The Curious Introvert

Jose Herrera had Marine squad leader training that included learning about & using a “sixth sense.” In this episode, he shares his journey to developing pre-cognitive abilities & how he used them in his 3 combat tours in Iraq & Afghanistan. He also shares a bit of military history around this topic & how we might all be able to upgrade our senses. If you liked this episode, you’ll...

Vicki Robin is considered the mother of the FIRE movement & has appeared on hundreds of shows, including Oprah & Good Morning America. She’s the co-author of the international best-seller, Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence. Here we explore the heart-side of the balance sheet with concepts like money is life energy, the f...

Christophe Zajac-Denek  is a surfer, actor, journalist, drummer & stunt man. He is also a Little Person. He was born with Cartilage-hair hypoplasia, a rare form of dwarfism. In this episode, we talk about the mechanics of surfing with a spinal fusion & shorter limbs, and his journey of going from not wanting to be associated with other Little People to becoming an advocate. He also shares...

Dr. Benjamin Bergen is a Cognitive Science professor at the University of California San Diego, the author of the book, What the F, and was featured on the Netflix series “The History of Swear Words.” Here he shares what makes a word bad, discusses the future of cussing, the efficacy of word prohibition & the cultural influence of cursing etymology around the world. If you liked this episode,...

Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka is a Professor of religious history at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her research focuses on religion and technology, but it was her research about purgatory specifically that lead her to UFO culture, a journey she documents in her book, American Cosmic. Here she helps us understand the connection between tech, religion & aliens, explains why you might th...

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli is a  zero waste consultant and executive director of Common Ground Compost, a New York organization dedicated to waste reduction through zero waste program design, staff training, education, advocacy, collection & compost. Here she explains how trash & recycling really work, the socioeconomic dynamics in environmental causes & how we can be less trashy. If y...

Sister Kate of Sisters of the Valley shares how she went from homeless to housing others & why she transitioned away from THC products to a CBD model & now mushroom coffee as well. We talk about being inspired by the beguine sisters of Northern Europe, the occupy movement, moon ceremonies & privatizing sexuality. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 120: HOLY SMOKE: THE...

Matt Shifrin is a rock climber, podcaster, TedTalk speaker, musical composer & inventor. He’s also blind. He shares how he invented Lego instructions for the blind & how legos helped him rock climb. He also shares how his experience of the world differs from a sighted person in situations like getting a Lyft & crossing the street & how he’s using technology to “see” facial expressi...

Introverts are notorious for having a few close friends. Extroverts are known for having many friends, but none very close. Adam Smiley Poswolsky gives tips for both as we discuss the friendship gap, a term to describe being “connected” in a digital age, while experiencing heightened loneliness. He’s a speaker & author of Friendship in the Age of Loneliness. He answers the question, What IS fr...

Is the “ick” factor of cannibalism nature or nurture? Bill Schutt, a PhD zoologist & author of, answers this question by sharing the history of human cannibalism. He’s also the author of Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History . We discuss why accounts of historic cannibalism may have been exaggerated, cannibalism in Europe, eating placenta & taking holy communion. If you liked this episo...

When the Redditor known as Incrediblyshinyshart lost part of his leg in a motorcycle accident & had to have it amputated, he made an unusual choice – to eat it. He shares his thoughts on mourning, cannibalism & why eating part of his own body was life-changing. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 117: CHIN TATTOOS: HEALING & SOVEREIGNTY IN ALASKA Guest: https://www.redd...

Rob Baedeker is the co-author of What to Talk About: On a Plane, at a Cocktail Party, in a Tiny Elevator with Your Boss's Boss . In this episode, he shares how to break free of the sleep-inducing conversation templates we've all had on repeat, deal with awkward political discussions & keep the conversational spark alive with our friends & family by converting small talk into real...

The thought of collecting hair is reserved in our minds for the worst episodes of Hoarders, but Lisa Gautier of Matter of Trust is using discarded hair to clean up the ocean. In this episode, she explains how her organization discovered mats & booms made of human & animal hair were super oil absorbers, who is using them, how they are disposed of  & how they’re using a politically agnos...

Rob Kenney is the “Dad of the Internet.” The accidental YouTube star shares the importance of mentorship, his reluctance to be in the spotlight & his journey of forgiveness towards his Dad who abandoned him & his 7 siblings when he was just 14 years old. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 94: IRISH CATHOLIC TO ORTHODOX JEW: CONVERSION, ACCEPTANCE & COMMUNITY   Guest: h...

Paul Vautrinot shares his story of living in the Las Vegas tunnels, or as he states it, beneath the neon. He shares what life in the Vegas underground city was like with the tunnel people, how he left, got sober & became a co-founder of Shine a Light Foundation. He shares the organization’s unique approach to ending homelessness & how they are by-passing wait lists. If you liked this episo...

Rob Annis is a freelance outdoor travel adventure writer & national park enthusiast who idolized the president who put the park system in place, Theodore Roosevelt. When learning the truth about the history of the National Parks, his favorite president & his father overlapped, and he had the difficult task of recognizing the darker aspects of the past. He shares what he uncovered in his re...

Dr. Brandon Warmke is an Associate Professor & philosopher at Bowling Green University & the co-author of the Book Grandstanding, The use and abuse of moral talk. He shares the different kinds of grandstanding, its link to narcissism & how to know if you are virtue signaling. We also touch on the outlook of public discourse & minding your own business. If you liked this episode, yo...

Chris Buckley shares how sobriety & voluntarily staying in jail were the catalysts for leaving the Georgia White Knights, his change of heart towards the queer community & an intense conversation with a Muslim. He also shares more about the programs at Parents4Peace that help veterans & police officers undo harmful job-related ideology. Trigger warning on basically all the triggers. If...

Chris Buckley was a war veteran returning home when he was recruited for a KKK chapter – the Georgia White Knights, but the events leading up to that were “a Petry dish of hate” that included abuse, addiction, death & displacement. If you’ve ever wondered what causes someone to join the KKK, this episode will give you perspective. Trigger warning on basically all the triggers. If you know some...

Jenny Radcliffe is a professional con-woman & people hacker who uses social engineering to test the vulnerability of professional security systems. She shares how she got started in her teens, avoided a life of crime & how we can all be less vulnerable. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 80: HELPFUL ADS OR DIGITAL PROWLING? HOW TO BE A LITTLE LESS TRACKABLE Guest: https://...

Dr. Rick Brinkman, author of the book “Dealing with Meetings You Can’t Stand” walks us through how to meet less & do more, what every meeting should have & why you should start on time even if not everyone is present. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 106: DEALING WITH PEOPLE YOU CAN’T STAND: MOTIVATIONS, REMEDIES &  EMAIL HALLUCINATIONS Guest: https://www.linkedin.co...

Garrick Jones is one of the authors of The Curious Advantage. In this episode, he shares his research findings on the benefits of curiosity especially in a digital world. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 102: DIVERSITY CREATES RESILIENCE? Guest: https://www.facebook.com/CuriousAdvantage |  https://twitter.com/CuriousAdvantge |  https://twitter.com/garrickjones |  https://www.lin...

Sue Reagan Kenney has been living a barefoot lifestyle for the last 12 years in Canada. The former shoe-obsessed corporate woman shares how her shoeless journey began, the health benefits she’s experienced from it & why dirtier feet may make happier humans. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 61: REDUCING STRESS THROUGH BREATHING: HACKS FOR THE NON-HIPPY Guest: https://www.suek...

In part two of my chat with Joe Sanok, author of Thursday is the new Friday, he shares how replacing your “to-do” list with a “to-be” list & gamifying it can launch consistency, how to discover your internal inclinations & sprint type & what a dead mouse can teach us about problem solving. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode Ep. 105 | OVERWHELM AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATIO...

Author of Thursday is the new Friday, Joe Sanok, shares how the signs of a shorter work week (& longer weekends) have been popping up since the 1980’s. In this episode he shares why a four day work week is critical to society’s advancement, examples of places already implementing alternative schedules & how we can recalibrate our minds away from the industrialist mindset. If you liked this...