The United States of America is arguably the first nation in human history to be created consciously on the basis of Enlightenment ideals. Those ideals were captured with power and poetry in the Declaration of Independence and have animated millions of people to immigrate to this country seeking a better life. You’ll find no greater champions of American ideals than first generation immigrants. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of us. According to recent polling by the Wall Str...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Good companies recognize people with passion and support their growth. As you pursue your career, it’s important learn as much as you can from mentors who are invested in your success. Today’s guest, Niels Schuurmans, is one of those great mentors. John met Niels over twenty years ago through a mentorship program at MTV. He later became John’s boss at both Nickelodeon and Spike TV, and during that time, Niels taught him the wisdom of humbly going back to the drawing board when a project isn’t go...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 49 min
In a world filled with adversity, there are those who refuse to succumb to the role of victim, instead choosing to rise above their circumstances and create their own destiny. Today’s guest, Akbar Gbajabiamila, has become a household name as the host of popular TV shows like American Ninja Warrior, The Talk , and his upcoming reality show, Fight to Survive. With his engaging personality and magnetic charisma, he ignites the spirits of contestants to conquer seemingly impossible obstacles. As a f...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 33 min
In disruptive times like these, it can be useful to expand your mind with radical new ideas, especially when they challenge your own assumptions. We need to remember that discomfort can be the first step in genuine learning, but only if we’re open to it. Today’s guest, Malcolm Collins, is a neuroscientist, serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and one of Amazon's best selling non-fiction writers. He and his wife Simone are reimagining education and much more through their work at the Collins ...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 53 min
Stephen Kent has some wisdom to share. He’s an author, a PR Jedi, and a dad to his own young Padawan. His book, How the Force Can Fix the World, analyzes the virtues of Star Wars and explains how to apply these learnings to the modern world. Stephen has figured out how to use one of the most iconic and influential American stories as a common language to teach moral lessons to children. We worked with Stephen to create a great viewing guide so that you and your young Padawan can put his work int...
May 11, 2023•10 min
There are basically three ways to learn how to be a good person. We learn by doing and making mistakes, we learn by observing what other people do, and we learn from the stories in our culture. Popular stories play an outsized role in our understanding of virtue and morality, and few stories can match the awesome power of Star Wars . Today’s guest, Stephen Kent, has figured out how to use one of the most iconic and influential American stories as a common language to teach moral lessons to child...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min
The physical world isn’t as scary as we’re led to believe, but our kids have a whole new digital world to contend with. We are currently raising the first generations of “digital natives” - kids born into a world already connected by the internet. Keeping our kids mentally healthy in an increasingly digital world is a new and confusing frontier for parents. Today’s guest, Dr. Lisa Strohman, is a licensed psychologist and the founder of Digital Citizen Academy, an organization addressing the issu...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Why are fathers and father-figures so important in film? What can we learn about ourselves as film-makers and film fans from the way we utilize the notion of father as a driving character within these stories we tell on the screen? How should we think about storytelling and what compels us to focus on our relationships with fathers to articulate complex human dynamics? Oscar winning actor Troy Kotsur and director Emma Westenberg joined Dad Saves America host John Papola for a conversation about ...
Apr 13, 2023•47 min
What are you going to do with the rest of your life? That’s the big question we all face, especially after graduation. If you feel directionless, don’t worry. You're not alone. Today's guest, Nate Boyer, didn't have a clear path after high school, dropped out of college, and spent a year swabbing the deck on a fishing boat. He became a Green Beret, a walk-on player for the University of Texas Longhorns, played for the Seattle Seahawks, and even directed, wrote, and starred in a feature film. Nat...
Apr 06, 2023•2 hr 16 min
For years, we have had artificial intelligence in our homes and pockets through voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. However, everything is changing with the newest generation of technologies, led by OpenAI's ChatGPT. The future of education, work, and human creativity has already been turned upside down, but recent advances in quantum computing may supercharge this transformation even further. These new systems can solve complex problems that today’s fastest supercomputers would take thousands...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 51 min
Alyce Dailey has some wisdom to share. She’s the daughter of immigrants, a successful business owner, and the author of The Magic Mom . Alyce is also the mother of four daughters and believes that “being a mom is the most entrepreneurial venture that exists on the planet.” Her approach to parenting may be unconventional, but the results are undeniable. Alyce has raised four independent, confident, and capable young entrepreneurs who are ready to go out into the world. Alyce’s framework for entre...
Mar 16, 2023•11 min
Recent studies show that for nearly half of adults, fear of failure is the biggest barrier to achieving their goals, and kids today are the most fear-driven, anxious generation on record. Where have we gone wrong as parents and what can we do to the ensure that the next generation is ready to head out into the unknown and thrive? Today’s guest, Alyce Dailey, is the author of The Magic Mom . She’s the daughter of immigrants, a successful business owner, and mother of four daughters who believes t...
Mar 09, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Troy Kotsur has some wisdom to share. Much like his character in CODA , Kotsur is the proud father of a teenage daughter. As you’d expect from any dad, he may embarrass her from time to time, but in the end, his priority is to support his family and be the best father he can be. At the 94th Academy Awards, Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA , available on Apple TV+. He is first deaf man, and second deaf performer after Marlee Matlin, to win an Academy Award....
Mar 02, 2023•15 min
There’s a mental health crisis among boys and men. The warning signs of depression and other mental health issues in males, particularly teenage boys, are not widely known, and so they often go overlooked. The first step towards reversing this concerning trend is learning to recognize when young men are suffering. Dr. Warren Farrell has spent half a century researching and writing about the biggest issues facing boys and men. His most recent book, The Boy Crisis , provides an eye opening glimpse...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Denisha Allen has some wisdom to share. As a leader at the frontlines of education reform, and as a new mother, Denisha has a lot invested in the future of our country. Her path from at-risk student to education policy wonk is full of wisdom for parents. After all, we want our kids to succeed regardless of their circumstances, and Denisha has done exactly that. Denisha founded an organization to tackle our dysfunctional education system head on. It’s called Black Minds Matter and it’s a non-prof...
Feb 16, 2023•9 min
Quality education can be a great equalizer and a platform for success in life, but our current public school system may be the most regressive and unequal institution in our society. Today’s guest, Denisha Allen, founded an organization that's tackling this issue head on. It’s called Black Minds Matter and it’s a non-profit dedicated to promoting access to high-quality school options for black students . She’s also a Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children, and previously served as...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Jeff Sandefer has some wisdom to share. After striking it big in the oil industry before the age of 30, Jeff set off on a path of discovering where true meaning and purpose can be found and how individuals can maximize their impact on the world. He’s applied the purposeful risk-taking of entrepreneurship to raising his own kids, going as far as to let his son start paragliding at age three! Jeff is a successful entrepreneur-turned-business school professor who was considered to be one the best b...
Feb 02, 2023•11 min
At one time, a college degree came with the legitimate promise of a better life. For generations of families it was part and parcel with ‘The American Dream.’ Unfortunately, the return on investment isn’t what it used to be. Today’s guest, Jeff Sandefer, knows this issue inside and out and is working to provide parents with an alternative to educate their children. He’s a successful entrepreneur-turned-business school professor who was considered to be one the best business professors in the cou...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 28 min
What can we do as dads to keep our kids healthy? And how can we improve our own health to have as much time with them, and our future grandchildren, as possible? Today’s guest, Chris Powell, is an expert on fitness and the psychological struggles that often come along with any wellness journey. He hosted the popular TV show Extreme Weight Loss on ABC, where he helped numerous people overcome obesity. Today, he’s working on a new project called Move One Million . It’s a daily broadcast designed t...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Chris Powell has some wisdom to share. This father of four may be a health and fitness expert, but he also knows how to have some fun. Whether it’s flying planes with his dad or making his kids cringe with goofy jokes, Chris’s life is full of good memories. On top of that, Chris has plenty of great advice on how to support your children’s passions and set them up to explore the world on their own one day. Chris hosted the popular TV show Extreme Weight Loss on ABC, where he helped numerous peopl...
Jan 13, 2023•12 min
Adam Carolla has some wisdom to share. On the last episode of Pop Wisdom, I spoke with Dr. Drew, a father of triplets. In keeping with the theme, this week’s guest is a father of twins - and also was Dr. Drew’s co-host for ten years on KROQ’s long-running radio show Loveline . Despite their friendship, these two dads have very different perspectives on parenthood. Adam is a comedian, podcast host, author of six books and star of the recent documentary No Safe Spaces . In his latest book, Everyth...
Jan 05, 2023•10 min
The current culture of fear has made our kids nervous wrecks and has wreaked havoc on comedy in the process. Not taking yourself or your fears too seriously is one of the best ways to overcome them, so we sure aren’t setting up kids for success. Today’s guest, Adam Carolla, isn’t afraid to tell his kids, and the rest of us for that matter, to toughen up, get over it, and move forward. He’s a comedian, podcast host, author of six books and star of the recent documentary No Safe Spaces . In his la...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Dr. Drew Pinsky has some wisdom to share. This father of triplets may be a well-known media personality, but he knows that in the end, fatherhood isn’t about being the cool dad or the best dad, and certainly isn’t about being a famous dad. It’s about being present and engaged so that your kids can reach their own potential, whatever that may be. Dr. Drew is a practicing doctor of internal medicine as well as an addiction specialist and has become known for hosting KROQ’s Loveline for over 30 yea...
Dec 22, 2022•11 min
What does the rise of “quiet quitting” say about the future careers of the youngest generation? Is it based on legitimate frustrations with the current career landscape or is it the result of a cultural devaluation of self-reliance and work ethic? Either way, how do we inspire our kids not to fall into this cycle of passivity? Today’s guest, Ben Askren, is anything but passive and certainly isn’t a quitter. He’s a former wrestler and mixed martial artist with numerous championships under his bel...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Russ Roberts has some wisdom to share. This father of four has spent a long time thinking about why having kids is so special. Russ may be an economist and a college president, but his stories about his grandfather, his dad, and his kids leave no doubt that his first priority is family. His latest book, Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us , takes the analytical approach of economics and explores how it can be adapted for questions that don’t have measurable data and can’t be a...
Dec 08, 2022•13 min
What do hip hop and economics have in common? Well, until host John Papola and Russ Roberts met following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, there was very little overlap between those two topics. John learned of Russ after listening to his popular podcast, EconTalk , which sent John down the economics rabbit-hole. This led to an unlikely collaboration between John, a filmmaker, and Russ, economist. In 2010, “Fear the Boom and Bust: Keynes vs. Hayek” debuted on YouTube and became an internet sens...
Dec 02, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Evan Baehr has some wisdom to share. He may be a successful investor and entrepreneur, but Baehr’s most important role is as a devoted family man. In this episode of Pop Wisdom, we cover everything from how faith informs his conception of masculinity, his greatest childhood pranks, and most importantly, his secret steak recipe. Baehr is managing partner of Learn Capital, a venture capital fund that backs and builds companies that drive human flourishing. He’s also the founder of Teneo, an organi...
Nov 17, 2022•15 min
Is the point of a successful career to gather as much money as possible so that you can later start “doing good,” or should increasing your net worth and improving human welfare go hand-in-hand? Evan Baehr would argue that the best kind of entrepreneurs take the latter approach. The first step to being an effective entrepreneur is finding a problem that you’re passionate about solving. The bigger the problem is that you try to tackle, the more good you can do along the way. Baehr is managing par...
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 47 min
Dr. Carlos Carvalho has some wisdom to share. Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Carvalho learned what real danger is. That upbringing, combined with his career as a statistician, has resulted in a unique perspective on age-appropriate risk-taking for his own kids, especially compared to the typical American parent of his generation. Dr. Carvalho is a professor of statistics and the Executive Director of the Salem Center for Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. He’s an expert in analyzing...
Nov 03, 2022•13 min
Should we “trust the science”? What does that even mean? Dr. Carlos Carvalho is a professor of statistics and the Executive Director of the Salem Center for Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. He’s an expert in analyzing data and understanding the tradeoffs of competing policies. Dr. Carvalho doesn’t believe we should “trust the science” because science is not capable of leading people. The scientific method is a process of gathering information about the world, but in the end, decision...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 26 min
