We ALL have racing thoughts and narratives about ourselves that we can't shut down - our "identity-based beliefs". How do we use that to our advantage? What is "stress" physiologically speaking? Is "video fatigue" real, and why are Botox sales through the roof since COVID? This week, we unpack it all with Dr. Sahar Yousef. Dr. Sahar Yousef is a cognitive neuroscientist as well as faculty at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She has conducted research on brain plasticity, human performance enhancement, and cognitive training. Outside of the academic world, Sahar runs “Becoming Superhuman”, a training and consulting firm which teaches busy professionals who think for a living how to get their most important work done, in less time, with less stress.  Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Wired, and Business Insider.

Why do we need a new story & a better story? What story do people tell over and over across different cultures and times? Why can NFT sound like such an intriguing idea? This is Part 2 of our conversation with John Bucher, a Mythologist and professional storyteller, where we discuss the stories we keep retelling and the stories we need for the future. John is Creative Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is also an author, podcaster, and speaker. He has worked with companies including HBO, DC Comics, The History Channel, A24 Films, The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation and served as a consultant and writer for numerous film, television, and Virtual Reality projects. John holds a PhD in Mythology and Depth Psychology and has spoken on 5 continents about using the power of story and myth to reframe how individuals, organizations, cultures, and nations are viewed.

It's so important to tell stories that are true, but why are some stories "more than true"? This is Part 1 of our conversation with John Bucher, a Mythologist and professional storyteller, where we discuss what storytelling is at a high level then deep dive into its significance, starting from the oldest stories we have. John is Creative Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is also an author, podcaster, and speaker. He has worked with companies including HBO, DC Comics, The History Channel, A24 Films, The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation and served as a consultant and writer for numerous film, television, and Virtual Reality projects. John holds a PhD in Mythology and Depth Psychology and has spoken on 5 continents about using the power of story and myth to reframe how individuals, organizations, cultures, and nations are viewed.

But actually, have you ever listened to yourself talk? What do podcasters and cartoonists have in common? Why do podcasters' voices drop? Can storytelling be used for evil.. cough... con(fidence) men... cough; This week, we talk to Avery Trufelman, Producer/Host for award-winning podcasts about the interesting things we have noticed about our own voices as we listen to them, among other things. Avery Trufelman’s work features popular podcasts such as The Cut, Nice Try!, 99% Invisible, and Articles of Interest. She is an extremely experienced podcaster and storyteller, who asks questions like "Is Disney a Utopia?" It is a truly fascinating conversation about the intersection of storytelling and podcasting.

What goes into creating scores for films and theater plays? Remember IMAX theaters and that epic countdown before the movie starts? Why is music NOT the universal language? Come find out about all of these things with Greg Pliska! Greg is a composer, conductor and orchestrator whose diverse career includes award-winning work in theater, film, TV, podcasts, etc. (CBS Evening News and Face the Nation, IMAX, HBO Feature Presentation, Hulu, Manhattan Night, Trust). Through stories from his diverse music work, Greg introduces us to storytelling in music, how music helps storytelling in film or theater, and why music, like many other storytelling forms, connect us as humans.

What is Product Marketing? Why is storytelling crucial to it? How has remote working changed storytelling and the way we communicate? This week, we do a deep dive into all these things Carolina Arguelles Navas, Group Product Marketing Manager at Snap Inc. Through Carolina's lens, we look into how we can better connect with others while in front of our cameras, understand why and how to "listen", and learn to tell stories that are relatable, honest, and true.

Just what is the F in FinFluencer? This week, we talk to Austin Hankwitz, a personal finance & investment influencer on TikTok. Having kicked off his influencer career in Feb. 2020, Austin now has almost half a million followers on TikTok. Through Austin's lens, we get to learn what storytelling means within TikTok's unique platform and format, his goals and vision as an investment influencer, why anyone can and should look into investing, and how content creators can more effectively connect brands with audiences in a relevant, storytelling-based way.

The LSPTPod is excited to host our first live podcast with UCLA Anderson’s MSBA program & Snapchat Sr. Financial Analyst, Sarah Nooravi!

With 30K+ LinkedIn followers, Sarah has many titles, including Sr. Financial Analyst at Snap, LinkedIn Top Voice in Analytics & Data Science, a Women in Big Data leader, Teacher, Mentor, and many more. We learn about her career journey, her insights on data storytelling, her advice to aspiring data professionals, and how to thrive in today's tech world. Our UCLA MSBA live audience also joins in on the conversation by asking insightful questions of their own. This is not one you want to miss!

You probably know about Marvel, DC, and their rivalry, but do you know how they came to be? This week, we talk to Reed Tucker. Reed is a journalist at the New York Post and author of Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC. A true expert & authority on the Marvel-DC rivalry, Reed reveals to us the origins and creeds of Marvel's and DC's comic book stories, how their respective corporate structures shaped their storytelling approaches, and the tricks that Marvel adapted from its Comic Universe to the MCU. Slugfest will be adapted into a TV show of the same name, executively produced by the Russo brothers and narrated by Kevin Smith.