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James F Richardson is a cultural anthropologist who has studied American society for twenty years. He’s also the author of Our Worst Strength: American Individualism and Its Hidden Discontents.

In this episode, we cover the impact of boundless optimism, options & the playground of autonomy. He speaks to the impact our individualism has on our work, mental health, friendships & romantic relationships.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 235: EPISTOCRACY: SHOULD WE BE PROTECTED FROM UNINFORMED VOTERS?

Guest: https://jamesrichardson.substack.com/ | https://a.co/d/3cmICjE

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

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Louis Labrom is an experienced cameraman and camera technician who has worked on everyone’s favorite nature documentaries done by the BBC, Netflix, NatGeo, Disney & Discovery to name a few.

In this episode, you’ll hear him share behind the scenes of the greatest shots filming elephants, eagles, & snakes, the role of trained animals, how AI is changing the tools of the trade & the ethical tightrope of getting people to care & impacting animal behavior.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 254: DO WE *NEED* SHARKS?

Guest: https://www.louislabrom.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/louislabrom/ | https://x.com/LouisLabrom | https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/earthsounds/umc.cmc.2blf5y8e9e818bpdp3xuar408 | https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-labrom-90764426/

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

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Dr. Gwen Adshead is a forensic psychiatrist, consultant & therapist who spent most of her professional career working with homicide perpetrators in secure psychiatric hospitals.

She’s also the author of The Devil You Know, a book that documents her encounters at the Broadmoor Hospital, the oldest of England's three high-security psychiatric hospitals, known for housing its share of serial killers.

In this episode, she shares insights from working with patients who exist at the edge of lucidity including concepts like Contagious emotions, reality testing & vengefulness. She shares what it’s like navigating the minefield of lies that patients tell & that we all tell ourselves, the universal capacity for cruelty & what we can learn from the Nazis.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 162: WHY AM I NOT HAPPY? ANCIENT BRAINS & MODERN EMOTIONS

Guest: https://a.co/d/3i8Zkc9

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

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Aagie Dulzenrav was born & raised in Mongolia, spent time in Seattle, WA as an exchange student, served as the CEO to a leather company, worked at Cosmopolitan Mongolia, Burberry, Hugo Boss & now runs a music label along with working for Meanwhile in Mongolia, the tour company that hosted me while I was in Mongolia.

In this episode, Aagie & I discuss the challenges & opportunities that the old & young have in a society where the past & future are so sharply contrasted. We also covered the role tourism has played in connecting her to her heritage, mental health, mother medals, drinking culture, influencers & tourism.

Special thanks to the Tin Can Room Podcast Studio for the recording space & Meanwhile in Mongolia for arranging the meeting.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 250: MONGOLIA: GROWING UP A MONK (& A REINCARNATED SAINT)

Guest: https://www.instagram.com/aagieb/ | https://meanwhileinmongolia.com/

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

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Tom Wolf was a suburban Dad & city employee when he became addicted to drugs. He soon found himself sleeping in a doorway in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco getting high every 90 minutes.

Now six years sober, he serves on the leadership council of Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions & is a bridge between the reality of the streets & the meeting room of policy makers. In this episode, you’ll hear his story, the down and dirty about “live & let die,” Chinese fentanyl and Mexican cartel, if housing plus services is really the answer & should we follow the Portugal model?

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 138: LIFE IN THE VEGAS TUNNELS: CLOWNS, CRICKETS & CRANK

Guest: https://x.com/gooddrugpolicy | https://x.com/Twolfrecovery | https://gooddrugpolicy.org/papr/ | https://www.facebook.com/gooddrugpolicy | https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundation-for-drug-policy-solutions/

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

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Jesse Coomer suffered for years from what he calls “the modern condition,” cycles of stress & anxiety burdening our minds & bodies until he found relief & regained his passion for life with breath work & cold therapy. He was one of the first American certified Wim Hof instructors, is now an author & conducts breathwork & cold exposure trainings with a grounded & scientific approach working with everyone from corporate desk jockeys to members of the US Army.

In this episode, he talks safety, how & why a certain kind of stress can make you more resilient to the kind of stress your boss gives you & interestingly how the cold can upgrade your memory. You’ll also hear practical ways to make friends with the cold, afterdrop & interoception.

This episode originally aired December 26, 2022.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 61: REDUCING STRESS THROUGH BREATHING: HACKS FOR THE NON-HIPPY

Guest: https://www.facebook.com/midwesternjesse | https://a.co/d/eOwO4CU | https://www.instagram.com/jessecoomerbreath/ |https://www.youtube.com/jessecoomer | https://www.jessecoomer.com/

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

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Kinga Philipps is a journalist, TV presenter & shark conservationist who’s spent over two decades combining conservation & media conversation. You may recognize her from Discovery’s Shark Week shows Tiger Queen or Sharks in Paradise. In this episode, she shares how one village went from shark finning to shark preservation, the Disneyfication of nature, the grey areas of shark tourism & shark week & how you can make a difference even if you have world is ending fatigue.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 12: CURING FEAR WITH SHARKS: A LIFE UNCAGED

Guest: https://www.instagram.com/kingaphilipps/ |https://www.instagram.com/sharkallies/ |https://sharkallies.org/ | https://www.kingaphilipps.com/

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

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Dr Kate Mangino is a gender expert with a PhD in human rights & social development and the author of the book, Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home.

In this episode, we unpack the tradwife trend to ask is it a harmless personal choice resulting from the options born of feminism or giant steps backwards for the women’s equality? You’ll hear the answer to what is a tradwife plus the three types of tradwives, performative femininity, how this lifestyle could have a negative impact on men & the potential motives & outcomes for the women involved.

We also take a closer look at some of the internet’s most prominent tradwife movement supporters - Estee Williams, Nara Smith & Hannah Neeleman.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 210: WHEN THE ROMANTIC DYNAMIC TURNS INTO A PARENTAL ONE

Guest: https://www.katemangino.com/ |https://twitter.com/manginokate | https://www.instagram.com/manginokate22/ | https://a.co/d/fWAroni

Host: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/