Something You Should Know

Do you let your dog sleep on the bed? Some experts claim it is bad for your health. But I am going to start this episode by explaining why it may be just fine. http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/national/22018/7-Reasons-Its-Actually-Betterto-Let-Your-Dog-Sleep-in-Your.htm When you are trying to communicate your idea or pitch your proposal it is easy to over explain it. After all, it is your baby and you want people to understand every little detail. The problem is that people don’t really want to hear all that detail. Brant Pinvidic a producer who has sold more than three hundred TV shows and movies, run a TV network, and ran one of the largest production companies in the world with smash hits like The Biggest Loser and Bar Rescue. He is author of the book The 3 Minute Rule (https://amzn.to/36uNAHI) and he is here to explain how and why your ideas will always go over better when you are brief and to the point, No matter how good a person you are, you are probably a better person in the morning than you are after dinner. How can that be? Listen and I’ll tell you. https://www.medicaldaily.com/morning-morality-effect-you-are-more-likely-lie-steal-and-cheat-afternoon-261482 What if what your reality isn’t real? What if real, objective reality is something humans can’t possibly perceive? And what if our inability to perceive objective reality is what has helped us to survive? I know it’s a bit hard to get your head around. That’s why Don Hoffman is here. Don is a professor at the University of California in Irvine and author of the book The Case Against Reality (https://amzn.to/2Nb2r2L). Don joins me to explain this theory which is more than just an academic exercise. There are some fascinating practical implications as well. This Week’s Sponsors –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -3 Day Blinds. For their “Buy 1/Get 1 at half-off” deal go to www.3DayPodcast.com and use promo code: SOMETHING. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You need to know about the “27 Second Effect.” This is a critical part of the whole “distracted driving” problem that most people don’t realize. If you don’t understand what happens during these 27 seconds, you are putting your safety – and the safety of your passengers – at risk. http://www.calif.aaa.com/home/about/community-and-safety/hands-free-distraction-study.html Want to be happy? First you need to understand what happiness is – and isn’t. Dr. Amit Sood, author of The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness (http://amzn.to/2iy2hQI) explains why happiness is so often elusive and offers some great, concrete suggestions to live a more joyous and happy life today, no matter what is happening in your life. How well do you handle your money? For many of us, it isn’t something we were taught, we just had to figure it out on our own. Mix into that all the emotions we feel around money and it is no wonder people struggle to attain financial security. Certified Financial Planner Carl Richards, author of The One Page Financial Plan (http://amzn.to/2hhDbED) offers some great insight into why money is such a difficult and touchy subject and has some great advice to help you control your money and feel good about it. Wouldn’t it be great if you had more time in your day? In this episode, you’ll get 5 expert strategies that will open up all sorts of time and get each day started in just the right way. http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/stop-wasting-time This Week's Sponsors –Airbnb.To learn more about being an Airbnb host visitwww.Airbnb.com/host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When someone meets you, the first thing they likely notice are your eyes. But do you know what they notice second? Or third? Or fourth? This episode begins by explaining what folks notice and how they interpret what they see. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-impressions-are-everything-new-study-confirms-people-with-straight-teeth-are-perceived-as-more-successful-smarter-and-having-more-dates-148073735.html The success story of Netflix is legendary. It was a little startup that became a huge success. Today every business school and entrepreneurial seminar likely spends some time talking about the extraordinary success of Netflix. So you might find it surprising that the founder was leaning towards starting a shampoo-by-mail and a custom-dog food-by-mail business before he decided on renting videos. My first guest today is Netflix co-founder and first CEO Marc Randolph who tells the Netflix success sage firsthand. Marc is the author of the book That Will Never Work: The Brirth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea (https://amzn.to/2WjwPeb). Nothing brings a family together more than spending time together. However, WHERE you spend that time is really important. Listen as I reveal whether it’s better to spend family time at home or whether going on trips helps strengthen family bonds. http://time.com/4526901/home-time-key-to-family-happiness/ More and more people work from home or work remotely. This means a lot of employees are working with people who they have never met and will never meet. That can create a lot of problems according to Jason Morwick. Jason is a certified Project Management Professional, author of the book Making Telework Work (https://amzn.to/36eUsZW) and he is publisher of a newsletter called "Open Kimono" www.theopenkimono.co which delivers business management research. He joins me to discuss the challenges faced by the people who work remotely and by the people who have to work with them. He offers some great advice for individuals and businesses to mitigate those problems so everyone feels part of the team no matter where they actually are. This Week’s Sponsors: -Les Mills On Demand. Try the fitness app FREE for 21 days by going to www.TryLesMills.com/something –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you go to the movies, is there really a “best seat in the house?” Actually, yes. Although people have their own preferences, theaters are calibrated for sound from one seat in particular. This episodes begins by telling you which seat that is and where to sit if someone is already sitting in it. https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/how-to-find-best-seat-movie-theater.html?mid=twitter_vulture How can four seconds change your life? Trust me, it can and it is one of several pieces of advice you are about to hear from consultant Peter Bregman, CEO of Bregman Partners and author of several books including Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Replace Counter-Productive Habits with Ones That Really Work (https://amzn.to/31LQfJG). Peter has some powerful and some would consider counter-intuitive advice that will get you to think – including why you should take the blame when things go wrong because it will actually make you more trustworthy. Why do we celebrate Halloween? Where did it come from and why do kids dress in costumes and go seeking candy? Halloween expert Lisa Morton author of The Halloween Encyclopedia (https://amzn.to/2BKMg5J) joins me to answer these questions and discuss how Halloween has changed over the years. While Halloween is a time to be afraid – there are some things people are afraid of that should be of no concern at all. This episode concludes with a list of things that may frighten you but it turns out they are nothing to be concerned about at all. https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/everyday-dangers-not-to-worry-about This Week’s Sponsors -Simplisafe. For free shipping and a 60-day free trial go to www.Simplisafe.com/something -Forevernote. For $25 off go to www.Forevernote.com/something and use promo code: something –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you know about The 40% Rule. It’s what Navy Seals use to be mentally tough – and you can use it as well. It just takes a simple change in thinking. http://lifehacker.com/cultivate-mental-toughness-with-the-navy-seals-40-perc-1745307249 Who knew going to the doctor or the hospital could be so dangerous? Sure there are a lot of sick people there so you could catch some weird disease but that’s not the big problem. It’s MEDICAL ERRORS. I was shocked when I heard the statistic that medical errors are the third biggest killer in the U.S. behind cancer and heart disease. Here to discuss this is my guest, Leslie Michelson who has been working hard to create a “culture of safety” in medicine and he needs all of us to help. He is the founder and chairman of Private Health Management, former CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation – and he is author of The Patients Playbook. (http://amzn.to/2hdUaf6). Since all of us will be a patient in the hospital at some point – this is essential for you to hear. Since you likely send text messages to people on your phone, you need to understand what adding punctuation does that change the meaning of what you are saying. It’s interesting – and it only applies to text messages. If you are a texter, this can keep you out of trouble. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563215302181 How organized are you? If you could use a little help, I’ve got just the person. Sue Crum spends her life helping people get more organized though her coaching and consulting as well as speaking. She is also author of the book Clear Your Clutter (http://amzn.to/2hdWzGF) and discusses simple strategies to help you get more organized. This Week's Sponsors –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You probably know the many ways supermarkets use psychology to get you to spend more money. Well it turns out that airports do the same thing. This episode begins with a discussion how airports are designed to manipulate you to spend, spend,spend while you wait to take-off. http://www.neatorama.com/2015/06/11/12-Behind-the-Scenes-Secrets-of-Airports/ Humans tend to hang out with their own kind. It just is the way it is. And yet meeting and spending time with strangers and people NOT like you can have tremendous benefits. Strategy and innovation consultant Alan Gregerman, author of the book The Necessity of Strangers (https://amzn.to/2NkRxX5) explores the importance and payoffs of being around people who are different than you. This is the time of year people bring firewood into their homes to prepare for the looming cold weather. Bad idea! Listen as I discuss how bringing firewood into your house can have a lot of very bad unintended consequences. http://stlouispestcontrolblog.com/2011/12/ You have no doubt heard about metabolism. You have a metabolism and it has something to do with how you do or don’t lose weight. Well, here to clear up the mystery of exactly what metabolism is how it works and how to speed it up is Angelo Poli. Angelo is a fitness and nutrition expert and founder of MetPro (www.MetPro.co). Angelo joins me to explain how your metabolism works and simple and seldom heard strategies to speed it up and keep your weight under control. This Week’s Sponsors -Capterra. To find the best software for your business for free go to www.Capterra.com/something –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com -Calming Comfort. To get 15% off the displayed price go to www.CalmingComfortBlanket.com and use the promo code: something. -3 Day Blinds. For their “Buy 1/Get 1 at half-off” deal go to www.3DayPodcast.com and use promo code: SOMETHING. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all sometimes struggle to remember important things – like names or passwords or what to get at the grocery store. This episode begins with some very simple techniques that will sharpen your memory and help you remember. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7591279/DR-MICHAEL-MOSLEY-stop-forgetting-passwords-Does-gum-disease-really-cause-heart-attacks.html Food poisoning is amazingly common. Every year, millions of people get it, over 120,000 end up in the hospital and some die from it. Yet most of it is preventable according to Dr. Mark Tamplin author of the The Food Safety Book (https://amzn.to/2pya8GT). Listen as he explains some of the myths about food poisoning as well as how people typically get it and the precautions we all need to take. Do you eat breakfast? A lot of people don’t and even feel good about the fact that they skipped all those calories. But there are several really good reasons NOT to take a few moments to eat something for breakfast that will improve your mental performance and help you eat less. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26239831 Your ability to connect with people is so important because every relationship or friendship starts with that initial connection. Someone who know a lot about this is Brian Grazer. Brian is an academy award-winning producer, partners with Ron Howard in Imagine Entertainment and is author of the book Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection (https://amzn.to/32xyVcC). Listen as Brain offers insight into the best ways to connect with anyone and hear his stories of meeting U.S. presidents, Fidel Castro and Dr. Jonas Salk – who he threw up on. This Week’s Sponsors –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com -Upstart. See how low your interest rate is at www.Upstart.com/something. -3 Day Blinds. For their “Buy 1/Get 1 at half-off” deal go to www.3DayPodcast.com and use promo code: SOMETHING. -Article Furniture. For $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more go to www.Article.com/SYSK -Forevernote. Visit www.Forevernote.com and get $25 off when you use promo code :SOMETHING Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you cure a cough? Well, there is one idea that has been floating around that some people swear works – even though it appears to be impossible. This episode begins with this weird cure. https://startsat60.com/health/mythbusting-does-vicks-on-the-feet-really-stop-coughing Being an entrepreneur appeals to a lot of people – more today than ever before. More and more people today are taking the entrepreneurial route rather than working 9-5. While it sounds exciting, it is risky. So how do you find success when so many fail with their ideas? Jay Samit has some very insightful and encouraging advice you should hear. Jay is a billionaire entrepreneur and author of the book Disrupt You! (https://amzn.to/2BucWao). When you are done listening you will be inspired! When you get stressed out because people cut you off on the highway or take too long in line at the airport – there is a way to relieve yourself of getting all stressed out about it. And it doesn’t take more than a simple shift in how you think. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/147819-we-judge-ourselves-by-our-intentions-and-others-by-their This Week's Sponsors -Beautycounter. To get 10% of your entire first order go to www.beautycounter.com and use promo code SOMETHING –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people agree that if you know how a book, movie or TV show ends that will ruin the experience of reading or watching it. Really? Maybe knowing the ending first could make the experience better. This episode begins with some research that looked at the whole idea of spoiler alerts. https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/soc/2011_08spoilers.asp Can you deliberately use your brain power to achieve what you want? Is there really brain science to support the idea that you can use your brain power very deliberately to create the life you want? Yes, according to Tara Swart, neuroscientist, psychiatrist and author of the book The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, the Science of the Brain (https://amzn.to/33D6fPC). Listen as Tara explains the cutting-edge brain research that will empower you to really achieve the things you want. Every workplace seems to be too hot for some people, too cold for others. So how do you make sure you are comfortable no matter what the temperature? Listen for the simple secret to feeling just right no matter what the thermostat says. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/09/office-too-cold-shoes/502184/ Halloween is the time for monsters. So joining me for an explanation of why we have monsters and where they came from is Carlyn Beccia, author of the book Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science behind Your Favorite Monsters (https://amzn.to/32jWHJ6). If you want to know why we have zombies or vampires or what kind of creature Godzilla actually is, you will want to hear this discussion. This Week’s Sponsors -Beautycounter. To get 10% of your entire first order go to www.beautycounter.com and use promo code SOMETHING –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smile! Smiling turns out to be really good for you in a lot of ways. This episode begins with an explanation of all the benefits of smiling more often. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2011/03/22/the-untapped-power-of-smiling/#23fc80fc7a67 Why do we find ourselves listening to and paying attention to some people but not others? What makes certain people seemingly more credible? It turns out there are subtle characteristics (in fact 8 of them) that make some people more credible and believable than others – and it has nothing to do with the message they are delivering. Researcher Stephen Martin joins me to discuss this fascinating topic. Stephen is a visiting professor of behavioral science at Columbia University and author of the book Messengers: Who We Listen To. Who We Don’t. And Why. (https://amzn.to/2MDAtej) There is a simple question you should always ask your doctor whenever you go to see him or her. The answer to the question could save your life or at least keep you from getting sick. Listen to discover this all important question. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303918804579107202360565642.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet All of us have some project we want to accomplish yet never seem to. And it is always there in the back of your mind nagging you to finish it or least start it. Well if you would like to get the nagging to stop, listen to my guest Charlie Gilkey. He is the founder of Productive Flourishing, a website that helps people tackle and finish the things that matters – and he is author of the book Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done (https://amzn.to/33t5dp6). Charley has some proven ways to help you get to those projects – or let them go. This Week’s Sponsors -SimpliSafe. Get free shipping and a money back guarantee go to www.SimpliSafe.com/something -Forevernote. For $25 off go to www.Forevernote.com and use the promo code: something -LinkedIn. For $50 off you first job post, go to www.LinkedIn.com/podcast –Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can people actually become addicted to cheese? This episode begins with some surprising information how why people love cheese so much. I’m sure you have, at some point in your life, relied on your “gut instinct.” You made a decision that just felt right at that moment. And while that may be fine for small decisions – is it really smart to use your gut to make the big decisions? After all – what exactly is your gut? Well, Mary Ellen O’Toole, author of Dangerous Instincts (https://amzn.to/2OAbkE5), is a former FBI profiler who has seen plenty of people get in trouble because the “went with their gut.” If you want to keep you and your family safe – you should hear what she has to say. Sound is all around you. So what is it doing to your health? Probably more than you realize. My guest, Alex Doman is co-author of Healing at the Speed of Sound (https://amzn.to/318yyUq) and he will explain what impact sound and noise have on you and how to protect yourself. And the next time your “Check Engine” light comes on, you may not want to rush up to your mechanic as a first course of action. You can easily figure out what’s wrong yourself. I’ll explain how to do it – and why it is such a good idea that can save you time, money and a lot of hassle. This Week's Sponsors --Airbnb.To learn more about being an Airbnb host visitwww.Airbnb.com/host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you know people who claim they can focus and work just fine in a messy and disorganized office? Well researchers at Princeton did some research to see if this is really true. Listen and find out what they discovered. https://unclutterer.com/?s=scientists+find+physical+clutter For centuries humans have used storytelling as a powerful way to communicate. And it is very effective. That is why great speakers and leaders use stories to make their point and win people over to their side. Carmine Gallo, keynote speaker and former journalist is the author of the book The Storyteller’s Secret (https://amzn.to/2LYPWXc). He joins me to talk about the power of stories and how anyone can tell a great story to make their point and connect with other people. Are there Hot Wheels cars in your house? Millions of us have played with Hot Wheels cars and some of the early ones are incredibly valuable. One sold for $125,000 a few years ago! Discover what you need to look for to see if any of the old Hot Wheels cars around your house are worth big bucks. http://mentalfloss.com/article/86634/11-collectible-facts-about-hot-wheels It used to be that staying in the same job showed security and stability. Today the employment landscape is very dynamic. It has to be because so many careers and even industries disappear while others seem to pop up out of nowhere. Understanding how the world of employment has changed can help you find the right job and the right career for you. Dawn Graham is host of "Career Talk" on SiriusXM Radio as well as a regular contributor to Forbes.com. She is also Career Director for the Executive MBA Program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers -- and Seize Success (https://amzn.to/2OFWcFj). Listen to her advice on how to stay relevant in today’s job market and maneuver into the perfect job for you. This Week’s Sponsors -Les Mills On Demand. Get 21 days FREE access to their fitness app. Go to www.Trylesmills.com/Something -Zapier. Save up to 40 hours a week and try it for free for 14 days. Go to www.Zapier.com/SYSK --Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6 months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Never cry at work!” has been some long standing advice for employees. So if you DO cry at work, what will people think of you? This episode begins with how people perceive their colleagues when they see them crying on the job. http://time.com/4513209/cry-crying-at-work-tears/ It would sure be nice of people said yes to you whenever you ask for something. Unfortunately they don’t. So how do you become more persuasive so more people say yes to you more of the time? Brian Ahearn specializes in applying the science of influence and persuasion in everyday life and he is author of the book, Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical (https://amzn.to/2oH9xlu). Brian joins me to discuss the principles of influence that get people to do what you ask. Ever drink straight from the milk carton? C’mon, of course you do! And if you get caught people will tell you that it is just plain gross. But how gross is it? Listen as we explore the science of drinking from the carton and what that does for the next person who drinks from that carton and what it also does to the milk. http://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/we-debunked-the-5-second-rule-double-dippingand-other-food-myths/ We have a lot more rules than we used to. Kids today are taught to be far more cautious than in earlier generations. And while it is good to be careful, there are some unintended consequences to living in a world where there are so many rules and so many thing you are forbidden from doing. Tracey Brown has researched our overly cautious society and found some very surprising things which are in her book Playing By The Rules: How Our Obsession with Safety is Putting Us At Risk (https://amzn.to/2nUUSTJ). Tracey joins me to reveal that the world today is not as dangerous as people think and how all these rules are harming our children and our way of life. This Week’s Sponsors -Noom. Sign up for your trial today at www.Noom.com/something -Airbnb. To learn more about being an Airbnb host visit www.Airbnb.com/host -Babbel. Get 6months for the price of 3 when you use the promo code SYSK at www.Babbel.com -Zapier. Try Zapier for free for 14 days. Go to www.Zapier.com/SYSK -Les Mills. For 21-day free access to their app go to www.TryLesMills.com/Something. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost all voice guided apps – like Siri and Alexa – have a female voice. Ever wonder why? This episode begins with the explanation as to why the female voice is favored in most apps. https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/apples-siri-female-voice/story?id=14802733 Are you a good negotiator or would you prefer to avoid negotiation like the plague? Well, the fact is we all negotiate every single day – and a big part of the problem with negotiation is how we approach it. Dan Shapiro is going to give a fresh and rather positive outlook on negotiation and help you become much better at it. Dan is one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of negotiation. He is the founder and director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, associate professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital and author of the book Negotiating the Nonnegotiable (https://amzn.to/3328Ty8). We tend to use the word “busy” a lot. As in – “I’ve been really busy.” There is a problem with that though. Telling people how busy you are tends to push them away. Listen as I explain why. What is your purpose in life? Maybe you have multiple purposes. If so, that is a good thing according to Victor Strecher author of Life On Purpose (https://amzn.to/334m41x). Victor explains the importance of having a purpose and living a life in harmony with that purpose. It turns out when you do, amazing things can happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people never read the “Terms of Service” when they download an app. However, when you click OK you enter into a contract that says you will abide by those terms. So this episode begins with a look at what terms you are agreeing to. And you will be shocked. http://www.menshealth.com/guy-wisdom/why-you-should-read-the-terms-of-service Fear of failure is one of the big reasons people fall short of their goals. However failure today is seldom as serious as people think according to consultant and coach Alan Weiss. Alan has coaching clients all over the world and has written over 60 books including Million Dollar Maverick (https://amzn.to/2oJ3MUr) . He joins me to bring a fresh look at success and failure that will motivate you to follow your dreams. What are you supposed to do with that ball of cotton that comes in almost every bottle of pills you buy? I’ll explain that and why storing medicine in the bathroom is such a bad idea. http://easyhealthoptions.com/get-that-cotton-out-of-your-medicine-bottle/ The clothes you wear project an image And there is a good chance you are buying and wearing clothes that project the wrong image according to fashion stylist Lauren Rothman. Lauren writes the column “What to Wear, Where” for the Inc. magazine website and she is author of the book Style Bible (https://amzn.to/2o8V1md). Listen as she offers some great advice that will give you the confidence to buy the right clothes and make them look great so you appear absolutely fabulous. This Week’s Sponsors -Capterra. To find the best software for your business for free go to www.Capterra.com/something -Babbel. Lean a new language. Try it for free at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

80% of infectious disease are spread by touch. This is why it is so important to wash your hands. Still, most people don’t wash their hands correctly. Listen to discover the right way to wash your hands and which spots on your hand that are not getting clean enough. http://www.hardydiagnostics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Hand-Washing.pdf You have to sleep – and you probably have to sleep more than you do. That’s the message from neurologist Dr. Guy Leschziner. Guy heads up The Sleep Disorders Centre in London which is one of the largest sleep services in Europe and he is author of the book, The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience and the Secret World of Sleep (https://amzn.to/2lSckr0). Listen as he explains why so many of us struggle with sleeping well and sleeping enough and what everyone can do to get better sleep. If you work in a job you don’t like, you really should quit. Listen as I explain the very real negative consequences of staying at a job that you hate and that stresses you out. https://news.osu.edu/news/2016/08/22/lousy-jobs/ Whether you have a business, an idea or the next big thing – the hardest thing is to get the world to pay attention to you. There is so much competition for people’s attention and yet some companies and people manage to do it well. Ben Parr is the former editor-at-large for Mashable, managing partner of DominateFund, a strategic venture capital firm, a former columnist CNET and author of the book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention (http://amzn.to/2euC4Sd). Listen as Ben explains what successful companies and people do to capture attention and how you can too. This Week’s Sponsors -Calming Comfort. To get 15% off the displayed price go to www.CalmingComfortBlanket.com and use the promos code: something. -SimpliSafe. Get free shipping and a money back guarantee go to www.SimpliSafe.com/something -Noom. To start your trial go to www.Noom.com/something -Babbel. Lean a new language. Try it for free at www.Babbel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there such a thing as the best seat in the house at a movie theater? Yes according to the people who design them. Listen to discover where to sit the next time you go to the movies. https://lifehacker.com/the-best-seat-in-the-movie-theater-according-to-the-en-1788123971 What makes a powerful person – powerful? That’s a fascinating question. And when you understand the answer, you too can be more powerful. That’s according to Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at UC Berkley and author of The Power Paradox (https://amzn.to/2l9nabN). Listen as Dacher explains how to acquire power and how to avoid the power paradox which will steal your power away if you are not careful. With all the health information floating around – how do you know what to believe? Well, there was a definitive study on global health that looked at a lot of other studies and really determined what is and is not important to your health. Jeremy Smith author of the book Epic Measures: One Doctor. Seven Million Patients (https://amzn.to/2lD2Qjw) digs deep into the data and offers you some very practical suggestions on staying healthy. Jeremy joins me to reveal some of the interesting things he discovered. Also in this episode some simple ways to help reduce stress. And I bet you haven’t heard of most of them before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your taste in music can have a big impact on who you are attracted to and who is attracted to you. Whether you like jazz, country or classical music, listen to discover who you are most likely to get along with and who to shy away from. http://www.medindia.net/news/Music-Predicts-Sexual-Attraction-80223-1.htm Word-of-mouth marketing is considered to be one of the most powerful and effective methods to spread the word about an idea, product or service. So who starts word of mouth marketing and what causes it to spread? Ted Wright, CEO of a marketing firm called Fizz and author of the book Fizz (https://amzn.to/2lLeUiA) is an expert on this topic. Listen as he joins me to explain how word-of-mouth marketing works and how you can make it work for your ideas or business. The air in your home is probably not as clean as you think and probably not as clean as it could be. Listen to hear how you can easily make your indoor air a lot healthier. (Jeff May, author of "My House Is Killing Me!" (https://amzn.to/2nhDZ5c) Ever wonder why dogs and people get along so well – and have for centuries? Canine researcher Dr. Clive Wynne, founding director of the Canine Science Callaboratory at Arizona State University and he is author of the book Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You (https://amzn.to/2l4STLc) joins me to explain the amazing bond between you and your dog and how to make it even stronger. This Week’s Sponsors -Babbel. To learn a language go to www.Babbel.com and get a whole year of access to Babbel for as low as $3.50 a month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you ever lose something at an airport – where do you go to find it? The Lost & Found of course. But do you know how many Lost & Founds there are at the airport? A LOT. That is just one of many great airline travel tips that begin today’s episode. http://www.thisisinsider.com/airport-travel-hacks-2016-8/#avoid-paying-for-a-luggagecart-by-using-one-that-was-left-in-the-pickup-area-outside-the-terminal-by-someonewho-didnt-return-theirs-bonus-return-them-for-money-1 People complain about their healthcare but things are beginning to change for the better – and there are ways you can access that better care now. That is according to Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon, professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of the book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care and How to Fix It (https://amzn.to/31FfgqN). Listen as Dr.Makary describes the challenges we face and the solutions that are already here. Most people agree that Reese’s peanut butter cups and Snickers Bars taste better frozen. But there are a lot of other foods you likely never considered that also taste really good frozen. Listen and discover some great frozen delights. http://www.prevention.com/food/12-foods-that-taste-even-better-frozen Weird things influence you. If your neighbor first buys the car you are thinking of buying, you are less likely to buy it. Same thing at a restaurant. If someone else first orders what you are about to order, you are more likely to change your mind. Why? It turns out there are a lot of these subtle influences that affect your behavior. Listen to hear what they are from my guest, Dr. Jonah Berger, a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior (https://amzn.to/2V9oZDa). This Week’s Sponsors -Babbel. To learn a language go to www.Babbel.com and get a whole year of access to Babbel for as low as $3.50 a month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know bacon is really a low-fat food? That is just one of the many fascinating food science facts you’ll discover when you listen to food writer David Joachim author of The Science of Good Food. You’ll also discover why hot liquids freeze faster than cold ones, why you should never cook veggies with lemon and the science of cooking the perfect steak – and a lot more great cooking advice. Also, do you have a project or goal in your head that you swear you want to get done – but never seem to get to? It’s a pretty common problem and one I discuss with Phyllis Korkki author of The Big Thing: How to Complete Your Creative Project Even if You’re a Lazy, Self-Doubting Procrastinator Like Me. Phyllis is an assignment editor and reporter for the New York Times Sunday Business section and she has really done her research on this topic – and has some great advice for those of us who finally want to get it done! Plus, which is your good side? You know, in a photo, which side of your face do you think is better? You’ll get the answer in this episode. And if you drive, you probably spend a fair amount of time in the fast lane. But did you know you should never just cruise in the fast lane? It’s not for driving – it is for passing. Chances are you are staying in it too long – and that causes a real serious hazard. Many states are starting to crack down and enforce this law. Discover how to stay out of trouble in this episode of the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want someone to do something for you, it is all about how you phrase it. This episode begins with a discussion on the psychology of requests and how to say it so people will respond the way you want them to. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/09/persuasive-techniques-that-actually-work.html When life dishes out problems you have to solve them. And according to my guest, the good news is that all those problems can be solved. Marie Forleo is a wildly popular entrepreneur, writer, philanthropist, optimist and author of the book, Everything is Figureoutable (https://amzn.to/32NIeVw). Listen as she offers a fresh way to look at and solve the problems of life. Marie’s website is www.MarieForleo.com So it’s not polite to stare but if you are going to stare, how long before you really creep people out? I’ll reveal the exact number of seconds – down to a tenth of a second so you will now know proper staring etiquette. http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/7/160086 Statistics are a funny thing. It seems you can make them say whatever you want – in fact you can just make them up out of thin air and likely never get caught. Unless of course you are talking with my guest, David Spiegelhalter. He is a British statistician and Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk in the Statistical Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. He is also author of the book The Art of Statistics (https://amzn.to/30amC8T). He joins me to reveal how best to use statistics to bolster your own argument and how to question them when other people use statistics to make sure they are real and relevant. This Week’s Sponsors -Zapier. Try Zapier for free for 14 days. Go to www.Zapier.com/SYSK -Native. For 20% off your first purchase of Native deodorant go to www.nativedeodorant.com and use promo code: SYSK -Daily Harvest. For $25 off your first box go to www.dailyharvest.com and use promo code: something -Babbel. To learn a language go to www.Babbel.com and get a whole year of access to Babbel for as low as $3.50 a month! -SimpliSafe. Get free shipping and a money back guarantee go to www.SimpliSafe.com/something -LinkedIn. For $50 off you first job post, go to www.LinkedIn.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of people claim to be allergic to penicillin. In fact 1 out of 10 do. Most of those people are wrong and this episode begins with the explanation why. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/do-you-really-have-a-penicillin-allergy-2019022616017 More than ever, it is so easy to be tempted by distractions. So how do you stay focused and on task when temptations abound? With some really good suggestions is Nir Eyal. He is a writer and investor who has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his is author of the book Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life (https://amzn.to/2O5mEaT). Nir joins me with some very practical advice that will help keep distractions away. When thin families sit down and eat together, they do it a little differently than everyone else. Listen to discover how their eating habits help them stay thin as a family. http://www.eatthis.com/meal-habits-of-thin-families Do you know about positive psychology? It’s the idea of – rather than focus on what’s wrong and try to fix it, it is best to start by identifying what’s right and build on that. Tal Ben Shahar is one of the leading proponents of positive psychology. He is a writer and lecturer and author of the book Choose the Life You Want (https://amzn.to/34KXuUX). He also offers a course to become a certified happiness trainer. You can learn more here: https://www.happinessstudies.academy/ This Week's Sponsors -Native. For 20% off your first purchase of Native deodorant go to www.nativedeodorant.com and use promo code: SYSK -Daily Harvest. For $25 off your first box go to www.dailyharvest.com and use promo code: something -Babbel. To learn a language go to www.Babbel.com and get a whole year of access to Babbel for as low as $3.50 a month! -SimpliSafe. Get free shipping and a money back guarantee go to www.SimpliSafe.com/something -LinkedIn. For $50 off you first job post, go to www.LinkedIn.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here’s something interesting – as sunscreen use has increased over the last several years, so has the rate of skin cancer. So what is going on? I’ll discuss that and what we know DOES work to help prevent skin cancer. https://www.cancernetwork.com/skin-cancer-nonmelanoma/dietary-changes-may-help-prevent-skin-cancer-expert-says Who couldn’t use some great life hacks? I love them! And no one is better at finding them than David Pogue author of Pogue’s Basics: Life (https://amzn.to/2LvzFZu). This is a fun and informative conversation worth listening to that will leave you with great hacks to improve your life. David is the founder of Yahoo Tech, was the personal-technology columnist for the New York Times. He’s also a monthly columnist for Scientific American and host of science shows on PBS’s “NOVA.” He’s been a correspondent for “CBS Sunday Morning” since 2002. Also, what has happened to make political and other controversial discussions so nasty? James Hoggan author of I’m Right & You’re an Idiot (https://amzn.to/2ZYwDWE) explores what’s going on and how to fix it so we can agree to disagree without demonizing each other. You know the wasabi you get with your sushi? Chances are it isn’t real wasabi. What is it? And what is real wasabi anyway? Listen and find out. https://www.businessinsider.com/most-wasabi-served-in-the-us-is-fake-2017-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever eavesdrop? Be honest now. The fact is we almost all do – it is human nature and once served an important purpose. This episode begins with a discussion on eavesdropping and snooping and why we mostly all do it. (John L. Locke author of Eavesdropping (https://amzn.to/2O7an63) When you hear the typical advice on managing your money it is to stopping spending – cut back – no more lattes. Well my first guest today has radically different advice on managing your money that will not only allow you to live a life you enjoy but can actually make you rich – and still allow you to have your morning coffee without guilt. Listen as I speak with Ramit Sethi, author of the wildly popular book I Will Teach You To Be Rich (https://amzn.to/2A7GqKG) which recently came out in a new revised, second edition. You may not give a lot of thought to your email subject lines – but they have an enormous impact on whether people read and/or respond to the email. I’ll tell you which common subject lines are golden and which ones are deadly. https://www.yesware.com/blog/best-email-subject-lines/ You probably don’t give a lot of thought to your clothes – you just wear them. However, there are some real concerns and problems in the clothing industry according Dana Thomas. For example, millions of garments are thrown away having never been worn by anyone. And wait until you hear about polyester! Dana is a writer who has served as cultural and fashion correspondent for Newsweek, contributor to the New York Times Style section and she is the author of a book called Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes (https://amzn.to/2PXFgMr). This Week’s Sponsors -Simplisafe. For free shipping and a money-back guarantee, go to www.Simplisafe.com/something -Capterra. To find the best software for your business for free go to www.Capterra.com/something -Proactiv. Go to www.Proactiv.com/SOMETHING and with your order, you’lll also receive Proactiv’s “On the Go Bag” (close to a $100 value!) PLUS FREE SHIPPING & a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to be more successful and make more money there is one very simple and seemingly unrelated thing you can do that has been proven by looking at the habits of over 30,000 families. This episode begins by revealing what this seemingly magical, money-making act is. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/arthur-c-brooks_giving-matters-2/ When it comes to good health – medical care is important. However, the kind of person you are and how you treat others is even more important – by a lot! That’s according to Kelli Harding, M.D. and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is also author of the book The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer Happier and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness (https://amzn.to/2ZLksf1) and she joins me to discuss how social interaction and how kind you are impact how healthy you will be and how long you will live. When you walk you swing your arms. You don’t have to – but you do. Why? Listen to hear the explanation and discover what burns more calories – swinging your arms when you walk – or not? http://mentalfloss.com/article/63362/why-do-we-swing-our-arms-when-we-walk Is it okay to be selfish in a relationship? How do you balance your needs with the needs of your partner? Listen to Dr. Jane Greer, a marriage and family therapist and author of the book What About Me? Stop Selfishness from Ruining your Relationship (https://amzn.to/2UKSlI2). She joins me to explain how to deal with the inevitable problem of getting both of your needs met and still be happy. This Week’s Sponsors -Simplisafe. For free shipping and a money-back guarantee, go to www.Simplisafe.com/something -Capterra. To find the best software for your business for free go to www.Capterra.com/something Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do dogs do what they do? They seem obsessed with smelling everything and everybody and they universally love the snow. Why? This classic episode begins with an explanation of some common and often baffling doggy behavior. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-know-your-dog-is-smart/#3-why-dodogs-turn-away-from-us-when-we-try-to-hug-them-3 Stress is mostly about your distorted perception. That’s the messages from clinical psychologist Dr. Arthur Ciaramicoli, author of The Stress Solution (http://amzn.to/2cmIItY). So the good news, you can correct that distortion and lower your stress levels. When you look back you find that so much of what we worry and stress about never actually happens. It’s our inability to see the truth and our inability to predict the future that is causing all the trouble. Listen to Dr. Ciaramicoli’s discussion – and you will instantly be less stressed and you’ll have new ways to handle stress in the future when it pops up. Have you ever wished you had more photographs of loved ones who are no longer in your life? It’s a pretty universal lament. So why is that? Once you hear this, you will make sure you have the photos from this day forward. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thinking-about-kids/201606/take-pictures-people-not-things Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever have someone offer to help you and you say – “No, I got it.”? Why? Why we are so reluctant to ask other people for help when we really could use it? This episode begins with a discussion on why asking for help is hard and yet it is one of the smartest things you will ever do. http://rd.com/advice/relationships/phrases-make-people-trust/ Chance and probability rule your life. Yet how much do you understand about them? Ian Stewart knows about them better than most people. Ian a Professor Emeritus of math at the University of Warwick in England and author of the book Do Dice Play God: The Mathematics of Uncertainty (https://amzn.to/2MWjer8). Listen as he explains how, for example, a slot machine appears to be “hot” one day but not another. Or, what really determines whether a coin flip will end in heads or tails. And most importantly, how this all applies to your life. Where do women typically put their purse when going to a restaurant? They sling it over the back of the chair or put it on the floor. Listen as I explain why both of those options are such bad ideas that can easily get your identity stolen – and a simple way every woman can secure her purse and never worry again. http://rd.com/advice/travel/purse-theft-safe/ Motivational speakers can be very inspiring – but motivation for you can’t really come from someone else’s story. Susan Fowler, author of the book Master Your Motivation: Three Scientific Truths for Achieving Your Goals (https://amzn.to/2HJneXV) joins me to explain the real science of motivation – and how it works. Listen and discover how to find your motivation that will sustain you to achieve even when times are tough. This Week’s Sponsors -Babbel. To learn a language go to www.Babbel.com and get a whole year of access to Babbel for as low as $3.50 a month! -Proactiv. Go to www.Proactiv.com/SOMETHING and with your order, you’ll also receive Proactiv’s “On the Go Bag” (close to a $100 value!) PLUS FREE SHIPPING & a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee! -Embark Dog DNA Kit. Go to www.EmbarkVet.com and use Promo code SOMETHING to save 15% off your Dog DNA Test Kit -Upstart. Find out how low your interest rate is by going to www.Upstart.com/something Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s quite common and convenient to take medication or vitamin pills with a gulp of coffee or juice in the morning. But should you? The episode begins with a discussion on how important it is to use the right beverage to help you swallow those pills. https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/is-it-ok-to-take-medicines-with-soft-drinks-coffee-milk-or-juices-bs1017-527100/ Are there subjects or activities you are good at learning? Do you believe you have a certain aptitude for some things more than others? Maybe – but maybe it has more to do with what you believe than it has to do with your actual aptitude or ability. That’s according to Jo Boaler, a professor of education at Stanford University and author of the book Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers (https://amzn.to/2ZMdAtW). Listen to hear her explain how your beliefs about learning as well as how you are taught have a big impact on how well you learn. And she believes you can learn anything – with the right belief. We humans attach ourselves to other people. That’s what we do. So what does it mean to be “attached?” It turns out there is a lot more to it than you might think. Joining me is Dr. Amir Levine who is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist and author of the book, Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find - and Keep – Love (https://amzn.to/2MNR1D8). He describes the science of attachment and how there are three style of attachment. Which one are you? Listen to find out. Amir's website to take the quiz is www.Attachedthebook.com If you tend to overspend, you may want to change your footwear. Listen as I explain how wearing the right shoes can help curb your spending. http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/shop-in-high-heels-to-controloverspending-113082700521_1.html This Week's Sponsors -Babbel. To learn a language go to www.Babbel.com and get a whole year of access to Babbel for as low as $3.50 a month! -Proactiv. Go to www.Proactiv.com/SOMETHING and with your order, you’lll also receive Proactiv’s “On the Go Bag” (close to a $100 value!) PLUS FREE SHIPPING & a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee! -Embark Dog DNA Kit. Go to www.EmbarkVet.com and use Promo code SOMETHING to save 15% off your Dog DNA Test Kit -Upstart. Find out how low your interest rate is by going to www.Upstart.com/something Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Men and women approach online dating very differently and consequently get different results. This classic episode begins with a discussion on who does a better job using online dating – and why. https://beta.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/08/08/online-dating-study-quantifies-whats-out-of-your-league/?noredirect=on A surprising amount of food sold in stores and restaurants is not what you think it is. Journalist Larry Olmsted author of the book Real Food, Fake Food (https://amzn.to/2ZB8Wif) is here to reveal how and why so much food is not what it pretends to be and how you can protect yourself from being a victim of food fraud. While it is hard to find anything wrong with reading – there is one caution for people who read in bed. Listen to discover how reading can sometimes disrupt your sleep if you are not careful. https://time.com/3642620/why-you-shouldnt-read-a-tablet-before-bed/ Could it be true that vertical stripes don’t make you look slimmer? Did you know that horseshoe crabs save lives? Or that Napoleon was really short at all? These are just a few of the facts discussed with John Lloyd author of the books The Book of General Ignorance (http://amzn.to/2cOd1aL) and The Second book of General Ignorance http://amzn.to/2cyNzq3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know what customer service people really like? They like when you are nice to them. This episode begins with a magical phrase the next time you need a customer service person to go the extra mile for you. (Lori Jo Vest, author of Who’s Your Gladys?) Your body needs to rest. Not just sleep - rest. And rest isn’t necessarily sitting on the couch watching television. There are different kinds of rest all of which are vital to your function and performance as a human being. Physician Dr. Matthew Edlund, author of the book The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough (https://amzn.to/2MJ6S5M) joins me to talk about the importance of rest and how to do it for maximum effect. Dr. Edlund’s website is http://regenerationhealthnews.com/ Ever notice that you never quite look right in a selfie? Your face can sometimes look weird and distorted. That has to do with the camera lens in the phone and when you understand how that works, you can adjust how and where you are in the picture so you look like you actually look. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-look-good-in-phone-photos-selfies-2016-8 There are so many strange and fascinating stories you probably never heard like: the time the Soviets invaded Wisconsin or why the scoring system is tennis is so strange or the story of the guy who bought Green Bay Packer tickets by donating blood and it saved his life. Dan Lewis has been collection these stories for his book series Now I Know . His latest book is called Now I Know: The Soviets Invaded Wisconsin: And 99 More Interesting Facts, Plus the Amazing Stories Behind (https://amzn.to/2MJ55O9). Listen as Dan shares some of his best stories. And to subscribe to his newsletter visit: http://nowiknow.com/ This Week's Sponsors -Omax Health Sleep & Stress Remedy. For 50% off your first box and free shipping go to www.OmaxHealth.com and use promo code SYSK. -Daily Harvest. Go to www.DAILY HARVEST.com and enter promo code SOMETHING to get $25 off your first box -Upstart. Find out how low your interest rate is by going to www.Upstart.com/something -Dashlane. For a 30 day free trial plus 10% off Dashlane Premium go to www.Dashlane.com/SYSK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People who have high credit scores are often quite proud of them. And there is no doubt that a high credit score is better than a low credit score. But is a high credit score better than an average one? This episode begins with some interesting insight into how credit scores really work. https://twocents.lifehacker.com/your-credit-score-doesn-t-matter-unless-it-s-bad-1785050429 Who doesn’t love those great stories of new inventions and other creative breakthroughs? But often there is a lot more to the story than the big breakthrough. Creativity is a process and joining me to discuss how to process works best is Michael Roberto, Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University in Rhode Island and author of the book, Unlocking Creativity: How to Solve Any Problem and Make the Best Decisions by Shifting Creative Mindsets (https://amzn.to/2ZrqYDk). Having a lot of debt is bad for your financial health – and it appears to take a toll on your physical and mental health as we. Listen as I discuss the health benefits of paying off debt. https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2013/08/high-debt-could-be-hazardous-to-your-health/ When you stop and analyze it, a lot of your behavior is habitual. And as everyone knows, changing a habit can be hard. But not always. A lot of it has to do with how you approach it according to Alexander Heyne. He is the author of several books including The Lazy Guide to habit Change (https://amzn.to/2ZkMutn) Alexander joins me to explain how to change any habit or behavior by taking the path of least resistance. This Week's Sponsors -Daily Harvest. Go to www.DAILY HARVEST.com and enter promo code SOMETHING to get $25 off your first box -Upstart. Find out how low your interest rate is by going to www.Upstart.com/something -Dashlane. For a 30 day free trial plus 10% off Dashlane Premium go to www.Dashlane.com/SYSK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your shoulders speak volumes. It turns out how you hold your shoulders telegraphs a message to the world as to what kind of person you are. This episode begins with a discussion about who your shoulders say you really are. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201205/what-the-shoulders-say-about-us At some point you have probably listened to your intuition. It’s a gut feeling. You know you should or shouldn’t do something even though you don’t know why you know it. That’s what is called intuition. But is it a real thing? Can you trust it? Or is intuition just wishful thinking or merely a hunch? And if it is a real thing, how do we make better use of it? Joining me to discuss that is Rick Snyder, author of the book Decisive Intuition. (https://amzn.to/31STDCV) If you have ever gone on a diet, you probably had the experience that – it didn’t work. However, there are some ways that, according to science, really do work to help take and keep body weight off. Listen as I discuss what those techniques are. https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-07-08/the-7-simplest-easiest-ways-to-lose-more-weight-according-to-science You probably tend to think of the earth as a stage on which human history has unfolded. What is so interesting is that our planet is also a major player in human history. It has had profound impacts on everything in ways you likely never considered. Lewis Dartnell explores this in his book Origins: How Earth's History Shaped Human History (https://amzn.to/2KM8lG3) and he joins me for a fascinating discussion about what he discovered. This Week's Sponsors -Native Deodorant. For 20% off your first purchase go to www.nativedeodorant.com and use the promo code SYSK at checkout -Capterra. To find the best software for you business for free go to www.Capterra.com/something. -LinkedIn Jobs. For $50 off your first job post, go to www.Linkedin.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How physically strong are you? Interestingly, men today are not as strong as they once were. I begin this episode with the explanation of why that is and the surprising health consequences of not having the physical strength of your ancestors. http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/grip-strength-weaker-today “Can I give you some constructive feedback?” Usually, that question is followed by some criticism you would probably rather not hear. The “annual performance review” is a good example of this. Yet feedback – when done correctly – can be very powerful and quite helpful according to Tamra Chandler, founder and CEO of PeopleFirm, LLC and author of the book Feedback (and Other Dirty Words) Why We Fear It, How to Fix It (https://amzn.to/2Z10SXB). Tamra joins me to explain how to better give and take feedback and why this is so important. How important is it for children to have siblings? Is being an only child a handicap? That has been an assumption for a long time but lately it is being questioned. Listen as I explain what the research says about the pros and cons of being an only child. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/one-true-thing/201106/susan-newman-the-case-the-only-child The purpose of having a conversation is to communicate and share thoughts and ideas. However, a lot of conversations seem more about making a point or telling people why they are wrong and/or why you are right. Communications expert Andrew Blotky has worked in political communications at Facebook, The White House and Congress and he is author of a book called Honestly Speaking: How the Way We Communicate Transforms Leadership, Love and Life (https://amzn.to/2YL4W36). Andrew joins me to discuss a better way to approach important conversations so that everyone feels heard and ideas are actually shared. This Week's Sponsors -Capterra. To find the best software for you business for free go to www.Capterra.com/something. -LinkedIn Job. For $50 off your first job post, go to www.Linkedin.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever noticed that when you are working on a problem or trying to come up with an idea there comes a point of diminishing returns? The harder you concentrate, the worse it gets. It’s true for everyone and there is a sweet spot after which your efforts suffer. This episode begins with a discussion on why this happens and when you should stop trying and go do something else. https://hbr.org/2014/07/get-your-brain-unstuck At times in your life there have been important moments that have helped to shape who you are. These are transformative moments. Perhaps someone said something to you that made you think differently about yourself or your abilities – good or bad. So what is it about these brief moments in life that make them so powerful they can change your course in life or even change what you think of yourself? Dr. Michael Roussel is an associate professor at southern Oregon University and has been studying transformative moments for over three decades. He joins me to reveal the surprising reason why these moments stick with us and how you can use these moments to your advantage. To see Michael’s TED talk on the subject, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5O6mFWpgZo&t=3s How do you clean a dusty oil painting or rusty old gardening tools? Well, those are just a few of the dirty things you can clean with some handy items that are in your kitchen. Listen as I explain. https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/more-surprising-natural-cleaners As many as half of all people in the U.S. consider themselves introverted. As you might imagine, those people often feel at a disadvantage particularly when it comes to getting ahead in the workplace. However, there are some advantages to being an introvert and ways to play to those strengths according to career coach Jane Finkle, author of the book The Introvert’s Complete Career Guide (https://amzn.to/2Z0YmRr). Listen as Nancy explains some great strategies for introverts to navigate through the world of work. This Week’s Sponsors -Proactiv. Go to www.Proactiv.com/SOMETHING and with your order, you’lll also receive Proactiv’s “On the Go Bag” (close to a $100 value!) PLUS FREE SHIPPING & a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can your boss spy on you? You bet! This episode explains just how far an employer can go to keep tables on you and what you are up to. http://workrights.us/ Do you have a lot of self-confidence? Could you use a little more? We probably all could and Lana Otoya author of The Mindset of Self Confidence: Why Self Confidence Has Nothing to Do with Speaking Up or Standing Straight (https://amzn.to/2yKXqWu) joins me to explain how self-confidence works, what it is and how to develop more of it. Are you religious? If not, you might want to be? Listen as I discuss the amazing health benefits that happen when you believe in a religion. Duke Johnson, M.D. author of “Optimal Health” Intelligence is a funny thing. Sure, it’s good to be smart but there is also a down side. David Robson is a journalist for for the BBC, the Atlantic, and New Scientist and he is also author of the book The Intelligence Trap: The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes (https://amzn.to/2YRNYLz). He joins me to explain just what intelligence is and how (and when) being intelligent can be a bad thing. This Week’s Sponsors -Embark Dog DNA Test Kit. Go to www.Embarkvet.com and use Promo code SOMETHING to save 15%. -SimpliSafe. Go to www.SimpliSafe.com/SOMETHING to get free shipping and a money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do people have nightmares? Do they serve a purpose? This episode begins with some fascinating facts about nightmares and the people who have them. https://www.prevention.com/health/g20516173/6-creepy-things-you-never-knew-about-your-nightmares/ Where do good ideas come from? Good ideas typically blossom in environments that encourage people to express their ideas. Yet we often shoot down people’s ideas before they have a chance to develop. One place that does NOT happens is in improv theater. That’s where someone throws out an idea and everyone adds to it to see if they can make it interesting or funny. And there may be a real lesson there for the rest of us according to Norm LaViolette an improv performer, founder of Improv Asylum in Boston and author of a book called The Art of Making it Up: Using the Principles of IMPROV to Become an Unstoppable Force (https://amzn.to/2YLvegE). Norm consults major corporations on how to use the skills of improv to nurture great ideas and he joins me to share his strategies with you. I know I’ve heard the advice that if you fake a smile that it can actually make you feel better. Or could it be that faking a smile when you don’t feel happy can actually make you feel worse? Listen and find out what the research says. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/msu-sfa022211.php You probably wouldn’t have guessed off the top of your head that mosquitoes are our deadliest predator - but they are according to Tim Winegard, a professor of history and political science at Colorado Mesa University and author of the book The Mosquito:A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator (https://amzn.to/31pWnHV). Tim joins me to offer a fascinating explanation of how the mosquito has killed more people and changed the course of history in ways you never knew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you wear a certain fragrance, people will perceive you as 12 pounds thinner. That’s just one of many fascinating things I discuss about you amazing sense of smell in the first segment of this episode. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/02/scents We spend our entire lives learning. Yet we seldom think about HOW we learn. One person who has thought about it a lot is Scott Young, author of the book UltraLearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career (https://amzn.to/2yCu4cF). Scott joins me to discuss the best and worst ways to learn anything and how you can learn anything better. Gotta cramp? Reach for the pickles. There is some fascinating research I discuss on how what appears to be an effective and fast cure for a muscle cramp and it is in a jar of pickles. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/phys-ed-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/ We all come in contact with difficult and unreasonable people. What is the best way to deal with them? Well, it depends on what the goal is, according to Rick Brinkman, author of Dealing with People You Can’t Stand: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst (https://amzn.to/2YG8cMa). Rick reveals the best ways to handle jerks, idiots and other difficult people who get in your way so that you get what you want without escalating the trouble. This Week's Sponsors -Dashlane. For a 30 day free trial of Dashlane Premium go to www.Dashlane.com/sysk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim Kardashian and her sisters speak with something called “vocal fry.” In fact a lot of women do and it is a real problem. This episode begins with an explanation of what vocal fry is and why it is harmful to a person’s vocal health and professional career. http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/15/get-your-creak-on-is-vocal-fry-a-female-fad/ Have you ever sabotaged yourself? You go for a goal and somehow screw it up and it was no one else's fault but yours. The really good news is – everyone has done it. It is very human. And there is something you can do to stop it. Judy Ho a triple board-certified and licensed clinical and forensic psychologist and author of the book Stop Self Sabotage (https://amzn.to/2yltujB) joins me to explore this fascinating topic and reveals what you can do to stop it. Ever go to the beach but chicken out when it comes to going in the water? Whether it is an ocean, river or lake, you need to take a dip this summer and I will explain the excellent reasons why it is well worth it. https://www.livestrong.com/article/400377-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-swimming-in-sea-water/ When you look at the universe, do you see chaos or order? While it may look chaotic, the great minds of science have discovered a distinct order to the universe. Why is this important? Graham Farmelo, senior research fellow at the Science Museum in London, adjunct professor of physics at Northeastern University and author of the book The Universe Speaks in Numbers: How Modern Math Reveals Nature's Deepest Secrets (https://amzn.to/2MtOJbg) is here to explain. He will fascinate you with his explanation about how the universe is quite mathematical – and not chaotic at all! This Week’s Sponsors -Dashlane. For a 30 day free trial plus 10% off Dashlane Premium go to www.Dashlane.com/SYSK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pizza math. It’s worth knowing because when you understand it, you’ll realize why a small pizza is usually a lousy deal. This episode begins with a mathematical formula that will save you real dough on your next pizza. http://lifehacker.com/the-math-equation-that-explains-why-you-should-alwaysb-1784641566 How well do you organize, prioritize and execute your life? I bet you wish you were better at it – at least some of the time. World renowned productivity expert David Allen, author of the book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (https://amzn.to/32Vr6Or) is here to offer some amazingly simple yet powerful ways to live and work more efficiently so you have plenty of time for you. Since so many people are dehydrated, listen and discover a quick way to tell if you are. This test requires nothing more than to pinch the skin on the back of your hand. http://www.livestrong.com/article/252621-how-to-tell-if-you-are-dehydrated/ Have you ever experienced brain fog? It’s knowing that you are not performing at your best. A lot of things can contribute to it – including stress and diet – and there can be serious long term effects. Dr. Mike Dow, author of the books The Brain Fog Fix (https://amzn.to/3105nTG) and Your Subconscious Brain Can Change Your Life (https://amzn.to/2yl6u3W) joins me to discuss how to combat the feeling and optimize your brain to perform at its best. This Week’s Sponsors -Capterra. To find the best software solutions for your business for free, go to www.Capterra.com/something -Stroke of Genius Podcast. Subscribe to Stroke of Genius on Apple Podcasts, at www.ipoef.org, or your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you take your own bags to the grocery store, there may be an unintended health consequence – and it’s not good. This episode begins by revealing what happens to some people who use reusable grocery bags. https://grist.org/food/are-your-reusable-grocery-bags-making-you-fat/ How you drive has a real impact on the flow of traffic. Tom Vanderbilt, author of the book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us (https://amzn.to/2XTgPDL) joins me to explain why traffic flows the way it does, why it sometimes stops for no reason and how your driving affects other drivers. He also reveals what we can all do to make traffic work better. What’s the best way to get ketchup out of the bottle? Everyone seems to have their own technique. However, the people at Heinz ketchup created a secret little way that works if you know what to look for. I’ll explain their method which actually works on any ketchup bottle. https://www.today.com/food/how-get-ketchup-out-bottle-trick-heinz-57-t118061 Some people are just more likable than others. And there are some simple strategies anyone can use to make themselves more likable. Michelle Tillis Lederman author of the book The 11 Laws of Likability (https://amzn.to/2LwUoxn) is here to explain what makes someone likable and how anyone can improve their likability. This Week’s Sponsors -Native Deodorant. For 20% off your first purchase go to www.nativedeodorant.com and use the promo code SYSK at checkout -Grove. Get a 3-piece cleaning set from Mrs. Meyer’s spring scents, a free 60-day VIP membership, and a surprise bonus gift just for you when you sign up and place an order of $20 or more at www.grove.co/something -Linked In Jobs. Get $50 off your first job post at www.LinkedIn.com/podcast -Proactiv. Go to www.Proactiv.com/SOMETHING and with your order, you'lll also receive Proactiv’s “On the Go Bag” (close to a $100 value!) PLUS FREE SHIPPING & a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee! -Embark DNA Kit. Go to www.EmbarkVet.com and use Promo code SOMETHING to save 15% off your Dog DNA Test Kit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever flush the toilet with your foot to avoid the germs on the handle? It’s one of many well-intentioned but flawed techniques to steer clear of germs lurking in nasty places. This episode begins with some ways people try to avoid germs that fail and better ways instead. http://www.menshealth.com/health/things-that-do-not-protect-from-germs/slide/2 Why do smart people do stupid things? Admit it, you’ve done dumb things and you KNOW you should have known better. What’s so interesting is there are several factors that make it more likely you will do something stupid. Joining me to explain what they are is Adam Robinson who is one of the co-founders of the Princeton Review and is now a top financial adviser. He created a Power Point presentation called “How Not to be Stupid” and I know you will find this conversation interesting and useful. BTW, you can find Adam on Twitter – @IAmAdamRobinson. Ask people what makes them laugh and they usually say they laugh at jokes or humor. Well that is partly true but we laugh at a lot of other things too. Listen to hear what we laugh at most often and why. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200011/the-science-laughter When you show appreciation, wonderful things happen. That’s according to Noelle Nelson who has written several books on the subject of appreciation including The Power of Appreciation (https://amzn.to/2JMOu87). She says there is real science that proves being appreciative is good for your physical and mental well-being and she joins me to discuss exactly how this works and how to put into practice. This Week’s Sponsors -Native Deodorant. For 20% off your first purchase go to www.nativedeodorant.com and use the promo code SYSK at checkout -Grove. Get a 3-piece cleaning set from Mrs. Meyer’s spring scents, a free 60-day VIP membership, and a surprise bonus gift just for you when you sign up and place an order of $20 or more at www.grove.co/something -Linked In Jobs. Get $50 off your first job post at www.LinkedIn.com/podcast -Proactiv. Go to www.Proactiv.com/SOMETHING and with your order, you'lll also receive Proactiv’s “On the Go Bag” (close to a $100 value!) PLUS FREE SHIPPING & a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee! -Embark DNA Kit. Go to www.EmbarkVet.com and use Promo code SOMETHING to save 15% off your Dog DNA Test Kit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I suspect every parent wonders how they will be remembered in their child’s mind. What kind of parents do your kids think you were? This episode begins with a look at what children tend to remember most about mom and dad. https://time.com/4097995/parenting-kids-remember/ Some moments stand out in your life while many other moments are a blur or have long been forgotten. So what makes that special moments so special? And once you know that can you create more of them? Dan Heath joins me to explore that question. Dan is co-author of the book, The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact (http://amzn.to/2yY3fOH) Are you a worrier? Worriers are often told not to worry because supposedly, it doesn’t help. Well maybe it does. Listen as I discuss some interesting research that shows how all that worrying can really pay off. http://www.purewow.com/wellness/worrying-and-intelligence Being a perfectionist must be frustrating since it is impossible for humans to be perfect. Still, a lot of people strive for perfection in an imperfect world and it causes a lot of problems. If you are a perfectionist or know one, listen as I speak with clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo author of the book, Better Than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love (https://amzn.to/32tNfDb). This Week’s Sponsors -Omax Health. For 50% off your first box of Omax Sleep and Stress Remedy with CBD plus free shipping go to www.Omax Health.com and use the promo code: SYSK -SimpliSafe. For a 60 day risk-free trial and free shipping, go to www.SimpliSafe.com/something -Dashlane. For a 30 day free trial plus 10% off Dashlane Premium go to www.Dashlane.com/SYSK -Stroke of Genius Podcast. Subscribe to Stroke of Genius on Apple Podcasts, at www.ipoef.org, or your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Low-fat milk and dairy products are better than whole fat versions of the same thing – right? That is the prevailing wisdom. Yet this episode begins with some compelling evidence that we need to rethink that whole notion that low-fat is better. http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/foods-to-avoid-8-worst-foods-in-your-fridge Every day you spend time caring for your skin. It is, after all, the largest organ in the body. Yet there are so many myths about the skin and how to best care for it. Here to help bust those myths and offer some rock solid advice is dermatologist Dr. David Leffell. He is an internationally recognized expert in skin health, founder and chief of the Dermatologic Surgery Program at Yale Medicine and author of the book Total Skin: The Definitive Guide to Whole Skin Care for Life (https://amzn.to/30zZvjX). Who couldn’t use a little more space in their home? Listen as I offer some amazingly simple yet clever strategies for getting rid of things you will never miss and open up all kinds of space. http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/declutter-garage Your time is a precious commodity. So shouldn’t you be using it to do the things that matter most? That’s what time management expert John Zeratsky believes and he joins me to offer some ways to help get a handle on your time by eliminating those things that waste time and prevent you from doing things that are important to you. John is author of the book Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day (https://amzn.to/2jLBYwG). This Week’s Sponsors -Omax Health. For 50% off your first box of Omax Sleep and Stress Remedy with CBD plus free shipping go to www.Omax Health.com and use the promo code: SYSK -SimpliSafe. For a 60 day risk-free trial and free shipping, go to www.SimpliSafe.com/something -Dashlane. For a 30 day free trial plus 10% off Dashlane Premium go to www.Dashlane.com/SYSK -Stroke of Genius Podcast. Subscribe to Stroke of Genius on Apple Podcasts, at www.ipoef.org, or your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have a fender bender with another driver, should you just work it out between the two of you or should you report it to the insurance company? This episode begins by explaining the answer to that and why it is so important. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/09/should-you-report-that-fender-bender-auto-insurance-claims-consumer-reports/index.htm Having a job isn’t what it used to be. The changing economy is creating a lot of new jobs while eliminating others and somehow you have to survive amidst all that change. Joining me to help you navigate all of this is Neil Irwin, he is a senior economic correspondent at The New York Times, and author of the book How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World (https://amzn.to/2XKoFP2). Neil offers a strategy that will help bulletproof your career and allow you the grow in whatever field you choose. I bet you have wondered when you leave the house in the morning if you should turn off the AC and turn it back on when you get back – or just leave it on? Well, in terms of efficiency and saving money there is only one answer and I’ll reveal it here. http://www.menshealth.com/guy-wisdom/should-you-turn-your-ac-off-when-you-leave Ever wonder why some advertising seems to work on you while other advertising messages don’t? Considering how many advertising messages you hear everyday, it is amazing you recall any of them. Marketing expert Neale Martin author of the book The 95% of Behavior Marketers Ignore (https://amzn.to/2LGFc02) joins me as we explore how advertising works on your mind and what causes you to respond or not. This Weeks Sponsors -Quip Toothbrush. Get your first refill pack free. Go to www.GetQuip.com/something -Capterra. To find the best software solutions for your business for free, go to www.Capterra.com/something -Linzess. For information about your IBSC symptoms go to www.ohmygut.info/podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People are not getting sick and dying like they used to. The number of cases of some very common diseases have dropped dramatically over the last few decades and you’ll never guess why. Listen and find out as this episode begins with an explanation – sort of. http://www.popsci.com/many-diseases-are-declining-and-doctors-arent-sure-why Do you ever wish you had more willpower? It does seem that some people have a lot more of it than others. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal says you probably have more of it than you think and you can create more of it. Kelly is a lecturer at Stanford University and author of the book The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More (https://amzn.to/2JqGQ35). She joins me to explain how willpower works and how you can have more of it. When was the last time you washed your credit cards? Never right? Well your credit cards are one of many things crawling with germs you probably never think to clean. Listen to discover what else in your home might need a little disinfectant sooner than later. http://www.fitandfabliving.com/health/health-trends/6435-seven-surprisingly-dirtysurfaces You may not think about it much but one very important ingredient in everything you eat or drink is – time! Too much time can ruin a lot of food yet some food gets better and better the longer you leave it alone. Food writer Jenny Linford, author of the book The Missing Ingredient: The Curious Role of Time in Food and Flavor (https://amzn.to/2XuHGWy) joins me with a fascinating explanation on how time matters in almost anything you eat or drink. This Weeks Sponsors -Quip Toothbrush. Get your first refill pack free. Go to www.GetQuip.com/something -Capterra. To find the best software solutions for your business for free, go to www.Capterra.com/something Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hot summer days are often called the “dog days of summer.” Why? This episode begins with an explanation of that. http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a21725/dog-days/ You make a lot of choices every day. Some are harder to make than others. Listening to this episode will likely help make better choices. Joining me is Joseph Bikart author of the book The Art of Decision Making: How We Move from Indecision to Smart Choices (https://amzn.to/2xsIwmW). After listening you may change the way you look at the choices you make. It seems a lot of homeowners are over-watering their lawns. Doing so not only wastes water but causes some other problems as well. Listen and discover how to check that your lawn is getting just the right amount of water. http://livinggreen.ifas.ufl.edu/water/lawn_care_and_irrigation.html Having fun at work may seem counterproductive. How can you get work done if you are having fun? Well, it seems to be more complicated than that. In fact having fun may be just the thing for getting more work done – better! Joining me to explain is Dave Crenshaw a speaker and trainer who has authored five books. One of them is called The Power of Having Fun (https://amzn.to/2xoQYUj) This Week's Sponsors -Fab Fit Fun. For 10% off your first box go to www.FabFitFun.com and use the promo code: something -Capital One. What's in your wallet? www.CapitalOne.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You sometimes see products labeled refurbished – particularly electronics. Are they a good deal? This episode begins by looking at what refurbished means and whether or not it is a good deal worth considering or if you are better off leaving those products on the shelf. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/laptops/refurbished-electronics-buying-guide You are constantly trying to persuade and influence people. Whether it is your boss, your family, your co-workers or your friends, exerting your influence is how you get them to understand you and go along with your ideas. Joining me with some practical advice on how to be more influential is Shelle Rose Chavret. She is an expert on influencing and persuasion and author of the book Words That Change Minds (https://amzn.to/2ITFGOt) While some people are more optimistic than others, there is no doubt that being more optimistic has a lot of benefits. I discuss some of those benefits and how to look at life in a more positive light. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prescriptions-life/200911/dont-worry-be-happy-the-surprising-benefits-optimism Pet ownership is at an all-time high. About 70% of us have at least one pet. And we all have questions about our pets’ health and happiness. Here with some answers to both common and perplexing pet questions is veterinarian Dr. Gary Weitzman who is host of the NPR radio show The Animal House and author of National Geographic Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness (https://amzn.to/2NllHN5) This Week's Sponsors -Fab Fit Fun. For 10% off your first box go to www.FabFitFun.com and use the promo code: something -Capital One. What's in your wallet? www.CapitalOne.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When was the last time you washed your watch? Not recently I bet. So this episode begins with just how gross and disgusting the surface of your watch and watchband are and why they need a bath right now – today! http://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-watches-three-times-dirtier-than-toilet-seats-study-finds-20190623 Some people believe vaccines cause autism – science says no. Some people believe in ghosts and UFOs – science says no. But just because science can’t explain it – does that mean it isn’t true? Steven Novella is a skeptic who believes that we should probably all be a bit more skeptical of things, events and phenomenon that can’t be explained and he joins me to reveal why this is so important. Steven is the author of the book The Skeptics Guide to the Universe (https://amzn.to/2Ycr16d) and host of the podcast of the same name which you can find on your favorite podcast platform or here: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcasts If you like yogurt, you’ll like it even better if you eat from a certain type of spoon. If you like cheese it will most likely taste better to you if eat it off a particular type of utensil. Listen to find out which spoon and which utensil and why this happens to be true. https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/06/27/yogurt-tastes-different-depending-on-the-spoon/ Do you suck at something? Maybe it’s playing an instrument or skiing or cooking. You probably didn’t start out wanting to suck at it – but here we are. You do it and you suck at it. Well, it turns out that may be a good thing. Writer Karen Rinaldi author of the book It’s Great to Suck at Something (https://amzn.to/2Lj05xY) explains why it is perfectly fine to NOT do some things well. She has been a surfer for 18 years and by her own admission – sucks at it. But she still does it, she still loves it and says there are actual benefits to doing things not for the achievement or the trophy but just to do it. This Week's Sponsors -Paint Your Life. To learn more and get a 30% discount text SYSK to 48-48-48 -Purple Mattress. To get a free pillow with a purchase of a mattress text the word: something to 84888 -Stroke of Genius Podcast. Subscribe to Stroke of Genius on Apple Podcasts, at www.ipoef.org, or your favorite podcast platform. American River Nutrition. Get your free copy of Dr. Barrie Tan’s book The Truth about Vitamin E at www.BarrieTan.com/something Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it okay to talk with people on a speakerphone with their permission? What about bringing a gift to a party when the invitation says: No Gifts? This episode begins with a discussion on some common etiquette mistakes you may be making – and how to correct them. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/etiquette/etiquette-mistakes The space and environment you are in right know can affect your thinking, your behavior and your communication in ways you likely don’t even realize. Lily Bernheimer is a researcher, writer, and consultant in environmental psychology and founding director of Space Works Consulting. She is also author of the book The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure our Lives, Behaviour, and Well-Being (https://amzn.to/2WXBd0X) and joins me to offer an interesting glimpse into how things like the table you sit at, the position of the chairs and the human desire for nature all affect how you think and perform in the space you are in. Summer vacation photos will turn out dramatically better if you listen to some simple, expert photography advice I discuss in this episode. There are several good tips here including the need to move closer and closer to your subject. https://digital-photography-school.com/10-photography-hacks-will-dramatically-improve-photos/ We now have an entire generation of mechanically illiterate kids according to Temple Grandin. She is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and she was also the subject of the Emmy and Golden Globe winning biographical film. She is one of the first individuals on the autism spectrum to publicly share insights from her personal experience of autism and she is the subject and author of several books including one called Calling All Minds: How To Think and Create Like an Inventor (https://amzn.to/2N5wFWS). She joins me to discuss how so many kids today are not exposed to tools and the mechanical world of things and how this has resulted in a generation of people who can’t build or fix anything. This has significant ramifications in our world including a lack of talented people in very lucrative trades like plumbing, electrical and auto repair. And that’s just the beginning of the problem. This Week's Sponsors -Paint Your Life. To learn more and get a 30% discount text SYSK to 48-48-48 -Stroke of Genius Podcast. Subscribe to Stroke of Genius on Apple Podcasts, at www.ipoef.org, or your favorite podcast platform. American River Nutrition. Get your free copy of Dr. Barrie Tan’s book The Truth about Vitamin E at www.BarrieTan.com/something -Capital One. What's in your wallet? www.CapitalOne.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Driving while texting, talking, eating or drinking can all distract you from paying attention to the road. So what about listening to the radio while driving? Is that a distraction? This episode begins with an exploration of that question that yields a surprising answer.https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20130620/music-doesnt-hurt-driving-performance-study-suggests#1 So many relationships start off great and then end badly. So what is it that goes wrong? Here with some great insight into that and some unique solutions to improve your relationship is Mort Fertel. Mort is a relationship expert and creator of the “Marriage Fitness” program that has helped thousands of couples save their marriages. He is a frequent expert guest on television and author of the book Marriage Fitness: 4 Steps to Building & Maintaining Phenomenal Love (https://amzn.to/2KrnNZc) To get Mort’s free report: 7 Secrets to Fix a Marriage go to www.MarriageMax.com Next time you go on a job interview try to pick the day and time if you can. I’ll explain why it could make a huge difference and exactly what day and time to schedule it. https://lifehacker.com/the-best-time-to-schedule-a-job-interview-1738809779 You probably spend more time on email than you realize. A lot more! That’s why communications expert Dianna Booher is here to discuss the problem and more importantly, the solutions. Dianna is the author of the book, Faster Fewer Emails: Manage the Volume, Reduce The Stress Love the Results (https://amzn.to/2FkoVda) and she has some very powerful advice that will help you get a handle on your email so it stops running your life. This Week’s Sponsors -American River Nutrition. Get your free copy of Dr. Barrie Tan’s book The Truth about Vitamin E at www.BarrieTan.com/something -Mighty Travels Premium. Get your 30 day free trial at www.MightyTravels.com/something -Ancestry. For 20% off your Ancestry DNA Kit go to www.Ancestry.com/something -Grove. Get a 3-piece cleaning set from Mrs. Meyer’s spring scents, a free 60-day VIP membership, and a surprise bonus gift just for you when you sign up and place an order of $20 or more at www.grove.co/something -Capital One. What's in your wallet? www.CapitalOne.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices