The Curious Introvert

C David Newton is board president of STAMPED, a festival showcasing LGBTQ film & filmmakers from all over the world, creating opportunities for viewers to not only see people like them on screen, but also build bridges in the community. The festival is named after the stamped money brought into the community by pride event attendees. In this episode he shares his personal experience attending...

Pensacola, FL was the FIRST settlement in the United States, making it old AF & ripe for ghost stories. Jessie Drossos has been professionally sharing these stories for the last 20 years. In this episode, she shares some of her favorite stories as well as her theory on ghosts. If you’re in Pensacola in October, be sure to book one of her tours through the University of West Florida Historic Tr...

Breanna Wilson is a freelance travel writer & photographer who found out her travel plans got Corona cancelled mid flight & ended up being stuck in the country of Georgia. She shares stories of how this & other uncomfortable moments have caused her to thrive. We talk wild horses, reindeer & yak yogurt. Guest: https://breannajwilson.com/   |  https://breannajwilson.contently.com/ |...

Sriram Ganesan’s family is from Southern India. Growing up in the U.S., he learned language like most Americans – late in life & well enough to pass an exam. Since traveling to 78 countries, spending about 1 month in each place, he now speaks 8 languages & works as a language trainer & tourism consultant. In this episode, he shares how learning languages can not only connect you to the...

Fraidy Reiss, founder of Unchained at Last, shares her own story of forced marriage & how she escaped, explains how this is happening IN THE UNITED STATES & how her organization expanded to advocate to end child marriage. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/unchainedatlast/ | https://www.unchainedatlast.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/UnchainedAtLast | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0LxkeD...

In part 2 of Sean Murphy’s story, he tells how he got into gay photography, his surprising gateway drug and why he decided to check himself into rehab. We also talk dopamine, 12 steps & the crazy Irish guy & the horse. Explicit language warning. Guest: https://seanmurphyphoto.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/murphyphoto/ | https://www.facebook.com/seanmurphyphoto/ | SAMHSA National Helplin...

Sean Murphy shares his story of going from barely graduating high school to being an award-winning photographer who’s worked with Weezer, Kid Rock, & Dr. Dre to name a few. In part 1 he shares how his journey started with $600 & a shipping container, how he got into photography (& drugs) & how a failed MTV Real World audition was the perfect set up to become THE photographer to som...

1 in 54 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It’s a wide spectrum that often gives individuals enhanced perception on some areas & diminished abilities in other areas. In this episode I talk with 11 year old Evan Hunley & his mom, Ellen. Evan’s autism super powers include enhanced memory, pattern recognition, deep empathy & a heightened desire to make those...

Adventure journalist, Kinga Philipps & I talk about the keys to connecting cross cultures, share stories of excessive kindness & how her dual background in journalism & anthropology work together to investigate global unsolved mysteries in her Travel Channel TV series Lost in the Wild. She also shares the weirdest (& most wonderful) travel memento ever! Guest: www.kingaphilipps.com...

Married couple Brent & Angela Lane share how they paid off $80,000 in debt when 40% of Americans can’t cover a $400 emergency with cash. They tell what systems really worked for them, how Angela was resistant at first, signs you might be headed for disaster & how they avoided a huge financial tragedy during breast cancer treatments. Guests: https://www.facebook.com/brentlanecat | https://w...

Ryan Schneider & wife Taeko Ariga both come from non-circus families. Ryan got his first job as the motorcycle on a high wire act at 31. The two met in Japan and now are a flying trapeze duo. In this episode, they describe the behind-the-scenes of their international performances, Ryan shares his philosophy on what makes a great performer & their parents reactions to their announcement the...

Today is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Why is this important? Listen in as I chat with JR Harding, a 6’5” football player who had TWO spinal cord injuries causing him to become a quadriplegic. Today he has a doctorate of education, is a faculty member at FSU College of Business & serves on the Delta Airlines Disability Advisory Board. He is a two-time US Pr...

Co-owner of IZON Models & Talent, Rebecca Hamilton Taylor, joins me in busting modeling myths, covering dos & don’ts & answering listener questions about the industry. Listen in as she gives advice on how to be a model, what agencies look for & how to avoid scams. Guest: http://izonmodels.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/IZONModels/ | https://www.instagram.com/izonmodels/ | https://...

Rita King was an underwater mermaid performer in Florida’s Weeki Wachee fresh water spring from 1963-1968 & performs today as a 60 something with 2-4 shows per month! In our chat she shares what it was like to choose a non-traditional career path in the 60s as a woman, what happens when wildlife interrupts their show & her passion for Florida’s fresh water springs. Guest: https://www.faceb...

A self-proclaimed armchair expert, Mike Boylan has become the no BS resource for weather news all year long as the founder of Mike’s Weather Page on Facebook and speghettimodels.com . His page has been accredited by NOAA, FEMA, the Hurricane Hunters, local meteorologists & the Weather Channel, but he’s also collected a few critics along the way. In this episode, Mike shares Today the back stor...

It’s a short drive.” “I’ll drive slow.” “I’m careful.” He didn’t think thoughts we haven’t all thought. Yet in a blink of an eye 2 girls were dead & he was sentenced to 22 years in prison on 2 counts of DUI manslaughter. In this episode Eric Smallman shares how one night changed everything with a decision he had made a thousand times before & the surprising partnership that developed betwe...

Shane Reynolds has worked with Travel Channel, National Geographic, Discovery Channel & the BBC. He is the owner of the mobile TV production company Color Earth and is a traveling on-man-band. In this episode, he shares his behind the scenes adventures, his perspective on a non-traditional career path in the creative space & even offers advice to others looking in that direction. Guest: ht...

Some works are going back to the office, while others are still working remotely, but we are all finding our way through Zoom calls & the COVID19 “new normal.” Jamie Dickerman, Vice President of Public Relations for Sunny505, a nation-wide communications firm, shares work place predictions, some zoom tips you should DEFINTELY know before your next Monday meeting & how we can make communica...

Insurance agent by day & stand-up comedian by night, Emily Dillon, shares the perspective cancer has given her & how humor knows no diagnosis. She dishes on her hot oncologist, the awkward moments when you tell people you have cancer & even gives advice to others with cancer. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/killingcancerwithcomedy/ | https://www.instagram.com/stingerscomedy/ | https:/...

It’s frustrating to live with something as adult you were supposed to outgrow. Most adults are misdiagnosed with depression & anxiety when ADHD is the cause. Dr. Barbara Cohen, psychotherapist for over 30 years, certified ADHD Coach, international ADHD researcher, and fellow ADDer, offers insight & answers to adults who have brains that work differently. Click here to save your spot at the...

Tracy O’Donnell grew up in small town America. After graduating college (& not knowing any Italian), she moved to Italy. Now she lives there full time with her partner & soon to be 3 kids. Listen in as she share the differences in dating culture between the United States & Italy. We talk mammoni, the stages of dating & compare American macho to Italian macho. Guest: https://www.ins...

Holden Hardman started his YouTube channel in 2016 & is climbing quickly to 100,000 subscribers, but life as a recognizable person in a small town can be taxing when you are also an introvert. We talk about the dynamics of introversion, overthinking & anxiety as it relates to content creation. He also gives some great tips to new YouTubers!  *Thanks for your patience on the audio quality -...

Human Trafficking isn’t usually an abduction or sex slavery. Brad Dennis shares what human trafficking normally looks like & what you can do when you spot it. We also cover topics like the amateur porn industry in Florida & the legalization of prostitution. Brad is the National Search Director for the KlaasKIDS Foundation's Search Center for Missing and Trafficked Children. His rescue...

Kelly Brock was in the top .5% of her network marketing company & looked like she had it all together, but on the inside, she was struggling. She had become so out of line with her priorities that she began feeling sick in her pursuit of success. We talk about how she recognized her anxiety, realized her addiction to success & share IMMEDIATELY implementable tools to eliminate daily anxiet...

Tehran native Sohrab Tavakoli does a culture comparison of between Iran’s capitol city & Dallas, TX. We discuss American friendliness, travel attitudes, work culture & more.  *Thanks for your patience on the audio quality - the Rona got it!* Guest: https://www.instagram.com/sohrab_tavakoli_sto/ Host: www.meredithforreal.com | www.instagram.com/meredithforreal | meredith@meredithforreal.com...