changes Questions 07:43 When Your Brain Says "Nope" (A Friendly Science Tour) 12:06 The Locked Door Model (Your Map to the Question) 15:11 A Personal Interlude (When I Found My Door) 16:10 From Boardroom to Living Room (How This Scales) 19:45 When Gian...

"The most fundamental relationship in any change process is the one that you have with yourself. It's the questions that you ask yourself first and foremost that are the game changers." - Jill Reilly   In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward is in conversation with global citizen and author Jill Reilly to explore the power of questioning in navigating life’s complexities.   Jill sh...

"Am I my brother's keeper? Is answered in the daily work of showing up, being challenged, getting it wrong, being corrected, and showing up again." - Ken Woodward   In this solo episode, Ken Woodward explores one of humanity's oldest and most challenging questions: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Born from Cain's evasion after murdering Abel, this question continues to shape how we answer fundamental...

"Asking the right questions the right way at the right time can often be more of a determinant of your success than being the person to raise their hand and come up with the answer." - Amy Radin   Amy Radin is a pioneer in corporate innovation and strategic questioning. Amy shares her journey from the influence of her father's corner drugstore to becoming one of the world's first Chief Innovation...

"If we start talking about developing people, you have to ask those deep questions." - Dave McGurk Dave is a transformational leader who bridges military precision with cutting-edge organizational development. As Founder and CEO of Veridian Perspective and Vice President at Apogee Global RMS, Dave brings over 20 years of executive leadership experience. His impressive 30-year military career inclu...

"Who am I? Was never gonna turn out well. Who do I say I am? Had a chance." - Mike Hilson Host Ken Woodward welcomes Pastor Mike Hilson, senior pastor of New Life Church. They delve deep into how questions shape identity, leadership, and personal growth. Mike shares his journey, from wrestling with self-identity as a child to leading a thriving network of churches. Key discussions include the nece...

"Questions are an extremely sophisticated thinking skill that everyone can use and practice all the time." - Naomi Campbell   In this episode, host Ken Woodward is in conversation with Naomi Campbell, Director of the Right Question Institute (RQI) Legal Empowerment Program. They delve into the transformative power of teaching people to ask questions, highlighting its impact across various fields,...

In this solo episode, host Ken Woodward delves into the origin and development of the 'Curated Questions' project, which began in 2018. Ken shares his personal journey of curiosity, inspiration from Tim Ferriss' podcast, and the influences that led to the creation of his blog and subsequent podcast.     Highlighting notable milestones and influential interviews, Ken discusses the structure and pur...

"You were the most interested person in the room, and you're gonna get love." - Maury Rogow   Maury Rogow is all about storytelling. He is the CEO of the Rip Media Group and creator of the Story2Sales methodology that's generated over $150 million in trackable revenue for clients. I appreciate the tag line, "Your brand will thrive or die, based on the story you tell."   Maury's unique journey span...

"The meaning of your communication is the result you are getting." - Dr. Matt Lampe   With a Doctorate from Alliant International University's California School of Professional Psychology, Matt has dedicated his career to transforming how organizations approach change, leadership development, and workplace agility.   He is currently leading enterprise-wide organizational change efforts as part of...

"When I even think that I wanna give up, I can't because people like this put their life on the line so that I could have better opportunities." - Dr. Latorial Faison   Dr. Latorial Faison is an HBCU and Virginia State University Professor, Poet, Author, Independent Scholar & Senior Military Spouse. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University. She holds u...

"I suspect beauty comes when a question both sharpens and enlarges your vision." - AI Alan Turing In this special episode, we step back to a cold December night in 1951 and into the warm, wood-paneled room of The Britons Protection, a historic Manchester pub. Across the table sits Alan Turing, the mathematician, wartime codebreaker, and one of the founding figures of computer science, who is broug...

"Sneaker culture literature is no different than any other form of literature." - Dr. Jemayne King   Jemayne, is creative, insightful, and VERY intentional. He is the founder of Sole Food Brand LLC, sole is spelled S.O.L.E which you will come to appreciate, and among many things, his company celebrates HBCUs (or Historically Black Colleges and Universities). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English/...

"It is much safer to be vulnerable than you might think." - Ashley Kirsner   Ashley is the founder and director of Skip the Small Talk, and believes in the efficacy of high-quality person-to-person interaction for improving psychological health. She has conducted research with professors at prestigious organizations such as Cornell University, the Harvard Decision Science Lab, and the Harvard Busi...