Shut Up and Say Something!® with Deedre Daniel

Deedre flies solo on every fifth show. In this episode, she reveals: 🎙Her recent stand-up routine in Nashville, TN, at Teri Carden’s Non Due$-a-Palooza event. 🎙Her new sponsor-branded “CONFERENCE EDITION” of The Very Interesting Game®, and how it is designed specifically for individuals navigating networking events alone. 🎙The unsolved mystery of the listener in Belgium. 🎙Show stats. 🎙Her new program she created to recognize unknown solo FANS in cities around the globe. 🎙A quick recap of the lessons learned in past episodes with Dr. Louis Rosenberg, a pioneer in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence; Mark Muncy, a best-selling author of horror and science fiction works; Alex Tremble, an author, leadership expert and motivational speaker, and Nate Fleming, an improvisational comedian, and owner of Swan City Improv. She follows that with some details about two prolific authors: Tessa Layne and Owl Goingback, who are scheduled for the next two shows.

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by simply sending several ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. No need to send a BIO or fill out a lengthy application! If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!® sticker, and a mug of your choice from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here: https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on September 19, 2022

Adults don't laugh enough. And part of the reason is that we filter ourselves too much, so we fit in. Learning to trust your instincts, let go of past mistakes, loosen up and laugh with others are the building blocks to stronger connections with others. 

Nate Fleming is a comedian who specializes in improvisational techniques.

In this episode, we discuss:

🎙How improv comedy forces you to focus on the present.

🎙How your past doesn’t play as big of a role in your future as you might think.

🎙How good comedy is honest, and how honesty comes from a place of feeling.

🎙Loud Quitting & Living the Life You Choose.

🎙Creating a workplace culture of collaboration and creativity.

🎙How comedy will find you - if you allow space for it.

🎙Everyone’s faking it.

🎙Turning failures into wins.

🎙The thin line between failing and failure.

🎙The importance of being wrong.

🎙The importance of being interesting.

🎙The reasons why big comedy movies don’t exist anymore.

And so much more!

As always, we end with some questions from The Very Interesting Game Show® - stick around to hear Nate’s innovative ideas in the energy sector, monetary policy, and how to get the perfect night’s sleep and avoid wrinkles.

Bio:

Nate Fleming is a consummate performer. Not an English professor, though, so he doesn't even know if that word is used right, or even what it means. Either way, he has trained at Second City in Chicago, ComedySportz in Richmond, VA, and Chicago, iO Theater in Chicago, The Annoyance in Chicago, and a few other workshops around the places. He has a degree in film and has yet to put it to use, but man, oh man, does that make him a critic. He is an aspiring Touring Stand-Up Comedian with an extremely lackluster Hour Special streaming on Amazon. You can find him at open mics doing his best impersonation of a bombing comedian, or you can find him on all the Social Medias with the name Nate Fleming.

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by simply sending several ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. No need to send a BIO or fill out a lengthy application! If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!® sticker, and a mug of your choice from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here:

https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on September 13, 2022

What can you do for hours and lose track of time - even forgetting to eat? Answering that question could be the key to finding your passion. Should you turn that into your side hustle?

Meet Alex Tremble, an award-winning speaker, author, executive, and leadership expert who talks to Deedre about what it takes to climb the corporate ladder successfully and start a lucrative side hustle.

In this episode, we cover:

🔥How to find your passion.

💰Starting a side hustle.

🏆 How getting it wrong takes you a step closer to getting it right.

💪🏾How his motto: Stay Strong, Stay Positive & Stay Moving can help you reach your goals.

😱Fear – how to identify and stop it from holding us back.

⚾️How to be naturally great at anything.

💕The power of connection and REAL relationships.

💸Why you shouldn’t give away your products and services for free.   

💡How to turn your lack of knowledge about a subject into your strength.

🪜How to identify and attract the right mentors.

💻 His hack to writing a book – fast.

❌His solution to counter the cancel culture within corporate America.  

And so much more!

As always, we end with some questions from The Very Interesting Game Show® - stick around to hear what Alex needs to feel at home while traveling in space, where he would like to grow superfluous body hair, and his solution to get rid of extended auto-warranty calls.

Bio:

Alex D. Tremble is an award-winning speaker, author, executive, and leadership expert who advises some of our nation’s most senior-level leaders on how to shape their company’s culture to attract, retain and develop diverse and highly effective leaders. In addition to his speaking, coaching, and consulting, Alex is the host of The Executive Appeal, which is focused on providing ambitious leaders with the leadership and career advancement skills required to excel as senior and executive leaders.

Alex began his career as the youngest Federal Government employee to create and manage three Federal Government-wide senior leadership development programs, and quickly went on to establish his own leadership development company, GPS Leadership Solutions LLC., while publishing two bestselling leadership books ("Reaching Senior Leadership: 10 Growth Strategies Every Government Leader Should Know” and “The GPS Guide to Success”) geared towards helping leaders gain influence and attain career success. Alex is honored to be a Fellow of The Aspen Institute's Socrates program. He is also a Leadership Center for Excellence 40 under 40 honoree, was spotlighted as a top leader to know by the International Association for Talent Development, and is passionate and committed to helping our leaders across the world reach their highest potential; personally, and professionally. Finally, Alex also serves as the Chief Culture Officer for America’s second largest national conservation corps; American Conservation Experience. Alex received his Bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology from William Penn University and his Master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Baltimore. When he is not working, he enjoys reading, watching documentaries, and going on long hikes with his wife.

Please visit AlexTremble.com to gain the tools and strategies your organization needs to develop the culture and leaders needed to accomplish its mission.

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by simply sending several ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. No need to send a BIO or fill out a lengthy application! If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!® sticker, and a mug of your choice from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here:

https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on August 29, 2022

Have you ever encountered a ghost? Do you believe in them? This interesting conversation topic has captured the imagination and attention of people globally since the beginning of time. 

Meet Mark Muncy, a best-selling author of all things scary, creepy, and eerie!

This episode is all about ghosts, aliens, murder, and intrigue. Mark takes a historical approach to his stories, giving his tales a unique angle. He travels to the locations, interviews people, cross-references related stories, and studies all the documents he can get his hands on.

Warning: Some of these legends and folklore's deep history is disturbing. Our conversation starts cute but quickly turns into tales of torture and human atrocities. So, if you prefer a lighter conversation, you may want to sit this out.

For the other inquiring minds, we cover:

🏨 Deedre's strange experience at The Stanley hotel – the inspiration behind Stephen King’s The Shining.

🪦The cemetery Mark created, which was banned by the mayor.

💩What the heck a midden is, and how Mark came to live on one.

🐢 A giant (30-foot-long) turtle roaming the ocean.

🌳An evil tree in Port St. Lucie.

🐊😡 A terrifying tourist attraction at an alligator farm.

💔 The troubling history of a home for orphans and “bad” boys.

👻 A bellhop ghost.

☠️ Robert the Doll – the inspiration behind Chuckie – which might be true.

🛸 UFO and alien sightings.

🐻A story from Appalachia that has never been shared with the public…before now.

And so much more!

As always, we end with some questions from The Very Interesting Game Show® - from the Halloween collection. Stick around to hear this spooky author's funny answers! 

Bio:

Mark Muncy is the creator of Hellview Cemetary, a charity haunted house in central Florida that was so infamous it was banned by the City of St. Petersburg. He is the best-selling author of “Eerie Florida” and numerous other horror and science fiction works. He spent over three decades collecting ghostly tales of legendary beasts. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, on the remains of an ancient midden with his wife, well-known illustrator Kari Schultz.

http://eerietravels.com/

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by simply sending several ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. No need to send a BIO or fill out a lengthy application! If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!® sticker, and a mug of your choice from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here:

https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on August 25, 2022

You spend a lot of time on your phone. Are you ready to spend your entire life in the metaverse? 

Meet Dr. Louis Rosenberg, a pioneer in virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence – with over 300 patents to prove it!

☕️ Get your favorite beverage, something to take notes on, and settle in for a fascinating discussion about:  

🌎 The evolving definition of “The” Metaverse.

🕹The differences between AR, VR, and immersive video games – and their potential roles in our lives shortly.

🔒Major privacy concerns in the metaverse, which need to be addressed ASAP!

💸 How AI will convince you to part with all of your money faster than the slickest salesperson ever could.

⚖️ The powerful ways your sense of reality could be altered, including what is right or wrong.

📕 Using the Metaverse (for good) in education, business, and romantic connections.

🎲 Dr. Rosenberg’s invention, which helps humans make the correct decisions, like placing bets in Las Vegas, selecting investments, and running successful, enduring businesses.

🧠 Neurodivergent brains and the superpowers they possess.

👾 The virtual real estate market.

🚙 Automobiles with morals.

💥 The graphic novels he wrote – and one that accurately predicted the future.

🐙 Sentient beings.

🐄 🐖🦃 His daughter’s 200-animal sanctuary.

As always, we end with some questions from The Very Interesting Game Show®. Stick around to hear what this prolific inventor thinks should exist.

Bio:

Dr. Louis Rosenberg is a pioneer in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. He developed the first augmented reality system for Air Force Research Laboratory in 1992. He then founded the early virtual reality company Immersion Corporation in 1993 and took it public. He is currently CEO of Unanimous.AI, a company that amplifies the intelligence of human groups. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford and has been awarded over 300 patents for his innovations.

https://unanimous.ai/

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by simply sending several ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. No need to send a BIO or fill out a lengthy application! If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!® sticker, and a mug of your choice from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here:

https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on August 16, 2022

Deedre's formal apology to the author, Chuck Klosterman - even though he never asked for one. Plus:

🥫The Unsolved Case of the Surprise Condiment.

🎥 How to diffuse an argument with screenplay inspiration.

🎬 🛏 Her first experience in a California king-sized bed and how it led to the end of her acting career.

🌕 Fighting someone on the moon.

🚀 ☂ Controlling the weather – globally.

🎭 How to feel after the death of a loved one … whom you don’t remember.

📕 A book and film recommendation.

🍿 🔮 A summary of past episodes and a sneak peek into the future.

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by simply sending several ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. No need to send a BIO or fill out a lengthy application! If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!® sticker, and a mug of your choice from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here: https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on August 18, 2022

Past Guests’ Info: Shawn Durham: Shawn Durham is an actor, pitchman, improv artist, entrepreneur and humorist. Shawn recently appeared on OWN'S "Ready To Love" DC series and has a speaking role on the second episode of the HBO miniseries, "We Own The City." Some highlights of Shawn’s career include playing the lead in the PBS historical drama "The King of Crimes" as Pres Thomas Jefferson. Shawn is also the star of the Amazon Prime horror “The House Invictus” and the indie comedy “Sylvia.” Shawn has also done extensive TV commercial work, including FH FURR eight-spot campaign, CareFirst Vaccines, Boy Scouts, HCA, Febreeze, Papa Johns, NFL and more. Also, Shawn was a "ringer" cast member on the hit reality dating show, "Ready To Love" on OWN. As a writer, Shawn is a 2017 Arena Stage Playwrighting Fellow and penned the successful comedy novel The Broke Brothers’ Revolution, and recently wrote and directed the three-part satirical podcast miniseries The Great Recession (or “How Democracy Broke Its @$$ Through A Comedy of Errors”), available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular mediums. [email protected]

McManus Woodend: In front of the camera, McManus Woodend played the role of The GEICO Caveman for a decade, appearing in well over 25 national commercials as the iconic character. Additional roles include the Netflix films The Kindergarten Teacher, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), and The Incredible Jessica James. Behind the camera, McManus co-created the feature-length motion picture Rocksteppy, which had its World Premiere at the Sound Unseen Film +Music Festival and New York and Los Angeles theatrical premieres in late 2017. The treatment for his follow-up feature film King Dom was selected and presented at the IFP Film Conference. He recently directed the short film Paper with his wife, playwright Kelli Lynn Woodend. Mr. Woodend is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at The European Graduate School. He is a Filmmaking graduate of the David Lynch Graduate School of Cinematic Arts and holds undergraduate degrees from the Film Production and Entertainment Business programs at Full Sail University.

Lawrence Richards: If you need help creating a memorable gift, reach out to Lawrence here: https://www.reflectionsofservice.com/

KiKi L’Italien: Part strategist, part story-collector, part dot-connector, KiKi L’Italien helps organizations develop stronger ties between their mission and their members. Connect with KiKi here: Social links LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kikilitalien/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kikilitalien/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kikilitalien YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/AssociationChat BLOG: https://associationchat.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AssociationChat MIGHTY NETWORKS: https://associationchat.mn.co/feed

Have you ever poured yourself into your job, a project, or throwing a party, and NO ONE THANKS YOU? Are there trophies and recognition awards you feel like you will never win? 

Hear KiKi L'Italien and Deedre Daniel also discuss:

💪 Motivating yourself when no one thanks you for the work you do for them.

🌹 Finding inspiration and beauty in everyday life.

🍔 Jimmy Buffett and the Mormon Biker Gang 🏍

🤖 Artificial Intelligence and how humans can work with it to make better decisions.

🖊 Why you should always check your email DRAFTS folder.

🦄 Stories about our clothes involving a magic trick in Las Vegas and a famous gothic rock musician. 🪄🎶

❤️‍🔥 💘💌 The BEST pick-up lines.

🏆 Designing your own award or trophy.

⏳ 🛸 Time Travel.

💨 Farts in Space.

🎭 Being emotionally numb for years and learning to feel again.

As always, we end with a few questions from The Very Interesting Game Show®, based on The Very Interesting (card) Game.

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by simply sending several ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. No need to send a BIO or fill out a lengthy application! If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!® sticker, and a mug of your choice from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

KiKi’s Bio:

Part strategist, part story-collector, part dot-connector, KiKi L’Italien helps organizations develop stronger ties between their mission and their members.

Connect with KiKi here:

Social links

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kikilitalien/ 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kikilitalien/ 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kikilitalien 

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/AssociationChat 

BLOG: https://associationchat.com/ 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AssociationChat 

MIGHTY NETWORKS: https://associationchat.mn.co/feed 

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here:

https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on August 9, 2022

Most people have at least one interesting story to share. The key to having more? Doing new things. Meeting new people. Exploring the world. Taking chances. And starting over. 

Check out this new episode format where listeners nominate someone for the show using only ten intriguing questions about them! Listen in while Deedre meets Lawrence Richards, a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant, as they discuss:

🎧 Why does he live in a home that requires special headgear?

🛣 His 13-month road trip across America with his family.

🇬🇧 British cuisine, customs, and quirks.

🤮 Never “Yucking someone else’s yum.”

🚔 The first time Deedre was arrested.

🐍 A questionable technique he learned to pick up (non-poisonous) snakes in the wild.

🦌 An amorous hermit elk named, Bruiser

🥕 His “pet” rabbit in the military.

🐝 His tense moment with a yellow jacket.

😂 Inside jokes with U.S. naval aviators.

And a deeper discussion about what it means to be interesting, set goals, fail, and try again.

As always, we end with a few questions from The Very Interesting Game Show®, based on The Very Interesting (card) Game.

Do you know someone who lives a fascinating life or looks at the world through the lens of humor? Nominate them to be on a future episode by sending TEN ridiculous and intriguing questions about them to [email protected]. If your nominee is selected, you will receive a shout-out on that episode, a SHUT UP and SAY SOMETHING!™ sticker, and a mug from the merch page on interestingconversations.com.

If you need help creating a memorable gift, reach out to Lawrence here: https://www.reflectionsofservice.com/

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here: https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on August 3, 2022

Find out how McManus became The GEICO Caveman without formal acting training - or even a professional headshot for his audition. He didn't let self-doubt or his sparse resume prevent him from going after the role. It took talent and grit to be selected from the pool of 1,000+ applicants; however, McManus teaches us that living a more fascinating life is so easy, even you can do it! It's all about your attitude and approach to daily opportunities. Interesting people take risks and try new things. So, take a chance, try something different, set a goal, and give it your best shot. Bring 100% of your authentic self and let your light shine.

He LOVES all things cinema. Brace yourself as we get a little nerdy about films. Do you think movies have become a bit boring? McManus provides us with several recommendations and discusses his solution to help people better select entertainment that is suited for their unique tastes.

We also talk about Michael Jackson, butt rubs, and farts. But not all at once.

Then stick around for a few rounds from The Very Interesting Game Show®! Where would you like to grow hair on your body, and what function would you give it besides just being hair?

Bio:

In front of the camera, McManus Woodend played the role of The GEICO Caveman for a decade, appearing in well over 25 national commercials as the iconic character. Additional roles include the Netflix films The Kindergarten Teacher, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), and The Incredible Jessica James.

Behind the camera, McManus co-created the feature-length motion picture Rocksteppy, which had its World Premiere at the Sound Unseen Film +Music Festival and New York and Los Angeles theatrical premieres in late 2017. The treatment for his follow-up feature film King Dom was selected and presented at the IFP Film Conference. He recently directed the short film Paper with his wife, playwright Kelli Lynn Woodend.

Mr. Woodend is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at The European Graduate School. He is a Filmmaking graduate of the David Lynch Graduate School of Cinematic Arts and holds undergraduate degrees from the Film Production and Entertainment Business programs at Full Sail University.

Contact or Follow Deedre Daniel here: https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Originally recorded on July 19, 2022

Do you wish you could quit your job? What would happen if you did? Shawn Durham left his safe decade-long corporate career to chase his dream of being a published author. Four months later, he suffered a significant hand injury, which made writing nearly impossible. Find out what he did to not only survive but thrive.

Interesting people take risks and often fail miserably as they try new things. The resilient ones bounce back stronger than before. Shawn takes us through the many ups and downs in his journey of self-discovery. We learn:

💻 How he continued writing. (No, he did not dictate it!)

💵 How he made money to pay his bills.

📺 How he landed a gig on HBO and multiple national commercials.

💘 How he wound up on a reality dating show and what he learned from it.

💌 His predictions for dating in the future.

🏆 His dreams and aspirations – and what it takes to make those a reality.

Shawn also broke the show rules by briefly mentioning politics, religion, and an "ad nauseam" topic or two. These remarks have been preserved for your listening (dis)pleasure. Interesting people have thoughts and beliefs that do not always blend in with popular opinions. Shawn shares plenty of his, which may ruffle a few feathers. You have been warned. You may cringe or laugh, but overall, you will be inspired to chase your dreams.

New episodes of Shut Up and Say Something!® come out on Fridays with a target time of 11:11 AM Eastern on all major music streaming platforms. Some platforms take longer than others to make the episodes available. Subscribe on your platform of choice, so you know when you can listen to the next available episode.

These conversations are perfect for listening to before you kick off your weekend – giving you interesting topics to discuss with friends and family!

Connect with Deedre Daniel here: https://interestingconversations.com/links/

Bio:

J. Shawn Durham is an actor, pitchman, improv artist, entrepreneur and humorist. Shawn recently appeared on OWN'S "Ready To Love" DC series and has a speaking role on the second episode of the HBO miniseries, "We Own The City."

Some highlights of Shawn’s career include playing the lead in the PBS historical drama "The King of Crimes" as Pres Thomas Jefferson. Shawn is also the star of the Amazon Prime horror “The House Invictus” and the indie comedy “Sylvia.” Shawn has also done extensive TV commercial work, including FH FURR eight-spot campaign, CareFirst Vaccines, Boy Scouts, HCA, Febreeze, Papa Johns, NFL and more. Also, Shawn was a "ringer" cast member on the hit reality dating show, "Ready To Love" on OWN.

As a writer, Shawn is a 2017 Arena Stage Playwrighting Fellow and penned the successful comedy novel The Broke Brothers’ Revolution, and recently wrote and directed the three-part satirical podcast miniseries The Great Recession (or “How Democracy Broke Its @$$ Through A Comedy of Errors”), available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular mediums.

CONTACT or FOLLOW the show host, Deedre Daniel here:

https://interestingconversations.com/links/

This episode was originally recorded on July 15, 2022