In this bonus episode, Joseph and I discussed:

• Ways to more thoughtfully approach “screen time” and social media, including specific apps and methods for nudging things in the right direction for families and people concerned with the issue

• A broad look at podcasting including software, gear, hosting, and other advice (including an 8-step general process for anyone looking to get started with a podcast in 2019)

• Practical approaches to getting your bearings and discovering purpose before setting goals and resolutions

• We also briefly reviewed the high points of initial episodes of the podcast from 2018

All great writers have a “voice” - a way of expressing the written word in a way that is immediately recognizable as their own. Finding and harnessing your creative voice, in any art form, allows for the expression of emotional authenticity that leads to a true connection with the audience. For many people who make their living creatively, however, that’s easier said than done. After all, where exactly does that unique voice come from, and how can it be expressed “on-demand,” not just when inspiration strikes?

Great artists and artisans are driven by a passion that expresses itself from within. In the case of world class food, wine, and even hospitality, we get to experience the results of that passion in a tangible way that involves all five senses. Yet, when sitting down for a meal or opening a bottle of wine it can be easy to take for granted the talent, work, and drive that culminated in that moment. Discovering and presenting the stories of great chefs, winemakers, distillers, and restauranteurs, is what drives the literary work and honest, journalistic approach of today’s podcast guest.

Leadership as a topic has been written about and discussed ad nauseam, yet good leadership remains elusive for so many organizations and teams. How can the subject of such exhaustive research and discussion continue to be the glaring root cause of business failures, mission-killing morale problems, and weak vision at the top of otherwise strong organizations? Perhaps it’s because talking about optimal leadership will never replace the disciplined practice of good leadership. That’s why for today’s episode on leadership, I wanted to talk to someone who has actually walked the walk of trust based leadership to peel back the layers on what works, and what doesn’t.

It was almost called the “success habit.” Instead, Jay Papasan and Gary Keller released their popular book on purpose driven productivity as The ONE Thing, which went on to sell over 1.3 million copies worldwide, made 400 appearances on national bestseller lists (including # 1 on The Wall Street Journal’s hardcover business list), and was translated into 30 different languages.

In today’s episode, we dive deep into the purpose behind the processes involved in keeping our communities safe. Today’s 24-hour news cycle and the proliferation of citizen video journalism has allowed an ever-closer view into the outwardly visible world of police officers like never before, but the average citizen remains unaware of the processes, rationale, and training that inform and dictate how our police departments respond to today’s critical incidents.

Austin’s film industry really is full of talented, hard-working, independent people. I had the pleasure of sitting down with two of them just one week before the Austin Film Festival - Jim Flores (cinematographer) and Lee Rothenflue (Producer/Post-Editor) gave us their impromptu thoughts about the “work” of storytelling through film in general, and what it’s like to make movies in Austin, specifically.

The ancient disciplines of silence, solitude, and fasting have been, and remain today, a constant in many faith practices and belief systems spanning continents and cultures. Why is that, and what can be gained by the practice of intentional self-denial?

Learning can be fun…but sometimes, it’s not. Join us as we discuss how asking the right questions is so important to how we learn, why it’s essential to push past comfort zones in the process of lifelong learning, and how to find purpose in our own unique journeys as students of ourselves.

Why is it so difficult for people to find compromise? Have we forgotten how to truly listen to opposing views? In this episode, we dive deep into these questions with Professor Walter Wright, an expert in mediation and conflict resolution, who takes the time to explain how to resolve differences with other people…or at least how to try.