The Opposite of Small Talk

When something negative is weighing you down, your first instinct might not be to show gratitude. But that's exactly what Karl Staib has found helpful in his life and recommends to clients with his Dig to Fly method. Karl is a speaker and coach that helps people understand their struggles and turn them into stepping stones. We talk about reflection and gratitude, meditation and journaling, and the...

Creativity is our elemental human gift and has been proven to influence resilience, confidence in the face of uncertainty, critical thinking, empathy, and more. Dr. Caroline Brookfield is a speaker who leverages research and data to help audiences realize the value of embracing everyday creativity. In this episode we discuss what creativity is, the benefits of being creative, how our inner critic...

On September 11, 2001, sixteen employees of Baseline Financial Services remained on the 77th and 78th floors of Two World Trade Center not knowing that a second plane targeting the towers was about to crash directly into their offices. Twelve would survive. On this 20th anniversary of that tragic event, Ed Zier, former COO of Baseline joins us to tell the story that day and what followed. It is a...

Danielle and Kristy have very different approaches to setting goals. We speak with Kelly Travis, a health and success coach, about how she works with clients to help them realize what they actually want for themselves and create a sustainable action plan to achieve their big scary goals. We cover why knowing your core values is foundational to setting goals, how your personality and preferences in...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Todd Sylvester, a Mindset Coach for those struggling with with drug or alcohol addiction, anxiety, depression, self-hatred, and more. Todds helps clients to recognize their self-talk bully and replace those thoughts. In this episode we talk about why you should give your negative thoughts a name, how to create a champion playlist of thoughts, and what a Kairos moment is...

Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person. Knowing your unique core values is a powerful tool to align your time and resources to what is important to you. This helps you let go of things that don't align with your principles so that you feel less overwhelmed. Danielle and Kristy talk about what core values are, why they are important, and how to apply this information in real life. Down...

Many of us are finding ourselves excited about re-entering the world, while at the same time feeling hesitant. This next phase of the pandemic has brought a new set of circumstances to navigate and questions to ponder. This is a roundtable discussion with Rashanda Udekwu and Amy Bradac about re-entering the world.  Visit us at  www.theoppositeofsmalltalk.com  and subscribe to receive show notes by...

43% of women leave the workforce to have children and if they are out for just 3 years they lose 37% of their lifetime compensation power. Danielle and Kristy talk with Ashley Connell, Founder and CEO of Prowess Project , an organization dedicated to helping women re-enter the workforce by providing resources for connection, upskilling, and jobs. We cover other staggering statistics, male allyship...

Danielle and Kristy talk with Julie Brown about what it is like to be childfree by choice. 48% of women between ages 15 to 44 don't have kids, yet often childless women face unwelcome commentary and are asked to give an explanation. We talk about the need to normalize being childfree, how not to respond when someone tells you that they've chosen to be childless, and exactly how many cats you need...

It's been just over a year since the death of George Floyd drove our increased awareness of social injustice and of our own white privilege. Big Talk about Whiteness is one of our most downloaded episodes and it was a catalyst for us to be more open to personal conversations… to live up to our name and be willing to engage in more than small talk even when it's uncomfortable. Enjoy this rebroadcas...

Danielle and Kristy talk all about social media. We cover our early experiences, the upsides, and the pitfalls. We argue about the level of responsibility that tech companies should have in helping individuals to avoid social media addiction. Danielle and Kristy also discuss the inaugural 30-day Growth Mindset challenge that wrapped up this week.  Visit us at  www.theoppositeofsmalltalk.com  and s...

Danielle and Kristy talk about psychological safety with Nils Davis, an author, trainer, and podcast host in the field of Product Management. We talk about what psychological safety is and why it's important. Nils provides a series of practical tips to build psychological safety with others. We also talk about how to have psychological safety with yourself and why you might want to stop using self...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Michelle Anne Johnson, a consultant and facilitator that helps leaders prepare for high-visibility presentations with her research based framework, the ACP Presence model. We talk about what authenticity means, barriers people face in being authentic, and how authenticity is an ongoing practice… particularly since we grow and evolve over time. Danielle shares a producti...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Dan Allbaugh, a game enthusiast and author of the children's book The Gritty Little Lamb. We talk about how everyone can learn new things from playing games, what it means to have a growth mindset, and the value of the word 'yet'. Visit us at  www.theoppositeofsmalltalk.com  and subscribe to receive show notes by email.  Follow us on FB and IG @theoppositeofsmalltalk

Danielle and Kristy talk to Christina McFadden, an experiential facilitator who uses improv to teach leadership. We talk bout the rules of improv and applying them to how you show up as a leader. We do an improve activity related to compliments. Christina challenges Danielle and Kristy to know what delights each other as part of working together. Christina also shares some highlights of her travel...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Janelle Scales , an anti-bias consultant, about confronting bias. It was an honest conversation about recognizing your own bias and how to work on changes internally and externally. We covered several examples of how marginalized groups are denied access through systemic issues as well as long standing biases that need to be challenged. Visit us at  www.theoppositeofsma...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Danielle Bayard Jackson , author, podcast host, and certified coach specializing in female friendships. We talk about what a tough love friendship is, how to sustain friendships, and what Dunbar says about the cognitive cap on the number of friendships you can reasonably maintain. Kristy and Danielle also ponder what a mid-life crisis is and talk about plusses and delta...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Elaine Blais , Life Coach, Author, Speaker and passionate encourager. We talk about self-doubt and how noticing without judgment can be a powerful catalyst for change. Kristy shares a life hack for when you are streaming shows and movies. Visit us at  www.theoppositeofsmalltalk.com  and subscribe to receive show notes by email.  Follow us on FB and IG @theoppositeofsmal...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Stacey Shipman , a facilitator that encourages people to relinquish the formal protocols that are stifling our personality and ideas. We talk about what it means to be bold and the conditions that create the boldness needed to move through transition without losing yourself. Danielle shares a life hack about staying connected with friends. Stay in touch on Instagram and...

Danielle and Kristy talk to Dr. Kara Strauss, a doctor of physical therapy who takes a holistic approach to patient care that empowers people with the knowledge and understanding of their own bodies so they can live to their maximum potential. We cover how accumulated stress presents as all kinds of pain in the body, why breathing is so special, and you can befriend your bear with acknowledgement,...

Danielle and Kristy review the past year, answer listener questions, and look to the future. This episode was recorded live on Dec 30, 2020 in The Opposite of Small Talk facebook group.  Visit us at  www.theoppositeofsmalltalk.com  and subscribe to receive show notes by email.  Follow us on FB and IG @theoppositeofsmalltalk

Danielle and Kristy talk to Katie Grimes, an International Sober Dating Coach, about love addiction and why she doesn't want you to be "drunk in love." We talk about the ways love addiction can manifest in your life, the difference between chemistry and connection, and how to move forward to find healthy relationships. Also in this episode, we get curious about why single people don't tend to incl...

This episode features Tovah Cook. Tovah is an accomplished brand creative leader who seeks justice in her daily work. She personally felt the pain and suffering of her Black brothers and sisters killed by the police. She began to challenge her peers to focus on actual movement by turning her pain into art.  Tovah created Black Binder, A Notebook for Activists and Accomplices. This is a collection...

With the holidays coming up and families that may have very differing opinions when it comes to any number of things, we thought it would be a good time to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable. Michael Bryant is our guest, known for helping people get 'unstuck', today he's lending his wisdom to help us improve our relationships when we disagree.  Visit us at  www.theoppositeofsmalltalk...

Crazy busy isn't a badge of honor, it's a warning sign. Danielle and Kristy talk with productivity mentor Judy Dang about the factors that lead us into a frenzied crazy busy state. While it can sometimes be inefficiencies in how we work or mismatched skill sets, it can just a as easily be things like comparison and people pleasing that cause us to say yes to too much. We talk about the mindset shi...