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:

Gender Pricing, The Speed of Trust, Soar Above May 24, 2018

Show notes

Gender Pricing (10:59) Christine Whelan, Ph.D., Clinical professor in the Department of Consumer Science at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Products marketed for women or girls are priced higher than virtually identical products for men. Accordingly in one study by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs, personal care products marketed to women cost an average of 13 percent more than equivalent men's products, 8 percent on adult clothing, 4 percent on children's clothing, 7 percent on toys and accessories, and 8 percent on home health care products and products for seniors. One study estimated that these hidden costs, or “pink tax” can cost women nearly $1,400 a year. So why are they products marked up for women? And what is being done to even the cost? Dr. Whelan explains. The Speed of Trust (55:10) Stephen M. R. Covey is a cofounder of CoveyLink and the FranklinCovey Global Speed of Trust Practice. He is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center. “Do you trust me?” These words can lead to all sorts of adventures. From Aladdin’s magic carpet ride with Jasmin to big business deals or even turning down a job, these words will likely change your life. How do we build trust? Why does trust matter? Stephen M.R. Covey, author of “The Speed of Trust”, explains why trust is important in all walks of life and how more trust will fix most problems. Soar Above (1:51:15) Steven Stosny, Ph.D., has treated over 6,000 clients for various forms of anger, abuse, and violence and is the founder of CompassionPower. He has written several books, including "Soar Above: How to Use the Most Profound Part of Your Brain under Any Kind of Stress". Dr. Stosny shares ideas on how to shift from feeling powerful to BEING powerful. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:10:59 - Gender Pricing 00:55:10 - The Speed of Trust 01:111:15 - Soar Above

Soda Politics, Too Big to Know, Tone of Voice In Relationships May 23, 2018

Show notes

Soda Politics (9:50) Marion Nestle, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, is a leading advocate for better food safety in the U.S. If you’ve watched a recent sporting event, from the super bowl, to the current NCAA basketball tournament, to NASCAR races and even the Olympics, you’ve noticed the aggressive sponsorships from leading beverage companies--namely Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Numerous athletes are spokesmen for these products, and it strikes some as just a bit odd. It has become common knowledge that soda is unhealthy, full of sugar and leads to health challenges like obesity, diabetes, and poor dental hygiene. So why are sporting events and athletes--seemingly active and fit people--the faces of products they likely don’t even drink? Soft drinks seem like a basic product--simply sugared water--but according to Dr. Nestle, soda is all about race and class in America. She shares with us more about the business and threat the beverage industry poses on our nation’s health, outlined in her book, "Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (And Winning)". Too Big to Know (58:07) David Weinberger, Ph.D., is a senior researcher at the Berkman Center at Harvard University. He has been a philosophy professor, journalist, strategic marketing consultant, Internet entrepreneur and a Franklin Fellow at the US State Department. According to Google, the search engine performs over 3.5 billion searches per day. That’s about 40,000 searches per second. With all this information, one truly important question to consider, one that you can’t search on Google, is this: what are we really learning? Dr. David Weinberger is the author of “Too Big To Know: Rethinking Knowledge Now that Facts Aren’t the Facts, Experts are Everywhere and the Smartest Person in the Room is the Room.” Dr. Weinberger with some ideas on how to manage all the information at our fingertips. Tone of Voice In Relationships (1:52:41) Brian Baucom, Ph.D., an assistant Professor of Clinical Psychol 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:09:50 - Soda Politics 00:58:07 - Too Big to Know 01:112:41 - Tone of Voice In Relationships

Broader Bolder Education, Introverted Teachers, The Happiness Track May 22, 2018

Show notes

Broader Bolder Approach to Education (10:19) Elaine Weiss, Ph.D., is the National Coordinator for the Broader Bolder Approach to Education (BBA). Last year the Washington Post published an article revealing that an analysis of 2013 Federal Data showed that, for the first time in over 50 years, the majority of U.S. public school students came from low-income families. What is being done to help out these students? How is the poverty at home affecting students’ abilities to succeed in school? These the tough questions being asked and addressed by The Broader, Bolder Approach to Education national campaign. Dr. Elaine Weiss discusses these questions and explains the goals of the BBA campaign. Introverted Teachers (56:11) Jessica Honard is a writer, educator and speaker. In 2015 she created The Adaptive Introvert—an online community for introverted educators. Jessi co-owns Owl Eyes Creative. Let’s imagine that you are an introvert. You tend to recharge better alone, and large groups can be draining—not that you don’t like people; you just need to be left alone sometimes. Now let’s also pretend that you are a teacher. You interact with kids, parents and teachers all day long. You are always “on”, always performing and expending energy. And when you are done with the kids for the day, there are more meetings with parents and teachers. Jessica Honard discusses how to prevent burnout and encourage success for introverts in the classroom. The Happiness Track (1:51:40) Emma Sepalla, Ph.D., is Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and author of The Happiness Track. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Fulfillment Daily, a news site dedicated to the science of happiness. Emma Seppalla, author of ‘The Happiness Track’ explains how creating a life of happiness will enable success in our lives. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:10:19 - Broader Bolder Approach to Education 01:111:41 - The Happiness Track

Career Choice, Are Pets Good For You?, How to Date Better May 21, 2018

Show notes

Overconfidence and Career Choice (12:05) Dr. Jonathan Schulz is a research fellow in experimental economics at Yale studying cross-cultural differences in human behavior. As a child you may have known exactly what you wanted to be when you grew up. Options ranged from firefighter to doctor to artist. Then you hit college and real life settles in. You eventually choose a career, but how confident were you in your career choice? With statistics indicating that only 27% of college graduates get a job related to their major, it’s easy to be uncertain. Our guest today is Dr. Schulz recently conducted a study looking at overconfidence in career choice. Are Pets Really Good For You? (59:31) Harold Herzog, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology from Western Carolina University. Did you have a pet growing up? Do you have one now? Calvin and Hobbes, 101 Dalmatians, even The Fox and the Hound, are evidence of humans' fascination with animals and our pets. Some would say that we’ve only anthropomorphized our pets, others would say that these animals have real bonds with their owners, and even souls. Dr. Herzog is the author of the book, “Some We Love, Some We Hate, and Some We Eat: Why it’s so Hard to Think Straight About Animals”. He explains the history of pet ownership and how not all people are "pet people." How to Date Better (1:41:27) Brian Willoughby, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. Dr. Willoughby is also the Director of the RELATE Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to studying and improving romantic relationships. Dr. Willoughby's research focuses on young adult dating and relationship patterns. Dr. Willoughby's specific expertise areas include dating, sexuality, cohabitation, marriage formation, and marital attitudes/beliefs. Dr. Willoughby gives his ideas and research on dating and relationships. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:12:05 - Overconfidence and Career Choice 00:59:31 - Are Pets Really Good For You? 01:101:27 - How to Date Better

Ten Traits of Tech-Healthy Families, Think Successful, Spelling Society May 19, 2018

Show notes

Ten Traits of Tech-Healthy Families (11:08) Janell Burley Hofmann is a speaker and consultant on technology, media, health, relationships and personal growth. Technology has become so integrated into our everyday lives that it’s not unusual to see toddlers with iPads or iPods. The kicker is that sometimes they can work the gadgets better than their parents. This saturation of technology in everyday life may have some parents asking the question, “Is our family “tech-healthy”? What kinds of boundaries ought to be set to create a healthy and happy family adept at modern technology? Janell Burley Hofmann shares her article “10 Traits of Tech-Healthy Families”. Get Smart: Think Successful (59:55) Brian Tracy is chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations. He has studied, researched, written, and spoken for thirty years in the fields of economics, history, business, philosophy, and psychology, and is the top-selling author of numerous books including his newest book "Get Smart!: How to Think and Act Like the Most Successful and Highest-Paid People in Every Field." Brian Tracy shares his thoughts on how to change our thinking to become more successful. Spelling Society (1:39:17) Stephen Linstead is Chairman and Honorary Treasurer for the English Spelling Society. Some of the most difficult languages to learn include: Chinese, Finnish and Arabic. Although English isn’t on the list, it is still no cake-walk to learn. Languages can become difficult to learn for grammatical reasons, because of colloquial terms and accents. Stephen Linstead from The English Spelling Society argues that it is in fact “spelling” that makes English a challenge to learn. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:11:08 - Ten Traits of Tech-Healthy Families 00:59:55 - Get Smart: Think Successful 01:99:17 - Spelling Society

Moral Outrage, Louder Than Words, Screen Cleaning May 18, 2018

Show notes

Evolution of Moral Outrage (10:25) Jillian Jordan, a Ph.D. candidate if psychology at Yale University. Her recent article, “Evolution of moral outrage: I’ll punish your bad behavior to make me look good” discusses the theory behind human morality and our motivations in our drive for success. We all know that one guy in the office who will do anything to be in the spotlight. The guy who calls others out on their productivity, the first to volunteer for a project- So how does a manager differentiate between a simple brown-noser and an employing truly seeking to excel in their work and has the companies best interest in mind. The lines can get a little blurry. Jillian Jordan explains her research. Louder Than Words (50:45) Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of three books, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work. His latest book, "Louder Than Words" is about how to develop an authentic voice that resonates and creates impact. Screen Cleaning (1:22:04) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family-friendly options. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:10:25 - Evolution of Moral Outrage 00:50:45 - Louder Than Words 01:82:40 - Screen Cleaning

Superbosses, Bad Advice, Important Emotions May 17, 2018

Show notes

Superbosses (13:06)(../../../episode/333435cf-c94a-44a8-b7bf-3184bacb680a?playhead=786&autoplay=true link) Sydney Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management and Faculty Director of the Center for Leadership at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Professor Finkelstein has published 20 books and 80 articles, including the #1 bestseller “Why Smart Executives Fail.” His joins the show to discuss his latest book “Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent.” Why Good Advice Is Often Bad (57:33) Jason Dana is an Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing at Yale University. The quest for distinguishing between “good” and “bad” advice can at times seem overwhelming. Dr. Dana is here to help us understand why what we might think is “good advice” is often bad. Important Emotions (1:46:30) Aleka Thorvalson is a contributor to Huffington Post and a professionally certified and credentialed Life Strategies Coach. Along with hosting a popular podcast, The Holistic Health Hour, she is also Health & Wellness Coach Group Leader at the International Coaching Academy and a blog contributor at Best Kept Self. Aleka Thorvalson discusses the importance of emotions. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:13:06 - Superbosses 00:57:33 - Why Good Advice Is Often Bad 01:106:30 - Important Emotions

Why We Snap, Body Language, Emotional Abuse May 16, 2018

Show notes

Why We Snap (11:21) Douglas Fields, Ph.D., is a neurobiologist whose recent book, “Why We Snap: Understand The Rage Circuit In Your Brain” explains the cause for these sudden outburst of rage. According to Dr. Fields, the violent behavior is the result of the clash between our evolutionary hardwiring and triggers in our contemporary world. Dr. Fields says that, “The sad truth is that the right trigger in the right circumstance can unleash a fit of rage in almost anyone.” and that same pathway in the brain “can also enable us to act heroically and altruistically before our conscious brain knows what we are doing.” So, what is the difference between becoming a hero and become an attacker? Dr. Fields explains. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are (56:30) Amy Cuddy, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, uses experimental methods to investigate how people judge and influence each other and themselves. She gave the second most popular TED Talk, entitled “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are.” Dr. Cuddy explains how our body language is an expression of what you are feeling and influences how others perceive you as a person. Emotional Abuse (1:45:06) Julie Nelson (the "Child Whisperer") has a master's degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. She teaches classes such as Applied Parenting and Marriage and Relationship Skills at Utah Valley University. Dr. Matt and Julie talk about "Gaslighting" or emotional abuse. "Gaslighting" or emotional abuse and the effect on families and children. Julie also shares her money tips to help the abused partner. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:11:21 - Why We Snap 00:56:30 - Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are 01:105:06 - Emotional Abuse

Resisting Technology, Job Burnout, Screen Cleaning May 11, 2018

Show notes

Resisting technology, Appalachian style (10:51) Sherry Hamby is Research Professor of Psychology and Director of the Life Paths Research Program at the University of the South. Dr. Hamby is also founding editor of the American Psychological Association journal Psychology of Violence. When people hear “Appalachia,” stereotypes and jokes may jump to mind, so we asked one of our employees from West Virginia what jokes she knew. We heard “land of the toothless,” “our family trees go in circles,” and apparently her high school even had “drive your tractor to school day.” But jokes aside, Appalachian attitudes about technology’s role in daily life are extremely sophisticated – and turn out to be both insightful and useful in a technology-centric society. Special Announcement (46:19) Matt Townsend with an update about the future of The Matt Townsend Show Job Burnout (59:15) Dr. Clark Gaither is a board-certified family physician, Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and Medical Director of the North Carolina Physicians Health Program (NCPHP.org). He has extensive knowledge and experience in the arena of professional job-related burnout. He is an avid writer and has authored three books, his latest on job-related burnout, Reignite: Transform from Burned Out to On Fire and Find New Meaning in Your Career and Life. He is also an accomplished blogger, keynote speaker, corporate consultant, and personal life coach. For businesses, burned out employees create additional workplace problems which demand additional resources. The costs can be disastrously high. Dissatisfied workers lead to inferior products and services which leads to dissatisfied patients, clients or customers. Dissatisfied consumers lead to a loss of business and falling profit margins. This is a recipe for failure. Bottom line, if you are burned out you will never feel you are living a life of purpose with passion. It doesn’t have to be this way. Dr. Clark Gaither has not only experienced this but has come up with a plan to help us avoid 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:10:51 - Resisting technology, Appalachian style 00:46:19 - Special Announcement 00:59:15 - Job Burnout 01:93:52 - Screen Cleaning

Libraries in the Internet Age, Art of Marriage, Grit of Kids May 10, 2018

Show notes

Libraries in the Internet Age (9:47) Donald Barclay is the Deputy University Librarian at the University of California Merced campus. He graduated in 1990 from Cal Berkeley with his Master of Library and Information Science. Libraries. What visuals enter your mind when you hear the word library? Maybe an old curmudgeon shushing you, maybe you remember sitting on the floor as a child while hearing a story, or maybe you think of hours searching computers and bookshelves for an academic assignment. But is the library a thing of the past? Donald Barclay's research may surprise you. Marriage and the Art of Living Together (58:42) Daphne de Marneffe, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, she works with individuals and couples in Corte Madera, CA. She is the author of The Rough Patch: Marriage and the Art of Living Together and Maternal Desire: On Children, Love, and the Inner Life. She is a contributing writer for Parents Magazine and a parent educator at California Pacific Medical Center. The challenges confronting today’s marriages are varied and complex, we are living longer, our parents are living longer, and the financial and work/life pressures that couples are trying to bear are more daunting than ever. Yet, couples are trying to make their marriages work better and longer than ever before. Under the best of circumstances, rough patches happen. Daphne de Marneffe discusses the challenges confronting today’s couples, and with optimism, how they can persevere through them. Wits Guts and Grit of Kids (1:45:14) Jena Pincott is a Science writer and author of several popular science books. Jena Pincott writes about the quirky, hidden side of science — the shocking, subconscious, under-the-radar stuff. Are your kids developing resilience? Is there a way to measure that attribute? Jena Pincott, author of the new book “Wits, Guts, and Grit All Natural Biohacks for Raising Smart, Resilient Kids teaches us some tips about how to best help our kids. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:09:47 - Libraries in the Internet Age 00:58:42 - Marriage and the Art of Living Together 01:105:14 - Wits Guts and Grit of Kids

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