The 92 Report

Kirsten Dirksen, An Unexpected Career as a YouTube Home & Lifestyle Content Creator

Show Notes:

Kirsten Dirksen majored in economics and math, but found creative writing to be her passion. She decided to become a magazine writer and interned at the NBC affiliate in San Francisco, where she worked for free for about nine months.

Working at NBC and Moving a Women's Network

After her internship, she went to work with the NBC elite, which was the old chronicle enterprise. Kirsten became the music person, interviewing bands and creating unique stories for interviews. She eventually moved to New York City to work for Oxygen, a women's network. She then worked freelance in New York City and for other networks, including MTV, where she did music-themed stories. She worked freelance for a while, and the Sundance Channel took her to Spain to do an interview with Javier Bardem. She later met her husband in Barcelona.

Reality T.V. and Early YouTube Videos

Throughout her career, Kirsten has been passionate about storytelling and experimenting with different topics. She started working with an old Oxygen producer in Spain to film weddings for a reality show called The Knot. They traveled to various locations, and Kirsten edited the shows which took around five weeks to complete. However, when her husband started a website about environmental sustainability, together they made videos and put them on YouTube. The first viral video was about a micro apartment in New York. The video was picked up and shared on La Republica's homepage. This led to the story being picked up by Good Morning, America.

We the Tiny House People and 20 Million Views

After videos going viral in 2009, Kirsten and her husband continued posting YouTube videos. Since then she has done about five or six documentaries, with one being a taste-style documentary about the tiny house movement. The other two are family-based, chronicling the tiny house movement and the summer of family love. She has also done documentaries on homelessness, focusing on the experiences of homeless people in California. Kirsten's videos have gained popularity, with her first one being called We the Tiny House People, chronicling the tiny house movement. The second one, Our Summer of Family Love, was a road trip across the Pacific Northwest and West for the summer. Her other documentaries have focused on homelessness, focusing on solutions and solutions for those living in small homes. Her videos have gained attention and have been viewed over 20 million times on YouTube. She has also been a guest on the show The Tiny House People, where she shares her experiences with tiny house movements and the challenges faced by homeless people.

From Documentarian to Author

Kirsten began in a formal documentary unit in San Francisco and has since focused on documentaries and tours of tiny homes. Her book, Life-Changing Homes, is titled after these homes, which she believes sum up the stories they tell. The books are categorized into 10 chapters, each with a theme that focuses on simplicity, slowness, impermanence, elevation, restoration, underground survival, resurrection, and future. The book covers a variety of houses, from simple to large, and features thought-provoking chapter headings that cover two or three different houses that fit that theme. Each chapter covers about two or three different houses that fit that theme, and Kirsten interviews the owner. The focus is not on a specific category or type of house, but rather on the story itself. Kirsten's work has been praised for its stunning photos and focus on eco-friendly designs, making it an attractive resource for those interested in living in tiny homes. The book is expected to be a valuable resource for those interested in exploring these unique and sustainable living options.

The People Who Live in Non-Traditional Dwellings

Kirsten discusses the experiences of interviewing people in non-traditional dwellings, such as those in Ontario and California. She highlights the importance of considering what one truly needs out of a home and what skills they have. Some examples include a widow who built a dome home in Ontario, where she had a refrigerator that pops up like a gadget in Willy Wonka's factory. Another example is a chiropractor who bought land near the border of Oregon and started building a tree house and an earth ship along the way. He has a community of people living there. She also mentions the chief architect for Apple who has a small, open home in Sonoma County. He lived on the land first, but then went camping to find the best place to live. He bought two prefabs and kept everything small, with only the bathroom having a bit of a door. His wife and kids enjoyed the openness and connection to the surroundings. Kirsten emphasizes that it's not just about affordability, but also about making the most sense of the space. Sometimes too big houses can be worse than not having the views or being in touch with the surroundings. This is why she came back to the idea of living in a small, open space.

The Importance of Simplicity

The conversation turns to Thoreau and his way of thinking about time in nature, simplicity, and well-being. Kirsten discusses the importance of simplicity in her life and how it can impact her content creation. She also mentions a couple who live in the woods called the innermost house, which they call a place to reflect and experiment in simplicity. She talks about the connection between simplicity and high thinking, as seen in a woman who lived in a tiny house in her backyard in Santa Rosa, California back at a time when it was rebellious to live in a tiny, mobile home. Kirsten mentions how the woman found too many possessions cluttered her mind.

Viral Videos and Duds

Kirsten shares her experiences with videos that go viral and which ones are more of a dud. One example is a story with a young architect living in a 12th-century mansion in Spain. Another example is a video with Special Operations, a flying car from an off-grid home, which has had 700,000 views in a week. The title of the video is "Special Operations," which is about a special operations vet who lives on land at the top of a mountain and works as a rescue mission and firefighters. Kirsten shares her experience of becoming a content creator and how it has changed her outlook on life and making a living. It wasn't something she planned; however, it has given her a lot of freedom and afforded her an income that allows her to make a living.

Plain Living and High Thinking

The conversation turns to the process of making a video, including filming, editing, and producing the perfect thumbnail. Kirsten and her husband usually spend two to three hours at a house or location. The couple also film themselves during their stay, going on runs and shooting in the morning. Kirsten shares stories from many of the productions and the diverse and interesting people she has met along the way. She talks about what motivates and inspires these people to think and live differently.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses

Kirsten discusses her experience with Verlyn Klinkenborg whose direction inspired her work back then and today.

Timestamps:

02:22 Internship at NBC and Early Career in Television

06:26: Transition to Freelancing and YouTube

11:03: Growth of YouTube Channel and Documentary Work

11:14: Discovering Unique Homes and Themes for Documentaries

11:36: Impact of Unique Living Spaces on Individuals

30:59: Challenges and Surprises in Content Creation

42:58: Balancing Work and Personal Life

43:09: Influence of Harvard Professors and Writing

Links:

Book: https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/life-changing-homes_9781419771897/

Press page: https://faircompanies.com/media-kit/

Channel https://youtube.com/kirstendirksen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirsten.dirksen/

YouTube:

Summer of (Family) Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iti4JU5ObU

We the Tiny House People https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDcVrVA4bSQ

Trapped in paradise: how we got the homeless situation (part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5XIljwl5hI

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Eleanor Stafford who reports:

"Hi. I'm Eleanor Stafford, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts. LVM is a statewide organization that trains volunteers to provide free, confidential and individualized tutoring to adults in basic literacy and or ESL. I have been the lead basic literacy volunteer trainer for about 20 years now, and have managed the Boston affiliate for the past two years. You can learn more about LVM's work at lvm.org and now here is Will Bachmann for this week's episode."

To learn more about their work, visit: www.lvm.org.

Show Notes:

Bonni Theriault initially went to business school and worked as a business analyst at McKinsey for a few years, where she worked with consumer products for companies and marketing. After working at Pepperidge Farm for a couple of years, she decided to build her own company and joined forces with a woman who was the head of advertising at Campbell Soup, and together they launched a brand strategy company where they worked for companies like Cadbury Schweppes, Johnson and Johnson, and Stryker.

From Marketing to Coaching to Global Emergency Care

After 13 years at the company, Bonni found herself tired of constantly pitching to employers and sought coaching roles. She had previously worked closely with the McKinsey assessment team, coaching candidates and helping them improve their interview skills. And so, with the experience under her belt, she returned to McKinsey as a professional development manager. When her oldest son turned 14, she took two years off to spend more time with her children and also volunteered with Global Emergency Care, an organization that trains emergency medicine nurses in Uganda. She worked with Global Emergency Care's marketing and fundraising for two years on a volunteer basis.

The Role of Chief Partnerships Officer at Generation

When Bonni decided to return to work, she wanted to stay in the social sector but was offered a position at McKinsey. She worked there until an opportunity at Generation was presented. Generation is an independent non-profit that works with unemployed individuals. Bonni has now worked there for seven years. Bonni explains that her responsibility as chief partnerships officer includes global fundraising and employer partnerships for Generation, a company operating in 17 countries worldwide. They train across 40 different professions, based on labor dynamics in each country. They conduct extensive research before starting a training program to identify job vacancies and bring learners from historically underrepresented groups, and they focus on employment in five different industries: tech, green jobs, customer service and sales, skilled trades, and healthcare. They also teach behavioral skills and the importance of having a growth mindset.

The Impact of AI in Job Forecasting and Training

AI has been a topic of interest for Generation, as it impacts the skills needed to train learners in specific roles. Bonni explains that they have analyzed various roles, including entry-level roles, which may go away entirely or be significantly impacted by AI, and roles that might have a different set of skills. Jobs such as solar panel installation or healthcare, are likely to be more resilient over time in the face of AI. They are also considering more jobs in the data center technician category, where tech roles are more hands-on and dealing with equipment than providing coding or IT support.

How Generation Is Using AI

The organization is using AI to deliver training to learners and alumni, ensuring they have the necessary skills for their jobs. They have created AI modules for learners and alumni to help them upskill and remain relevant in their work. AI is also used to help develop the curriculum, with chat bots helping learners answer first-line questions and focusing on more complex material. This helps streamline the curriculum creation process, as it often involves research and talking to subject matter experts. Operational efficiencies are also being used to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Working as a Professional Development Manager

The conversation turns back to Bonni's as a professional development manager at McKinsey. She mentions that a lot of time was spent negotiating with partners and consultants to find the right balance between professional growth and client needs. She built relationships of trust between consultants and partners to influence decisions in a way that was best for everyone involved. She also focused on performance evaluation, helping people understand their strengths and areas for improvement, and helping them find ways to build skills through studies, formalized training, coaching, or mentorship.

Marketing Goldfish and Chocolate

Bonni shares her experience working on marketing Goldfish, a product that was initially marketed as a snack for adults drinking beer in bars but later was marketed to moms as an appealing snack for children. She also discusses her experience working with Cadbury, a chocolate brand that had over 150 chocolate brands worldwide. She worked on a brand architecture project to help consolidate these brands and increase their advertising dollars. She was sent boxes of chocolate bars from around the world to analyze packaging and brand identity and helped create seven mega brands for Cadbury, which led to a significant increase in their chocolate market share.

Influential Harvard Courses and Professors

Bonni mentions a course taught by Professor Dominguez where he focused on critical thinking. He presented different perspectives on events, presenting different sides as the truth. This skill has been passed down through her life and has become essential in today's world. Bonni wishes more classes would take this approach, as it helps students analyze and think critically about various situations and perspectives. Bonni's experiences with Professor Dominguez's course and her critical thinking skills have shaped her life and career.

Timestamps:

02:29: Transition to Coaching and McKinsey

05:41: Role at Generation and Impact on Workforce

09:43: Impact of AI on Training and Roles

15:02: Learners vs. Students and Personal Time Management

20:55: Professional Development at McKinsey

22:59: Goldfish Marketing Strategy and Cadbury Brand Architecture

28:29: Travel Experiences and Language Skills

32:06: Influence of Harvard Courses and Critical Thinking

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonni-theriault-710b79/

Website: www.generation.org

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this week's episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Juliana Koo who reports:

"Hi. I'm Juliana Koo, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is Kaya Press. Kaya is a publisher of Asian diasporic literature, and I was the managing editor for nearly a decade in the 1990s and now serve on the board. You can learn more about Kaya's work at WWW dot k, a, y, adotcom, and now here's Will Bachman with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work, visit: www.kaya.com.

Show Notes:

Gideon Yaffe and his then girlfriend-now wife, Sue Chan, drove across the country after graduation to San Francisco, where they had no jobs or prospects. Gideon had applied to graduate school in philosophy but didn't get in anywhere. They got married and his first job was at a pet store, Gideon worked there for a while, then at a computer magazine.

Studying Philosophy at Stanford

While hanging out in San Francisco, he started reading Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, which he loved and found to be hugely rewarding. This inspired him to apply to grad school again and this time his application was accepted in a lot of places. He decided to study philosophy at Stanford, where he met Michael Bratman, a professor who worked on philosophy of action and related questions about the nature of action, agency, and intention. Gideon also became interested in the history of philosophy and wrote a dissertation about John Locke and contemporary problems related to the Free Will problem. Gideon went on the job market in academia. He got some interviews but didn't get a job. The following year, he got a one-year job at UCSD. His wife, Sue, was working in the film industry, so they moved to LA and he commuted down to San Diego.

Tenure at the University of Southern California

He finally secured a tenure track job at the University of Southern California (USC) in 1999 and taught Philosophy of Law classes. He wrote a paper about addiction, which he found interesting due to his knowledge of addicts and interest in freedom and addiction and how addiction would undermine freedom. When a friend of Gideon's was a victim of a carjacking incident, he became interested in the legal problem at the center of many carjacking cases that revolves around intention, so he wrote a paper about conditional intention. Gideon explains how carjacking differs from car theft, and the paper questioned whether a conditional intention was enough for the crime when the statute called for unconditional intention. Gideon felt that philosophy of law was important to work on but he needed to know more about the law, so he coerced USC into giving him a year in the law school. Gideon recounts his experience as a law student and how it led to teaching law in law school.

Collaborating on a Neuroscience and Legal Proceedings Think Tank

The MacArthur Foundation launched the law and neuroscience project, which aimed to bring together various people from philosophy, law, and neuroscience to discuss the relevance of neuroscience to legal proceedings, particularly in criminal law. Gideon was invited to be part of this think tank. During this time, he collaborated with neuroscientists on various problems and experiments related to neuroscience that could be useful to the legal system. This led to a desire to learn more about neuroscience and he pursued a grant to support the project. He spent another year as a neuroscience student at Cal Tech which allowed him to learn a lot about neuroscience. Gideon also started writing a book about attempted crimes. Gideon talks about the importance of understanding the double failure of attempts, and inherent impossible attempts. He highlights the number of cases where individuals seem incapable of committing crimes. Gideon received a job offer from Yale University after being a part of the MacArthur think tank and his book. He decided to take the position and he and his family moved to New Haven.

Neuroscience, Law, and GenAI Intentions

Gideon talks about the challenges faced by those who attempt to escape the harsh realities of the criminal justice system. His experiences highlight the importance of understanding the factors that contribute to attempted crimes. The conversation turns to Gideon's involvement in generative AI and the potential of AI intentions. He is currently working on a project with neuroscientist Uri Maoz, which aims to understand, for example, the difference between self-driving cars and drones in terms of intentions. Another project involves a group funded by billionaire Sergey Brin, who has a daughter with severe autism. The group aims to build AI models of the brain of a person and use the model to see how it responds to various forms of surgery.

AI, Consciousness, and Intentions Organizing Behavior

Gideon discusses the concept of AI consciousness. Gideon states that a lot depends on how consciousness is defined. One understanding is that consciousness involves self-representation of certain kinds of thoughts. He suggests that understanding consciousness depends on what one thinks about it. One way of understanding consciousness involves self-representation of certain kinds, such as having a second-order thought about the thought. If that's all that's required for consciousness, then these LLMs can be conscious. Another way of understanding consciousness involves qualia, or ways of feeling, such as experiencing a particular sensation or feeling something. However, he acknowledges that it is difficult to know exactly what it is like to be an LLM or a toaster. He acknowledges that there are some similarities between the two, but acknowledges the challenges in determining their exact roles in AI and neuroscience. Gideon explains that intentions serve to organize behavior in various interesting ways. For example, if an AI has intentions, they can make decisions now so they don't have to think about them later. This is relevant for coordinating behavior with each other, as well as interpersonal organization. The question of whether AIs have intentions is more tractable than the question of whether they are conscious. Intentions play a crucial role in various aspects of law, such as contract interpretation and legal texts. Understanding the intentions of AI and their potential impact on these areas is essential for understanding the future of AI and its applications in various fields.

Updating Law to Address AI Intention

The conversation explores the need to rewrite laws or update them to address the issue of intention in AI. Gideon states that the intention of a person or AI and the textual language, and the interpretation of the text are all areas that need to be explored. The project Gideon is working on aims to determine the intentions of AI by examining the role their representation plays in guiding their behavior. Gideon suggests that the question is whether inferences can be made about AI's intentions by looking at the role the representations plays from the AI behavior. Gideon talks about a project on criminal activity and neuroscience that he is proud of.

Leniency and Child Criminality

Gideon goes on to talk about leniency and child criminality. He argues that the reason to give a break to kids who engage in criminal behavior is disenfranchisement, not neural immaturity. He talks about the age of maturity, lack of political participation. Gideon's book about kids was written after completing his studies at Yale. He also discusses his personal life, including being in a car accident which resulted in a severe brain injury and how he is immensely grateful for his recovery.

Influential Harvard Courses and Professors

Gideon mentions a core class on the Baroque period by Simon Schama, which he found to be the most influential. The course focused on famous European paintings from the Baroque period, which he found to be a source of inspiration. Other influential courses include a seminar with Hilary Putnam, Rational Action with Robert Nozick.

Timestamps:

04:50: Philosophy Studies and Academic Challenges

11:18: Legal Philosophy and Collaborative Research

22:25: Transition to Yale and Continued Research

27:22: Philosophical Reflections on AI and Consciousness

39:36: Personal Reflections and Career Highlights

49:52: Courses and Professors at Harvard

52:27: Current Work and Future Directions

52:41: Personal Life and Family

Links:

https://law.yale.edu/gideon-yaffe

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Michael Johnson who reports:

"Hi. I'm Michael Johnson, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 Report is Son of a Saint. Son of a Saint provides guidance, mentorship and opportunities to young boys in the New Orleans area who did not have a father in the home, usually due to death or incarceration. Founded in 2011 by Sonny Lee, who lost his own father, a defensive back of the saints from a heart attack at the age of 36, Son of a Saint is making a significant impact on the lives of young boys in the New Orleans area. My wife and I have been supporters for many years, as has my firm advantage capital, which recently endowed a scholarship that will cover high school tuition for two boys from the program. Although my circumstances were much different, having lost my own father when I was five years old, I know firsthand how important a male influence can be on a young boy. I luckily had family members and friends who stepped up from me and hope in some small way, my support of Son of a Saint and the work their mentors do can give the boys and their programs similar help. You can learn more about their work at Son of a Saint.org and now here's Will Bachman with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work, visit: www.sonofasaint.org.

Show Notes:

Steven Chao, a US-born second-generation college student, shares his experiences growing up in South Carolina and feeling overwhelmed upon arriving at Harvard in 1988. He found solace in joining the Collegium Musicum, a classical musical singing group at Harvard, which helped him find his footing and connect with people from his class.

From Biochem to Game Design to Consulting

Steven majored in biochemistry, which expanded his social circle and helped him find happiness. Steven's parents were both PhDs and pushed him into the MD PhD program. However, he faced challenges in medical school and research, leading to questions about his path and the decision to pursue a career in computer gaming. Steven talks about his experience working in the sound and asset acquisition field at Activision in LA. He initially had a great time there but ultimately decided that it wasn't the long-term solution for him. He returned to his PhD program and he pinned his hopes on becoming a doctor. During the last half of the MD program, Steven realized that he didn't want to be a researcher or go into medicine. He found an opportunity to explore other careers beyond medicine or research through a sub-intern at McKinsey.

The McKinsey Years

Steven joined McKinsey full-time in 2001 and worked in the Boston office. The bulk of his work was in the payer and provider space, mainly health insurance and hospital systems. He spent about four and a half years at McKinsey, starting from scratch with no business background, which proved difficult. Steven's PhD focused on biology, not analytical skills, but rather gene genetic rearrangement and plasmids, and he felt lost at the beginning of McKinsey. At the same time, he also participated in the mini MBA program in Austria. Despite meeting great friends at McKinsey, his work was hit or miss. Steven talks about a few of the McKinsey projects he worked on and how a pharma project with Jeff Elton piqued his interest in returning to biopharma. He later worked with Kim Packard, who was his first and best mentor at McKinsey. Steven was late to promotion and advancement, and in 2004, when his wife became pregnant, he gave up his job and started considering what he would do next.

Boutique Consulting, Life Sciences, and Biotech Companies

In 2004, Steven joined a small consulting group at an investment bank called Leering Swan, which focused on life sciences and biotech companies. This was a better fit for Steven, who had always wanted to leverage his love for science. He joined the firm and was assigned to a project in Parkinson's disease. The experience was mind-blowing, as he interviewed world experts in this space. He was hooked within a week and found the career to be a good fit for him. The combination of his love for science and medicine, without needing to do research or have a career in clinical practice, was perfect, as he loved learning about different aspects of medicine, and the variety and diversity of the day-to-day work.

Founding ClearView

Steven left Leering Swan with two other people in 2008 to co-found ClearView. ClearView was born of the same concept as Leering Swan, but focused on life sciences, biotech, pharma, private equity clients, diagnostics companies, and strategic consulting. Steven's primary hat was recruiting, and he continued to love every second of doing so. ClearView Healthcare Partners is now a well-known, private consulting firm with several 100 employees. The company has a growing presence in London, India, San Francisco, New York, and Boston.

Family Life and a Love of Musicals

On the personal side, Steven has a family of four children, three girls and a boy. They also have two in college and two still in high school. The oldest is a sophomore at Harvard. Music has always been a significant part of their family. They have a love for Broadway musical theater, and they have spent a lot of time attending performances. Their youngest son is doing a local production of Hadestown in Wellesley, and their oldest is performing at the Agassi theater in a production of 9-5, the film with Dolly Parton, which has themes of female empowerment.

Timestamps:

04:50: Transition to Medical School and Early Career Challenges

13:14: Joining McKinsey and Early Consulting Experience

23:20: Discovering a Passion for Biopharma Consulting

30:04: Founding ClearView Healthcare Partners

37:27: Personal Life and Family

Featured Non-profit:

Hi. This is Steve Chao, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is the Merriemack Repertory Theater. My wife and I love live theater. The MRT is a fantastic organization that puts on plays and musicals every year, serving a wide catchment area in and around Lowell, Massachusetts. I was actually introduced to the MRT via a fellow class of 92 Carrie Suzawa, married named Michael. And you can learn more about the work of the MRT through the website, mrt.org. And for now, here is Will Bachman with this week's episode.

To learn more about their work, visit: https:mrt.org.

Show Notes:

Rebecca Hollander-Blumoff shares her journey from college to law school. After deferring her law school for a year, she spent a year in Spain to gain language and cultural experience. She then went to law school in Cambridge and clerked for a federal judge in New York before going into practice. Rebecca was initially interested in becoming a federal prosecutor but realized she first had to go into practice. She worked for a small boutique litigation firm that did about 60% white collar criminal defense and about 40% civil litigation. While she loved being a counselor to her clients, and a person who a client could call, day in, day out, she found the law firm's hierarchy unappealing. The Psychology of Negotiation, a PhD., and Teaching Rebecca decided to pursue a PhD in Social Psychology to study the psychology of negotiation. She talks about negotiation in law, and she began taking classes in NYU's master's program and eventually obtained a PhD in Social Psychology with a dissertation on procedural justice in negotiation. She taught in the lawyering program at NYU and was an adjunct at Seton Hall in New Jersey teaching negotiation. After obtaining her PhD, she went on the job market for academia; she got a position at Washington University in Saint Louis. Rebecca has been teaching at Washington University in Saint Louis since 2006. She teaches various core classes, including civil procedure, federal courts, law and psychology, negotiation, negotiation for executive education, and has also developed a course in women's leadership and negotiation. She has worked for groups like the Brookings Institution and the Rodel Institute. Women's Negotiation and Navigating Stereotypes Rebecca's approach to teaching women's negotiation is not about focusing on gender differences but rather on understanding the research that informs her approach. She believes that women need to be armed with knowledge about the effects of gender, culture, and race on negotiation. This knowledge can help them navigate through stereotypes and roadblocks that may arise in negotiations. In her classes, she also discusses the research that is relevant to everyone, not just women, and mentions the issue of different perceptions of men and women in and on negotiations, and how behavior of men and women is perceived differently. The discussion also touches on the misconception that some people are born good negotiators and others are bad at it. This is a misconception that can hinder effective negotiation. The best way to think about negotiation is as an experience that can be prepared for and analyzed from both structural and interpersonal perspectives. This involves considering possibilities, actions to take if negotiations don't work out, and the interpersonal elements present. Negotiation and Problem-solving Rebecca mentions that negotiation is often seen as adversarial, but it is actually more about strategically problem-solving to increase the size of the pie and generate low-cost but high-value outcomes for both parties. Examples of negotiations that are not adversarial include family law, business contracts, and reputational effects. Negotiations can have broader implications, as people may still be in each other's lives after the negotiation. The key piece that students often overlook is the relational aspect of negotiations. In negotiations, parties are not in front of a judge, and the outcome must be decent for both parties. For example, in a negotiation for a new salary or project, one person has all the power, but the decision by fiat can lead to less positive results over time, less employee retention, and less positive feelings about the project. In real-world situations, negotiations can have other elements and dimensions available. Lawyers should question their assumptions and think about the best end goal for their clients. They should also consider the potential negative consequences of their actions and the impact on their reputation and business relationships. Negotiations in Practice The conversation turns to the dynamic between attorneys and clients in family law negotiations. Research has shown that when lawyers experience fairness in negotiation, they are more likely to recommend the agreed-upon outcome to their clients, believing it forms the basis for a better long-term agreement. However, the client is not in the room, and the lawyer may manipulate the client's desire for fair process and present things differently to the client based on what they think might happen. This can lead to a gap between what the lawyer is experiencing and what the client is experiencing. Research by a professor at UC Davis has found that one of the most desirable forms of dispute resolution for regular people is negotiation by their lawyer while the client is present in the room. This could reduce the dissonance between the lawyer and the client, potentially leading to better negotiation outcomes. A Year in Madrid Rebecca recounts her experience in Madrid after college, where she lived with a family for most of the year, a difficult but interesting experience. She studied at the Complutense University, where she participated in a Hispanic studies program, which taught history, language, grammar, and art in Spanish. The program was an international one, and the students from around the world were taught in Spanish. Despite the initial loneliness and lack of familiarity, Rebecca found it fascinating and eventually moved into an apartment with friends. She found that Madrid was a large city, but not warm and fuzzy, and it was a great place to live. A Passionate and Adventurous Baker Rebecca is a passionate baker She enjoys sharing her creative side with her students, who are always happy when she bakes for them. In her home life, she has three boys and two nephews who live nearby, making the house full of baked good eaters. Baking provides a time to disconnect from the stress of professional life and connect with the world through the act of baking. One of her favorite projects was when she baked 12 cakes of Christmas based on the 12 days of Christmas. She also used cooking as a project to open her children's horizons to different cultures and ideas, especially when her kids were younger. They would research a country and make a whole meal of that country's cuisine, usually with a baked dessert. One of her favorite baked goods is a Kringle, made from an Estonian recipe. Her oldest child also fell in love with the Mongolian beef patty, a dish made from a dough of flour and water wrapped around ground beef. Influential Harvard Professors and Courses Rebecca took Justice as a freshman and ironically found it to be one of her least favorite classes. However, she enjoyed her classes in the history and literature concentration. She also took a phenomenal French literature class and enjoyed a class on modern poetry, which she likens to the study of law, as every word and construction has a reason or purpose.

Timestamps:

06:11: Transition to Academia and Negotiation Research

10:12: Teaching Women's Negotiation and Gender Dynamics

18:08: Negotiation Skills for Law Students

26:12: Relational Aspects of Negotiation

31:08: Consulting and Baking Passion

41:23: Personal Reflections and Cultural Experiences

44:22: Influence of Harvard Classes and Professors

Links:

Author Page for Rebecca E. Hollander-Blumoff :: SSRN

Instagram: @rebeccahollanderblumoff

X: https://x.com/rhollblum

Blue Sky: @rhollblum.bsky.social.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hollander-blumoff-475636270/

Work: https://law.washu.edu/faculty-staff-directory/profile/rebecca-hollander-blumoff/

Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Research-Handbook-Psychology-Rebecca-Hollander-blumoff/dp/1800881916

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Elaine Lum MacDonald who reports:

"Hi, I'm Elaine Lum McDonald, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is SV2. Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund. SV2 is a community committed to accelerating equity in the Bay Area through grant making to local nonprofits, impact investing in local and global entrepreneurs and immersive learning experiences. I am proud to have been a member of this organization since 2021 and I'm currently serving on the board. I love SV2 because it is truly innovative in two ways. First, it's equity based practices, including putting grantees and investees on the board and its trust based philanthropy practices. And secondly, because of its focus on creating impact across the capital spectrum, from donations to investments. You can learn more about their work at SV2.org and now here is Will Bachmann with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work, visit: SV2.org.

Show Notes:

Alison Wakoff Loren went to St Louis to medical school at Washington University. She specialized in internal medicine and later completed a subspecialty fellowship in hematology oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. She met her husband in medical school and they have three children all in their early twenties. Alison is now the chief of the Division of Hematology Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in bone marrow transplantation, a curative therapy for blood cancer.

Taking Care of Patients

Alison finds the best part of her job to be taking care of patients, especially those who have just been diagnosed with leukemia. She gets to know people when they are in a vulnerable place and understand their lives, which is a privilege. She also does a lot of administrative work, mentoring trainees and faculty, helping them understand their passions and connecting them with opportunities. Alison is proud of her mentoring success stories. She encourages everyone to show gratitude and warmth, as the world is not always generous, and it is important to show that we can make a difference for each other by showing warmth and gratitude. She also shares a story of mentoring a talented MD and PhD candidate who was unhappy in her research role.

Helping Patients with Leukemia

Alison discusses the fear and uncertainty people face when discovering they have leukemia. She shares her experiences in delivering sad news to a patient who had been a high school history teacher and had leukemia come back. She mentions that people have incredibly generous spirits and sometimes don't behave their best when they're scared. She also shares examples of people making decisions that matter to their loved ones, such as stopping treatment or continuing treatment when they don't want to. Alison also discusses the range of responses people have when they have to deliver sad news. She explains that most people know they're in for an uphill climb, and it's rare to be surprised. Alison specializes in bone marrow transplants, which are intensive but curative intent therapies, and she emphasizes the importance of laying groundwork ahead of time to make difficult conversations less shocking and offering hope while grounding the conversation. She also stresses the importance of being honest and respectful in her interactions with patients.

Fertility Preservation in Cancer Treatment

The conversation turns to Alison's research and the importance of fertility preservation in cancer treatment, which can harm reproductive capacity and lead to infertility. Oncology teams often don't discuss this topic, partly because they are focused on cancer and not reproductive endocrinologists. However, there is a focus on making sure all patients are counseled about the reproductive impact of their treatments and reproductive options to engage in fertility preservation before starting cancer treatments. Alison explains what is recommended for women. She mentions that it is important to discuss these options before starting cancer treatment, as it reduces distress and decision regret for people after treatment. Alison is fortunate to be able to speak and advocate for fertility preservation for people with blood cancers, which represents a special population in oncology care. She has been fortunate to co-chair an effort to develop guidelines for fertility preservation from a large cancer organization. She explains that colleagues in reproductive science are doing amazing research to extend options for reproductive care before and after cancer treatment, which is exciting to inform oncology clinicians and advocate for insurance coverage for these treatments.

Family Life, Running, and Circadian Rhythms

Alison shares her experiences with her children, including a daughter who works at the Amherst College Library, an older son considering medical school, and a younger son at Bates College in Maine. Her daughter has inspired her to think about women in the workplace, as she was criticized for not valuing women in her division and for hiring women because they are cheaper. Alison also shares her experience with running, which she enjoys but has to get up early to get in before work. She talks about the concept of morning and night people, stating that people have their own internal clocks. She also mentions that research into the biology of the circadian clock is still in its early stages.

Influential Harvard Courses and Professors

Alison shares her experiences at Harvard, including taking courses with Stephen Jay Gould and Dick Lewontin, who were incredibly intelligent and insightful. She also took Act 10 as a senior, which was an unexpected experience that helped her learn different ways of thinking about the subject. Alison volunteered at the Mission Hill after-school program, which allowed her to get to know the kids and families there. She tried out for various extracurriculars, such as singing and photography, but found it intimidating. She also mentions the training program for photographers.

Timestamps:

01:51: Alison Wakoff Loren's Medical Journey

04:12: Motivations and Rewards in Patient Care

22:20: Mentoring Success Stories

22:36: Challenges and Insights in Patient Care

24:17: Balancing Professional and Personal Life

24:32: Research and Advocacy in Fertility Preservation

28:54: Influences and Reflections on Harvard Education

37:25: Extracurricular Activities and Personal Growth

Links:

Penn Medicine Website: https://www.pennmedicine.org/providers/profile/alison-loren

American Society of Clinical Oncology: https://www.asco.org/

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: https://www.lls.org/

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Ming Chen who reports:

" One nonprofit that I've been involved in is the Keswick Foundation, which funds pilot programs in Hong Kong and mainland China to help the community serve needs that are not being met by the government. So we work with family and vulnerable populations. We work with the elderly, and we work with things like helping promote social work in China, as well as clinical psychologists in different NGOs around the region. The other nonprofit that I am on the Advisory Council of is the Asian American foundation, TAF for short, T, A, A, F, F. The Asian American foundation, basically, is a platform that gets together different organizations around anti hate, changing the narrative education, helping to advocate for Asian American history taught in public schools, as well as narrative change representation in Hollywood and beyond. And again, it was founded around the 2020, around the growing disturbing rhetoric against Asians with the rise of COVID So yeah, those are two nonprofit organizations that I'm involved with. So again, one nonprofit that's been on the board for for many, many years is called the Keswick Foundation, and it funds pilot programs in Hong Kong as well as Mainland China. And then the Asian American foundation. If you want to learn more about the Asian American foundation, it's www dot T, A, A, f.org, check it out."

To learn more about their work, visit:

The Asian American Foundation: https://www.taaf.org/

The Keswick Foundation: https://www.keswickfoundation.org.hk/

Show Notes:

Julia Lynch opens the conversation with a statement about identifying now as a Radcliffe graduate, despite not having identified with feminism during college. At college, Julia didn't think feminism was a pressing issue, but later realized that her career has been shaped by discrimination and enriched by her experiences as a mother and wife. Julia's professional trajectory was predictable, but she had to fight for her place in a male-dominated profession. At the age of 50, her life seems placid and predictable, but she is grateful for the surprises and bumps in her journey.

Working in a Male-dominated Career

After leaving Harvard, she worked as a secretary for a year, applied for a Rotary Fellowship, went to Italy, did a Phd. in Political Science, and onto her first job at UPenn where she achieved tenure. Julia discusses her career in academia, which she had no idea was so male dominated. She notes that, while traditionally it was believed that STEM fields were male-dominated, some social science disciplines, such as political science, economics, and philosophy, remain some of the most male-dominated areas despite changes in STEM fields. She initially had no idea that women would be held to a different standard than men in terms of tenure and promotion.

Discrimination in the Tenure and Promotion Process

Julia talks about obvious and systematic discrimination in the tenure and promotion process. When applying for tenure in a political science department, she found that men who had lower qualifications than many women were put forward while women with much better qualifications were typically discouraged from applying for tenure or simply would not make tenure. She mentions the discrimination in the application process, and also noted that women authors tend to get cited less than male authors. She explains why there is less discrimination in the private sector and why, as a student, she didn't know about the discrimination against female professors.

The Academic Job Market

The conversation turns to the academic job market which is a complex one, with an average of 30% of women in senior faculty positions in political science. Political science is siloed as a field, with four main subfields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. The representation of women in these subfields is different, with less women in international relations and more in comparative politics and political theory. Julia explains that the most important thing to know about this topic is that women are entering the pipeline, but they either jump or get pushed off the tenure track early on in the process, never making it through to become full professors in political science. This results in a market for junior people at the pre-tenured stage, where women get jobs but don't go on to get tenure. Even if they stay on the tenure track, it takes them longer to get to that stage of full professor and spend a shorter percentage of their career at that top rank.

The Push to Increase Diversity

Julia talks about the push to increase diversity in new hires in the academia world and mentions that there was some pushback from younger professors. More women and minorities were hired, and progress was made at the junior level, but the problem was that the leaks in the pipeline were not fixed. Julia mentions the patterns that made this apparent and that women tend to do qualitative work, which is less valued in the profession.

Male Flight in Academic Disciplines

The concept of male flight in academic disciplines is discussed, and Julia explains that this trend is striking, as seen in the case of archeology, a sub-field of anthropology, which was a male-dominated discipline. In political science, there hasn't been a significant change in male representation, although women have made breakthroughs in the political system. Qualitative, comparative historical research, which is dominated by the study of American politics, has seen a shift towards female representation. This shift is also evident in areas like qualitative, comparative historical research, where incoming men are fewer.

Research on Health and Inequality

Julia talks about her research in health and inequality. The United States has a lower life expectancy than Europe. This is partly due to poverty, which prevents access to fresh food and the time and energy to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Poverty also causes stress, which shortens the part of our chromosomes responsible for aging. Political decisions, such as not addressing poverty, particularly child poverty, have contributed to this issue. These experiences accumulate over a lifetime, making health outcomes worse for those starting their lives in poverty. Policy decisions and political decisions, such as allowing people to have a voice in politics, also play a role in health inequality. Julia states that, to address health inequality, the US should prioritize policy changes, including addressing poverty and promoting inclusion in politics. Julia's research included health and inequality in several European countries, including Germany after reunification. She mentions her book on this topic. Bristol University Press has made the book open access, making it available for free download on Amazon. If ordering from the US, it can be found through an aggregator or local bookstore.

Thoughts on the Second Act

Julia shares insights from her first and second marriages, including what it means to stick it out for the kids or live authentically. She believes that waiting for her current husband to separate their households was the right timing for her second act. She talks about her next project which involves travelling to Europe, her involvement in a women's choir, and playing french horn in a semi-professional orchestra. The women's choir performs for various events, including concerts and gigs, to raise awareness about women's rights and encourage voter turnout. The choir started as a group of friends and family, but has grown to become a larger organization. They perform music written by women, often contemporary composers. Research suggests that engaging in group activities, such as dancing or singing, can align brain waves and emotions, creating a powerful bond between individuals. This bond is particularly powerful in smaller groups, where the choir can create a sense of community and belonging. Engaging in community is rare for adults, especially in today's world where we are constantly connected to our phones. Julia stresses the importance of engaging in community, whether in a church, synagogue, mosque, or running club.

Influential Harvard Courses and Professors

Julia mentions Justice class and her nickname in the class; she also mentions political theory classes. She remembers the class The Welfare State in the United States, taught by Theda Skocpol and Margaret Weir. Many of Julia's professors at Harvard have since become peers and colleagues.

Timestamps:

05:21: Challenges of Being a Woman in Academia

13:23: Representation and Diversity in Political Science

20:36: Male Flight and Gender Dynamics in Academia

24:21: Julia's Research on Health Inequality

34:01: Personal Reflections and Life Changes

37:40: Balancing Professional and Personal Life

44:57: Influence of Harvard Professors and Courses

Links:

Faculty profile: https://live-sas-www-polisci.pantheon.sas.upenn.edu/people/standing-faculty/julia-lynch

The Book: Getting Better: The Policy and Politics of Reducing Health Inequalities: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/getting-better

Featured Non-profit

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Ben Dattner who reports:

"Hi. I'm Ben Dattner, class of 1992. The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 report is the Y of Washington Heights and Inwood in New York City. Their website is YWHI.org. I'm proud to have been a donor to and volunteer for this organization for the last 15 years, and they do wonderful things in the Upper Manhattan community. Thank you. Now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work, visit: https://www.ywhi.org/

Show Notes:

Robert de Neufville dropped out of grad school after spending over a decade in grad school and not finishing his PhD. This was around the time of the financial crisis. Robert realized that after a decade in academia he was less employable than when he graduated from Harvard. He had done a lot of teaching at Berkeley and San Francisco State, but found himself struggling to find a job. He eventually moved to Hawaii to work freelance editing projects. He moved there because he had a friend who wanted to rent out his house.

Working as a Forecaster and Political Writer

Currently, Robert is working as a forecaster and political writer. He has a sub-stack newsletter called Telling the Future, which has about 1500 subscribers. While he is not particularly happy writing about politics right now, he believes it's necessary for his career and personal growth.

Therapy and Political Theory

Robert discusses their first period after college and therapy. He mentions the stigma surrounding therapy and the importance of normalizing it. However, he eventually reached a breaking point. He didn't know what he wanted to do after college. He drove to New York and worked at several different places, including consulting and Booz and Allen, which he ultimately found lacked meaning and decided to pursue a more intellectual career. He knew that he liked thinking and writing about things, so he applied to grad school for political science, where he studied political theory and moral issues related to community living. However, he found the academic culture at Berkeley to be toxic and, combined with an unhealthy lifestyle, he decided it was not for him. Robert touches on his difficult childhood, which was characterized by narcissistic parents and abusive mother. He eventually sought therapy and found that he felt better, but struggled to complete his dissertation. He dropped out of grad school, despite their professors' concerns, and was diagnosed with chronic PTSD.

Finding Solace in Teaching

Robert found solace in teaching, but disliked the part where he had to grade students. Some people had unhealthy relationships with grades, and he felt he had to refer them to suicide watch. He realized that teaching was great because it allowed them to understand a topic better by explaining it to others. He found that teaching was the only way they could truly understand a topic, but he realized he didn't want to do academic work. Additionally, he found that there was a backlog of people who wanted to become political theory professors who spend their time teaching adjuncts and spending money on conferences and job opportunities. Robert believes that his experience in grad school was intellectually rewarding and that his training and political theory shaped who he is.

Writing for Love and Money

Robert talks about his experience writing for mainstream publications like The Economist, National Interest, California magazine, The Big Think, and The Washington Monthly. He shares his struggles with freelance writing, as he finds it slow and fussy, and finds it frustrating to be paid for work that takes time to complete. He also discusses his writing about forecasting, becoming a skilled judgmental forecaster. He makes money by producing forecasts for various organizations, which is a relatively new field. He encourages readers to support writers they love and consider paying for their work, as it is hard and not very rewarding.

Forecasting Methods and Examples

The conversation turns to Robert's writing and forecasting. He explains his approach to forecasting and how he uses history to guide his predictions. He shares his method of estimating the probability of events in the future, which involves looking back at similar elections and establishing a base rate. This helps in estimating the probability of what is going to happen in a specific situation. Robert also mentions that there are some situations that require more analytical thinking, such as discovering AGI or other technologies. He talks about The Phil Tetlock project, a government agency that helped invent the internet, aimed to determine if anyone could forecast geopolitical questions. The research showed that people were terrible at it, even analysts and pundits. However, a certain percentage of people consistently outperformed intelligence analysts using methodical extrapolations. Robert participated in the tournament and qualified as a super forecaster in his first year. He works with Metaculus and the Good Judgment Project, which produces probabilistic forecasts for decision-makers. The forecasting community is now working on making forecasts useful, such as understanding the reasons behind people's forecasts rather than just the number they produce.

Influential Harvard Courses and Professors

Robert stresses that he found his interaction with fellow students to be most enriching, and he appreciated Stanley Hoffmann's class on Ethics and International relations, which was taught through a humanist lens and emphasized the importance of morality. He also enjoyed watching the list of movies and reading academic articles alongside his classes, which eventually informed his teaching. He also mentions Adrienne Kennedy's playwriting class, which he found exciting and engaging. He enjoys table reads and reading people's plays fresh off the presses and believes that these experiences have shaped his forecasting skills.

Timestamps:

03:16: Robert's Move to Hawaii and Career Challenges

06:16: Current Endeavors and Writing Career

07:58: Therapy and Early Career Struggles

10:14: Grad School Experience and Academic Challenges

22:41: Teaching and Forecasting Career

26:21: Forecasting Techniques and Projects

41:27: Impact of Harvard and Influential Professors

Links:

Substack newsletter: https://tellingthefuture.substack.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertdeneufville/

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Patrick Jackson who reports:

"Hi I'm Patrick Ian Jackson, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is His Hands Free Clinic, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since 1992 His Hands Free Clinic has been seeking to honor God by helping the uninsured and underinsured in our community. The clinic is a 501, c3 nonprofit ministry providing free health care to Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities. I love the work of this organization. The church that I pastor, First Baptist Church, Church of the Brethren, has been a regular contributor to the clinic for the past couple of years. You can learn more about their work at WWW dot his hands clinic.org, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work, visit: www.HisHandsClinic.org.

Show Notes:

Cara Natterson moved to New York City where she worked for a drug rehabilitation center, and later moved to Baltimore, where she studied at Johns Hopkins Medical School. She eventually returned to L.A. and practiced pediatrics there. Her writing career began at the age of 31 when a co-worker asked her to read his manuscript, which inspired her to write her own book about raising kids.

The Body Book Series and Less Awkward Company

In 2008, Cara decided to leave clinical medicine and become a full-time writer. In 2011, after speaking at Mattel, she was signed on to write for the Body Book series from American Girl, which has since sold millions of copies. Cara then started touring the country, focusing on puberty education. During this time, she discovered that there was nothing else available for kids whose bodies, brains, feelings, and friends were changing. She launched her own business, Less Awkward, a company that created direct-to-consumer products designed for comfort and health like bras and socks. Cara has since expanded the company to focus on content across social media, podcasting, newsletter, and school curriculum.

Health and Sex Education Curriculum

In the past year, she has rolled out two platforms: a health and sex education curriculum for schools, which is already implemented in three states, and a membership for parents and trusted adults. Cara talks about the importance of understanding and discussing puberty in young people. She highlights the slower pace of puberty, with girls entering puberty at an average age of 8-9, and boys at an average age of 9-10. She emphasizes the importance of discussing the first signs of puberty, such as breast budding or testicular growth. She also highlights the importance of discussing the issue of first porn exposure, which is a significant concern for parents, family members, coaches, mentors, healthcare providers, and educators. She emphasizes the need to educate children about free porn, which is generally violent and aggressive, and calls for a less awkward approach to discussing this topic. By engaging in conversations about this topic, adults can help their children navigate the challenges of puberty and promote healthier lifestyles.

Launching a Direct-to-Consumer Product

Cara talks about the shift from a pediatrician to writer to entrepreneur. She initially went to medical school but, although she found it interesting, she also realized that she was more of a creative type. However, her background combined with her creative mind led to the drive to develop comfortable and healthy products. After a chat with a friend about bras, she was convinced that there was a need for comfortable bras for young girls. The two women partnered with a sewer who made a comfortable and healthy bra for their daughters, and later pulled together a team that developed the product over many years. They patented the product and launched the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was initially launched as a mask company, focusing on distribution and production channels instead of bras to supply the then current demand. Six months later they launched their bra products. She talks about the journey from design and development to launching the product and what she learned along the way. Cara's business ethos has always been to do well and to do good at the same time, and she has found this to be a recipe for success.

The This Is So Awkward Podcast

The conversation turns to Cara's podcast which she started with her partner, Vanessa Kroll Bennett. The podcast addresses the confusion about the length of puberty. It features background episodes and guest appearances with experts from various fields. In October 2023, they published a book called This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained, which explores the changes in puberty and how to talk about them, and it includes essays by kids about their experiences with acne, first periods, and heartbreaks. The podcast has expanded along with content on Instagram and TikTok. All of this content is also available on the website LessAwkward.com. They also have a school-based health and sex education curriculum called That Health Class.

Navigating Today's Cultural Complexities

Cara emphasizes the importance of pediatricians in understanding and managing the changes in puberty. She explains that kids and their adults are overwhelmed by the complexity of the world and the increased access to a wide and diverse range of information. Pediatricians often lack the time or bandwidth to provide anticipatory guidance for children, an especially big issue given the mental health crisis among children. Cara mentions that pediatricians often turn to the LessAwkward website where they have trained an AI bot on their content. Pediatricians are starting to use it as a healthcare solution when they don't have the time to answer questions but their patients want to be able to anticipate what's coming. The bot is reliable, gated, and trained on good data, making it engaging and entertaining. The levity and warmth of the content make it a valuable tool for pediatricians to recommend.

Factors that Contribute to Early Puberty

The American Girl Body Book series launched just after a 1997 study showed that girls were entering puberty earlier. It stated that the average age has shifted from 11 to 10, and a follow-up study in 2010 found it to be between eight and nine. The reason for this change is under investigation, but it is believed to be due to a number of factors, including stress, adverse childhood experiences, and antibiotics. Stress causes cortisol surges, which can either trigger the release of hormones like LH and FSH, or cause sex hormones to surge. Adverse childhood experiences, such as witnessing trauma or drug abuse, can increase the risk of entering puberty early. Evolutionary theory suggests that the human body is meant to reproduce before life ends, and so it makes sense that the general stress response might drive earlier development. She mentions Louise Greenspan, a woman who has been researching puberty for decades, has written a book called The New Puberty which further explores this topic.

The Male Side of the Story

Cara's parenting podcast has a diverse audience, with nearly 20% male listenership. She shares her experiences with male listeners and the challenges they face in connecting with their children. She wrote Decoding Boys, and states, with a degree of jocularity, that there is no data on the connection between testosterone and silence, but it is common among males, especially in their tween years. She shares personal strategies to help connect with tween or teen boys, as they do want to talk and share their thoughts with trusted adults. In the book, Cara shares strategies she has used, and in this conversation, she shares a personal experience on how she encouraged her son to talk to her.

Influential Harvard Courses and Professors

Cara's career highlights her interest in sociology and biological anthropology, which she combined at Harvard. She wrote a junior paper about female genital mutilation in Africa and a thesis about HIV prevention in teenagers in Boston suburbs. She had a vivid memory of her thesis advisor, Irven DeVore, who was an interesting thinker and helped her fit her thesis idea into the curriculum.

Timestamps:

02:12: Transition to Entrepreneurship

05:46: Insights on Puberty and Parenting

09:20: Launching Less Awkward

15:42: Content Creation and Engagement

29:05: Raising Boys and Communication Strategies

35:15: Daily Routine and Collaboration

37:19: Impact of Social Media and Content Creation

39:14: Influence of Harvard Education

Links:

Website: https://lessawkward.com/

Podcast: https://lessawkward.com/podcast-this-is-so-awkward-2/

Instagram: less.awkward

TikTok: less.awkward

Cara's Instagram: caranatterson

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Chris Hull who reports:

"Hi. I'm Chris Hull from Harvard's fabulous class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is The Fund for American Studies. TFAs is an educational nonprofit that develops courageous leaders by providing students who otherwise wouldn't get a chance to come to DC to learn about how to make a difference. I've been honored to have worked with TFAs for more than three decades, since they've allowed me to study at Georgetown. At the same time, I did an internship in Washington, which helped transform my life as it has for so many others over the last half century that it's existed, who otherwise couldn't possibly afford to do such a thing. You can learn more about their [email protected]."

To learn more about their work, visit: [email protected]

Show Notes:

Patrick Jackson talks about growing up in his great-grandparents' home in an unincorporated area of Shelby County, where he had no indoor plumbing until age 10. That home, where he lived with his mother and three brothers, was his formative space before going to Harvard. Patrick was initially considering medical school. However, he decided to pursue politics, inspired by an experience he had as a junior in high school working as a U.S. House Page on Capitol Hill.

Becoming a Page in the U.S. House of Representatives

Patrick believes that God opened a door for him to become a Page through his freshman football and track coach, Mac Hawkins, a government and civics teacher and Bartlett High School, who became like a surrogate father to him. In 1985 Coach Hawkins found out about an opportunity to become a page through then-Congressman Don Sunquist, who was looking to appoint a promising high school student. Patrick's experience with the Page Program highlights the importance of faith, connections, and the support of family and friends. In this conversation, Patrick discusses his experience as a page in the House of Representatives and the impact it had on his life. He recalls the experience as transformative and fueled him to pursue a career in government. Patrick ended up concentrating in Government at Harvard.

Working in Politics

After graduation from Harvard, Patrick landed an internship with the Small Business Administration, an opportunity that helped him gain experience and broaden his horizons. Patrick also mentions that he had a temporary spot with Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, who was running for the US Senate at the time. He was invited to work as a legislative correspondent in the Senate office, answering constituent letters and handling constituent calls. However, he wanted to move up quickly and take on more responsibility, so he left Senator Boxer's office and worked for Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez from New York. One significant experience he had there was witnessing Congresswoman Velazquez testify during the healthcare debate about privacy. He had to help write her testimony, which was a tough day but a good day because it helped many people. Patrick acknowledges that this incident did not directly lead to the enactment of the HIPAA law, but it helped with the debate about privacy and HIPAA, adding to the chorus of voices calling for the law to be made and enacted. In 1995, Patrick left Congresswoman Velazquez' office and worked for the late Julian Dixon, a California member of Congress who served as a senior Democrat on Appropriations Committee. He learned a lot from his time there, including the importance of strong relationships across the aisle. Dixon was part of a tight California delegation that worked together to get things done for the state, including medical research funding for top universities and public hospital systems. Patrick also owes a lot to Tracy Holmes, his Chief of Staff, who was skilled in working with people and helping them succeed.

Law School and Study Abroad

Patrick discusses his experiences in law school and his study abroad experience. Though he initially planned to work for just two years before law school, he did not enter law school until 1998, when he began at the University of Wisconsin law school in Madison. While in law school Patricj participated in a law school exchange program at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. There Patrick lived in a student house with other international students and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the square area. He learned about European legal systems through the international comparative comparative law program at the University of Wisconsin. After law school, he was offered a job after graduation in Columbus, Ohio. He worked as a firm there for a few years but realized that it wasn't what he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing and left the firm at the end of 2005.

From Law to the Seminary

Patrick left Columbus, Ohio, in 2007, returning to his home in Tennessee to work briefly as a substitute teacher in the Shelby County school system. In 2008 he left Tennessee to return to D.C. to work for United Way of America as a federal lobbyist, covering national issues like the 211 information system and the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. He met his wife in 2006 while still in Columbus, Ohio, and they became friends and stayed in touch even long distance. In 2010, they decided to move their relationship forward and got married. He worked with Senator Sherrod Brown from 2009 to 2011, but they decided to return to Columbus in 2011. During that time of transition, Patrick sensed a call to fulltime ministry, which was influenced in part by his involvement in the music ministry at a church in Dumfries, Virginia. He also attended US Senate Chaplain Barry Black's weekly Bible studies and enrolled in his spiritual mentoring classes. During one of these Bible studies, Chaplain Black encouraged him to consider attending seminary. However, Patrick would not attend seminary until 2013, after spending some time working as a contract lawyer in Columbus. Patrick attended Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts, graduating with honors in 2017.

Life As a Pastor

Patrick shares his experience of applying to American Baptist churches for senior pastor positions after graduation from Andover Newton. In 2018 Patrick accepted a Pastoral Residency at Richmond's First Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. It was a tremendously rewarding experience and helped prepare him for his first pastorate at First Baptist Church-Church of the Brethren and Cedar Rapids, a dually-aligned American Baptist and Church of the Brethren congregation. The process of becoming a pastor at the church involved submitting materials, having phone conversations, and attending a candidate weekend. The church then voted on whether to call the applicant. This experience led to his current position. As an African American pastor at a predominantly white congregation. Patrick shares his experiences of working as a pastor and delivering sermons during Covid.

Influential Harvard Courses and Professors

Patrick shares his experiences with the late Professor Martin Kilson, a government professor who taught him about African American political development in the south. He took a graduate course from Prof. Kilson on African political systems: Power, and Legitimacy, which provided insights into the history and politics of Nigeria, the Congo, and Kenya.

Timestamps:

05:02: The Impact of the Page Program and Early Career

18:18: Transition to Capitol Hill and Early Career Challenges

33:20: Law School and International Experience

40:09: Return to Capitol Hill and Transition to Ministry

53:58: Seminary and Pastoral Career

1:08:19: Transition to Cedar Rapids and Current Role

1:20:25: Reflections on Harvard and Influential Courses

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jackson-0489a6/

Patrick's church: https://www.thechurchonnorthland.com/

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Julie Mallozzi who reports:

"Hi, I'm Julie Mallozzi, class of 1992 the featured organization of this episode of The 92 report is New Day Films. New Day Films is a filmmaker-run distributor of educational documentaries, many of them exploring urgent social issues. I have been a member of this amazing co-op for six years, and am proud to be serving my third year on its steering committee. You can learn more about our [email protected] and now here's Will Bachmann with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work visit: https://www.newday.com/