Smart People Podcast

We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they found the astounding triumphs we all seek. These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant, lucky, or gifted. Their success came from timeless philosophical principles laid down by a Roman emperor who struggled to articulate a method for excellence in any and all situations. In this episode we speak with Ryan Holiday, author of the bestselling book, The Obstacle Is the Way, as he reveals what these principles are, and how to turn our own adversity into advantage. Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company. His first book, Trust Me I’m Lying —which the Financial Times called an “astonishing, disturbing book”—was a debut bestseller and is taught in colleges around the world. He is the author of two other books and is now published in 16 languages. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with his rebellious puppy, Hanno and pet goats ____ "Wealth is created by scarcity. It's the fact that there are not many people who have been successful at the thing you are trying to do that makes it worth doing." - Ryan Holliday Quotes from Ryan: What we learn in this episode: How to find what you want to be when you grow up? Why are obstacles a good thing? What is stoicism? Resources: The Obstacle Is the Way http://ryanholiday.net/ Twitter: @ryanholiday -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is it like to be a co-founder of one of the largest, most innovative tech companies on the planet? What are the necessary ingredients of a successful startup? How can people better leverage technology to be more productive? These are just a portion of the questions we get answered by our guest this week, VP of Marketing and Co-Founder of Evernote, Andrew Sinkov. Join us as we discuss how Evernote went from a company on the brink of bankruptcy, to one of the most used and most loved tech companies around. Evernote builds apps and products that are defining the way individuals and teams work today. As one workspace that lives across your phone, tablet, and computer, Evernote is the place you wrtire free from distraction, collect information, find what you need, and present your ideas to the world. Whatever you're working toward, Evernote's job is to make sure you get there. Evernote is an independent, privately held company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founder in 2007, Evernote products reach more than 100 million users worldwide - wither nearly 400 employees and growing. ______ "When people start companies, they are trying to make something like this happen. And there is not a rule book for this. There is a ton of luck necessary, but you also have to build the right team, have the right people, make the right decisions, work with the right investors, etc. And even when you have all those things, it still doesn't necessarily work out." - Andrew Sinkov Quotes from Andrew: What we learn in this episode: What is the average day like for the Co-Founder of Evernote? What was the evolution of Evernote - specifically from startup to massive tech company? How did the mission of Evernote change over time? Does Andrew believe Silicon Valley is in a "tech/startup" bubble? Resources: https://evernote.com/ https://blog.evernote.com/ https://appcenter.evernote.com/ http://restartgtd.com/howto/how-to-install-evernote-web-clipper-in-google-chrome/ Twitter: @sinkov -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for FREE with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the show our guest is a man that needs to no introduction. You know him for his iconic role in the cult classic movie, "The Goonies", and for starting a 3 decade long fad of the "truffle shuffle" - welcome Jeff Cohen (Chunk). Of course we talk with Jeff at length about his child acting career, what it was like to work with Steven Spielberg, and how it feels to play a lead role in one of the best movies of all time (yes - I truly believe that). But that was 30 years ago! What is Jeff up to now? Jeff is a founding partner of an entertainment law firm and he just wrote his first book called The Dealmaker's Ten Commandments: Ten Essential Tools for Business Forged in the Trenches of Hollywood. In this book, Jeff draws on his experience in the cut-throat world of Hollywood to provide a practical, no-nonsense methodology for negotiating deals, managing your time and handling crisis, all at the highest level. Join us as we talk to Chunk... all grown up. Jeff attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business in 1996. After his time at Berkeley, Cohen graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 2000 and later became an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. In 2002, he co-founded the Cohen & Gardner firm in Beverly Hills. Jeff was recently named to The Hollywood Reporter's Next Generation: Hollywood's Top 35 Executives 35 and Under. ____ "Acting is the greatest job in the world. No matter what they say, no one intentionally gives up acting." - Jeff Cohen Quotes from Chunk.... I mean Jeff: "Wherever I go there is a little 10 year old doing the truffle shuffle right behind me." "When I was a kid actor I wanted to be Spanky from the Little Rascals. That was my goal. I was a little chubby kid and I grew up watching the Little Rascals." "I had a little taste of fame without being so famous that I couldn't do something else. I could still hold an entry level job and work my way up through the ranks." "Everyone is on the same side... their own." "Ultimately, the exercise of economic combat is not to show everybody how smart you are, or to yell the loudest. The point is to make a deal, because if you don't make a deal you don't get paid." What we learn in this episode: What's it like to be a child actor? What is life like in Hollywood, both as an actor and an entertainment lawyer? What are the 10 commandments for "deal making"? Resources: The Dealmaker's Ten Commandments: Ten Essential Tools for Business Forged in the Trenches of Hollywood Twitter: @Jeff_B_Cohen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-KRGgMB78Y -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've all been taught the golden rule - "treat others as you want to be treated". Our parents raise us with the best intentions - they tell us to be nice to one another, and not to step on others to get ahead. But is that actually good advice? Is it better to have high moral character and put others first, or is it a dog eat dog world where nice guys finish last? This week we speak with Fred Kiel, co-founder of KRW International, leadership researcher, and author of the new book, Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win. In this book (and episode), Fred summarizes seven years of research on the connection between the character of the CEO and return on assets. As part of this research, Fred and his team embarked on a landmark study of more than 100 CEOs and over 8,000 of their employees' to determine once and for all if the character of a leader really has an impact on a company's financial success. Prior to focusing on business advising, Fred founded a successful private practice in Minneapolis which became the major employer of professionals in that market. His interest in business advising eventually won out, and a bit over two decades ago, he sold his practice and co-founded KRW International. Fred has served on the boards of several philanthropic organizations, including Augsburg College Youth and Family Institute, Graywolf Press, Walk-In Counseling Center, and the Lyra Concert. He currently serves on the board of the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. He also served on the adjunct staff of the Center for Creative Leadership for nearly ten years and served two terms on the Board of Psychology for the state of Minnesota. ____ "We are born to be both self-concerned and to be concerned for the common good. Which one of those sides 'wins' is dependent upon our environment and our experiences as we grow up." - Fred Kiel Quotes from Fred: What we learn in this episode: What does it take to be a strong leader? What does it mean to be moral? What are the 4 moral principles? What are the two eulogies that you have and how do you want to shape them? Resources: Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win returnoncharacter.com Fred Kiel TedX Talk -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for FREE with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that the alcohol that gets you drunk in a beer or a cocktail is actually the waste products of billions of dead yeast organisms? Or that most of our crops were initially grown to make alcohol and only later were actually used for food? These are just some of the crazy facts that we learn this week as we interview New York Times Best Selling author, Amy Stewart. Amy is the author of 7 books, and perhaps her most popular is the one we focus on this week, The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks. This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party. Amy Stewart is the author of seven books. She has written six nonfiction books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including four New York Times bestsellers: The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Bugs, Wicked Plants, and Flower Confidential. She lives in Eureka, California, with her husband Scott Brown, who is a rare book dealer. They own a bookstore calledEureka Books. Since her first book was published in 2001, Stewart has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition and Fresh Air, she’s been profiled in the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, and she’s been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, the PBS documentary The Botany of Desire, and–believe it or not– TLC’s Cake Boss. Amy has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and many other newspapers and magazines. She is the co-founder of the popular blog GardenRant. ____ "Next time you have a beer or a cocktail, just remember what you are drinking is the waste products of billions of dead yeast organisms." - Amy Stewart Quotes from Amy: What we learn in this episode: How did humans discover alcohol? How is alcohol made? What plants and/or grains are used to make each style of alcohol? Resources: The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks http://www.amystewart.com/ @Amy_Stewart Amy's Favorite Alcohol: Strega Cocchi Americano Woodford Reserve -- This episode is brought to you by: Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the shift in gender roles, many children are no longer being raised primarily by their mothers. With dual income families increasing in popularity, child care is often outsourced to a neighbor, grandparents, or a nanny. But what is the effect on children? Contrary to conventional wisdom, growing up with a working mother is unlikely to harm children socially and economically when they become adults. The working mother study, authored by Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn, HBS researcher Mayra Ruiz Castro, and Elizabeth Long Lingo of Mt. Holyoke College, found that women with working mothers performed better in the workplace, earning more and possessing more powerful positions than their peers with stay-at-home mothers. In the United States, adult daughters of working mothers earned 23 percent more than those whose mothers had not worked during their during the daughters' childhoods, earning an annual average income of $35,474 compared to $28,894. Over 33 percent held supervisory positions, compared to roughly 25 percent of their counterparts from more traditional households. The "working mother effect" actually improves future prospects, especially for adult daughters of mothers who worked outside the home before their daughters were 14 years old, according to recent findings based on a comprehensive survey of 50,000 adults aged 18 to 60 in 25 nations worldwide in 2002 and 2012. This week we interview one of the leading researchers in the HBS Gender Initiative, Harvard Professor Dr. Kathleen McGinn. One of the main goals Harvard Business School wants to achieve with the Gender Initiative is to ground discussions about gender in rigorous research so that people can make better- informed decisions for themselves, their families, their companies, and their communities. ____ "There is a slight positive effect for maternal employment on children's achievement in school and on their behavior in school." - Kathleen McGinn Quotes from Kathleen: What we learn in this episode: What does gender mean to a "white, middle-class male"? Is it a good idea for a corporation to set a quota for number of employed minorities and women? Are children raised by stay at home moms happier? Resources: HBS Gender Initiative Women and Public Policy Website -- This episode is brought to you by: Animoto: Visit Animoto.com/smartpeople and use promo code “SMARTPEOPLE” to get 15% off to receive 15% off an Annual Pro subscription! Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever sought a job or hired someone, applied to college or guided your child into a good kindergarten, asked someone out on a date or been asked out, you’ve participated in a kind of market. Most of the study of economics deals with commodity markets, where the price of a good connects sellers and buyers. But what about other kinds of “goods,” like a spot in the Yale freshman class or a position at Google? This is the territory of matching markets, where “sellers” and “buyers” must choose each other, and price isn’t the only factor determining who gets what. Our guest this week, Alvin E. Roth, is one of the world’s leading experts on matching markets. He has even designed several of them, including the exchange that places medical students in residencies and the system that increases the number of kidney transplants by better matching donors to patients. Alvin is the Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is also the Gund Professor of Economics and Business Administration Emeritus at Harvard University. He works in the areas of game theory, experimental economics and market design. He is also the author of the fantastic new book, Who Gets What — and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design, and in 2012 he won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences "for the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design" ...whatever that means. ____ "Markets are what people do. It's how we get along with each other. When you're not alone and you're interacting with other people there is a good chance you're engaged in some kind of marketplace." - Alvin Roth Quotes from Alvin: What we learn in this episode: What is the true definition of a market? What are matching markets and what are some examples? What is a repugnant transaction? What's a great trick to increase your chances of being accepted to the college of your choice? Resources: Who Gets What — and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design http://marketdesigner.blogspot.com/ http://web.stanford.edu/~alroth/ -- This episode is brought to you by: Animoto: Visit Animoto.com/smartpeople and use promo code “SMARTPEOPLE” to get 15% off to receive 15% off an Annual Pro subscription! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early birds and night owls are born, not made. Sleep patterns are the primary result of the highly individualized biological clocks we inherit, but these clocks also regulate bodily functions from digestion to hormone levels to cognition. Living at odds with our internal timepieces can make us chronically sleep deprived and more likely to smoke, gain weight, feel depressed, fall ill, and fail geometry. By understanding and respecting our internal time, we can live better. In this episode we interview Till Roenneberg, professor of chronobiology at the Institute of Medical Psychology at LMU in Munich, Germany, and author of the book, Internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why You're So Tired. ____ "We don't even know how much sleep somebody needs. We can calculate how much sleep someone gets, but we don't know if it's the amount they need. And we know there is a genetic individual difference between how much sleep people need." - Till Roenneberg Quotes from Till: What we learn in this episode: What is chronobiology? What is the difference between a night own and an early bird? Is it genetic or environmental? The science behind out circadian rhythm. How can you adjust your circadian rhythm? Resources: Internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why You're So Tired Twitter: @TillRoen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ylqK-aPX8 Get the F.Lux software we discussed -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for FREE with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have all heard the axiom, "It's better to give than to receive." And although it sounds good in theory, is it actually true? What about in the cut throat business of selling? Many people are arguing that the old days of pressure sales are gone and a new era is upon us, yet we are reluctant to believe it. If you've ever been in sales, you have probably felt the pressure of "convincing" someone to buy. Well this week you will learn not only how to improve your sales game, but to become successful in all areas of life while also adding value to the world. By following the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success, you can tap into the natural rhythm of a free-market economy and achieve your goals. Our guest this week is Bob Burg, a sought after speaker and best-selling author. One of his most popular books, The Go-Giver has sold over 250,000 copies. Bob Burg shares information on topics vital to the success of today’s businessperson. He speaks for corporations and associations internationally, including fortune 500 companies, franchises, and numerous direct sales organizations. Bob regularly addresses audiences ranging in size from 50 to 16,000 — sharing the platform with notables including today’s top thought leaders, broadcast personalities, Olympic athletes and political leaders including a former United States President. The Go-Giver shot to #6 on The Wall Street Journal’s Business Bestsellers list just three weeks after its release and reached #9 on BusinessWeek. Since its release it has consistently stayed in the top 25 on 800ceoread’s Business Book Best Seller List. It’s an international bestseller and has been translated into 21 languages. It is Bob’s fourth book to sell over 250,000 copies. ____ "Nobody is going to buy from you because you have a quota to meet. They are going to buy from you because there is more value in doing so than in not doing so." - Bob Burg Quotes from Bob: What we learn in this episode: What are the keys to providing value? How can you become a better salesman? Should a boss aim for commitment or compliance? Why? What are the 5 laws of stratospheric success? Resources: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea www.burg.com Twitter: @bobburg Bob recommends: How to Master the Art of Selling Think and Grow Rich As a Man Thinketh Psycho-Cybernetics The Magic of Thinking Big How to Win Friends and Influence People Peace, Power and Plenty -- This episode is brought to you by: Animoto: Visit Animoto.com/smartpeople and use promo code “SMARTPEOPLE” to get 15% off to receive 15% off an Annual Pro subscription! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all understand that technology is addicting. Every passing year, we become more dependent on our gadgets to get us through the day. And although it can seem like a harmless problem, this addiction has deadly consequences. Perhaps the best way to illustrate the problem is to examine the implications of using a smart phone while driving. Consider this - more than 3,000 teens die each year in crashes caused by texting while driving. That is 300 more deaths a year than drunk driving. Why do we still continue to use our phones in the car, despite the consequences? This week we interview Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Matt Richtel. Matt is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention. In the book, and this episode, Matt explains what technology is doing to our brains through the true story of a deadly car crash that was caused by texting a driving. We not only learn about the neuroscience, but we finally see the real life implications of our addictions. Matt Richtel is a novelist, cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times. He writes about technology, its impact on society, and how it changes the way we how we work, play, and relate to each other. His 2010 series, ‘Our Brain On Computers‘ focuses on how constant use of our devices impacts not only our behavior but our thought processes and even our neurology. His 2009 series about the dangers of multitasking while driving won the Pulitzer for national reporting. Matt joined the Times in 2000 and has written on range of topics, including Internet gambling, identity theft, corporate espionage, video games, mobile communications, the dot com boom and bust, and the pornography industry. He was a Loeb award finalist for his work on the Hewlett-Packard spying scandal and the winner of best project from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for his work on distracted driving. ____ "Social information is engrained in us. So when the phone rings, it is a piece of social information that is nearly impossible to ignore." - Matt Richtel Quotes from Matt: What we learn in this episode: What is happening in the brain when we text and drive? How does a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist decide what story to cover? How does Skinnerian Theory play a role in explaining our infatuation with our smart phones? Resources: A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention Twitter: @mrichtel https://mattrichtel.wordpress.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcQY14n_Xe4 -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don't have to be a comic book fanatic to love superheroes. And even if you've never picked up a comic book in your life, you've almost certainly seen a comic book movie. A recent surge in comic book movies has brought us blockbusters such as The Avengers, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, and many more. Given the success of this genre of movies, we are honored to interview the man who has been credited with bringing comic books to the big screen, and has been dubbed "The Godfather of comic book movies", Michael Uslan. Michael is the owner of the Batman series, producer of the Batman movies, and was the first instructor to teach an accredited course on comic book folklore at any university. Michael Uslan is a film producer with numerous award winning projects to his credit. He is Executive Producer of all of the Batman features from Batman to The Dark Knight Rises and won an Emmy Award for TV's "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?" He has been a speaker at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and at the Smithsonian Institution. Michael recently teamed up with Stan Lee and the Smithsonian Institution to create a free online course titled the Rise of Superheroes. Take the course here! ____ "When I was in my twenty's, I bought the rights to Batman from DC Comics with my business partner, I quit my job, gave up all security, and rolled the dice. With Batman in my back pocket I went to Hollywood." - Michael Uslan Quotes from Michael: What we learn in this episode: How Michael turned a passion for comic books into a very lucrative career doing what he loved. What is the most disturbing comic book of all time? What is it like creating and producing the Batman movies? Why is the Smithsonian Institution teaming up with Michael Uslan and Stan Lee to create an online course on super hero's Resources: The Rise of Superheroes Course with Stan Lee and Michael Uslan - Free Trailer - The Rise of Superheroes The Boy Who Loved Batman: A Memoir -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many of us, the suburbs hold a magical place in our heart. We grew up in an environment where we knew our neighbors, we played outside, we didn't lock our doors, and the word "community" meant something. But despite how hard we try to relive those times, todays suburbs are a far cry from what we remember, and many of us are looking for a new type of neighborhood. This week we discuss what happened to the suburbs of the 80's and 90's, and what will our neighborhoods look like in the future. Our guest is Leigh Gallagher, Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune magazine, and author of the book, The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving. We also talk to Leigh about new media vs. old media, the Kardashians, the job of an editor, and much more! Leigh Gallagher is an Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune magazine, where she edits feature stories on a variety of subjects, oversees Fortune franchises including the magazine’s 40 Under 40 rankings and writes The Urbanist column on Fortune.com. She is also a co-chair of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, speaks regularly at Fortune and other business and economics conferences, and is a seasoned business news commentator, appearing regularly on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, CBS News’ Face the Nation, CNBC’s Squawk Box, CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, public radio’s Marketplace and a wide variety of other programs. She is also a co-chair of the Fortune U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership and a visiting scholar for the Business and Economic Reporting program at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. Before joining Fortune in 2007, Leigh was a senior editor at SmartMoney magazine and a reporter and writer for Forbes. Originally from the “urban burb” of Media, Pennsylvania, Leigh is a graduate of Cornell University and lives in New York. ____ "The new model of suburbs has put people in their cars all the time...That's a lifestyle that increasingly has failed to deliver on its promises." - Leigh Gallagher Quotes from Leigh: What we learn in this episode: How is the democratization of media affecting our culture? Is it good or bad? What are the responsibilities of the top editor for an enormous media brand such as Fortune? Where did the American Dream come from? Why are people opting to leave the "typical suburb"? What will the new neighborhood look like? Resources: The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream Is Moving www.endofthesuburbs.com www.fortune.com http://fortune.com/tag/fortune-live/ Twitter: @leighgallagher -- This episode is brought to you by: Highfive: Go to highfive.com/smartpeople to request your free trial and start meeting face-to-face with Highfive. Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think about professional blogging, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Mommy bloggers of course! The term "mommy blog" has become part of our common lexicon due to the insane success of so many mothers turned bloggers. And this week we are fortunate to interview the queen of mommy blogs, Deedra Determan. Deedra created a blog initially targeted towards moms in her local community and quickly turned it into a 7-figure business with national reach. In this episode Deedra teaches us how to start small, find your niche, create a profitable business, market on a zero dollar budget, and much more. Deedra has 20+ years of marketing experience starting on the agency side at Ackerman McQueen Advertising Agency to 10 years in the television industry launching news at KOKI Fox 23 making it one of the top Fox affiliates in the country. She went on to launch niche websites for moms including 918moms.com, 405moms.com, and MoneySavingQueen.com with over 100,000 moms visiting the websites each month. After one year from launching, she sold the websites to Griffin Communications. Determan then followed her true passion in launching D2 Branding, an innovative marketing firm igniting brands to be the market leader in their industry through marketing, public relations, social media, advertising, strategic partnerships, sales, website creation, search engine optimization, content creation, video production, graphic design, and more! Deedra is also a mentor at Thrive15.com. "You can be passionate all day long, but until you realize what your revenue streams are going to be, passion will only take you so far." - Deedra Determan Quotes from Deedra: What we learn in this episode: Your business doesn't have to be huge, just find your niche How to start small, find your market, and pivot How to find your revenue model for your business or blog Resources: Thrive15.com Sales Training with Deedra https://www.thrive15.com/mentors/deedra-determan Twitter: @deedradeterman -- This episode is brought to you by: Highfive: Go to highfive.com/smartpeople to request your free trial and start meeting face-to-face with Highfive. Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of us, we don't need to know about how to get media coverage...until we need to get media coverage. You could come up with the most brilliant business idea, or write the next best seller - but if no one talks about it, it's just another particle out there in an atmosphere full of noise. But how do you get coverage? How do you convince a powerful media outlet to cover your story? It turns out, there are very specific tricks that you can use to give yourself the best shot of becoming the next new headline. Listen up this week and learn how to become a media darling (or at the very least how not to waste money on PR firms). This week our guest is Conrad Egusa. Conrad is an entrepreneur and the Founder of Publicize, which is a PR firm focused on startups. The company's mission is to change the way startups approach PR. He has been featured on publications including The Financial Times, Bloomberg, and TechCrunch.Conrad is a guest writer for VentureBeat, and he is currently a Mentor at The Founder Institute, ANDI (Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia), and the Spanish accelerator Zarpamos. He is also the Co-Founder of ESPACIO, which is a coworking space/entrepreneurial center in Medellin (coverage on TechCrunch is here: http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/11/espacio-medellin/). Conrad is the Co-Owner & Chairman of Colombia Reports (www.colombiareports.co), which is the largest English news publication in South America. Colombia Reports was founded in March 2008 and is frequently cited by the New York Times, BBC, CNN and Fox News. Conrad has consulted for Y Combinator startups, global brands (Intercontinental Hotels Group), and leading internet businesses. "You have to make your story and your company as interesting as possible through using social proof." - Conrad Egusa Quotes from Conrad: What we learn in this episode: Do press releases actually get you earned media? Why is the PR world still operating on an old model? How do you create a good PR strategy for your business? What is the best way to reach out to a media person to get earned media? Resources: http://www.publicize.co/ http://techcrunch.com/contributor/conrad-egusa/ LinkedIn - Conrad Egusa -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Horowitz - The mysteries of human perception. In this episode we speak with author and cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz on what it means to be attentive. In her most recent book, On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes, Alexandra shows us how to see the spectacle of the ordinary. In this book, Alexandra goes on a series of eleven walks with experts on a diverse range of subjects, including an urban sociologist, the well-known artist Maira Kalman, a geologist, a physician, and a sound designer. She also walks with a child and a dog to see the world as they perceive it. What they see, how they see it, and why most of us do not see the same things reveal the startling power of human attention and the cognitive aspects of what it means to be an expert observer. Alexandra Horowitz teaches psychology, canine cognition, and creative nonfiction writing at Barnard College, Columbia University. She earned her PhD in Cognitive Science at the University of California at San Diego, and has studied the cognition of humans, rhinoceros, bonobos, and dogs. For seventeen years she shared her home with an unwitting research subject, Pumpernickel, a wonderful mixed breed. Now her Dog Cognition Lab studies the behavior of owned dogs to keep discovering what they see, smell, and know. "The problem is we are not focusing that well anymore on the things we deem important. There is too much distraction at once." - Alexandra Horowitz Quotes from Alexandra: What we learn in this episode: What is attention? What does it mean to be attentive? How individuals view the world and their environment differently. Why do we feel so disconnected from strangers? How does the human animal respond to cognitive overload? Resources: On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes http://insideofadog.com/author.php https://psychology.barnard.edu/profiles/alexandra-horowitz Twitter: @DogUmwelt -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been called “the great destroyer” and “the evil.” The Pentagon refers to it as “the pervasive menace.” It destroys cars, fells bridges, sinks ships, sparks house fires, and nearly brought down the Statue of Liberty. Rust costs America more than $400 billion per year—more than all other natural disasters combined. Journalist Jonathan Waldman traveled from Key West, Florida, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to meet the colorful and often reclusive people who are fighting our mightiest and unlikeliest enemy. He went into an abandoned steelworks with a brave artist, and then he nearly gets kicked out of Ball Corporation’s Can School. Across the Arctic, he followed a massive high-tech robot that hunts for rust in the Alaska pipeline. On a Florida film set he meets the Defense Department’s rust ambassador, who reveals that the navy’s number one foe isn’t a foreign country but oxidation itself. Through all of these adventures, Jonathan (Jonny) uncovered more about the destructive nature of rust and the implications on our society than anyone ever has, and in this episode we ask him all about it! His newest book is titled, Rust: The Longest War. Jonathan has written for Outside, The Washington Post, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, and the Utne Reader, and also worked as a forklift driver, arborist, summer-camp director, sticker salesman, climbing instructor, and cook. Before landing in the book world, he put in time at a newspaper, a website, a magazine, a radio show, a TV production company, and a couple science museums. He studied writing at Dartmouth and Boston University’s Knight Center for Science Journalism. "We need to re-engineer engineering. Engineers are busy fixing all of the problems we don't have, but they're ignoring all of these problems we do have." - Jonathan Waldman Quotes from Jonathan: What we learn in this episode: Why is a soda can the most engineered object on earth? What are the dangers of plastics and why are they used in almost everything? Why is rust one of the most costly items in our national defense budget? Resources: Rust: The Longest War jonnywaldman.com -- This episode is brought to you by: Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time Management. We all need it. We all could be better at it. Personally, I need to be much better at it. When we recognize that we could be better at something, in Smart People Podcast fashion, we reach out to leaders in the field. This week we discuss time management with Lee Cockerell. Lee is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World Resort. During his time at Disney, Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members (employees) and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village, and the ESPN sports and recreation complex. Lee's book, Time Management Magic: How To Get More Done Every Day And Move From Surviving To Thriving, walks you through how to organize your schedule and how to get things done. Want to learn from Lee on Thrive15? Use our link for a free 30 day trial! Quotes from Lee: What we learn in this episode: How Disney created their magic What it means to run Disney from top How to organize your schedule and prioritize Resources: Time Management Magic: How To Get More Done Every Day And Move From Surviving To Thriving http://www.leecockerell.com/ Twitter: @LeeCockerell -- This episode is brought to you by: Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management service. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Davinci Virtual: Davinci Virtual offers friendly live receptionist services, killer business addresses and fully loaded meeting spaces – anywhere you need themGet a risk-free trial right now at davincivirtual.com/SMART and make it happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Korb - The most common psychological disorder in America. It affects more than 1 in 10 Americans and is the cause of more than half of the suicides committed each year. More people suffer from this disorder than coronary heart disease, cancer, and HIV/AIDS...combined. It strains our healthcare system as we seek out treatments and cures. It affects every aspect of life and can leave sufferers feeling alone, isolated, misunderstood, and helpless. It is depression. Depression is the most common mental disorder in the United States. Its prevalence is often masked by the fact that sufferers don't always talk about it with family and friends. Further, there is prejudice against depression as a disorder, with some people even feeling that it isn't a real condition. Depression can feel like a downward spiral, pulling you into a vortex of sadness, fatigue, and apathy. But there are ways to cope and recover. Depression is one of the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. In our episode this week we speak with Neuroscientist Alex Korb, PhD. Alex is the author of the book The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time. Alex Korb, PhD, is a neuroscientist who has studied the brain for over fifteen years, starting with an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Brown University. He received his PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he wrote his dissertation and numerous scientific articles on depression. He is currently a postdoctoral neuroscience researcher at UCLA in the department of psychiatry. Outside of the lab, he is a scientific consultant for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, and is head coach of the UCLA Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team. He has a wealth of experience in yoga and mindfulness, physical fitness, and even stand-up comedy. "The emotions that we experience are all in contrast to each other. The more capable you are of experiencing despair, the more you can experience joy." - Alex Korb Quotes from Alex: What we learn in this episode: What are some of the proven methods of improving depression? Why does anxiety and depression still exist? How have we not "evolved past" these types of destructive tendencies, behaviors, and characteristics? Does "shock therapy" work as an effective treatment for depression? What exactly is the nervous system? And is it possible to strengthen the nervous system? Resources: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time facebook.com/prefrontalblog http://alexkorbphd.com/ Twitter: @prefrontalblog -- This episode is brought to you by: Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management service. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Davinci Virtual: Davinci Virtual offers friendly live receptionist services, killer business addresses and fully loaded meeting spaces – anywhere you need themGet a risk-free trial right now at davincivirtual.com/SMART and make it happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clay Clark - Entrepreneur of the Year. For many of us, starting a business is the only thing that feels right. The idea of a cubicle, a demanding boss, and a 9-5 schedule is downright depressing. We feel as though we were born to do things our way, to make our own path, and to build our own future. If this sounds like you, you don't want to miss this episode! This week we speak with Clay Clark, Founder of Thrive15.com. Thrive15 is the world’s premier online education platform that helps entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and “in-trepreneurs” (entrepreneurial-minded people who work within an organization) learn how to start or grow a successful business. Thrivers have unlimited access to the ever-growing, entertaining, and gamified library of 15-minute training courses taught by millionaires and everyday entrepreneurial success stories. Clay is also an author, consultant, speaker, and disc jockey... yeah, that's right. Clay Clark is the former "U.S. SBA Entrepreneur of the Year" who has been described by the folks at Yahoo as the "Jim Carey of Entrepreneurship." He was "Metro Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year" at the age of 20 and the "U.S. Chamber National Blue Ribbon Quality Award Winner" at the age of 27. As the result of his tireless tenacity and honey badger work ethic, he's been able to found or co-found several successful companies including: DJ Connection, Elephant in the Room Men's Grooming Lounge, Thrive15.com, etc. while finding the time to co-produce five children. Clay once ran for mayor and lost. "No matter what job you have right now, you need to do the following three things: over deliver, build your network, and learn." - Clay Clark Quotes from Clay: What we learn in this episode: What does Clay mean when he says we all hit 'jack-assery' at approximately 21 years old? Who should consider being an entrepreneur? What are Clay's keys to success? Resources: www.thrive15.com http://www.makeyourlifeepic.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Michael Gazzaniga - Left Brain vs. Right Brain. We often hear that if we're creative we must be "right-brained" but if we're logical we must be "left-brained". Science tells us that each hemisphere controls certain cognitive functions, so it only makes sense that there is a dominant side that gives us our tendencies - but is it true? Are we either "left-brained" or "right brained"? Or better yet, what happens when you disconnect the two regions from each other entirely? For over 40 years, our guest this week has been studying patients who have had their left and right brain disconnected via surgery, and he is here to set the record straight. Michael Gazzaniga, is one of the leading researchers in cognitive neuroscience and is the worlds top expert on split-brain research. Michael is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience. He received a Ph.D. in psychobiology from the California Institute of Technology, where he worked under the guidance of Roger Sperry, with primary responsibility for initiating human split-brain research. In his subsequent work he has made important advances in our understanding of functional lateralization in the brain and how the cerebral hemispheres communicate with one another. Gazzaniga founded the Centers for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis and at Dartmouth College, the Neuroscience Institute, and the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, of which he is the Editor-in-Chief Emeritus. Gazzaniga was a member of U.S. President George W. Bush's Council on Bioethics. He was also the Director of the Law and Neuroscience Project, a project to study the intersection of law and neuroscience. "The brain is built for us all to make decisions to achieve goals." - Michael Gazzaniga Quotes from Michael: What we learn in this episode: Is there such things as left brain and right brain people? Why can our brain function fairly normally when it is essentially cut in half? What is split brain research? What happens when our brain is split in the middle (split brain surgery), disconnecting the left and right hemisphere? Resources: Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gazzaniga -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Roeder - Social media is for real. To be honest, I wasn't a believer. I think social media often times just adds to the noise. But after speaking with our guest this week, I realized that what I think doesn't really matter. Social media is here and it's a necessity for any business these days. Even more importantly is the specific way you interact on social media, what you share, how you share it, and what your strategy is. Love it or hate it, it's time to step up your social media game. This week we interview entrepreneur and social media expert, Laura Roeder. Laura is a social media marketing expert who teaches small businesses how to become well-known and claim their brands online. She is the creator of LKR Social Media Marketer and Creating Fame, and is also the author ofFacebook Fame: The Facebook Marketing Bible For The Small Business. In 2011, Laura Roeder was honored at The White House as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 30. "You're probably not going to have new information tomorrow that you don't have today - so just get started. You don't have any assurances it's going to turn out well, but you have to keep moving forward." - Laura Roeder Quotes from Laura: What we learn in this episode: Laura makes Chris a believer in social media - why? How to get over the fear of being "too young" in business and entrepreneurship. Some great tidbits on social media Resources: Edgar Social Media Tool lkrsocialmedia.com Facebook Fame: The Facebook Marketing Bible For The Small Business @LKR -- This episode is brought to you by: SmartThings: Go to http://www.smartthings.com/smartpeople to get 10% off a Home Security Kit or Solution Kit with promo code: SMARTPEOPLE Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward Humes - Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash. Have you ever thought about how much trash you create? Honestly, have you ever stopped to consider how many trash bags you go through, how many trips to the curb you take, or how much food you throw out? Probably not...most of us don't. But the sad truth is the average American produces 102 tons of garbage across a lifetime and $50 billion in squandered riches are rolled to the curb each year! Although we have become extremely efficient with keeping trash out of site, unfortunately that has kept it out of mind, and it's creating a massive problem. This week we speak with Pulitzer Prize-Winning author, Edward Humes about trash - what's in it, how much we pay for it, how we create so much, what's wrong with it all and how we fix it. Edward's amazing book, Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, is raising awareness of trash consumption and is sparking nationwide action. Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and non-fiction writer. He received the Pulitzer Prize for specialized reporting for investingative stories he wrote about the US military for the Orange County Register. He is the author of 13 nonfiction books, and a contributing writer for Sierra Magazine, California Lawyer and Los Angeles magazine, among other publications. He is married to journalist and author Donna Wares and lives in Southern California. "There is a reason we call it waste - you are throwing stuff away that has value. You are wasting it." - Edward Humes Quotes from Edward: What we learn in this episode: Why did Walmart choose to make reducing waste a top priority throughout the company and what were the effects? Germany and Austria send only 1% of the their trash to landfills, while America sends nearly 70%! What happened when MIT students place tracking devices in random articles of trash throughout Seattle? The results are shocking. What is the story of our garbage? Where does it come from and where does it go? Resources: Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash http://www.edwardhumes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Garbology -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technology is revolutionizing the way we work and live, and we can accomplish more in an hour than previous generations could in a week - but it comes at a price. Many of us are overwhelmed and exhausted, stressed out by the numerous demands on our time. We work 12 hour days, eat food on the run, get less sleep, and yet somehow we often don't feel like we got anything accomplished. And for these reasons, the subject of productivity has developed a cult-like following. People want to hack this and quick-fix that. But how do we achieve truly extraordinary productivity? Join us this week as we tackle the topic of productivity with Kory Kogon. Kory is FranklinCovey’s Global Practice Leader for Productivity focusing her research and content development around time management, project management, and communication skills. She is one of the authors of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity. Kory has been featured on Inc.com and on its “Productivity Playbook” online series, Fast Company.com, Forbes.com, and in Investor’s Business Daily. She has also appeared on NBC’s TODAY with Hoda Kotb and Billy Bush. Utah Magazine honored Kory as one of the “Top 30 Business Women to Watch” in Utah. In 2012 Kory earned a Certificate of NeuroLeadership Foundations from the NeuroLeadership Institute, of which she is an ongoing member. "Time management, project management, and communication skills are the three core competencies in the 21st century for knowledge workers." - Kory Kogon Quotes from Kory: What we learn in this episode: How to tackle your overloaded email inbox How does the modern employee disengage from work when they are always accessible? How to be more productive The thinking brain vs. the reactive brain Resources: The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity www.thefivechoicesbook.com www.thefivechoices.com http://franklincoveyspeakersbureau.com/speakers/kory-kogon.php -- This episode is brought to you by: SmartThings: Go to http://www.smartthings.com/smartpeople to get 10% off a Home Security Kit or Solution Kit with promo code: SMARTPEOPLE Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Markus Kramer - What's in a luxury brand? In this episode we are uncovering the secrets of the world of luxury. For example, how did Apple become the most recognized brand in the world? Why were high heels originally designed for men? And why would anyone EVER pay $5,000,000 for a watch? Learn how luxury brands are able to charge such a premium, and how you can use these same principals to build your business or your own personal brand. Our guest this week is luxury brand expert, Markus Kramer. Markus specializes in helping brands and businesses grow stronger. He advises Boards, Executives and Operational Teams as well as Private Equity and Growth Funds on all aspects of strategic positioning, growth through active brand management, marketing, communication and retail development. Among other things, Markus is known for helping Aston Martin (Global Marketing Director) and Harley-Davidson (Marketing Director EMEA) build, scale and deliver their fascinating brands to more people in more places around the world. Markus is Swiss at heart, an architect by training and holds degrees in Marketing & Brand Management, International Project Management from the University of California in Berkeley (USA) and an MBA from the SAID Business School at the University of Oxford (UK). Markus is fluent in five languages and lives with his wife and three young children on the shores of lake Zurich in Switzerland. "Luxury is a demonstration of social power." - Markus Kramer Quotes from Markus: What we learn in this episode: What does it mean to be a brand? What defines a luxury brand? Why men invented and wore high heels. How do you improve your brand or the brand of your business? Resources: http://www.markuskramer.net/ http://brandaffairs.com/ -- This episode is brought to you by: SmartThings: Go to http://www.smartthings.com/smartpeople to get 10% off a Home Security Kit or Solution Kit with promo code: SMARTPEOPLE Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few people have had a better perspective on the rise of the "technology revolution" than our guest this week, Kevin Kelly. As a young hippie backpacking his way around the world, Kevin aspired to make art and to learn about the world. By his own admission, he disliked most technologies, especially the computer - which was a large, clunky, useless machine. However, when he snuck his way into one of the earliest groups to try out the internet, he realized that the world was about to change in a big way and he wanted a front row ticket. Soon after, in 1993 Kevin co-founded Wired Magazine and they have been predicting the future ever since. Kevin is the author of the new book, Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor from its inception until 1999. He has just completed a book for Viking/Penguin publishers called "What Technology Wants," due out in the Fall 2010. He is also editor and publisher of the Cool Tools website, which gets half a million unique visitors per month. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a journal of unorthodox technical news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers' Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. He authored the best-selling New Rules for the New Economy and the classic book on decentralized emergent systems, Out of Control. "I remember saying to myself that I'll just pretend that I'm a millionaire. I'll just pretend that I have the money that I need and I'll act as if money is not the constraint, but other things are." - Kevin Kelly Quotes from Kevin: What we learn in this episode: How to live like a creative. How did Wired magazine get started? How does mastery play a role in passion? What does the future of information look like? Resources: Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities www.kk.org Twitter: @kevin2kelly -- This episode is brought to you by: SmartThings: Go to http://www.smartthings.com/smartpeople to get 10% off a Home Security Kit or Solution Kit with promo code: SMARTPEOPLE Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiffani Lennon - Are women better? Although we like to think that we are an equal opportunity economy, the glass ceiling still very much exists. As a matter of fact, in 2011, women ran only 12 of the Fortune 500 companies. So how does this impact our ability to compete in a global environment? If women aren't given an equal chance to succeed, aren't we missing out on half of the talented people in the country? As a matter of fact, it's worse than that. According to our guest this week, the data shows that women are outperforming men across the board - and it's time we recognize them for it. This week we speak with Tiffani Lennon, author of the new book, Recognizing Women's Leadership: Strategies and Best Practices for Employing Excellence. Recently named a finalist for the Denver Business Journal Power Book's Power List Award, Tiffani Lennon has shown leadership, program innovation, subject matter expertise, and an entrepreneurial spirit that drives her involvement in academia and business. During the past 10 years, Tiffani has engaged in roles focused in the areas of business and economic development, strategic planning, outreach and engagement, acquisition, policy and legislative analysis and continuous performance improvement. Tiffani attended the University of London’s Birkbeck College of Law and completed an LL.M. degree in International Economic Law and Development. Complementing her already-impressive academic credentials, her strengths as a consultant sit on a solid foundation of education including a Master’s degree, a Juris Doctor, and now, an LL.M. degree. s. "In most of our modern history we have valued and favored that which is masculine." - Tiffani Lennon Quotes from Tiffani: What we learn in this episode: What does the "glass ceiling" look like today? What is the talent gap? How do we hire talent, regardless of the sex? Resources: Recognizing Women's Leadership: Strategies and Best Practices for Employing Excellence https://portfolio.du.edu/TLENNON -- This episode is brought to you by: Shari's Berries: Go to Shari's Berries Get an amazing Valentine’s Day deal: Giant, juicy, freshly dipped strawberries – starting at $19.99! Or double the berries for $10 more! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as polio loomed over the 1950s, and AIDS stalked the 1980s and ’90s, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) haunts us in the early years of the twenty-first century. Over a decade into the United States’ “global war on terror,” PTSD afflicts as many as 30 percent of the conflict’s veterans. But the disorder’s reach extends far beyond the armed forces. In total, some twenty-seven million Americans are believed to be PTSD survivors. Yet to many of us, the disorder remains shrouded in mystery, secrecy, and shame. This week we speak with David Morris, former Marine turned war correspondent. While on assignment, David's humvee was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device) and his life was forever changed. In this episode we discuss America's hunger for violence, the effect of war movies on our nation (specifically we discuss the newest blockbuster - American Sniper), the truth about PTSD, and much more. David is the author of the brand new best-selling book, The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. David Morris is a former Marine infantry officer. He worked in Iraq from 2004 to 2007 as a reporter for Salon and the Virginia Quarterly Review. His story “The Big Suck: Notes from the Jarhead Underground” was originally published in VQR and was included in The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2007. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Slate, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Times and elsewhere. In 2008 Morris was awarded a creative nonfiction fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as residencies at The MacDowell Colony and the Norman Mailer Writers Colony in Provincetown, Massachusetts. "The only people who don't think that America has an empire are Americans." - David Morris Quotes from David: What we learn in this episode: What is the mental and physical toll that war takes on a soldier? How are war movies distorting our feelings towards war and violence? What should the average person understand about post-traumatic stress disorder? Resources: The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder www.theevilhours.com New York Times Article by David Morris -- This episode is brought to you by: Shari's Berries: Go to Shari's Berries Get an amazing Valentine’s Day deal: Giant, juicy, freshly dipped strawberries – starting at $19.99! Or double the berries for $10 more! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Need suggestions? Try these: Getting things done - Lynda.com Breaking out of a rut - Lynda.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erica Peitler - How to Lead. The simple truth is that how you lead is the precursor to what you can achieve, yet it is often underestimated or dismissed. The need to leverage the talents of those around you is a defining trait of the successful. But what is the best way to lead? And how can you manage the various personalities of people you work with on a daily basis? This week we talk to leadership expert, consultant, and coach Erica Peitler as she tells us how to lead in a way that inspires others to be the best version of themselves. Erica is the author of Leadership Rigor: Breakthrough Performance and Productivity - Leading Yourself, Teams and Organizations. Erica Peitler is a Leadership Performance Coach who courageously partners with individuals, teams and organizations who want to realize their visions of success by transforming their leadership potential into visible, on the ground, breakthrough leadership performance! A corporate healthcare executive with over 20 years of leadership experience running large operational divisions, brands/portfolios, board level strategic growth initiatives and global R&D organizations, Erica has been selected throughout her professional career to lead, grow, create and transform business, teams and organizations. In 2007, Erica founded her own coaching and consulting firm so that she could share her breakthrough leadership insights, models/frameworks and skill building approaches with highly motivated organizations and leaders looking to make a real and meaningful difference in their work through leadership. "There are two things we have to be great at as leaders: communication and relationships." - Erica Peitler Quotes from Erica: What we learn in this episode: How can a leader utilize better communication skills? What language is necessary? Why you are a leader and don't even know it. Why leaders need to understand various personalities. What is the most common barrier most executives face? Resources: Leadership Rigor: Breakthrough Performance and Productivity - Leading Yourself, Teams and Organizations http://ericapeitler.com/ @EricaPeitler -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Birss - How to be creative. Creativity is surrounded by such mystique. It seemed so magical to the ancient Greeks that they attributed the moment of inspiration to muses rather than people. And in our modern work environment, regardless of your job title you are continually being asked to come up with creative solutions to new, complex problems. That's why it's important to understand that there is such thing as the creative process, and there's also a way to get it wrong. This week on the show, we interview creativity expert Dave Birss, and we ask him to teach us how to maximize our creativity in order to succeed in this constantly evolving economic landscape. Dave is the author of the bestselling book, A User Guide to the Creative Mind: Understanding Where Ideas Come From and Helping You Have More of Them. He is also a former VP at one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, a sought after speaker and consultant, and he's recently launched a brand new web series called DayBeforeTomorrow.tv. **The Kindle version of his book is currently $1.50 for a short period of time - don't miss out!** "I want to be the most interesting person in the old-folks home. I want to have more interesting stories than any of the other wrinkly old 'gits' around me." - Dave Birss Quotes from Dave Birss: What we learn in this episode: How to multitask What is "Western Creativity" and why Dave believes we need to look at it differently. How do you enhance creativity in yourself and in a team? What is the first part of the creative process? Resources: A User Guide to the Creative Mind: Understanding Where Ideas Come From and Helping You Have More of Them DayBeforeTomorrow.tv Dave's Personal Website Alcohol and Creativity....what? Check this out. @davebirss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Smart People Podcast we are helping you get lucky... wait a second. Richard Wiseman bring us a groundbreaking new scientific study of the phenomenon of luck and the ways we can bring good luck into our lives. What is luck? A psychic gift or a question of intelligence? And what is it that lucky people have that unlucky people lack? Psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman put luck under a scientific microscope for the very first time in his book, The Luck Factor: Changing your Luck, Changing your Life, The Four Essential Principals , examining the different ways in which lucky and unlucky people think and behave. After three years of intensive interviews and experiments with over 400 volunteers, Wiseman arrived at an astonishing conclusion: Luck is something that can be learned. It is available to anyone willing to pay attention to the Four Essential Principles: Creating Chance Opportunities Thinking Lucky Feeling Lucky Denying Fate This and other topics covered in our interview this week with Richard. Richard Wiseman began his working life as a professional magician and currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology (University of Hertfordshire). He researches the psychology of luck, change, perception and deception, and his work has been published in leading academic journals. Richard has written several bestselling books (including The Luck Factor, Quirkology, and 59 Seconds) and has delivered keynote addresses to organisations across the world (including The Swiss Economic Forum, Google and Amazon). He was listed in the Independent On Sunday’s top 100 people who make Britain a better place to live, and has acted as a creative consultant to Derren Brown, The MythBusters, and Heston Blumenthal. Richard is the most followed British psychologist on Twitter, his YouTube channel has received over 300 million views, and one Scientific American columnist described him as ‘….the most interesting and innovative experimental psychologist in the world today’. "The concept of luck is very straightforward. Some people notice opportunities and others don't." - Richard Wiseman Quotes from Richard Wiseman: What we learn in this episode: What is the best way to brainstorm? How do you increase your luck? Do lucky people know if and why they are lucky? Resources: The Luck Factor https://www.youtube.com/user/Quirkology http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the hosts of the show look back on 2014 by putting together clips from their favorite episodes of the past year. From free diving and philanthropy, to physics and education, we covered a lot of ground last year on Smart People Podcast, and this episode is your highlight reel. Enjoy and Happy New Year! Chris's favorite episodes of 2014: Episode 151 - Roger Hamilton Episode 139 - Gerald Chertavian Episode 155 - Josh Shenk Episode 150 - James Nestor Episode 157 - Collis Ta'eed Episode 168 - Peter Buffett Episode 149 - Simon Sinek Jon's favorite episodes of 2014: Episode 132 - Corinne Woods Episode 133 - Michio Kaku Episode 161 - Ed Hess Episode 137 - Tony Stubblebine Episode 135 - Andrew Yang Episode 130 - Carmine Gallo Episode 136 - Kevin Roose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Lee Esty - Conquering Concussion. What do Henry VIII, Mary Todd Lincoln, Howard Hughes, and Elvis Presley have in common? They suffered traumatic brain injuries that had a significant impact on their lives, and perhaps the course of history. Concussions are a hot topic these days, specifically due to the recent findings of the impact of head injuries on professional football players. However, many don't realize that concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBI's) affect many people and can have a lifelong effect on ones health. In fact, the recent surge in combat veterans incurring TBI's during combat has led to a lot of new research and a much better understanding of exactly what is going on during and after suffering a head injury. This week on the show we interview Dr. Mary Lee Esty, president of the Brain Wellness and Biofeedback Center of Washington and author of the new book, Conquering Concussion: Healing TBI Symptoms With Neurofeedback and Without Drugs. Dr. Esty is a social worker with a doctorate in health psychology. She is a recognized Senior Fellow in Biofeedback and EEG Biofeedback with the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. She also has published peer-reviewed research on traumatic brain injury starting with an NIH-funded study published in 2001 in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, and a 2012 study with Iraq/Afghanistan veterans with TBI and PTSD in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences. Over the past 19 years Dr. Esty has treated more than 2,000 clients with a wide variety of conditions. Current research includes a study with the military medical school evaluating the efficacy of Neurofeedback on TBI and PTSD. "A concussion depends upon acceleration and sudden deceleration. When this happens the brain gets tossed around in the skull, because it floats." - Mary Lee Esty Quotes from Mary Lee Esty: What we learn in this episode: What occupation is the most likely to incur a traumatic brain injury (and it's not sports!) What is neurofeedback and how can it be used to treat concussions? A better understanding of sub-concussions What are common symptoms of concussion? Resources: Conquering Concussion: Healing TBI Symptoms With Neurofeedback and Without Drugs http://www.brainwellnessandbiofeedback.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Harris - Cyber warfare is the greatest threat to national security. @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex "Readers will squirm as they learn how every communications enterprise (Google, AT&T, Verizon, Facebook) cooperates with the national security establishment. Harris delivers a convincing account of the terrible cyber-disasters that loom, and the intrusive nature of the fight to prevent them." -Publishers Weekly The United States military currently views cyberspace as the “fifth domain” of warfare (alongside land, air, sea, and space), and the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, and the CIA all field teams of hackers who can, and do, launch computer virus strikes against enemy targets. In fact, U.S. hackers were crucial to our victory in Iraq. In this episode of Smart People Podcast, author and journalist Shane Harris takes us to the front lines of America’s new cyber war as we discuss his newest book, @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex. As recent revelations have shown, government agencies are joining with tech giants like Google and Facebook to collect vast amounts of information. The military has also formed a new alliance with tech and finance companies to patrol cyberspace, and Harris offers a deeper glimpse into this partnership than we have ever seen before. Finally, Harris explains what the new cyber security regime means for all of us, who spend our daily lives bound to the Internet — and are vulnerable to its dangers. Shane Harris is a Sr. Intelligence and National Security Correspondent for The Daily Beast and an ASU Future of War Fellow at the New America Foundation. Prior to joining The Daily Beast, Shane was a senior writer at Foreign Policy magazine. He has also written for Washingtonian Magazine, the National Journal and Government Executive Magazine. Shane is the 2010 winner of the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense. He has been a finalist four times for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists, which honor the best reporters in America under 35. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in Politics in 1998. "China is taking thousands and thousands of hackers working around the clock and trying to break into as many corporations and government agencies in the US as they possibly can." - Shane Harris Quotes from Shane Harris: What we learn in this episode: What are the origins of the military internet complex? What was the beginning of cyber warfare? What kind of data is the government allowed to gather and what protection do citizens have? What information are the Chinese targeting when they hack into corporate networks? Resources: @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex http://shaneharris.com/ The Daily Beast Twitter @shaneharris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are smart drugs? Can you supplement your way to genius? These are primary burning questions I was anxious to ask my guest this week, Dr. Andrew Hill. You see, Dr. Hill received his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA in 2012, studying how attention operates in the brain. He is also the director of the Alternatives Brain Institute, where they help clients look at their brain function as well as examine how their mind works, and work with them to build strengths and resources, flexibility, and better performance. Sounds pretty rad. But the kicker is this. Dr. Hill is the lead Neuroscientist for a new startup called truBrain, a company with a mission to help optimize your productivity and efficiency without relying on excess caffeine or prescription medication. They are creating a new type of energy drink! One devoid of the useless sugars, caffeine, and wasted crap and they are replacing it with .... nootropics. Little drink packages that remind me very much of the old school kool-aid packages. And in these packages there is a promise of mental clarity, calm energy, productivity, memory increase, and more! Could it be true? If so, someone needs to alert all of the college kids who are popping way too many adderalls. Well - let's find out! Can these supplements make you amazing, smarter, better, faster? "Nootropics are analogous to vigilance promoting drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin. The difference is nootropics aren't used to remediate a specific problem, they are used to enhance existing cognition." -Dr. Hill Quotes from Andrew Hill: What we learn in this episode: What's the best drug to take if you just want to feel happy all the time? (Please note, we do not recommend this option). Does neurofeedback work? And when is it useful? Can you diagnose ADHD with neurofeedback? How useful are smart drugs? Do they really work? Resources: trubrain.com/smartpeople www.alternativesbh.com -- Episode Special! Our friends at truBRAIN are offering $20 off of a $50 trial kit. Use the offer code smart20 or use our link: trubrain.com/smartpeople Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to have the strongest mind in the room with Tony Stubblebine and Erin Frey. This week we talk to the CEO and head researcher of Lift App, an app that helps people create and maintain new habits. With hundreds of thousands of users from across the world, Tony and Erin have a front row view to learning what makes habits stick and why. They have also learned which habits tend to bring out the best in people, or help increase wealth, or help get a good night sleep. So we wanted to know,what have they found is the most important habit of all? If we could adopt one habit right now to improve our lives, what would it be? And it turns out, there is a fairly definitive answer. Tune in this week to find out what it is! Tony Stubblebine is the CEO and co-founder of Lift, a life changing app that helps you form habits. More than that, Tony is a fanatic about human potential, creativity, and the power of action! Tony is also a “serial entrepreneur”, having worked on a number of tech startups, including working with the guys who founded Twitter. Tony often blogs here, on Medium. Erin Frey is Writer in Residence and Head of Research at Lift. She curates Life-Hacks for Medium and graduated from Yale. According to Forbes.com, Lift app is one of the most affordable self-help products ever created. "Meditation is like doing mental push-ups." -Tony Stubblebine Quotes from Tony and Erin: What we learn in this episode: Why do some of the most powerful people on earth meditate? What is the science behind meditation? What is the number one way that mediation helps in your professional career? How does meditation cure multitasking? Resources: The Strongest Mind in the Room https://www.lift.do/meditation https://www.lift.do/ -- This episode is brought to you by: Our Amazon Page! Support the show by making your Amazon purchases through our affiliate link! It's the easiest way to support the show and NO cost to you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Buffett - What's it like to be the son of the richest man on Earth? This week we interview Peter Buffett, youngest son of the "Oracle of Omaha" and once dubbed "richest man on Earth", Warren Buffett. In this interview we ask Peter what it was like to have a household name as a father, what advice did his dad pass along to him, how did the shadow of his last name affect his childhood, and what went on behind the scenes at the Buffett family dinners. This unique upbringing and lessons learned are the foundation for his New York Times Bestselling book, Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment. Additionally, we discuss his esteemed music career which includes winning an Emmy Award and composing the most famous scene in the film Dances with Wolves. Peter Buffett has an acclaimed career that spans more than 30 years as an Emmy Award winning musician, composer, philanthropist and author. He began his career as the musical mind behind many of the early MTV bumpers of the '80s, and the climactic crescendo in the memorable "Fire Dance" scene in 1990's Oscar winning film Dances with Wolves. Peter is the co-president of the NoVo Foundation and co-chair of its Board of Directors. In partnership with his wife, Jennifer, he helps to guide NoVo's vision, strategic mission, and program development. Buffett's inspiring book, Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment, has been translated into over 15 languages and has sold nearly half a million copies worldwide. Described by former President Bill Clinton as "a wise and inspiring book that should be required reading for every young person seeking to find his or her place in the world" Life Is What You Make It is about following one's passions over conventions, taking up the reins of your destiny, and living life to the fullest. "The secret to my dads success is his ability to be dispassionate or unemotional. He is incredibly rational - he doesn't allow his emotions to play any role in his decision making." -Peter Buffet Quotes from Peter: What we learn in this episode: Is Warren Buffett a ruthless businessman? When did Peter know his home life was abnormal? How do you find your path to fulfillment? How did Peter end up writing the score for the "Fire Scene" in Dances With Wolves? Resources: Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment http://www.peterbuffett.com/ http://novofoundation.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Levi - Here on Smart People Podcast we get the opportunity to talk with a lot of amazing authors. Doing this on a consistent basis has turned us into what you might call "book worms". However, with only so many hours in the day, there are still thousands of books that we'll probably never have the time to read. If only there were an easier way? What if you could increase your reading speed by five, ten or twenty times and also increase your retention? Think about the possibility! I might have actually done the required reading in college... OK probably not. Well thanks to one of our top fans (thanks Charlie!) we were introduced to this weeks guest, Jonathan Levi. Jonathan is an entrepreneur, and an expert in speed reading and advanced memorization. His online course is ranked as one of the top selling of all time on Udemy and has been personally recommended by the CEO. Join us this week as we learn how to speed read, remember more, and be a Super Learner. To receive 90% off of Jonathan's SuperLearner course, go to jle.vi/smartpeople or go to Udemy and use the coupon code smart-people. "Speed reading itself is the easy part." - Jonathan Levi Quotes from Jonathan: What we learn in this episode: What is a super learner? How do you speed read? What is the "memory palace"? What must you be able to do BEFORE you can speed read effectively? Resources: http://jle.vi/ jle.vi/smartpeople https://www.udemy.com/superlearning-speed-reading-memory-techniques/?dtcode=fvVeEWq1UtUD#/ -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Cloud - This week we tackle the question, "What is life?" Seriously, our guest wrote an entire doctoral dissertation on that exact question. And we don't just stop there! We also discuss the evolution of human language, where it came from, and where it may be going. Have you ever thought about what words mean and where they came from? Why do you use a certain work in conversation instead of another? The choice of which words to use and in which sense to use them is both a "selection event" and an intentional decision. Our guest this week is Dan Cloud, and in his brand new book, The Domestication of Language: Cultural Evolution and the Uniqueness of the Human Animal, Dan explores the analogy between Darwin's model of domestication and the evolution of human languages and cultures. Daniel received his Ph.D from Princeton and became a Junior Fellow there soon after. He currently teaches philosophy at Princeton University. "The idea of cultural evolution is older than the idea of biological evolution." - Daniel Cloud Quotes from Dan: What we learn in this episode: What is Schrodinger's Crystal and how might it solve the question, "What is life"? What is an aperiodic pattern? Why do words mean what they mean? Why do we use particular words in each situation? Why does the world have so many various dialects? Resources: The Domestication of Language: Cultural Evolution and the Uniqueness of the Human Animal http://www.cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-16792-5/the-domestication-of-language/reviews -- This episode is brought to you by: Our Amazon Page! Support the show by making your Amazon purchases through our affiliate link! It's the easiest way to support the show and NO cost to you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christine Clapp - Back by popular demand, more than a year later, we are talking with our favorite communications expert - Christine Clapp. In this episode we cover crucial topics such as the most common mistakes amateur speakers/presenters make, the most powerful ways to persuade others through communication, the 5 steps of Monroe's motivated sequence, and the best system for speaking off the cuff. Christine covers all of these topics and many more in great detail in her brand new book, Presenting at Work: A Guide to Public Speaking in Professional Contexts. Christine earned two degrees in communication: a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University, where she debated at the national and international levels, and a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Since 2001, she has taught public speaking to undergraduates and currently is a lecturer at The George Washington University. Christine also served as a communications aide for five years on Capitol Hill. An active member of the U.S. Senate chapter of Toastmasters International, she received the organization’s highest distinction, Distinguished Toastmaster, in 2008, won a regional speech evaluation contest in 2007 and is a regular contributor to Toastmaster Magazine. Christine is the founder of Spoken with Authority, a consulting firm that allows others to communicate to their highest potential. "A great idea is only as powerful as the way that it is articulated." - Christine Clapp Quotes from Christine: What we learn in this episode: What is the number one mistake made by amateur speakers and presenters? What are the 2 most powerful techniques to help persuade others through communication? What are the 5 steps of Monroe's motivated sequence? Resources: Presenting at Work: A Guide to Public Speaking in Professional Contexts http://spokenwithauthority.com/ -- This episode is brought to you by: Squarespace: Squarespace, the all-­in-­one platform that makes it fast and easy to create your own professional website, portfolio, and online store. For a free trial and 10% off your first purchase, go to squarespace.com/smartpeople and use promo code expert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uri Gneezy - Can economics help us understand human motivation? By asking the right questions, and running the right experiments, can we finally understand why we do what we do? Apparently our guest this week believes so, and he's put together a pretty rock solid argument supporting his case. Uri Gneezy is the Epstein/Atkinson Endowed Chair in Behavioral Economics and Professor of Economics & Strategy at the Rady School of Management, UC San Diego. He is also the author of the book, The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life. In this episode we talk with Uri about the truth behind many of our decisions and how we can prove this through experimentation. "I'm most interested in finding where the assumptions of economists breaks." - Uri Gneezy Quotes from Uri: What we learn in this episode: What does behavioral economics show us about our motivations? What is the science behind the "pay as you go" model? The reason behind the infamous head butt by soccer player Zinedine Zidane Resources: The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life Materazzi effect and the strategic use of anger in competitive interactions -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Richman - Have you ever noticed that many of the most admired companies these days tend to have one common thread, and it's not just a great product? They have one thing that everyone seems to be talking about, despite what industry they are in, where they are located, or what they do. That one thing is culture. Culture has become a buzzword that gets thrown around in every coffee shop in Silicon Valley. Every CEO dreams of building a culture like Zappos, or Apple - where the employees seem to literally LOVE their job. But what exactly does it mean? And how does a company build a truly incredible, profitable, and unifying culture? Additionally, how do you as an individual figure out which organizational cultures are better for you? We answer these questions and many more this week when we speak with speaker, author, and culture architect, Robert Richman. Robert is the author of the upcoming book, The Culture Blueprint: A Guide to Building the High-Performance Workplace. Robert was the co-creator of Zappos Insights, an innovative program focused on educating companies on the secrets behind Zappos’ amazing employee culture. Robert built Zappos Insights from a small website to a thriving multi-million dollar business teaching over 25,000 students per year. Through his work, Robert has been responsible for improving the employee culture at hundreds of companies like Procter & Gamble, Whole Foods and Amazon. As one of the world’s authorities on employee culture, Robert is a sought after keynote speaker at conferences around the world and has been hired to teach culture in person at companies like Google, Toyota, and Eli Lilly. He has pioneered a number of innovative techniques to build culture, such as bringing improv comedy to the workplace. "To build a strong culture you have to first ask yourself, 'What is most important to us above everything else?'" - Robert Richman Quotes from Robert: What we learn in this episode: How did Zappos build one of the most incredible corporate cultures in the world? As an employee, how do you find cultures that align with your values? What works and what doesn't work when building culture in an organization? How do you create alignment in an organization without setting in place too many rules? Resources: The Culture Blueprint: A Guide to Building the High-Performance Workplace - Pre Order Today! http://www.robertrichman.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Law - From Postman to PhD. The beauty and curse of the human mind is that if we want to believe something bad enough, we can convince ourselves that it's true. And even worse, we will convince others that it's true. In order to support these fabricated beliefs we will form "intellectual black holes", which are belief systems that we support through a variety of illogical and unsupported mechanisms. These black holes become the basis for many cultists, conspiracy theorists, alternative medicine promoters, and more. To safeguard us from these tricksters we must be able to recognize that these belief systems exist and to identify them when they are presented to us. In order to help you in that cause, this week we interview Dr. Stephen Law, author of the book, Believing Bullshit: How Not to Get Sucked into an Intellectual Black Hole. Dr. Law is the Provost of the Centre for Inquiry, UK, a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of London, and Editor of the philosophical journal, "Think". "Intellectual black holes are belief systems put together in such a way that they turn people into intellectual prisoners. They shut down your ability to think clearly and rigorously." - Stephen Law Quotes from Stephen: What we learn in this episode: What's it like to go from a mailman to a PhD/professor/author? Why do philosophy students tend to perform the best on standardized tests? What is an intellectual black hole? What are the warning signs that you are being "sucked in" to an intellectual black hole? Resources: Believing Bullshit: How Not to Get Sucked into an Intellectual Black Hole www.stephenlaw.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvkbiElAOqU -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed Hess - Learn or Die. That is the message this week! In order to stay competitive in today's fast paced environment, you must continue to learn and grow. Those that refuse to do so will find that their jobs and skills have been replaced by a cheaper and more efficient technology. So how do you become a better and faster learner? How do you stay ahead of the curve? These are the questions we discuss this week as we talk with author and professor, Edward Hess. Ed is the author of the brand new best selling book, Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization. In this interview, Ed uses his 25 years of research in the fields of behavioral economics, neuroscience and psychology to reveal advances in our understanding of the individual human learner and type of work environment that best enables those capabilities. We talk with Ed about the recent developments in the understanding of how people learn, the role of emotions in the learning process, and the environmental factors that can affect our ability to learn. Edward Hess is a professor of business administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and the author of 11 books, including Smart Growth: Building an Enduring Business by Managing the Risks of Growth and The Physics of Business Growth: Mindsets, System and Processes. "I firmly believe that in most businesses, learning is the only sustainable competitive advantage." - Ed Hess Quotes from Ed: What we learn in this episode: How can you become a better learner? How can organizations foster a learning environment? Why are humans lazy thinkers? The average tenure of a CEO today is 4.6 years! Resources: Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization Videos: Ed Hess presents chapters from his book Darden Ideas to Action -- This episode is brought to you by: Squarespace: Squarespace, the all-­in-­one platform that makes it fast and easy to create your own professional website, portfolio, and online store. For a free trial and 10% off your first purchase, go to squarespace.com/smartpeople and use promo code expert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For SPP listeners only, the first 100 people to purchase a book via www.leadtosucceed.me will receive a signed copy of "Lead to Succeed". Order now and thank us later :) Chris Roebuck - Everyone, everywhere is under pressure to work harder. Many of us work to survive and get paid. Bored and trapped, performance is low, family relationships suffer and organizational performance deteriorates. To deliver real success, people must be inspired to be their best. Whether you're an individual leader, a boss, a manager, an HR professional or a CEO, you must know how to transform both your own and your employees' performances. So I guess it's a good thing that this week we are interviewing the guy who wrote the book (literally) on leadership. Chris Roebuck is the author of the new bestselling book, Lead to Succeed: The Only Leadership Book You Need. Based on over 30 years of being a leader and developing, assessing and coaching leaders around the world, Chris explains the tried and true basics of leadership and describes them in engaging, useful details. His book has been described as a “breakthrough” in thinking about leadership. Chris takes a view of leadership that can help you or other leaders be effective, ethical, entrepreneurial and engaging. The principle is simple – just two steps – one, maximize the effort your people give, then focus that on what really matters for the organization. In this episode, Chris lays out the first step – maximizing the effort of people – Mach 1 leadership as he calls it. Chris is a visiting Professor of Transformational Leadership at Cass Business School in London and advises major global organizations on improving performance through their people. The UK National Health Service, top legal firms, global investment banks, SMEs and even the Red Cross in Myanmar and Chinese Space Program have all relied on his expertise. He has held senior leadership roles at UBS, HSBC, KPMG & London Underground and has served in the British Army. While Chris was the Global Head of Leadership at UBS the bank won the title Best Company for Leaders in Europe and the story of the organizational success is now a Harvard Business School case study. "Leadership is about making a difference and transforming lives, nothing less. Sadly too few leaders even think that, let alone do it.” - Chris Roebuck Quotes from Chris: What we learn in this episode: What's going on currently in organizations? What is the "new world of work"? What do we all truly want from our boss? How can you maximize the effort your employees want to give you? What is leadership at its most basic level? Resources: To learn more about Chris ideas, blogs, media interviews: www.chrisroebuck.net To learn more about the book and the 2nd step (focus onto what matters - Mach 2): www.leadtosucceed.me To follow Chris on Twitter : @Chris__Roebuck To join the Lead To Succeed Online Community: http://linkd.in/1sOnSHZ -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alan de Queiroz - Have you ever wondered how the same species of monkey (or tree, or snake for that matter) ends up located on different countries around the world? Keep in mind, they obviously can't just swim across the ocean, and they were there far before humans, so we didn't bring them. Sure, continental drift explains it in some instances, but definitely not all of them. So how did it happen? The answer will most certainly surprise you! This week, evolutionary biologist Alan de Queiroz tells us what the research says on this topic as we discuss his book, The Monkey's Voyage: How Improbable Journeys Shaped the History of Life. Alan de Queiroz is an evolutionary biologist and adjunct faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno. He has written widely-cited research articles on topics ranging from biogeography to the evolution of behavior to the origins of parasites. For more on the Alan and his work, visit his Facebook page and blog. "Most people understand that evolution is very random, it's caused by chance events." - Alan de Queiroz Quotes from Alan: What we learn in this episode: What is biogeography? Why are there no monkeys in Europe? How do mammals that can't swim come to be found on islands? Resources: The Monkey's Voyage: How Improbable Journeys Shaped the History of Life monkeysvoyage.wordpress.com/ -- This episode is brought to you by: 99Designs: Go to 99designs.com/SMART to get a $99 Power Pack of services for FREE today! Personal Capital: With Personal Capital, you’ll finally be able to see all your accounts in one place and get a clear view of everything you own. To sign up for free go to personalcapital.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Savannah Ellis - If men and women are meant to pair up for a lifetime of eternal happiness with the primary goal of continuing the growth of our species, why is it so damn hard? The communication differences between men and women is so apparent, that we often joke that the two sexes are from opposite planets. Much has been said about these differences, but little has been agreed upon. So let's do our best to learn how to make nice with the opposite sex in order to have long, healthy, romantic relationships. As an added bonus, Chris was recently married, so we figured it was our duty to get him some good advice. This week we speak with Savannah Ellis, COO of The Relationship Society, CEO and Founder of the Infidelity Coaching Program, and author of the book, I Cheated: Affair Recovery Advice For When You Have Been Unfaithful. Savannah has coached thousands of couples and individuals from Sydney, Australia to Las Vegas, Nevada to help them achieve their relationship and personal goals. Her passion is to help people be authentic to themselves and others. Savannah holds Psychology degrees from Monash University, Australia: Bachelor Behavioral Science (BBSc), and post graduate degrees in Clinical Psychology. "The three most important factors in a relationship are chemistry, personality, and life goals/values." - Savannah Ellis Quotes from Savannah: What we learn in this episode: How do couples learn to communicate better? How do you move on from heartbreak? What are the main differences between the way men and women communicate? Do men always want sex? Resources: I Cheated: Affair Recovery Advice For When You Have Been Unfaithful http://savannahellis.net/ http://relationshipsociety.com/ Youtube - It's Not About the Nail Twitter @infidelityguru -- This episode is brought to you by: 99Designs: Go to 99designs.com/SMART to get a $99 Power Pack of services for FREE today! Personal Capital: With Personal Capital, you’ll finally be able to see all your accounts in one place and get a clear view of everything you own. To sign up for free go to personalcapital.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Collis Ta'eed - Our guest this week was recently named one of the Top 10 Richest Bloggers in the World! However, that can be slightly misleading because his company is far from a blog (in fact, just insinuating that he is in the same genre as Perez Hilton makes my skin crawl). Not only is he an extremely successful on-line business mogul, but his entire blog and business is built around educating the world on-line. In fact, the company motto is, "Helping people learn and earn online." In this episode we discuss what it takes to be an entrepreneur, how you create one of the largest web based businesses in the world, and why on-line education IS the future. Collis Ta'eed is the CEO of Envato, a company that creates websites that help people from all over the world change the way they earn and learn online. Envato is empowering people with tools and services to develop new skills and make a living. They do this in the creative space with marketplaces and education platforms and materials that help people get creative! "As long as the scale of your ambition is realistic, there is usually space for niche businesses." - Collis Ta'eed Quotes from Collis: What we learn in this episode: How do you become one of the top ten richest bloggers on the planet? What is it like to start an internet business from scratch? What are the keys to making money on-line? What are the best traits for an entrepreneur? Resources: Top 10 Riches Bloggers in the World Tuts Plus Envato Wikipedia - Collis/Envato Twitter @Collis -- This episode is brought to you by: 99Designs: Go to 99designs.com/SMART to get a $99 Power Pack of services for FREE today! Squarespace: Squarespace, the all-­in-­one platform that makes it fast and easy to create your own professional website, portfolio, and online store. For a free trial and 10% off your first purchase, go to squarespace.com/smartpeople and use promo code expert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared Dean - Have you ever wondered how your Netflix account knows exactly what movies to recommend? Or how Amazon can keep you continually buying random things you never thought you needed? Or how those Facebook ads are always eerily targeted directly at you? Well the answer is simple, Big Data. Ok - maybe it's not simple, but it is something we can understand and even harness to make a difference in our lives and in our organizations or industries. This week we speak with Jared Dean, author of the new book, Big Data, Data Mining, and Machine Learning. This book was recently ranked the #1 "Big Data Read of the Summer" by The Hive. Jared Dean is a Senior Director of Research and Development at SAS. He is responsible for the development of SAS' worldwide data mining solutions. This includes customer engagements, new feature development, technical support, sales support, and product integration. Prior to joining SAS, Dean worked as a mathematical statistician for the US Census Bureau. He holds an MS degree in computational statistics from George Mason University. "Innovation is largely incremental. Most of the time we are making small steps forward, not giant leaps. " - Jared Dean Quotes from Jared: What we learn in this episode: Can you accurately predict the NFL by using Big Data? How do outliers play a key role in data analysis? Is there a difference between an algorithm and an equation? How do the self driving cars from Google use Big Data to operate? Resources: Big Data, Data Mining, and Machine Learning http://support.sas.com/publishing/authors/dean.html Twitter @JaredLDean -- This episode is brought to you by: 99Designs: Go to 99designs.com/SMART to get a $99 Power Pack of services for FREE today! ting: mobile that makes sense. For $25 off your first device or a $25 credit, use smartpeople.ting.com and save money on your cell phone bill today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Shenk - Want to be great? Then don't go at it alone. Throughout history teams of exactly 2 people have made the biggest impact - think Lennon and McCartney, Wozniak and Jobs, Orville and Wilbur Wright...the list goes on and on. But why? This week we crush the myth of the "lone genius" and learn how the best creations of all time came from people who worked in pairs. Josh Shenk, author of Powers of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs, tells us not only why 2 is the magic number, but also how you can find your creative pair and start making history. Josh is a curator, essayist, and author. His magazine pieces include cover stories in Harper’s, Time, and The Atlantic, where his essay "What Makes Us Happy?" was the most read article in the history of that magazine’s website. His work has also appeared in Slate, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His first book, Lincoln’s Melancholy, was named one of the best books of 2005 byThe New York Times, The Washington Post,and The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.. He is a curator, storyteller and advisor to The Moth; vice-chair emeritus of the board of directors, he currently serves on the general council. He is also a past director of the Rose O'Neill Literary House at Washington College, where he curated programs and festivals and directed a small literary press. Shenk consults to the Erikson Institute for Education and Research at the Austen Riggs Center, where he directs the Erikson Prize for Mental Health Media and Arts in Mind, a conversation series on the creative arts and psychology, co-hosted by the New School in New York City. "Creativity is not about being comfortable. It's about moving from where you are to something bigger. It's all about the encounter of disparate things." - Josh Shenk Quotes from Josh: What we learn in this episode: What characteristics make two people compatible? Why is tension good for partners creative abilities? How does conversation play a key role in creativity? Why is a pair better than a trio? Resources: Powers of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs www.shenk.net Twitter @joshuawolfshenk -- This episode is brought to you by: 99Designs: Go to 99designs.com/SMART to get a $99 Power Pack of services for FREE today! ting: mobile that makes sense. For $25 off your first device or a $25 credit, use smartpeople.ting.com and save money on your cell phone bill today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karan Girotra - Any system that we use to accomplish a task can be made better with some simple improvements. If you're talking about the system you use to brush your teeth, this might not be a big deal. But what about the way in which a company builds a product, or the way a doctor analyzes a patient? These systems can have enormous effects on society, and it is imperative that we understand how to innovate on these systems to continually create a better society. This week we speak with Karan Girotra who is a Professor of Technology and Operations Management at INSEAD and author of the new book, The Risk-Driven Business Model: Four Questions That Will Define Your Company. Karan earned a doctorate from the Wharton School for his examination of innovation processes and the early stage startups. He took some time off from his doctoral work to help start up TerraPass, a profitable firm that has helped individuals and businesses reduce over a billion pounds of carbon dioxide. At INSEAD, Karan researches and teaches issues related to business model innovation. His research has appeared in top academic journals and has been featured by the Financial Times, Businessweek, the Sloan Management Review and the Harvard Business Review. "Too often, students are narrowly focused on their immediate career goal and they underestimate the power of each one of us. One you start believing you can make great change, once you give it some conscious effort, most of us can accomplish far more than we can imagine." - Karan Girotra Quotes from Karan: What we learn in this episode: We blend innovation and education to see what is going on and what may be next. How can one individual actually change the world? What is business model innovation and why is it perhaps more important than product innovation? What are the two main ways you can innovate your creative process? Many of the problems we see in business today is due to a misalignment between the producer and the consumer. Resources: The Risk-Driven Business Model: Four Questions That Will Define Your Company http://renaissanceinnovator.com/ Karan in the Harvard Business Review www.girotra.com Twitter @girotrak -- This episode is brought to you by: 99Designs: Go to 99designs.com/SMART to get a $99 Power Pack of services for FREE today! Personal Capital: With Personal Capital, you’ll finally be able to see all your accounts in one place and get a clear view of everything you own. To sign up for free go to personalcapital.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices