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:

Smart Shopping Sep 09, 2013

Show notes

This episode covers resentment for shopping due to a plethora of reasons, particularly amongst male groups versus female groups. Stresses of shopping strain men and women alike. Contemporary trends in fashion, body image, etc. contribute to pressures that strain shoppers. Matt talks with Ryan Howell, professor at San Francisco State University, about how marketers treat us all like puppets. They discuss ways to control compulsive spending, such as tracking cash outlfows in order to put a cap on reckless purchasing. Is there a man in the world who likes sitting on the "man bench" at the mall? How online shopping may single-handedly destroy humanity. The gang discusses measures that are taken to exercise self control in personal expenditures.

Passion Sep 05, 2013

Show notes

What hobby gets you so excited that you'd get out of bed at 4 AM on a Saturday just to go do it? Matt talks with Darin Adams, author of "Lights, camera, passion," about his insatable desire to work in television. At what point does a life passion become an obsession? Darin and Matt speak of not only hobbies, but also how passions can be leveraged to keep individuals in the grind of life, especially when they hit rock bottom. Passion is power. The two brainstorm how enabling passions make effective and memorable presidents. Discover how passion can draw people to you and bring fulfillment to your life. However, passion gone awry can be tragic, especially in sports. The crew discusses sports riots throughout time, dating back to chariot racing in 532 A.D. when just outside of Constantinople riots broke out, half of the city was burned, and over 30,000 people died. More information can be found on Darin Adams by clicking here.

Couples and Finances Sep 04, 2013

Show notes

What's the best way? Do you combine it into a big bank account? Divide up the bills? Keep money separately? Matt talks with Christina Steinorth, psychotherapist and author of "Cue Cards for Life" about how to prevent money trouble from ruining relationships.

Attention-Deficit Disorder Sep 03, 2013

Show notes

Matt talks with Marilyn Wedge, author of "Pills Are Not For Pre-Schoolers." Do we have a chemical problem or an environment problem? Nearly all mini-vans come with TVs now, and children are surrounded by technology, iPods, DVDs, etc. Are video games worse than TV? Inattentiveness in children appears to be very rare in France, as opposed to the United States. The gang hypothesizes that the differences in attention spans sprouts from the teaching of self regulation in France. Consequently, this statement would assume that in the United States, teaching of self regulation is not emphasized heavily enough. Throughout time, the evolution of the attention span is analyzed in accord with the evolution of technology. With more options for the expenditure of time, attention spans have decreased dramatically. Parenting can play a large role in the attention spans of children. Children who observe arguments between their parents tend to fret about prospects such as divorce, even if the argument is petty, such as where to go out to dinner. However, the anxiety that such arguments cause children can have a very negative effect upon their attention spans. Furthermore, Matt and Dr. Wedge explore the hypothesis that the French's ability to decrease ADHD can be a result of their strong ability to say "no" to their children on matters such as unrestrained television and video game time. Maintaining a friendly yet firm stance as parents is difficult for many, simply because they do not want to be authoritative figures to their children.

Insults 101 Aug 29, 2013

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"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Boo! Sometimes it is just so satisfying to lob at insult at someone, especially if they are just asking for it, right?

Teaching a Teenager Aug 28, 2013

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Just as you get your kid potty trained and reading -- BOOM! They turn into a smelly, whining teenager who doesn't want to take "no" for an answer, even though that's all they seem to say.

Coping with Failure Aug 27, 2013

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It is okay to fail. And you have to let your kids fail -- at least to some degree. Matt offers advice to help you becoming a better failure.

Unrealistic Expectations Aug 26, 2013

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We explore how much one should expect from their marriage and how unrealistic expectations ruin otherwise-great relationships.

Learning Music Aug 22, 2013

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We explore the difference between those who got really good at music and those of us who haven't touched an instrument since 11th grade.

Childlessness Aug 21, 2013

Show notes

"Married but no kids? I've got to talk to them about that!" Actually no, please don't do that.