The Joy Of Life Podcast

"Be open to re-invention" is a key insight of racing superstar Chip Hanauer who broke all sorts of records in his career, including becoming the youngest person inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame.  Hang out with Chip and host Peter Schrappen as Chip recounts the highs and lows of his life, including the peaks and valleys of his storied 67-years on this planet. Chip does not hold back as he shares with this listener what made him the top racer of his era and what's he up to now (hint: playing flamenco music on his guitar). 

Chances are that you have seen Dr. Ali Mokdad on your favorite news shows or quoted in various national magazines. Today, he stops by the Joy of Life Podcast. We wade through the latest with COVID-19, longevity of life, health disparities, garlic and coffee to name just a few of the themes. Plus, his life story is one of the great American tales that we appreciate about this country. Even with this busy schedule, he finds joy in life's little moments. You will love this conversation, and I'm excited to share it with you. The interview was recorded on April 29, 2021.

Rachel Smith took the helm at the Seattle Metro Chamber three short months ago. Hear Rachel talk about the future of Seattle, the role of the business community, advocacy, unsanctioned encampments to name a few of the topics. While Rachel is new to the Chamber, she's accustomed to public policy and working alongside elected officials. She's build some tried and true values and principles. Take a few minutes to learn more about Rachel's vision for Seattle.

Superstar Nancy Pearl relieves guilt, shares her reading wisdom and touts cake with Mayo all within a tidy hour of conversation with host Peter Schrappen Did you know Nancy's action figure has outsold Jesus? Step inside the Joy of Life Podcast to hear what makes her a celebrity librarian and wise soul. Stick around after we say our good-byes for a bonus outtake, which is a first for Joy listeners. Much to behold. Grab a chair, make some English Breakfast tea (just like Nancy) and get comfy as she delights us with her straight talk and no nonsense takes.

Chip Conley, the namesake of the Joy of Life Podcast, spends thirty minutes from his Modern Elder Academy's campus in Baja, Mexico to talk about his joy, happiness, life and the aging process.  Chip's inspired life is an open book for all to learn from. He's a New York Times best selling author, repeat TED Talk speaker, part of Airbnb's core leadership team and now runs his Modern Elder Academy. Chip embraces every moment of life with an contagious effervescence. 

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb updates us on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has lived in Bethlehem his entire life and that is where he joins Peter. Rev. Dr. Raheb was the former pastor of the Christmas Church in Bethlehem. In 2006, he founded Dar al-Kalima University. The students focus on arts and culture as a way to spur optimism for the future. More info: www.mitriraheb.org, www.brightstarsbethlehem.org, @rahebM and "Mitri Raheb" on Facebook. Visit www.Amazon.com to see his writings.

Speaker Laurie Jinkins stops by the Joy of Life to talk about what makes for good policy, leadership, and practical jokes. We delve into COVID-19 and end on a fun note. Along the way, we talk about how values, data and politics mix for policy decisions.

Hear from West Sound's Congressman about all of the important topics of the day. Host Peter Schrappen and Rep. Derek Kilmer discuss the recent elections, the future of the Democratic Party, and the elements that go into leadership. Everything is on the table with this interview, including his favorite hike, favorite book and favorite hobbies. Plus, we talk about effective lobbying tactics and special anecdote between President Obama and his family. 

Beth Knox has elevated Seattle's sense of community like few others in the Emerald City. From bringing the Special Olympics USA here to running Seafair for ten years and serving in a leadership capacity with Bumbershoot and now heading up the Seattle Sports Commission, Beth knows how to lead people. Beth's commitment to excellence comes through in this podcast. I hope you enjoy hearing this conversation with Beth. Hear about what she looks for in future employees to how the power of reflection can lead to confidence but not cockiness. It's all here to hear.

I'm not sure Chef Tom Douglas needs much of an intro. He runs some of the most famous restaurants in Seattle. Hear about how he's looking to move out of Seattle as he builds his company.  We talk about joy, cooking, kindness, how he found himself in Seattle, a tip about how to improve cooking. Plus, he mixes it up about what's wrong and right with our country and Seattle and what's needed now more than ever (spoiler alert: more eating and talking around the dinner table.) Tom is gracious with his time and candor here. Enjoy!

Tim Burgess has served the Emerald City in a variety of roles, making him a candidate for Most Interesting Man Alive. His openness about his life's path and lessons learned from last year's Seattle City Council race are worth the price of admission. But wait, there's more! We talk about his core issues and values and how his life has fit together in a way that our community has benefited from.

Enjoy this fun interview with Rep. Eric Pettigrew who is calling it a career in elected office (for at least the time being) to work in the front office of the Seattle Kraken, which is the NHL's newest team. Eric talks about his time growing up in Los Angeles during riots as well as spending two years in a wheel chair as a child. He then shares the highlights of his college football career at Oregon State and then we drill down on his time in the legislature and recap his most favorite memories in Olympia. We wind things down talking about his new role with Seattle's Kraken hockey team. Talk about a lot of interesting topics!

Deborah Horne of Kiro 7 News joins Peter Schrappen for the kick of Season 3 of the Joy of Life Podcast.  Deborah shares her favorite stories and how she has stayed at the top of her field. This multi-Emmy-award winner talks about what it was like to interview Rosa Parks as well as her role in the top of stories of 2020.  The passion and charisma comes through the entire interview. Enjoy the energy and joy of Deborah Horne!

Kenny Lyles talks about growing up as a person of color in the City of Seattle as well as what his day-to-day life is like at the Port of Seattle, where he has worked since 1984. Kenny discusses what the Port is doing around diversity, equity, and inclusion and how he is optimistic about what the future holds. He shares his favorite advice and his time with at UW as a basketball player. We cover a lot of ground here, including some Jimmy Buffet stories and how Martin Luther King and Muhammad Ali have served as role models for him.

This 45-minute conversation with Councilmember Andrew Lewis occurred just as he confronted two pandemics: COVID-19 and racial injustice. Hear how Councilmember Lewis approaches both, what he attributes his success to in his life and how he leans on the advice of his staff, mentors and famous figures to help him throughout the day.  Stick around for the entire interview. Councilmember Lewis is not a fan of prescribed leadership styles. Hear why. Plus, he's an avid reader and shares his favorite books near the end of this visit.

While Debbie and Michael Campbell find themselves in Mexico, they stop by The Joy of Life Podcast to discuss their lives together and their travels since 2013. If that wasn't exciting enough, they share what makes their marriage so strong and what's left for them to visit. Sprinkled in is their advice on how to live a similar joy-filled life and their recent internship at AirBnB.  Hear about their tales from 80 countries and what they miss most about Seattle (spoiler alter: Boating). This episode was recorded on May 28, 2020. Check out their website: www.seniornomads.com as well as www.TheJoyofLifePod.com 

Jonathan Martin brings over twenty of years of writing and journalism to work each day to the Seattle Times. Now, he goes on the record with host Peter Schrappen about what his life is like during COVID-19. Plus, hear why he loves writing for a newspaper ("journalism combines poetry and information"). Peter and Jonathan tackle homelessness in Seattle (and its roots causes), how he sees sports emerging out of COVID-19, and what he does to overcome writer's block. Does he get nervous? What are his superstitions? Has the Seattle Times had to lay off anyone (Spoiler Alert: No, in fact they just hired journalists)? And hear how David Byrne's How Music Works (LINK) ends up on his reading list.   

Monique Ming Laven, anchor of the 5, 6 and 11 pm newscasts on KIRO 7, joins Peter Schrappen. They discuss how Monique landed a national gig in April to what makes her nervous and how she handles the constant stream of incoming news.  Plus, they talk about her love of senior citizens, animals and PAWS plus her top three television shows ever as well as how she makes people feel at ease at parties. 

Pagliacci and Macrina's head Matt Galvin sits down with host Peter Schrappen to talk about the (not so) secrets to his success. Hear how he's weathered the COVID-19 storm without laying anyone off at Pagliacci. Plus, he shares his tips that go into making the perfect pizza pie. After all, he should know. Pagliacci made more than one-million pizzas last year. If you aren't in a good mood when you start listening, you will be in one by the end. This episode was recorded on May 13, 2020.

You know Dave Grosby from his show on 710 ESPN, KJR and now his updates with John Clayton. On top of his jovial nature, he lives each day taking Parkinson's disease head on.  It was a privilege to hear from Dave first-hand on how to keep an optimistic mindset. As Dave says, "It's a choice we make." He spent 29 years on the airwaves in Seattle, and he spends 29 minutes with host Peter Schrappen on his love of sports, Seattle and life.

No one can spin a yarn better than Bob Donegan, Ivar's President. If you love Seattle, entertainment and fun, tune into this episode.  Bob breaks down what COVID-19 has done to the restaurant industry and his company's establishments (i.e. Kidd Valley and Ivar's). Plus, he predicts what dining will look like in the future. He sprinkles in some of the best advice he's received through the years and how leads his team through stressful times, too. 

Larry Brown, president of the Washington State Labor Council, joins Peter Schrappen for an in-depth conversation about his tenure as head of WSLC as well as what he sees as the long-term impacts of COVID-19.

Sara Nelson, co-founder of Fremont Brewery, opens up about the importance of community and staying together matters more today than ever before.  Are you an entrepreneur? Do you love great beer? Do you want to hear how COVID-19 is impacting an iconic Seattle brand like Fremont Brewery? Host Peter Schrappen and guest Sara Nelson spend time on a myriad of subjects that are as relevant as ever before. This episode was recorded on April 6, 2020.

"The fabulous thing is that businesses are putting the needs of others first." - Colleen McAleer Commissioner McAleer visits with the Joy of Life Podcast to share what life is like as the head of the Clallam County Economic Development Council during COVID-19. As an elected official she is actively engaged in all things happening on the Olympic Peninsula.

I don't think I've interviewed anyone has calm and measured as Jon Scholes. He dives into how he runs his team of 40 and association of 2,000 members during these unprecedented times. His tone and demeanor could soothe any amongst us looking for reassurance during these trying times. How did Jon become the leader that he is? What does he do to stay focused and to unwind? What's his leadership style? We cover all these topics and many more. Enjoy!

Looking for an update from the city of Seattle and state of Washington with special emphasis on the state's $38 billion maritime sector? This is the podcast for you! Hear from Sarah Scherer and Joshua Berger who oversee the maritime sectors at the city and state respectively.  Grab a chair and get comfy. These were two enjoyable visits to say the least. 

King 5's Jake Whittenberg shares the latest on what he's hearing on the pandemic. He's on top of just about everything that's going on in the area, and he's candid about what he's seeing with COVID-19 as well as how he sees this crisis playing out. This episode was recorded on March 25, 2020.

Author Donna Cameron shares how she took her hobby of blogging about kindness to the next level. During this interview, Donna talks with host Peter Schrappen about how kindness is like a good virus and how she spreads her kindness in her daily interactions.  Donna wrote "A Year of Living Kindly". You will be a better person after hearing Donna talk about all of the wonderful attributes of living a kind life.   

Chef Ethan Stowell and Peter Schrappen cover a lot of ground in episode seven of The Joy of Life Podcast.  What projects are top of mind for Ethan? What is his favorite advice? How does he lead his 200-plus person company? How did he come up with the name for his restaurant How to Cook a Wolf? Ethan shares how he got his start to how and how Seattle has shaped his life. Plus, hear why he decided to originally open up restaurants.  You can find out more about Ethan on Instagram @chefethanstowell and @esrseattle On Facebook @ESRSeattle Host Peter Schrappen's website is www.TheJoyofLifePod.com and on Twitter @peterschrappen1

Emily Cantrell and host Peter Schrappen discuss Emily's journey in life that led to her time as director of the World Trade Center Seattle.  Peter and Emily discuss the current state of Seattle, her life as a survivor of gun violence and advocate for gun-safety measures. Plus, she shares where she finds joy and kindness plus a little baseball thrown in for fun. Emily's lives an inspired life. Learn more about her in this interview. She is inspirational.  

Would you like to learn more about servant leadership and its role in our society? Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier and host Peter Schrappen cover a wide-range of topics including servant leadership, politics, public service, and Christianity. Hear about how Bruce had an epiphany at an early age and how that has carried him to the leadership role he plays today as the executive of Pierce County. This was a fun interview with a heavy dose of humility and candor by the guest.  

Ever wonder how food companies improve their marketing by gathering data on consumers? Did you know that humans make about 200 food decisions each day? What's behind these decisions?  In this episode, learn more about an entire field that dedicates itself to studying our behavior. Hear from the leader of the preeminent firm in the world on what food companies know and want to know about us, humans, before we pick out a product. Laurie Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman Group (www.hartman-group.com) shares her company's secret sauce with host Peter Schrappen. Hear about the latest findings on what motivates people and how her team takes an up close look into our behavior to inform companies on how to best market their products to us. Humans are fascinating! Selected links for this episode: The Hartman Group  Thinking Fast and Slow The Paradox of Choice (TED Talk) Food for Thought (Hidden Brain podcast) Hartman Group (Twitter) The Hartman Group (LinkedIn) Laurie Demeritt (LinkedIn)

Ever want to just quit your job and open up your own business? Do you love pie? Do you want to hear more from an entrepreneur on how a company can grow from the founder to twenty-seven employees? All of these topics and much, much more await. By the end, you'll love Ala Mode Pies even more than you already do. For more info on Ala Mode Pies: www.alamodeseattle.com For more on Peter Schrappen's project, please visit: www.TheJoyofLifePod.com

Do you walk into a wine shop and want to turn right around? Do you want to learn more about wine and its role in our culture? What about how kindness and wine go together?  Reggie Daigneault of www.ReggieWine.com shares her secrets, stories and shortcuts when it comes to appreciating wine. There is always something more to learn about wine and it's a joy to hear Reg speak about the joy in her life and how she found her calling. 

Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp sits down with Peter Schrappen to discuss his life and time as Speaker of the House. Speaker Chopp shares many stories about serving as Speaker for a record seventeen years in this 45 minute interview, which is the premier for Peter's Schrappen's The Joy of Life Podcast (www.TheJoyofLifePod.com)