Good People, Cool Things

I'm a huge fan of wordplay — one of my favorite articles I've ever written is about the O. Henry Pun-Off in Austin. And I'm a huge fan of trying new foods — that's partly why I started my website Phat Phoodies. Put them both together and you've got some MAGIC. That's exactly what Marie Saba has done with her book Don't Worry Be Ha-PEA: 101 Deliciously Clever Food Puns.

Marie is a self-taught cook who's been featured in Bon Apetit, Food & Wine, and The Rachael Ray Show, among others. She pairs food and creativity to introduce more people to the wonderful world of cooking and photography, and she's having a blast doing it.

We're talking food puns, the cooking utensils you need for your kitchen essentials, and how motherhood can open up more creative thinking.

Joseph Robert, the Fantasy Football Counselor, shares how he's grown his brand into one of the top spots for fantasy football content — and spoiler alert, his tips apply for any type of business, not just sports. 

We're also talking about the "kind of terrifying" leap from a stable 9-to-5 to starting your own business. But guess what? That jump into entrepreneur life has been filled with success because Joseph has identified opportunities for growth and how to go against the grain in a crowded content world. 

And he's a fellow Joseph, so you know he's great!

If you've seen a movie or show with a puppet, it's very possible Lisa Buckley was involved. The professional puppeteer has worked with The Muppets, Sesame Street, Alf, Men in Black and so much more.

She's taken her puppets beyond the screen to do humanitarian aid work in impoverished countries. Focusing on adverse issues such as trauma, hygiene, and gender equality, Lisa works on the front lines of refugee camps, using customized puppets as teaching tools to better the lives of those who are caught in the crossfires of upheaval, war, and disease. She's also working with the Born Free Foundation in Kenya, creating elephant puppets to raise awareness for animal welfare and conflict.

In this episode, she's sharing some of her favorite puppet characters and how they help teach all kinds of important topics.

Do you ever have a recurring dream? Maybe you're always falling, and you wake up just before you smack into something. Or maybe you're like me as a child and randomly dream about fat men eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and exploding (but in a fun, cartoony way). 

For Carlos Allende, a fiction writer and media scholar, his recurring dream was that he had murdered someone. And that served as the launching pad for his latest book, Coffee, Shopping, Murder, Love. 

Carlos is talking about his new book, but he's also dropping plenty of knowledge on storytelling, writing, and marketing your work. And don't worry, no one actually gets murdered in this episode, so you can safely tune in.

Big thank you to Dave from Beer In Frontfor the intro! Check out his podcast after this one and learn about some tasty beverages.

Have you been working towards a long-term goal but can’t seem to reach it? You just might need to implement a system to help get you where you want to go. Luckily, this episode’s guest has the tools you need to accomplish those goals.

Dr. Dravon James is a Transformation Specialist, inspirational speaker, radio host, life coach, and author of Freedom is Your Birthright. She founded Next Step Leadership Academy and Every Day Peace, a platform for her to help and inspire others to reach their dreams.

So, are you ready to learn how to set goals and systems? Let’s dive in!

Does it seem like the world is in particularly brutal shape right now? We’ve got violence happening across the country, politicians deciding how people should use their bodies, inflation and rising grocery prices, and oh yes, let’s not forget there’s still a pandemic going on. 

Sometimes, it feels like we’re living the “this is fine” dog on fire cartoon in real life. But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. We just need to be extra diligent about picking each other up. For Howard H. Prager, he’s made it a point to make someone’s day — each and every day. 

Thankfully, Howard has compiled some fantastic stories of people making each other’s day and offers plenty of tips so you can go do the same in your neck of the woods. We’re also chatting about the Cubs World Series victory from 2016, playing tuba, and our favorite Lindt chocolates.

Mark Josephson knows a thing or two about successful business. He's previously launched About.com and Bitly, and now he's paving the way for thriving culinary entrepreneurs through Castiron. 

Mark's dropping all kinds of knowledge, from the need for businesses to focus on simplicity, how culinary artisans can be smarter about their pricing methods, and why decentralization is going to be a major factor in the world — just not in its current format.

I’ve been a candy fan for about as long as I can remember. Halloween nights were a contest to see how many Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Twix bars I could amass, and I once ate an entire large bag of Sour Skittles at a movie once (it was Undercover Brother, if you’re scoring at home). Yet I’ve never tried a candy quite like Tamalitoz.

It combines some of the traditional flavors of Mexican candy with British sweets, with a bit of spice on the inside, rather than coating the outside. You’ll definitely want to try Tamalitoz by Sugarox. Owners Jack Bessulo and Dec Simmons share how they got started, ways to expand a brand, and some of the most surprising things about running a business.

In January 2020, Adam Kaat quit his corporate job to focus on creative pursuits. To help support his new path, he took a job at a grocery store. Things were going swell until, as you may have heard, the Covid-19 pandemic shut down life just a few weeks later. 

Suddenly, Adam was working at virtually the only place on earth that was still open. While everyone else was rocking masks and practicing social distancing, Adam was in the thick of things, watching and interacting with people who were mere moments away from a breaking point. 

He started blogging about his experiences, and people quickly responded to his stories, which showcased our humanity in the middle of one of the worst times in history. Adam used that great feedback to write Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic. And we’re chatting all about what that life was like.

Many of us want to make more money. We’ll find side hustles, or work hard in our main gig so we can negotiate for more. Would you take up to $15,000 a day? 

Aaron Smith, founder of Escaping The Odds, was doing just that on the south side of Chicago. The problem: His business with a heroin drug operation. He was later indicted and sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, serving nearly a decade of that time. 

While in jail, Aaron’s mindset changed. He decided it was time to switch hustles, or as he puts it, to go from selling dope to chasing dreams. But that entrepreneurial spirit never left him, and today Aaron is a business owner, podcast producer, and mentor. He’s out to change the narrative that people who have been incarcerated are beyond hope. They deserve a second chance. 

And through Escaping the Odds, Aaron is helping them get those opportunities.