Smart People Podcast

Let's be honest. No one likes to deal with medical and health insurance bills. It's confusing, it's complicated, and it really is a huge pain. This is where Rebecca Woodcock's new startup, Cake Health comes in. Cake Health is a website that helps you manage and understand your health care bills. It helps break down your health care bills, show your true costs, and helps you save money. It is such a good idea, that insiders in the tech industry are calling it the Mint of the health care industry... which is a compliment of the highest degree. This week, we speak with the co-founder of Cake Health,  Rebecca Woodcock. She graduated from Santa Clara University and has worked in a wide variety of jobs within the technology industry. She also graduated from the Founder Institute, a start-up incubator that grooms entrepreneurs into becoming CEOs. You can see Rebecca's Tech Crunch Disrupt presentation:

“The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” by: Brené Brown “Know Thyself”.  It was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo, it has been referenced by everyone from Plato, to Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  It’s an idea that is deeply ingrained in our culture…and rightfully so.  Perhaps no other journey is as important as trying to figure out who you are and who you want to become.  However, as with most things in life worth their salt, you gotta eat a lot of pepper to figure it out. You will learn a better description of what shame is and how it creeps into all of our lives.  You will realize that EVERYONE has their insecurities, everyone has the same worries as you and it’s ok to embrace these insecurities and learn from them.  When you walk into a room full of people that you don’t know, does it feel like everyone is looking at you, judging you? Well don’t worry, because they aren’t! We will discuss different guideposts such as letting go of what you’re supposed to do, perfectionism and fear that have been established over years of research.  I say it in the intro and I say it again now, this is one of my favorite episodes to date! This week, Jon and I try to help you in this journey as we speak with researcher, writer, and professor Dr. Brene Brown and discuss her AMAZING new book, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Dr. Brown is a member of the research faculty at the University of Houston Graduate College, where she has spent the past ten years studying a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness.  Her work has been featured on PBS, Oprah, Self magazine and Elle magazine.  She was recently named one of the “50 Most Influential Women of 2009” and she gave an amazing Ted talk that we recommend you check out as well. Spread the love! The post Episode 45 – Brené Brown appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Know Thyself".  It was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo, it has been referenced by everyone from Plato, to Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  It's an idea that is deeply ingrained in our culture...and rightfully so.  Perhaps no other journey is as important as trying to figure out who you are and who you want to become.  However, as with most things in life worth their salt, you gotta eat a lot of pepper to figure it out. You will learn a better description of what shame is and how it creeps into all of our lives.  You will realize that EVERYONE has their insecurities, everyone has the same worries as you and it's ok to embrace these insecurities and learn from them.  When you walk into a room full of people that you don't know, does it feel like everyone is looking at you, judging you? Well don't worry, because they aren't! We will discuss different guideposts such as letting go of what you're supposed to do, perfectionism and fear that have been established over years of research.  I say it in the intro and I say it again now, this is one of my favorite episodes to date! This week, Jon and I try to help you in this journey as we speak with researcher, writer, and professor Dr. Brene Brown and discuss her AMAZING new book, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Dr. Brown is a member of the research faculty at the University of Houston Graduate College, where she has spent the past ten years studying a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness.  Her work has been featured on PBS, Oprah, Self magazine and Elle magazine.  She was recently named one of the "50 Most Influential Women of 2009" and she gave an amazing Ted talk that we recommend you check out as well. Spread the love!

Happy New Year! Glad you could join us for the first episode of what we are sure is going to be the most amazing year ever.  We kick 2012 off with a bang and interview business & entrepreneurial Coach, Cameron Herold.   If you've ever thought about owning your own business OR if you are just one of those people that can't stop coming up with ideas, this is YOUR guy.  CEO's, individuals and businesses pay a pretty penny to have this guy come speak with them, we give it to you for free....you're welcome.   Cameron Herold has taken 20 years experience operating some of the biggest business success stories in North America and turned it into a flourishing career as both a motivational speaker and management consultant. Cameron is a business coach and mentor to several small businesses, and a CEO coach to large corporations throughout Canada and the United States. There's no secret to his business success: Cameron loves helping entrepreneurs make their dreams come true. He is the CEO of his consulting firm Back Pocket COO and author of the incredible book Double Double.

Try to walk into a grocery store, an electronics store, or even a coffee shop without being faced with hundreds of options. Do you want the 50" 3d LCD TV or the 52" LED 1080p TV? Everyday, we are faced with hundreds of decisions. This week, we interview Barry Schwartz and talk to him about his book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. In this book, Barry discusses how all these choices have become a problem instead of a solution. Enjoy the interview and have a great holiday! We will talk with you guys around the new year!

Remember when you would be starving, walking around a large city looking for a quick bite and the only thing you could find was hot dogs from street carts that tasted like moist paper towel rolls? Well finally, those days are gone.  There has been an epidemic within the past year or two in food trucks, which are in essence, kitchens on wheels.  These food trucks serve legitimately amazing food at a good price and they bring it right to the doorstep of your office or home.  These food trucks have taken the largest cities by storm (i.e LA, NYC) and they have made their way into the nation's capital and our home, Washington, DC.  This week we speak with Justin Vitarello, the founder, creator and driver of the Fojol Brothers - one of the first and most popular food trucks to hit the streets of Washington, DC.  Justin gives us some insight into his business and why he decided to bring great food and great fun to the streets.

You delude yourself every day. You might not realize it, but you do. Our guest this week is David McRaney and he wrote a book called,  You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself. In this book, David discusses many topics that will help you see how unaware of how unaware you truly are. You can also check out David's writings at his blog, http://www.youarenotsosmart.com.   This video on procrastination is what drove me to read the book. Check it out. It is definitely worth the read!!  

70% off! 50% off! Buy one, get one free! I'm sure you saw  all of these this past weekend... it was Black Friday after all. We've been told that shopping this past weekend would help the economy, but many of us don't have the funds to do the shopping....but we still do it anyway. We're supposed to, right?   We should be saving more, consuming less, and paying down debts. This last decade has been quite the shock for many Americans. We just aren't used to this type of thinking. We've been hit with a slowing economy, high unemployment, and a government that doesn't know which direction to take us.   Jeff Frieden's book, Lost Decades: The Making of America's Debt Crisis and the Long Recovery, explains the origins of United States' financial crisis and attempts to spell out the long-term effects. This is a must read for any financially inquisitive American!

If you were in a plane crash, got lost while hiking in the mountains, or were faced with other life or death situations, what would you do? Would you be able to survive or would you be like the 90% of people who would freeze or panic in the situation?   This week, we speak with Laurence Gonzales, author of the book, "Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why". In his book, Gonzales shares many survival stories and studies the psychological, physiological, and spiritual qualities that help people survive life or death situations.

Whether you are a democrat, republican, or independent, watching the President's first couple of years in office is always very interesting. Will they maintain all the promises made during their campaign? What will happen if they are faced with a serious situation in office? All these things are very telling of their character. But even more telling of their character, are the changes they make during the last years of their Presidency. This week we talk to Pulitzer Prize winner and author, Ron Suskind. Ron went to the University of Virginia and received a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He wrote the book Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President  which he provides an intimate view inside the White House during the economic crisis. Ron's book, Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President can be purchased online or at your local book store. It is definitely a great read. Go check it out!    

To this day, 'History of Rock and Roll' was one of my favorite classes in college. The artists inspired me. The stories blew me away. The lifestyle seemed to be something only imaginable in books and movies. New York Times best selling author, Steve Almond has many books on his resume, but it was Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life that really caught my attention. In this book, Steve describes how he is a "drooling fanatic" and shows how music and  life come together in his life.  As you dive into the book, you begin to realize how important music is to your life and just how much of a time-machine music really can be. Steve's newest book, God Bless America is available online and at bookstores in your area. You can also find it at http://www.lookout.org/godblessamerica.htm. To find out more about Steve, please visit his website. Please enjoy Steve's deconstruction of the lyrics of the song (I Bless the Rains Down in) Africa, by Toto.

"There was this explosion. A cloud. Red Mist. He self-detonated.  A suicide vest. As sometimes happens with suicide vests, shoes and shins still stood on the roadway, disconnected for eternity from their owner." -Thom Shanker, Author and this week's Guest The war on terror has now been underway for 10 years and over this time the United States intelligence division has undergone a complete restructuring.  Prior to 9/11, the idea of waging a war on an "unidentifiable" threat was unheard of.  What do you do when there is no clear enemy? This is the question that a group of military analysts asked themselves in early 2005 when the United States realized it was time for a new approach. This week we speak with leading Pentagon correspondent for the NY Times, Thom Shanker.  Thom recently published the book Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda.  In his book, Thom takes readers through the events beginning September 11, 2001 all the way to the dramatic May 2011 raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed.  You will get an in depth, well-researched account of exactly what the United States military has done since the fall of the twin towers to try to stay one step ahead of terrorists both at home and abroad. Thom spent two years in the master's degree program at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, specializing in strategic nuclear policy and international law. He joined The Times in 1997, and was assistant Washington editor. He was named Pentagon correspondent in May of 2001 and has since conducted numerous reporting trips to Iraq, and has embedded in the field with units from the company level through battalion, brigade, division and corps.Shanker has been published in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The New York Review of Books, The New Republic, The American Journalism Review and Military Review. He is a contributor to “Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know,” an anthology published by Norton. He also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Made in America. We all (well, maybe) remember when that used to mean one thing. Quality. As times changed and we moved towards become larger consumers, companies shifted their manufacturing to places in order to take advantage of lower wages. Usually, this meant moving the manufacturing out of the good ole' US of A. Roger Simmermaker decided to take it upon himself and put together a book on how Americans can once again buy American. Roger is a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, and has appeared in the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and many other publications. Check out Roger's book, How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism.

It's a topic that we have brushed up against before on the podcast, but haven't completely jumped into.  How does all of today's technology and instant gratification affect our ability to pay attention.  Are computers and video games the reason for the outbreak of diagnosable attention disorders or is it something different entirely? Actually, one of our hosts (and it's not Chris) literally can not go 3 minutes without checking either a social networking site, email, some iPhone, etc. and is a true testament to this new type of attention blindness. Join us this week as we speak with Duke Professor Dr. Cathy Davidson about what she calls "Attention Blindness." Her most recent book, Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn, was named by Publishers Weekly "one of the top ten science books" of the Fall 2011 season. Dr. Davidson has served in leadership roles at Duke and a variety of organizations and has authored or edited eighteen books. Her work for the last decade has focused on technology, collaboration, cognition, learning, and the digital age.

The 60's had the space race to the moon, the 70's had peace, love and hippies and the 90's had the internet.  BUT, the 80's had the best thing of all.....wait for it.....wait for it.....NINTENDO, and more specifically the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).  We probably don't need to explain to you how fantastic NES was, but take our word for it.....it was epic. In fact, in 2009, the NES was named the single greatest video game console in history by IGN Entertainment, out of a field of 25.  As children of the 80's, the NES holds a dear place in our hearts here at SPP.  Having grown up on games such as Super Mario, Zelda, Bubble Bobble, Baseball Stars, Ninja Turtles, Contra (I could keep going), we couldn't WAIT to host this weeks episode.  Actually, we were so excited, we actually just kept recording well after the interview which can be heard in an upcoming post. This week we interview author, video game expert, blogger and admitted nerd, Jeff Ryan in hopes of getting an inside look into his new book, Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America. Jeff's career began in the 1990's when he joined the then popular news and entertainment website, Katrillion.com.  As the video game reporter (and copy editor for the entire site), he reviewed over 500 games. He toured Nintendo, interviewed its top designers, and became just an all out expert. Jeff puts on his Nintendo knowledge cap for us this week and schools us on Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America.