Podcast appearances and mentions of matthew may

Episode Description:In this special edition of The New Chemist's Podcast, host David Ferguson brings you a three‑part journey:Around the World with Gary ArndtWe kick off with an in‑depth interview featuring award‑winning travel blogger, photographer, and podcaster Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere Daily. Discover how Gary sold his home in 2007 to explore 190 countries, built a daily history podcast with nearly 2 million downloads, and turned storytelling into a global classroom ​.Bilingual Break: Langer & May in JapaneseNext, immerse yourself in a Japanese translation of highlights from Dr. Robert Langer and Dr. Matthew May's groundbreaking conversation. Whether you're strengthening your language skills or simply curious about how leading scientists share ideas across cultures, this segment bridges East and West.Pharmacokinetics FundamentalsFinally, sharpen your clinical toolkit with a clear, step‑by‑step primer on the fundamentals of pharmacokinetics. We'll unpack absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion—arming you with the core concepts every pharmacist and researcher needs.Tune in for an episode that spans continents, languages, and the science of drug movement through the body. Whether you're a travel enthusiast, a language learner, or a pharmacy professional, there's something here for everyone.

You ask the questions, we answer them. Enjoy this episode of Q&A.Mentions:Find Your Anchor Event: https://go.meckafitness.com/find-your-anchor-fundraiser459665Music by Matthew May@m2performancenutrition

David, Dylan, and Sarah just dump out some things on their mind. Topics include a little bit of imposter syndrome, creating principles and systems, Dylan and Sarah teaching David how coffee works, and moments of silence and laughs.Mentions:Music by Matthew May@pre_script@mindpumpmedia@precisionnutritionRecs:Dylan: Trader Joe's Chocolatey Chip Cookie DunkersDavid: Go check out Bitty and Beau's Coffee in the Strip DistrictSarah: Check out Atlas Coffee Club

The crew talks grip strength. What are some good exercises for it, is it necessary, and how many tips did we actually share are all a part of this quickie.Mentions:Music by Matthew May

David, Dylan, and Sarah talk about sitting with discomfort and how it can help you become a more fine tuned version of yourself. They chat about the power of being able to choose your actions and even share a few personal journal entries.Mentions:Music by Matthew May@aaron.palmieri.refoundfitness@richrollRecs:Dylan: Check out Camp Grounds of America (KOA)David: Watch Mark Normands “Soup to Nuts” special on NetflixSarah: Go have a treat at LeGourmandine

The crew dishes out their top 5 tips for breaking through plateaus when you are stuck. Mentions: Music by Matthew May

Dylan, Sarah, and David discuss why starting at the end may be the best place to start when setting to achieve a goal. If anything, starting with an end in mind and reverse engineering the path creates a "compass" to give us some direction. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @ericbugera @aaron.palmieri.refoundfitness Recs: Dylan: Play/Download Tony Hawks Pro Skater David: Throw your Fairlife Protein in the freezer Sarah: Go eat Oak Hill Post before they close!

The crew gives a few special, individualized shout outs to some clients successes recently. Feel good stories to be heard! Mentions: Music by Matthew May

David, Dylan, and Sarah talk about having different approaches for different clients. Of course everyone in personal training gets an individualized approach, but how we choose what to attack with regards to a clients goals, varies greatly depending on who they are, what they do, and how many resources are available. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @mindpumpmedia @pre-script Recs: Dylan: Costco Pre-packaged Salads David: Read “12 Angry Men” by Reginald Rose Sarah: Watch “The Resort” on Peacock

Sarah, David, and Dylan share their New Years Resolutions and encourage you to keep up with yours now that we're 1 month in to 2025! Mentions: Music by Matthew May

Wildfire season is getting longer, and home insurance companies are noticing. Department of Insurance Director Dean Cameron discusses how wildfires are changing the home insurance industry. Boise State University's Dr. Matthew May and Dr. Lantz McGinnis-Brown discuss this year's public policy survey, and Whitney Bryen of Investigate West discusses Idaho's high female incarceration rate.

Dylan, Sarah, and David give you tips on how to program safely and effectively. Whether you are a trainer or just planning workouts for yourself, there are 3 really strong tips in this episode to follow. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @precisionnutrition

Episode 242 FACULTY: Chase Birky, CPA, Tim Petrey, CPA, and Kenji Kuramoto CLASS: #AccountingHigh Join Scotty and the DPS (Destroying Pyramid Schemes) panel of influential accounting leaders—Kenji Kuramoto (Acuity Accounting), Chase Berkey (Dark Horse CPAs), and Tim Petri (HD Growth Partners)—as they discuss innovative approaches to transforming the traditional accounting pyramid scheme firm structure. They explore new business models aimed at improving firm culture and client service, and share personal experiences of breaking away from legacy practices to create more dynamic and sustainable working environments. This engaging conversation delves into the nuances of leadership, firm management, and the future of the accounting profession, making it a must-watch for anyone involved in the field.

Dylan, Sarah, and David set the stage that you only have 25 minutes to get a work out in, but what should you do? They take turns asking each other this or that questions for what they'd rather do in that scenario. Mentions: Music by Matthew May

Episode 238 FACULTY: Scott Scarano, EA and Matt Kid, CPA CLASS: #Shoperations In this episode, one of Accounting High's substitute teachers, Matt Kidd, CPA interviews Scott Scarano, EA, about his journey through accounting. Scott shared how his grandfather's CPA firm and the family software business shaped his early career, as well as the tough times he faced during college before finding his way back to accounting. He talked about his experiences with remote work, using Xero, and implementing EOS, all of which helped him transform his firm and himself. Over time, Scott grew the business significantly and reinvented his role, evolving from an accountant to a full-fledged entrepreneur.

Send us a textIn this latest episode of our Future Leader Series, Andrew Cannock and Amelia Kettle sat down with Matthew May, Head of Sales, Woolworths for Inghams to talk all things FMCG, career aspirations, what it takes to be a good leader and advice for his younger self! It's a great listen - tune in now!  

Ask David How Can I Change an SDB (Self-Defeating Belief)? How Can I Cope with Intense Public Speaking Anxiety? Featuring Rhonda Barovsky, Psy.D., Matthew May, MD, Jason Meno and David Burns, MD (Jason is an AI Scientist on our Feeling Great App Team) Anonymous asks: How can I change an SDB (Self-Defeating Belief)? Hiranmay asks: How can I deal with my intense anxiety before public speaking. Answers to Your Questions Note: These answers below were written BEFORE the podcast, and the live discussion always adds new and different angles. Today, Jason Meno, our beloved AI guy on our app team, also chimes in on the many super questions submitted by Andrew (#3 - #10.) 1. Anonymous asks: How can I change an SDB? Dear Dr. Burns, I'm an avid listener of the Feeling Good podcast and for the past few weeks, an avid user of the Feeling Great app. Thank you for your incredible work and dedication to making people everywhere feel better about themselves. I have a question about self-defeating beliefs that I'm hoping you can address, either on the show or on your website. You have mentioned on several occasions that SDBs are the root cause of negative thoughts and consequently of negative feelings. Yet, to me it doesn't feel like SDBs are really addressed enough on the podcast. There seem to only be a handful of episodes covering the topic. It also seems there is a very limited toolbox of methods to use on SDBs, almost like dealing with them is considered an afterthought. If SDBs really are the cause of it all, shouldn't the primary focus be on defeating them first and only then, on defeating negative thoughts? I'm just a little bit lost when it comes to defeating SDBs, which seem to be way harder to deal with than negative thoughts. Any insights or thoughts on the subject will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Anonymous David's reply Dear Anonymous, Will start a new Ask David with your excellent question. Thanks, david First, you can look up Self-Defeating Beliefs in the search function on my website, and you'll find many great examples. Here's what I got just from "Self-Defeating Belief." You could also search for a specific type, like Perfectionism, Perceived Perfectionism, Achievement Addiction, Love Addiction, Approval Addiction, Submissiveness, etc. In general, there are two approaches to any SDB. Four approaches can be used in this order: Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis of the SDB. If Disadvantages outweigh Advantages, use Semantic Technique to modify the SDB. Do an experiment to see if the SDB is actually valid. Use the Feared Fantasy Technique to put the lie to the SDB at the gut level. Here's our latest thinking, which is a step beyond the four steps above. Do a Daily Mood Log on one specific moment when you were struggling with your SDB. We will discuss these ideas in greater depth on the show, of course! You can also find a great deal on SDBs in my books, like Feeling Good, the Feeling Good Handbook, and more. But right now, I don't even know what SDB you might want help with / more information about. Also, in the Feeling Great App, there's a terrific class called "Your PhD in Shoulds." It includes a lesson on perfectionism. 2. Hiranmay asks: How can I deal with my intense anxiety before public speaking without working on the negative thoughts I have afterwards, like “I am going to mess this up” “People are going to notice something obviously wrong in my presentation that I missed, and I will look like a fool.“ “This talk is important, it must go well! Here's his email: Dear Dr. Burns, I love your books and the feeling good podcast. They have made such a huge difference in my life (in a good way of course). I have an “ask David” question on acute anxiety: If I have to play a badminton match or give a presentation, I usually get some or a lot of anxiety the day before the big event as well as the morning of. I then use all the methods you have taught, and the anxiety reduces. However, it usually comes back with a bang just before I give the talk or play a match. Cognitive techniques are not very helpful to me 30 minutes or 5 minutes before the presentation or match. I don't have the time to sit down and write my thoughts or cannot focus at all on my thoughts. Are there any strategies to reduce this form of acute “relapse” or nerves. Here are some more details: Event: 30 minutes before my presentation. I just entered the seminar room, and the first speaker is about to start their talk. I am next. I can feel my heart starting to pound and I am getting the familiar sense of anxiety and nerves. Thoughts: “I am going to mess this up”. “People are going to notice something obviously wrong in my presentation that I missed, and I will look like a fool“. “This talk is important, it must go well”. Although to be honest, this is my analysis of what my thoughts were after the fact. 5-15 minutes before the presentation, I usually just notice my thoughts racing. To reiterate: I am not looking for help with working on these thoughts after the presentation. Any strategies to acutely deal with anxiety or rather relapse of anxiety when I don't have time to use all the wonderful TEAM tools would be very helpful. Thanks so much. Best, Hiranmay (pronounced he-run-may) living in Basel, Switzerland. David's Reply Sure, as a starting point I'd like to see your work with these thoughts on a Daily Mood Log. Do you have one that you could send me, with the percents filled in, etc. That will allow me to see what your strategies are on challenging these thoughts, and whether you can knock them out of the park, or only challenge them “somewhat.” Best, david You can see Hiranmay's excellent DML if you check here. David Continues Hi Hiranmay, It sounds like are not interested in help with the thoughts you recorded in your email below, since this, by definition, is “after the presentation.” If you like, you could perhaps “make up” some thoughts you might be having BEFORE you start to speak. As someone who has had, and recovered from crippling public speaking anxiety, I have tons of powerful techniques, but would need some help from you so I'll have something to go on. By the way, I absolutely DO NOT BELIEVE you when you say those are not the thoughts you are having in the minutes before you begin to speak! So, your requirement that we are not allowed to work on them is a bit of a hindrance. As an aside, I will include this in an Ask David podcast, if that is okay! Sincerely, david I asked H to send me a copy of his Daily Mood Log, which was really well done, and responded with a few suggestions. Then I sent this note: David's Subsequent Response One thing I noticed on your Daily Mood Log is your fear of making a mistake, or having a critical question from someone in the group, or not being able to impress your audience sufficiently. These fears are common in public speaking anxiety. We've all struggled with them at one time or another, I think!  I have changed my focus from needing to impress the audience with myself or my talk, and instead I try to remember to try to impress them with themselves, and how awesome they are. Here's an example. I once gave a presentation on the serotonin theory of depression for about 1,000 psychiatrists at a prominent medical school in Texas. It was going well and suddenly a man at the rear stood up and started shouting something like this: “I'm so sick of all you establishment researchers thinking you know so much and ignoring my work. I have discovered the cause and cure for depression in my laboratory. (He claimed it was some kind of vitamin deficiency.) But everyone is ignoring my work (and more ranting and raving.) There was a chilled silence in the room. Here's how I responded: “I appreciate was you're saying, and I agree. I think our current focus on deficiencies in brain serotonin is extremely misguided, and predict, as you say, that research will show that the chemical imbalance theory of depression is not valid. And often, the most important breakthroughs come from laboratories like yours, where someone who is unknown discovers the actual cause of an illness after being ignored for years and years. I'd be honored if you'd approach me at the end of my talk so I can learn more about your pioneering research!” Notice I did not defend myself, but tried to make HIM feel good. At the end of my talk, about 20 or more people came crowding up to the podium with questions and such. I saw him at the back of the group, pushing his way to the front. I braced for another attack. He said, “Dr. Burns, that was the best presentation I've ever heard by far on the serotonin theory of depression. If you would give me permission, I would love to show your slides to my students and colleagues!” I have very little fear of being attacked by people in the audience, and I now speak all the time in front of groups. I used to have paralyzing public speaking anxiety. But the monsters I feared were all in my brain! Warmly, david   Andrew asks 8 cool questions! (#3 - #10) which are listed below, along with my answers. Jason Meno also sent some awesome answers, which you'll find below as well, right after my answers to the 8 questions.  

Episode 228 FACULTY: Adam Hale, CPA CLASS: #Shoperations TITLE: $10M Model Cloud Accounting Firm, Beyond the Summit In this episode of Accounting High, join the host and guest Adam Hale from Summit CPAs as they dive into the transformation from traditional accounting to advisory services. Adam discusses the journey of creating a successful model cloud accounting firm, emphasizing the shift from answering questions to asking them, the importance of building a niche, and the challenges of merging with a larger firm like Anders. He shares valuable insights on developing advisory services, maintaining culture in a distributed team, and growing a business by learning from failures. Whether you're starting out in the accounting field or looking to innovate within your firm, this episode offers practical advice and inspiration.

In case you missed it...here's the recording of the LIVE #DrinkWhileYouThink Tech Stack Draft!

David, Sarah, and Dylan dive a little deeper into supplements. They discuss the benefits they can provide, possible negative effects, and how you need to be your own experiment. They discuss if, when, and why timing of supplements would be a factor, and give a few small shout outs to some of our preferred supps and brands. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @biolayne @m2performancenutrition LMNT, Muscle Milk, Whey Protein, Creatine, Magnesium, Multivitamins, Green Powders, and True Nutrition Customized Supplements. Recommendations: Dylan: Try Creatine David: Follow @breadbasket303 Sarah: Drink @drinklmnt

Special Announcement #1 Attend the Legendary Summer Intensive Featuring Drs. David Burns and Jill Levitt August 8 - 11. 2024 Learn Advanced TEAM-CBT skills Heal yourself, heal your patients First Intensive in 5 years! It will knock your socks off! Limited Seating--Act Fast Click for registration / more information! Sadly, this workshop is a training program which will be limited to therapists and mental health professionals and graduate students in a mental health field  Apologies, but therapists have complained when non-therapists have attended our continuing education training programs. This is partly because of the intimate nature of the small group exercises and the personal work the therapists may do during the workshop. Certified coaches and counselors are welcome to attend. Special Announcement #2 Here's some GREAT news! The Feeling Great App is now available in both app stores (IOS and Android) and is for therapists and the general public, and you can take a ride for free! Check it Today's Podcast Practical Philosophy Month Part 2, Do Humans have “Selves”? This is our second podcast in our Practical Philosophy Month. Last week, in our first episode, we focused on the “free will” question. As humans, we all feel like we have “free will,” but is it just an illusion, especially if all our actions are the result of the physical processes in our brains and the laws of the universe? The Bible certainly dealt with this in the book of Genesis, where we learn that the first humans, Adam and Eve, were given a wonderful Garden of Eden to live in, but they had to choose whether or not to obey God's rule NOT to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They chose to eat the fruit, implying that humans have free choice. But the philosophical arguments rage on. In today's podcast, we are joined by two beloved and brilliant colleagues, Drs. Matthew May and Fabrice Nye, as we explore the question of whether or not the “self” exists. We all feel like we have a “self,” but is this real or just an illusion? When you try to define your “self,” you may run into problems. For example, you might think that the “self” has to be the part of us that does not change from moment to moment, and is always ‘the same.” For example, I might think back on my childhood and feel convinced that I was the “same David Burns” then that I am now. And, if you are religious, you might also be comforted by the idea that your “self” is the same as your “soul,” and that you will therefore live on after you die. This concept of a “soul” is a core belief in many religions. But are we fooling ourselves? And what was the Buddha thinking about 2,500 years ago when we talked about enlightenment as resulting from the “Great Death” of the “self.” He seemed to be hinting that something wonderful can happen when you give up the idea that you have a “self.” In the original draft of my book, Feeling Great, I had a chapter on entitled, “Do you need a “self?” Join the Grateful Dead.” I tried to persuade readers that the existence of a “self” is nonsense, based on the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein in his famous book, Philosophical Investigations. But readers found the chapter so upsetting that I decided, on their urging, to delete it from the manuscript, which I did. My goal is not to disturb people, but to provide a path to joy and to loving connections with others. But to this day, I still get emails from people asking me to offer that chapter, or to deal more deeply with this concept of the “self” vs “no self” in a podcast. So, here is my attempt today. I will start with my own take, and then summarize some of the views about the self that were expressed by Fabrice, Matt, and Rhonda during the show. Here's my thinking. There are many key questions you could ask about the concept of the “self?” including: Do we have a “self?” And if so, what is it? Does the first question even make sense? I'm sure you would agree that if a question doesn't make sense, then it isn't a “real” question, and there really isn't anything to talk about. Then we can just stop feeling frustrated and perplexed, and move on with our lives. That is the precise position that the late Wittgenstein would probably have taken. He stated that words have no ultimate or “true” meaning outside of the various contexts in which we use them in daily life. Most words have many meanings, because they are used in different ways, and you can find most of the meanings in any dictionary. So, if you think of the word, “game,” you will quickly realize that it does not have one “true” or essential meaning. It can mean a sports competition, with two teams competing against each, like soccer. But you can have two teams competing in some way other than a sport. And you don't even need two teams to have a “game.” For example, some games are played by one individual, like solitaire with a deck of cards. Or you can think about the “dating game,” or refer to “game birds,” or a “game boxer.” In short, there is not some single “correct” meaning to the word, “game.” Some uses have overlapping meanings, and some uses do not overlap at all with other uses. So, there is no point in trying to figure out if “games exist,” or what the ultimate or essential meaning is of the word, “game.” Now, how do we use the word, “self,” and what does it mean in each context? You might tell your child to behave themself. This simply means that they are misbehaving and will be punished if they don't behave more politely. You do not have to tell the child that their “self” also has to behave better, because that would be meaningless. We already told the child to change their behavior. You could ask friends, as I did this morning, if they are planning to join me on the Sunday hike. Two of them confirmed and said that “they” would join me today on our hike. I did have to ask them if they would be bringing their “selves,” because I just do not know what that would mean! They already told me they're coming to the hike. (They did come and we had a lot of fun.) In my extremely challenging freshman English class at Amherst College, we had to write two or three papers per week on odd topics. The teachers were relentlessly critical in their feedback, and would nearly always point out that we sounded incredibly phony and need to find our true voices, which came from our real selves, as opposed to the false fronts we often used to try to impress people. Almost every student got dumped on constantly! The professors weren't referring to some metaphysical “true selves.” They were just referring to the fact that our writing didn't sound natural, compelling, or vulnerable, and so forth. Our writing was, for the most part, an enormous turn-off. Most of us never could figure out quite what that class was all about, but it was useful as I became more sensitive to the “tone” or “voice” in any writing. I would have to concede that it was a sobering but helpful class. But they were not referring to some mystical “true self” we had to find. They just wanted us to stop writing in such a sucky way! So here is my point, which you might “not get.” When you keep the word, “self,” in the context of everyday life, it is obvious what it means, and it never refers to some metaphysical “thing” that we could “have” or “not have.” It is just a vague, abstract concept that is devoid of meaning when it's all by itself. A “self,” just like “free will,” is not some “thing” that we might, or might not, have. The question, “Does the self exist,” according to Wittgenstein (or his big fan David) has no meaning and so we can just ignore it. It's not a real question. It is, as Wittgenstein was fond of saying, “language that's out of gear.” Now, does this discussion have anything to do with emotional problems, or TEAM therapy? It absolutely does. That's because nearly all depression results from some version of “I'm not good enough,” including: I'm inferior. I'm a loser. I'm a “hopeless case.” I'm a failure. I'm unlovable. I'm a bad parent. I'm defective. And so forth. If you buy into these “self” condemning proclamations, thinking that they mean something, you'll probably feel depressed, ashamed, inadequate, hopeless, and more. As you can probably see, all these self-critical thoughts contain tons of cognitive distortions, like All-or-Nothing Thinking, Overgeneralization, Labeling, Mental Filtering, Emotional Reasoning, Self-Blame, Hidden Shoulds, and more And to put it in a nutshell, they ALL involve the belief that you have a “self” that's broken, or simply not “good enough.” And all of those statements are meaningless. My goal in therapy is NOT to persuade you that you ARE worthwhile, or “a winner,” or a “good” parent, but rather to show you how to let go of these meaningless but painful ways of belittling yourself. I might use techniques like Empathy, Positive Reframing, Explain the Distortions, Let's Define Terms, Be Specific, the Double Standard Technique, the Externalization of Voices, the Downward Arrow, and many more. That's because the VERY moment you suddenly “see” that these kinds of statements are both untrue and unfair, and you stop believing them, your feelings will instantly change. So, you could say that TEAM really IS a “Wittgensteinian” therapy. And when people ask me how to develop better self-esteem, I would not try to get them to discover how to have some magical and wonderful “thing” called self-esteem, because that concept is just as nonsensical as the concept of a “self.” You might say that “self-esteem,” if you want to use the term, is more about what you DO. And there are two things you can do if you want to change the way you feel. First, you can stop beating up on yourself with hostile criticisms like the bulleted statements listed above, and talk to yourself in the same encouraging way you might talk to a dear friend or loved one who was hurting. And second, you can treat yourself in a loving way, in just the same way you might treat your best friend who was coming for a visit. In other words, you can do nice things for yourself. The day my first book, “Feeling Good,” was finally published, my editor called me with some bad news. She told me that the publisher, William Morrow and Company, loses money on 9 out of 10 of the books they publish, so they decide which ones are most likely to sell, and those are the only ones they'll promote. The rest of the books go on a “loser list,” and the company does little or nothing to promote them. She said my book was #1 on their “loser list,” since the president of the company felt it had no commercial potential, and that very few people would be interest in a long book on depression. She added that the one thing they did do was to send my book to ten popular magazines for first serial rights. That means they get to publish an excerpt from your book as an article, so that stirs up some media interest in your book. Sadly, she said that all ten had turned them down. She said that I'd have to be in charge of any further marketing of my book, so I asked what I should do. She said to call all ten magazines right away and persuade them to change their minds. In a panic, I called them all, including Ladies' Home Journal, Reader's Digest, and on and on. Every magazine said the same thing—they did not want my book, had turned it down, had zero interest in it, and to please top calling since authors shouldn't call them and they considered it a form of phone harassment since they'd already made a decision. Yikes! No fun! When I jogged home from the train station that night, I shouted, “You're a loser, you're a failure.” That didn't sound so good so then I shouted, “No, you're not! You'll figure out how to make it happen! Just keep plugging away.” That sounded a lot more loving, so when I got home, I told my wife that the book at just been published and that I'd been turned down by all ten magazines for serial rights, and the publisher decided not to spend any money on marketing or advertising, so we needed to go out and celebrate. She why we would celebrate? I said, “You don't need to celebrate when you win, because you already feel great. But when you lose, that's when you need to celebrate, because you're feeling down. So, tonight we'll celebrate!” We went out for a fancy dinner and celebrated and had fun. And the rest, they say, is history. I just kept trying and getting turned down by newspapers, radio stations, television programs, and more. But eventually, the tide started to turn. To date, Feeling Good has sold more than 5 million copies and it achieved best-seller status. And the reason was that researchers discovered that the book actually had antidepressant properties, so excitement about it spread by word of mouth. I am hopeful that the new Feeling Great App will help even more people. Fabrice made some interesting and wise comments on the notion of the “self.” He said that the idea that we have a “self” is a sense that we nearly all have. Some people feel like the “self” that is located somewhere behind the eyes or in the middle of the head. But, he emphasizes, there is no such “thing” as a “self.” He has quoted someone who has “said it all,” but the statement only makes sense IF you “get it!” Here's the quote: “No Self? No Problem!” This is actually the title of a book by Chris Niebauer, PhD, and the subtitle is How Neuropsychology Is Catching Up to Buddhism. If you want to check it out, here's a link to it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/No-Self-Problem-Neuropsychology-Catching/dp/1938289978 Fabrice emphasized that the concept of “self” is “nebulous.” He asked, “Is there a ‘David'?” He explained: You wouldn't be able to prove this in court. Well, you could show ID, but that would not be proof. Where does the information on the ID come from? Birth certificate? Who wrote the information on the birth certificate? Probably some doctor back in 1942. And where did he get that information from? Probably some caregiver said “Write ‘David' here.” Was that from a credible source? Not at all. That info was made up on the spot! Now, you can say that there's a “sense” of a David going around, and that there are some patterns that show signs of “David-ness,” but there is no “David.” Matt added that your body is not your “self.” When you break your arm, you don't say that you have broken a part of your “self.” You just say, “I broke my arm.” Rhonda raised the question of whether the “self” is just the same as “consciousness” or “awareness.” Someone in our group added that the “self” is what we DO, and not what we ARE. And, of course, what we are doing is constantly changing from moment to moment. My understanding of all of this is that once you let go of the notion that you have a “self,” you will no longer worry about whether or not you are “good enough” or “special,” or whoever. You can focus instead on living your life and solving the problems of daily living and appreciating the world around you. If you screw up, you can focus on what specific error you made, rather than obsessing about your inferior or defective “self.” You can actually welcome failure as just another teacher, so you can grow and learn, and simply accept your screw ups, or both. In fact, two of the most popular TEAM techniques for challenging the distorted thoughts in bullets above are called “Let's Define Terms” and “Be Specific.” These techniques are right out of Wittgenstein's playbook, and they are prominently featured in the “Learn” section of the new Feeling Great App. If you're feeling depressed, and thinking of yourself as a “loser” or as being “inferior” or even “worthless,” the goal is NOT to “become a ‘winner,” or more ‘worthwhile,' but rather to give up these notions as nonsensical. But once again, many people cannot “get it,” or “see it,” and that's where a caring and skillful therapist can help. Some people wrongly think that letting go of the notion that you could be “worthwhile” would mean a huge loss of something precious. Many people who don't yet “see” what we're trying to say are terrified of the “Great Death” because they think that giving up the notion that you have a “self” means giving up all hope for improvement, for joy, for intimacy, and so forth. But to my way of thinking, the truth is just the opposite. When your “self” dies, you and your world suddenly wake up and come to life. When you accept yourself and your world, exactly as they are right now, everything suddenly changes. Of course, that's a paradox. I believe that leading our patients to the “Great Death” of the “self” is like giving them the understanding and courage they need to throw some garbage in the trash instead of carrying the garbage around with them all the time! I hope some of this makes a little sense, but if not, don't worry about. Sometimes, it takes a little time before you suddenly “see it!” Thanks for listening today. We love all of you! Rhonda, Fabrice, Matt, and David

David and Dylan cover another crossfit benchmark workout this week, The Other Total. The boys dive into ways to build each of the movements involved, as well as hand out some training tips for the skills that these movements involve. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @stu_kodiakbarbell @pre_script @the_muscle_doc Recommendations: Dylan: Watch “The Jinx” on HBO David: Go to the movies or a drive in Sarah: Watch “Chimp Empire” on Netflix

David and Dylan search the fuzzy area where expectations and reality don't mix (and do!). The conversation covers many different examples such as joining a gym, pursuing a goal, parenting, and coming back from injury - with respects to one Harry Potter tangent. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @killian.hamilton @coach.frankiemaz Recommendations: Dylan: Follow Aaron Palmeri @aaron.palmieri on IG David: Follow @disappointingaffirmations on IG Sarah: Listen to Benson Boone on Spotify (or follow @bensonboone on IG

Dylan and David discuss why you should focus on who you want to be over what you want to achieve. This episode covers a ton of information on how this little mindset shift can make all the different with your habit building and fulfillment! Mentions: Music by Matthew May @tomfoxley @biolayne Recommendations: Dylan: The Period Repair Manual by Laura Briden David: Follow @tomfoxley on IG and listen to The Freedom Project Sarah: Duolingo (App)

In this episode of Drink While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May share a beer and talk about job responsibilities – when to create specialized roles, when you should rethink roles, and when you might want to consider combining roles in your company.Tune in for…

Dylan and David recap the Crossfit Quarterfinals and discuss changes they'd like to see to the sport. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @therealsevanpodcast @hillerfit2.0 Recommendations: Dylan: Get Personal Programming from us! David: Watch “Crazy Good” by Neil Brennan on Netflix Sarah: Watch “Drive to Survive” on Netflix

Sometimes you just don't feel like doing what you know you need to. David and Dylan cover how to tackle that exact problem and dive into the nuances of being motivated vs. being dedicated in this episode! Mentions: Music by Matthew May @ryanholiday, author, Stillness is the Key, Daily Stoic Viktor Frankl. A Man's Search for Meaning@hubermanlab@tacticnnutrtion Recommendations: Dylan: Follow @anniemiller.co on IG David: Listen to the podcast Tetragrammaton by Rick Rubin Sarah: Listen to the Smartless Podcast with Jason Batemon, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, welcomes Matthew May, President of Acuity and CEO at Verify IQ, for a deep dive into the evolving world of SaaS finance and the transformative roles of CFOs within technology companies. Randy and Matthew discuss the strategic evolution of the CFO's office and the vital adaptations necessitated by rapidly advancing technologies. Matthew talks about the impacts of technology automation and AI on traditional finance roles and the convergence of CFO and COO responsibilities. Listen this week as Randy and Matthew explore the upward shift from data processing to data strategy and the importance of proactive business planning.Quotes"The office of the CFO has changed in that there's this excuse that there's no talent there, but really what there is. There is just a harder training problem that people haven't solved yet.” -Matthew May [07:15]“So CPQ historically has been something I would say runs up through sales op. It's a CRO decision to buy because it's usually a salesperson that's using it. We found that CFOs are now influencing that decision in a way because they want to make sure that the contract's accurate. They can ingest it from the CRM system into something like a Maxio or have it go into the other financial systems.” -Randy Wootton [21:30]Expert Takeaways CFOs are increasingly taking on COO roles as finance functions automate and require more strategic focus.Content creation success hinges on consistency and authenticity; an essential lesson for finance professionals considering digital channels for their messaging.Emerging CFOs find themselves needing to understand the forward-looking aspects of the business, such as weekly operating metrics, rather than focusing solely on traditional financial reports.Global staffing and training present opportunities and challenges for modern CFOs, underlining the international expansion of talent acquisition.Utilizing employee churn as a critical metric, reflecting company stability and the overall health of its operations.Timestamps[02:20] Publishing content: consistency and authenticity[03:42] Evolution of the role of the CFO in the tech space [05:29] Key technologies enabling CFOs to step into the COO role [06:09] Automation of general ledgers and challenges with data diversity[09:16] Global staffing and the importance of a globalized workforce [11:48] CFOs moving from compliance to strategic advisory services [12:26] The shift from translating accounting to focusing on KPIs. [15:18] CEOs gaining fluency in accounting around $3-5 million in revenue.[17:03] Lagging and leading indicators: financial metrics and operating metrics.[19:43] Recommended KPI tools: sift, giraffe, and 90 for EOS adoption. [20:51] Shifting from reviewing financial statements to predictive KPIs. [25:36] App fatigue and consolidation in the market. [27:59] Building AI into accounting products for 2024. [32:23] AI trends and building partnerships for AI tools. [35:15] The challenge of balancing change and safety as a CFO. [36:00] Focusing on prevent controls rather than detect controls [39:33] Attrition has decreased due to fewer job opportunities, with employees hunkering down and staying in their current roles LinksMAXIO

David and Dylan discuss the concept of using the minimal effective dose for progress. The scan over topics including your fitness routine, building habits in your daily life, and in your relationships. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @drinklmnt @activelifeAtomic Habits by James Clear Recommendations: Dylan: Dylan leaves you with a quote today by an anonymous IG page! David: Tom Foxley and The Freedom Project Podcast Sarah: American Symphony Documentary on Netflix

No matter where you are in Idaho, you likely got hit by winter storms this week. But how did that affect the snowpack? Water Supply Committee chair David Hoekema discusses the statewide outlook. Then, Dr. Matthew May and Lantz McGinnis-Brown from Boise State University review results of this year's public policy survey, and Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News reviews the week at the statehouse.

Matthew May, the president of Acuity, returns to The Unique CPA on Episode 139, and he gives Randy the insider's perspective on Benefit Corporations, better known as B Corps. Acuity started the process of being recognized as a B Corp in 2020, and Matthew talks about the community that surrounds B Corps, the employee-centric image being a B Corp projects, and the difficulty that faces service firms that wish to become B Corps because they don't have physical supply chains. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Dylan and David jump right in to discuss the issues that they feel plague the fitness industry in today's world. Strap in for a few tangents, some anger, some honesty, and a few attempts at what they believe could be possible solutions! Mentions: Music by Matthew May @biolayne@the_plant_slant @roopsihota@thereadystate @next.level.spine.and.sports@pre_script Recommendations: Dylan: Follow/Listen to the podcast Mind Pump David: Go watch “Bye Bye Barry” on Amazon Prime Sarah: Listen to Armchair Expert, Episode with Wiz Khalifa

In this episode of Drink While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May share a beer and talk about one of their biggest struggles: communication.Tune in for…

In this episode of Drink  While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May share a beer and tackle their first Ask Me Anything episode!Tune in for…

Not A Caveman Fixated on Bugs and Bees After All: John the Baptist's Wilderness Vegetarian Diet - Locust Beans Not Bugs - An Exploration of Early Christian Writings and Scholarly Texts Today on This Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast. Nevermind the old Sunday school notion of John the Baptist being some weird caveman dude dining on bugs! John may have a tarnished caveman reputation of eating locusts and honey out in the wild, but this is really a story about copyists mistranslating a Greek word as "locust" ('a-k-r-i-d-e-s') instead of "carob"       ('e-g-k-r-i-d-e-s'). (Henry Ford: "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." Albert Einstein: "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.")   Since my original research on this topic, a couple more early Christian apocryphal writings have come to light, have been made available in English. These add to the surprisingly large collection of vegetarian references in early Christian writings regarding the diet of John the Baptist. New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. III, by Tony Burke was published and some John the Baptist books are included. In one of the earlier volumes there was a John the Baptist text made available for the first time in English that has a vegetarian passage regarding John's diet in the wilderness. Included in the third volume are, The Birth of Holy John the Forerunner, and, The Decapitation of John the Forerunner, both containing plant-based passages about John's diet consisting of "locusts from the tree" (in the Middle east called "the Saint John's Tree", and "Carob Tree") and "wild honey", also "an abundance of bread and wild honey dripping from a rock". Clearly there was an understanding in early Christianity that this was referring to locust beans (carob pods), not insects. Carob pods do look a bit like locusts hanging from tree branches, hence the name. Locust beans can be ground up and used to make a kind of Middle eastern carob flour flat bread. There's a "cakes dipped in honey" reference in the Gospel of the Ebionites. The wild "honey" was not from bees but sticky desert fruit of some kind. So, as you'll hear being documented during this pod...cast, there are all these plant-based references to John's diet coming from many different sources, and scholars have noticed and discussed these: "Probably the most interesting of the changes from the familiar New Testament accounts of Jesus comes in the Gospel of the Ebionites description of John the Baptist, who, evidently, like his successor Jesus, maintained a strictly vegetarian cuisine." (Professor Bart Ehrman, Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew) "His [John the Baptist's] food was wild honey that tasted like manna, like a cake cooked in olive oil." (The Other Gospels, Accounts of Jesus from Outside the New Testament, by Bart Ehrman)   John the Baptist was a prophet with large number of followers in Israel and Transjordan regions. After his passing, several of his successors headed what became various rival Nasoraean (Nazorean) sects, one of those being Jesus and the Jesus movement. "Again Jesus said to his disciples: Truly I say to you, among all those born of women none has arisen greater than John the Baptizer." (Matthew 11:11, George Howard's translation of Shem-Tob's Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, described as "the oldest extant Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew")     May the Blessings Be James Bean Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts Sant Mat Satsang Podcasts A Satsang Without Walls https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com    

369 The Invisible Racism We All Deny, Featuring Drs. Manuel Sierra and Matthew May Today we're joined by Drs. Manuel Sierra and Matthew May on the sensitive topic of racism. Manuel Sierra MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist practicing in Idaho, one of the places where he grew up (he also spent time in Oregon). He was a classmate of Matt May during his residency training days at Stanford, and they remain close friends today. Rhonda begins today's podcast with this mail we received from Guillermo, one of our favorite podcast fans: Guillermo asks: How do you respond to family or friends who make racist comments? Hello, Dr Burns Not sure if you have addressed this in any of the podcasts (I don't recall it being a topic) but: I was recently in a group chat with some cousins, and I read some really disappointing racist comments about a particular group. Many people ignored it (as I did) and a couple AGREED with the comments. How can we balance not judging not just any people but our longtime friends and family about overtly racist actions/comments and the thinking that it is not the event but our thoughts that create our emotions? I don't care about “judging them” (in the sense that I don't think it is my place to “change” their views) but just hearing/reading comments like this bothers me when they come from people close to me. When I see it on tv or the internet, I don't get affected because I feel it is beyond my control. I don't believe they will change their views so do I just remove them from my life? I apologize, the topic is too wide, but I've been thinking about this. Sincerely grateful for all you do, Guillermo Manuel kicked off our answer to Guillermo by saying that he has been personally familiar with racism within families and communities, and says that he and Matt have talked about this topic “a lot.” He explained that: Although I am proud of my Mexican-American heritage, I was born and grew up in Oregon and Idaho, where I'm currently practicing. I encountered considerable racial bias when I was a kid, and later in life as well. I clearly cannot speak for all Mexican-American people, I can only speak for myself and what I've personally experienced, and I am extremely aware of how difficult the current times are. My grandparents didn't teach my mom Spanish. She was a single mom, and we lived in a small town in Idaho. I also have family through marriage who live on Native American lands. In grade school I began hearing jokes about Mexican Americans, and this was very awkward, painful, for me. I also got ridiculed for not speaking Spanish.  Even my grandfather asked me, “why aren't you speaking Spanish?” There were also gangs where the racial bias got worse and frequently turned violent. After learning more about Manuel's experiences, we modeled various ways of talking to a friend or family member who has made hurtful racist comments. Manuel cautioned that it might be best to do provide the feedback individually, and not in public, so as not to shame the person. In addition, this can reduce the chance for social posturing and responding in an adversarial way. Matt agreed and emphasized the importance of combining your “I Feel” Statement with Stroking. For example, you might say something like this, assuming the racial slur comment came from a relative or person you like, Jim, as you know, you're one of my favorite people, but I want you to know that when you said X, Y and Z, it really upset me, because it sounded like a put down to people who are (Mexican, Jewish, Moslem, gay, or whatever). I (David) like this approach because it sounds respectful and direct, but not judgmental or condemning. Rhonda modeled an excellent alternative response which included this type of add-on: “And I'm going to request that you not say that again in my presence. “ I (David) would prefer not to add the directive statement at the end, which could, in theory, rankle some individuals with coercion sensitivity, because it might sound scolding. However, that's just my take on it, and it's not some kind of gospel truth. If you want to push your assertiveness and stick up for yourself, it might be effective, and was effective recently for Rhonda because the relative she said this to stopped making similar racial comments in her presence. I would suggest ending any kind of response to the person who made a racial slur with Inquiry, asking them about their racial feelings as well as the fact that you are criticizing them. Do they feel hurt, angry, anxious, or put down? You might also ask something along these lines--Have they always had negative feelings about this or that racial or religious group? Manuel described an experience in medical school when an attending doctor was supervising a group of medical students in how to do a particular medical procedure quickly, and said this to him, “You can be like a Mexican jumping bean!” Then Manuel asked himself, “Should I say something?” Which of course incurs the risk of retaliation from an authority figure in a position of power. Manuel mentioned that just because you're working in a prestigious medical setting, this does not protect you from racial slurs. He described hearing people comment on how he and several Mexican-American classmates probably got into medical school because of their ethnicity, implying they weren't sufficiently intelligent or on par  with their classmates. He also mentioned an incident during his internship when he checked in on a patient wearing his white lab coat with stethoscope around his neck, and the patient asked him if he was there to pick up the trash and could he please get the doctor.  Manuel humbly replied that he could pick up the trash, and he was the doctor. I asked Manuel how he felt when hearing these types of belittling and patronizing racist comments. He said that he felt annoyed, embarrassed, angry, put down, anxious, and alone. He described one of his best friends growing up who was white. However, this fellow grew up poor as well, so they easily formed bond because they'd had similar class-based experiences. His friend sometimes lived in all-black neighborhoods and had also felt out of place at times, not accepted, and targeted. I asked Manuel how he felt describing these intensely personal experiences on the podcast today, knowing so many people would be listening. He said, “It's anxiety-provoking. My mouth is dry, my heart is racing, and I'm afraid I'll sound like an idiot!” We discussed the differences between being unintentionally or intentionally offensive with racist comments, and also mentioned the related topic of bullying which, of course, is intentionally hurtful. Manuel said that an example might be calling me names or saying terrible things about my mother, or making threats to hurt your family, or your mom. Often the bully is trying to get you to fight, so you'd be beaten up. The bully's goal is to humiliate you in front of others and make you feel bad about yourself. Manuel introduced us to some of the approaches he uses when working with kids who are bullied. I'd like to hear more on this topic but we were running out of time. We could address bullying on a future podcast with the same crew, since Manuel and Matt both have a lot to offer on that sensitive and exceptionally challenging topic. Let us know if you're interested in hearing more. The response to bullying has to have two dimensions. First, your thoughts, and not the bully's statements, create all of your moods. So, you can use the Daily Mood Log to record and modify your inner dialogue. The goal would be to support yourself and not buy into the notion that you are somehow “less than” or a loser or coward just because someone is trying to bully and exploit you in a sadistic fashion. The cognitive work is based on the idea that ultimately, only you can bully yourself. The words of the bully cannot affect you unless you buy into them. But then it's your own beliefs that are the source of your emotional misery. Second, your verbal response to the bully can also be helpful to you, or it can serve to make the situation worse. But these techniques, based in part of the Five Secrets of Effective Communication, can be challenging to learn, especially during the heat of battle, so considerable practice is vitally important. The goal of changing your thoughts as well as the way you respond is not to blame you for the problem, but to give you some reasonably effective coping skills, perhaps similar to the verbal karate I mentioned in my first book, Feeling Good. At the end of the podcast, we did a survey among the four of us on whether meanness and aggression and exploitation is one of the inherent and genetically based drives in human nature, along with our more loving impulses and drives, or whether humans are basically good and all the hostility and killing is the result of adverse influences along the way. There was a sharp difference of opinion, and you can listen to the podcast to find out what everyone thought! We were, of course, just speculating, as this question is partly scientific and partly philosophical. I asked Manuel how he felt at the end of the podcast, and he said he was feeling a lot better. He was powerful and informative, and I was grateful he could appear with our team and teach us from the heart today! I hope you enjoyed today's program as well. Thanks for listening! Manuel, Matt, Rhonda, and David

In this episode of Drink While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May share a beer and talk about Acuity's international teams – what's worked well, what's been challenging, and why expanding outside of the U.S. has become important to the growth and success of Acuity.Tune in for…

David and Dylan dive into their personal experiences and time within the fitness industry. The conversation sparks a look into what the risks and rewards of becoming a full time coach within the fitness industry could entail. If you are thinking about getting started in the field, this is an episode for you. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @thejulieshields @badassstyling @jasonleydon Recommendations: Dylan and David: Corrine Williams, Financial Advisor Northwestern Mutual (724) 816-3035 corrine.williams@nm.com

AI and Psychotherapy— Doomsday or Revolution? Featuring Drs. Jason Pyle and Matthew May Today we feature Jason Pyle, MD, PhD and our beloved Matthew May, MD on a controversial, exciting and possibly anxiety-provoking podcast on the future of AI in psychotherapy and mental health. Will AI shrinks replace humans in a doomsday scenario for shrinks? Or will AI serve shrinks and patients in a revolutionary way that sees the dawning of a new age of psychotherapy? You are all familiar with Matt, due to his frequent and highly praised appearances on our Ask David segments, but Jason Pyle, MD, PhD, will probably be new to you. Jason joined the Evolve Foundation as Managing Director in 2022 to focus his work on the mass mental health crisis and the rampant diseases of despair, which afflict tens of millions of Americans. The Evolve Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to the advancement of human consciousness. Evolve is active in philanthropy and venture investments in the mental health fields. Jason is an accomplished biotechnology executive with over twenty years of executive management and technology development experience. He is committed to developing healthcare technologies and bringing science-backed healing to the most important problems of our generation. Jason is a veteran who served as a US Ranger, and earned an Engineering degree from the University of Arizona. He received both his MD and PhD in Neurosciences from the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he met Matt May and they became close friends. At the start of today's podcast, Matt and Jason reflected on their long friendship, starting as classmates at the Stanford Medical School 20 years ago. The following questions were submitted by Jason, Matt, and David prior to the start of today's podcast. Jason's Questions: How important is the role of therapist rapport with patients? If it is important, how might AI accomplish or fail to accomplish this? Given the limitations of AI, what parts or pieces of the therapeutic process might it best serve? One of AI's potentially best features is that it can interact with a person anytime/anyplace, how could this be useful to augment the current therapeutic paradigm? We talk a lot about patients using AI, but how could therapists use it to better serve their needs? Matt's Questions about AI: What is AI? How does it work? If therapists strengths tend to be their weaknesses and vice-versa, what might we expect to be the strengths and weaknesses of an AI therapist? How do these expectations match up with what David is seeing in the data? Is AI safe? Can it be made to be safe? What would be the best case scenario for AI, in therapy? David's question about AI: Will AI replace human therapists? Jason kicked off the discussion with a brief description of AI and machine learning, and outlined four potential roles for AI in psychiatry and psychology: An AI therapist full replaces the human therapist An AI helper augments human therapist, acting as a 24 / 7 therapist helper in a myriad of ways involving ongoing support for patients between therapy sessions and support for patients during crises. AI helps the therapist with rudimentary tasks like record-keeping, recording, and summarizing sessions. AI can study transcripts of therapy sessions for research purposes, rating what procedures were done as well as degree of adherence to the therapeutic methods, and the skill of the therapist. The ensuing dialogue was illuminating and exciting. In fact, I got so engrossed that I stopped taking notes, so you'll have to give it a listen to find out. However, one thing that was interesting and unexpected was highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of AI. For example, a patient with social anxiety might benefit greatly from armchair work, focusing on ways to combat distorted negative thoughts, but will still have to interact strangers in social situations to conquer this type of fear. David and Matt nearly always go with the patient out into the world for interpersonal exposure exercises, and find that the presence and trust and “push” from the human therapist can be invaluable and necessary. It is not at all clear that an AI therapist working via a smart phone could have the same effect, but that might require an experiment to find out. Jumping to conclusions without data is rarely safe or accurate! Maybe an AI “helper” could be very helpful to individuals with social anxiety! Jason raised the question of whether AI could replicate the trust and warmth and rapport of a human therapist, and whether the warmth and rapport of the therapeutic relationship was necessary to a good therapeutic outcome. I (David) summarized some of the findings with our Feeling Good App showing that app users actually rated the “Digital David” in the app substantially higher on warmth and understanding that the people in their lives. And now that we are incorporating AI into the Feeling Good App, the quality of the empathy / rapport from our app may be even higher than in our prior beta tests. We have not done a direct comparison between the rapport of human therapists and the rapport experienced by our Feeling Good App users. Many people might jump to the conclusion that human shrinks have better rapport than would be possible from a cell phone app, but this might be the opposite of the truth! In my research (David), I've seen that most human shrinks believe their empathy and rapport skills are high, when in fact their patients do not agree! In my research on the causal effects of empathy on recovery from depression in hundreds of patients at my clinical in Philadelphia, and also in more than 1300 patients treated at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California, it did not appear that therapist empathy had substantial causal effects on changes in depression. The late and famous Karl Rogers believed that therapist empathy is the “necessary and sufficient” condition for personality change, but most subsequent research has failed to support this popular belief. I (David) believe that AI therapists are likely to outperform human shrinks in rapport, warmth, trust, and understanding, but it remains to be seen whether this will be sufficient to make much of a dent in the patient's symptoms of depression, anxiety, marital conflict, or habits and addictions. Other techniques are likely to be required. However, we may have new data on this question shortly, as we will be directly studying the effectiveness of AI empathy on the reduction in negative feelings. We might be surprised, as our research nearly always gives us some unexpected results! Rhonda gave a strong and appreciated pitch for the idea that there is something about a person to person interaction, like a hug, that will never be duplicated by an app. If this is true, or even believed to be true, then there will likely never be a complete replacement of human shrinks by AI apps. But once again, you can believe this on a religious, or a priori, basis, or you can take it as a hypothesis that can easily be tested in an experiment. We do have very sensitive and accurate tests of therapists' warmth and empathy, so “rapport” can now be measured with short, reliable scales, making head to head comparisons of apps and humans possible for the first time. At one time, it was thought that AI would never be able to beat human chess champions, but that belief turned out to be false. The podcast group also discussed some of the potential shortcomings of an AI shrink. For example, the AI does not yet have the insight of how to “see through” what patients are saying, and takes the patient's words at face value. But a human therapist might often be thinking on multiple levels, asking what's “really” going on with the patient, including things that the patient might be intentionally or unintentionally hiding, like feelings of anger, or antisocial behaviors. At the end, all four participants gave their vision, or dream, for what a positive impact of AI might have on the world of mental illness / mental health. Rhonda had tears in her eyes, I think, over the suggestion that an effective and totally automated AI therapist would be scalable and might have the potential to bring ultra low-cost relief of suffering to millions or even hundreds of millions of people around the world who do not currently have access to effective mental health care. And I would add the individuals who now have access to mental health care, often cannot find effective treatment due to severe limitations in therapists as well as all current schools of therapy. Jason described his vision for an AI shrink as the helper of human therapists, extending their impact and enhancing their effectiveness. Jason is super-smart and wise, and I found his vision very inspiring! I have trained over 50,000 therapists who have attended my training programs over the past 35 years, and one thing I have learned is that most shrinks, including David, have tons of room for improvement. And if a brilliant and compassionate AI helper can enhance our impact? Hey, I'm all for that! Thanks for listening today! Let us know what you thought about our show! Jason, Matt, Rhonda, and David

David and Dylan explore the nature of goal setting and suggest that maybe what we learn along the way to goals is more important than the achievement itself. Mentions: Music by Matthew May "Modern Wisdom" Episode #670: 23 Controversial Truths about Life with @chriswillx and @hormozi @next.level.spine.and.sports @forrestgriffin@tomfoxley @mindsetrxd@visualizevalue Recommendations: Dylan: Read The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday David: Read Atomic Habits by James Clear

In this episode of Drink While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto shares a drink with a few team members during the Acuity Q3 Offsite – asking them about their role, their goals for 2024, what they're drinking, and even a “Would You Rather” question.Tune in for…

David and Dylan dive into the difference between training for performance and exercising or working out for health. They touch on how easy it is to blur these lines, how you can toe the line with both, and how to build awareness for each so you can get the most out of your time in the gym. Mentions: Music by Matthew May @biolayne @activeliferx The Shop (Talk Show - HBO, YouTube) Recommendations: Dylan: Follow @biolayne on Instagram David: Listen to Chris Williamson's podcast "Modern Wisdom"

Season 5 Episode 5 FACULTY: Richard Roppa-Roberts and Dave Kersting CLASS: #AccountingHighGuide TITLE: Respecting Diversity and Inclusion in Accounting, and Learning about Equity In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Richard Roppa-Roberts and Dave Kersting from Quasar Cowboy & Roundtable Labs. They discuss various topics, including the dynamics of partnerships and co-firming, the importance of diversity and inclusion, and creating safe spaces for authentic interactions. Introducing Richard and Dave Richard the outside eye  The Start of Roundtable How Dave met Richard Roundtable as a Vendor Free Zone Partnerships, Co-Firming, Dating and Marriage Diversity and Inclusion in Roundtable Biases Against The Gay Community Coming Out as a Rapper  Roundtable Gives a Place to be Yourself A Discussion on Equity Creating Safe Spaces Summary Shout Outs: Thrival, Xero, Quickbooks, Intuit, Jonathan Bellow, Kenji Kuramoto, Matthew May, Tanya Schulte, Scaling New Heights, Quickbooks Connect, Tax Twitter, Liz Scott, Stacey Killwell, Gusto, Fresh Books, Nayo Carter-Gray, Liz Mason --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message

In this episode of Drink While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May share a beer and talk about why they're not involved in the sales process at Acuity.Tune in for topics like...

David and Dylan discuss what it means to be an expert by questioning what characteristics and habits experts have. The ability to take action, practice humility, and build trust with clients are just a few of the topics that come up! Mentions: Music by Matthew May @brianaganad @killian.hamilton @ericbugeral @hubermanlab @timferris Atomic Habits - James Clear WTF Gym Talk - Stuart Brauer The War of Art - Steven Pressfield Recomendations: Dylan: Follow @activeliferx and @activelifeprofessional on Instagram David: Listen to The Huberman Lab Podcast; How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning, & Performance. (February 20, 2023)

Season 5 Episode 1 FACULTY: Jody Grunden CLASS: #GuidePosts TITLE: Growing a Profitable Remote CFO Accounting Firm (feat. Jody Grunden, CPA) In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Jody Grunden, CPA, co-founder of Summit CPA Group and author of two books, to discuss various topics related to running an accounting practice and building virtual CFO services, dressing "professionally", and niching down. Introduction and an update on recent developments since the last interview. The origin story of Jody's Hawaiian shirts Scott shares his similar wardrobe story Discussing the evolution of “professional attire” in the accounting profession Exploring the benefits and challenges of running a remote accounting firm The importance of finding a niche and specializing in the industry Creating CFOs from accountants within the firm and the training and development process Utilizing retreats and building a strong company community Addressing the resistance to change in the accounting industry and the need for adaptation Insights into the day-to-day operations and growth goals at Summit CPA Group Scott and Jody discuss the acquisition of cloud firms, venture capital, and private equity Shout Outs: Tommy Bahama, Accounting Salon, Kenji Kuramoto, AICPA, Karbon, Dave Barrett, Matthew May, Acuity --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message

In this episode of Drink While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May share a beer and revisit the Entrepreneurial Operating System, talking about how implementing EOS is going at Acuity, seven months in!Tune in for topics like...

In this episode of Drink While You Think, Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May share a beer to celebrate Matthew's 10-year anniversary at Acuity! The two take a walk down memory lane, reflecting on the past ten years together in business.Tune in for topics like...

The Outer Bully Featuring Matthew May, MD Today we are proud to be joined again by our old pal, Matthew May, MD. This is a special two-part edition of Ask David, focusing on two of the most important problems that trigger emotional and interpersonal suffering. Last week, Matt led our discussion of the Inner Bully that causes the lion's share of internal suffering in the world. Feelings of depression and anxiety always result from the harsh distorted messages we give ourselves, telling ourselves we're “less than,” or “defective,” or “unlovable,” and so forth. However, the world is also filled with Outer Bullies who can be threatening, even violent. Today we describe how you can often deal with the Outer bully with the Five Secrets of Effective Communication (LINK). Today's podcast was inspired by a question submitted by Guillermo, one of our podcast fans: Hello, Dr Burns I've seen some cases of bullying lately in schools. Would the 5 secrets help a kid who is being bullied in school? (Not physical bullying). I have a son who will be going to middle school next year and wonder about this. David's Reply Hi Guillermo, Thanks, I might read question on podcast and address it. Might have two consecutive shows on the "inner bully" and then the "outer bully." I know one thing for sure, although I am not an expert in this area, and haven't worked much with kids. But ultimately, only your thoughts can upset you. The words and criticisms of others will never upset you, unless you buy into them. So, the good old Daily Mood Log is always the first step. Once you no longer find bullying threatening, it becomes much easier to deal with it. The bully relies on getting you all scared and terrified and hurt and so forth. Warmly, david Matt began today's podcast with a real case description working with a violent, involuntarily hospitalized, 6'6” patient weighing 300 pounds snuck into his office while Matt was dictating his notes, locked the door, and announced that he was going to kill Matt because the involuntary hospitalization was “illegal.” The man had been brought to the hospital by the police in a psychotic manic state because of bizarre behavior at his home that troubled the neighbors. Matt was terrified and said, “That was just one occasion when the Five Secrets of Effective Communication saved my life!” Link to Five Secrets Here's what Matt said to the man. I will indicate the communication technique(s) in each sentence in parentheses at the end of each sentence: “You're right! (Disarming Technique) You served your country and fought for our freedom (Stroking) and now we're taking away your freedom. (Disarming Technique) I feel the same way you do, (I Feel Statement). Can you tell me more about what you've been going through?  (Inquiry)” The man was taken aback and immediately sat down and began to open up. Matt continued to empathize, using the Five Secrets, and after a few minutes the patient fell asleep in his chair. He was then transferred to a higher security hospital ward. Essentially, Matt sided with him, rather than getting defensive or arguing, and saw the truth in what the man was saying, in spite of the fact that he was floridly psychotic, and treated the man with respect. David summarized the case of a colleague of his who was kidnapped by a violent serial rapist. She also used the Five Secrets, which transformed the entire nature of the interaction, and the rapist gave himself up to the police. He also described being bullied by two violent teenagers in a gigantic jeep when he was driving home from the drugstore, where he'd rented an enormous carpet cleaner. David's use of the Five Secrets in response to violent threats prevented violence, but also turned a potentially hostile and abusive interaction into a joyous and warm one. We concluded with Bullying Practice, saying the worst imaginable things to each other, like “David, you're a terrible person,” or “Matt, you're a bad therapist,” or “Rhonda, you're an insignificant person,” and then responding with the Five Secrets. It was an unexpectedly fun exercise, and the Five Secrets triumphed big time every time! The Outer Bully had no chance at all! However, this level of skill requires that you've mastered your own inner Bully, so you're not buying into what the bully says to you. This gives you a sense of peace and confidence that makes the Five Secrets a piece of cake, so to speak! David, Rhonda, and Matt want to emphasize that we make the Five Secrets look really easy and almost magical. Nothing can be further from the truth. We do hope to inspire you with examples of what's possible, but mastering these powerful tools takes an enormous amount of dedication, determination, and practice. If you'd like to learn more, I would strongly recommend reading David's book, Feeling Good Together, and doing the written exercises while reading. This would be an excellent first step! (Include book cover with link to Amazon.) Here, by the way, is an interesting link to a Ted Talk on bullying that you might enjoy. One of our colleagues, Dr. Daniele Leavy, found it and shared the link with our Tuesday group. Link to Ted Talk on Bullying Daniele explains: The speaker does a good job of differentiating what is commonly referred to as bullying from assault or criminal behavior, and demonstrates how to playfully use Disarming and Stroking to deflect the bullying. Thanks for joining us today! Matt, Rhonda, and David