This episode is a family affair! I’m joined by my younger brother Brian Skellenger, the voice and creative spirit behind this podcast’s theme song. I also view him as a Renaissance Person, a label we debate over the course of the episode (in true sibling fashion). In this show, I share how my thoughts around the term “Renaissance Person” and the idea of a “Renaissance Mindset” have been morphing.

We also talk about the pros and cons of having a Renaissance Woman as an older sister, how our parents’ careers influenced our mindset, the power of improv, and being drawn to fellow Renaissance People (and NYC as a hotspot for finding them). Plus, I think you’ll be intrigued by Brian’s thought process as he designed this show’s theme song, at least I was!

Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink):

1. Sign up for updates on my podcast and what's happening in the Renaissance People Community.
2. Episode 7 Stephanie Castillo
3. Range: Why Generalists Thrive in a Specialized World by David Epstein
4. Review of the play “Vestibular Sense” from Minnesota Public Radio
5. Take it With You newsletter for job seekers
6. Packing Your Skillset Suitcase newsletter issue
7. AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies downloadable list of “the 100 greatest American movies of all time” (released in 1998 and updated with a 10-year anniversary list in 2007, which isn’t actually 10 years so I don’t understand their math)
8. What are Overtones? YouTube Short video by Eric Martin
9. OVERTONES! What are overtones? What do they sound like? Longer YouTube video explaining the science of overtones more deeply by KHensenMusic and all sorts of awesome examples from singing groups
10. Water Whys Spring 2026 Visual SciComm Seminar Series
11. Making Math Inclusive for Everyone with Microsoft 365 blog post by Peter Wu
12. LinkedIn post by Sara Shunkwiler about the new #Microsoft365Math hashtag with link to recording of talk about math accessibility (and the post she’s resharing talks about being a survivor, even more serendipity)
13. LinkedIn post by Ailee Dixon announcing her new role as a Blind Disability & STEM Equity Advocate
14. Magnet Theater in Manhattan, NYC. Performance schedule for Brian’s improv team, Lil’ Spoon.

Follow Brian on Social Media:

Instagram | YouTube

A few things Brian and I discuss:

2:09 Brian’s rejection of my potential terms for his identity, why he feels like a “survivalist”, and he defines the term.

6:22 How my definition of “Renaissance Person” and the “Renaissance Mindset” is morphing

9:02 Big sister Sara embarrasses her little brother

11:44 Living in the shadow of a Renaissance Person older sibling and finding theater

14:52 The impact of our parents’ careers on our mindset

20:55 The power of improv (and why Renaissance People are particularly good at it)

25:20 Rejecting hyper specialization

31:35 Brian’s performance in the show ‘Vestibular Sense” and how his Renaissance Mindset helped him land the lead role’

34:50 The toolkit of skills we bring with us throughout our career

36:05 How connecting the dots means being empathetic in the arts

38:27 Being drawn to fellow Renaissance People

42:06 Brian’s though process in creating the Connecting the Dots with The Renaissance People theme song

48:28 Improv Game with the snarkiest response yet to “You know you’re a Renaissance Person if…”

50:27 Rapidish Fire Questions

52:10 Why our childhood jobs at a movie rental store were great Renaissance Person jobs

56:07 The challenge of math accessibility for blind or visually impaired learners (and Sara’s upcoming free virtual seminar speakers on the topic)

58:07 Why you should go to Magnet Theater if you’re in Manhattan on a Thursday evening to see musical improv (and possibly Brian’s improv team)

Quotes from the episode:

(Brian) Well, of course I couldn't pick anything that you picked for me!

(Sara) Oh, course not! Big sister can't tell you what to do.

(Brian) I have to be an original.

(Brian) At least maybe other people like you would say that I am a Renaissance Person or something. But I picked a word and then I like looked it up and it has a completely different meaning. So I'm changing the meaning of this word...

(Sara) Do it!

(Brian) Like, beware Webster's Dictionary. You're getting a new entry!

(Sara) He's in a fighting mood!

(Brian) Exactly!

(Brian) I do agree that, while I don't necessarily consider myself a Renaissance Person, I do think that I have a well-rounded skillset and mindset. And I think part of that was like, I mean, I'm sure some of that is just genetic or whatever. But I think having you as an older sibling to model sort of like, you can be good at everything if you want to be. If you have the aptitude for it. That set the bar pretty high, which was both daunting, but also freeing in a way

(Sara) Yeah.

(Brian) I didn't feel super self-conscious about like being interested in a wide variety of things when some other kids were sort of hyper specializing.

(Brian) I figured out that I could sort of turn something that was an insecurity into something that made people laugh, which is, 'cause I was cast as this really nerdy character. And I was a dork, as a kid and I still am. I was so nervous that the other kids were gonna laugh at me in a "make fun of me" sort of way.

(Sara) Yeah.

(Brian) But then, when I was able to like, oh, I'm entertaining these people. They're laughing with me in a way.

(Sara) And you have control over the laughter. I'm making it happen.

(Brian) I think improv has a lot of good applications outside of just being entertaining because improv theaters do workshops and stuff for businesses and it's a great tool to just learn how to “Yes, and...” somebody else's idea that might be completely different than what you had in mind.

Follow me, Renaissance Woman Sara Kobilka, on LinkedIn, where I put most of my social media energy and Facebook.

If you're extra curious, check out Renaissance Woman Consulting to learn more about some of the many types of work I do.

And should you care to support the production of this podcast, I'd love it if you'd buy me an oat milk cappuccino, the caffeinated beverage of my choice.

This podcast is hosted and edited by Sara Kobilka.

Theme music is by Brian Skellenger

Podcast distribution support provided by K.O. Myers of Particular Media