New World Normal

Addiction is hard to approach in a discussion. Many of us have been in a situation where a conversation turns towards the topic and our instinct is panic. We might change the subject, we might nod politely, but we usually aren’t ready for this talk. The Normal we’ll be focusing on today is arguably as destructive as addiction itself: Shame. Our guest, Brianne Davis, shares her story and discusses...

In Greek mythology, humans used to exist in literal pairs. Four arms, four legs, two heads, two hearts. Zeus separated them into the body as we know it today because he feared the power of a unified whole. This is an allegory for soulmates, but in modern society it almost seems to apply to individuals. We lose touch with ourselves. The white noise of society gets loud and it’s hard to hear our own...

It’s the root of all evil, but is it really ? Money is like any scarce resource. It can inspire confusion, lies, fights, hoarding, and bring out the ugliest parts of humanity. However, money is ultimately a neutral force. Nobody can live without it, and most people would do wonderful things given enough money. However, in spite of its importance to all, our culture has an awkward time talking abou...

“Live your truth,” we’re told by our society, and it’s a wonderful message. However, the unspoken expectation is that our truth needs to be beautiful on social media, it has to compare with other people’s truths, and it must represent the values of our employers. It’s a contradictory expectation, and we must grow beyond it. There’s a cognitive dissonance in our culture, and today’s guest is doing...

As the world slowly recovers from the pandemic, we once again venture out into our communities, settle back into our routines, and return to our regularly-scheduled broadcasting as well as we can. Though any TNWN listener could tell you that “normal” isn’t always a good thing and that our own comfort doesn’t equate to someone else’s, today we will be examining why in more specific detail with our...

When a problem is too big for an individual to handle, it’s easy to get stuck and to feel apathetic. For instance, we can commit to curbing our plastic use by eliminating straws. However, on an individual level we also understand that this choice is only our own. The rest of the world will keep using straws. What’s the point? This is why, in nature and in society, humans occasionally require suppo...

The dreadful treadmill of office culture looms before us as COVID restrictions lift. Back to the normal life of commuting away from our families, back to Monday through Friday spent under harsh fluorescent lights, back to the 9-5 grind that can absorb more time than “9-5” implies. With a taste of work-from-home independence, many have realized that “normal” wasn’t working for them. So what now? To...

Sometimes we feel like our work has no impact on the world around us. It keeps coming back fresh every day, it keeps us from what we truly love, but it also keeps the lights on. How do we break out of this mundane, exhausting cycle? The first step to social disruption is squashing the stale standards we set for ourselves. Geri Paige Butner, today’s guest, is a living example of this.   Geri is a b...

What would you do if you were convicted of a gruesome crime you didn’t commit? Now imagine serving 16 years of your life for that crime, all the while having to fight against the current of a system that is not only indifferent, but often malicious? You could be furious, frustrated, and fall into a habit of resentment towards the world. Or you could take the admirable path chosen by today’s guest,...

Mind, body, soul… cells? Today’s guest, Heather Hiniker, is the founder and CEO of Ascent, a cutting-edge regenerative technology company in Newport Beach, CA. Hiniker’s business is built on two ideas: Our bodies are created to self-heal, and that we are only as healthy as our cells. Ascent offers many services focusing on cellular health and regeneration, and has seen an uptick in traffic since C...

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” For years, the U.S. healthcare system has had this adage backwards. Every industry is more profitable with repeat customers, after all. The complicated insurance rigamarole and the surprise costs of a seemingly simple procedure add up and take their toll. If that wasn’t enough, patients commonly complain of brief, impersonal, and frustrating exper...

Albert Einstein is often credited as saying, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” The quote’s true origins are unknown, but the sentiment has a Facebook-shareable quality to it and has gained traction as modern attitudes toward education grow and shift. In this episode we chat with the author of The...

Welcome back to the NWN Podcast today I am talking with Craig Gustafson. Craig is a Certified Body Language Trainer, on a mission to help everyone he can in Escaping their Social Awkwardness. As a 26-year submarine veteran, and self-described recovering social misfit, he understands what it takes to learn the science of social interaction. He has appeared on numerous podcasts and regularly gives t...

The daughter of a Hindu from India & a Presbyterian  from Scotland, it's not surprising that Sandhya has spent 25 years in activism and organizing; from the streets of Oakland all the way to the Hall of Congress. Sandhya's policy background gets put to good use around housing & labor justice, but their experience as a pastor and  in non-profit also give them  comfort in organizin...

Today our guest is Marjorie Aunos, Marjorie has a Ph. D. in psychology and is an award-winning inspirational speaker, an author and researcher from Montreal, Canada. Her expertise is working with parents who have intellectual disabilities. Marjorie believes that by focusing on our strengths of character, which we have decided to call Super Powers, we can all live truly fulfilling lives. We are tal...

A conversation with Dr Stacy Greathouse on how we can create a more student-centered educational experience...learning Dr Greathouse is an educator, an instructional designer and self-proclaimed Pirate. She rec’d her doctorate from Illinois State University located in Normal  - so as you may have guess we will talk a bit about “normal” in addition to our educational systems and their flawed state...

A conversation with Laarni Mulvey The Power Lady about her mission to help women tap into their inner strength.  Laarni Mulvey is a proud Filipino American. She's a women's strength advocate, mind-strength coach, author, speaker, and powerlifter. Laarni is also the founder of the Strong and Mighty Company and The Global Standing in Strength Movement. Known as The Power Lady, she leads wo...

Today, we're talking to James Barnes. James is a dad, a husband, a plant lover, and a creator of empathy. From a young age, he always wanted to help people, whether it was helping his peers who are struggling with depression or creating groups to hold each other accountable, he was consistently eager to lead and help. He now uses that passion to help ease the anxiety that stems from the LGBTQ...

Jen Bloomer is using her talents as an artist, educator and mother to help people navigate their own creativity while building community of people exploring antiracism at the intersection of art and activism. Jen Bloomer is an artist, facilitator and the founder of Radici Studios in San Francisco (Ra-dee-chee). For the past two decades, she has painted and taught art in Guatemala, India, Italy, Co...

Should we be striving to return to our pre-covid “normal”, or would working to create a new normal be preferable? A normal to better serve us, our communities and all of humanity. Sound intriguing? Join us weekly when we meet with guest experts and thought leaders to discuss how redefining our norms can lead to a more inclusive and holistic society. We will work together to uncover practical strat...