The Human Chronicles

Doctor turned "awe" researcher. Yeah, we are in awe too...Michael Amster takes us on a ride as we unpack his latest research, what is "awe", and how to find it. Plus, we do an on-the-spot meditation that we still can't stop talking about. Wanna take it for a spin? powerofawe.comMichael Amster, MD, is a physician and awe researcher, writer, and teacher at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. With twenty years as a pain management specialist, he is currently the founding director of the pain management department at Santa Cruz Community Health. A practitioner of meditation for over thirty years, he is also a certified yoga and meditation teacher. He splits his time between clinical work, research on awe, teaching mindfulness, and leading awe-inspiring retreats around the world.

This mom is a warrior. And her daughters are too. Ya know...that "apple and tree" thing.Neurodivergence is a topic that is wildly discussed, but what is it like to be a mom of twins who are navigating their path in a world created for only a few learning styles? Join us as we unpack Josie Bohling's journey and envision the future for her kiddos too. Josie is a mother of ueuro-divergent twins, Marriage and Family Therapist business owner, and former mountain gypsy turned domestic suburbanite by force of hand. (Great resource from Josie: www.tiltparenting.com - check it out!)

Yeah... hijacked airplane. As a 6-year-old. In Israel. Sheesh. As mom's this one shook us to our core. Roni Raab takes us on his wild ride and leaves us with hope for humanity. We also acknowledge the pain and suffering happening in the Middle East and are praying for peace and healing. Roni is host of Florida's Jewish radio show "Shalom South Florida" since 1986. He lives in Florida.

Who are those people that work the polls? How did they get there? What's involved with working the polls? What kind of training do they have? And *gosh* what stories do they have to tell? All our questions were answered (and then some!) but the delightful duo, Tim and Margo Smith. Just in time for US elections.Now...GO VOTE!

Dive into the fascinating world of sports data and analytics with Alon Cohen, the co-founder of FightMetric. Alon shares his incredible journey from an interdisciplinary college program to becoming a key figure in the UFC, WWE, and beyond. Discover how his passion for technology and systems led him to revolutionize the way sports data is collected, analyzed, and used to enhance the fan experience. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of sports, technology, and entrepreneurship.Alon Cohen co-founded FightMetric, creating the statistics that became the official stats of the UFC. Now part of UFC and a part of the WME | IMG family, he leads research and development across the enterprise from COVID response to computer vision. His work includes UFC, Battlebots, Apple TV's Planet of the Apps, Miss Universe, and the World Surf League.

Leah Moser has tons and tons of children's books written, just laying around her house waiting to be published one day.And *this* one is her first published children's book and it's about ANGER! Yeesh. A doozy. What's it really like to work with an illustrator? Why anger? We get into all of it. Leah goes big or goes home. And she isn't stopping anytime soon.Leah Moser is a children's book author living in Northern Virginia with her husband, three children, and pup named Cali. Her debut picture book, I AM A THUNDERCLOUD, was released in April 2024 with Running Press Kids/Hachette. Leah is represented by agent Dan Cramer of Page Turner Literary Agency.You can order the book either from Amazon or https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/leah-moser/i-am-a-thundercloud/9780762482184/). Leah is also an editor and can be found at https://www.leahmoserwrites.com/Leah's background is in elementary education in both a general and special education setting and she received my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Lafayette College and her Master's in Elementary Education from George Washington University.

Mike Starghill isn't an artist. He isn't a journalist.But he sure is an amazing photographer. And can sure tell a visual story. Hmmm...Listen in as Mike unpacks his first ah-ha moment when he saw the work of a photographer that showed something he had never seen before. And then his creativity was ignited and he never looked back. Michael Starghill is a Houston-based commercial + editorial photographer specializing in portraiture, sports, and documentary photography. Starghill was born and raised in Houston before leaving to attend American University in Washington, DC. While taking a photography elective, a serendipitous meeting with a Walter Iooss, Jr. exhibit at a gallery piqued Michael's interest in photography, which eventually turned into a career. Since returning to Houston in 2013, Michael has done work for local, national, and international publications, Fortune 500 companies and photographed two World Series. Michael lives in Houston with his wife, Abby, and their two daughters, Zamora and Violet.You can find Mike at https://www.michaelstarghill.com, on FB at https://www.facebook.com/MichaelStarghillPhotography and on IG @starghill

Gun violence. Where do we even begin? Liz Russell starts at the beginning and the moment she could no longer ignore that guns are everywhere. And she charts a path forward for us to move from awkward and uncomfortable, so taking small steps to save each other and our children. CW: Our guest shares details about gun violence at her job. Liz Russell is a dedicated community activist and gun violence prevention advocate with a deep passion for public service. With years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Liz has become a powerful voice for change, working tirelessly to create safer communities through her gun violence prevention work. As a committed parent and partner, she balances her professional life with active volunteerism, supporting her children's school and their activities as well as causes that support the wellbeing of children and families in her community. Liz's unwavering belief in the importance of giving back drives her continued efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

We all have childhood trauma... all living beings. But Thessaly might have the best story by far. Imagine waking up one day in high school and finding out your parents are professional pot smugglers? Ha! What a trip. :)Listen in about what it was like to find out and what it has been like to come to terms with her parents humanity and with all of the world listening. You can find Disorganized Crime at: https://open.spotify.com/show/1thTOlbk7M1lAxuKekELSh?si=68a13e6022f04686

Her neck was guillotined by boxes that feel off a shelf. And the irony that a millimeter of fat saved her life.LC Arisman fought her way back. And is learning what her body is capable of every day. And how to rest, it too. (We took notes.)

We have royalty on the pod today. Brandye Lee is super smart and her dance career speaks for itself. She lays out her hopes and dreams for the dance community and the cultural changes she hopes to see. And her role in guiding the next generation? Well, we are glad she's at the helm.

Rebecca Malotke-Meslin gets our vote! We.learned.a.lot. about running for local office, from getting an inkling of a nugget that this might be worth pursuing to, picking up that packet and getting signatures, to fundraising, and putting it all on the line. Sheesh! This episode has lots of twists and turns and Rebecca reminds us that fully pursuing a lifelong dream is worth it. No matter the outcome.

Carlene Danzy has been curious about the process of death and dying since she was a young girl outside her mother's hospital room. She noticed that the bodies would come into the hospital, but a lot of them left on a cart under a sheet. Yeeps!(...gosh kids are so annoying with their observations and curiosities.)Fast forward, and she's finally taking the leap to answer those questions for herself. And what she's discovering is that we all need love, tenderness, care, and respect, even (or especially) in death.

Anne Gregory Teicher's first word was "dog." I guess that's where it all started. And honestly, it hasn't stopped.From falling in love with a dog, to inadvertently becoming a foster dog mom, and then starting an animal rescue with her husband, Anne is leading the charge for our beloved pets and...our communities. She lays it all on the table and doesn't hold back. We.learned.a.lot. And you will too.

Graham is all that and a bag of chips. *Liz frantically Googling when she can see his next show.*What a gift he brings to the theater world--to actors, the crew, and honestly... the future of performing arts. If Graham is in the mix we are in good hands.

Old pinball machines. Coins from faraway lands. Scuba gear. What else could we find in our guest's house?Brian's curious mind will take him on all sorts of journeys--nothing is off the table. And we couldn't be more thrilled to have a seat next to him for an hour. Let's goooooo!

Apparently it's not like the Hallmark movies. Too bad, looks so glamorous. But reading a manuscript and instantly "knowing" it's a book to shepherd into the world seems like a gift to an author and future readers. Riding the highs and lows of editing, bad reviews, BookTok (yes, it's what you think), and taking beautiful words on a page and getting into the hands of readers. Yesssss please!

Simply "knowing" at 3 years old that she wanted to be on stage in a pretty dress playing a violin. And then making it happen. Child violin prodigy much? And wow, it was fascinating to learn about those strong genes and what it's like to be a mom to a budding musical star.

Jessica Vibberts gives us permission to dream big so we can rethink where we live and why, and shares how visiting her original life "plan" jump-started a bigger, wider, more glorious life that she never could have envisioned. *Liz feverishly takes notes for own her big move someday*

Don't freak out. Kathleen Hosner keeps it real and out of the "woo woo" world. But no joke, this woman has a gift and we're here for it. Kathleen reminds us that we're born with a strong intuition that we need to cultivate and just listen...

Jerome Gentes was the oldest of 10 children who were all adopted. You read that right. ALL.10.adopted. (Liz thinks we need to interview his parents!). Growing up in this unique family, wondering if he's a descendant of a Native American Chief, and revisiting his sibling's grueling journey to the states, Jerome shares his biggest joys and deepest fears and we can all relate.

She stopped us at "my dad was a traveling televangelist." And that's where the music started. In churches, pouring her little 4-year-old voice into the church pews and altars. Music has always been there as a huge source of healing, creativity, and joy.

Sometimes your career takes you on wild rides. But not for our guest. Honestly, teachers are always teachers. No escaping it. Even when he moved into a new career, teaching was always there under the surface. But navigating from the Physics college classroom and back to his daughter's high school class, well, we had all the feels. And are curious where his teaching will go next.

We had questions and Jelani Greenidge had the answers. We unpack being a religious leader, why it never occurred to Jelani that he could lead a church, and why stand-up comedy can be a pastor's biggest asset. This episode was recorded on January 2, 2024

Lee Long's mantra: "Everything's Changeable" blows our mind. Like...our jaws are on the floor. We talk about how Lee developed the ability to "see" what needs to change and how she acts on it. And Dana gets schooled about what's holding her back. Let's GO! This episode was recorded on December 13, 2023.

Chris and Marina Waters met, fell in love and then managed to run and scale (and then later sell) a business. They had a thriving marriage and two amazing kids in there, too.We had to know the deets and are on pins and needles to see where this power couple goes next.

Welcome to "The Human Chronicles: Life Stories Unscripted", where we dive into the fascinating stories of every day people. We will laugh, cry, and pick our jaws up off the ground. Each and every one of us has a story and we are eager to hear it!