The Matt Townsend Show

Matt Townsend specializes in energizing and involving audiences with his unique approach to building and maintaining successful relationships. Known as one of America’s top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development, Matt blends humor and story telling with interactive, real-life solutions that motivate and inspire his listeners.

Latest Episodes:

The Problem With Antibacterial Soaps, Entrepreneur's Manifesto Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

The Problem With Antibacterial Soaps (21:08) Dr. Sarah Ades is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Penn State University. Prior to arriving at Penn State, Dr. Ades received her B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University and Ph.D. in biology from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Recently, research regarding antiseptics found that the chemicals have little benefit but a lot of risk for individuals. An F-D-A ruling in September banned the use of 19 antiseptics from household soaps, but what does that mean for you and me? Dr. Sarah Ades explains. Entrepreneur's Manifesto (1:01:16) Steve Mariotti spent 30 years as a teacher of at-risk youth. He founded the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Mariotti has witnessed first-hand how entrepreneurship education inspires individuals to create pathways out of poverty for themselves. His organization has over 600,000 graduates and programs in ten countries. His book ‘An Entrepreneur’s Manifesto’ surveys the state of entrepreneurship internationally, and undercovers new efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, including the world’s poorest communities. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:08 - The Problem With Antibacterial Soaps 01:61:16 - Entrepreneur's Manifesto

Future of Automated Driving, Grit in Kids Aug 13, 2018

Show notes

Future of Automated Driving (21:36) Andrew Maynard, Ph.D., is the Director of the Arizona State University Risk Innovation Lab. His current work spans emerging and converging technologies such as nanotechnology, synthetic biology, the internet of things and 3D printing, to innovative approaches to current and emerging risks more generally. More and more Americans are being killed in car crashes every year. New studies also show that 94 percent of the crashes that cause injuries and fatalities are attributable to human choice or error. That leads to a fascinating question that deserves attention. Could driving your own car become as socially frowned on as other risky habits, like smoking? Dr. Andrew Maynard discusss the future of automated driving. What’s behind America’s insistence on instilling grit in kids? (1:00:26) Paige Gray, Ph.D., currently teaches media and literature at Fort Lewis College and advises the student publication. Her research considers the intersection between children's literature and journalism. She’s a published journalist and academic with a forthcoming article in Children's Literature Association Quarterly. She also has articles in Children's Literature and Bookbird. America is built upon the achievements of those who had true grit. But Children's Literature expert Paige Gray warns that America’s near obsession with grit might have some potential pitfalls. Dr. Gray discusses her article “What’s behind America’s insistence on instilling grit in kids?” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:36 - Future of Automated Driving 01:60:26 - What's behind America's insistence on instilling grit in kids?

Retirement or Kids College, Academics are Losing Society Aug 11, 2018

Show notes

Retirement or Kids College (11:27) Marty Allenbaugh is a financial senior marketer and a certified financial planner for T-Rowe Price Group. The total outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. is $1.2 trillion, which is the second-highest level of consumer debt behind only mortgages. Most of that is loans held by the federal government. About 40 million Americans hold student loans and about 70% of bachelor's degree recipient’s graduate with debt. With these numbers only seeming to increase and tuition rates continuing to rise, it seems there are very few ways left to pay for a college degree. Marty Allenbaugh explains how parents and kids can make choices now to pay for future college plans. Academics are Losing Society (1:03:56) Andy Hoffman, Ph.D., is a Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan. Professor Hoffman's research uses a sociological perspective to understand the cultural and institutional aspects of environmental issues for organizations. Parts of our society has deveolped what seems to be a deep dislike for anyone in academia. Denying science has become part of politcs as government try and plan for the future. Is academia still relevant in our society today? Is academics worth our time and investment? Dr. Andy Hoffman shares his thoughts on this volitial subject. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:11:27 - Retirement or Kids College 01:63:56 - Academics are Losing Society

Growing Jobs, Longer and Better Life, Screen Cleaning Aug 10, 2018

Show notes

The Fastest Growing Job Categories for Flexible Work May Surprise You (16:39) Brie Reynolds, the senior career specialist at FlexJobs, is here with us this morning to talk more about which fields are providing more and more flexibility when it comes to where and when you work. Formula for a Longer and Better Life (1:01:04) Dr. John Day is the Director of Heart Rhythm Services at Intermountain Healthcare. He is board certified in cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology and has published more than 100 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters. As we progress throughout life, we are constantly on the lookout for those things that will help make our lives longer and more enjoyable. For some, a simple walk in nature is just what the doctor ordered. Others need a busy schedule to feel they are being productive. For all of us, however, there are simple steps we can take to make our lives better. Dr. Day explains how to live longer and live better. Screen Cleaning (1:34:12) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV, helping you find family-friendly options. "Eleven hundred men went into the water, three hundred sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945." Before you go see this year's big summer shark movie, The Meg, Jeff and Cole take a look at an alternate universe where movie franchises went a little different. What if Jaws 2 was about the USS Indianapolis instead of a bland remake of the first one. What if James Gunn got to take over the Jurassic Park movies, now that he has a little free time on his hands. These questions and more are answered on today's Screen Cleaning. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:16:39 - The Fastest Growing Job Categories for Flexible Work May Surprise You 01:61:04 - Formula for a Longer and Better Life 01:94:12 - Screen Cleaning

How to Talk to Your Kids About Money, Job Exhaustion Aug 09, 2018

Show notes

How to Talk to Your Kids About Money When You Have a Lot of It (14:02) As parents, money can be a difficult topic to discuss with our children. John Christianson, Founder and CEO of Highland is here with us this morning to help all of us parents learn how to talk to our kids about money. Job Exhaustion (1:02:18) America was founded on the principles of industry and the self-made man. It’s the American dream to become successful in whatever field you want. But this requires a lot of hard work- and maybe Americans are biting off more than they can chew. Associate Attending physician at the Yale-New Haven Hospital, Dr. Frank John Ninivaggi, says that many people are dissatisfied with their place in the workforce, causing them to feel exhausted, inefficient, and helpless. Dr. Ninivaggi joins us again today to discuss his article, “Burnout: The Indelicate Reality of Job Exhaustion,” and explain to us what the ‘Burnout Syndrome’ is. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:14:02 - How to Talk to Your Kids About Money When You Have a Lot of It 01:62:18 - Job Exhaustion

Finance College Dreams, Quality Matters Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

How to Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams (10:40) John Hupalo is the founder of Invite Education. He is a nationally recognized expert in education loan finance and private credit student loans. His work has secured more than 50 billion dollars of student loans has helped more than 1 million students finance their college education. Whether your child wants to be a doctor, construction manager, engineer, or a teacher they will need a university degree to achieve their goals. But the cost of college has been and continues to rise at an aggressive rate, so how do you help your children pay for college? Mr. Hupalo is the co-author of Plan and Finance your family’s college dreams: a parent’s step-by-step guide from Pre-K to Senior Year Quality Matters (1:00:09) Thanks to technological advancements students can now access educational courses online. But the recent closing of ITT Tech has some people worried about the legitimacy of online courses. Dr. Deb Adair has more than 25 years’ experience in higher education, in faculty and administration, as well as non-profit leadership and management consulting. Previously, she served in the U.S. Army as a Soviet Analyst and Cryptologic Linguist (Russian). She currently serves as the Executive Director of Quality Matters and joins us today to discuss online courses. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:10:40 - How to Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams 01:60:09 - Quality Matters

'Likes' Online, Why You Should Hire an Introvert Now Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

When you 'like' a brand on Facebook (13:52) Social media is continuing a trend of personalizing your account with the things that matter most to you. Based off of what you post or what you “like”, each platform can then advertise new pages and new items that are similar to those you’ve already expressed interest in. Dr. Mark Pelletier is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Radford University in Virginia and is here today to talk with us about this subject. Why You Should Hire an Introvert Now (1:01:07) Ray Bixler has been SkillSurvey’s President and CEO since December 2006. He has advised human resources leaders at hundreds of organizations on how to improve their quality-of-hire, increase recruiting efficiency and implement new best practices for hiring. Are you a fan of the movies? If so, do you like Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Emma Watson or Audrey Hepburn? In the world of business, do you believe that Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have been quite successful? Agree that Abraham Lincoln was one of our best presidents? All of these influential and memorable people have one thing in common: they are all introverts. So, if introverts can do and become such amazing people why do we talk about them as if they are a germ that doesn’t belong in the office? Ray Bixler explains why you should hire introverts now. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:13:52 - When you 'like' a brand on Facebook 01:61:07 - Why You Should Hire an Introvert Now

Organizations Rise and Fall, Home Schooling Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

Organizations Rise and Fall (11:59) John Kotter, Ph.D., is a New York Times best-selling author, award winning business and management thought leader, business entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, and Harvard Professor. His ideas and books, as well as the company he founded, Kotter International, have helped mobilize people around the world to better lead organizations and their own lives, in an era of increasingly rapid change. Dr. Kotter shares his book “That’s Not How We Do It Here: A Story About How Organizations Rise and Fall - And Can Rise Again”. How Home Schooling is Changing America (1:04:30) Kyle Greenwalt is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. He studies the social studies school curriculum by exploring the ways in which history is applicable in the present. His new book is entitled: Home/Schooling: Creating Schools That Work for Kids, Parents and Teachers. Kyle Greenwalt explains how home schooling is changing America. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:11:59 - Organizations Rise and Fall 01:64:30 - How Home Schooling is Changing America

Terrorism and a Sense of Belonging, Angry Parents Aug 04, 2018

Show notes

Terrorism and a Sense of Belonging (16:32) Robert F. Barsky is a professor of English and French Literature, and a professor of law at Vanderbilt University. He has recently published two books, Undocumented Immigrants in an Era of Arbitrary Law: The Flight and Plight of People Deemed ‘Illegal and his first novel, Hatched, a fictional story about three friends that illegally stimulate the American economy. Terrorism can in fact be homegrown right here in America. We have the security structures to stop organized terrorist attacks, but are we prepared to stop lone-wolf-terrorist attacks? Dr. Barsky explains. Why Parents are Getting Angrier (58:27) Mike Fisher is the founder of the British Association of Anger management, where he has worked with over 20,000 people since 1996. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of human potential and personal growth. There are thousands of reasons to get angry. The traffic, that irksome co-worker, your broken appliances, or your child’s disrespect. How do you take a step back and avoid having that negative energy influence you? Mike Fisher discusses how families can better manage anger. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:16:32 - Terrorism and a Sense of Belonging 00:58:27 - Why Parents are Getting Angrier

When Strangers Meet, Alcohol Advertising, Screen Cleaning Aug 03, 2018

Show notes

When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You (13:41) Kio Stark is the author of When Strangers Meet, published this month from TED Books. She is also the author of the novel Follow Me Down and the independent learning handbook Don’t Go Back to School. She writes, teaches, and speaks around the world about stranger interactions, independent learning, and how people relate to technology. The More Alcohol Ads Kids See, the More Alcohol they Consume (1:01:59) Dr. Timothy Naimi is a physician and substance use researcher/epidemiologist at Boston Medical Center (BMC), and an Associate Professor with the Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. His current research interests, for which he receives grant support from the National Institutes of Health and CDC, include binge drinking, youth drinking, and the effects of alcohol control policies. Dr. Naimi explains a rescent on about the effect of alcohol ads on kids. Screen Cleaning (1:33:27) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV, helping you find family-friendly options. A new generation is introduced to a fantastic book character, and the older one gets a blast of nostagia from today's release of Christopher Robin in theaters. Jeff and Cole review that movie and also continue the theme of reading. They share some movies that made them want to read. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:13:41 - When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You 01:61:59 - The More Alcohol Ads Kids See, the More Alcohol they Consume 01:93:27 - Screen Cleaning

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