In this episode, Sharon talks with Donald Miller, entrepreneur, podcast host, and bestselling author, about the stories in our lives and how we live them. Our stories stink. When we fill our free time with passive consumption, we’re left with a narrative void that doesn’t enrich our lives. Donald’s new book, Hero On A Mission: A Path to a Meaningful Life, sets up readers to create meaning and nuance in the story of their lives. Sharon and Donald also talk about the two-party system in the U.S. a...
Jun 01, 2022•34 min
In this episode, Sharon talks with Mónica Guzmán, whose new book, I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times helps us learn how to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable. Monica argues that we need to chase “I never thought of it that way” moments we have in order to grow in curiosity. When we manufacture certainty, we tend to see people and the world around us as one-dimensional. It’s important to understand the views of others...
May 30, 2022•47 min
In this episode, Sharon has a conversation with Susan Cain, the best-selling author of the international phenomenon Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Susan’s new book, Bittersweet, is about the undervalued power of a melancholic view of the world. Susan talks about how melancholy and bittersweet emotions are connected to our sensitivity and our sense of transcendence, and this view of the world is often overlooked. Instead, we can be bound by the tyranny of posit...
May 27, 2022•40 min
In this episode, Sharon chats with Barb Schmidt, better known to her many social media followers as @peaceful_barb. Barb and Sharon talk about ways we can feel less overwhelmed by the news and negativity and be more confident with being ourselves (the world needs YOU, not a duplicate of someone else!) Barb also shares how she likes to combat repetitive negative thinking. There’s no use in wasting our precious, finite energy on negative things that, ultimately, aren’t going to help us live the li...
May 25, 2022•42 min
In this episode, Sharon speaks with Vanessa Otero, the founder of Ad Fontes Media–the media company that is responsible for the dynamic Media Bias Chart. If you’ve follow Sharon on Instagram at @sharonsaysso, then you’ve seen her link to the Media Bias Chart many times. The conversation today centers around the importance of trust and reliability in the media. Ad Fontes analysts use the acronym RELI as news source benchmarks, which stands for reputation, evidence, likelihood, and incentive. As n...
May 23, 2022•41 min
In this episode, Sharon talks with Will Hurd, a former CIA officer and member of Congress. Will recently released his book, American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done. In it, he details some of the issues he’s seen up close and personal through his careers, and carries with him his mother’s advice: you’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. Will talks about what being part of the solution looks like: appealing to the middle, not to the edges, showing up for p...
May 20, 2022•42 min
In this episode, Sharon and entrepreneur, author, and podcast host, Jordan Lee Dooley have a discussion about the lessons to learn in the almost spaces of our lives. For many of us, achievement of one goal leads us to feel like the finish line is always moving; we’re always reaching to complete the next goal. Jordan advocates for slowing down and redefining contentment, and to consider it active engagement in our lives no matter where we are in relation to our goals. We can find this active cont...
May 18, 2022•36 min
In this episode, Sharon speaks with best-selling author Candice Millard about the history she explores in her new book, River of the Gods. Candice is a writer of literary nonfiction, and uses storytelling as a way to connect readers to the narrative of history. Candice shares some brain-tingling facts with Sharon about the subjects of her books–Winston Churchill and Presidents Roosevelt and Garfield–before talking about her newest book that centers around the search for the source of the Nile Ri...
May 16, 2022•40 min
Content Warning: This episode contains subject matter that is not suitable for children. In this episode, Sharon has a conversation with retired cold case investigator, Paul Holes, about the mental and emotional impact of working in a field of violent crime. Paul recounts some of his most memorable cases and why he chose to pursue a career in cold cases. We also get to hear about Paul’s friendship with the late Michelle McNamara, author of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, and the investigation of the G...
May 13, 2022•49 min
In this episode, Sharon talks with Zoe Chance, author of Influence is Your Superpower and Yale professor (who teaches the most popular course at the university: Mastering Influence and Persuasion). Zoe argues that the goal of mastering the path of influence is personal development and becoming someone people want to say yes to. An effective influencer respects the freedom, autonomy, and humanity of others. The goal of influencing the behavior of others takes a more nuanced approach than simply g...
May 11, 2022•46 min
In today’s episode, Sharon and Simplified founder, Emily Ley, recount the life and quirks of Hollywood’s infamous Katharine Hepburn. Katharine, a self-described tomboy from the start, carried her strong-willed and independent nature with her to her acting, often imbuing her roles with a “vital something” that attracted audiences. But she wasn’t without her critics–those who felt she was rude and lacked the more feminine traits of a starlet. Nevertheless, Hepburn was nominated for twelve Academy ...
May 09, 2022•44 min
In today’s episode, Sharon talks with author Julia Sweig about her newest book, Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight . The research and writing took Julia over six years, as she meticulously poured over the details of not only Lady Bird’s life, but also the 1960s era and the state of the nation at the time. Lady Bird, a whip-smart Southern woman, met Lyndon Johnson in Austin, Texas where he proposed to her at the end of their first date (she said no!). Eventually, the pair married and moved ...
May 06, 2022•48 min
In this episode, Sharon reunites with the hosts of Pantsuit Politics, Sarah and Beth, to talk about their brand new book, Now What? How To Move Forward When We’re Divided (About Basically Everything). While we all want the next step to be solving conflict together, it’s not a realistic approach. Instead, think of asking “Now what?” as a catalyst for connecting with people in a more heartfelt way. The goal isn’t to fix other people, the goal is to strengthen our understanding about the complexiti...
May 04, 2022•42 min
In this episode, author Mary Marantz joins Sharon to talk about Mary’s new book, Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots. Together, Sharon and Mary touch on important topics like perseverance, education, and extending gentleness to each other and our own selves. Our egos want to keep us safe, but when we continuously operate from a place of safety, taking risks can feel too scary. Ultimately, slow growth equals strong roots means that, when a tipping point day comes in our lives, we have worked hard to ...
May 02, 2022•40 min
In today’s episode, Sharon has a light-hearted conversation with her friend, Kendra Adachi, the genius behind The Lazy Genius books, podcast, and online collective. Kendra and Sharon first bonded over Kendra’s motto of “be genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t”, which can be applied to all areas of life–whether you’re in the kitchen or in the comments section of a political post. Kendra talks about the time she visited Sharon’s home with a film crew to help her...
Apr 29, 2022•38 min
In today’s episode, Sharon is joined by artist, designer, and mom, Lindsay Sherbondy. Together, they talk about the Navajo Nation’s WWII Code Talkers. This elite group of men created and used a code used for relaying information between military units during World War II. The Navajo code is the only spoken military code never to have been deciphered, and the code talkers were instrumental in the victories of several battles during the war. They returned as unsung heroes because of the classified...
Apr 27, 2022•38 min
In this episode, Sharon sits down with psychologist and best-selling author, Dr. Edith Eger and her daughter–who is also a psychologist–Dr. Marianne Engle. When Dr. Eger was a young girl, she was a talented gymnast who trained for the Olympic games but was instead imprisoned at Auschwitz. As a survivor, she has written beautiful books full of light and healing. Dr. Eger advocates that we don’t ask “Why me?” but rather, “What now?”, which is a question that promotes action and an openness to chan...
Apr 25, 2022•43 min
In today’s episode, Sharon is joined by podcaster Jeff Dauler and the two sit down and talk about Alaska’s 1964 earthquake–the largest earthquake ever recorded. While scientists said that the quake made the earth “ring like a bell” and the shaking and subsequent landslides and tsunamis devastated many Alaskan towns and cities, it also led to modern geological insights about how the earth’s crust is understood. They also talk about the lead scientist–a pioneer in her field–who led the efforts to ...
Apr 22, 2022•37 min
In this episode, Sharon talks with Emmy-Award winning broadcast journalist Cathy Wurzer about the role of public media in the U.S. To start, Cathy shares how she got into broadcast journalism, and the joy she feels in connecting with her listeners. Cathy believes that the soul of public radio lies in its ability to reach and cater to communities; to be free to be quirky and not beholden to ratings. They also talk about the ways in which covering politics has evolved over the years, why Minnesota...
Apr 20, 2022•36 min
In today’s episode, Sharon welcomes guest Emma Chapman, one of the founders of A Beautiful Mess, to hear the story of Alabama’s infamous 99th Pursuit Squadron: the first Black military pilot unit trained at the Tuskegee Airfield in Alabama. The airmen broke racial barriers at home and excelled overseas during World War II, earning the name Red-Tails and becoming some of the most decorated wartime aviators in U.S. history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more...
Apr 18, 2022•39 min
In today’s episode, Sharon continues her tour of the U.S territories by talking about the history of the Northern Mariana Islands. This island territory is not well-known to mainland Americans–we don’t talk about them very often–so consider this your crash course! The Northern Mariana Islands are a submerged mountain chain in the Pacific Ocean near Guam. Learn the name the explorer Ferdinand Magellan gave to the island chain, and who it was ultimately named after, along with other facts, like th...
Apr 15, 2022•29 min
In the second part of a two-part conversation, Sharon continues her talk with journalist and author Matthew Continetti about the evolving history of conservatism over the past one hundred years. They pick up with some of the most important conservative thinkers in the second half of the 20th century, like founder of The National Review, William F. Buckley, the Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek, and American economist Milton Friedman. They also touch on the inner turmoil of the Democratic Party ...
Apr 13, 2022•45 min
In this episode, Sharon speaks with journalist and author Matthew Continetti about the evolving history of conservatism over the past one hundred years. Continetti has spent the past few years researching and writing about the American Right. History is the study of change, and Continetti’s book leads readers through the changing landscape of America as it has shaped conservative politics since 1920. Sharon and Matthew talk about Abraham Lincoln, the public embracement of Republican leadership a...
Apr 11, 2022•43 min
In today’s solo episode, Sharon continues to talk about the territories of the U.S., this time focusing on the U.S. Virgin Islands. USVI spent many centuries as a colony of Denmark and a hot spot in the European trade routes. What prompted the U.S. to become interested in the acquisition of the islands? Sharon shares the reason… and the high price tag! You’ll also hear some fun facts about the islands, including the history of its famous rum and where you can find some of the best bioluminescent...
Apr 08, 2022•24 min
In this episode, Sharon sits down with author Shauna Niequist, who–along with her husband and young sons–moved from their suburban midwestern home to NYC. When her sons expressed discomfort and frustrations with learning a new way of living, Shauna set about softening their mindsets by writing “I guess I haven’t learned that yet” on a sticky note for the whole family to see. The mantra expanded, and Shauna realized that it pertained to both little life skills and larger life goals. When we give ...
Apr 06, 2022•42 min
In today’s episode, Jeena Wilder joins Sharon to hear about the history of Puerto Rico. Sharon walks listeners through how the U.S. acquired Puerto Rico through the Treaty of Paris, and how the island’s people are split on the issue of statehood. While many would like to see Puerto Rico become the 51st state of the U.S., others are hoping to see the island become its own independent nation. Sharon and Jeena also talk about Puerto Rico’s blue cobblestone streets, the many iguana species, and the ...
Apr 04, 2022•39 min
In today’s episode, Sharon talks with 7-time Emmy Award winning news anchor, Emma Jade, about the evolution of journalism and news in the age of social media. After working hard for a successful career in traditional television journalism, Emma realized that she wanted better balance between her work and family, which led her to explore new ways to communicate the news to others, specifically mothers. She created her own daily newscast from her home, Momcast, and now curates news on her independ...
Apr 01, 2022•36 min
In today’s episode, Sharon speaks with Alexis Devine, human to Bunny, the sheepadoodle whose viral videos showing off her FluentPet communication skills delight viewers all over the world. Outside of memorizing over 100 English language words, Bunny often uses her word buttons to create conversation, putting thoughts together in surprising, delightful, and incredibly intelligent ways. Sharon asks Alexis about her process of working with Bunny (and her new puppy, Otter) to account for different l...
Mar 30, 2022•37 min
In today’s episode, Sharon tells the story of Guam’s history as a U.S. Territory to Adrienne Rolon, the owner of Hearts Content Events & Design. Adrienne’s six year old son, James, is a big fan of history, facts, and Sharon. Learn along with Adrienne and James as Sharon relays the significant history of Guam’s involvement in both the Spanish-American War and World War II. Sharon also shares plenty of brain-tingling facts about Guam’s long and varied history and the indigenous Chamorro people...
Mar 28, 2022•39 min
In today’s episode, Sharon speaks with Lisa Sharon Harper, whose book, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World–and How to Repair It All, is the result of thirty years of family history research. Lisa believes that there is a power in knowing your story and the story of your ancestors. Many African Americans face the challenge of gaps in their family history, origins obscured by enslavement histories. It’s when we know our stories and our truths that we can start to heal and release. Seek...
Mar 25, 2022•44 min
