Satisfactionist Live

There are often times in one’s career when they must put the work ahead of many other things in life. Sometimes, though I am not proud of it, there has been a need to put work ahead of family. Other times there is a need to put work ahead of other things that bring you joy. What happens though when a person has multiple things they are invested in that are a priority? How does one manage the challenges of career obligations and still meet all the personal demands of home life along with a desire to continue the recreational things you enjoy?

For many, I don’t think these struggles are unique; however, I do find that few people are willing to talk about it. For those with highly visible careers, I believe the avoidance of talking about these issues is due to the unwillingness to show vulnerabilities, especially when one’s personal brand is that they can do it all.

Do you believe in monsters, ghosts, demons, or the supernatural? According to research about 1 in 5 believe demons definitely exist yet despite scientific evidence few are willing to consider that monsters aren't real.

In this episode we will explore the topic of monsters with Blake Smith and returning panelist Karen Stollznow. Blake and Karen are the hosts of Monster Talk a podcast series that explores the science behind cryptozoology and creates like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster.

Blake Smith is a writer and researcher of matters cryptozoological and paranormal. He has been interested in the mysterious for decades and has been a “formal” skeptic of such claims since 1997. His conversion from believer to casual doubter to formal doubter was a lengthy process, the first steps of which were reading the works of Jan Harold Brunvand and his highly entertaining works on urban legends. You can find Smith’s articles on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Dr. Karen Stollznow is a linguist and the author of God Bless America, Haunting America, Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic, the novel Hits & Mrs, and the Kindle book Unforeseen Circumstances: A Short Story. Her latest book is Would You Believe It? — an anthology of odd events happening to very skeptical people. Karen teaches linguistics at several universities and was a former researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. She has spent many years writing about a diverse array of topics, including Bigfoot, psychics, ghosts, language, culture, and religion. Find her at karenstollznow.comand on Facebook and Twitter.

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This week Satisfactionist Live introduces a new documentary series to the show called Growth Coaching. In this series, Ben has agreed to let the audience in on his own coaching sessions led by professional development coach and change management expert Danyelle Jinks. Each episode is a minimally edited exposé that explores the development, drive, and challenges of producing Satisfactionist Live through the lens of its creator.

In this episode Danyelle and Ben begin their coaching relationship and discuss some of the foundations for Satisfactionist Live and what drives Ben to do the show. Ben explains why he enjoys putting the show together as well as his thoughts on what holds him back from being his authentic-self.

While the Electoral College is a constitutionally mandated process of our political system, it is not without its critics. According to the National Archives, there have been over 700 proposals to reform or eliminate the Electoral College as we know it.

While there have always been concerns over privacy and security when it comes to big tech  obtaining your personal information, in recent years these concerns seem to be growing. Now due to recent actions taken against some on social media this issue seems to have captured even more attention.

While there are certainly reasons to be concerned about who has your data and what they are doing with it, equally important is to understand the pro’s and con’s of migrating away from big tech platforms as well as the conveniences one may have to exchange away for improved security and anonymity online.

In this episode I sit down with expert panelist Issa Diao to talk about the reaches of big tech, the challenges of moving away from platforms run by Facebook, Google, Amazon, and where the market may go next as we consider our alternatives.

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The rapid development of the COVID 19 vaccine has both its promoters and detractors. Regardless where one might fall on this spectrum there are many who may wonder what changes were made in the pharmaceutical development process that enabled the COVID 19 vaccine to rapidly come to market. In this episode we explore the pharmaceutical development process and merits of the COVID 19 vaccine with Keith Watts DBA, Principal of pharmaceutical and healthcare consulting organization Talexto Health Care Strategies.

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It's a new year and no doubt there are many who are glad to be past 2020. While many may look ahead with hope and optimism, others may be cautiously planning for a year that is not a repeat of the past. A typical process when starting something new is to create a plan but how do you keep your plans on track? In this episode we explore Goal Setting and the strategies you can use to keep your goals on track. Unlike resolutions, which tend to be focused on behavior changes, goals are like a project that consist of mini tasks that are focused specific, measurable, and have specific dates associated with them.

In this episode we will explore the difference between resolutions and goals and why resolutions don’t work. Panelists are encouraged to share their personal strategies that have helped to achieve your own goals.

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Effective communication is an essential tool all leaders and managers of an organization must have. However, the trend seems to be that young people are choosing texting as their primary way of communication both personally and professionally. In this episode we will examine the art and science of communication and how it has evolved in the workplace over the past few decades. We will examine ways in which we might communicate better and how we can improve the ability to have an open and honest dialog without the risk of fear of being accused of being insensitive.

As COVID has forced many educators to work in an online environment, as well as pushed many parents into the world of academia as well, online teaching has become a necessity for many. However, online learning is not new and is a delivery method that some have been working to embrace for some time because many students find the asynchronous learning environment beneficial for work life balance. With the broad shift towards online due to COVID, will it be difficult to return to the old ways or will online more quickly become the new normal?

The current workforce consists of five generations spanning nearly 100 years of life experience. Each of these generations have cultivated a work ethic seemingly all their own; yet when asked, each will explain how the younger generation has it all wrong. Is this true or are there common threads that define success and failure regardless of one’s generational identity?

For many years there has been an emphasis placed on the value of a college degree and the world of opportunities it can open up for someone. However, in recent years there has been a pushback on the expense and value of a college degree in contrast to the types of opportunities one may find once they graduate. As many criticize the cost and the dangers of student debt accumulation some are pushing the idea that college is simply not worth it.

Many are familiar with the commercialization of Mariachi music as it is often heard in restaurants, at parties, or used in films and TV to establish a mood. What many don’t hear when they listen to Mariachi music are the deep rooted traditions and art behind the music and lyrics. Dating back to the 18th century, the music is a blend of regional folk song styles from across rural Mexico, which were later blended with German influences to form what is known today as Mariachi. A long established musical art form, in 2011 UNESCO recognized Mariachi as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. This week Satisfactionist Live will explore the art, history, and song stylings of Mariachi music with guests Leticia Olmos and Juan Halcón

For many, nothing is more annoying than listening to a speaker attempt to motivate and inspire using a string of cliches and platitudes. Empty words meant to be notable but proven to be nothing more than a water sandwich. It's a way of speaking that has permeated corporate culture and public speakers in sports, public office, and media.