A Closer Look with Pam Atherton

Several years ago we took on the concept of Extreme Ownership with Navy Seal co-authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.  We learned that if you're in charge – you better own it!   Now these two leadership experts and co-founders of Echelon Front  have a new book out called The Dichotomy of Leadership – and maybe because some people took their original advice to the EXTREME!! We talk with Jocko Willink--- former Commander of Seal Team 3 – Task Unit Bruiser (which, by the way, was the most highly decorated US Special Ops unit of the Iraq War), about this dichotomy.  What can we learn about balance – and why it's important. Plus - when it's time to fire someone… how to know when to back off… and why humility is so important.  Thanks for listening!

Marjory Stoneman Douglas broadcast and journalism teachers Melissa Falkoswki and Eric Garner discuss the Parkland tragedy and how it affected them, and their students, why they encouraged the journalism students to write about it, and what they see in these kids that others might be overlooking. They discuss the book that came from those student essays: We Say #NeverAgain. Powerful and emotional, the chat was recorded the morning after the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California.

International bestselling author Steve Berry stops by for a chat about his latest Cotton Malone thriller, The Atlas Maneuver. We find out if Steve is a plotter or a pantster, if his characters talk to him, and whether Yamashita's gold from WWII exists or not. We chat about his researching, where his ideas come from, and why remembering history is so very important. Plus - why we SHOULDN'T write about what we know!

How happy are you? Do you battle anxiety and depression, and wonder if your life has meaning? Enter Joy Strategist author Grace Harry to help change your life! Grace had an illustrious 30-year career as an exec at Def Jam and Jive Records, she managed Usher, and she's worked with some of the top names in the music and entertainment industry. And now she's turned her mind and heart towards helping people find joy. We'll find out what we can do to start the process of finding joy, and how doing the thing that scares us the most might just be the thing to change our life.

So how much do you really know about money?  Do you know the best way to pay down your debt? Do you have a budget? It's fair to say that most of us have a complicated relationship with money. Enter Berna Anat! The author of Money Out Loud shares with us all the financial stuff that no one taught us. In our chat today we learn our money habits are directly connected to what we experienced as young people, (starting at age 7!), why paying just the minimum on our credit cards is just putting us in debt hell, and how we can make budgets work for US! Listen in to our lively and informative conversation about how to become the CEO of our own lives and create a YES Plan to give us financial stability.

Are you ready for a masterclass from the premier Hollywood acting and success trainer? Whether you're a performer or not… we've got you covered!  Bernard Hiller shares insights from his latest book, The Revolutionary Guide to Acting: A Transformational Journey to Achieving Success in Show Business and Life. We learn how to become unstoppable, how to create "wow" in an interview or audition, and why Al Pacino has gone to an acting coach weekly for 35 years. Plus, he shares the three stages of success, the secret of life, and tells us that we may be wearing the wrong coat! Get a pen and paper because there is so many gems packed into this interview. AND he gives us homework!

How much do you understand about the economy? Do you know how it really affects your life? Most of us don't know more than what we're told by people we are told are experts.  But should we trust economists? And what's the biggest misunderstanding people have about the economy? When I ran across a book written by economist, attorney, and NYU professor Howard Yaruss called Understandable Economics – Because understanding our economy is easier than you think – and more important than you know, I thought - this I have to hear! I'll agree it's more important than we know… but easier than we think?!? So in our chat, we find out why the economy is more like psychology than civics, what inflation is, and why we are supposed to stop spending when businesses need us to spend to survive. Why do we give corporations bailouts to help them survive, but not the little guy? And who decides how much money is worth anyway? And oh yeah… Bitcoin?!?!  I promise, you will have a much better understanding of the economy after you hear this interview!

Have you ever wondered about cults? How do you get into one? How do you get out? Why don't you leave when things get abusive? Why do people stay? Spencer Schneider is a former member of a Manhattan Cult, who finally got away after 23 years in the cult. His new book "Manhattan Cult Story" covers the journey from how he got in, to how he got out, and all the sordid details in between. In our chat we learn how people were targeted, some of their internal vocabulary they use, and how he came to doubt himself. We talk about gaslighting, mind games, and how relationships were regulated. Plus, how Spencer finally was able to leave. It's a rare insider view to the world of cults and how they work, with a strong dose of hope at the end.

Bellen Woodard is 11 years-old and the CEO of More Than Peach, but her story started when she was 8, and everyone in her class kept asking for the Skin Color crayon, meaning the peach crayon. But Bellen isn't peach-colored. And she knew a lot of other kids weren't either. Now, at 11, she is the CEO of the world's first multicultural art brand and Kid/Woman/Black-owned business. She's the world's first Crayon Activist, and has transformed an entire industry with her global movement. And she's also the author of the children's book "More Than Peach." In our chat we get her advice on how to handle things when you get discouraged, and what some of the challenges are that she faces as an entrepreneur. Plus - how a major brand changed their product in the wake of Bellen's activism, why she wrote the book, and what she's working on for the future.

In this very vulnerable interview, actor Michael O'Neill shares insight into his characters and how it can affect an actor's mental health when a job is finished. In this interview taped right before the filming of BOUND, we find out how he felt about Council of Dads getting cancelled, why he went into therapy after one of his roles, and what it's like to work with Shonda Rhimes. Plus, why he liked the character of Butterfield on West Wing so much and how HE says I bring out the worst in him!

When my friend Richard suggested I read the book The Desecrated, I was a little hesitant because it had a supernatural bent and I'm a pure detective fan. But when he told me it was written by John Gray – I knew I had to open it up!  John Gray – the creator of the hit series The Ghost Whisperer. The director of Martin and Lewis with Sean Hayes and Jeremy Northam. The director of a ton of Grimm and Reckless episodes... Yeah, THAT John Gray. And I'm glad I did! I raced through the book that was set in a morgue and got caught up in all the twists and turns and quirky characters. I recoiled at some of the descriptions and laughed at some of the situations. All in all – I got caught up in the book that made me start thinking "this sounds like a great movie!" In our chat with John we find out why he delves into the supernatural, how he scared himself on a morgue set, and where he came up with some of his characters. Plus - we learn about the ghosts in his OWN home, how he turned the negative of the pandemic into a creative idea for a film, and what to expect from him next. Bonus pearl of wisdom – why it's so important to ask yourself: "Am I leading my career, or is my career leading me?"

You've seen Mike Pniewski in everything from The Sopranos to The Good Wife/Fight, Law and Order (just about every incarnation!) and now Hightown on STARZ. He's a face you don't forget.  He's also a writer and an author. And calls fellow actor Michael O'Neill one of his best friends.  So it was only natural that they would want to do a project together. When nothing right came along, they decided to create their own! Pniewski wrote the script for a 10-12 minute short film that featured just the two actors. In our first interview with Pniewski, we found out how dissecting human cadavers changed his career trajectory, how he found out he got a part on The Sopranos, and how people sometimes respond to him in public! Plus, insight into his character Ed on the show Hightown, a rapid-fire round of shows he's been in, and a question from listener Rebecca Griffith. Oh – and what it's like to act next to a Spit Bucket!

Anyone who is a spy history buff will know that American Intelligence caught three high-profile Russian spies in the 90s: Aldrich Ames and Edward Howard from the CIA, and Robert Hanssen from the FBI.  But did you know that there have always been rumblings that there was a fourth man? Bestselling author and intelligence analyst for CNN, (one of the most accomplished officers in CIA history), Robert Baer says it's time to talk about The Fourth Man (which happens to be the name of his new book!) – someone who may be the greatest traitor in American history – and who may still be alive. In our chat we find out how the intelligence organizations discovered the three moles within, and why there is credible belief that there was a fourth mole – the Fourth Man - and how these spies allowed Putin to come to power. In addition, we discover why people become spies, what the state of US spycraft is today, and what is the biggest danger in the world today. Plus – how he made ME part of the spy story!

What makes a book so hot that there are 11 publishing houses bidding in an auction for it? Today we find out as publishing professional and debut author Ebony LaDelle shares her experience as the author of a new YA novel - Love Radio. She tells us what actually makes a YA novel, and why music and Toni Morrison figure so prominently in the book. Plus – we talk about high school angst, the missing genre of books that her Love Radio fills – and why Shonda Rhimes needs to be dialing her up post haste!

Odds are you probably know someone in your life who deals with anxiety, or bipolar disorder.  Maybe someone who deals with delusions, or hears voices.  And maybe it's even you. For example, I get panic attacks when I drive on the freeway. But we haven't always done a good job in dealing with mental issues. We are only now starting to talk about it in any kind of meaningful way. It used to be that we only talked about it in whispers, or in private conversations, but never out in the open. Bestselling author Daniel Bergner says it's time to talk about the mind -and its mind of its own- and he does just that in his new book The Mind and the Moon. In our chat he talks about what we used to do to people dealing with mental challenges, what we know about drugs being used today (not much), and what exactly happens in a lobotomy. It's an eye-opening discussion that hopefully will encourage you to start a conversation with friends and family about mental health.

Lt. Bill Harris was a WWII hero you probably haven't heard of. Award-winning author and retired fighter pilot Dan Hampton plans to change that. His new book VALOR introduces us to the Saga of One Man's Defiance and Indomitable Spirit in a style that reads like an adventure novel. We chat with Dan about Lt. Harris, the power of resilience, why he thinks Ukrainian President Zelensky is so successful, and why the US Air Force is the best in the world. Join us for this fascinating and inspiring chat.

He's one of the most respected character actors in Hollywood, taking a one-day stint on The West Wing and turning into a 6-season job. MIchael O'Neill is one of those actors you see on the TV or movie screen and say "Oh, THAT guy!" We have a delightful chat talking about the very unusual way he was "discovered," what his two requirements were before he took on the part of the crazed gunman on Gray's Anatomy, and how he still lives with the insecurity of the acting business. Plus... his sex scene in Rectify, and how he didn't recognize Matthew McConaughey on the set of The Dallas Buyer's Club movie. You will LOVE this guy!

Do you feel like your life is messy? That things are often in chaos and sometimes life just seems so unfair? Cy Wakeman wrote a book to give us hope. Titled Life's Messy, Live Happy, she tells us that we are often the source of our own suffering, and how we can flip the switch from suffering to self-reflection. The subtitle is even more inspiring: Things Don't Have to Be Perfect for You to Be Content. We'll talk about how we're NOT a self-help project, she'll give us tips on avoiding the roller coaster of emotions, and we'll hear the story of Good, Bad, Who Knows? It's a fun chat with lots of good info tucked in to help you Life Happy, even if life IS messy!

When I was a little girl, all the astronauts were men. We would watch TV shows about Dr. Leakey, the archaeologist. And of course, we loved watching the shows with Jacques Cousteau. These were amazing people.  But where were the women? We never saw role models at the time in science and exploration to inspire us. Could we even BE scientists and explorers? Fortunately, now we are starting to hear more of the stories of the women who pioneered the way in those areas. And for young women, and girls, National Geographic brings us "No Boundaries… 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Share Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice."  It's a wonderfully colorful book, filled with bits and pieces of wisdom, and backstories on these women scientists. In this episode, we talk with Gabby Salazar, one of the authors, and a nature and conservation photographer and social scientist, who has traveled the world, living in tropical rainforests and on tropical islands. We'll ask her how they chose the women to be included in the book, which story inspired her, and what she hopes girls and young women will take from this book. It's a conversation sure to inspire you – and the young girls in your life!

When you get on a plane to fly somewhere, do you think much about the pilots in the cockpit?  I mean, sure, you hope this isn't their first flight, and that their eyesight is good. But do you wonder if the pilot is white or black? Back in the 60s, you wouldn't have to wonder because the pilots were all white. That is, until David Harris came along. Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael H. Cottman takes us through the story of Harris, the first black commercial pilot, in his new book Segregated Skies: David Harris' Trailblazing Journey to Rise above Racial Barriers.. Written for young adults, the book is a good read for all ages. In our chat, we learn some of the things that David experienced as a black man in the military and at American Airlines in the 60s. We learn about David's tenacity, persistence, and doggedness and how he eventually became a role model for all pilots at American Airlines. Plus, how his swagger helped him change the status quo! In our chat, we also talk about how Michael himself was racially profiled, run off the road and called names. Listen in as we talk about an aviation pioneer, and find some life lessons we can ALL take from this book.