I'm Listening

Send us a text Gratitude, grateful, thankful, gracious… are they all the same? No and also yes. In this episode we show our gratitude and discuss what we are thankful for. We also discuss the importance of practicing how to give and receive thanks. Why is that? Well, it makes us all feel better. Welcome to oxytocin. --- As we wrap season 2, we thank you all. We are so grateful for all our guests and listeners around the world who value the skill of listening and feel that if we al...

Send us a text The creation of the phone, aka the cell phone, was a really, really big deal. It allowed anyone to communicate from wherever, whenever they wanted. Listening to a friend or a family member was limitless for the first time ever. Yet today, the evolution of the phone has created a dramatic shift in listening. With all of the apps, games, and information, it can be a tremendous distraction. It has become a great barrier to listening. So what can we do remove that barrier? Take a l...

Send us a text Lament is the expression that things are not right and sadness is a part of that healing. In this episode we discuss sadness. Its ok to be sad, but what can you do to work through that sadness AND what can you do to help others work through it as well? Bottom line, be there for others. And if not right now, follow up. “I know that pain is the most important thing in the universes. Greater than survival, greater than love, greater even than the beauty it brings about. For ...

Send us a text Is the Emergency Department the most critical environment for listening? We say yes and discuss this question, and others, with an expert. Sandy, the Director of Outpatient Services, a Registered Nurse, and a 37-year career ED professional, explains why. The answers may be surprising to some (including this co-host), but the skill of listening in the ED goes beyond staff to staff clinical jargon, and goes right to the core necessity of human communication and emotion.

Send us a text I’m listening is a podcast about the importance and skill of listening… but what if you don’t want to? From avoidance to exhaustion to being uncomfortable to debate, sometimes we just don’t want to listen. Is that ok? Yes, yes it is. And we ask that you tell that to the other person nicely and with respect. You can also fill your listening bucket prior to that conversation. Don’t worry, we have some tips on how to do that. And it should have been the run play.

Send us a text A priority in dog ownership is training it to listen to us. But do we listen to our dog? Should we train ourselves in the skill of listening to our dog? In this episode of I’m Listening, we explore the relatively new knowledge of how dogs listen and the importance of listening to our dogs. We talk with dog training experts Karen Wannemaker and Brett Bailey about how listening to your dog will help strengthen your relationship. We also talk about the evolution of training, the r...

Send us a text It’s that time of year when the things in the night go creeeek and crack… as the door slowly opens and you lay there wondering what could it possibly be! It was the same thing in April… but are you are you listening to them differently now? As we enter the annual celebration of Halloween, we explore why listening to certain sounds (and watching movies, and haunted houses, and decorations, and costumes, and on and on and on…) this time of year can scare us. And we love it!...

Send us a text Not all listeners are created equal. In this episode we enter into the realm of electronics and how they listen to us. But wait... WHAT! They’re listening to me? Yes, of course they are. Isn’t that why you purchased it, brought it into your home, and plugged it in? We dive into convenience, how she works, and the risk vs. reward of always being listed to… sort of. Stats: https://www.statista.com/statistics/794480/us-amazon-echo-google-home-installed-base/#:~:tex...

Send us a text Finishing each other's sentences can be an indicator that you are listing. It can also be super f-ing annoying. Brandt and Drew explore why you may want to stop finishing other's sentences or if you are going to keep doing it, please use your powers for good. Please. By the end of this episode you will understand why… and you may be ready for a sandwich. --- Science - https://www.sciencealert.com/neuroscientists-might-know-what-happens-in-your-brain-when-you-finish-...

Send us a text Is listening at work important? Is it Essential? In this episode, we discuss how essential listening is in the workplace and give some tips of how you can implement better listening skills starting right now. From supervisor to employee, to peer-to-peer, and with your boss, the value of listening does make a difference. When you establish a healthy culture of listening, you retain staff, increase productivity, and create better outcomes.

Send us a text Class is in session. We are joined by Wendy Richman, a Lecturer at UCLA and accomplished professional violist. She teaches a class called “The Art of Listening” at UCLA and she brings great perspective on how to teach listening. We hear about her personal journey, her strategies in teaching the art of listening, and how you can learn to listen just a little better starting now. Wendy Richman - https://www.wendyrichmanviola.com/ Art of Listening - https://catalog.regist...

Send us a text And we’re back! Season Two! This episode focuses on how we listen to our bodies. Brandt and Drew interview Christy Doucette, a licensed Professional Counselor from the great state of South Carolina. She is also a yoga therapist & teacher, embodiment coach, and breathwork practitioner. Her work in Somatic Therapy, a treatment focusing on the body and how emotions appear within the body (Link below), helps us understand the importance of listening to our bodies and how ...

Send us a text Noise, noise, noise! This is a podcast called I'm Listening, a podcast that has hundreds of different subjects to talk about. As we aim for wrapping up this first season, we decided to tackle likely the largest, most audacious listening category there is… sound, in particular noise. So, let’s start with color. Er, what? We chat about the concept of white, pink, and brown noise and why it exists. We take a deep dive on how it is measured in terms of frequency, amplitude, a...

Send us a text Let’s talk cover songs. Let’s talk about listening to our favorite cover songs and the reasons why musicians choose to cover certain songs. We jump into the connection, relatability, and the nostalgia. From Chris Cornell covering Sinead O'Connor's version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U", to Jazz, to Christmas songs, the podcast highlights the personal and artistic motivations behind the art of covering songs. Oh, and we talk about The Eagles too. History of the cover ...

Send us a text How important is listening in a restaurant? Lauren and Blake Schar, husband and wife restaurant owners, join us to discuss the importance of listening in the restaurant industry. We discuss the different aspects of listening in a restaurant, including the front of the house, the back of the house, and the customer experience. They also discuss how their definition of success has changed over time, prioritizing family and creating a positive work environment. https://www.bigeasy...

Send us a text This podcast enters the world of conversation imbalance. Specifically, we discuss the "me monster”, where individuals dominate conversations by constantly talking about themselves and the “one-upper”, the tendency for people to one-up each other. We delve into the balance needed in conversations (and social media) and how creating a good conversation requires active listening and a genuine exchange of ideas. So, beware of the me monsters out there… and be aware in case you are ...

Send us a text What if the act of listening is actually very difficult or nearly impossible? In this episode of I’m Listening, we explore the possibility of not being able to do so. We interview Doug who woke up one day and realized he couldn't hear anything out of his left ear and was diagnosed with tinnitus, vertigo, and hearing loss. We listen to his year-long journey and how a cochlear implant, therapy, and time training his brain helps, but will never replace what he once had. Desp...

Send us a text Ahhhh, Spring. In this podcast we discuss the arrival of Spring and the sounds associated with it. We discuss peepers (the frogs), rainstorms, birds, wind, and the sounds of baseball. When you listen to these sounds does it create a rejuvenating effect? We think so and we encourage our listeners to go outside and enjoy it… right now! Sounds by Zapsplat.com nature_wind_blustery_outside_open_window_palm_trees_narrow_a_jar_air_con_002_46207 nature_thunderstorm_approaching_distant...

Send us a text This episode explores the importance of listening in parenting and interacting with children. Listening is definitely much more prevalent than it was before, but do we need to be doing more? We interview certified Positive Discipline Educator Beth Keller, who emphasizes the importance of mutual respect in listening to children. We also discuss the challenges of finding a balance between being too strict and too accommodating and how listening to children helps them feel h...

Send us a text We discuss a study from the mid-90s by Arthur and Elaine Aaron, which involved asking and answering 36 questions to foster interpersonal closeness. The questions were used with various groups of people, including college students, individuals from different ethnic backgrounds, and police officers. Originally focused on creating interpersonal closeness, a 2015 New York Times article suggested using the questions to fall in love. But does it work? The Experimental Generation of...

Send us a text From the moment you enter the airport to the moment you exit, travelers are inundated with noise. This episode brings to light that maybe we should listen just a bit more… we are after all, traveling in a tube at over 500mph. But we don’t listen, at all. And there are billions of dollars spent every year helping us do so. However, there is one place that listening does take place… the airport bar. We examine it all… enjoy your flight. "Movement Proposition" and “Cloud D...

Send us a text Is poetry meant to be written, read, or listened to? Poetry is everywhere and likely one of the first styles of writing that was read to you. This podcast welcomes guest Ty Phelps, a lifelong educator and writer. He discusses his background in teaching, writing, music, and his passion for poetry. Ty shares how he initially viewed poetry as a way to sound profound, but it wasn't until he read T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" in high school that he became intellectually interested i...

Send us a text In this podcast we discuss why customers often feel unheard and unsatisfied with customer service. We explore different perspectives and frustrations, including limitations on what customer service representatives can offer and also the importance of listening and being prepared in customer service interactions. Our guest, Angie Wilson, shares her expertise in customer service and highlights tactics to help you get the most out of your customer service experience.

Send us a text This is a podcast called I'm Listening, where the hosts, Brandt Christopherson and Drew Richmond, discuss the importance of listening. They believe that if everyone listened more, the world would be a better place. They share their own experiences and emphasize the value of being a good listener in various aspects of life. They want to explore different topics from customer service, to music, to nature, to highlight how listening can promote open-mindedness and raise awa...

Send us a text Thank you, thank you, thank you! We have hit another benchmark of 2,500 downloads! Much like when we hit 1,000 downloads, we have no idea what it means in the grand scheme of things, but whatever, its an achievement! Thank you for listening to our podcast about listening. S.3.Ep1 drops April 10th - tell the world!

Send us a text We need audio clips from you! We are planning an episode on gratitude and need your help. Your clip may end up in our episode! Please send us the following by the end of the day Monday the 18th. Follow the directions below: - Record an audio clip on who or what you are grateful or thankful for. - No more than 30 seconds. - Make sure you use first names only (we will remove last names for you). - Tell us where you are sending the message from. - Send it to imlistening@duck....

Send us a text We just flew by 1,000 downloads... in our first 90 days! Thank you, thank you, thank you! We had no idea what to expect and this has blown any of those expectations (er...what?) out of the water. Off to create Season 2!