Humans are complicated. We often crave change... as long as we don't have to work to make it happen. How great would it be if we could have that dream job, or perfect mate, or lose that pesky 10 pounds, with a wave of a wand or a sprinkle of pixie dust? Life would be perfect. So much for magical thinking. Change, unless it happens from external sources, is an inside job. Yes, it is so hard, we may whine, but so well worth it if it brings us closer to what we want and honors our values.&nb...
Our voiceprint is as unique as our fingerprint, and we understand a little about how we use our physical voice. But how do we use a writer's voice, and what is it anyway? As readers, we fall in love with certain writers, their word choice, their attitude, the memorable characters that populate a work of fiction, or the distinct style of an essayist or non-fiction writer. Whether you want to make your emails more engaging/impactful/entertaining or if you're attempting...
With two creative guilds (Writers Guild of America & SAG-AFTRA) on strike, can we look forward to a repeat of this summer's Barbenhiemer double-bill phenom next summer? How much longer can striking actors and writers face off with big studios? This strike affects many thousands more: Directors, script supervisors, hair and make-up, location scouts, gaffers, craft services, dialect coaches are just some of the essential members of a film crew. Collin Lieberg is Creative Execut...
You've probably heard the ubiquitous discussion about AI. How the bots are coming after your job, and are capable of even greater nefarious actions. We put the nefarious aside today to address how AI voices are eliminating the need/desire to use human voice actors for many narration projects. So yes, Jack and my conversation is born out of self-interest, some trepidation and curiosity as to where all of this leads. The development and now widespread use of AI - ...
Feeling overwhelmed? Lonely? Burnt-out and unfulfilled? You're not alone. When the Surgeon General declares a mental health crisis, you know your feelings of anxiety and depression are not outliers. Mental Health Counselor Jon Mattleman provides some calm, as well as some strategies you can use to help you get over some of life's most challenging times and perhaps lift your spirits. We talk about the changing phenomenon of how we choose - if at all, to show up at work, where to find...
Passions. Some people say follow your passions and you'll never work a day in your life. Do what you love and the money will follow. Is that true? If we don't take the road less traveled, will we regret it, or be ever grateful to the parents who urged us to attend business school or find 'a real job'? Is it possible to follow a more traditional, pragmatic career path and either find passion there? How important is having a career for an interest we have passion for, especially if...
AI Voices. We hear about them every day. And we hear them every day. At the airport. Waiting for a bus or train. On that small console on our kitchen counter or, God forbid, bedside table. Smart assistants make our lives easier: Ask them anything. But the technology also hears a lot. Perhaps a lot that we’d rather keep to ourselves. In this episode, I talk about my own ambivalence about the quickly evolving development of and our growing comfort with AI. For many of us in the voice ov...
She is a TED-talking, eLearning, tech-savvy, belly-dancing, wine-sipping presentation coach, and she's my guest today on Embark. Ongoing Mastery's Kirsten Rourke worked freelance with training vendors for over 20 years, gaining expertise in adjusting to environments on the fly and fixing training programs that weren’t working for clients’ needs. She's been an e-Learning developer, staff instructional designer, and production manager for a large international team. In addition to being a Cert...
"Everything rests on your ability to communicate." Catherine Johns walks - and talks - the talk. I have the pleasure to share a fantastic conversation where we discuss how to gracefully navigate the dreaded Zoom talk, as well as how to own the stage, even when you are being heckled, er, challenged by an unruly audience member. Hear Catherine's take on how the overthinking speaker gets centered, where to place yourself on stage, and when to move and why a bot will never replace her. ...
Tired of the news cycle? Sick of the constant drip, drip, drip of downbeat information? So are we, so Jack and I decided less news media consumption, more turning up the volume and indulging our passion for listening to music. We couldn't help but watch the State of the Union Address, though. We wander into political territory, before going to the happy place of sharing favorite bands, and wondering if Rock 'n Roll is still a thing. If it's not, is it time to re-think the Rock and R...
How's your year going? Jack has dubbed the month of January 'the Monday of the year', and it's feeling that way with the crazy shenanigans going on in the House of Representatives, secret documents unearthed in garages and tell-all bios by whiny Royals. Although we not-so-secretly crave a crown of our own. (I'm polishing mine now.) Jack and I do find silver linings, and cock-eyed optimists that we are, share admiration for Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin and gratitude for his remarkable re...
Now that most of us are remote, there's a whole lot of writing going on. Emails, social posts, newsletters, web content. Writing, or at least good writing, is something many of us find difficult. Erin Lebacqz is here and guides us to show up as our best selves, on paper(or screen), at least. We talk about why conciseness and clarity matter, and how how you can convey a respectful, empathetic message to people, regardless of their beliefs, background, educational level...
The lights! The decorations! The presents! The throw down at the dinner table. Ah, the holidays. They can be joyous occasions to spend with family. Or, they can be emotional landmines, filled with resentment, competition and angry exchanges over a difference of opinion. Before you walk out in a huff -- before dessert hits the table, no less - let's take five, or ten to compose ourselves. Jack and I discuss some of the pitfalls of family get togethers, and hopefully share some ways to prepar...
Our phones are ubiquitous. I mean, we don't leave home without them. So, let's use them for more real time conversations? My guest, Mary Jane Copps has some answers and also some compelling reasons to reach out and touch someone: Just call them on the phone. Mary Jane, also known as MJ or to her many followers, The Phone Lady has shown hundreds of professionals how to use the phone to ramp up their business. Recently a cohort of her clients experienced mind-boggling close rates of 30 perc...
Did your personality change as a result of the Covid pandemic? According to an October article in the New York Times, possibly. Whether the changes are long-term or permanent remain to be seen, but there's no denying the events of the last almost three years has affected our behaviors. Jack and I talk about what some of those long term changes mean, the high cost of college tuition and what one university is doing about it, the long road to adulthood and why nominees for the&nbs...
Tis the season to be thankful, and Jack Monson and I get there, eventually. In the meantime, we talk about passive-aggressive greetings and faux concern, a new season of Yellowstone, and a yearning for more humor in advertising and culture. What are we grateful for? Well, Thanksgiving, for one, Mel Brooks, Nick Kroll and really good pizza. In fact, Jack suggests we add a brand new holiday following this week's feast in honor of our favorite doughy treat.
Social Joey Radio's Jack Monson and I once again talk about our differences on the political front, but form a united front on our shared disdain of Reality TV. Our conversation soon leads to a political discussion and how the media magnifies the bad behavior of politicians. As usual, we have different takes on the attack of Paul Pelosi, our preferred midterm elections outcomes and our take on current circumstances as we see it. We agree way too much is spent on getting people elected, ...
We hear a lot from some people. If you're on social media, perhaps we hear too much. But what about the rest of us? We're mum on many topics, especially those that may be polarizing. Let's be brave, be open and at least start a difficult conversation. We might learn something and even through conflict create a relationship based on mutual respect, if not agreement. Jack Monson and Liz Solar look at political polarization, labelling other people and reality TV, as well as question who ...
Is it possible to disagree with someone on politics, party and policy and still be civil? Heck yeah. You can even be friends. My colleague, Jack Monson and I may not share opinions on what politicians we support or who is best to solve what's ailing our country, but we do share a love of family, work ethic, a broadcasting background and an irreverent sense of humor. We get each other. We wonder how we can find common ground, when we don't even share a vocabulary about ben...
One of the most entertaining writers I've read -- Randy Susan Meyers matches that level of fun in our conversation. We talk about writing what you know truthfully, and why villains are so much fun -- but only in fiction. In real life, not so much. If you're looking for great summer reads, she has quite a few. You can find them here. Later in the episode, I share what I'm reading this week. Please share your beach reads at liz@embarkthepodcast.com. Randy Susan Meyers is the national b...