Full Spectrum with Molly Kawahata

What if anxiety isn’t the enemy – we’ve just been using it wrong?

Sometimes the tools we build for others are the ones we needed to invent for ourselves.

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I’ve always struggled with anxiety. My brain can turn an unresolved text message into a full-blown crisis. But what I never realized is that if our minds can rehearse disaster, we can also train them to rehearse something different.

That insight is at the heart of my conversation with James Veraldi. James didn’t just help build TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat—he helped design the algorithms that made them addictive.

Then something big happened at TikTok. And he couldn’t look away.

James walked away from one of the most powerful jobs in tech to try something radical: building tools that improve mental health instead of exploiting it. 

And along the way, he discovered something shocking:

Anxiety isn’t the enemy. We’ve just been using it wrong. And we can use the power of visualization to address it. 

In this episode, we get into:

✅ The 3-step framework for reclaiming focus when you’re stuck in the comparison trap

✅ The TikTok incident that made James rethink his entire career 

✅ The risks people face today when using chatGPT for therapy

✅ How to use the power of visualization – and why it works better than willpower for achieving success and managing anxiety

And in this week’s How-To, I break down:

→ A new definition of failure: It’s not about falling short

→ Why visualizing neutral outcomes can stop anxiety from hijacking your brain—and how to use it in high-stakes moments

→ Why postmortems matter just as much as planning—and how to do them well

→ The mental reframe that keeps you from spiraling when your competition gets loud

Because here’s the truth:

Anxiety built civilization. It’s what kept our ancestors alive. The problem isn’t anxiety—it’s that we’ve let social media companies turn it against us.

There’s more ahead. There always is.

—Molly

🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter ‘What I Wish I Knew’ shares all the research + tools I use in my own life: mollykawahata.com/join

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🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast

🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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🔗 Follow for more:
YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

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Connect with James:

LinkedIn

Kairo: Harnessing the power of visualization to up your athletic performance - You can try the web-beta today

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🕒 Timestamps

00:22 – Sun protection, witness-protection vibes, and thirties energy

03:17 – Enter James Veraldi: Guest introduction and background

06:26 – Building technology for positive mental health outcomes

12:01 – Early career and finding entrepreneurship

14:09 – Lessons from getting fired and moving into startups

16:11 – The genesis of Loop

21:20 – The birth of Scenario: visualization for social anxiety

25:20 – How visualization works

36:13 – Diving and entrepreneurship: Lessons from the deep ocean

44:05 – Managing failure, setbacks, and maintaining hope

49:03 – The How-To: Action

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I’ve spent the last two months talking with innovators who’ve done wild things—from surviving homelessness to becoming a world-renowned hope researcher, to convincing a sitting President to get roasted on a comedy show to save a landmark policy.

This week, I’ve pulled the most powerful strategies from our recent episodes into one mixtape. The common thread? The most effective ways to create change often defy logic.

This episode is a toolkit for moments when the usual path doesn’t work, covering:

✅ The Science of Hope: Why setting “moonshot” goals improves performance & how to train your brain for bigger risks.

✅ Behavioral Science: How to motivate anyone using identity & social proof, not logic. 

✅ The Power of Awe: Using “lowercase awe” to reduce daily stress and rewire your brain.

✅ Strategic Humor: A look inside the White House’s plan to use comedy to achieve a high-stakes goal.

Plus: one quick how-to from Nathaniel’s episode—a two-part behavioral science playbook to move anyone, including yourself.

Putting these together, I realized it’s a sort of toolkit for moments when the usual path doesn’t work. Because when logic fails, human nature often leaves a side window cracked open.

Here's to breaking through,

— Molly

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🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter ‘What I Wish I Knew’ shares all the research + tools I use in my own life: mollykawahata.com/join

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🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast

🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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🎙️ Catch the full episodes for the full story—and the actionable how-tos you can use today:

• THE HOPE SCIENTIST Pt 1—Surviving Homelessness to Becoming the World’s Leading Hope Researcher: Dr. Chan Hellman on the Flaw in Optimism, Destroying Toxic Positivity, & the 3-Part Formula to Predict Success
• THE SILENT CLIMATE MAJORITY—How Behavioral Science Is Activating Millions, The NBA Pattern No One Can Explain, How to Hack Human Nature for Good
• DR. KIM NOLAN—“The Moment I Chose to Stay” (A Buddhist Chaplain’s Journey Through the Veil), the Biological Power of Awe, How to Hack “Timelessness”
• BRAD JENKINS—The Man Who Convinced Obama Into Getting Roasted: Inside the Viral Stunt That Saved Healthcare in America, Why Comedy is the Ultimate Weapon

🎧 Listen to the full Between Stories:

• 🧗‍♀️ THE RESCUE OPERATION I DIDN'T KNOW WAS MINE—A story about cosmic humiliation, climbing, tinder ghosts, and the surprising way humor saves us
• 🌌 WHEN I COULDN'T FIND THE BLACK BETWEEN STARS—A story about Yosemite, awe, and what happens when you hand someone a feeling they might not catch
• 🕓 THE 3AM WHITE HOUSE EPIPHANY—A story about climate, burnout, and the uncomfortable truth that fear might not be what moves us after all
• 🧠  LAUGHING ON THE WAY TO THE ER—A story about denial, Bipolar highs, and the cost of feeling invincible

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🕒 Timestamps

01:03 - Introduction to the science of hope

1:53 - Dr. Chan Hellman: the Science of Hope

13:19 - Nathaniel Stinnett: the silent climate majority

31:33 - Dr. Kim Nolan: the power of awe

41:24 - Brad Jenkins: The White House’s move to use humor to save policy

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In this episode, I answer the question: What’s the most dramatic way to ruin your own life for 24 hours?

This is the story about becoming the world's most expensive inconvenience.

Welcome to The Between Series—a series where I take you into moments from my life that shaped the themes we explore in the main episodes.

For anyone who’s ever:

• Hit "reply all" on something you shouldn’t have.
• Been that person in a group text.
• Woken up in cold sweat remembering something dumb you did in 2012

In this episode, I tell the story of my top-five most mortifying life moments. It starts with a new smartwatch, a few misplaced button clicks in my backpack during an ice climb, and an SOS signal I didn't know I had sent. It ends with a full-scale search and rescue operation—while I was, completely obliviously, having the time of my life.

For a long time, I carried this story as proof that I was a burden—irresponsible, dramatic, the world’s most expensive inconvenience. But when I finally dared to tell it out loud, the shame I expected was met with something else entirely: laughter. The kind of laughter that cracks a story open and turns it into absurdity, connection, and relief.

This is the companion to our last episode with Brad Jenkins about using humor as a strategy—not just for persuasion, but for survival—and how the Obama White House used it to save the Affordable Care Act.

It’s a look at how humor isn’t just for coping—it’s one of the most powerful tools we have for connection, forgiveness, and even large-scale change.

Sometimes the only way out of our own shame is to find the punchline.

There’s more ahead. There always is. 

— Molly

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🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter ‘What I Wish I Knew’ shares all the research + tools I use in my own life: mollykawahata.com/join

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🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

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I remember the day at the Obama White House when healthcare.gov crashed—and millions of Americans were locked out of coverage that could literally save their lives.

This is the inside story of how, in a moment of sheer desperation, the Obama White House turned to a viral comedy sketch to save the Affordable Care Act—and how Brad Jenkins made it happen.

Brad was the architect behind one of the boldest Hail Marys in modern political history. A former campaign strategist turned culture whisperer, he helped convince President Obama to get roasted by Zach Galifianakis on Between Two Ferns—a move that reached 30 million people and spiked healthcare.gov signups by 40% overnight.

You probably know the sketch. You probably don’t know it may have saved the ACA. That’s not a punchline. That’s cold, hard strategy.

But Brad’s story isn’t just about one viral win. It’s about the psychology of persuasion. What it takes to disarm people enough to hear you. And why humor works when other tools fail.

In this episode, we get into:

✅ How Obama’s team calculated the risk—and why it worked
✅ What it takes to reach people who’ve tuned out or stopped caring
✅ How humor works as stealth persuasion—defusing tension and earning trust

And in this week’s How-To:

→ Why humor lowers defenses, builds trust, and boosts recall
→ The 3 psychological tools behind powerful humor
→ When to use each one—and how to avoid misfire

This one left me thinking about what we risk, what we reach for—and how sometimes the smartest thing you can do is make someone laugh first.

If you’ve ever felt like no one’s listening, this episode is a masterclass in breaking through.

— Molly

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🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter ‘What I Wish I Knew’ shares all the research + tools I use in my own life: mollykawahata.com/join

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🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast

🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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🔗 Follow for more:
YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

Connect with Brad:

Twigg & Jenkins Podcast
Instagram | X | LinkedIn | Enfranchisement Productions  

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🕒 Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Full Spectrum Podcast

02:41 The Journey to Healthcare Reform

06:28 Brad Jenkins: A Unique Perspective on Identity

13:42 Navigating Racial Identity and Belonging

23:14 The Impact of Barack Obama on Personal Journeys

32:10 Working in the White House: The Office of Public Engagement

43:35 The Historic Story of Healthcare.gov Engagement

45:30 The Challenge of Reaching the Uninsured

49:47 Celebrity Influence and the Healthcare.gov Launch

52:40 The Importance of Humor in Communication

56:30 The Making of 'Between Two Ferns' with Obama

01:01:42 The Impact of Humor on Enrollment Numbers

01:05:39 The Role of Humor in Political Messaging

01:10:20 Finding Joy and Community in Work

01:15:10 Taking Risks and

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"Awe doesn’t always translate. But what do we lose when we stop trying to share it?"

Welcome to The Between  Series —a series where I take you into moments from my life that shaped the themes we explore in the main episodes. These are the in-between chapters that echo through everything you hear on the show.

The landscape of the High Sierra has rearranged the scale of my life more times than I can count. It been a throughline throughout my life, a place I’ve returned to again and again, across decisions and different versions of myself. I think there’s a kind of awe that lives in the places we return to—quiet, familiar, and still able to catch us off guard.

Sometimes if we're lucky, we get to experience awe—the feeling so profound it rearranges the scale of things—the parts of life that get too loud are pulled back into proportion.

This episode looks at the quiet vulnerability in trying to share awe—and the human need to have our inner experiences seen by the people we care about. Awe can shift perspective. It can connect us to something larger. But what gets unlocked when someone else looks out at the same view, turns to you, and—without a word—you know they see it too?

This is the companion to our episode with Dr. Kim Nolan about the science and soul of awe—what it is, why it matters, and how it changes us—and how it can be used as a tool to bolster health, manage stress, and improve relationships.

Maybe we don’t share things just to share them. Maybe it’s something else entirely we’re hoping they’ll see.

I don’t think awe asks much of us.
 Perhaps just that we occasionally notice.

—Molly

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🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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We think of awe as rare. A sunset. A mountain peak. A fleeting high.

But what if we’ve got it backwards?

Awe isn’t just something that happens to you—it’s a biological lever hiding in plain sight. One that can decrease stress hormones, stretch time, and rewire attention.

In this conversation, Dr. Kim Nolan—Buddhist chaplain, psychologist, and one of the most grounded people I’ve ever known—shows us how to spot the extraordinary buried in the ordinary.

We talk about:

✅ How awe can reduce cortisol, expand time, and make you kinder 

✅ The two-part formula scientists use to define awe (and how to reverse-engineer it in your life)

✅ How experiencing awe rewires your brain and makes decision-making easier

✅ The “sacred ordinary” moments most people miss (but you won’t anymore)

✅ Why awe might be one of the most powerful (and overlooked) wellness tools we have

In this week’s How-To segment, I’ll break down:

→ The 2-part formula behind awe—and why it’s not just about feeling “wow”
→ What the science says about awe and time perception, connection, and burnout
→ A method to train your brain to experience more awe, anywhere

This episode changed how I walk down the street, wait in line, and look into the distance. Because Kim’s right: Awe isn’t scarce—we’re just not looking where it lives.

With eyes wide open,

 — Molly

🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter ‘What I Wish I Knew’ shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join

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🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast

🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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🔗 Follow for more:
YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

Connect with Kim:
LinkedIn | TED Talk | UVM Faculty Page

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🕒 Timestamps

00:00 Accidentally wishing a man at CVS Happy Mother’s Day

02:22 Introducing Dr. Kim Nolan

03:48 Dr. Kim Nolan's Health Crisis and Awakening

17:05 Exploring the Concept of Awe

19:29 Awe in Everyday Life

49:21 The Importance of Consistency

49:40 The Playful Quality of Awe

51:11 Minimizing Harm and Doing Good

51:56 Age, Maturity, and Speaking Freely

53:24 Moments of Awe in Vulnerability

54:52 The Power of Small Acts of Kindness

57:33 The Concept of Timelessness in Awe

57:55 The Impact of Awe on Time Perception

01:00:14 Practical Steps to Cultivate Awe

01:03:32 The Role of Calling in Decision Making

01:07:35 Recognizing and Trusting Your Calling

01:13:41 Awe in Relationships and Everyday Moments

01:21:32 The How-To: How to Harness Awe in Your Own Life

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"Because really—why would anyone fight for a future they believe is already lost?”

Welcome to The Between Series—a series where I take you into moments from my life that shaped the themes we explore in the main episodes, and share the meaning I’m still trying to make from them. These are the in-between chapters that echo through everything you hear on the show.

In this episode, I share a turning point that reshaped how I think about climate strategy, public engagement, and the emotional root of action. It’s about burnout, misplaced narratives, and the question that kept following me: How do you get people to act?

This one’s for anyone who’s felt like the strategy isn’t landing—or like the real work starts with something more human than persuasion.

There’s more ahead. There always is.
 — Molly

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🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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There’s a version of the story we’ve been told about climate: that it’s too late, that people don’t care, that politics will never catch up. But there’s another version. One where the real problem isn’t apathy—it’s activation. 

In this episode, I talk with Nathaniel Stinnett, the founder of the Environmental Voter Project—a behavioral science powerhouse that’s quietly turning millions of non-voting environmentalists into one of the most potent political forces in the country. No persuasion. No messaging wars. Just identity, data, and one simple truth: people act when they believe their role matters.

We talk about:

✅ The wild behavioral science strategy behind EVP's big results
✅ Why most climate messaging backfires—and what actually works
✅ The overlooked power of inevitability and identity to drive action
✅ How EVP’s behavioral science playbook flips identity and FOMO into action
✅ The hidden emotional barrier stopping most social engagement
✅ How campaigns fail by chasing conversion instead of belief
✅ What it means to change a system without waiting for permission

And in the How-To segment, I break down:

→ Why “inevitability” can be more powerful than persuasion—and how to use it
→ How to use identity-based framing to spark action (in yourself and others)
→ The overlooked tactic that could change your team, org, or movement

If you’ve ever felt like the story is already written—this is your reminder it’s not. We are still shaping it. And the tools we need? They’re already here. The question is: how do we use them to keep going.

With quiet hope,
Molly

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🗳 Learn more or get involved with the Environmental Voter Project:
 environmentalvoter.org

Connect with Nathaniel and EVP:

Get Involved | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | Bluesky | Donate

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🧠 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter What I Wish I Knew shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join

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🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

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🔗 Follow for more:
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🕒 Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Full Spectrum and Climate Action

03:11 The Role of Emotions in Climate Activism

06:01 The Environmental Voter Project: A New Approach

08:55 Understanding Voter Turnout and Climate Priorities

12:14 The Importance of Systemic Change

15:10 Behavioral Science and Voting Behavior

18:01 Identifying Environmental Voters

21:06 The Predictive Modeling Process

23:51 Challenging Stereotypes in Environmentalism

27:08 The Psychology of Voting and Social Norms

29:55 Conclusion and Call to Action

38:44 The Power of Social Identity in Voting

45:51 Behavioral Science and Voting Behavior

52:01 Impact of Local Elections on Climate Policy

58:24 Re

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A story about that moment of reckoning: when you finally ask yourself if the thing keeping you afloat is also the thing pulling you under.

Welcome to The Between Series—a series where I take you into moments from my life that shaped the themes we explore in the main episodes, and share the meaning I’m still trying to make from them. These are the in-between chapters that echo through everything you hear on the show.

In today’s story, I used to think the chaos was just part of me. Living with Bipolar II Disorder, I believed hypomania was the tradeoff for creativity, ambition, some kind of spark. Until an accident landed me in the ER laughing, with a brain contusion….and completely untouchable by reality.

This is the companion to our two-part series episode with Dr. Chan Hellman about the science of hope—where we explored how hope isn’t just a feeling, but a measurable, teachable skill that can transform every domain of our lives.

We talk a lot about strategy on this show—but the truth is, most of us are building things while still trying to make sense of who we are.

This show isn’t just about answers—it’s about the questions we live through to find them.

There’s more ahead. There always is.

 — Molly

📬 Get Full Spectrum's actionable takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter What I Wish I Knew shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join

🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast

🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

Follow here for more:

YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

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I used to hate uncertainty. Whenever things felt hard, I’d assume they’d always be this hard. Like something in my brain just decided: this is how it is now. Forever.

But one therapist, one sentence, one metaphor about tenuousness changed how I see it. This episode is about that shift—and how we can train ourselves to make it.

Because hope isn’t about blind optimism. It’s about having a goal, believing you can get there, and finding a way forward—even if the path keeps changing. And if you know how to use it, you’ll get results.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Chan Hellman, we talk about what it actually looks like to use hope as a tool when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

We talk about:

✅ A small decision Chan made during the pandemic that changed everything
✅ The reality of fear-based goals and how to flip them
✅ Why one of the most hopeful systems Chan has studied isn’t a person—it’s a bureaucracy
✅ The unexpected way hope spreads through movements, teams, and recovery groups
✅ What happened when Chan tracked down the teacher who unknowingly saved his life

And then I break it all down in this week’s How-To segment, including:

→ How to use the GAP formula to fix stuck projects, relationship tension, or anything that feels off

→ The three questions to test if your goal is actually working for you

→ Why relationships don’t fail from lack of effort—they fail from missing roadmaps

→ And how to spot a pathways problem in disguise (plus what founders and high-performers tend to get wrong)

This one left me thinking a lot about how we set goals, how we show up for each other, and what kind of future we actually believe we’re allowed to imagine.

— Molly

Connect with Chan:

Website / LinkedIn / TED Talk / Book: Hope Rising

📬 Get the takeaways straight to your inbox. My newsletter What I Wish I Knew shares all the research + tools I use in my own life. Sign up at mollykawahata.com/join

🔗 View the full show notes at mollykawahata.com/podcast

🎥 Video episodes available on YouTube

Follow here for more!

YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

Timestamps:

00:00 Navigating Uncertainty: A Personal Reflection

05:05 Understanding Hope: A Framework for Change

06:58 Using Hope as a Tool: Personal Stories and Strategies

10:38 The Role of Goals in Restoring Hope

15:25 Fear and Hope: Coexisting Forces

19:06 Collective Hope: Building Community Resilience

24:00 Building a Hope-Centered Organization

26:57 The Power of Hope in Mental Health

30:01 Hope as a Framework for Overcoming Obstacles

33:00 Cultivating Personal Hope in Challenging Times

35:59 The Role of Relationships in Nurturing Hope

37:00 The How-To: The GAP Analysis

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