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Author and Speaker Cy Wakeman on dealing with a messy life

Cy Wakeman’s new book
Life’s Messy, Live Happy

Do you feel like your life is messy? That things are often in chaos and sometimes life just seems so unfair?

Cy Wakeman wrote a book to give us hope. Titled Life’s Messy, Live Happy, she tells us that we are often the source of our own suffering, and how we can flip the switch from suffering to self-reflection. The subtitle is even more inspiring: Things Don’t Have to Be Perfect for You to Be Content.

We’ll talk about how we’re NOT a self-help project, she’ll give us tips on avoiding the roller coaster of emotions, and we’ll hear the story of Good, Bad, Who Knows? It’s a fun chat with lots of good info tucked in to help you Life Happy, even if life IS messy!

Click the player below to hear the chat with Pam and Cy Wakeman

About Cy Wakeman

Cy Wakeman is a drama researcher, international leadership speaker, and consultant. In 2001 she founded Reality-Based Leadership. She is the author of three books: Reality-Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace and Turn Excuses Into Results (2010), NY Times Bestseller, The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace: Know What Boosts Your Value, Kills Your Chances, and Will Make You Happier (2013), and her new release No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results (2017). In 2017 and 2018, she was named as one of the Top Global Leadership Gurus by Global Gurus, a Top 100 Leadership Expert to Follow on Twitter, and was deemed “the secret weapon to restoring sanity to the workplace.”

For more about Cy Wakeman: Click Here​
For her book, Life’s Messy, Live Happy: Click here
Follow her on Twitter: @cywakeman
And on Instagram: @cywakeman
Click here to watch her videos on YouTube
Click here to follow her on Facebook

 

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NatGeo Explorer Gabby Salazar on Women Explorers and Scientists

No Boundaries!
NatGeo’s Gabby Salazar on  her New Book
No Boundaries – 25 Women Explorers & Scientists

When I was a little girl, all the astronauts were men. We would watch TV shows about Dr. Leakey, the archaeologist. And of course, we loved watching the shows with Jacques Cousteau.

These were amazing people.  But where were the women? We never saw role models at the time in science and exploration to inspire us. Could we even BE scientists and explorers?

Fortunately, now we are starting to hear more of the stories of the women who pioneered the way in those areas. And for young women, and girls, National Geographic brings us No Boundaries… 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Share Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice.  It’s a wonderfully colorful book, filled with bits and pieces of wisdom, and backstories on these women scientists.

In this episode, we talk with Gabby Salazar, one of the authors, and a nature and conservation photographer and social scientist, who has traveled the world, living in tropical rain forests and on tropical islands. We’ll ask her how they chose the women to be included in the book, which story inspired her, and what she hopes girls and young women will take from this book. It’s a conversation sure to inspire you – and the young girls in your life!

Click the player below to hear the chat with Pam and  Gabby Salazar

About Gabby Salazar

GABBY SALAZAR is a National Geographic Explorer, a nature and conservation photographer, and a social scientist. As an Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, she has worked on environmental photography projects across the globe, spending months at a time living in tropical rainforests and on tropical islands. Salazar has an MSc in Conservation Science from Imperial College London and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Florida’s School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Science, where she studies environmental marketing. She is committed to environmental education and uses photography to get kids outdoors and to connect them with nature.

For more about Gabby Salazar: Click Here​
For her book, No Boundaries: Click here
Follow her on Twitter: @gabbyrsalazar
And on Instagram: @gabbyrsalazar

 

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Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Michael H. Cottman: Segregated Skies

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Michael H. Cottman on
David Harris – the First Black Commercial Airlines Pilot

When you get on a plane to fly somewhere, do you think much about the pilots in the cockpit?  I mean, sure, you hope this isn’t their first flight, and that their eyesight is good. But do you wonder if the pilot is white or black?

Back in the 60s, you wouldn’t have to wonder because the pilots were all White. That is, until David Harris came along.

Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael H. Cottman takes us through the story of Harris, the first Black commercial pilot, in his new book “Segregated Skies: David Harris’ Trailblazing Journey to Rise above Racial Barriers.”

Written for young adults, the book is a good read for all ages. In our chat, we learn some of the things that David experienced as a black man in the military and at American Airlines in the 60s. We learn about David’s tenacity, persistence, and doggedness and how he eventually became a role model for all pilots at American Airlines. Plus, how his swagger helped him change the status quo!

In our chat, we also talk about how Michael himself was racially profiled, run off the road and called names. Listen in as we talk about an aviation pioneer, and find some life lessons we can ALL take from this book.

Click the player below to hear the chat with Pam and  Michael Cottman

About Michael Cottman

Michael H. Cottman is an award-winning journalist and author. He is currently program editor for the NBCUniversal News Group’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team – NBC News/MSNBC/CNBC. He was formerly editorial manager for NBCBLK and worked as a political reporter for the Washington Post and a reporter for the Miami Herald. His past books include Shackles From the Deep, The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie, and Million Man March. He has appeared on National Public Radio’s Tell Me More, CNN, The History Channel, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Cottman was also part of Newsday’s reporting team that won journalism’s highest honor, the Pulitzer Prize, in 1992 for coverage of a deadly subway crash in New York. He lives in Maryland, where he spends most of his time reading, researching, writing — and looking for the next big adventure to share with readers.

​For his book, Segregated Skies: Click here
Follow him on Twitter: @mhcottman
And on LinkedIn: Click here
Go to his website: Click here

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Racial Extremism & the US Military – Dr. Megan McBride of CNA

A surprising portion of the people charged for 1/6
have some sort of military experience.
Do we have a problem in the US Military?

Of the 600+ people charged in the 1/6 insurrection, 12% had some sort of military experience. Both leading up to and in the wake of 1/6, a series of reports called attention to the potential threat posed by extremists in the military. Dr. Megan McBride, a research analyst on both domestic and international terrorism, co-wrote a CNA report about racial extremism in the military, and what needs to be done. How big is the problem? How does the culture of the military fit in to solving this problem? What needs to be done?

Dr. McBride shares some surprising insights and reminds us that the sexual harassment/assault issue in the military hasn’t been solved yet – but we can learn from the approach the military is taking.

If you’re worried about racial extremism in the military, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Click the player below to hear the chat with Dr. Megan McBride & Pam

About Dr. Megan McBride

Megan McBride, PhD, a research analyst in CNA’s Center for Stability and Development, is an expert on international security issues including terrorism, radicalization, and ideological violence. Her work on domestic and international terrorist movements includes anti-abortion terrorism, environmental terrorism, and Islamist terrorism. Her current focus in on extremism in the information space and the evaluation of countering violent extremism and reintegration programming. She is also a fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

For her full report on Racial Extremism in the Military: Click Here

For more deep-dive information from CNA, check out their research page: Click here

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Oceanographer, Activist, and Pioneer Dr. Sylvia Earle on “Ocean – A Global Odyssey”

Going Under the Sea with Oceanographer & Activist
Dr. Sylvia Earle as she discusses her new NatGeo book
Ocean – A Global Odyssey

Explorer, oceanographer, and field scientist, Dr. Sylvia Earle has been advocating for the health of our ocean for decades. The author of National Geographic’s  Ocean – A Global Odyssey, Dr. Earle navigates the deep for us and shares stories about everything from the personality of fish to what it was like to be an Aqua-Naughty!

Former Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration –  NOAA (the first female to hold that job), the designer of underwater submersibles, and the founder of Mission Blue, Dr. Earle is Time’s very first Hero for the Planet and is a pioneer for females in the study of oceanography. We talk about her time under the sea, why this book is so very important, and what over-fishing is doing to the ocean.

Click the player below to hear the chat with Dr. Sylvia Earle & Pam

About Dr. Sylvia Earle

Long recognized as one of the world’s top experts on ocean science and conservation, Sylvia Earle is the president and chairman of Mission Blue and a National Geographic Explorer at Large, and former Chief Scientist of NOAA. Called “Her Deepness” by The New Yorker and the New York Times, a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress, and a “First Hero for the Planet” by Time magazine, she is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and field scientist. In 1970, told she could not join a crew of men testing an undersea laboratory, she helped recruit and lead an all-woman team of scientists to live underwater for two weeks of research. A passionate advocate on behalf of the ocean, she continues to cross boundaries, pioneer exploration and inspire protection for wildlife and wild places.

​For her book, National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey: Click here

Follow her on Twitter: @sylviaearle

And on Facebook: Click here

For more on Mission Blue, Click here

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Professor and Egyptologist Kara Cooney

The Good Kings
Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World

Dr. Kara Cooney returns to discuss her new and provocative book The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. The book covers five Egyptian pharaohs – or kings, if you will – and discusses the concepts surrounding power: how is it earned, who controls it, and why the many often give up power to the few.  Oh… and does any of that correlate to our modern life?

Dr. Cooney tells us how authoritarianism starts, how that power is maintained, and if she is seeing signs of it in the world today. Plus what people gain from aligning with corrupt people in power and why cognitive dissonance is important to allow  corrupt leadership to continue.

We also discuss how in the past women had equal power to men in some areas (would you believe Los Angeles, 300 years ago?!)  And why we are starting to ask what is power, what is value, and why is there so much sexual abuse.

So. Much. Fascinating. Conversation.  Dr. Cooney will give you lots to think about, I promise.

Click on the player below to hear the chat with Kara Cooney and Pam

About Kara Cooney

Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA. Specializing in craft production, coffin studies, and economies in the ancient world, Cooney received her PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, she was co-curator of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Cooney produced a comparative archaeology television series, entitled Out of Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is available online via Netflix and Amazon.

Her latest book, The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World, Kara turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs–Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa–to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future. Published by National Geographic Press, this book will be released in late 2021.

Her book When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt explores the lives of six remarkable female pharaohs, from Hatshepsut to Cleopatra, and shines a light on our own perceptions of women in power today. Published by National Geographic Press, the book was released in 2018.

The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt was Cooney’s first trade book, and it benefits from her immense knowledge of Egypt’s ancient history to craft an illuminating biography of its least well-known female king. As an archaeologist who spent years at various excavations in Egypt, Cooney draws from the latest field research to fill in the gaps in the physical record of Hatshepsut. Published by Crown Publishing Group, the book was released in 2014.

Cooney’s current research in coffin reuse, primarily focusing on the 21st Dynasty, is ongoing. Her research investigates the socioeconomic and political turmoil that have plagued the period, ultimately affecting funerary and burial practices in ancient Egypt. This project has taken her around the world over the span of five to six years to study and document more than 300 coffins in collections, including those in Cairo, London, Paris, Berlin, and Vatican City.

She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Remy Hiramoto.

​

For her book, The Good Kings: Click here
For more from Kara: Click Here
Follow her on Twitter: @KaraCooney
Instagram @KaraCooney

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National Geographic Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg on The 21st Century


The 21st Century: Photographs from the
National Geographic Image Collection

Celebrating the first 21 years of the century
with Nat Geo Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg

Can you believe we are already 21 years into the new century? National Geographic is celebrating that with a beautiful new coffee table book – The 21st Century: Photographs from the Image Collection. We chat with NatGeo Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg about this fabulous book that is set up chronologically with 250 photos in 400 pages. We talk about some of the amazing photographs that are products not only of traditional photography, but also images from the innovations of digital, drone and smartphone photography. The book also answers our questions about what the photographer was thinking when he shot the photo and what the backstory is.

We find out how Susan chose only 250 photos from almost 65 million images in the national Geographic Image Collection, and what makes an image iconic. Plus, we also talk about the NatGeo Instagram account – that has over 190 MILLION followers! (they are the largest brand on Instagram)

In addition, Susan shares how the book helps engender compassion and empathy, and how it reminds us that we all are more alike than we are different.

It’s a wonderful book to share with friends and family – to rediscover the past 21 years, and to find new things to inspire us!

Click on the player below to hear the chat with
Susan Goldberg and Pam

About Susan Goldberg

Susan Goldberg is Editor in Chief of National Geographic and editorial director of National Geographic Partners.

As editorial director, she leads all journalism across platforms, including digital journalism, magazines, podcasts, maps, newsletters, and Instagram. She was named editorial director in October 2015 and editor in chief of National Geographic magazine in April 2014.

Susan is the 10th editor and first female editor of the magazine since it was first published in October 1888.​

For her book, The 21st Century: Photographs from the Image Collection: Click here
Follow her on Twitter: @susanbgoldberg

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Pioneer in the LGBTQ+ Community Arlene Goldberg on Simple Human Dignity


LGBT Pioneer Arlene Goldberg on Simple Human Dignity
A snapshot in time before Rainbow Flags and Pride Parades

A pioneer in the LGBT community, and lead plaintiff in a groundbreaking ACLU Federal lawsuit for gay marriage rights in Florida, Arlene Goldberg shares her story from her book Simple Human Dignity, a personal and touching memoir.

We hear firsthand about growing up gay in the late 50s and 60s, having to lie to the people most important in her life, and how she felt she let her parents down.

Arlene shares what areas we still need to work on, the surprising issues facing older LGBT Americans, and what allies can do to help the LGBT community.

Click on the player below to hear the chat with Arlene Goldberg and Pam

About Arlene Goldberg

Arlene Goldberg is a leader and pioneer in the LGBTQ+ community, and the recipient of Equality Florida’s 2014 Voice for Equality Award. She was one of the plaintiffs in the groundbreaking ACLU class-action lawsuit related to same-sex marriage laws in Florida. History was made when she and her wife, Carol, became the first same-sex couple to have their New York marriage officially and legally recognized by the State of Florida. Arlene cofounded Visuality in 2011 in Southwest Florida, and Southwest Florida Pride, Inc. created the Goldberg Award in her honor, to recognize outstanding individuals that have contributed to the cultural, social and economic fabric of the LGBTQ+ Community in Southwest Florida.

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For her book, Simple Human Dignity: Click here
Follow her on Twitter: @agoldberg32
Follow her facebook business page (you can always message her there:)

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Bestselling Author Michael Farquhar Shares More Bad Days in History!

Think You’ve had a Bad Day?
Michael Farquhar Delves into the Day-to-Day Saga of
Ignominy, Idiocy, and Incompetence in History

I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much in an interview – especially one that included carbuncles, cannibalism, and Thomas Jefferson’s rear end. Bestselling author Michael Farquhar shares More Bad Days in History and reminds us that history is not all black and white – that complexities exist – and that we are all pretty much the same.

Michael tells us how General Patton’s widow put a Hawaiian curse on her husband’s mistress, how Joe DiMaggio gave Florence Kotz a doozy of a day, and how Colonial Massachusetts had some terminal consequences for disobedient children.

Having a bad day? You won’t feel so bad after listening to our chat!

Click on the player below to hear the chat with Michael Farquhar and Pam

About Michael Farquhar

A former writer and editor at The Washington Post, Michael Farquhar is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the critically acclaimed Behind the Palace Doors and Secret Lives of the Tsars, as well as the popular Penguin “Treasury” series: A Treasury of Royal Scandals, A Treasury of Great American Scandals, A Treasury of Deception, A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans. His latest titles are Bad Days in History: A Gleefully Grim Chronicle of Misfortune, Mayhem, and Misery for Every Day of the Year, and its sequel More Bad Days in History: The Delightfully Dismal, Day-by-Day Saga of Ignominy, Idiocy, and Incompetence Continues. He lives in Washington, D.C.

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For more from Michael Farquhar: Click here

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Becoming Superhuman – David Broyles on AI, Genetic Engineering and Bio-Tech


Are we on the way to becoming Superhumans?
Artificial Intelligence, Genetic Engineering and Bio-Technology

At one time or another, we’ve all wished that somehow we could change our human capabilities,  whether it be ways to make the blind see again, get rid of diseases like cystic fibrosis, or simply just be taller or more athletic.

Those wild and crazy science fiction ideas may not be that far away. We could, in effect, become superhuman – and in the near future! At least so says David Broyles!

David Broyles is the Director of Special Activities and Intelligence Teams at CNA – the Center for Naval Analyses – a non-profit research and analysis organization in Washington, DC, charged with analyzing national security and public policy problems. He’s also the co-host of a weekly podcast called AI with AI.

David put out a study in December called “Superhumans: Implications of Genetic Engineering and human-centered Bio-Engineering”  about recent advances in those fields and how they may affect the military – as well as regular shmoes like us.

We talk about how far we’ve come, how close we are, and what we can expect in the next 4-5 years.  Plus – how Crispr is more than a knob on your toaster, and how ethics plays into all of this. If you are a Sci-Fi fan, or just have a fascination with the future – this is the interview for you!

Click on the player below to hear the chat with David Broyles and Pam

About David Broyles

David Broyles, Director, Special Activities & Intelligence Operations for the Center for Naval Analyses at CNA Corporation. He and his team focus on special operations, cyber operations, and intelligence, to include artificial intelligence and autonomy. He co-hosts a weekly podcast, AI with AI that explores the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and autonomy and discusses the technological and military implications.

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For more about David Broyles: Click here
For the report, Superhumans: Click here
CNA.org on Twitter: @CNA_org