Good People, Cool Things

An entrepreneur at heart, Sadie Higgins experiences "hurry sickness," or a need to constantly keep doing the next thing. She founded her first business three months after having her first child. The day before the pandemic forced us into lockdown, she had started the idea that turned into her current business Gleam, which helps relieve the mental burden of giving gifts.

Sadie candidly talks about the pivots she's had to make throughout her businesses, strategies that have and haven't worked, and the best ways to be thoughtful.

She also touches on the elements of life we’ve all experienced during the pandemic—namely, family distractions (including background TV noise, which you may hear as you listen) and how she still manages to get work done. One of her kids even makes an appearance during the episode!

Back before the days of the Internet, there was a role perhaps more valuable than just about any other: that of the corporate spy. Most people could barely stomach it for an hour, let alone a day. Yet through immense curiosity, concentration, and a "gift of gab," Robert Kerbeck became the world's top corporate spy, extracting information worth hundreds of millions of dollars for global companies. 

His entire story is fascinating, and he's chronicled it in RUSE: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street. We're getting a sneak peek of it today.

We're also talking about why short stories are so valuable for writing, his most unusual audition as an actor, and the greatest working experiences he's had with celebrities.

Learn more about Robert and buy a copy of his book at robertkerbeck.com. 

Support Good People, Cool Things by sharing this episode, picking up some merch at the shop or buying my book: Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life's Relationships. Thanks for listening! 

Welcome to episode #100! What a big freaking deal and a nice round number! I love it and I love you for supporting me the whole way. And now onto the episode! 

Joe McNally has been writing his new book for the last two years, but he’s been living it for the past 40 as an internationally acclaimed photographer with award-winning work in prestigious publications like National Geographic, Time, LIFE, and Sports Illustrated. 

In The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer, Joe shares lessons and insights he’s learned throughout his career, starting as a copyboy and working his way to the renowned photographer he is today. 

We’re chatting about some of his top assignments, occasional mistakes, and why Michelle Pfeiffer knew he was the perfect photographer for a profile. 

Visit Joe at his website joemcnally.com. 

Follow Joe on Instagram @joemcnallyphoto. 

If you’re a fan of Good People, Cool Things, I would love your support. Feel free to follow on Spotify orApple Podcasts, and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. That helps even more people discover these wonderful guests. 

You can also support the show by checking out the Good People, Cool Things merch store. Thanks for visiting! 

And I wrote a book! Grab your copy of Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life’s Relationships from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.

Fifth & Cherry owner and Marine Corps veteran Tim Reazor knows the most precious commodity we have is time — and the memories we can create with that time. Leaving a lasting legacy is super important to him, and his cutting boards are meant to be passed down from generation to generation. 

Tim received a cutting board when he was in college. Now, 20 years later, he still has it. That’s an impressive legacy, and there’s plenty more where that came from at Fifth & Cherry. 

We’re chatting all about Tim’s passion for tangibility, the keys to creating memorable experiences for customers, and we’re even briefly greeted by a baby pterodactyl. Wins all around! 

• Visit the website (and especially the About Us page!) at fifthandcherry.com. 

For years, Amy Neswald worked as a wigmaster on the Broadway production of Jersey Boys, as well as several other players. She was among the last people the actors would see before they stepped on the stage, and she has so many cool stories from her time in that world. 

Part of that experience led to the creation of I Know You Love Me, Too, a collection of linked stories that’s already won the New American Fiction Prize despite being released less than two months ago. And because Amy likes to keep herself busy, she’s also a screenwriter and teaches creative writing at the University of Maine in Farmington.

We’re kicking off a new season of Good People, Cool Things with someone who’s traveled all across the world. One of the greatest elements of hip-hop is the storytelling, and a combination of seeing different cultures and meeting new people can lead to some fantastic results. 

Mic Nickels is a New York-based rapper who just dropped his new album Bars for Days. And not only is this new album full of music—including multiple Grammy-winning artists and a collaboration with Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan—it also serves as an autobiography. 

Mic shares the process of creating both an album and book at the same time, some of the most interesting people he’s worked with, and offers a few must-see sights of the world.

It's the last episode of the year! See you in mid-January when we'll be back and cooler than ever. We're ending in style, too.

Donna Loughlin has been around the world and back in search of the most fascinating stories. She's stepped foot in more than 80 countries and had numerous jobs in journalism in PR. Now, she's back in Silicon Valley working with some of the brightest minds in tech through her PR firm LMGPR, helping startups with storytelling and media relations.

Inspired by the forward-thinkers she works with, Donna has a deep fascination with advancements in AI, automotive, consumer electronics, and more. And she knows everyone's got a story a tell—it's just a matter of helping them tell it. Through both LMGPR and her podcast, Before IT Happened, Donna is exploring the human side of technology and how it’s enhancing our society.

We're talking all about creating moments that matter, cool advanced in artificial intelligence, making paper planes, and Donna's extensive childhood rock collection.

We've all been there—you send a text message or email to someone, and it just sits there. They don't answer, even after following up. Our heart starts racing, beads of sweat form on our foreheads, and we may even start shaking with rage. Don't they LIKE us?!

In his latest book, I'll Get Back to You, Sam George explore s why this drives us so crazy—and what we can do about it. 

Sam also has an extensive background in spotting trends before they're widely popular and bringing them to the mainstream. He put together the strategy that ultimately succeeded in legalizing cannabis in 18 states. 

He's also worked with Nancy Pelosi, George Soros, and the University of Phoenix and is an expert in communication and how we can better interact with each other in this wacky digital world.

Perhaps this is no surprise to you, but the music industry is COMPLEX. There's a lot that goes into things behind the scenes, beyond just a catchy hook (though that part is kind of important, too). What does it take to be a successful musician?

Jenny Powers is the founder of Blue Avenue Music Group, an artist, management, marketing, and label services provider. She created her company after seeing the challenges artists face within the wildly confusing business parts of the music industry—and now she's helping these artists get the money they deserve. 

We're talking all about these elements to a successful music career, from the boring unsexy stuff like setting up your performing rights organization (PRO) info to cool merch ideas. All of it ties back to Blue Avenue Music's principle: Be Creative, Be Artistic, and Be Valued as a human and artist. Now let's get to that success!

Dr. Pam Gurley grew up as a military child and even served in the Army herself. So, how the heck did she end up an author of more than a dozen books, including the children's book series Brown Girl and Brown Boy?

We're diving into all of that in this episode. We're talking about her writing process and everything that goes into designing a book. Side note: Pam finished one book in TWO WEEKS—if that's not a kick in the pants, I don't know what is. And since we're both avid travelers, there's plenty of discussion around some of our favorite spots and a few sites still on our list.

Dr. Gurley also offers tips for bookshelf and closet organization, and drops some knowledge about cooking (and why it's okay to improvise in the kitchen). Let's hop to it!