Jobscast

Jason Gots on Presence Over Achievement by Jobscast

In our conversation Sam and I address how COVID-19 has affected his business, the roles of creativity and decisiveness in the plumbing industry, American individualism and American ingenuity, the general importance of good decision-making and self-awareness, stereotypes, networking, the master plumber test, what it's like working in a family business, and insights about others' lives based on spending time with them in their homes.

In the first half of our conversation, Bonnie and I focus on her work experiences as a wildfire fighter. In the second half we turn to Bonnie's present job as a substance abuse prevention program manager at the Office of Behavioral Health in Colorado. Some of the subtopics we get into include the common ingredients of human happiness, what an idyllic childhood looks like, the desire for one’s work to be both a source of excitement and a means of giving back, the game-changing executive order that Barack Obama passed in 2012 for wildland firefighters, the income possibilities for wildland firefighters, making a career pivot in one’s 30s, the four major denominators of fire behavior in fatal and near-fatal fires, and the ACES framework (ACES = adverse childhood experiences). Bonnie and I also talk about what happy work means to her, what it feels like waking up on a Monday morning, and the hopefulness Bonnie has around the potential for community connections to alleviate childhood trauma.

Lisa and I discuss how hookup culture in U.S. universities came about and how it makes students feel; sociology's ability to create large meta-stories that help answer complex questions; the difference between freedom and equality; the strongly gendered rules of hookup culture and how they generalize to broader society; and how people tend to respond to gender codes. We also explore how and why traditionally masculine ways are valued over feminine ones, the advent of university party culture and the roles Animal House and Union College played in that story, and we additionally touch on friends with benefits, incel culture, and the trouble with commencement speeches.

Jua and I begin our discussion with the letter he and other black alumni of Liberty University circulated in response to the actions of Jerry Falwell Jr. that led to Jua experiencing national limelight. We talk about Donald Trump’s un-Christlike behavior and how Christians tend to rationalize or ignore it, the necessity of relationships that can help people contextualize events in the world, the importance of modeling kind behavior, and the challenge of trying to build infrastructure to scale goodness. We then discuss Jua’s trajectory of service and his involvement in the Boston Collaborative, which leads us into a variety of topics including trauma, vulnerability, racism, and the definition of community. We also explore what an unacceptable reality is versus an acceptable one, the enduring significance of Christianity writ large (notwithstanding its entraining problems), and finally Jua shares some of what gives him hope during a time that for many feels increasingly marked by fear, uncertainty, and precarity.

Jerry Colonna and I discuss the "what do you do" question and why it tends to be so unhelpful, the privilege that comes with being a white, cisgender male, revealed wisdom versus discovered wisdom, the value of stillness, the art of growing up, what it means to be both readers and writers of our lives, racism in America, the true definition of masculinity, how to work hard in a healthy way, and much more.

Anthony Tamasi and I discuss various aspects of Anthony’s life: his work history going back to his first job at age thirteen, his move from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, his experiences and aspirations as a musician, and his professional life as a custodian and union laborer. We also get into the importance of leisure (check out episode 1 with Joanne B. Ciulla if this is a topic you’d like to hear more about), what it means to be skilled versus educated, and several anecdotes that showcase the difficulties of interpersonal dynamics on the job.

Professor Tess Wise and I discuss Tess's experience of COVID-19 as a political science professor at Amherst College, our shared belief in Generation Z being stronger than they tend to be given credit for, the history, impact, and misperceptions of bankruptcy, and the merits of ideas such as postal banking, universal basic income, de-alienation, and the de-monopolization of work hours by the most privileged classes.

Boston Police Officer Frank G. Williams Jr. and I discuss why Frank decided to become a police officer, how COVID-19 affected his work, Frank's view on why the arrest of George Floyd went so horribly wrong, why Frank believes the BPD is a premier police force, shifts in neighborhood parenting, the practical importance of organizational diversity, how race relations have changed over time, leveraging community relations to diffuse tense situations, the problem of desiring instant self-gratification, the relationship of fear to effective policing, and the importance of integrity. We also discuss Frank's community work with the organization Volley Against Violence.

Philosopher Joanne B. Ciulla and I discuss the past 100 years of work history in the United States, the rise of job insecurity, the origins of the American Dream, the value of certain undergraduate majors, the relationship between free time, work, and leisure, the age-old human desire for robots, work-saving versus work-making technologies, the dreaded "what do you do" question, the role religion has played in shaping how we think about work, and the importance of saying yes to experiences and opportunities.