Curated Questions: Conversations Celebrating the Power of Questions!

"The closer you become with these people while you're wearing that mask, the more distant you actually feel from the people around you." - Garrett Wood In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages in a deep conversation with Garrett Wood, a national board-certified health and wellness coach and certified clinical hypnotherapist. Garrett shares his insights on the hidden tolls of high achievement, addressing issues such as perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout. He explores the power of questions and how they can transform our understanding of identity, worth, and achievement. The discussion dives into the paradox of wearing masks to gain social acceptance, the first signs of burnout manifesting as cynicism, and the importance of creating authentic connections. Garrett also discusses practical strategies, such as non-sleep deep rest, to enhance performance and creativity, as well as the role of self-compassion in maintaining mental health. This episode offers valuable perspectives on how to navigate and make sense of the world through the power of questioning. This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com. Keep questioning! Episode Notes 00:00 The Mask of Perfectionism 01:11 Welcome to Curated Questions 01:55 Meet Garrett Wood 02:57 Garrett's Early Experiences with Questions 05:14 The Power and Danger of Questions 06:02 Socratic Method and Questioning Authority 08:50 Curiosity and Childhood 12:32 The Role of Questions in Executive Coaching 15:13 Creating a Safe Space for Growth 20:22 Helping Clients Trust The Process 32:02 The Therapeutic Relationship 34:22 Understanding Pain and Healing 38:17 Non-Sleep Deep Rest 46:55 The Mundane Tasks and Mind Wandering 47:39 Non-Sleep Deep Rest Explained 48:29 The Power of Journaling 51:25 Practical Applications of Non-Sleep Deep Rest 54:20 Recognizing and Addressing Burnout 56:08 The Importance of Biofeedback 56:58 Understanding and Identifying Cynicism 01:01:43 The Concept of Masking 01:06:36 Living Authentically 01:11:30 The Journey of Self-Discovery 01:13:56 The Role of Questions in Personal Growth 01:20:48 Exploring Identity and Attachment 01:29:31 Final Thoughts and Takeaways Resources Mentioned Gnosis Therapy Socrates Douglas Adams Immanuel Kant Amy Radin Explain Pain Theory by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley Nociception Thomas Edison Albert Einstein Carl Jung Five Levels of Attachment by Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. Garrett Wood on LinkedIn at Gnosis Therapy Gnosis Therapy on Instagram Producer Ben Ford Beauty Pill Producer Ben Ford Beauty Pill

Episode Notes00:00 The Possibility Of Your Avoided Question01:21 Welcome to Curated Questions01:59 Tangled Wings' Impact04:31 The Question That Changes Questions07:43 When Your Brain Says "Nope" (A Friendly Science Tour)12:06 The Locked Door Model (Your Map to the Question)15:11 A Personal Interlude (When I Found My Door)16:10 From Boardroom to Living Room (How This Scales)19:45 When Giants Finally Ask (The Storm Before the Breakthrough)26:05 Integration Accelerators (Making It Stick)27:07 Why This Matters Now (The Gentle Urgency)28:22 Three Companion Questions (For Your Toolkit)29:32 Your Next 48 Hours32:01 Takeaways - Choose Your Own Adventure Resources MentionedSumner CrenshawJerry ColonnaDavid EaglemanLeonard MlodinowAntonio DamasioLeon FestingerSatya NadellaMary OliverProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill Questions AskedWhat question are you avoiding that would change everything?What topic made you slightly tense when I said “that decision you keep postponing”?Where does it hurt?What are you willing to give up that you love in order to change those conditions?How has it benefited you to maintain these conditions you say you don’t want?What am I avoiding right now, this week?What topic, if I brought it up right now, would make you want to skip ahead in this podcast?When will it be?How much is enough?What’s the cost of not asking?Is it above your integrity grade?What would our best competitor assume we’re too afraid to do?If my kid was watching me handle this, what would I want them to learn?Where are we optimizing for looking good instead of being good?What would be different if…?What does it look like to be a modern-day Freedom Rider?How does my embrace of the American myth change upon the discovery of the broken treaties and massacres enacted on Indigenous people?How do I hold dear to a faith when the church protected abusers and the powerful while endorsing slavery?Why is there no national memorial celebrating the resilience of those enslaved and holding to account those who perpetrated the evil in our American history?What if people don’t want to drive to a store?What if they didn’t have to?What if film is temporary?What if photos are social?What behavior does our incentive system actually reward?Are we helping our customers succeed, or just protecting Windows?What are we really afraid will happen if we plan for our own absence?What am I pretending not to know about what my partner needs?What question would my teenager ask if they felt truly safe?What story do I tell about why I can’t change this?What would I do if I knew I was already enough?What if the future isn’t about PCs?Are we a PC chip company, or are we a chip company that happens to make PC processors?What question am I avoiding?Are you? Or are you avoiding something more specific that might actually require change next Monday?What elephant do you see in my room that I keep walking around?Why do we keep this meeting?Why does the team need to be aligned?Why are we siloed?How would we design collaboration into our resource model?If we had zero history, zero sunk cost, and zero politics, what would we do?What would someone who loves our mission but sees our flaws say we’re avoiding?What question are we avoiding?What would change if we asked it?What is the smallest next step?Should I change jobs?Am I becoming who I want to be?Who do I want to be when I’m no longer afraid?Where have we stopped questioning?What are we pretending not to know?What would be different in 90 days if we faced this?What question am I avoiding this week that would change my next 90 days?What question am I avoiding today?What question do you think I’m avoiding?What question are we all thinking but no one’s saying?What assumption haven’t we tested since we wrote this?Where do our stated values and daily behaviors most diverge?What are we not discussing that our successors will wish we had?What would our most frustrated customer say we’re avoiding?What would we try if we knew we could iterate our way to success?

"The most fundamental relationship in any change process is the one that you have with yourself. It's the questions that you ask yourself first and foremost that are the game changers." - Jill Reilly In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward is in conversation with global citizen and author Jill Reilly to explore the power of questioning in navigating life’s complexities. Jill shares her journey from the Midwest to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and beyond, reflecting on her experiences as an aid worker and the lessons that shaped her understanding of change and personal agency. They discuss the importance of self-permission, processing grief, and the need to adapt amidst societal and technological upheaval. With insights from her new book The Ten Permissions: Redefining the Rules of Adulting in the 21st Century, Jill emphasizes the transformative potential of asking the right questions to unlock personal growth and resilience. This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com. Keep questioning! Episode Notes00:00 Introduction: The Power of Self-Questioning00:49 Milestone Celebration: 100,000 Downloads03:13 Introduction to Jill Reilly05:23 Jill's Journey to South Africa07:37 Choosing a Different Path09:30 The Concept of Permission13:39 Exploring New Paths18:23 Jill's Work in Zimbabwe21:44 Engaging with Questions29:05 Political Uncertainty and Fear31:18 Grieving the Old Stories32:05 Reimagining Our Future35:36 Challenging Fixed Mental Models37:16 Questioning Traditions and Conventions38:54 Intentional Conversations Around Adaptation40:07 The End of Predictable Progress41:40 Exploring Personal Undoing43:18 The White Savior Complex45:49 The Importance of Self-Permission47:04 Engaging with Yourself for Change49:11 Navigating AI and Rapid Changes55:56 No Need To Blow Up Your Life59:09 The Value of Leisure Time01:02:31 Professional Adaptation and Evolution01:08:19 Right Now Question01:12:27 Final Reflections and Takeaways Resources MentionedShame: Confessions of an Aid Worker in Africa by Jill ReillyVain Aid TED Talk by Jill ReillyThe 10 Permissions: Redefining The Rules of Adulting in The 21st Century by Jill ReillyHughes Network SystemsRobert MugabeTen Permissions websiteJill Reilly on LinkedInJill Reilly email: jill@tenpermissions.comProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?How is it that you chose to pursue going to South Africa?Were we allowed to question it?Were we allowed to create alternatives to it?What else did you do?What are the things that you could do?Do we even feel allowed to have those conversations?Am I defaulting to just take the next safest step, or am I allowing him and myself to consider that?Isn't it a good opportunity to begin to explore a variety of options?Are we preparing them for this evolving reality, or are we continuing to default to what worked in our day or what we've always done?How did things go when you got to South Africa?Who am I? How am I introducing myself? What am I about?What do you think were some of the modality, spirit, and heart posture as you use questions to engage this new world for you?Can you contract aids from a public toilet seat?What are good questions to use when wrestling with political uncertainty, upheaval, and the like?Am I gonna be the one to try and fill the void that's being created right now with something new, something better, or is our only option to try and patch together what once was and keep hobbling along?Why haven't we done any more amendments? Why haven't we changed things?How far can we go? What are we allowed to do?Do we need to make changes?Why would we choose the old version?Isn't there a better way? Isn't there more? Isn't there different? Isn't there now?Do I feel allowed to do the thing that I think I should or they say I should? Or does fear, intervene in my own sense of permission? Are there external authorities whose power over me is so great that I'm not willing to take a risk? or am I the thing that's in the way of me actually taking a risk to do something different?What are the questions that you're asking?How are you poking into your own assumptions?How are you testing those? What questions are you intentionally using? And what is your practice for going after that?And are you gonna be ready for that or are you gonna be blindsided?Am I allowed? What's desirable? What's allowable?What do you wanna do with it? What does it look like for you? How is it a vehicle for you to live and experience in ways that maybe you haven't fully lent into yet?What is your Right Now Question?How can, and how will my book and these permissions support people to navigate this age of AI?What's possible in this time? What's allowable? We allow ourselves to imagine showing up to this moment differently, and what might that look like?What situation in your life right now feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable where you could experiment with leading with questions instead of assumptions?How might genuine curiosity change those interactions?Where in your life are you waiting for approval when what you actually need is to give yourself permission?What would change if you separated these two concepts this week?How might you make space to process loss and grief that continue to weigh you down?Can you identify three "shoulds" that are currently driving your decisions?What would happen if you spent 10 minutes each day this week asking yourself what YOU actually want, without editing or judging the answers?

"Am I my brother's keeper? Is answered in the daily work of showing up, being challenged, getting it wrong, being corrected, and showing up again." - Ken Woodward In this solo episode, Ken Woodward explores one of humanity's oldest and most challenging questions: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Born from Cain's evasion after murdering Abel, this question continues to shape how we answer fundamental issues about immigration, homelessness, healthcare, and who deserves our care.Drawing from his 101-week walk through every street and alley in Washington, DC, Ken reflects on how he spent 50 years answering "no" to this question while convincing himself he was answering "yes." He shares powerful conversations with Raymond Coates about the Sugar House in Charleston, encounters with a woman who demanded accountability, and the devastating costs of both saying yes and saying no.This episode challenges listeners to examine their own complicity, confront inherited assumptions, and honestly assess who they've decided doesn't count as "brother." Ken offers four concrete takeaways to help transform this ancient question from theological abstraction into daily practice.This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com. Keep questioning! Episode Notes00:00 The Work of a Brother's Keeper01:12 Welcome to Curated Questions01:50 Am I My Brother's Keeper02:36 The Origin: Cain's Evasion04:44 The Question I Avoided Asking09:09 The Question I Lived11:07 Who Counts As Brother?14:21 What This Question Reveals15:45 The Cost of Yes!19:51 The Cost of No23:50 the Present Moment27:22 The Military Exception28:42 Repentance & Reparation32:35 The Vulnerability of Yes34:00 The Question For You36:58 The Invitation38:41 Takeaway43:27 Final Closing Resources MentionedCain & AbelBook of GenesisJames BaldwinLies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. LoewenCaste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel WilkersonGeorge FloydBreonna TaylorAhmaud ArberyThe TorahThe parable of the Good SamaritanJesusJesus and the Disinherited by Howard ThurmanRaymond CoatesLorton PrisonSugar House, Charleston, South CarolinaTraining Day with Denzel WashingtonBuddy HarrisonMalcolm XJerry ColonnaAn Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-OrtizSouthern StrategyRedliningNegro BibleCivil Rights ActCivil Liberties Act of 1988Emmett TillJerry JonesMary OliverProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill Questions AskedAm I my brother's keeper?Where is your brother Abel?Who have I decided doesn't count?Whose suffering have I accepted as normal?Whose voice have I decided doesn't matter quite as much as others?How am I actually answering this question with my life, not with my words?Why didn't Black service members get access to the GI Bill after returning from World War II?How is the Republican adoption of the Southern Strategy to disenfranchise Black voters starting in the 1950s still functioning?How was a Black family supposed to build generational wealth when redlining was legal?What do I do with the half that's correct?Who is my neighbor?How are people with their backs against the wall supposed to relate to Christianity when Christians have their boot on their necks?Will my brother keep me?How have you been complicit in creating the conditions you say you don't want?You think that didn't affect him?You think he went home and was a good father? A good husband?You think that violence stayed contained in the Sugar House?You think you got something to say, don't you?Are you a racist?What do you think about slavery?What do you think about policing?What about reparations?What about income inequality?What is this project going to accomplish?How is this going to make a difference in my life?Are you really my brother's keeper, or are you just performing?What does repentance look like?What does turning away from these sins look like?What does making amends look like?Who have you decided doesn't count as your brother?How has your boundary line shifted over time?Who is included that wasn't before, and who has now shifted beyond that border?What would it cost you to say yes to someone you've been saying no to?What are the things your grandparents taught you—not explicitly, but through silence, through who was welcome in your home, through what neighborhood you lived in—that were actually answering "no" to this question?Which of those things are you still practicing?Am I ready to become my brother's keeper?What would it cost me to actually be this person's keeper?What have I taught you, through my actions and choices rather than my words, about who counts as your brother?Is that the inheritance you want from me?

"Asking the right questions the right way at the right time can often be more of a determinant of your success than being the person to raise their hand and come up with the answer." - Amy Radin Amy Radin is a pioneer in corporate innovation and strategic questioning. Amy shares her journey from the influence of her father's corner drugstore to becoming one of the world's first Chief Innovation Officers at Citi, and her roles at American Express, E-Trade, and more. The conversation delves into the importance of curiosity and questioning for personal growth, achieving corporate goals, the emotional and practical aspects of leading change, and the role of strategic questioning in innovation. Amy also discusses her experiences as an early-stage investor and advisor, highlighting the significance of asking the right questions to assess founders' pitches and provide guidance as they build their companies. Sign up for Amy's newsletter, Uncommonly Pragmatic, at her website amyradin.com.  Amy is available for live or virtual keynotes and workshops. She can be easily reached through LinkedIn direct messages to collaborate on how to bring her expertise to positively impact your organization. This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com. Keep questioning! Episode Notes00:00 Introduction: The Power of Questions01:28 Welcome to Curated Questions02:06 Meet Amy Radin: A Pioneer in Innovation04:01 Amy's Early Influences and Corporate Journey05:13 Transition to Early Stage Investing07:29 Understanding Founders Through Questions10:51 The Importance of Diverse Expertise17:16 Building a Personal Advisory Board18:22 Handling Resistance with Questions21:43 Effective Interview Questions30:42 The Power of Asking Questions in Teams36:10 Emotional Aspects of Change40:49 Modern Change Management43:46 Multi-Generational Workforce Challenges46:14 Coalition Building for Change48:07 Balancing Historical Knowledge and Innovation50:37 Understanding Resistance and Fear51:28 The Role of Experimentation52:21 Digital Channels in Customer Acquisition53:20 Designing Experiments with Skeptics54:36 Financial Discipline and Digital Innovation55:47 Customer Service and Digital Channels56:12 Prioritizing Questions and Experiments59:05 Becoming a Chief Innovation Officer01:00:59 Challenging Assumptions with Questions01:08:39 Qualitative Insight Gathering01:12:28 The Emotional Side of Finances01:16:33 Career Reflections and Resilience01:21:23 Teaching and Strategic Advocacy01:22:30 Celebrating Success and Staying Curious01:23:46 Morning Walks and Creative Thinking01:25:38 Final Thoughts and Places to Connect With Amy Radin01:27:36 Closing Remarks and Takeaways Resources MentionedThe Change Maker's Playbook by Amy RadinSoundboard Venture FundA More Beautiful Question by Warren BergerKotter's Eight Steps For Leading ChangeLarry Keeley on LinkedInThe Diary Of A CEOJohn Dewey High SchoolSpike LeeJohn DeweyAmy Radin Website for the Uncommonly Pragmatic NewsletterAmy Radin on LinkedInProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?What am I gonna do with myself now?My first question was, well, what's that?What were some of those right questions to be able to get a little bit deeper?What questions am I gonna ask?Can you tell me more about that? How did you figure that out? Or I'd love to understand that better. Can you dig in a little more?Do we wanna go to the next step?Have there been some particularly insightful questions that founders have asked of your team that have resonated with you?What else do they bring to the table?I would ask tell me a little bit about some of your recent experiences working with some of your other portfolio companies and how you've helped them out. Tell me about a situation when another portfolio founder when the market changed and they almost had the rug pulled out from under them, what was your reaction and were you able to step in and help them?Tell me a story, not what would you do?Has there been anything this new venture has taught you about questions that all of your other previous experience hadn't taught you?What do you think might be a personal bootcamp that somebody could do that could help build that experience?Ask, wow, I'd love to understand more where you're coming from. Could we walk through it? Because I wanna appreciate what you're trying to do and why you're uncomfortable with this. So, can you help me understand your perspective better?How did I do? Did I do this three times?What do you think makes for a good question?What are the key requirements? What do I really need from this person? What would you do about X, Y, Z?Help me understand what you did. What you felt and what you thought, and how did you actually handle that situation?What metrics should we consider that would be appropriate to helping us understand the potential for this idea that would make us feel good about this tiny little investment you wanna make for prototype?How can they bring the entire questioning game in the conversation up another level,What do I really wanna understand better about this opportunity?What do I really wanna understand better about working with these investors?Do I wanna use the opportunity of this call/pitch session/diligence to ask them their advice about something? And can I be candid about?Why can't you...? How might you...?How do you think about that feeling or that component of us and bringing that into the workplace?How is this change going to affect my career and what happens to me and my ability to pay my mortgage and send my child to college?How do you feel?Why does Sally seem so upset at the meetings?As you are engaging with a company and helping them think through change, how do questions play a role in that process?Who's gonna be there? What's their mindset about learning? Is it a curious organization? How would you describe the culture?What role do questions play in change?How do I really accomplish this change?How does fostering curiosity and questions play a role in coalition building?How do you get that tipping point?What role can digital channels be effective to attract new customers?What aspects do we think that innovating around the digital experience could favorably impact those aspects, those financial drivers of the business?What role could digital channels play in customer service that could improve the customer relationship, lower costs, improve customer satisfaction, reduce attrition, and increase people's usage of the card?What role does digital technology play in our business to benefit customers and shareholders?How did you become a chief innovation officer?What's that?What do you think about specifically on questions in challenging assumptions?Why are we doing it like this?Where did that assumption come from?When people go online, what happens to call volume?What do we measure?How do you see questions playing a role in sparking insights?How are people managing their financial lives in the context of dealing with all the fallout from the financial crisis?Are things filed, or is it a big mess in a paper stack? Why is it set up like that?What are all the things that I could do?You had mentioned early on about not being the cookie-cutter person, and wanting to be out there on the edges a little bit and mixing things up. How has that served you?What can we do about this?Would you be interested in teaching this Strategic Advocacy course? What the hell is that?What do you need to do next?What are your right now questions or question that you're working with?I'm wondering why some of my best questions seem to come to me when I'm talking to my dog?Are there any areas of questions that we didn't touch on that you were hoping to or excited to be able to touch on?Where is this the best place for folks to track you down and see the things that you're working on and the things that you're excited about?How would your career trajectory change if you spent the next year becoming known for asking brilliant questions rather than providing quick answers?Can you identify three times over the coming week when you could practice asking "Help me understand your perspective" instead of explaining why someone is wrong?Who are the people in your network who know what you don't know, and how could you formally invite skeptical perspectives into your most important decisions?What would happen if you designated a regular meeting as question-only, where solutions are forbidden and curiosity is the only currency?

"If we start talking about developing people, you have to ask those deep questions." - Dave McGurkDave is a transformational leader who bridges military precision with cutting-edge organizational development. As Founder and CEO of Veridian Perspective and Vice President at Apogee Global RMS, Dave brings over 20 years of executive leadership experience. His impressive 30-year military career includes Training Operations Director at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Army Enterprise liaison and senior executive advisor to U.S. Army European, African and Special Operations Command teams.He has managed multi-billion-dollar budgets, led teams of hundreds, and influenced policy at the highest levels of government—including presidential-level decisions. His approach blends 30 years of military leadership, adult education, & neuroscience to create AI-powered diagnostics, hyper-personalized development, and dynamic simulations for resilient leaders in a volatile world.Ken Woodward engages in a profound discussion with Dave McGurk, a transformational leader with a rich background in military leadership and organizational development. Dave shares his experiences, including a pivotal moment during his deployment in Iraq where he learned the cultural importance of time through the simple act of removing his watch. This revelation led him to question the embedded cognitive frameworks that shape our understanding of the world.Through deeply reflective questions, Dave emphasizes the importance of framing problems accurately, understanding inherited mental models, and fostering genuine connections with others. He introduces his innovative seat swap counseling method, which promotes genuine feedback and psychological safety. This episode explores the transformative power of questions in personal growth and leadership development, encouraging listeners to challenge their assumptions and continually evolve.This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Keep questioning!Episode Notes00:00 Reflecting on Leadership and Influence01:16 Welcome to Curated Questions02:02 Introducing Dave McGurk04:03 Dave's Military Background and Leadership Experience04:40 Cultural Challenges in Iraq06:36 Learning from Iraqi Commanders11:11 Building Trust and Relationships13:44 The Importance of Asking the Right Questions19:14 Teaching Critical Thinking in the Military20:25 Challenging Assumptions and Mental Models22:51 The Role of Vulnerability in Leadership31:07 Navigating Authority Bias34:21 Transition to Defense Contracting and Consulting35:06 Understanding Mental Models and Cognitive Frameworks35:54 The Power of Disruptive Questions36:36 Teaching Creative Thinking and Problem Solving39:56 Developing a Questioning Practice44:49 Reflecting on Mental Models and Growth45:39 Sports Analogies and Human Development46:24 Personal Journey and Military Experience48:22 The Impact of Suicide in the Military49:22 Leadership and Connection with Soldiers49:43 A Pivotal Moment: Jeremy LeClair's Story50:03 Psychological Autopsy and Leadership Reflection51:30 Commitment to Authentic Leadership52:21 The Importance of Deep Questions52:38 Understanding Mental Models59:17 Challenges of Egocentric Thought01:00:46 Feedback Mechanisms and Counseling01:02:27 Connecting with People in Leadership01:03:25 Deployment and Leadership Challenges01:06:52 Empowering Teams and Challenging Authority Bias01:08:09 Excitement for Future Leadership Development01:14:35 Curated Questions and Continuous Improvement01:21:01 Final Thoughts and TakeawaysResources MentionedGeneral DempseyArmy's Command General Staff CollegeCONOPMk PalmoreApogee Global RMSThinking Fast and Slow by Kahnemanexperiential learning modelJeremy LeClairthe Leadership Student 2.0 podcastProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?What else am I missing?As an American who is over here supporting this country and this culture, what else do you not think I understand?What do you think sets you apart in your approach versus those who came behind?What are they really getting after?What is it that you're really looking for?What's the problem?What am I missing? How do I see the problem? What are the facts that are relevant to the problem? And what's gonna allow me to open my aperture to see a different dimension of the problem?How did that question rubric land with those that you were teaching or bringing up behind?What is the question that you need to ask somebody to turn that into a fact?What do you think?What are the things that you're struggling with? What are the questions that you're trying to figure out? What haven't you had answered?Am I trying to disrupt it in the right way?Why did you jump on the one that was wrong?What are the things that you think about that really drive the way you think?How does your brain work?How do we challenge that?How do we challenge our own ability to understand how we're thinking and how we're gonna make a difference for us?How can we develop a questioning practice or a way of living that ensures that we look beyond just the top drawer?What are those echoes that kind of govern how we think?What assumptions had to be made here that would turn into facts that are still applicable here?How do we match that against what we think our inherited mental model is that is driving that for us?Am I aware of those shortcuts that my brain is making?Am I a reflection of the rewiring and the response?How do I change the framework?What is this doing to me?Do you have any idea where that came from?What is it that's going on?What are those reflexive interpretations that are coming?What are those echoes that are coming back and feeding us?What was it about me that made you think that I was a good leader?What invasive cognitive model has colonized your mind without your permission?What is that question really trying to get at the heart of?How does ego fit into all of this story?Is this the right perspective? How do I shape that perspective?How are you doing? How's your wife? You get a birthday next week, how does it feel to be getting old?How did you take that staff and turn it into such a machine in such a short period of time?How are our customers doing?How would you feel if you would have one of your VPs sit down and give you counseling about what you're doing? Are you crazy? Why would I do that?What elements are you most excited about in this next season that you're going into, with all that you've been creating?Did we miss anything about questions?What are the questions that you're working with right now for you personally?How are you gonna experience catastrophic success?What inherited beliefs about the right way to operate might you be clinging to without questioning their validity in different contexts?How might your current problem be completely reframed if you ask, what am I missing instead of how do I solve this?Which of your firmly held beliefs did you actually choose versus inherit from your environment? And are they still serving you?What would change in your relationships if you literally or figuratively swap seats with those you lead or work alongside?

"Who am I? Was never gonna turn out well. Who do I say I am? Had a chance." - Mike HilsonHost Ken Woodward welcomes Pastor Mike Hilson, senior pastor of New Life Church. They delve deep into how questions shape identity, leadership, and personal growth. Mike shares his journey, from wrestling with self-identity as a child to leading a thriving network of churches. Key discussions include the necessity of creative boredom, the evolution of the question 'Who do I say I am?', the importance of strategic delegation, and balancing doctrinal adherence with familial love.  Episode Notes00:00 The Origin of a Pivotal Question01:51 Introducing Mike Hilson03:18 Mike's Early Life and the Power of Questions04:16 Struggles in School and the Importance of 'Why'05:18 College Years and Career Decisions05:49 Journey into Ministry06:14 Challenges and Realizations in Ministry08:21 Creative Boredom and Leadership11:00 Self-Awareness and Personal Growth11:24 Marriage and Life Decisions15:38 Parenting and Fatherhood17:24 Wrestling with Identity and Faith18:17 Leadership and Church Growth22:40 The Impact of Lifelong Questions30:36 What is a Good Dad?36:16 Delegation and Empowerment38:57 Handling Authority and Humility40:38 Church Planting and Community Building41:58 Maintaining Humility and Perspective42:46 Mentorship and Church Growth43:33 Rabbinical Mentoring Approach44:04 Coffee with the Pastor Series44:37 Rick Warren's Baseball Diamond Structure45:39 Impact and Ministry Goals48:52 End Game Thinking50:36 Succession Planning53:27 Communism and Totalitarianism54:14 End Game Thinking in Personal Life58:37 Questions and Anger in Society01:00:48 Philosophical Base Choices01:03:57 Biblical Truths and Cultural Application01:06:04 Personal Identity and Roles01:07:26 Future Plans and Family01:13:13 Living a Full Life01:15:51 Common Question: Proving God's Existence01:16:10 Philosophical Game: What If I'm Wrong?01:19:43 Final Thoughts and Gratitude01:19:48 Summary Takeaways Resources MentionedNew Life Church in La Plata, MarylandProducer Ben FordSouthern Wesleyan UniversityAppalachian State UniversityJohn MaxwellRick WarrenNapkin Theology by Mike HilsonSpeak Life by Mike HilsonA Significant Impact for Christ by Mike HilsonCoffee with the Pastor by Mike HilsonTheo BoldenOutlive by Dr. Peter AttiaBrett FavreMike Hilson on LinkedInBeauty Pill Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Why am I here, why am I here without anybody? Why don't people like me?Why is that bird doing that? Why does that rabbit hide there? why does that snake stand in that tree?Why am I doing this [college class]? Why am I here? Why am I doing this?What's this gonna be like?Why am I a Wesleyan? Why do I believe this about the Bible versus that?Could I be a Baptist? Could I be a Pentecostal?Where is your creative boredom?How have you used questions in that journey of self-awareness?If I keep dating this girl, I'm going to marry her. And I had to stop and say to myself, am I okay with that?Who do you say I am?Who do I say she is?Am I, Mike the guy who's gonna be a businessman who's gonna do this? Or am I, Mike the guy who's gonna be a pastor? Am I pastor Mike?How do I figure it out?How do I help other people deal with this?Who do I say I am? Who does God say I am?How could you leave?What do I think a father ought to be?What does a good father do right now?How do you properly unpack things?Which matters more?What did Jesus die for?If I fail to show grace here, how is it that I'm being like Jesus?How does a dad show Grace?What is a good dad, and how do I live that out?Who do I say that I am?What can I not, not do?How quickly did you embrace load shedding and being okay with that as a leader?How do I make sure we're taking care of them properly?What is the logical outcome of what I am currently doing?What is end game thinking?What do I leave behind?How do you think through what that building's gonna be worth in 30 years?What's the natural outcome if I continue to treat my wife the way I'm treating her right now?What happens if you silence half or a third of your nation and tell them they can't talk anymore?How generous am I being to other people?What does that mean for my life? What does that mean for how I live?What measure did I just use?What measure do I want God to use back to me?What does it mean to love my child, even if my child's gonna reject my faith?How do I balance these?How do you now do your job? What can I not not do to fit inside of that?Why would I believe in a God that you can't prove exists?What have I missed in my life by following a biblical worldview and the biblical tenets of how I should live?What if I'm wrong?What if I'm right? What have you missed?

"Questions are an extremely sophisticated thinking skill that everyone can use and practice all the time." - Naomi Campbell In this episode, host Ken Woodward is in conversation with Naomi Campbell, Director of the Right Question Institute (RQI) Legal Empowerment Program. They delve into the transformative power of teaching people to ask questions, highlighting its impact across various fields, including education, legal practice, and healthcare.   Naomi shares her journey from an inquisitive childhood encouraged by her family and school, through law school at Harvard, to her work in Mexico City advocating for migrant workers. The episode emphasizes the importance of questioning as a sophisticated skill that fosters personal agency and enhances democratic participation. Naomi also discusses RQI's unique methods for teaching this skill and how they support change agents in different communities.   The conversation provides insightful examples of how empowering people to formulate their own questions can lead to meaningful social change and better navigating decision-making systems.Episode Notes00:00 Powerful Questions As A Skill01:50 Meet Naomi Campbell03:33 The Importance of Asking Questions07:30 The Role of Agency in Advocacy10:59 Naomi's Law School Experience11:38 The Socratic Method in Legal Education15:49 Empathy in Legal Practice18:53 Naomi's Work in Mexico City20:04 Returning to the Right Question Institute25:39 The Right Question Institute's Mission27:22 Empowering Through Questions30:55 Examples of Impactful Questioning41:00 The Role of Questions in Healthcare42:05 Challenges and Mistakes in Advocacy42:42 Lessons Learned and Moving Forward43:38 Embracing Change and Learning from the Field44:17 Using the Method in Shifting Landscapes44:51 The Virtuous Cycle of Curated Questions45:56 Job Interview Questions: Examples and Inspiration47:26 Iterating on Questions: A Skill for All Ages49:23 Teaching Question Formulation in Classrooms51:42 The Role of Questions in Education53:44 Exciting Developments at RQI56:49 Connecting Questions to Democracy59:41 Micro Democracy: Participating in Everyday Decisions01:00:22 Combating Misinformation Through Critical Thinking01:01:11 Helping Others to Ask Their Own Questions01:03:41 Challenges in Healthcare Adoption of Questions01:05:53 The Importance of Patient Empowerment01:08:22 Frameworks for Effective Questioning01:09:58 The Power of Questions in Decision Making01:13:10 Questions As A Tool To Amplify Unheard Voices01:19:15 Takeaways and Reflections Resources MentionedThe Right Question Institute (RQI)RQI's Legal Empowerment ProgramLynn Borton at Choose To Be CuriousSocratic MethodHarvard Negotiation Workshop & the Alternative Dispute Resolution ProgramsCentro de los Derechos del MigranteMake Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own QuestionsSNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramSNAP Employment and Training ProgramsKevin KellyBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?How do you help other people ask their own questions?You said that, questions were encouraged what did that look like growing up for you?What were the things that you think your parents did right in helping you be inquisitive about the world or encourage that?What was it about the school environment that encouraged questions and is what you encountered?Who was holding that power? who is holding the power of questions?How can you use questions?How do questions help people both feel and express empathy?What kinds of questions are you asking when you are really listening to somebody?How are questions important?Is choosing to spend your life pursuing the questions that intrigue you common with your peers?What is the school going to do to prevent this? What are we going to do to prevent this from happening again in the future?What am I really concerned about?How could it be a better question?How could it be a worse question?What happens when you share the power of questions and how can that improve thinking, how can it improve advocacy? How can it improve democracy?how are you seeing the importance of questions in relation to democracy?Do you have any particular initiatives working on combating misinformation and disinformation?What brings you here today?Not only what questions do you have, but how can I help you ask questions?How do I help the people that I'm trying to serve ask questions?Who gets to ask the questions?Who in fact asks the questions?Who doesn't ask the questions?What questions didn't I ask?What questions should I have asked?Have there been any areas where you thought there was gonna be more of a response or a richer return on investment?What's the difference between a closed and an open-ended question?What are the advantages and disadvantages of both types of questions and how can you use them strategically?how do you order your questions?How do you use closed and open-ended questions?How do you ask questions about decisions?What questions do you have?Which questions of mine have to do with the reason  behind the decision, and the why behind the decision?What questions have to do with the process for making the decision?How was the decision made?Who was involved?What information was used?When was it made?What meeting was held?What role do I have?What is the role of the people who are affected by the decision?How did you come to this decision?How might you come to this decision?What can I do in this situation?What can I do to better follow the doctor's instructions?What can I do if my child is struggling in school?Is this the transparency that's supposed to be happening?Are people having a voice that's supposed to be happening?Do they have a case here?If we say we care about democracy and actually do, how do we uphold these principles?What is your right now question?How do we find the change agents in all of these fields? How do we find the people who care about agency, how do we support them, and how do we connect them to each other?Instead of providing answers or asking all the questions yourself, how could you teach others to formulate their own powerful questions?When facing a decision that affects you, what questions are you not asking about the process and your potential role in it?What would change if you permitted yourself to ask terrible questions before expecting to get to the good ones?Who in your sphere doesn't feel empowered to ask questions, and how could you help change that?

In this solo episode, host Ken Woodward delves into the origin and development of the 'Curated Questions' project, which began in 2018. Ken shares his personal journey of curiosity, inspiration from Tim Ferriss' podcast, and the influences that led to the creation of his blog and subsequent podcast.   Highlighting notable milestones and influential interviews, Ken discusses the structure and purpose of the Curated Questions website and its various elements, including famous questions and lists. He also reflects on the profound impact of asking meaningful questions, illustrated with personal anecdotes.   The episode encourages listeners to embrace curiosity and engage with the world through the power of well-chosen questions. Episode Notes00:00 Welcome to Curated Questions00:48 Origin Story of Curated Questions01:42 Early Influences and Personal Growth02:26 Tim Ferris and the Power of Questions03:44 Inquiry of the Day Blog04:54 Year of Connection Project05:53 Podcast Launch and Challenges07:31 Impact of COVID-19 and Social Justice Walk08:26 Relaunching the Podcast09:52 Website Structure and Features10:58 Famous Questions and Quotes16:05 Interview and Reflection Questions21:56 The Power of Questions and Conclusion Resources MentionedAmwayTim FerrissSeth GodinIOTD365.com Ken's first blog#yearofconnectionPodcast FellowshipRob Lawless of Robs10kfriendsPat EnnisTeresa VargasWashington Post Article about walk through Washington D.C.Lynn Borton of Choose to Be CuriousFamous QuestionsMaya AngelouHarriet Beecher StoweAbraham LincolnQuotesClayton ChristensenAi WeiweiJohn O'DonohueSylvia PlathKrista TippettListsQuestions from Tribe of MentorsQuestions from Benjamin Franklin's JuntoKevin KellyQuestions from The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin KellyQuestions by Ryan HolidayPainted Porch BookstoreResourcesCurated QuestionsIntervieweeInterviewerGeneral Stanley McChrystalLeadershipEpictetusSocial JusticeIjeoma OluoPhilippa Pham HughesJoel FreemanMentoringJerry ColonnaPaul HarveyRainer Maria RilkeBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWe have to confront ourselves. Do we like what we see in the mirror? – Maya AngelouIs man ever a creature to be trusted with wholly irresponsible power? – Harriet Beecher StoweIf I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? – Abraham LincolnWhat do you want to accomplish with this hire that is different from the incumbent?How much freedom do I have to make this position my own? What is a recent example of how this freedom has been demonstrated in this department?What are the assumptions that have to prove true in order for me to be able to succeed in this assignment? – Clayton ChristensenWhat mentor recommendation have you adopted, and what have you rejected?What would someone who doesn't like you say about you? – General Stanley McChrystalWhy is the vision of the company important to you? – Brad JeffersonHow long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself? – EpictetusWhat tone does your presence establish in the organization, and how does it change while you’re away?What was the best mistake you’ve ever made, and how did it lead to something better? – Tim FerrissHow much more of your privilege do you want tied to the oppression of others before you decide to let it all go for all of our liberation? – Ijeoma OluoWhen did you learn the world is unjust/unfair? – Philippa HughesWhat was the moment you realized, because of your skin color, the rules are somehow different for you? – Joel FreemanHow have you been complicit in creating the conditions you say you don’t want? – Jerry Colonna

"You were the most interested person in the room, and you're gonna get love." - Maury Rogow Maury Rogow is all about storytelling. He is the CEO of the Rip Media Group and creator of the Story2Sales methodology that's generated over $150 million in trackable revenue for clients. I appreciate the tag line, "Your brand will thrive or die, based on the story you tell." Maury's unique journey spans high-tech success and Hollywood storytelling. He built his business career at companies like Avaya, Lucent Technologies, and GeoTel—a startup that sold to Cisco Systems for over $1 billion. He then pivoted to Hollywood, serving as executive producer for feature films like "Bedrooms" and "Enter The Dangerous Mind," and working with industry legends including the creator of the Batman franchise. Today, Maury combines business acumen with cinematic storytelling to help Fortune 1000 companies like Comcast, Kaiser Permanente, and Ben & Jerry's create compelling brand narratives. His approach recognizes that in our noise-filled marketplace, every company must master storytelling to survive and thrive. Maury has proven that great stories don't just entertain—they sell. He's written several books, with his latest on the horizon being "Your Story Can Be Your Superpower - Selling in an AI world." He has been featured in Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur magazines. In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages with Maury Rogow, CEO of RipMedia Group, to explore the transformative power of questions in both personal and professional contexts. Maury shares pivotal moments in his career, from telecommunications to Hollywood, emphasizing how a single question can change a transactional relationship into a meaningful connection.   The discussion covers the importance of storytelling, the benefits of embracing unique traits, the impact of framing on emotional responses, and effective strategies for leveraging questions in sales and daily life. Maury also offers practical advice on finding balance in business, the role of AI in asking the right questions, and shares key resources and techniques for developing better questioning skills. Listeners are encouraged to take on an audience challenge to spend a day asking only questions and to reflect on the impact it has on their interactions. Episode Notes00:00 The Power of Asking Questions02:44 Guest Introduction: Maury Rogow04:17 Maury's Early Career and Sales Journey05:56 The Impact of a Key Question08:16 Transition to Hollywood09:56 Learning from Sales Training11:49 Developing the Story to Sales Methodology14:35 The Stigma of Sales16:02 Finding a Career Path20:14 Influence of Early Mentors23:00 Informational Interviews and Networking24:54 The Importance of Asking the Right Questions28:57 How Maury Used Mr. Greenberg's Questions In His Career33:59 Story Over Features42:10 Fostering Curiosity43:07 Reframing Questions for Positivity45:29 Crisis and Opportunity46:19 Curiosity in Business47:02 Reflecting on Success and Future Goals47:50 Transformational Beginnings49:04 Curiosity and Inventions50:40 The Audacity to Dream51:38 Connecting the Dots52:07 Unique and Weird52:58 Encouraging Creativity53:45 Software Innovations54:38 Early Entrepreneurial Ventures55:48 The Importance of Questions59:15 AI and the Future01:01:36 The Skill of Asking Questions01:04:56 Mirroring and Negotiation01:08:05 Personal Growth Through Questions01:10:23 Therapeutic Journaling01:13:36 Community and Connection01:15:31 Maury's Right Now Question01:18:01 Ken's Right Now Question01:20:21 The Entrepreneur's Journey01:25:07 Final Reflections and Encouragement01:30:36 Maury's Recommended Questions01:36:42 Where To Find Maury01:38:07 Takeaways and Conclusion Resources MentionedStory 2 SalesNeil RackhamSPIN Selling by Neil RackhamRichard GrinbergSeth GodinTony RobbinsScript-Timer AiChris VossYour Story Can Be Your Superpower by Maury RogowKelly StarrettSkip The Small TalkMandalorianElon MuskSpaceXTeslaRIP Media GroupMaury Rogow on LinkedInBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Why is this important to you?Was that a good answer?Do you golf?And that means what?That does what, and how does that work for you?How are things now?How do you do it today?What's the problem that you're seeing?What's the problem we're trying to solve?What does that mean?What happens if there's that problem?What's the need?What's the payoff?Where did you get that understanding?How did you tie sales to I won't have to go hungry?What job looks like this?Can I tell the decent story?Can I ask the right questions to get in the door if I don't know the answer?Should I pursue this as a career?Should I pursue it as even just a job?How did they get into what they did?What skills do you need?What experience did you have?What did your first 90 days look like?What's your day-to-day?What's the person you work with like?Would you mind introducing me to someone else who does what you do, or something similar? I'd like to learn more.That list of questions, were there one or two that you've found beneficial in various capacities as you've gone forward?What do you like the most about this campaign?What's this like? What's your favorite? What do you dislike? What's not going well?How does that affect you?What was the result of that?What are you telling yourself about that?Is this where you pivot and just come back to start asking questions in another direction?Is that a good book?What kind of questions are helpful for getting to a story?Can you tell me about a time that this happened?What keeps you up at night? What are you struggling with?Have you tried to solve that? Have you tried to solve the bad microphone situation? How did that work for you? Did that work for you? Do you have any examples of it not working?How do you foster curiosity?Why am I asking myself the negative version of that?Why didn't I win that project? Why don't I live in a bigger house? How can I be grateful for this amazing place to live in? How can I be grateful for x?Can you run this?Why is that amazing?How is that interesting?What's the opportunity?Has there been any particular insights that have come out of that process that has just radically changed the business for you?What can I do next?How else can I frame this?How do I do that at this point of a sales cycle? What story is needed here?Who else could do this?What's cool about this? What's great about that? How's that unique? How can I help? How can I use that to help you?Do people really know how incredibly important this is?What's the question I can ask my GPT Pro to get the best prompt? What's the question I can ask to get the best answer? What's the question I can ask to get the best result?What kind of questions did you encounter today?What [question] might you have been able to use when you're at school?Who am I gonna talk to about this?Am I gonna do an exit at my company?Where should I focus my time?How much time do I put on that?How much focus do I put over here?What does your body do when you are anxious?Can you say I'm excited?What would make this meeting the most effective use of your time?What are you struggling with right now?How are you currently solving that?What happens if you don't solve?Has there been a, persistent present problem, something that's recurring, that perhaps we could fix?How important is this? Is this incredibly important?What's your dream solution? What does success look like for you?If I come back in a year and I chat with you, what does your life look like at that point? Or what does your business look like at that point? What's it look like in a year? Let's take that vision and what does that look like?Where is the best place for folks to track you down and see the things that you're excited about?What would change in your professional relationships if you consistently asked people why your work together truly matters to them?What story could you tell about your work that would help people feel the transformation rather than just understand the transaction?What unique combination of interests, experiences, or obsessions are you hiding that might actually be your greatest professional asset?What situation that currently makes you anxious might actually be your body's way of telling you you're excited about the possibility?

"The meaning of your communication is the result you are getting." - Dr. Matt Lampe With a Doctorate from Alliant International University's California School of Professional Psychology, Matt has dedicated his career to transforming how organizations approach change, leadership development, and workplace agility. He is currently leading enterprise-wide organizational change efforts as part of Business Oregon's flagship modernization initiative, which focuses on aligning internal systems, strengthening operational infrastructure, and enhancing statewide service delivery to help businesses throughout Oregon. Sponsored by the non-profit Science For Work, Matt hosts the "Science for Work Podcast," where he explores the science behind creating healthier, more effective work environments through conversations that translate heady scientific research findings into practical action steps. His consulting practice helps organizations navigate complex transformations through change management, leadership development, strategic planning, and project management—combining data-driven insights with compelling storytelling. Matt's philosophy centers on creating cultures where people can thrive. He's learned that data alone isn't enough to drive change; it's the combination of solid research with relatable storytelling that truly motivates action and engagement. And if that wasn't enough, he is also a contributing writer to PositivePsychology.com.   In this podcast episode, host Ken Woodward delves into the significance of questions in both professional and personal spheres with Dr. Matthew R. Lampe, an expert in organizational change and leadership development. Highlighting the vital role questions play in verifying communication, navigating change, and building trust, Matt shares insights from his experience in managing organizational transformations and personal growth.  The conversation also touches on the deep tradition of yearly trips to Yosemite, offering a unique perspective on how consistent reflection against an unchanging backdrop can facilitate personal growth and evolution. Additional elements include updates about the curated questions community, announcements of new features, and an introduction to the Science for Work Podcast.  Episode Notes00:00 Introduction to Change Management00:33 Engaging with the Audience00:57 Podcast Updates and Announcements03:16 Welcome to Curated Questions04:00 Introducing Dr. Matthew R. Lampe05:35 Matt's Early Curiosity and Career Beginnings06:36 The Power of Questions in Sales11:50 Transition to Organizational Psychology14:10 The Role of Questions in Education16:28 Maintaining Curiosity in Organizations17:57 Fun and Empathy Through Questions19:36 Questions in Change Management24:21 Voluntary vs. Voluntold Change29:23 Evolving Workplace Practices30:59 Balancing Shareholder and Employee Needs36:33 The Importance of Continuous Feedback44:47 The Power of Asking the Right Questions45:21 Potential Pitfalls of Questions48:38 Understanding Workplace Survey Hesitancy49:14 The Impact of Psychological Safety on Survey Responses49:57 Challenges in Employee Engagement Surveys52:28 Building Trust in Organizations53:17 The Importance of Context in Asking Questions54:55 Introducing the Science for Work Podcast55:45 The Mission of Science for Work56:52 The Role of Evidence-Based Research57:45 Global Perspectives in Research59:54 The Value of International Collaboration01:03:30 Exploring the Concept of Place01:05:51 Matt's Yosemite Tradition01:06:49 The Significance of Nature in Personal Growth01:08:45 Reflecting on Annual Traditions01:09:55 The Power of Disconnecting from Technology01:14:21 Memories and Family Legacy01:20:57 The Awe of Nature01:22:49 Final Reflections and Takeaways Resources MentionedBusiness OregonMarco Polo gameScience for WorkScience for Work Podcast with Matt LampeDavid WhyteYosemiteJohn Muir - The mountains are calling and I must go.Matt Lampe at LinkedInMatt on InstagramBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Why not?Do you like blue? Do you wear a lot of blue? Do you only wear blue?When you were doing sales, did you stumble into the gut feeling? Was it more of an empathy thing in making a little bit of that switch to inquiring instead of just assuming?What about you?What about the customer, the client, the person who is buying?How can we develop and evolve the way that organizations operate so that there is more of that curiosity?What motivates that?What does living a good life look like?What does that even mean when somebody says living a good life?What are you gonna do when you graduate?What's next?Have you heard of organizational psychology?Was there any particular role that questions played in the schooling portion?Tell me more.Is this working?How is this landing?How is it being received?How am I communicating this?What is the perception of this?Are we still on track?How is this resonating with them?How do you keep curiosity fresh as you go into these organizations?Why am I here?What are we wanting to do?How has that served you?What does support look like for you?How are questions assisting you?What kind of heavy lift are questions doing to help you to help an organization accept the change they're undergoing?How is this landing with you?What are things that might change in your day-to-day behavior as we move through this, and how do we make sure that when we introduce this new piece or these new pieces, or these new processes, whatever it might be, are you prepared for it?Did we provide the right resources, understanding, knowledge, education, information, and training so that you understand how this works?Where are you in this process?How are we meeting you, where you are?How can we continue to build on that momentum so that he continues to champion and advocate for this new initiative?You have a bunch of tools; which tool makes the most sense?How are you doing through this?How is your team doing through this?What questions are still uncertain?What are some gaps where we can provide some clarity?What do resources look like to you?What do people need in that moment?How are the people actually doing?How do we run the business to make sure that we keep the shareholders happy?How do we make sure that this quarterly report bumps the share prices?What could it look like if we did things a little bit differently?What does the research say?What is the metrics fatal flaw?Do we fully understand what all the implications are?What kind of behavior is that driving?Where are we now blind as a result?When you stop asking questions, is this working?Is this still getting the result that we want?Is this still working as intended?What else is now a part of the equation that we didn't realize or that we didn't know, or that wasn't even around when we first started using this?Does this still work?Does this actually make sense for our organization?Have you stumbled across any questions that are ineffectiveAm I asking the question with genuine curiosity, or am I approaching it with an agenda where I want to get a specific answer from you to help my case?What is your process for figuring that out?What is your experience here?What was the end result that we were trying to understand, and is there a different way we can ask that?Was there a specific situation or a specific event that disrupted or broke any sense of trust?What does it look like without having that trust?If we had more trust, what would it look like to you?Do others feel the same way?Who else can I talk to?Who else would I want to talk to?Who do you go to when you need to talk to somebody?Why are you asking about my blood pressure?When you did this research, what did you find; what does that look like in practice?If somebody was listening and they said, this all sounds great, but how can I start doing this today, what would you suggest?When you found this, what was the most surprising insight? Where do you think that this will continue to go?What's working there?How are you doing that?How is that impacting?Does that make sense?What influences this?What are the behaviors that you're doing?What does the data say on this?What components are similar between the two that could actually translate over with an impact?Whose stories have we not yet heard that can reciprocate back some of that benefit?Can you tell me about your Yosemite story and, what that tradition has looked like?Where are we riding our bikes today? What hike are we doing? Can we go to the river here? Can we jump in there? Can we go see this? Can we go do that?When I come back, do I want all those things piled up and waiting, or do I wanna pull some of those things off the plate?Do I wanna be able to come back to a different experience?When I come back down the mountain, what do I want to carry back with me into the rest of my life, into everyday life?What do I want that to look like?Do I still want to have the hustle and the grind and the busyness that I have right now? Or do I want to reevaluate and sort of bring to a close some of those things that I've really enjoyed?How long have we been coming up here?What is your right now question?What does balance look like?Do you wanna do this? Do you want to go there? Do you wanna be a part of this? Can you help with that?What does that balance look like in order for me to make space for those opportunities?What does it look like to make work better?Is there anything else we need to address, or anything we may have missed?What is the motivation for you, or what has prompted you to host and have curated questions?In your next meaningful conversation, what would change if you replaced your prepared questions with curiosity and simply saying "tell me more"?What important message have you assumed was understood without ever verifying how it actually landed?What system in your life, personal or professional, are you following without questioning whether it still serves its i

"When I even think that I wanna give up, I can't because people like this put their life on the line so that I could have better opportunities." - Dr. Latorial Faison Dr. Latorial Faison is an HBCU and Virginia State University Professor, Poet, Author, Independent Scholar & Senior Military Spouse. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and a Doctoral degree in Education. Faison is Chair of the Department of Languages & Literature and Assistant Professor of English at Virginia State University and has authored over sixteen books. Faison's research study, The Missed Education of the Negro: An Examination of the Black Segregated Experience in Southampton County, Virginia 1950-1970, focused on Riverview High School, a segregated Black High School that existed in Courtland, Virginia, and explores the nuances of Black segregated education during the Jim Crow Era. Faison's latest work, Nursery Rhymes in Black was released in June of 2025 and blends tradition, memory, and resistance through a reimagination of familiar childhood rhymes through the lens of Black history and lived experience. This volume just received a Pulitzer Prize nomination.   Not one to rest on her laurels, her next work Blood at the Root, will be released in the coming months, which speaks directly to the historical and ongoing violence, erasure, and resilience that define the African American experience. In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Latorial Faison, a professor, poet, and scholar. Dr. Faison shares her journey from growing up in a small town in Virginia, being raised by her grandparents, to becoming a notable academic and author.   Through discussing her work, research, and dedication to teaching, Faison emphasizes the importance of memory, resilience, and the power of storytelling. The episode also touches on her latest book, 'Nursery Rhymes in Black,' her role in the Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective, and her vision for fostering a supportive community for her students. A recurring theme throughout the conversation is the transformative power of questions, both in personal growth and in understanding one's purpose. Episode Notes00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflection01:57 Guest Introduction: Dr. Latorial Faison03:58 Early Life and First Questions06:36 Organizing Pain and Finding Purpose09:25 Challenges and Resilience15:30 Responsibility and Representation20:17 Reflections on Race and Upbringing26:51 Writing and Grief Work30:39  Mama Was a Negro Spiritual Poem37:16 Memories and Cultural Traditions40:06 Returning Home and Final Thoughts46:13 Reflections on Military Family Life47:03 Settling Down Post-Retirement47:43 Pursuing Personal Goals48:20 Balancing Family and Education49:39 Dedication to Family and Heritage52:13 Teaching and Student Struggles54:02 Honoring Grandparents' Sacrifices55:45 The Power of Memory and Storytelling56:29 Sundays a Haiku01:01:15  Abominations, a Poem By Latorial Faison01:08:38 Researching Black Education History01:25:44 Reflecting on Historical Figures and Social Change01:28:16 The Great Undoing and Rebuilding01:28:44 Hope Amidst Chaos01:29:15 Introduction to Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective01:32:43 Joining the Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective01:34:05 The Impact of Nikki Giovanni01:39:47 The Symbolism of Quilts01:43:47 Current Challenges and Reflections01:47:07 The Importance of Community and Legacy01:49:36 Like An Ancestor Poem02:00:40 Final Reflection and Takeaways Resources MentionedUniversity of VirginiaVirginia TechVirginia State UniversityThe Missed Education of the Negro: An Examination of the Black Segregated Experience in Southampton County, Virginia 1950-1970Riverview High SchoolNursery Rhymes in Black by Latorial FaisonBlood at the Root by Latorial FaisonJohnson C. Smith UniversityMama Was a Negro Spiritual by Latorial FaisonTom Howard Poetry PrizeNikki GiovanniEngrams Funeral HomeNat Turner Slave RevoltSundays a haiku by Latorial FaisonMr. Pete Ballard's farmAbominations by Latorial FaisonLucille CliftonPermafrost PrizeUniversity of AlaskaUniversity Press of ColoradoSonia SanchezBlack Pastoral by Ariana BensonCave Canem Poetry PrizePhillis Wheatley FestivalSpelman UniversityLauren K. AlleyneFurious FlowerJames Mason University (JMU)Virginia Humanities FellowshipIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullJoshua DossMartin Luther King Jr.Wintergreen Women Writers CollectiveAmiri BarakaMaya AngelouToni MorrisonVal Gray WardDr. Trudy HarrisDr. Maryemma GrahamDr. Joanne GabbinAmanda GormanNational Museum of African American History and CultureRita DoveVirginia (Jenny) FowlerCollected Poems by Nikki GiovanniRenee and Jay by JJ MurrayOriginal Love by JJ MurrayJames BaldwinBarack ObamaGrey's AnatomyThe Bluest Eye by Toni MorrisonI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya AngelouBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Why me?Why in that way?Why was my life on this trajectory?Why am I here?What is my purpose?Do you internalize "always someone watching" as a burden?How many of you feel that you have a responsibility to your race?If the lady offers us a cookie or a lemonade, why can't we take it?How did questions play a role in challenging things early on?Will you write about me one day?How can you all come out of the same house, and kids end up so different?What is a specific smell or color that reminds you of your grandmother?How did questions work in that research for you?What did black educators do?What did they do in those classrooms to motivate African American students through Jim Crow?Were they providing culturally relevant teaching; was that a key?What can we learn from the students? What can we learn from the teachers?What can we learn from this totally black segregated education experience to transfer into the now?What is ground zero going to look like?Who's going to even be here anymore?What has the Wintergreen Women's Writers collective meant to you?What is your Right Now Question?What have I gotten myself into as department chair?What do I do next?What matters most in the moment that I'm in now?How can I make the biggest difference?It's not, will they like me? Will they help me? It's, what do I do? How do I move in this moment?And that's how I try to live my life. Yeah. How do I live in this moment?What pain in your life, if shaped into a story, might become a gift of healing for you and perhaps others?What place from your past still holds untold stories, and how might sharing them illuminate both where you’ve been and where you’re going?What place from your past still holds untold stories, and how might sharing them illuminate both where you’ve been and where you’re going?Are your questions keeping you tethered to the past, or are they propelling you toward the life and impact you’re meant to create?

"I suspect beauty comes when a question both sharpens and enlarges your vision." - AI Alan TuringIn this special episode, we step back to a cold December night in 1951 and into the warm, wood-paneled room of The Britons Protection, a historic Manchester pub. Across the table sits Alan Turing, the mathematician, wartime codebreaker, and one of the founding figures of computer science, who is brought to life through an AI simulation.Best known for his role at Bletchley Park during World War II, Turing devised techniques and machines, including the Bombe, that cracked the German Enigma code and helped shorten the war by years. His groundbreaking 1936 paper on “computable numbers” introduced the concept of the universal machine, and became the theoretical foundation for modern computers. Later, at the University of Manchester, he advanced early computing, explored artificial intelligence, and even pioneered mathematical biology.Our imagined conversation, grounded in historical detail and Turing’s own writings, delves into his enduring fascination with questions: how to ask them, when to abandon them, and why some are worth carrying for a lifetime. We discuss the interplay between beauty and inquiry, the discipline required to avoid seductive but unproductive lines of thought, and the place of doubt as an essential human strength.We also revisit his famous “imitation game” — now known as the Turing Test — and consider the boundaries of machine intelligence, the dangers of mistaking simulation for genuine dialogue, and the questions that only humans can keep alive, all while wrestling with the meta question, "Is this machine thinking?"This episode blends history, philosophy, and imagination while inviting you to consider what it means to think, to doubt, and to remain fully human in an age of advancing machines.Episode Notes00:00 The Beauty of Questions02:07 Setting the Scene: Manchester, 195103:20 Alan Turing's Early Life04:43 Turing's Contributions During WWII05:35 Post-War Achievements06:55 The Imitation Game and Turing Test10:23 A Conversation with Alan Turing10:58 The Power of Questions12:10 The Evolution of Thought16:12 The Intersection of Questions and Beauty20:30 Effective vs. Ineffective Questions22:00 The Discipline of Questioning23:58 The Ethics of Machine Deception25:30 Replacing Human Players27:06 The Limits of Machine Dialogue28:11 The Role of Doubt in Human Dialogue28:35 The Responsibility of Inventors29:56 Persistent Questions and Personal Reflections31:53 The Nature of Human Thought32:44 Protecting Human Qualities34:06 The Value of Human Doubt37:11 The Future of Human Questions38:36 The Risk of Seamless Imitation39:57 Reflections on the Interview and Takeaways47:50 Final Thoughts and Gratitude Resources MentionedThe Britons ProtectionSherborne SchoolKing’s College, CambridgeOn Computable Numbers (Turing's proof)Government Code and Cypher SchoolBletchley ParkEnigma machineBombeNational Physical LaboratoryAutomatic Computing EngineUniversity of ManchesterManchester Mark IMorphogenesisArnold MurrayOscar WildeComputing Machinery and IntelligenceImitation Game/Turing TestPia LauritzenDear Turing, I Have a Test For You by Pia LauritzenH.G. WellsGross Indecency LawBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedCan machines think?When did you first understand the power of questions?How did this intoxication influence your willingness to unleash your mind to solve further problems that could change the way we encounter the universe?Was it all at once or more gradually?How do you handle questions that change under your hands?Is that from scientific training, strict pursuit of the answer, failed experiments, where did you learn that ability?Where, for you, do questions and beauty intersect?What is your practice for driving to profound questions?Questions that trouble multiple disciplines, can you say more?Do you encounter much in the way of ineffective questions, or those you would determine as simply wrong questions?How do you break the habit of pursuing the wrong target?What informs your discipline to not look in the seemingly easy question, but to dig deeper for the better question?Might I buy the next round in gratitude for your initial buy?Is this just going to be part of the design by default?Have you imagined how people might one day extend this idea to perhaps replace players B or even C?Where do you see the limits of a machine’s role in human dialogue?If a machine can convincingly simulate a human, do we have a responsibility to set boundaries for its use — or is that not for the inventor to decide?Are there questions you’ve carried with you since your youth, perhaps questions that have stayed no matter how your answers change?Are you journaling to interact with these questions or, perhaps, depending on circumstances, to engage with them?What do you think is most important for humans to protect in themselves?Can you go deeper on perhaps the benefits of human doubt?What is your Right Now Question?Since you knew we’d be talking about questions, is there anything you hoped we’d touch on that we haven’t?What aspects of your own questioning process are you inadvertently trying to optimize away?In your daily interactions, when are you settling for the efficiency of information exchange instead of risking the messiness and potential transformation of genuine dialogue?What fundamental questions about human nature, consciousness, or meaning are you already asking less frequently because AI has made certain assumptions feel inevitable?How might you transform your questioning practice from a tool for getting answers into a discipline for staying human in an increasingly artificial world?

"Sneaker culture literature is no different than any other form of literature." - Dr. Jemayne King Jemayne, is creative, insightful, and VERY intentional. He is the founder of Sole Food Brand LLC, sole is spelled S.O.L.E which you will come to appreciate, and among many things, his company celebrates HBCUs (or Historically Black Colleges and Universities). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English/News Media from Elizabeth City State University, a Master of Arts in English-Literature from Virginia State University, and a PhD in English-Literary Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is currently an Associate Professor of English at Virginia State University. Remember how I said creative and intentional? Jemayne is also the creator and Founding Director of the Virginia State University Institute of Hip-Hop and Cultural Studies, which includes a Hip-Hop Studies English minor, and the world’s first collegiate English course dedicated to Sneaker Culture literature and identification within Sneaker Culture. Yeah, I know right? He is the author of Sole Food: Digestible Sneaker Culture and the forthcoming book titled The Big House on Flavian. It’s a bold and poetic exploration of memory, masculinity, and the mythology of America, viewed through the immersive lens of the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. In this engaging and enlightening episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward is in conversation with Dr. Jemayne LeVar King, an associate professor of English at Virginia State University and founder of Sole Food Brand, LLC. Together, they navigate a rich landscape of topics—including the intersection of sneaker culture and literature, the evolution of Southern hip-hop, and the profound narrative depth found in video games like Red Dead Redemption 2.  Dr. King discusses the significance of questions in both personal and academic growth, reveals the importance of authenticity in cultural participation, and offers profound insights into adapting educational curricula to meet the needs of future careers. This episode is a feast of ideas, seamlessly blending modern cultural phenomena with classical literary analysis. Episode Notes[02:06] Introducing Dr. Jemayne LeVar King[04:00] The Power of Questions[06:58] The Genesis of Sole Food Sneaker Culture Literature Class[09:16] Reimagining Liberal Arts Education[12:20] Southern Hip Hop and Literature[14:43] The Rise of Southern Hip Hop[21:49] Hip Hop's Influence on Society[30:10] Sneaker Culture Origins[32:35] Defining Retro in Sneaker Culture[35:48] Authentic vs. Inauthentic Sneaker Culture[40:01] Sneaker Culture as a Form of Expression[46:11] Teaching Literature Through Sneaker Culture[49:44] Sneaker Culture in Literature[52:33] Authentic Subscriber Insights[52:56] Sneaker Culture and Literature[53:22] Connecting Literature to Modern Education[55:01] Personal Academic Journey[57:31] The Importance of Feeling Seen[01:00:52] Gaming and Literature[01:01:58] The Impact of Red Dead Redemption 2[01:02:56] Literature in Video Games[01:09:52] Rockstar Games and Detailed Narratives[01:10:57] The Timeless Appeal of Rockstar Games[01:12:32] The Complexity of Red Dead Redemption 2[01:14:42] Replaying and Mastering the Game[01:19:29] The Cost of Staying Small[01:22:33] The Bird in the Cage Analogy[01:25:06] Insights and Human Value[01:29:47] Educational Adaptation and Future Jobs[01:30:38] Supporting and Following Dr. Jemayne King[01:32:02] Final Thoughts and Takeaways Resources MentionedSole Food Brand LLCVirginia State University Institute of Hip-Hop and Cultural StudiesSole Food: Digestible Sneaker CultureThe Big House on Flavian (available October 2025) by Dr. Jemayne KingRed Dead Redemption 2Moby Dick by Herman MelvilleWhere'd You Get Those? New York City's Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987 by Bobbito GarciaMarshawn Lynch: I'm just here so I won't get finedRed GrangeErnest HemingwayWilliam FaulknerZora Neale HurstonOutKastUGKMr. BiggThe Geto BoysBig BoiAndre 3000Magnum, P.I.Da BratLL Cool JKRS-OneGoodie MobPublic EnemyXXL MagazinePost Cereals: Fruity Pebbles & Cocoa PebblesLegend of Zelda rap by NintendoBear BryantChuck Taylor All StarAdidas Promodel SuperstarAir Force One from 1982Air Jordan Vindicate Vin BakerAir Jordan Revolution/Air Jordan ThreeStar Wars versus Star TrekNike DunkSandy BodeckerHa by JuvenileMarxismLouis Vuitton DonEmily DickinsonAlice WalkerThe Hate U Give by Angie ThomasUncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher StoweBy the Light of My Father's Smile by Alice WalkerWe Don't Have a Plan B by Redhead KingpinRockstar GamesRed Dead RedemptionRed Dead RevolverGrand Theft Auto SeriesHave a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks by Mick FoleyBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Why isn't that considered academic when it's already been valued for its commercialization?How do I explain Smith to someone who does not know about Smith?How is it like Howard?Does anyone  have any ideas for any new courses?Why did he ask that?How do we not be archaic?How do you show that a liberal arts education can get you from this point to where you want to be?Do you think that that was the right question to be asking?  And if it wasn't, would there have been a better question to be asking?How do we create new classes?What are they rapping about?What do you think it took for the rest of the hip hop community to really see that there was something of value? Was there a particular artist or a particular song?How is it different between the different major regions?Is it specifically just the individual themself, or these individuals that come up? Is it their particular talent, that they just happen to be the one that can bring the rhymes ? Is there an element of culture and a region that plays more of a role than just, 10% make up a small percentage or something like that?Is that how it works, or is there more of a cultural, a higher percentage of cultural influence than the 10% that I'm throwing out?What can we learn about questions from hip hop?How does hip hop set a precedent for the rest of society?What is masculinity?How does hip hop set a precedent or open avenues for society?How did sneakers capture your heart?Why does this particular sneaker exist in this colorway for this particular purpose?Why are you walking on the side?Why are you adamant about not walking in grass?What do you think is the foundation supporting the desire, the practice of collecting?Inauthentic is concerned with how do I make a dollar out of this?How are you using sneaker culture to teach literature?What did I do wrong?How do questions inform your latest work, The Big House on Flavin?There's no need to buy that because when am I gonna play?What is maturity?What is masculinity?How does the society fall?What is literature?What does literature represent?Are there books about this game?What happens to a dream deferred, right?Can you help me?Can you tie that together?Is this a game that you would go back and play as well?What is your right now question?What is the cost of staying small?What is the cost of not maturing?What happens to a dream deferred?Do we have  all the right parts?Is the budget set right for having those parts available?Is the training appropriate for this?Where is the best place for folks to track you down, learn about what you're excited about and support you?What voices or artistic expressions are you unconsciously dismissing based on their origin?How might your biases be preventing you from recognizing their actual quality?In what areas of your life are you participating authentically versus simply consuming or commodifying, and what would deeper knowledge-based engagement look like?What established systems in your field or organization need to evolve to remain relevant, and how can you maintain quality while embracing necessary change?What opportunities for growth are you not seeing because you've become comfortable flying around the confines of your current situation?What is the cost to you of never testing your full potential?

"It is much safer to be vulnerable than you might think." - Ashley Kirsner Ashley is the founder and director of Skip the Small Talk, and believes in the efficacy of high-quality person-to-person interaction for improving psychological health. She has conducted research with professors at prestigious organizations such as Cornell University, the Harvard Decision Science Lab, and the Harvard Business School, on social and clinical psychology topics ranging from decision-making and implicit biases to facial expressions in borderline personality disorder patients. Ashley gained hands-on therapeutic experience as a suicide hotline phone responder and as a peer counselor at Cornell. Ashley received her B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University and turned down acceptances to doctorate programs in order to devote her time to Skip the Small Talk. She received a fellowship from the Harvard Divinity School for individuals who have demonstrated a social impact in the domain of creating meaningful communities. Skip The Small Talk events are regularly held internationally, as well as an online options. In this engaging episode of 'Curated Questions,' host Ken Woodward sits down with Ashley Kirsner, the founder and director of 'Skip the Small Talk.' They explore the transformative power of meaningful conversations, the science behind vulnerability, and the surprising benefits of structured social interactions.   Ashley shares her experiences from the suicide hotline, her inspiration for starting 'Skip the Small Talk,' and how intentional question design can foster deeper human connections. The conversation also delves into the physiological benefits of social interactions, ethical considerations in community building, and the importance of creating safe spaces for vulnerability. Tune in to learn how these insights can help you build stronger, more authentic relationships in your own life. Episode Notes[00:00] The Power of Vulnerability[01:57] Meet Ashley Kirsner[03:55] The Impact of Active Listening[05:02] A Transformative Call[06:25] The Magic of Open-Ended Questions[13:28] The Role of Basic Needs in Emotional Well-being[17:10] The Birth of Skip the Small Talk[25:18] The First Skip the Small Talk Event[28:39] The Evolution of Skip the Small Talk[32:56] Online Events During COVID-19[34:58] Work At An Anxiety Lab[38:08] The Importance of Positive Questions[42:40] The Power of Repeated Questions[45:33] Attending a Skip the Small Talk Event[46:14] The Speed Dating Format[47:21] Encouraging Anxious Participants[48:45] The Power of Sharing Deeply[49:32] Consistent Findings on Vulnerability[50:13] Understanding Oversharing[51:11] Structure and Time Management[52:18] Facilitators and Norms[53:12] Contact Information Norms[55:06] Intentional Iteration and Safety[56:37] The Role of Participants[59:01] Financial Accessibility and Investment[01:00:43] Balancing Accessibility and Compensation[01:01:49] Compensating Facilitators[01:04:39] Physiological Benefits of Deep Conversations[01:07:00] Research on Loneliness and Connection[01:09:02] The Impact of Loneliness on Health[01:10:41] The Role of Sleep in Connection[01:13:42] The Importance of Group Interactions[01:15:10] The Power of Intentional Conversations[01:20:26] Learning from Gathering Experts[01:23:19] Right Now Question & Following Curiosity[01:30:18] Where You Can Find Skip The Small Talk[01:35:45] Takeaway Thoughts & Questions Resources MentionedSkip The Small TalkChris VossFinding Good with Brian FretwellDr. Nicholas EpleyDBT - Dialectical Behavioral TherapyBrene BrownHow We Gather by Priya ParkerPower of Ritual by Casper ter KuileHow We Gather by Dr. Angie Thurston - Harvard Divinity SchoolDeath of RasputinHarvard Graduate School of EducationHarvardWharton Business SchoolMITGE AviationAct BlueBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?How would this possibly work?What are we doing here?How could this possibly be effective?What is it that asking questions actually does for us?In this deep end of the pool, for what you experience as a suicide hotline counselor, what does that look like?How did that impact you?Were there questions that you found most impactful on that end?Are you feeling suicidal right now?Do you have a weapon?Do you have a plan?Do you have any objects to complete that plan with you right now?Are you comfortable being in a different room from it while we're having this conversation?When's the last time you slept?When's the last time you ate?Can we get some food in you?Can we take a walk?Do they know anything you're experiencing right now?If the roles were reversed and it were your partner or your cousin or your parent who were going through something like this, would you want them to tell you about it?Do you think they wanna know if you're going through a tough time?What if we had a space where we were all on the same page?Can you take a moment to go home and be a little more vulnerable with your roommate, partner, family, or neighbors?Can you take that skill with you into the rest of your life?How are you doing right now?How did you decide to do your first skip-the-small-talk event?When's the next one gonna be?Is this even possible?How do you have people switch partners in a way that makes sense online?How do we do this?What do you got for us?How do we do this for like hundreds of people?Can you talk about that story of where you pulled the questions from, and why you chose the different questions that you did?Where do you live?What do you like about where you live?What's the worst thing you've ever experienced?When's the last time you cried?When's the last time you experienced awe?What's something you're proud of that you don't normally get to share with people or that might not be on a resume?Specifically asking what are pieces of yourself that you don't normally get to share?What is a favorite ice cream?What was something that this organization has done right to help you?What do you think it is about the structure that allows for that to happen?What other elements are at play here?Finances would be a barrier, can you help me out?Do you wanna do it for free?Due to your position in society, does it make you more or less likely to go to prison?How can we do subtle things so that you don't have to necessarily out yourself as having an invisible disability, but still get your needs met?How can we make people with marginalized identities feel comfortable opening up?How do we make those spaces feel safer?What is your right now question?What makes an experience awesome?What makes storytelling awesome?Why was this moment so powerful?Why do we dim the lights a little at dinner partiesWhat little things can you do to trick your physiology to be more immersed in an experience?Does doing a new novel activity with someone, trick your brain into being more excited about hanging out with someone?How can you make these memories more tactile?What does the tablecloth feel like?What do the napkins feel like?Can you just do five more of these?Can we do this throughout the year?What assumptions are you making about how much others want to know about your inner world, and how might testing those assumptions change your relationships?How might your community benefit from structured opportunities to practice deeper connection, and what role could you play in creating those spaces?If you treated meaningful conversation as essential to your health, as sleep or exercise, how would that change your daily priorities and choices?Are your questions designed to extract information or to create conditions where others can share the best parts of themselves?

"I realized that paying attention is a form of a question." - Robert Sturman Robert Sturman is a seeker and visual storyteller. Driven by an unshakeable belief that beauty exists everywhere. He has pursued this vision as an Official Artist of the Grammy Awards and the FIFA World Cup, and as a globally recognized photographer who captures the healing power of humanity through yoga. After studying art at UC Santa Cruz and Memphis College of Art, he discovered that his life itself, was art, and needed to become a masterpiece. Robert has mastered finding profound beauty in unexpected places - from the streets of Manhattan to San Quentin Prison, from Kenyan orphans to breast cancer survivors bearing their scars. His philosophy is rooted in Rumi's words: "I can't stop pointing to the beauty."   Through his lens, Robert demonstrates that everyone belongs and vulnerability becomes strength. His approach reveals that the most potent questions aren't about technique, but about trust, connection, and helping people recognize their own light. He seeks beauty where others see difficulty because he understands transformation happens when we're willing to look deeper. The most heartfelt title he answers to is Dad to Otis the Handsome Hound, an 85-pound English American Redtick Coonhound who was rescued following animal testing. Otis has nearly 7K Instagram followers and is an advocate for cruelty-free testing.   In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward converses with renowned visual storyteller Robert Sturman. Robert, celebrated for his profound and inclusive photography, shares insights on capturing the healing power of humanity through his lens. The discussion explores Robert's journey from photographing idyllic beach yogis to documenting yoga practice in diverse and challenging settings, including maximum security prisons and amongst war veterans.  Through his lens, he celebrates vulnerability, trust, and beauty in unexpected places. Robert also delves into his advocacy work with his rescued animal companion Otis, highlighting the critical issue of cruelty-free product testing. Throughout the episode, recurring themes focus on the transformative power of paying attention, the courageous response to criticism, and the continuous pursuit of personal and artistic growth. Episode Notes[00:00] Introduction to San Quentin Experience[01:10] Welcome to Curated Questions[01:34] Content Warning and Subscription Reminder[02:33] Introduction to Robert Sturman[04:06] Robert's Journey into Photography and Yoga[04:48] First Visit to San Quentin[06:53] Media Portrayal vs. Reality of Prisons[08:31] Robert's Passion for Yoga Photography[13:55] Criticism and Inclusivity in Yoga Photography[19:08] Building Trust Through Photography[30:42] Misconceptions About Prisons[34:02] Personal Reflections and Growth[35:56] The Importance of Self-Improvement[43:49] Transition from Military to Creative Pursuits[44:20] Tragic Circumstances and New Beginnings[46:00] Embracing New Technologies in Photography[48:04] Discovering a New World Through Photography[49:16] Integrating Documentary Photography with Journalism[51:10] The Unconscious Mind and Creative Processes[53:14] Capturing Authentic Moments in Photography[58:34] The Importance of Perspective in Photography[01:03:10] Honoring Humanity Through Photography[01:05:28] The Beauty of Aging and Life Lessons from Tao[01:07:48] Otis the Pup and Animal Advocacy[01:10:00] Raising Awareness About Animal Testing[01:13:04] Practical Steps to Support Cruelty-Free Products[01:16:35] Final Reflections and Takeaways Resources MentionedOtis the Handsome Hound on InstagramTao Porchon-LynchSan Quentin State PrisonPrison Yoga ProjectJames FoxNational GeographicLife MagazinePicasso's AcrobatsRobert Sturman websiteRobert Sturman InstagramRobert's Polaroid SeriesBraille InstituteYoga JournalThe Five-Minute JournalLeonardo da VinciLieutenant Commander Elizabeth CorwinVal KilmerECOS cleaning productsCruelty Free Leaping BunnySwitzerland Food LabelsBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Did you see them light up?How are you?How is it that you ended up in San Quentin prison taking pictures of folks?I wonder where else folks are doing yoga?Why don't you photograph real people?What are they talking about?How can I understand this?What aspect of this should I take on and apply?How did that process work for you?What was the underlying desire to get those onto the covers?How else in this world would I be invited and welcomed into communities than with the camera and telling this story?What other way would I be able to go to prison except for committing a crime?How do you kind of prepare your heart for looking at these new communities as you  approach them for the first time?What kind of things do you think about?Are you studying them beforehand or just going cold?How has that worked out for you so far?In getting to know the people that you're doing this art with, do you use questions at all?Is that a part of any of your routine?What kind of car did you drive when you came from New York to California?How much was gas?Have you encountered stories of how your images have challenged and changed organizations or people?What are some things that we get wrong about prison?What does reconciliation to society look like?How can they best become a thriving member?Have you used questions at all in developing either your trust in your work or your processes for how you see the world through photography?How can I be better?What does that apply to, all ways as far as how you are developing or, working digitally, setting up the shot? Or is it all of that stuff or particular area?Does drinking alcohol fog you?How did you work through recognizing that the way you had been doing things was going away and be able to land on your feet with this new direction?What did that journey look like for you?Did you have that sense at that time that the meaning was missing?How have you known that you were in that space? Was it a physical manifestation?Was it just the confidence or what you were seeing through the lens? How is it that you knew that you're in this flow state?How do you know that?How can we honor their full humanity or their full being just by changing our perspective?What do you think Tao's wrinkles say?What rings true for you at the moment?How can I help?What can I do?What is your right now question?How can I make use of my time on this planet and be more awake?How can I continue to wake up and be here and face this world raw and do whatever it is I can do to contribute to the healing of in life?What resonated with you? Are you taking something from others in your interactions, or are you creating something meaningful together?How does the quality of your attention communicate what you believe about someone's worth?What are they talking about?How can I understand this?When faced with criticism, do you defend your current path or genuinely explore what truth might be hidden in the challenge?What one question, if asked consistently, would most powerfully guide your daily choices and long-term growth?

"They were the leather apron crowd, average guys intent on having extraordinary conversations." - Ken Woodward In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward uncovers a forgotten antidote to our fractured discourse: Benjamin Franklin's Junto. In 1727 Philadelphia, a 21-year-old printer gathered tradesmen—the 'leather apron crowd'—for Friday night discussions that would revolutionize American civic life. This wasn't just a social club; it was a systematic experiment in collective wisdom that led to the creation of America's first volunteer fire company, lending library, public hospital, and the University of Pennsylvania. Ken explores Franklin's 24 carefully crafted questions that transformed ordinary workers into civic leaders, revealing how debates conducted 'without fondness for dispute, or desire of victory' built both personal character and community institutions. Through themes of personal development, community awareness, civic engagement, and mutual support, the Junto proved that structured curiosity could turn individual ambition into collective flourishing. Drawing from Franklin's original rules, including banning words like 'certainly' and fining members who spoke too definitively, Ken explains how the Junto combined three elements that modern groups often keep separate: personal growth, civic action, and genuine friendship. The episode includes a vulnerable reflection on intellectual loneliness and ends with a direct challenge: Start this Friday. Find three curious people. Ask one of Franklin's questions. See what happens. Episode Notes[00:00] Introduction to the Junto[00:43] Welcome to Curated Questions[01:04] Setting the Scene: 1727 Philadelphia[01:22] Meet the Junto Members[01:57] The Junto's Impact on Society[04:03] Franklin's Early Life and Influences[04:55] The Formation of the Junto[05:16] The Rules of the Junto[05:35] The Spirit of Inquiry[06:14] The Power of Language[06:54] The Playful Side of the Junto[07:19] The 24 Questions[08:12] Themes of the Questions[08:32] Personal and Intellectual Growth[09:17] Community and Social Awareness[10:22] Civic Engagement and Justice[11:26] Mutual Support and Collaboration[13:30] The Decline of the Junto[14:49] The Impact on Modern Times[18:16] Reclaiming the Lost Art of Conversation[22:25] Final Thoughts and Call to Action Resources MentionedHugh MeredithWilliam ColemanThomas GodfreyJoseph BreintnallBenjamin Franklin's 24 Junto QuestionsEssays to Do Good by Cotton MatherCotton MatherDeclaration of IndependenceLibrary Company of PhiladelphiaHugh RobertsBeauty PillProducer Ben FordPiscataway People Questions AskedWhat if I told you that one antidote to our fractured discourse was invented in a Philadelphia tavern 300 years ago?Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties of the people?Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?Have you met with anything in the author you last read, remarkable, or suitable to be communicated to the Junto?What unhappy effects of intemperance have you lately observed or heard? of imprudence? of passion? or of any other vice or folly?What happy effects of temperance? of prudence? of moderation? or of any other virtue?Have you lately heard of any citizen's thriving well, and by what means?Have you lately heard how any present rich man, here or elsewhere, got his estate?Do you know of any fellow citizen, who has lately done a worthy action, deserving praise and imitation, or who has committed an error proper for us to be warned against and avoid?Have you lately observed any defect in the laws of your country, of which it would be proper to move the legislature an amendment?Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties of the people?Hath any body attacked your reputation lately? and what can the Junto do towards securing it?Have you any weighty affair in hand, in which you think the advice of the Junto may be of service?In what manner can the Junto, or any of them, assist you in any of your honourable designs?What benefits have you lately received from any man not present?Do you hear what happened?Is there any difficulty in matters of opinion, of justice, and injustice, which you would gladly have discussed at this time?I mean, when's the last time someone asked you a similar question?When's the last time you felt safe enough to really explore a moral complexity with people who might disagree with you?So, how do we reclaim this lost art?How do we rebuild the capacity for productive disagreement in our polarized world?Have you encountered any information recently that changed how you think about an important issue?What examples of good citizenship have you witnessed lately that others might want to emulate?What problems in your community do you think could be solved by people working together?How has someone outside this group helped you recently, and how might you pay that forward?What's a question about justice or community well-being that you've been wrestling with that this group might help you think through?Do you see anything amiss in the present customs or proceedings of our democracy, which might be amended?The only question is: are we brave enough to try it?What questions will you bring to your own Junto?

"I brought these people together and now they're engaging with each other and enriching each other's lives." - Scott Johnson Scott is a curious listener and natural connector. He started The Computer Tutor in 1999 and then expanded to include a compendium podcast, which he hosted for several hundred episodes. Driven by an insatiable desire to understand what extraordinary experiences feel like, he created "What Was That Like," a nationally recognized storytelling podcast. Scott transitioned from computer business owner to full-time podcaster, to present first-hand stories from people who have survived unbelievable circumstances. Scott has mastered the art of creating safe spaces for guests to share deeply personal experiences - animal attacks, plane crashes, mass shootings, and other life-changing events. His genuine curiosity and ability to ask the right questions draw out intimate, honest conversations that tunnel straight to the heart and vulnerability of each story. He doesn't skim the surface; he creates connections that often move both storytellers and listeners to tears. Scott demonstrates through his work that storytelling has immense power to preserve memories, inspire action, and create a lasting impact. His approach shows that everyone has a story worth telling, and the right questions can unlock profound human connections. In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages with Scott Johnson, the creator of the 'What Was That Like' podcast. The discussion examines how Scott's podcast cultivates profound human connections through storytelling. Scott shares insights into his journey from a computer business owner to a podcaster, revealing the meticulous preparation and empathy required to capture extraordinary true stories.  They delve into themes like the power of questions, creating safe spaces for sharing trauma, and Scott's personal journey of religious deconstruction. Highlights include profound and outlandish stories from Scott’s podcast, the impact of a supportive community, and using personal pain to create purpose. The episode is an insightful exploration of how curiosity and storytelling can break down barriers and build authentic connections. Episode Notes[00:00] Introduction to Curated Questions[01:49] Introducing Scott Johnson[04:18] The Power of Questions[06:04] Conversations with Strangers[07:43] The Tattoo Conversation Starter[09:23] The Origin of 'What Was That Like?'[12:25] Jennifer Caused a Fatal Accident[16:15] Finding Guests for the Podcast[18:30] Unusual Stories and Listener Engagement[23:47] Creating a Safe Space for Guests[31:05] The Impact of Storytelling[35:46] Outlandish Story: Shiny Ate His Own Foot[41:31] Heart-Wrenching Stories: Laura's Pain Became Her Purpose Episode[43:48] Advocacy and Awareness[46:21] A Fun Episode: Fabiana won The Price Is Right showcase[47:58] Editing Questions for Better Storytelling[49:38] Curiosity from Childhood[52:10] The Birth of the Computer Tutor[53:13] Learning Computer Repair[54:33] Avoiding Ineffective Questions[57:31] Curiosity With Scott's Kids[01:00:13] Empathy: A Divisiveness Hack[01:01:45] Building a Community on Facebook[01:03:10] Engaging with the Audience[01:06:36] Podcasting Rhythm and Collaborations[01:08:32] Meeting Meredith and Chemistry[01:10:36] Personal Growth and Podcast Evolution[01:15:32] Questioning Religious Beliefs[01:19:47] Identity and Religion[01:28:45] Scotts Goto Final Questions[01:31:46] Insights & Takeaways Resources MentionedThe Computer Tutor PodcastWhat Was That Like PodcastMeredith For Real, The Curious IntrovertYou Are Enough hoodieUltra Finishers PodcastSchool of Podcasting with Dave JacksonBuilding A Better Dave PodcastJennifer Caused a Fatal Accident (What Was That Like Episode)James BondThe Rest of the Story with Paul HarveyShiny Ate His Own Foot (What Was That Like Episode)Laura's Pain Became Her Purpose (What Was That Like Episode)Fabiana Won The Price Is Right Showcase (What Was That Like Episode)The Price Is RightBob BarkerDrew CareyBirth As We Know It PodcastWhat Was That Like? - Facebook GroupPriya ParkerGlassbox MediaIOTD365.comMensa SocietyGrammarlyBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?What's your podcast about?How does your curiosity show up that way?What's the history?Why would you get that?What started the show for you?Have you followed up with her at all in the years since to see how she's doing?What's the best kind of podcast to almost ensure growth?Remember so and so, wonder what's happening with him now?You ever talk to him anymore?Any particular primary way you find your guests?Are there any particular stories that are still on that list that you haven't checked off yet?What's the real story here?Do you think it's gonna take 45 minutes to tell the story?How do you go about creating this safe space?Do I really want to go on and talk to Scott about this and tell that story?How do you think about your follow-up questions?How are you working through the story with them in following your curiosity?Who was in your family?Who was in the car with you at the time?How old are your kids?Where were you going?How have you recovered?Have you had therapy?How did you get through it and what are you doing now?What was the question you just asked me again?What was going through your head at that time?What were you thinking?What was that self-talk like?What would I be thinking at that time?What happens inside the human mind when trauma is being introduced?How do you think that this has changed you?Is this person really going to lose someone, or what's really gonna happen?What are a couple of your most outlandish or favorite episodes or at the top of the list of stories that you retell when you're doing conversations like this?What's the weirdest story you've ever done?If you had the opportunity to taste human flesh, and it was legal, ethical, and maybe even healthy, would you do it?Remember that conversation we had?Why am I saying yes or no? Is it a health reason? Is it a moral reason?Is there anything objectively wrong with it?Is it just cultural?Where is our son?Something as precious as your child, how can you just forget them?What were you thinking when that happened?Were you feeling apprehensive?Were you asking a lot of questions as a kid?What's the difference?Can you fix that?Why can't I do it?What are ineffective questions?How do you even answer that question?Who's your wife?What kids do you already have?What did the questions and curiosity look like for them from your perspective as a parent?How do you pronounce everybody's name?Who else is in the story?Who else are we gonna be talking about?Is there any part of the story that you don't want to talk about or that I shouldn't ask you about?If go back to a certain point in your life and change something, what would you change?What was the happiest day of your life?Did you start the Facebook group straight away once you started the podcast?How did you two meet?Why don't we do a promo trade?What is your right now question?What really is the truth?If you were wrong, would you want to know about it?Would you want to know that you're wrong?Do you have any other thoughts on questions that we hadn't necessarily touched on at all that you wanted to touch on?What are you always hoping the host will ask, but they don't usually?Is there any part of the story that we haven't talked about that you wanted to mention?Where's the best place for folks to find out all the things that you're excited about and to be able to follow the work that you're doing?Are you asking questions simply to fill conversational space, or are you genuinely prepared to be changed by what you discover in the answers?How could your questions serve not just your own curiosity, but create spaces where others feel safe to be authentically human?What beliefs are you protecting from genuine examination because questioning them might require you to become someone different than who you've always been?What pain might you now be able to recycle into a newfound purpose?

"That's where things started with my idea and vision for this space." - Ernest Ponraj Dr. Ernest Ponraj, a native of Montgomery County, Maryland, pursued his undergraduate studies at Pacific Union College in California before earning his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Loma Linda University in 2008. After obtaining his DDS license, he returned to Maryland and has since been a practicing dentist, serving the communities of Virginia, DC, and Maryland. In October 2014, Dr. Ponraj embarked on his journey as a practice owner by taking over a retiring dentist’s practice in both Silver Spring and Gaithersburg, MD. Over the past decade, he has modernized and expanded his skills at these locations, culminating in his move to Technē (spelled TECHNE) Dental in Rockville, MD. He is committed to ensuring his practice meets his highest standards of dental care. This is where a twist you didn't see coming is revealed. Dr. Ponraj, who prefers to go by Ernest, is also an artist. He opened his new office last year as a combination of a working dental office and, get this, an art gallery. Yeah, I know; this hurt my brain as well. I was confident that whoever was behind this operation had a story that included questions. The episode delves into Ernest’s initial fear of questions, the crises that led to his renewed focus on integrating his passions for art and dentistry, and his insights on how open-ended questions can empower and connect with patients. The conversation also explores the challenges and joys of merging two distinct aspects of his identity into a harmonious professional practice, and his future aspirations for community engagement and artistic collaboration. After we finished our engaging conversation in his office, Ernest gave me a tour of the gallery to gain a better appreciation of what he has built. The video of the tour will be available on the Curated Questions YouTube channel, allowing you to see Ernest's space and artwork for yourself. I kept the audio of the tour in this podcast as an experiment. A couple of episodes ago, author Jeff Wetzler discussed the importance of deep listening, as it may reveal things you might overlook in a video. This is an opportunity to test your listening skills and then head over and watch the video clip to see how your imagination filled in the story. As always, there are my detailed takeaways included at the end. Episode Notes[00:00] Introduction to Curated Questions[00:32] Meet Dr. Ernest Ponraj[01:29] The Twist: Dentist and Artist[02:01] Tour of the Art Gallery[03:00] First In-Person Conversation[03:10] Understanding the Power of Questions[04:43] Connecting Through Questions[11:12] The Journey to Practice Ownership[12:21] Challenges and Growth in Dentistry[13:48] COVID-19 and a New Beginning[15:40] Combining Dentistry and Art[18:41] Patient Reactions to the Art Space[22:25] The Role of Art in Reducing Anxiety[24:16] Ernest's Artistic Journey[33:01] Reflections on Life and Giving Back[37:47] Reflecting on Small Joys[38:00] The Art of Asking Questions[39:24] Understanding Patient Needs[40:17] Serving the Community[42:16] Balancing Dentistry and Art[42:50] Promoting the Space[43:30] Building the Right Team[44:05] Current Challenges and Goals[45:52] Creating Memorable Experiences[47:24] Connecting Through Art[48:41] Showcasing Local Artists[55:12] Interactive Art Wall[58:31] Personal Art Journey[01:01:32] Highlighting Emerging Artists[01:04:55] Final Thoughts and Takeaways Resources MentionedTECHNE Dental GalleryTechnedental on InstagramJeff WetzlerDr. Cheryl Lee-PowMartin Luther King Jr.El MacEl Obrero by El MacSean TaylorJaden DanielsSalvador DaliBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Am I giving the right answer?Does this make sense?Do I know how to answer these?Did I do well enough on this test?Do you find that even today, you're more curious with your wife in asking questions?Do you find it easy to engage with your wife with questions?Have you always had that?What does that story look like for you?How hard could it be?How could I let this happen?Is this really happening?Am I doing the right thing?How can you really do it?Do I want my work and career to just be something that I do to make income, to support my family?Do you really wanna enjoy what you do and have it be something that when you look back on your life, you're like, you know what, I'm glad I did this?Where do I go from here now?What has been some of that experience been like?Why are you a dentist?Are you seeing that [renewed passion for dentistry] as an extension of art?Where do you go from there?How would you encourage others to think about perhaps merging areas of their life that others may not understand?How have we gone wrong?Did your parents encourage you on in the world of questions, what was that like for you?How can I contribute to give back to them?Do you get a chance to get back to India regularly to meet extended family?Are there any particular questions that you've carried with you, whether it's through seasons or, that you come back to?How many times do you floss a day?How can I serve the community?What is your current how?How do I even let my neighbors right here know that we have this space here?How do I promote this space?What is your right now question?How to balance the dental aspect of things is in terms of doing my day-to-day work?Any other things about questions that we hadn't covered down on that as you were thinking about the conversation?Anything that we didn't touch on?What would make you walk out of this place and want to tell somebody, that was the best experience I ever had?Where's the best place for folks to catch up with you?In doing your creating, in making your art, what does that do for you?For the three that you've got up here, what element is it that resonates with you?How might your own relationship with questions, whether asking or answering them, be limiting your ability to connect authentically with others?What crisis or major life transition might be calling you to stop compartmentalizing different parts of yourself and instead integrate them into something more authentic and fulfilling?What routine questions in your professional life could you redesign to move from information-gathering to story-inviting, creating space for deeper connection and understanding?What hidden aspects of yourself (talents, passions, or experiences) are you keeping separate from your professional identity, and how might sharing them create deeper connections with colleagues, clients, or patients?

"Albeit on wobbly legs, I chose courage." - Ken Woodward Curated Questions host, Ken Woodward recounts his transformative journey of questioning deeply held beliefs about patriotism and social justice, influenced by significant moments, readings, and personal encounters.   This introspective episode delves into his midlife reevaluation of American history, racism, and the resilience required to challenge ingrained myths. From walking through Washington DC to participating in significant social movements, Ken shares the trials, learning experiences, and the courage it took to step outside his comfort zone.   The episode underscores the importance of continuous questioning and engagement in personal and societal growth. Episode Notes[00:00] Introduction: Seeing Through the Myth[01:06] Welcome to Curated Questions[01:28] Ken's Backstory[02:05] Rethinking American History[03:05] Discovering Hidden Truths[03:58] Impact of Redlining and Racism[05:14] The Church's Complicity[06:19] Systemic Inequality[06:52] Influential Authors[08:26] The Reality of White-Body Supremacy & Lynching[12:52] Repentance and Reconciliation[13:24] The Unfulfilled Promises[16:38] The Walk Begins[17:38] Challenges and Conversations[18:34] Physical and Emotional Struggles[19:51] Community Reactions[21:40] Encounters and Reflections[22:26] Privilege and Protection[23:29] Friends and Fears[25:04] Blue-eyed Devil[26:13] Lessons from the Walk[27:10] Confronting Racism[28:23] The Importance of Listening[28:53] Mistakes and Apologies[29:39] The Impact of the Walk[32:56] Building New Communities[34:05] Final Thoughts and Gratitude Resources MentionedAn Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (ReVisioning History) by Roxanne Dunbar-OrtizThe Color of Law by Richard RothsteinSister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America by Melissa Harris-PerryThe Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar TisbyCaste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel WilkersonJames BaldwinNikki GiovanniClint SmithChimamanda Ngozi AdichieChristina SharpeResmaa MenakemC. Vann WoodwardJames W. LoewenToni MorrisonAngela DavisFrederick DouglassOctavia ButlerTa-Nehisi CoatesWilliam Loyd GarrisonIbriam X. KendiMary Turner and the lynching rampage of 1918Emmett TillMalcolm XLorton Prison in VirginiaWagshal's DeliBlack Lives Matter PlazaWashington PostTheresa VargasBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedIf this was the case, and 50% of this book was wrong, what do I do with the 50% that is correct?How is a Black family supposed to build generational wealth when redlining is legal?How would this knowledge would inform my understanding of the lived experiences of the Black women around me?What tendrils might this endorsement of state-sanctioned terror might have in today's sanctuaries?Why didn't Black service members get access to the GI Bill after returning from the World Wars?How is the Republican adoption of the Southern Strategy to disenfranchise Black voters starting in the 1950s still functioning?I questioned, how can this country move forward if we don't embrace the truth?Where did all the people sitting on picnic blankets go?Did we expect the passage of the Civil Rights Act to change all the deep-seated hatred and bigotry?How might this residue coat the rest of our society in both visible and unseen ways?Are you packin'?You think you got something to say, don't you?Are you a racist?What this project would accomplish. How was it going to make a difference in her life?