The Curious Introvert

Sigrid Rehrig is the Executive Director of Our Corner, an environmental non-profit. In this episode, we discuss how she avoids the major pitfalls of getting people on board with a cause: the bad behavior of others in your space, feeling like a drop in the bucket, political entanglement & all-or-nothing attitudes. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 140: CAN HAIR SAVE THE WORLD?...

In these 3 episode clips, you’ll hear Theodora Scarato share the risks of chronic EMF exposure & how you can protect yourself, Nina Teicholz on how to understand heart disease & what tests to get done at your next doctor visit & Jesse Coomer on how specific breathwork can give you access to a calmer existence. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 92: MENTAL HEALTH MIXTAP...

Dr. Elaine Kasket is an author & psychotherapist who has a particular interest in the intersection of death & the digital. She was recently featured on Netflix’s, The Future of Everything & wrote a book called All the Ghosts in the Machine . Here, we discuss how artificial intelligence could change the way we mourn, where the money goes when digital content creators die, when legacy Fa...

Dr. Joshua Grubbs is an addiction researcher who found his interest in sex addiction in college (not as exciting as it sounds). He’s since published over 100 papers on sexually compulsive behavior disorder & in this episode, we discuss the difference between addiction & dependence, convenient diagnoses, compulsive sexual behavior within bipolar disorder & OCD, how to identify sex addic...

Lauren & Steven Keys of Trip of a Lifestyle share what inspired them to retire at age 29, how they did it on average incomes, why they don’t track their monthly expenses & the concept of buying back your time. They also share the practical way they stay motivated in the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 151 with Vicki R...

Adam Schaeuble takes over as host & interviews me! Adam is my podcasting coach & host of the podcast Podcasting Business School. In this episode, you’ll hear about the weird thing kid Meredith made everyone do when they came to her house, how I prep for & track down guests, my dream guests, what I think of my listeners & how my husband & I met. If you liked this episode, you’ll...

Steve Friedman is an introvert who spent 30 years climbing the corporate ladder. He played the part of an extrovert so well, that it wasn’t until his retirement party that his co-workers found out he was, in fact, an introvert. In this episode, he shares the crisis point that made him realize he needed to honor his introverted nature, the brain chemicals that make introverts & extroverts diffe...

Dr. Niobe Way is a developmental psychologist with a focus on adolescent friendship who has studied human connection for over 35 years. In this episode, she gives insight into what makes childhood boy friendships easy, but adult male friendships hard, how American masculinity creates lonely & depressed men & steps we can take for lifelong connection. If you liked this episode, you’ll also...

Dr. Tro Kalayjian was a 350lb medical doctor failing to find results from mainstream advice until he did his own research, applied what he learned & lost 150lbs. Now he helps others break free from yo-yo diets & preventable disease with his private practice & his podcast. In this episode he shares his story of overcoming obesity, explains why 73% of Americans are overweight & yet d...

Rose Eveleth is a futurologist – a title they prefer over the serious nature of the label “futurist.” They’re the creator of a podcast network that demystifies the future, were recently featured on Netflix’s The Future of Everything & a writer who explores how humans tangle with science & tech. In this episode, we explore (with much hilarity) the ethics & impacts of future technology i...

Jesse Coomer suffered for years from what he calls “the modern condition,” cycles of stress & anxiety burdening our minds & bodies, but accepted as just the way it is. He found relief & regained his passion for life in the cold. He became one of the first American-certified Wim Hof instructors, published 2 books & conducts cold exposure training. In this episode, he explains the sc...

Manxiety = Man Anxiety. Jon Patrick Hatcher experienced turmoil as a teen with crushing anxiety & self-harming. Writing & humor were coping techniques that turned into something more. He now has a regular comedy self-help segment on psychology today & together with the help of mental health professionals, he wrote a book to make mental health strategies palatable with humor and plain l...

Dr. Alexys Hillman is a medical doctor specializing in grief advocacy. In this episode, we explore how to make room for grief in moments of joy, what unresolved grief looks like in physical symptoms & how to move through less recognized sources of grief like estrangement & loss of opportunity. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 88: DEPRESSION OR SADNESS? HOW TO KNOW THE DI...

Iran hasn’t always been a conflict zone. 1970s Iran resembled most Western countries. But in 1979, the government changed from a monarchy to a theocracy, causing the mostly secular public to be ruled by radical Muslims. Now the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini has sparked country-wide protests, with Gen Z at the forefront. In this episode, Iranian American Shadi (last name left out for safety) exp...

Dr. Duana Welch is called Dear Abbey on Science. She’s the author of the book, Love Factually, a data-driven, how-to romance book for people looking for lifelong love. In this episode, she uses science to explain the friend zone, how to get out of it & why men propose with a ring, not a potato. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 68: CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS? LESSONS OF LOV...

Dr. Loretta Breuning was unconvinced by prevailing theories on human motivation & after researching the animal origins of our brain chemicals, wrote the book Habits of a Happy Brain. Here she shares why we find ourselves saying, “I shouldn’t be so unhappy! I have everything I need” or doing late-night shopping at the expense of your savings account, drinking more than we said we would, or goin...

Dr. Joe Watkins has been studying archeology for over 50 years. He’s a Senior Consultant at Archaeological and Cultural Education Consultants, in Tucson, Arizona & visiting Professor at the Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education at Hokkaido University in Japan. He is also a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He was the 2nd native person to be president of the societ...

Psilocybin was approved for research of therapeutic potential in 2021 & Dr. Peter Hendricks is a part of that research. He’s a clinical psychologist and professor in the department of health behaviors at the University of AL Birmingham. Here he shares why psilocybin has historically been taboo, the therapeutic potential, the efficacy of drug prohibition & the CIA’s role in making magic mus...

Lopaka Kapanui is a native Hawaiian who was adopted by a non-Hawaiian family & raised Catholic. When he was 7, he died during a medical procedure & his near-death experience left him with some unusual gifts & an open door to connecting back to his culture. He now celebrates over 25 years of owning & operating Hawaii’s only locally-owned ghost tour company, Mysteries of Hawaii. In t...

Trish St John is the founder of Sensual Solutions in Vancouver, Canada, an intimate care service for adults with disabilities. With everyone trying to be more sex-positive, we ask the question, why then is it so uncomfortable to think about someone with a spinal cord injury having sex? In this episode, she shares how she went from HR executive to sex surrogacy agency owner, why we prefer people wi...

Jeff Adorador spent his 20s as an outdoor nomad, spending most of his time in nature & able to fit all of his possessions in the back of a truck. In his 30’s he got his Master's Degree in Counseling & in 2004 he combined his passions by founding Earthwalker, a service providing wilderness survival instruction, walk-and-talk outdoor counseling, and wilderness therapy adventures. In thi...

Joshua Harris is the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, a best-selling book in the late ’90s touting courtship as the superior way to find God’s perfect match for you & avoid the perils of sexual sin. It was a required read for many in the evangelical Christian community. In this episode, Josh shares how he changed his mind about the ideas in the book, how our sex lives & careers are conne...

The Ysleta community of El Paso sits near the Mexico border & is known for its paranormal activity. Leon Baker was a border patrol agent for 23 years where he experienced paranormal activity like ghosts, shadow people & unexplainable thermal readings. In this episode, he shares his ghost stories as well as a few surprising immigration stories. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like ep...

You’ve heard what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but when it comes to your Vagus nerve, it’s everybody’s business! Dr. Jamie Tyler is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham & the Co-Founder of IST, a neurotech company that develops noninvasive human performance enhancement technology. He has developed biohacking earbuds as a solution for stress &...

Gill Tietz is a former pharmaceutical biochemist who uses science to approach the subject of sobriety in her podcast, Sober Powered. In this episode, she explains the difference between a pastime & a problem, why WHY we drink matters & if it’s possible to be a heavy drinker, but not be an alcoholic. So whether you are wanting to better understand your newly sober friends, are sober curious...