Episodes

May 20, 2019

181: The Time I Met Mark Cuban

My book, Initiative , launches in two days. In it I start by describing how Shark Tank , other media, and other parts of our culture that claim to promote entrepreneurship actually discourage it. A few months ago, I met Mark ...
May 13, 2019

180: The Difference Between Me and Nearly Everyone I Know Acting on the Environment

Imagine someone said too much stress and proposed giving someone with stress shoulder rubs or body massages. I bet a lot of people would say, "I'm stressed. I could use a shoulder rub." If they were ready to give the shoulder...
May 10, 2019

179: Initiative, the book: Highlights from an interview

This is a podcast about leadership. Initiative is a major part of leadership. If you want to lead environmentally, you need to initiate because the world is likely going in an opposite direction than you want. More fundamenta...
May 6, 2019

178: What parenthood teaches us about environmental action

We're living in a world of people who are judging parenting from the view of a partier, which makes sense when you don't have a child -- something to take responsibility for. But we have such a thing, the environment. The joy...
May 5, 2019

177: The best advice on making habits last

The challenge for habits isn't starting them. It's not stopping them. I've started many. Actually, I've probably started fewer than most. I've stopped fewer. Mistakes: focusing on starting, wondering the value of it to you, t...
May 3, 2019

176: The folly of chasing efficiency

Silicon Valley, governments, and lots of people are pushing for efficiency. I do too, but only after changing systemic beliefs and goals . The greatest cause of global warming would have looked like the greenest clean energy ...
April 30, 2019

175: Jack Buffington, part 1: What can we do about plastic?

Plastic is everywhere -- the oceans, landfills, and for 93% of us, our bloodstreams. Everyone promotes recycling, but it's not happening anywhere near the scale that we're producing it and pumping it into our world. Most peop...
April 28, 2019

174: Chase Amante, part 1B: Chase on the Environment

In this part of the conversation, Chase and I spoke about the environment. He's very thoughtful about it, though hasn't acted on it, for reasons he eloquently explains. I take the liberty of persisting politely, so if you hav...
April 28, 2019

173: Chase Amante, part 1A: How to start and run a business giving men dating advice

Chase runs GirlsChase , one of the most trafficked sites for dating coaching, which recently celebrated 10 years in business. It sets itself apart from its peers, besides its longevity with basic material, not gimmicks, for m...
April 24, 2019

172: If anything, I'm a maximalist

When many people enter my apartment for the first time say something about it being minimalist. I feel like I have a lot of stuff because I have many things I don't need, mean to get rid of, but haven't. Apparently, my amount...
April 21, 2019

171: The "best kept secret in environmental leadership"

I love watching Dr. Michael Gregor's videos on nutrition . A common theme of his videos is how medical school barely teach doctors nutrition and exercise despite how important they are for health. He shows how industrial food...
April 19, 2019

170: Colonel Mark Read, part 2: His Family's Best Christmas Ever

A lot of people say, "Josh, easy for you to act on the environment. You don't have kids." First, I could point to former guest Bea Johnson , who with her husband and 2 sons, produce less than a mason jar of trash per year, wh...
April 18, 2019

169: Srini Rao: Surfing and Creativity

Srini has run his podcast over 10 years, written several books, hundreds of articles, interviewing hundreds of researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, me, and more. His business is helping people develop themselves -- to dream, ...
April 16, 2019

168: Sir Ken Robinson: Wisdom on the intersection of education, leadership, and the environment

As a professor of leadership, host of this podcast, and constant student of acting by my environmental values, I live and work in the intersection of leadership, education, and the environment. Ken Robinson does too, but with...
April 13, 2019

167: Amy Aussieker, part 1: Can we transform an American City?

Business, based growth, loves the ideas of a circular economy and recycling because both promotes more, but may keep us on track to unsustainability, global warming, plastic, etc. I don't know the answer, but the city of Char...
April 11, 2019

166: Anand Giridharadas: Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World

With some guests I have a hard time finding a quote to start the episode with. With Anand, I had the opposite -- at least half of what he said wowed me. When I first saw him speak and saw the title of his book, Winners Take A...
April 11, 2019

165: Colonel Mark Read, part 1: Environmental Engineering at West Point

I met Colonel Read through Colonel Everett Spain , who has also been a guest of the podcast. Two myths about the military have unraveled in me as a result of seeing West Point from the inside and talking to 4-star Generals an...
April 9, 2019

164: Anna Tunnicliffe Tobias, part 1: Olympic gold and Crossfit Fittest on Earth

Anna is down to earth for anyone, let alone a gold medalist and Crossfit champion. Watch her videos to see the contrast with what she does, her abilities, and how she doesn't have to be humble. She does something hard, that m...
April 4, 2019

163: Kevin Kruse, part 1: Great Leaders Have No Rules

Kevin and I have been friends since we both wrote for Inc, and before I appeared on his podcast , which always opens a conversation. It's two guys talking about leadership and love with examples of hardball football and baske...
April 2, 2019

162: Bob Langert: McDonald's former head of Corporate Social Responsibility

I got an email that Bob Langert, McDonald's former head of Corporate Social Responsibility, wrote a book on his experience in over two decades at the corporation. From my view, seeking change, I see places like McDonald's, Co...
March 29, 2019

161: Katie Pettibone, part 1: Americas Cups, 81-foot waves, and protecting the oceans

Katie continues the line of world class sailing champions who have translated their athletic success to leadership in their sport, business, and beyond. What success? How about three America's Cups, including being the younge...
March 23, 2019

160: Sean O'Connor, part 2: Replacing coffee cups with human connection

This episode is about a simple experiment anyone can do. It costs nothing and takes no extra time or other resource besides carrying a mug with you. Everyone knows how much garbage we're dumping in the ocean. Everyone knows t...
March 20, 2019

159: Chris Schembra: Expressing Gratitude

Do you feel gratitude toward people who have helped you? Do you express that gratitude more than enough, not enough, or about right? You're probably familiar with research that expressing gratitude and feeling it improve peop...
March 20, 2019

158: Dee Caffari, part 1: Turning the Tide on Plastic

For context for today's guest, those who know I'm avoiding flying might also know I'm learning to sail to explore off North America. When considering acting on their values, most people focus on the part they like of what the...