Your Moment of Zen 🧘
It's my birthday week, + Top 5 w/ Just Added!
Hey Poddy People!
I’m back in action. The news coming out of the heatwave in Makkah was insane. All I can say is we are thankful for having our preparation for the trip including electrolytes. Shoutout to Skye and Anna for their special editions of the newsletter! Hopefully, you’ve added some of their recommendations to the queue. Welcome to the new subscribers! It’s summer vacation time and I’m catching up on business and so, LET’S GOOOO!
The Round-Up
On my trip, we flew British Airways. The in-flight safety video had British personalities and included business podcast host, Steven Bartlett, from Diary of a CEO.
Flight of a CEO Speaking of British Airways, the timing couldn’t have been better because in my inbox Amelia Singer’s podcast, Ameliarate Through Wine, was just selected to be added to the B.A. library. Listen here.
I’ve been seeing this ad on Instagram from Audible last week:
As I was prepping this newsletter, to provide the link, it turns out its submissions are now closed. I’m sure the submissions were active for a while, but the ad was only served to me last week. Bummer. Bookmark this link for when they open it up again. Prep: Make sure you have a PowerPoint deck/pitch ready because that is one of the sections needed.
I wanted to reemphasize Skye’s recommendation of Fallen Angels because when I listened to the trailer and learned it was about USC’s scandal with the drug-fueled Dean of Medicine, that was it. Many of you know Great Pods is part of the USC startup incubator. Host and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Paul Pringle asks, “What’s with USC and their scandals?” Tell me about it. It’s juicy and well-paced under 30 minutes per episode. Currently binging.
Structurally, I like it. It’s like a TV show, where Paul starts with the episode's hook in the beginning. Then it goes to a commercial, or the intro music followed by the interviews and investigation. I kept thinking to myself after the hook, “Tell me more!” There are podcasts I’ve listened to that are like this, but this just reminded me of how good that structure is.
iHeart’s New Girl rewatch podcast, Welcome To Our Show is now The Mess Around. Season 2 launched on my birthday, July 2nd! It was also on the top 5 charts for the past week! Listen here.
Resonate Podcast Festival in Richmond, Virginia sold out their early bird tickets at the time of this post. Stay tuned for additional tiers of tickets available here.
Podcast Movement 2024 is gearing up for the DC/Maryland summer conference. They released their first round of keynote speakers and panels. Check it out here.
Comedian and Actress, Laci Mosley, host of Scam Goddess, is set to host the TV adaption in conjunction with ABC News Studios it was announced. Read here.
In addition, she will be doing a 5th-anniversary live podcast show in LA on September 22nd. Tickets here. Does anyone want to go with me?
ABC News Studios ordered a TV adaptation of one of my favorites and top GP charting true crime-scam podcasts, Scamanda. Read here.
Here’s Laci from 2023 Ambies red carpet. Little did I know the live podcast thing was new for her! Bonus: Karaoke
Harvard Business School recently launched a new business podcast, Think Big, Buy Small for those looking to start their entrepreneurial via acquisition. Listen here.
iHeart announced that Super Bowl champ Marshawn Lynch, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and agent Doug Hendrickson will be hosting a podcast starting July 15th. If Ted Cruz can have an iHeart podcast, why not Gavin too? To be honest, I’m more interested in how Marshawn will fare in the co-hosting duties. Trailer here.
Actor Mandy Patinkin is launching his third season Exile with the Leo Baeck Institute. Starting July 16th.
Elon Musk is a troll among his other positive and negative traits. The latest lawsuit against him includes a 108-page deposition made public for all of us to enjoy. Some of which reveal that Musk has his trolling accounts. Thankfully, added to my queue is the new Hug House production, The Deposition, where they do a reenactment of the deposition highlights, laughter, and all. Added to queue.
At This Moment: I’m listening to the interview with “Cousin” aka “Richie” Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) on Talk Easy with Sam Fragaso while wrapping up the newsletter.
On to my picks this week…
Podcast: The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
Genre: Politics
Publisher: Comedy Central, Paramount Audio
About: On Mondays, Jon Stewart hosts The Daily Show, but on Thursdays he hosts The Weekly Show — A podcast featuring in- depth conversations with special guests that explores the biggest threats to our democracy. Also hear from producers and friends of the show who discuss the latest headlines, what’s on their minds, and more!
Do I need to do an introduction to Jon Stewart? The intelligent satirist and comedian. He talks facts to power and this podcast extends those 10-minute segments and gives it more breathing room for the hour. It’s all the topics we know about like abortion, political corruption, and elections. Jon’s disarming jokes are very lightly sprinkled within the conversations and reserved mostly for the intro and outro with his producers.
I’m hoping they add debate-level arguments with intelligence and foray that Jon provides with folks on the opposite side of the spectrum.
In any case, it’s a warm welcome back.
Fiona Sturges • Financial Times
“Here the discussion feels more structured...Stewart is knowledgeable, authoritative and endlessly alert to the absurdities of US policy.”
Podcast: Mixed Up
Genre: Society
Publisher: Emma Slade Edmondson, Nicole Ocran
About: Welcome to Mixed Up, a podcast for mixed race people everywhere and for anyone looking into a deeper insight on race and identity. Hosted by sustainability consultant and creative director Emma Slade Edmondson, and Nicole Ocran, writer and co-founder of The Creator Union. The show is about straddling two worlds and multiple identities. Now more than ever, it feels like people of mixed heritage are seeking out their space to talk about their lived experiences. But despite searching, we could find very little to relate to. We decided to make something we would have appreciated hearing.
On the topic of British Airways in-flight entertainment. I took a chance and listened to one of the curated podcasts, Mixed Up. File it under, Mixed Race folks with thoughtful oration. I pressed play on pandemic-era episodes with British rapper/actor, Doc Brown, if given 5 hours, would probably have even more stories to share about the impact of being mixed and how he approaches life. He was great.
And Actor-YouTuber Asia Jackson, gives an unexpected lesson on the colonization of the Philippines and the tribe her mother comes from that was untouched by the Portuguese, The Igorot. Asia also mentioned that her crush growing up was Bollywood actor, Shah Rukh Khan. Ok Asia, I’m listening. Hearing these stories just had me inspired to support these two even more.
Lian Brooks • Elle Magazine
“Warm, insightful and relatable conversations around being mixed race...”
Podcast: Untold: The Retreat
Genre: True Crime, Society
Publisher: Financial Times
About: Untold is a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. On Untold: The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore.
Reminds me of the season for 30 for 30 first season on Bikram Yoga. While no one is making money off this “cult”, people are committing self-harm. Like what is happening here?! For only 10 days of a retreat?
A 2016 Guardian article outlines a reporter’s experience with Vipassana. Describing it as intense, but able to walk away with the realization she was able to manage her mind.
Jodi Ettenberg writes, “Sometimes we hold on to what we fear and hate. While I still ache, that ache has less power over me. The distinction sounds slight but it has been liberating.” The Guardian, 2016
So with the podcast, I began wondering about each individual’s health at each point because we are so different internally. This type of extreme meditation can be debilitating and unbalanced which is what Madison tries to uncover.
Listening to the victim’s families I get a sense that this is one of the many, we as humans try different methods of physical and mental transformations to fix ourselves. This particular exercise wasn’t necessarily fearmongering, and maybe I’m oversimplifying it, but instead be mindful of these courses and understand what your body can achieve or handle. Additionally, WHO is doing the actual teaching of the course and meditation. I did hot yoga a couple of times and on the 2nd outing I had to step out because my body, “This isn’t right.” Just listen to your body as many folks tell you, like your doctor.
Rachel Cunliffe • New Statesman
“…this story “is about a growing number of untrained people playing at the margins of some dangerous forces, all under the seemingly innocuous guise of self-improvement”. Which, in its own way, is even more terrifying.”
P.S. Just a reminder, podcasts are sometimes like social media, if it piqued your interest, look it up, and fact-check so you can confirm the learnings. From the Philippines to Vipassana.
My #Bday Week 'Top of the Pods' on greatpods.co from the past week:
5. Fallen Angels: A Story of California Corruption - iHeart
4. Sixteenth Minute of Fame - Jamie Loftus, Cool Zone Media, iHeart
3. The Mess Around w/ Hannah Simone, Lamorne Morris - iHeart
2. Wiser Than Me w/ Julia Louis-Dreyfus -Lemonada Media
1. Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra - MSNBC
Just Added Podcasts This Week:
Crash Course Pods: The Universe - Complexly, Crash Course Pods
Because the Boss Belongs to Us - iHeartPodcast
Pack One Bag - Lemonada Media
The Letter(Season: Ripple Effect) - Lemonada Media
Limelight(Season: The Skies Are Watching) - BBC
Even If It Kills Me - FANG workshop
Dare to Lead with Brené Brown - Vox Media
Come By Chance - CBC
How to Be Fine - Jolenta Greenberg, Kristen Meinzer, Stitcher
Inconceivable Truth - Wavland
Mark Steel's in Town - BBC
Gone Medieval - History Hit
Michael Spicer: No Room - BBC
The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam - BBC
Sliding Doors - Jennie Becker
Nationly - Immigrantly
Ransom - KSL Podcasts
Stay safe, be kind, and do something nice for your neighbor…if you have one.
Listening with you,
Captain Ron
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