“There’s no shot clock with transitions.” - Kristeena Alexander, WNBA veteran, transformational coach, and storyteller. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Kristeena about how to grow from your continuous transitions. They explore the process of how to help audiences to change their lens on a topic, one quarter at a time,so that they can receive your message. During this idea-conversation, they reveal the power of storytelling, gradual influence, and the significance of the other people i...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 1 min
“The innovation-practice needs innovation.” - Marcus Hollinger and Josh Ruff, the co-founders of Stoked and the concept of Idea Science. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Marcus and Josh about combining music, neuroscience, and practical tools to solve business problems. They explore the process of challenging conventional practices, thinking in solitude, releasing preconceived notions, and playing with your own ideas. During this idea-science experiment, they discuss negative ions, inc...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 9 min
“It’s important not to have the judgment for those of us who chose not to do that.” - Lauren Williams, school counselor and wife. In this episode, Cathey talks with Marc and his wife Lauren about the importance of diversity. They explore the complexities of growing up in one community while being curious about other identities. The discussion attempts to figure out how to address and express the balance within a sensitive topic that has no easy answer. By the end of this conversation, you’ll und...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr•Season 8Ep. 10
“Don’t just think smart. Think with a vision.” - Yasin Ehsan, CEO of Headstarter and 10x Hackathon winner. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Yasin about his concept of career capital. They take a deep dive into the idea to unpack its many layers, including how to become an M-shaped individual, how to maintain a competitive edge with less experience and how to choose wisely the people in your network. They discuss the significance of identifying a target audience for your idea while also...
Feb 08, 2024•30 min
“If you can tell your story in a manner that will get everyone’s hooks in it, they will love you forever…because they can’t hate you.” - Trevor Beaman, speaker and Green Beret who served 25 years in the Army, including 5 deployments in Afghanistan. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Trevor about his idea: The Power of an Opportunity. They explore how to address a message from two perspectives: in this case: those who receive opportunities and just make the most of them, and those who cre...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 9 min
“What would you do if you didn’t have to work? Five years from now, things are going to look very different than they are today.” - Steve Brown, futurist and expert in all things AI. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Steve about his idea about how to build a better future through a partnership with AI/AGI technology. They explore how to get your audience beyond the fear of implementing the change that your idea presents. Along the way, they talk about the importance of dispelling myths,...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 1 min
“Change is a door that you have to open from the inside.” - Jimbo Clark, BOX Creator and co-founder of Brains on the Beach. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Jimbo about his idea for changing the world by changing your box/by changing yourself from within. They explore how to transform a 2-hour training into a 17-minute TED Talk; how to turn a metaphorical concept into a concrete habit for self-reflection and decision-making. Along the way, they discuss how to get the audience to experi...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 7 min
“This came from my inability to create content. I needed the stimulation of other people.” - Dan Strum, founder of the Fight Club for Public Speaking. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Dan about his idea for taking the individuality out of public speaking, by using the stimulation of others to craft a talk. Dan refers to it as “socializing your idea”. Along the way, they explore what to name the concept, emphasizing that a name is just a name until you put a story behind it. Then they t...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min
“If there is something you are legitimately interested in, for whatever reason, you should try. And you don’t need to justify that interest to anybody else other than yourself.” - John Lund, speaking and alternative sports champion - In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with John about the need to pursue terrible ideas, or rather unconventional things that might seem like a terrible idea. They discuss a range of activities from sitting in a 100 degree sauna to pursuing a PhD, all in an effort t...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 8Ep. 4
“That’s just the nature of my creative process. Until it ripens, it’s not supposed to come out.” - Mario Lewis, speaker, speaker coach, and finalist from the World Championship of Public Speaking. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Mario about different approaches to content creation. They introduced the Bon Jovi approach, the Jay-Z/Lil’ Wayne method, and the Idea Map. Though their creative processes are all different, what they discovered is that each is based on intentionality, authent...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 3 min
“We’re all beautiful, but it’s the belief that we’re not that is the problem.” - John McSherry, real stake broker and investor. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with John about how to use your pain to power success. John shares his personal journey from being homeless to investing in multiple properties. They explore how a personal experience, one particular analogy, and several asset-based questions can lead to a relatable concept for mindshifting success. By the end of this conversation, ...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 8Ep. 2
“People need people.” - Ian Williams, founder and owner of Deadstock Coffee. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Ian about defining and building community. They explore how to angle an idea, saying it in a way that people understand while also challenging their thinking. During their play a game of semantics, they end with the notion that one of the keys to finding your unique perspective is asking yourself questions that are not easy for you to answer. By the end of this conversation, li...
Oct 19, 2023•57 min•Season 8Ep. 1
“We love the art of talking about good ideas and storytelling and teaching people.” - It's About to Go Down with Marc & Cathey. In this “rap-up” episode, Marc and Cathey highlight the ideas that were shared during season 7. They shared updates from different guests, talked about how they lived out these concepts in their own lives, and recapped strategies you can use to build out your own ideas. Special shout out to the the Season #7 community: Nina Byrd, El Seremaga, Shima Miabadi, Dr. Gary...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 3 min
“What you resist, persists. Shift your relationship with an energy so that it may still exist but it does not hold power over you” - Yasmin Nguyen, joy ambassador and author of The Game of Joy. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Yasmin about how to create moments of joy in your life. The conversation explores the process of breaking down the principles, defining key terms, and gamifying an idea. Then, they spoke about the power of adding levels to your idea from a version 1.0 to a versio...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 10 min
“You don’t know what can happen by just running with an idea.” - Brian Robinson, speaker and author. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Brian about how to help an audience to successfully implement your idea. At which level of the problem can you get people to take action? The conversation starts with the story of Brian’s skyrocket success with what was once a comical idea. Then, they discuss his newest idea about fixing problems by facing them. They discover that to influence people’s b...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 7Ep. 9
"Reflecting allows you to have a different ending." - Roxy Azari, storytelling coach, award-winning poet, and advocate for Gender Rights. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Roxy about how to use storytelling to create community. The conversation takes a pivot as they focus on how people can use reflection to end their stories in a different place. Where do you put the period? What are things you've done since the old ending? They also discover that an initial thought may actually be the ...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 7Ep. 8
“Different opportunities come in different ways.” - John Glozek, drummer,comedian, and publisher of NY Golf Magazine. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with John about how to turn your passion into your business. During this conversation, they explore the lessons learned from John's career path: practice your hobby endlessly, write about it, form friendships with those who are the best at it, and then make the decision to turn your hobby into business. They revealed that the idea worth shari...
Aug 10, 2023•55 min•Season 7Ep. 7
"Take the barriers that exist. Look at it differently. Do it differently." - Kaig Lightner, founder and executive director of the Portland Community Football Club, as well as for Quantum Gender. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Kaig about how to use sports to achieve liberation for people of all identities. During this conversation, they discuss how to transform a local grassroots effort into a national movement that gets those with opposing views to want to be a part of a conversation...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 6
"We were all meant to be seen. And it is the not being seen that is causing the problems we see in the world." - Margarita Estrada, speaker, author, and queen of the 360 degree model. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Margarita about how to uncover your most unseen qualities so that you can make your most valuable contributions to any organization. During this conversation, they use analogies, anecdotes, and alliteration, all in the process of going deeper into the idea to create a conc...
Jul 13, 2023•58 min•Season 7Ep. 5
“Your messaging needs to reflect your WHY OS because the better able you are to articulate what it is you believe, the more you will attract the people who believe what you believe.” - Dr. Gary Sanchez, creator of a system called Why OS. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Gary about how to make better connections faster by figuring out the real reason Why you do what you do and how you do it. During this conversation, they discover how brainstorming well-placed questions and toying with ...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 7Ep. 4
“An hour of my time could mean a lifetime for someone else.” - Shima Miabadi, architect, volunteer, and best buddy. - In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Shima about why volunteering works. During the conversation, they explore how to get people to tap into an idea that might feel daunting and time consuming. They discuss the power of making personal connections to your idea to make it work for everyone who implements it. In the process, they zeroed in on word choice to help frame an idea...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min
“But when I relived it, I remembered those details.” - El Seremaga, NDE survivor. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with El about how to speak about her NDE (near death experience). She wanted to know how to start her stories without rambling, while also capturing the details that people most want to hear. During the conversation, they spoke about adding “thought messages”, incorporating vivid details to create out-of-the-room experiences, and addressing commonly asked questions and misquote...
Jun 01, 2023•58 min•Season 7Ep. 2
“What is the greatest accomplishment of your life, outside of your family?” - Nina Byrd, business strategist and industry agnostic. In this episode, Marc and Cathey talk with Nina about her idea to curate your best life and discover who you really are by reviewing the most replayed moments of your life. Nina’s work has revealed the difficulty that many people have with planning out their lives. A deeper dive into the idea through a series of question prompts, not only produced several creative o...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 7
“There’s no room for shame. Every opportunity is an opportunity to learn. And we don’t learn unless we reflect on our mistakes.” - from Season 6 of It's About to Go Down. In this "rap-up" episode, Marc and Cathey catch up with two members of the Season #6 community: Sophia Asghar and Trish Kerin. As they shared updates of their ideas, new questions popped up, new notes were taken, and new phrases were formed, like “It’s not about egos; it’s about outcomes.” Special shout out to the rest of the S...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 11
“We are all works in progress and what we may have considered our worst could be our best.” - Kinja Dixon, author, speaker, and re-creation strategist. In this episode, Marc, Cathey, and Kinja talk about the four pillars of your life’s purpose. The conversation begins with the statement, “Turning your life force into a progressive movement through daily creative action.” They explore how you can condense your complex idea into a message that your audience can easily digest from the start so they...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 5 min
“Your goal is not to talk to people. You want to talk with people.” - Linda Dulye, leadership development consultant and conversation crusader. In this episode, Marc, Cathey, and Linda talk about the power of conversation, why this dynamic in our culture is essential, and how we can prevent it from escaping us every day. Their conversation reveals how to go deeper into your idea. Sometimes your audience knows the answer to the problem, but they won’t know how to execute it. This discussion explo...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 9
“The platypus is proof that the unlikely can happen.” - Trish Kerin, author and mechanical engineer. In this episode, Marc, Cathey, and Trish talk about her Platypus Philosophy (how to notice the warning that can prevent incidents from happening in the future). Their conversation reveals how you can use personal experiences, metaphors, and analogies to explain your idea, connect with your audience, and create challenges that will inspire people to put your concept into practice. As a bonus, thei...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 3 min
“We can geek out on this stuff forever.” Marc, Cathey, and Savas (a TV documentary producer) were set to have a conversation about how to come up with creative ideas. That’s when Cathey lost power. But rather than cancel the show, they decided to keep the conversation going. During the exchange, they shared several idea-shortcuts, including what to read, how to flip details, what to cut, and how to tell stories. This is a behind-the-scenes look at what an unexpected idea conversation can produce...
Mar 09, 2023•49 min•Season 6Ep. 7
“It’s a subtle shift in the presentation that can make an idea work.” - Sava Georgalis, TV documentary producer. In this episode, Marc, Cathey, and Savas talk about where good ideas come from and how to cultivate them. They explore how filmmakers, songwriters, speakers, and leaders use basic principles to hook an audience, frame an idea, and use feedback to best express your thoughts. Their conversation reveals the essential qualities of a good idea. After this discussion, you will realize that ...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 7
“Someday, you’re going to talk about this and help others with [your] story.” - Jeff Davis, best-selling author, keynote speaker and the Muhammad Ali of mental health. In this episode, Marc, Cathey, and Jeff talk about the power of opening up because the things you are most afraid to share can most help others. They explore how to incorporate interactive emotional exchanges to get a wider audience to open up about their experiences and show empathy for what others may be going through. Their con...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 3 min
