NerdKicks Podcast

Mike Matthews from Muscle For Life joins us in this episode to talk nerdy about fitness and nutrition programs, including the truth and lies about supplements. This show fits into our mini-series on health and wellness, which kicked off last time with Derek Flanzraich, founder and CEO of Greatist. Mike's insights are a great complement to Derek's because they cover different aspects of the health universe. Just like a wonderful venn diagram, Mike's focus on muscle strength and sport performance overlaps with and supports Derek's focus on healthy lifestyle habits and choices. Muscle health is important for everyone, not just athletes. Thanks to Mike, you can learn a lot about how to start improving your muscle strength today. Enjoy the show!

We're kicking off our latest series on health and wellness with a celebration! Derek Flanzraich kindly joined us on Greatist's second birthday, a site he created to provide reliable, scientifically validated information on health and wellness. It's a topic close to our hearts here at NerdKicks, and Derek gives us excellent insight into the quest to live a healthy life.

We're thrilled to have James Clear on this very special episode of the NerdKicks Podcast! Why is it special? Because it's our first birthday! Who better to have on for a chat then James, who talks with us about the science and practice of habit formation? It's such geeky fun that Mindy even inadvertently quotes James back to himself. Thank you so much for making our show part of your weekly habit! To say thank you, we're running a fun prize giveaway. Enter any time before 5:00 p.m. CDT on April 28, 2013.

We delve deep into our miniseries on tech startups by welcoming Tim Metzner and Ry Walker to the show. Tim and Ry are two co-founders of Differential, a Cincinnati-based startup company that's part incubator, accelerator, consultancy, and angel investor. Uniting their many years of experience working in the tech startup scene, Differential works with early stage web entrepreneurs on idea validation, software development, and customer acquisition. If ever there were two smart guys to share great advice about tech startups and the web entrepreneur lifestyle, Tim and Ry fit the bill. Join us as we explore the inner workings of the entrepreneurial mind.

Matt's friends Bill Condo and Michael Waclo joined us in this fun episode to talk about the rise of the Internet and how web technologies influenced all our nerdy origin stories. Bill is a talented developer while Michael is a sharp designer. Together and with the help of other web friends, they produce an interesting video podcast series called Designer Vs. Developer (DvsD). DvsD is an outlet where the guys talk about digital breakthroughs, the startup lifestyle, web culture, and much more. There's nothing quite like a skip down memory lane, especially when it involves silly things like GeoCities. Enjoy!

If you're a massive podcast connoisseur like Mindy (I'm getting there), then you may have already come across Pat. He's the creator of the remarkably popular Smart Passive Income Podcast, which shares transparent insights into the world of online business and marketing. Pat is kicking off our new miniseries on digital entrepreneurship. We talk with Pat about the start of his professional career as an architect and how he made the transition into being a successful entrepreneur. He offers up a treasure trove of amazing advice for anyone with the itch to try their own had forging their own path.

Joseph Rose is one interesting guy. Mindy and I wanted to chat him up about all things letterpress. And we did. But little did we know heading into our conversation that Joseph is also quite musically inclined, including singing and playing bass guitar in a band. Letterpress + music = one fascinating show, if we do say so ourselves. Jump onboard this episode to hear us talk with Joseph about the resurgence of letterpress, letterpress machinery and styles, the function of business in one’s life, music hobbies, and so much more. This conversation may meander, but it’s a damn good time!

Can a typeface bring a city together? Jeremy Dooley proved it can, with the highly successful Chatype Kickstarter campaign, which was chosen by the Kickstarter staff as one of the top campaigns of 2012. We talk with Jeremy about the process of designing a typeface, as well as how a typeface can help a community build identity.

We are so thrilled to have Joanna Penn on the show! Joanna is both a successful fiction writer and an amazing blogger; her site, The Creative Penn, teaches writers the ins and outs of the entire writing process, from idea generation to getting a polished work into the hands of readers. Her advice and experience is truly valuable for both aspiring and working writers.

Few friends of mine are as creative, giving, and hilarious as my friend Sean Platt. Sean is an amazing fiction author with a number of active series in production, including two being published by Amazon's exclusive 47North division. Sean's imagination is impressive to behold. Our chat with him about being a proud entrepreneur, ambitious writer, creative storyteller, and devoted father, you will enjoy but a glimpse of his magic. He talks fast; consider yourself warned. He uses colorful language (meaning more than a few explicit words, although in a lighthearted way); consider yourself warned. And he knows more than just about anyone about modern book publishing and how to build a worthwhile life and career as an author entrepreneur. Sean's a hoot. So strap in for a fun, fast-paced chat. You'll enjoy the ride!

NerdKicks, meet Marisa! Marisa is quite the darling. She is so lovely and bubbly. And her project, New Dress a Day, is a bright ray of sunshine. Marisa started her project almost four years ago and is still going strong today, making a beautiful new dress each day out of scary garments found at thrift stores. More than the wonder of her creations, Maria's story is delightful. Down in her luck and ready for a lifestyle pivot, she embraced her inner nerd and leaned forward into her craft. Fast forward to today and Marisa's popularity and influence is soaring. She has a gorgeous book out and many other fun projects are in the works! Join us now as we chat with Marisa about creativity, adversity, self-confidence, positivity, and so much more. She's a peach!

Jodi has an impressive worldview has been shaped from amazing experiences as a traveler, lawyer, writer, freelancer, foodie, author and more. Determined and charismatic. Energetic and witty. Thoughtful and informed. Jodi is a delightful firecracker.

From the creative mind of Jeff Smith comes Stella B and the Busted League, a comedy web series about comic book nerds. Stella Botticelli is a twenty-something comic book artist who publishes her own book about the courtship and dating of two superheroes. Stella is navigating her way through life with the help of her closest friends, a tight-knit group of like-minded nerds who call themselves “The Busted League.” Together, they face off against a harsh world and life's little ups and downs. Join us as we talk with Jeff about his comedy creation as well as the highs and lows of being an independent artist.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away...(Liverpool, England)...two nerds set upon an epic quest to write, produce and share their own feature film. We chat with Alan Donohoe and Jamie Williamson, two nerds with a shared love of screenwriting, about their adventure to produce "I Have A Bad Feeling About This," including their collaborative writing process and the slings and arrows of running a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Brittany Partridge doesn't just talk about making a positive difference in the world. She does it. And she's been doing it since age 17. At 17, Brittany went on a mission trip to Romania where she met other girls her age. These girls, however, were among the millions of young people around the world being bought and sold through a global network of human trafficking. That experience inspired Brittany to foundThe Red Thread Movement, which is devoted to (1) raising money to combat sex trafficking in Nepal and (2) generating awareness of human trafficking. On the surface, Brittany's story may not sound like those nerdy adventures we normally feature. But when you look deeper, you'll find that her motivation is born from the same unquenchable urge to solve real problems in creative and sustainable ways that we all share. Tis the season of reflection and gratitude. So please, take some time to be thankful for the simple wonders we enjoy every day. And listen to how one person works to give those little wonders to those in dire need.

What do you get when you mash up a passion for making, education and technology, then put it on wheels? SparkTruck! SparkTruck was born to revitalize hands-on learning for kids by introducing them to design challenges and empowering them with some cutting-edge tools like a laser cutter and some 3D printers. Infused with a spirit of curiosity, discovery and design--and supported by an enthusiastic community and successful Kickstarter campaign--SparkTruck drove over 14,000 miles across 33 different states, visiting over 2,000 students in more than 70 different locations during the summer of 2012. If you care about learning, are concerned about the future of education, and just generally like to have fun making things, then plug in those headphones, turn up the volume and be inspired by the story of SparkTruck!

Everybody has a birthday, but not every family can afford to give their kid a birthday party. Megs Yunn is working to change that, bringing birthday celebrations to kids in homeless shelters and transitional housing within the city of Pittsburgh. A little girl named Beverly deeply moved her, and Meg set out to make the world a bit happier and a bit more sparkly.

Today's guests are from Trade School! Part education, part art experience, Trade School brings people together to learn from each other, using barter as the means of payment. We have a fantastic conversation about the movement and its spread from New York City to cities around the world.

What could be cooler than a real-life giant robot spider? For real. How about a giant robot spider that you can drive! That's precisely what Gui Cavalcanti and his team of 18 roboticists, engineers, designers, and fabricators are doing: building a 4,000 pound, 18 foot diameter rideable 6-legged robot named Stompy.

We're thrilled to have Georgia Guthrie on the show to talk about The Hacktory, Philly's hackerspace dedicated to promoting the intersection of arts and technology. We had a great chat about benefits of supportive environments for nurturing artistic growth. This is the first in our series on collaborative workplaces.

Kenneth Lim proves that there are many sides to being a nerd. For starters, Ken is a whiz marketing data analyst. (He loves data.) He's also connected into the European indie music scene. (He lives in Amsterdam. Yes, the Amsterdam.) Ever the internationalist, he adores American fantasy football. (He REALLY loves data!) And he's something of a gamer.

Ever seen commercials of the Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World? Tony Alexander reminds me of him. Tony's bio is a little hard to describe. Web entrepreneur. Travel aficionado. Technologist. Angel investor. Gamer. Nerd. Well, maybe that wasn't so hard.

Meet Benny Lewis, the Irish Polyglot! Benny is fluent in 11 languages--and here's the best part--he says you can be, too. Benny insists that he is not, indeed, a magical language genie, and that you don't have to spend hundreds (thousands) on a fancy set of software or a class. Take a listen to our chat and learn about languages, traveling, and the real source of his magic: observation and practice.

Time for another Pittsburgh Special: hanging out in the Gartland family basement. This episode of the show is guest-less; it's just Matt and me taking a low-key saunter through the changes in our lives. It's also got updates on a couple of our past guests and their projects.

In last week's episode, Kim and Jason referenced the impact their mastermind group has had on their growth as business people. This week, we take a deeper look at mastermind groups by crashing Matt's weekly mastermind with Brandon Sutton and Jonathan Wondrusch. Brandon and Jonathan are both businessmen, creative entrepreneurs, and...wait for it...nerds! Brandon is working on the documentary Kids of the Gulf and Jonathan is developing a WordPress theme called WP Course Ninja.

Escape adulthood is the rallying cry that energizes Kim and Jason Kotecki and empowers their delightful community of fellow rebels fighting against adultitis.

Muppet lovers, the wait is over! Here is part two of our conversation with Steve Swanson from The MuppetCast Podcast, in which we continue our discussion of Muppet movies, toys, and the impact that Jim Henson and team has had on an entire generation of children.

We are thrilled to have Steve Swanson, host of the Muppetcast Podcast, on the show! In fact, we had more fun than we could fit into a single episode! This is the first of two episodes, in which we talked for a good bit about his show and his amazing guests, who have included insiders of the Jim Henson family and original Muppet cast and crew. Steve enthralled us with his stories and knowledge of the Muppet universe.

We are delighted to have Mignon Fogarty on the NerdKicks Podcast! Mignon is the host of the immensely popular Grammar Girl Podcast, where she shares her love of the intricacies of the English language. We discuss her podcast, the Quick and Dirty Tips Podcast Network, and her latest book, 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time.

We are thrilled to welcome Casey Weber, our first music aficionado, to the NerdKicks Podcast. Casey has channeled his love of music and love of community into Weber's Deck, transforming his backyard into a live concert venue nine weeks each summer. He truly embraces a sidekick role, supporting independent musicians and giving to his neighbors without asking for anything in return.

This episode is fun for a few more reasons. One, it's another in-person recording from Pittsburgh (alas, our last for now). Two, it's number 10...as in double digits! Yaaay! Three, we're still on our special Secret Agent L + NerdKicks kindness mission. We've already received a few wonderful submissions!

Be kind. No exceptions. That's the mantra of the Secret Agent L Project, founded and governed by the lovely Laura Miller. Her project began cloaked in anonymity; special, little acts of kindness were popping up all over the towns of Pittsburgh. The locals were grateful, and curious. So too was the media. Finally, after a year of missions, Laura revealed her true identity to the world.

Say hello to Adam Baker: online entrepreneur, blogger, speaker, family man, nerd, all around swell guy, and (now) documentarian. I'm Fine, Thanks is the documentary Adam and team have been working tirelessly at for the last many months. The film is "a collection of stories about life, the choices we all make, and the paths we ultimately decide to follow." Their message strikes very close to home as NerdKicks is about examining our personal hero's journey, our quest to become better nerds. Speaking to Adam about the film's essence, creative process and special moments was delightful. To experience the full effect of their storytelling, watch their amazing trailer (below) before listening to our chat with Adam.

We rally in Gotham--AKA Pittsburgh--for the first in-person episode! There's no substitute for a face-to-face geeky conversation and we take a break from our normal schedule to nerd out over our favorite books, movies, and superheroes.

Jenny Blake is one cool nerd. We positively love her, and know you will too! From blogging to books, from Google to Geek Yoga--and much in between--Jenny personifies what it takes to construct an accomplished geeky lifestyle. At her core, Jenny is motivated to become a better nerd everyday. She channels that energy into her every project, including motivating others through her Make Sh*t Happen coaching program.

Geeking out is fun, but there's a dark side to nerdiness--sometimes we take our nerd superpowers too far. In today's episode, we build off of our chat with Steve Kamb and explore what happens when a hobby turns into an obsession--and how to pull ourselves out.

Today on the show, a great friend and inspiring nerd, Steve Kamb! Steve runs NerdFitness.com, an incredible resource for assisting nerds of all shapes, sizes, and abilities in the quest to level up our lives through health and fitness.

Today on the NerdKicks Podcast, we dig into the overarching theme from last week's chat with Ken Denmead: seizing opportunity and exploring curiosity. We recount how these themes have played out in our own lives, and we travel down a few geeky tangents. Join us, and feel free to tell us how these themes have played out for you in the comments below!

Ken Denmead from GeekDad.com has his finger firmly on the pulse of all things geeky, creative, and educational. He absolutely understands both what it means to be a good nerd and what it means to be a good sidekick—in parenting, in work, and in hobbies. We are thrilled to have him as the first guest on the NerdKicks Podcast.

Step in to our secret lab! We believe that nerdy skills are superpowers, and we've created a podcast that examines how to develop these superpowers for the advancement of the greater good, to become faster, stronger, swifter nerds.