The Good Question Podcast

In today's episode, Deborah Maragopoulos joins us to discuss why the hypothalamus can be thought of as the "maestro" of the body's hormonal system. Sitting at the intersection of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, the hypothalamus plays an important role in regulating everything from mood and memory to sleep, energy, metabolism, digestion, immune function, and the aging process…

Deborah is an integrative Family Nurse Practitioner, author, and specialist in neuro-immune-endocrinology with more than 30 years of clinical experience. Known as the "Hormone Queen," she has worked extensively with women experiencing hormonal imbalances related to perimenopause, menopause, PCOS, infertility, and much more. Her approach combines conventional and naturopathic perspectives to help identify underlying patterns that may be contributing to chronic symptoms.

This conversation covers:

● The difference between functional and conventional medicine.

● Why the hypothalamus plays such a central role in hormone regulation.

● How hormonal imbalances can affect mood, sleep, energy, metabolism, and digestion.

● The connection between the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems.

Deborah is the author of The Hypothalamus Handbook: Your Tool to Discovering the Root of Your Health Issues and Finally Healing Your Body, Mind, and Soul, as well as Hormones in Harmony and Menopause Action Plan. A UCLA graduate and former president of the California Association of Nurse Practitioners, she has also served as an endocrine advisor and developed her own integrative model of care focused on supporting hypothalamic and hormonal function.

Connect with Deborah:

Personal Website

Shop Genesis Health Products

LinkedIn

Join us in this episode as Erai Beckmann shares his thoughts on blockchain, artificial intelligence, global commerce, and the potential for emerging technologies to expand access to the financial system. As Erai puts it, "We think the first step towards global peace is to allow financial access to those that don't yet have it." That idea sits at the center of Peace Through Trade (PTT), the blockchain project he is a founding partner of and is helping build around peer-to-peer commerce, digital trade, and greater economic participation.

Peace Through Trade is a regulation-focused Layer-1 Proof-of-Work blockchain ecosystem designed to work alongside governments and existing financial structures rather than outside them. Erai's approach to Web3 is shaped by a career spent building in emerging and highly regulated industries, where he learned that new technologies are more likely to achieve lasting adoption when regulation is addressed from the beginning.

Click play to find out:

● How blockchain could expand access to global commerce and financial services.

● Why Erai connects economic participation with greater international cooperation.

● The role regulation may play in bringing blockchain into mainstream use.

● How AI, Web3, and digital trade could intersect in the future.

Before Peace Through Trade, Erai led public companies and co-founded a pharmaceutical venture focused on cannabinoid-based products in Latin America. He was involved in lobbying and legislative efforts surrounding medical cannabinoid access in Brazil, an experience that helped shape his regulation-first philosophy. Today, he applies that same thinking to blockchain: understand the rules, build infrastructure capable of operating within them, and focus on practical use beyond speculation.

Connect with Erai:

Peace Through Trade

Personal Website

LinkedIn

Could a new generation of therapies eventually reproduce some of the effects we associate with diet and exercise? In this episode, we connect with Dr. Adam Dorr to discuss the rapid evolution of GLP-1 medications and the possibility that combining fat-loss drugs with emerging myostatin- and activin-blocking therapies could change how we think about weight, muscle mass, metabolic health, and healthy aging.

Adam is the Director of Research at RethinkX, an independent think tank focused on technology-driven disruption. As an environmental social scientist and technology theorist, he approaches healthcare through the same systems lens RethinkX has applied to energy, transportation, and food.

Adam's recent work explores what RethinkX calls "Health Optimizer Therapies," or HOTs: combinations of treatments that may eventually target fat loss, muscle preservation or gain, metabolic health, and other aspects of physical well-being at the same time. He describes this convergence as moving medicine closer to a long-pursued idea: something resembling diet and exercise in a bottle…

This conversation explores:

● Why GLP-1 medications could represent more than a weight-loss trend.

● The potential role of myostatin and activin inhibition in preserving or increasing muscle.

● What could happen when fat-loss and muscle-building therapies are combined.

● Why RethinkX views these technologies as part of a broader healthcare disruption.

Adam holds a PhD from UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs and an MS from the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability. He has spent much of his career studying how rapidly improving technologies move from niche innovations to forces that can transform entire sectors.

Connect with Adam:

RethinkX

Rethinking Health: The Health Optimizer Therapy Disruption

X

In today's episode, Chris Schneider joins us to discuss the systems, financial habits, and leadership decisions that can help independent bar owners build stronger and more sustainable businesses…

Chris is the founder of The Bar Business and host of The Bar Business Podcast. He has experience in bar ownership, small-business bookkeeping, hospitality education, and coaching. This diverse background showed him why some operators struggle while others build more efficient, profitable businesses. Across those roles, he saw a consistent pattern: the strongest operators understand their numbers, rely on repeatable systems, and make decisions based on more than instinct alone.

Hit play to find out:

● The importance of creating a special dining and drinking experience.

● Why many independent bars struggle to achieve consistent profitability.

● The financial numbers bar owners should be paying attention to.

● How menu engineering and pricing influence the bottom line.

Chris approaches bar management through his MCC Framework: Mindset, Concept, and Culture. This helps owners view their bar as a business that can be measured, improved, and scaled. He is also the author of How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business and Menus That Sell. Through his coaching and more than 200 episodes of The Bar Business Podcast, Chris helps independent bar owners create businesses that are more profitable, organized, and less dependent on their constant presence.

Connect with Chris:

The Bar Business

The Bar Business Podcast

Instagram

In this episode of Finding Genius Podcast, AI entrepreneur Rana Gujral reveals how Cognitive AI is transforming the way humans think, communicate, and make decisions—and what happens as we move closer to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

If you've been wondering where AI is headed after ChatGPT, this conversation explores the technologies shaping the next generation of intelligence.

In This Episode You'll Learn: How AI is influencing human decision-making. The science behind Cognitive AI and behavioral intelligence. Can AI detect emotion, intent, deception, and risk through voice? The future of AGI and superintelligent systems. Why understanding human cognition is becoming AI's biggest frontier. How voice AI, behavioral signals, and machine learning are changing business and society. The ethical risks of AI influencing human behavior.

Rana Gujral is the CEO of Behavioral Signals, an AI company building systems that analyze speech, emotion, intent, and behavioral patterns using advanced voice intelligence and machine learning.

If you enjoy deep conversations with world-leading scientists, founders, inventors, and futurists, subscribe to Finding Genius Podcast for weekly episodes exploring Artificial Intelligence, longevity, neuroscience, quantum computing, health, space, and breakthrough technology.

Connect with Rana: Personal Website: https://ranagujral.com/about

The AI Instinct: https://www.amazon.com/AI-Instinct-Future-Human-Decision-Making/dp/1394392125

Behavioral Signals: https://behavioralsignals.com/

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

What happens when artificial intelligence moves beyond processing information and begins interpreting human behavior, emotion, intent, and risk?

In this episode, we explore The AI Instinct with Rana Gujral, AI entrepreneur, CEO of Behavioral Signals, and author of The AI Instinct: The Future of AI and Human Decision-Making, released August 31, 2026.

Rana brings a unique perspective shaped by years at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, voice technology, and human behavior. His work explores how AI can analyze signals such as tone, emotion, intent, and risk—and what happens when these capabilities begin influencing the decisions people make.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore:

• How AI is changing the way humans make decisions • The relationship between artificial intelligence and human cognition • What Cognitive AI can reveal about emotion, intent, and behavior • How voice and behavioral signals can help identify risk and understand human intent • The evolution of today's AI systems toward AGI and more advanced forms of intelligence • What the future of human-AI decision-making could look like

As CEO of Behavioral Signals, Rana works on AI systems that analyze speech and behavioral signals to help organizations understand intent, emotion, and risk. His career spans technology entrepreneurship, product innovation at Logitech, AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and voice intelligence.

If you're interested in the future of AI, human behavior, cognitive intelligence, voice technology, and the increasingly complex relationship between humans and machines, this conversation offers a fascinating look at where intelligence may be heading next.

Connect with Rana Gujral: Personal Website: https://ranagujral.com/about Book: The AI Instinct: The Future of AI and Human Decision-Making Behavioral Signals: https://behavioralsignals.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranagujral/

#ArtificialIntelligence #CognitiveAI #VoiceAI #HumanAI #FutureOfAI #AIInnovation #ConversationalAI #VoiceTechnology #MachineLearning #AIResearch #BehavioralAI #AILeadership #Deepfakes #DigitalTrust #FindingGenius

In this episode, we speak with Chris Hamilton, Partner and Employee Benefits Practice Leader at Hotchkiss Insurance, an independent insurance agency based in Texas. With nearly 20 years of experience in corporate finance and employee benefits, Chris helps employers better understand healthcare costs, improve plan performance, and explore alternatives to traditional insurance models.

Chris is also the founder of Benefits Insider, an educational platform focused on helping employers understand how healthcare financing works. Through case studies, industry insights, and practical examples, he gives business leaders the information they need to make smarter decisions about employee benefits and healthcare spending.

Recognized as the 2025 BenefitsPro Advisor of the Year, Chris is a respected voice on healthcare transparency, employer-sponsored health plans, and cost-control strategies. His work helps simplify a complex system and gives employers a clearer view of the forces driving healthcare expenses.

This conversation explores:

· Chris's journey into healthcare and employee benefits

· How the Affordable Care Act has affected employers and healthcare costs

· The incentives influencing insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and other healthcare stakeholders

· Different strategies employers can use to control healthcare spending

Connect with Chris:

Personal Website

Hotchkiss Insurance

LinkedIn

YouTube

TikTok

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr

🛍️ Recommended Products & Reads from This Episode:

• 🎙️ Blue Yeti USB Microphone – A top choice for aspiring podcasters and speakers who want professional-grade audio at home. 👉Check it out

Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!

How can everyday professionals move from earning income to building lasting wealth? In this episode, Lane Kawaoka, real estate investor and author of The Wealth Elevator: Real Estate Syndications, Accredited Investor Banking, and Tax Strategies for First-Gen Millionaires, shares how strategic investing and alternative assets can help create long-term financial independence.

With a real estate portfolio valued at more than $2.1 billion, Lane has helped hundreds of investors gain access to opportunities beyond traditional markets. Through The Wealth Elevator and the Hui Deal Pipeline Club, he focuses on real estate syndications, passive income strategies, tax optimization, and helping individuals develop the mindset needed to become successful investors.

In this conversation, we explore:

· Lane's journey from employee to successful real estate investor.

· The mindset shifts required to build sustainable wealth.

· How real estate syndications work and why they appeal to many investors.

· Common mistakes beginners make when evaluating investment opportunities.

· How tax strategies and alternative assets can accelerate wealth creation.

Whether you're looking to diversify your portfolio, create passive income, or understand new pathways to financial freedom, this episode provides valuable insights into building wealth through strategic real estate investing.

Connect with Lane:

LinkedIn

Instagram

The Wealth Elevator Website

Free Masterclass

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr

🛍️ Recommended Products & Reads from This Episode:

• 🎙️ Blue Yeti USB Microphone – A top choice for aspiring podcasters and speakers who want professional-grade audio at home. 👉Check it out

Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!

What if heart valve treatments could be designed around the unique anatomy and biomechanics of each patient? In this episode, Professor Michael S. Sacks, Director of the James T. Willerson Center for Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation at the University of Texas at Austin, explores how computational modeling could transform the future of heart valve replacement and cardiovascular care.

A leading expert in cardiovascular biomechanics and patient-specific simulation, Professor Sacks develops technologies that help researchers and physicians better understand how heart valves function, predict treatment outcomes, and design therapies tailored to individual patients.

In this conversation, we explore:

· The biggest challenges facing modern heart valve replacement and repair.

· How computational modeling is changing cardiovascular research and treatment planning.

· Why patient-specific simulations could improve surgical decision-making and clinical outcomes.

· The limitations of current valve replacement technologies and where innovation is needed.

· How engineering, medicine, and simulation are converging to create the next generation of cardiac care.

From virtual simulations to personalized treatment strategies, this episode offers a fascinating look at how engineering and cardiovascular medicine are coming together to improve the way heart valve disease is treated.

Connect with Professor Sacks:

LinkedIn

University of Texas Profile

Google Scholar Profile

Willerson Center for Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation

Oden Institute for Computational Engineering & Sciences

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr

🛍️ Recommended Products & Reads from This Episode:

• 🎙️ Blue Yeti USB Microphone – A top choice for aspiring podcasters and speakers who want professional-grade audio at home. 👉Check it out

Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!

Could the brain's metabolism play a bigger role in mental health than we realize? In this episode, Dr. Matt Bernstein, Chief Medical Officer at Ellenhorn and CEO of Accord, explores the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry and its potential to reshape how we understand and approach complex psychiatric conditions.

With more than 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Bernstein has dedicated his career to helping people achieve meaningful mental health improvement and long-term functional recovery. His work examines the connection between metabolic health, brain function, and psychiatric disorders while exploring new treatment models that go beyond conventional psychiatric care.

In this conversation, we explore:

· What metabolic psychiatry is and how it differs from traditional psychiatric approaches.

· How brain metabolism may influence mental health and psychiatric symptoms.

· Why ketogenic therapies are being investigated as potential tools for psychiatric care.

· The relationship between metabolic health and conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, OCD, and psychosis.

· How a more comprehensive approach could change the future of mental health recovery.

As research continues to uncover the relationship between metabolism and brain function, metabolic psychiatry is opening new conversations about personalized treatment and recovery.

Connect with Dr. Bernstein:

LinkedIn

Accord's Website

Ellenhorn's Website

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr

🛍️ Recommended Products & Reads from This Episode:

• 🎙️ Blue Yeti USB Microphone – A top choice for aspiring podcasters and speakers who want professional-grade audio at home. 👉Check it out

Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!