The Distiller

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The Distiller is a series of conversations with people from all walks of life about how we find meaningful work, and how we find meaning in the work we do. Recorded on-location, and generally with a drink in hand, The Distiller explores the work that defi

Brandon Dawson

Cincinnati, Ohio

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    • Apr 2, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 3m AVG DURATION
    • 50 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Distiller

    #51 – Drs. Eleanor Glass & Amy Mechley On The Value Of Direct Primary Care

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2020 46:36


    Like/Share This! What is Direct Primary Care? Doctors Amy Mechley and Eleanor Glass are the owners of Integrative Family Care, a “Direct Primary Care” family clinic in Cincinnati. If you're not familiar with the concept... The post #51 – Drs. Eleanor Glass & Amy Mechley On The Value Of Direct Primary Care appeared first on The Distiller.

    #50 – Communications Pro Lauren Worley On The Power of Relentless Optimism

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2020 67:20


    Lauren Worley is “all-in” on everything she does. Lauren Worley has perhaps the most immediately impressive resume of anyone we've had on the show so far. Press Secretary for NASA. Global Talent Lead for Bono's... The post #50 – Communications Pro Lauren Worley On The Power of Relentless Optimism appeared first on The Distiller.

    #49 – Industrial Designer Colin Nourie On Staying Close To The Details

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2020 74:47


    Colin Nourie designs environments that make work happen. Colin designs systems furniture – furniture for large offices and industrial installations. On the surface it might seem straightforward: design furniture for professional settings with a few... The post #49 – Industrial Designer Colin Nourie On Staying Close To The Details appeared first on The Distiller.

    #48 – Food & Dining Writer Polly Campbell On The Meaning In A Good Meal

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2020 64:36


    Polly Campbell is more than just a restaurant critic. As the food & dining writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer, Polly Campbell covers anything and everything going on in Cincinnati that has to do with restaurants... The post #48 – Food & Dining Writer Polly Campbell On The Meaning In A Good Meal appeared first on The Distiller.

    #47 – VA Psychologist Brandon Irvin On Seeing The Humanity Behind Illness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2020 79:16


    Brandon Irvin meets mental illness with compassion every day. In order to understand the work Brandon Irvin does, it's important to first understand how the patient population he treats is different from other environments. It's... The post #47 – VA Psychologist Brandon Irvin On Seeing The Humanity Behind Illness appeared first on The Distiller.

    #46 – Happen Inc. Founder Tommy Rueff Brings Families Together Through Creativity

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2019 62:27


    Tommy Rueff didn't set out to run a community non-profit. Four years after Tommy Rueff to Cincinnati from Chicago to start an advertising agency, a chance event changed his life and pointed him in the... The post #46 – Happen Inc. Founder Tommy Rueff Brings Families Together Through Creativity appeared first on The Distiller.

    #45 – Tony Moore & Lew Weeks On The Flavor Science Behind The Food You Eat

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2019 60:06


    Lew Weeks and Tony Moore have great taste. Okay, pardon the pun, but it's true. First, they know flavor in a way that is an entire vocabulary. But as a part of their work in... The post #45 – Tony Moore & Lew Weeks On The Flavor Science Behind The Food You Eat appeared first on The Distiller.

    #44 – Designer Jason Snell’s Long View Of The Creative Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2019 63:19


    Jason Snell Wants You To Feel It. Bob Dylan once sang “The country I come from, is called the Midwest.” For a creative professional, sometimes working in the Midwest really does feel like another country.... The post #44 – Designer Jason Snell's Long View Of The Creative Life appeared first on The Distiller.

    #43 – Comedian Luna Malbroux On Fostering Diversity Through Humor

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2019 67:31


    Luna Malbroux is America. In fact, that's even the URL of her website, LunaIsAmerica.com. And she should know, because she's seen a lot of it. Luna Malbroux grew up in Louisiana, attended college in New... The post #43 – Comedian Luna Malbroux On Fostering Diversity Through Humor appeared first on The Distiller.

    #42 – STE(A)M Educator Allison Lester On Creating Space for Learning

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2019 69:45


    Allison Lester believes in the power of technology to educate. After all, she's seen it work. As a career STEM/STEAM educator, Allison believes the interaction of technology and space is key to facilitating learning. For... The post #42 – STE(A)M Educator Allison Lester On Creating Space for Learning appeared first on The Distiller.

    #41 – Paperless Post’s Carrie Farler On Getting The Job You Want

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2019 68:47


    Carrie Farler Sees A Lot Of Resumes As the “Head of People” for Paperless Post, Carrie Farler oversees all aspects of recruiting, hiring, compensation planning, and a lot of things people in the HR industry... The post #41 – Paperless Post's Carrie Farler On Getting The Job You Want appeared first on The Distiller.

    #40 – Author Dani McClain On The Politics of Black Motherhood

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2019 66:05


    Dani McClain believes motherhood is inherently political for black women. As a journalist and author Dani McClain writes and reports on race and reproductive health policy and issues. She is a columnist for the progressive... The post #40 – Author Dani McClain On The Politics of Black Motherhood appeared first on The Distiller.

    #39 – John Faherty On The Library As Cultural Guardian

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2019 62:38


    John Faherty knows he has the perfect job. After previous careers in television and print journalism, four years ago John Faherty took a bit of a left turn. Today he is the Executive Director of... The post #39 – John Faherty On The Library As Cultural Guardian appeared first on The Distiller.

    #38 – Cole Imperi On The Value Of Death To A Full Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2019 88:30


    Cole Imperi wants to talk about death. Perhaps more importantly, she wants you to talk about death. As a thanatologist Cole Imperi studies, teaches, lectures, and writes about death, dying, and grief. Cole's work comes... The post #38 – Cole Imperi On The Value Of Death To A Full Life appeared first on The Distiller.

    #37 – Myra Ballentine Fights Discrimination with Virtual Reality

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2019 67:02


    Myra Ballentine is familiar with discrimination. VECTRE Co-Founder Myra Ballentine Born and raised in Pakistan, Myra Ballentine knows first-hand the thousands of micro-aggressions a woman or a person of color experiences every day. But through... The post #37 – Myra Ballentine Fights Discrimination with Virtual Reality appeared first on The Distiller.

    #36 – Mandy Nagel On Creating “I Thought Of You”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2019 52:33


    Mandy Nagel has done a lot of things. And maybe that's why we love her at The Distiller, because she's got the only resume that rivals ours for sheer meandering goodness. She worked at Apple... The post #36 – Mandy Nagel On Creating “I Thought Of You” appeared first on The Distiller.

    #35 – ShakeIt! Records’ Darren Blase On Music, Technology, and Heritage

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2019 97:45


    Darren Blase didn't set out to be a music historian. But that's essentially what he's become. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who knows more about Cincinnati's musical history than Darren and his brother... The post #35 – ShakeIt! Records' Darren Blase On Music, Technology, and Heritage appeared first on The Distiller.

    #34 – Bar Owner Julia Petiprin On Making Space for Community

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2019 62:48


    Julia Petiprin's ready for the next adventure. When she moved to Cincinnati in 2014 to open the iconic bar Sundry & Vice, she thought she'd be here a year. Open the bar, get it running,... The post #34 – Bar Owner Julia Petiprin On Making Space for Community appeared first on The Distiller.

    #33 – Meteorologist Allison Rogers Makes Weather Personal

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2019 64:46


    Allison Rogers knew she wanted to be a meteorologist when she was twelve years old. When Hurricane Katrina blew through her hometown, Allison relied on the TV weather to let her know if things were... The post #33 – Meteorologist Allison Rogers Makes Weather Personal appeared first on The Distiller.

    #32 – Tattoo Artist Jeremiah Griswold on Creativity that Changes Lives

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2019 61:20


    Jeremiah Griswold wears his art on his sleeve. Spend any amount of time with tattoo artist Jeremiah Griswold, and two things become immediately apparent. First, he's a deep thinker, who does nothing without considering the... The post #32 – Tattoo Artist Jeremiah Griswold on Creativity that Changes Lives appeared first on The Distiller.

    #31 – Design Impact’s Ramsey Ford & Kate Hanisian On Truly Meaningful Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2019 72:37


    Design Impact Was Built To Make A Difference It sounds simple when you hear it, but the idea of involving those most affected by social problems in the development of solutions is somewhat revolutionary. It's... The post #31 – Design Impact's Ramsey Ford & Kate Hanisian On Truly Meaningful Work appeared first on The Distiller.

    #30 – Filmmaker Yemi Oyediran On Work That Builds Community

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2019 89:07


    Yemi Oyediran is full of surprises. We might have expected Yemi Oyediran to immediately jump into promoting his new film, “Queen City Kings,” about the legendary Cincinnati studio and record label King Records. But to... The post #30 – Filmmaker Yemi Oyediran On Work That Builds Community appeared first on The Distiller.

    #29 – Songwriter Kim Taylor On Sustaining a Life of Creativity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2019 63:46


    Kim Taylor knows how to be vulnerable. After all, as a songwriter with five full length albums and two EPs under her belt, she's practiced and cultivated vulnerability for years. She's honed the craft of... The post #29 – Songwriter Kim Taylor On Sustaining a Life of Creativity appeared first on The Distiller.

    #28 – The Distiller Podcast 2018 Year In Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2018 73:40


    The Distiller Podcast is one year old. Our first episode aired on December 16, 2017, and featured Danny Korman of green general store Park & Vine, interviewed at The Anchor OTR in Cincinnati. Since that... The post #28 – The Distiller Podcast 2018 Year In Review appeared first on The Distiller.

    #27 – Kelly Dolan of Ingage Partners On the Impact of B-Corp Businesses

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2018 68:12


    Kelly Dolan knows business can do good and make a profit at the same time. Kelly, along with her business partner Michael Kroeger, are the co-founders of two companies, Ingage Partners, and Thrive Impact Sourcing,... The post #27 – Kelly Dolan of Ingage Partners On the Impact of B-Corp Businesses appeared first on The Distiller.

    #26 – FireLab Creators Anne-Marie & Luis on Immigration, Work, and Hope

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2018 71:58


    There's a lot of talk about immigration right now. In fact it's become one of the central hot-button issues in our political discourse. But studies have shown that cultivating relationships with people from other cultures... The post #26 – FireLab Creators Anne-Marie & Luis on Immigration, Work, and Hope appeared first on The Distiller.

    #25 – Tree House Builder Django Kroner On A Life In The Trees

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2018 67:16


    Django Kroner lives in the trees. Working as an arborist and tree house builder with his company, The Canopy Crew, everything Django does “professionally” involves trees. And it's a pretty magical life, by all accounts.... The post #25 – Tree House Builder Django Kroner On A Life In The Trees appeared first on The Distiller.

    #24 – Piano Technician Nevin Essex On Craftsmanship and Mastery

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2018 69:20


    Nevin Essex doesn't play the piano. At least he wouldn't call himself a pianist. But he's directly responsible for thousands of pianos, and tens of thousands of performances. Through his art, Nevin makes the art... The post #24 – Piano Technician Nevin Essex On Craftsmanship and Mastery appeared first on The Distiller.

    #23 – Melis Aydogan of Ruya Coffee On A First Generation View of Meaningful Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2018 60:07


    Ruya Coffee is the realization of a lifelong dream. That's not surprising, since Ruya means “dream” in Turkish. Melis Aydogan, the founder of Ruya Coffee, never saw herself as an entrepreneur, or a small-business person.... The post #23 – Melis Aydogan of Ruya Coffee On A First Generation View of Meaningful Work appeared first on The Distiller.

    #22 – Justin & Tasha Golden On Navigating Work Transitions as a Couple

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2018 77:14


    Tasha and Justin Golden have been married a long time by any standard. Just about twenty years, in fact. And you don't stay married that long without learning some pretty good lessons about relationships. During... The post #22 – Justin & Tasha Golden On Navigating Work Transitions as a Couple appeared first on The Distiller.

    #21 – Humanist Chaplain Bart Campolo on the Intersection of Work and Belief

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2018 66:42


    When Bart Campolo lost his faith, he didn't lose his desire to minister. After all, the word “minister” was a verb before it became a noun. The fact that Bart no longer believed in a... The post #21 – Humanist Chaplain Bart Campolo on the Intersection of Work and Belief appeared first on The Distiller.

    #20 – EcoATM Founder Mark Bowles On Entrepreneurship and the Tech Startup World

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2018 70:06


    Mark Bowles Is Not Afraid to Fail, He's Done It Many Times Before. Talk with Mark about his experience in technology startups and venture-based entrepreneurship, and you're just as likely to hear the stories of... The post #20 – EcoATM Founder Mark Bowles On Entrepreneurship and the Tech Startup World appeared first on The Distiller.

    #19 – Theatre House Owner Marty Boyer on How Values Guide Decisions

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2018 72:19


    Theatre House owner Marty Boyer is a high-character individual. Marty is a unique individual in that his ego has (apparently) almost no bearing on what he does for a living. Marty is the most pragmatic... The post #19 – Theatre House Owner Marty Boyer on How Values Guide Decisions appeared first on The Distiller.

    #18: Potter Christie Goodfellow and Sculptor Beth Graves on Creativity in the Gig Economy

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2018 72:00


    Christie Goodfellow and Beth Graves Are Two Very Different Kinds of Sculptors. The similarities and differences between Christie and Beth's work creates an interesting give and take between the two of them. Still, they share... The post #18: Potter Christie Goodfellow and Sculptor Beth Graves on Creativity in the Gig Economy appeared first on The Distiller.

    #17: Libby Hunter on Overcoming Poverty with Literacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2018 61:36


    Libby Hunter Believes Storytelling Is the Key to Overcoming Poverty When you talk with Libby Hunter about literacy, you'd better buckle your seat belt. Libby talks quickly, and with purpose. Aside from a brief stint... The post #17: Libby Hunter on Overcoming Poverty with Literacy appeared first on The Distiller.

    #16: Artist Mark Dejong Turns His Profession Into His Passion

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2018 55:47


    It took a while for Mark Dejong to call himself an artist. Mark Dejong was born in The Netherlands, but his family moved to Cincinnati when he was a child. In his 20's he took... The post #16: Artist Mark Dejong Turns His Profession Into His Passion appeared first on The Distiller.

    #15: Homeschool Mom Liz McEwan on the Work of Family

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2018 60:38


    Liz McEwan is not your typical homeschool mom. Or perhaps she is. Maybe the “typical” homeschooling parent doesn't actually exist. Most of The Distiller‘s guests have some professional ambition or goal they're pursuing. The majority... The post #15: Homeschool Mom Liz McEwan on the Work of Family appeared first on The Distiller.

    #14: Chef Derek Dos Anjos on the Business of Food

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2018 61:26


    Chef Derek Dos Anjos' Secret Weapon May Surprise You Ask a chef or restaurateur what skill is most important to running a restaurant, and you're likely to get a lot of different answers. Maybe it's... The post #14: Chef Derek Dos Anjos on the Business of Food appeared first on The Distiller.

    #12: Corben Bone – Professional Soccer Player

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2018 71:33


    Corben Bone's Work Is Play On the field or off, Corben radiates energy. Watch him play in his midfield role for the F.C. Cincinnati soccer team, and you'll see the way he sparks the team... The post #12: Corben Bone – Professional Soccer Player appeared first on The Distiller.

    #11: Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith – Equity, Inclusion, & Community Specialist

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2018 51:35


    Meredith Shockley-Smith just took a big leap. (Updated 6/9/17 – we forgot to include the link to the podcast Brandon mentioned in the episode; it's Shankar Vedantam's NPR podcast “Hidden Brain.”  The episode, originally aired... The post #11: Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith – Equity, Inclusion, & Community Specialist appeared first on The Distiller.

    #10: Michael Wilson – Photographer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2018 58:23


    Michael Wilson Is More Than Just A Photographer. He's a Master. A storyteller. A record-keeper. A history maker. Michael Wilson has been making pictures* for nearly 40 years, and in that time he's developed a... The post #10: Michael Wilson – Photographer appeared first on The Distiller.

    #9: Julius Jenkins – Dancer, Educator, Community Activist

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2018 66:40


    Julius Jenkins Wants to Bring Street Culture Back to Life. You may already know of Julius Jenkins, or his work, and not even know it. You may have seen his choreography as part of the... The post #9: Julius Jenkins – Dancer, Educator, Community Activist appeared first on The Distiller.

    #8: Megan Trischler – Community Designer

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2018 55:16


    Megan Trischler Helps Make Dreams Come True. And we're not just talking about her current position as Program Director for People's Liberty. Megan brings design thinking and a desire to “make the ordinary extraordinary” to... The post #8: Megan Trischler – Community Designer appeared first on The Distiller.

    #7: Tamaya Dennard – Cincinnati City Council Member

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2018 49:20


    Tamaya Dennard is the future of local politics. As one of the newest members of the Cincinnati City Council, Tamaya Dennard represents everything happening right now in political discussions across the US. This is Tamaya's... The post #7: Tamaya Dennard – Cincinnati City Council Member appeared first on The Distiller.

    #6: Matt Hart – Punk Rock Poet

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2018 58:19


    Matt Hart Is Not Afraid to Go Deep. When discussing motivation, or empathy, or the pure punk rock power of a kick-ass poem, Matt is not afraid to get involved, to shed a tear, to... The post #6: Matt Hart – Punk Rock Poet appeared first on The Distiller.

    #5: Stephen JohnsonGrove – Public Policy Attorney

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2018 46:29


    Stephen JohnsonGrove is a professional do-gooder, the Deputy Director for Policy at the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, a non-profit law and advocacy office in Cincinnati. OJPC offers pro-bono legal services to incarcerated people, along... The post #5: Stephen JohnsonGrove – Public Policy Attorney appeared first on The Distiller.

    #4: Matt Gunderman – Director of UC Health Air Care & Mobile Rescue

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2018 52:05


    Matt Gunderman saves lives for a living. Some people do work that seems sexy…exciting…but when you dig a little it's just another job. Other people make a difference in the lives of individual humans every... The post #4: Matt Gunderman – Director of UC Health Air Care & Mobile Rescue appeared first on The Distiller.

    #3: Musicians Ric Hordinski & David Wilcox at Brew House

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2018 53:11


    Ric Hordinski and David Wilcox have known each other for over 20 years. They're craftsmen in the truest sense, and two guys who bring a great deal of intention to everything they do. David is... The post #3: Musicians Ric Hordinski & David Wilcox at Brew House appeared first on The Distiller.

    #2: Dominic & Judi LoPresti – Spun Bicycles

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2017 48:05


    People talk a lot about “work-life balance” these days. But what if your work is your life, and vice-versa? What if your work life is also your marriage? And what if the combination of the... The post #2: Dominic & Judi LoPresti – Spun Bicycles appeared first on The Distiller.

    Episode 0 – The Distiller Promo

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2017 1:44


      The Distiller is a podcast about the soul of work. In this short preview clip, host Brandon Dawson talks about what you can expect from The Distiller in coming weeks. Listen in to this... The post Episode 0 – The Distiller Promo appeared first on The Distiller.

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