Smart People Podcast

Peter Webster & Kyle Robertson: Founders of iCare There is a major social revolution taking place right now thanks to social media and mobile technology.  For the first time in history, it is easier to get one million people to donate $1 than it is to get one person to donate $1 Million.  On top of that, the nonprofit sector wastes so much money every year on outdated marketing methods such as direct mailers and telemarketing companies.  Both donors AND nonprofits are asking for a change, so Peter and Kyle decided to be that change. This is the first time in SPP history that we actually interview two people at the same time! Kyle Robertson is the Founder and CEO of iCare, and Peter Webster is the co-founder and CMO.  They spent the past year developing a mobile fundraising application that has the potential to become the standard medium for how people can connect with charity.  iCare brings charitable fundraising and volunteering right to the mobile phone in a free application.  iCare just officially launched a few days ago, be sure to check it out at www.icarecause.com.  

Dr. Mollie Marti - lawyer, author, psychologist, professor It's funny how, as a child, you are amazed at how much other people know.  Whether it be your older sibling, a neighbor, or your parents, the things they know are astounding.  But as we grow older, something funny happens.  We tend to focus our attention inward on our own journey and experiences, and we start to believe we have all of the answers.  This isn't always a bad thing, it's good to feel competent and capable.  But it becomes a problem when you refuse to accept the help or guidance of others.  We must remember that, although no two people experience the exact same thing, there is a lot to be learned from those that have taken a similar path.  It is for this reason that mentors can play such a big role in our lives, and Jon and I encourage you to seek one out.  In that same token, if you see someone in need of a mentor, don't hesitate to be of assistance as well.  Because we are only as good as the knowledge we pass on. Our guest this week is Dr. Mollie Marti.  Dr. Marti is a psychologist, lawyer and adjunct professor at the University of Iowa.  She is a leading authority on resiliency, servant leadership, mentorship, and business ethics.  We talk with her about her newest book, Walking with Justice: Uncommon Lessons from One of Life's Greatest Mentors.  In this book, Dr. Marti talks about how her clerkship with Judge Max Rosenn changed her life and set her on a course of philanthropy and love.  A truly uplifting, holiday theme!  

Brian Dunning - Skeptoid podcast producer, professional myth-buster, author, entrepreneur. Did you know that 98% of all statistics are made up? Did you know I just made THAT statistic up? In an age of information overload, it's very hard to sift through it all.  For every question, I can find you two very convincing answers, with just a simple Google search.  For example, if you were to ask me if peanut butter is good for you, I could say yes and provide you with this Harvard study - http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/Is-peanut-butter-healthy.  But then I could turn around and say NO - most peanut butter is bad for you, and I could send you this - http://www.thehealthyboy.com/2010/06/whats-really-in-your-peanut-butter.html.  Dammit, now I don't even know if it's good for you or not.  Anyway, the point here is that any help you can get should be welcomed.  And that's what we are all about here at SPP - helping you help yourself.  So when the bullshit get's deep, here's your shovel. This week we interview Brian Dunning, the producer of the Skeptoid podcast.  Skeptoid is one of the most popular podcasts around, getting hundreds of thousands of downloads EVERY episode...and for good reason.  Dunning takes a methodical approach to not only debunking common misconceptions, but also providing the listener with awesome scientific explanations of what is actually going on.  As he mentions in this episode, he wants to make sure he is giving you something, rather than just taking something away.  So here we are, just a few podcasters providing you with some awesome sauce - enjoy!

Fran Hawthorne - Author of Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love There's a reason why the largest corporations also have the largest marketing budgets.  With all of the competition out there today, a company's image is just as important as the products that it sells.  For example, hear the word Lexus and what do you immediately think about? Luxury, indulgence, perhaps a big red bow wrapped around your car? Do you even own a Lexus? Well I sure as heck don't, but I still know what it's supposed to represent.  But sometimes, that image doesn't quite tell the whole story.  This is especially true when companies try to portray an aura of social responsibility.  It's easy to tell the public they do what's right, but it's much harder to act on it - especially when it comes down to the bottom line of profitability. So let's see what we can do to pull back the curtain on 6 of today's most beloved companies (yes, one of them is Apple). Our guest this week is Fran Hawthorne.  Fran is a prize-winning author and journalist with over 20 years of experience specializing in health care, retirement issues, and the nexus between business and public policy.  She writes regularly for The New York Times, Newsday, The Scientist, Institutional Investor and more.  We discuss her two most recent books, Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love and The Overloaded Liberal: Shopping, Investing, Parenting, and Other Daily Dilemmas in an Age of Political Activism.

Linda McQuaig - Prolific journalist, critic, and author of "Billionaires' Ball: Gluttony and Hubris in an Age of Epic Inequality" Don't forget to use our amazon link for all of your cyber Monday (and future) purchases.  Click here to go straight to amazon and get your shop on! How about a few fun facts, just to start your day off right: A mere 0.5% of the world's population owns an eye-popping 38.5% of its total wealth Meanwhile, the bottom 2/3 of the population only account for 3.3% of the total wealth One-third of the world's millionaires live in the United States, more than the next 3 countries combined According to Credit Suisse, "The past decade has been especially conducive to the establishment of large fortunes". You can download the entire report here. What? You aren't one of these rich people? Sucks for us, doesn't it? The last bullet point is an important one.  We are always going to have wealthy people, but the circumstances that allow for the accumulation of wealth have never been better.   Taxes are at a historical low, regulation on investment has been minimized, capital gains taxes are low, and tax loopholes greatly favor the rich! Seems tough for the little guy.  With the most recent election, the country made a statement about the need for equality in all aspects of life - specifically from a financial perspective.  But how do we do that? Listen to this week's episode...that's how. Linda McQuaig is a prolific and well-known Canadian journalist, columnist, non-fiction author and social critic.  Her most recent book, "Billionaires' Ball: Gluttony and Hubris in an Age of Epic Inequality", was written alongside Professor Neil Brooks, a tax professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.  In this book, McQuaig and Brooks talk about the dangers that come with such concentrated wealth.

Richard Fine - CEO of Help Remedies/drug dealer (don't worry, it's legal). I had a long day at the office today and it left me with a raging headache.  I sauntered to the nearest pharmacy, stood in the painkiller aisle, looked at the plethora of choices, and you know what happened...my headache got worse.  What brand do I want? Which type of pain killer? Do I need extra strength, mega strength, or kill me strength? These are way too many questions to answer considering it feels like I have a midget taking a mallet to my brain.  But then, as if delivered from the heavens, a beautiful green and white box jumps out at me and it literally says, "help, I have a headache".  No questions, just answers.  And so began my love affair with Help Remedies.  (For the record, this story was made up.  My love affair actually began with a blue box that said "help, I have a blister" - but I tell that story in the interview). Help Remedies, Inc. puts a simple new spin on your every day over-the-counter drugs.  Their products are made with only one active ingredient, because drugs are the epitome of less is more.  Why relieve 6 symptoms when you only have one?  Their products are in more environmentally friendly packaging and they use fewer coatings and dyes.  But perhaps most importantly, their products are beautiful and simple - a description more likely to be given to an iMac than a ibuprofen.  It leaves you wondering, who's the genius behind this stellar product?  Answer: Richard Fine and Nathan Frank.  We were only able to get one of them on the show. Richard Fine is the CEO and Co-Founder of Help Remedies, Inc.  Find out more about Help at www.helpineedhelp.com.

Dr. James Serpell - Expert on human-animal interaction, author, Professor, Director of the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society. If you own a dog, I can almost guarantee that at one point you have found yourself having an entire conversation with them.  You have sat down with your dog, just as if you were talking to your spouse, and told them all about your day.  You have told them your deepest secrets, you have told them your biggest regrets.  You have taken them with you on vacations and you let them sleep in your bed. You have brought them into every facet of your life.  In essence, they are family.  And you know what?  This seems completely normal. The fact is, in the eyes of many, the domestic dog is more human than animal.  So with that in mind, don't you think you should know more about your family member? I mean, most parents won't have a baby before they read 9 different baby books, why should it be any different for your furry friend.  It doesn't need to be.  Tune in to this week's episode as we teach you all about man's best friend.  We get answers to some of the most puzzling doggy questions such as why they try to lick your mouth and how emotional are they. Welcome to the show Dr. James Serpell.  Dr. Serpell is an expert on human-animal interaction, specializing in our relationship with the modern day domestic dog.  Dr. Serpell is a Professor of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also directs the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society. He also serves on the editorial boards of animal welfare, applied animal behavior, and human-animal interaction publications. Dr. Serpell is the author, editor, and co-editor of several books including "The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People"  and "In the Company of Animals: A Study of Human-Animal Relationships".

Mark Malkoff - Filmmaker, adventurer, comedian We all know that guy.  The ideas guy.  The non-action guy.  The guy that say's things like "Dude, I KNEW I should have bought Apple stock when it was at $60," or "I can't believe that business stole my idea," or "as soon as work slows down I'm going to write a book."  I have to admit, I've been that guy numerous times in my life and I'm not proud of it.  That guy is annoying.  He thinks that just having an idea is as good as actually making something happen.  My favorite quote from the movie The Social Network is when the actor playing Mark Zuckerberg says, "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you would have invented Facebook."  The point of all this is, you're only as good as what you do, NOT what you think about doing.  Do whatever fires you up, whatever gets you out of bed in the morning.  No matter how crazy it is, or how unrealistic it seems - go after it.  That's exactly what this week's guest, Mark did and it has brought him some pretty cool places. Mark Malkoff is a comedian, a filmmaker, and more importantly, he's a do-er.  He comes up with cool stuff to do, and makes it happen.  Mark had an idea on how to overcome his fear of flying, and next thing you know, he's literally living on an AirTran jet for 30 straight days.  He also visited and purchased something from all 171 Starbucks franchises in New York City in 24 hours.  He lived in an IKEA for a week.  What's even better, is he turns his adventures into fantastic films, and it's become his full time job.  Mark has made headlines worldwide for his exploits and he's enjoyed every second of it. Check out the hilarity that ensues at http://www.mydamnchannel.com/channel/mark_malkoff_3327.aspx. I'm not going to sit here and give you a motivational speech, but we've said it time and time again.  There's always a million reasons why it won't work, doesn't make sense, or seems impossible.  You have to power through those thoughts, those excuses, and get it done.

Dr. Richard Davidson - Harvard educated professor, expert in emotions, author and long time friend of the Dalai Lama. Do you know how long "meditate daily" has been on my to-do list? Probably twice as long as "go to the dentist" has been on yours.  For me, the act of meditation represents everything that is calming, and the fact that I never meditate represents everything that is hectic.  In a world where you have so many worries including your family, bills, career, and more, when do you have time to sit in a room and think about....well....nothing? The truth is, our brain wasn't meant to be so over stimulated every second of the day.  With the pace of life increasing at an almost unimaginable rate, it becomes more imperative to sit down, relax,  get out of the way, and let your brain just be.  Especially given all of the research that shows, the better we treat our brain - the better it will treat us.  The cool thing is, meditation is just one tool in our tool belt that we can use to change the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we experience the world. Given the plasticity of the brain, there are many ways to improve the quality of our life through optimizing our brain.  Want to learn more about it? That's what I thought. This week we interview Dr. Richard Davidson, a true expert in the field of neuroscience. Dr. Davidson is the Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, and Founder and Chair of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology and is the author of the new book, The Emotional Life of Your Brain.  Oh, and Dr. Davidson has the Dalai Lama on speed dial - they're that tight.

Ann Louise Gittleman - "The First Lady of Nutrition" Consider your typical day.  You cook in your microwave, you call people on your cell phone, you work all day on your laptop - wirelessly connected to the world of the interwebs, you read books on your kindle, you listen to the radio in the car, you relax in front of the TV...the list goes on and on.  Electronics are an integral part of our lives, and we rely on them more and more every day.  There's no denying that these gadgets and gismos make life better; however, can all of this electronic pollution have a negative impact on our health? We here at SPP believe the jury is still out on this one, but it never hurts to get a little more information.  Take a listen to this week's episode and make the decision on your own. This week we speak with author and nutritionist, Ann Louise Gittleman.   Ann Louise received her Master's degree In Nutrition Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned a Certified Nutrition Specialist credential from the American College of Nutrition, a non-profit nutritionist organization, in 1993. Ann Louise has appeared on:  20/20, Dr. Phil, The View, The Early Show, Good Morning America, Extra, Fox News, PBS, CNN, Good Day New York, 700 Club and more.  Her most recent book is titled Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution.

Reggie Freeman - Fire Chief, Emergency Management, CEO & President of The Freeman Group, LLC Catastrophe is all around us.  Massive snow storms, excessive heat waves, floods, power outages and hurricanes are all part of life on earth.  Whether you call it climate change, the zombie apocalypse or the end of the Mayan calendar, it is becoming increasingly important for us to be prepared for disaster. Unfortunately, most emergency management personal isn't properly trained to deal with the wrath of Mother Earth.  Luckily, Jon and I want you to survive...you're welcome. We consider this episode to be a diamond in the rough.  We interviewed this week's guest, Reggie Freeman, at the urging of one of our listeners and he blew us away.  Reggie is an Executive Fire Officer serving in the capacity of Assistant Fire Chief for the City of Hartford, CT. He also serves as the city's Deputy Director of Emergency Management.  However, Reggie's impressive resume doesn't stop there.  He took the knowledge and the discipline he gained in the above mentioned roles and translated them into his own "All Hazards" consulting company, The Freeman Group.  And to top it all off, Reggie is finishing up his book, "The New Fire Officer," which addresses the history and tradition of the fire service coupled with the schematics of fire departments in today's society along with the demographics of new officers across the country.  This guy stays busy!

Arun Chaudhary - First ever official White House Videographer This podcast is recorded exactly 6 miles from the White House.  My day job office building is literally a pitching wedge away from the front steps of the President's home.  And yet, every time I pass those huge white pillars and that rolling green lawn, I can't help but to stop and stare and wonder.  What is going on inside there?  Is Barry in? Is a sniper pointing his gun at me right now?  Thousands flock to the gates of the White House every year and ask themselves these same questions (except perhaps the sniper part, that might just be me).  And it's no wonder we are all enamored.  This building houses arguably the most powerful man in the world, President Barack Obama.  A man so cool, that he actually does NOT put his pants on one leg at a time - he jumps into both (listen to find out of this is true).  But if you want to catch a glimpse of the POTUS and learn more about who he really is, don't feel like you have to fly to our Nation's Capital - just go to YouTube! President Barack Obama has been dubbed the YouTube president.  His YouTube channel, BarackObama.com has nearly a quarter of a million subscribers and over 225 million views (slightly more than our YouTube channel which will soon have all of our episodes available - along with video of recent interviews! Check out our trailer here).  Many have credited his tech savvy "New Media" team for utilizing things like YouTube, facebook and other social media tools, in helping Obama win the presidency.  So it's only fitting that he is the first President to have his very own dedicated videographer to record his every move. This week's guest, Arun Chaudhary, served as the first official White House videographer from 2009 to 2011 and was also a key member of Obama's New Media team during the 2008 campaign.  He recently released his book, First Cameraman: Documenting the Obama Presidency in Real Time. He previously worked in film in New York and was a member of the NYU Graduate Film Department faculty.  He received his MBA in filmmaking from NYU and his BA in film theory from Cornell University.  He has been profiled by The New York Times, the BBC, National Journal, Politico, Fortune, and now..... Smart People Podcast.  Enjoy.

Jonathan Haidt - morality, emotion and politics: "Morality binds people together into teams that seek victory, not truth, and it closes hearts and minds." Taking the moral high ground is considered noble.  Being morally sound is an admirable trait.  But who determines if your moral stance is correct? Ultimately you do...don't you?   I mean, as this week's guest points out, even the Nazi's thought they were morally just in their beliefs.  Hmmm, not so clear cut now is it?  Think about issues such as abortion, gun control, the death penalty, religion.  Morality becomes murky water when you start discussing the difficult issues. And if you've followed this show at all, you know that when there is murky water, there's Jon and I, drinking it up with an enormous straw. Bring on the expert. This week's guest is Dr. Jonathan Haidt.  Dr. Haidt is a professor at New York University Stern School of Business. For 16 years he taught psychology at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on the psychological bases of morality across different cultures and political ideologies. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He was awarded the Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology in 2001. In his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, Haidt explains how morality plays a large role in the current political stalemate that grips America.  Learn more about his drive for a more productive and civil politics on his website www.CivilPolitics.org. Explore your own morals at www.yourmorals.org.

Shannon Kaiser -  travel writer, inspirational author, motivational speaker Sometimes here at SPP, we judge a book by it's cover...literally.  We will see the most recent NY Times Bestseller and we fawn over the author.  The more designations, recommendations,  and accolations (hey, it's a word in  Urban Dictionary) a person has, the more insight they must have into the world of knowledge.  Well, this week we are standing up for those that hold a 4.0 GPA from the most prestigious institution there is, Real World University (RWU).  Before you dismiss the legitimacy of Real World University, let me give you a few statistics: RWU is the most difficult university to get into...ever....period.  As a matter of fact, only 1 in 400 trillion will be allowed to attend. The cost of attending RWU is exponentially more than any other university.  As a matter of fact, if you attend RWU in the United States, your parents will shell out approximately ONE MILLION DOLLARS for your freshman year tuition.    Usually they make you cover the bill after that. The average student of RWU will attend 588,672 hours of instruction! As you can see, Real World University is only for the truly amazing. So congratulations, you made it! However, as I just mentioned, it's expensive, it's difficult, and it's the longest thing you'll ever do - so you might as well make the best of it.  But how? It's a question we all ask ourselves.  How do we make our time here on Earth (you got the metaphor of RWU...right?) the best and most meaningful we can?  You get a damn good guidance counselor, that's how.  And for that reason we bring you this week's guest, your guidance counselor for 30 minutes, Shannon Kaiser. Shannon is a travel writer, inspirational author, motivational speaker and founder of  playwiththeworld.com , a wonderland of adventure, fun and fulfillment. She is the travel tip editor for Healing Lifestyles and Spas, and a Destination Travel Editor for Examiner.com. A handful of her motivational stories have been published in the uplifting best-selling book series "Chicken Soup for The Soul" and her opinions have been shared on ABC AM Northwest KATU Morning Show.  She is the author of the book "Instant Inspiration" and the forthcoming book, "Find Your Happy, an Inspirational Guide on Loving Life to the Fullest."

Dr. Brian Wansink -  Director of the Cornell Food & Brand Lab, marketing guru, author and MUCH more. The Boston Medical Center indicates that approximately 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion on weight-loss products in their pursuit of a trimmer, fitter body.  I'd be willing to bet, if you are reading this, you have tried SOME form of diet in your lifetime.  I would ALSO be willing to bet, that you didn't stick with that diet very long.  So let me just say in advance...you are welcome! Jon and I are here to tell you to stop worrying about what you eat.  Stop fretting every time you make a food decision, you are GOING to screw it up.  I can almost hear your brain asking "Is this a trick? Why should we listen to you schmucks?".  And our response, don't listen to us - listen to this week's episode! If you were to interview someone about technology, you would want it to be Bill Gates (RIP Steve Jobs).  If you were to interview someone about investing, you would want it to be Warren Buffett.  If you were to interview someone about how our environment and the food industry influences eating habits, you would want to talk to Dr. Brian Wansink....so that's exactly what we did. Dr. Wansink earned his Ph.D. in marketing at Stanford and is currently a Professor of Marketing and the Director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab (which he founded) at Cornell University. The Food & Brand Lab focuses on the psychology behind what people eat and how often they eat it.  The lab itself is a series of test kitchens, restaurants, and cooperating grocery stores that are used to understand how consumers "choose and use" foods. With the help of researchers from psychology, history, food science, cultural anthropology, and agricultural and consumer economics, the mission of the Food & Brand Labs' studies is to help consumers eat more nutritiously and behave responsibly. His research on consumption volume has won national and international awards for its relevance to consumers. His research has been widely featured on 20/20, BBC News, The Learning Channel, all news networks, and on the front pages of the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times. " From 2007-2009, Wansink accepted a White House appointment as the fourth Executive Director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). At CNPP, he oversaw the development of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, the Healthy Eating Index, the Cost of Raising a Child Index, and he is charged with promoting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, in the form of MyPyramid. In 2011, Wansink was elected to a one-year-term as president of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior . A lot of the topics we cover in this episode are covered in greater detail in his fascinating book, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think.  Learn more about Dr. Wansink at  http://brianwansink.com/ and more about his book at  http://mindlesseating.org/index.php.