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:

Is College for Everyone, Lead With Heart, Deal With a Bad Boss Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone (19:26) Bryan Caplan, Ph.D., is a Professor of Economics at George Mason University and the author of “The Case of Against Education: Why the education system is a waste of money and time.” You hear it all the time on our show, “College isn’t for everyone.” We have heard all the arguments about this topic. But here is a new one, Is college good for anyone? Bryan Caplan explains the problems with higher education in preparing students for future employment of life. Lead from Your Heart (1:05:33) Johnny Covey is a motivational speaker, trainer, and emcee. He is an author and has mentored thousands of individuals, helping them create new habits and providing a framework for change. As businesses continue to change and evolve, business leaders are finding that they are facing new and different challenges than those they faced in the past. Chief among these is the struggle to actively engage and empower employees, many of whom feel undervalued and dissatisfied. Johnny Covey, author of 5 Habits to Lead from Your Heart, talks about how to build better leadership habits. How to Deal with a Boss You Hate (1:50:28) Paul Jenkins, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist. He is the author of Pathological Positivity. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychology-law Society, and the Utah Psychological Association. Marriage can be tough. Many challenges come up when two people decide to join their lives together. Dr. Paul Jenkins shares some tips on how to deal with a boss you hate. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:26 - The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone 01:65:33 - Lead from Your Heart 01:110:28 - How to Deal with a Boss You Hate

Why the Flu is so bad, Solve Unsolvable Problems, Intermittent Fasting Feb 13, 2018

Show notes

Why the Flu is so bad (20:58) Dr. Chantel Sloan is a professor of Health Science at BYU. The “influenza” more commonly called the flu is making a nasty bought this season. Hospitals are low on supplies, the vaccine did not cover all strains that are out there, and people are dying. Dr. Sloan talks about this flu season and explains why this year is so deadly. How to Solve Unsolvable Problems (1:08:59) David Niven, Ph.D., is the Author of the book: It's Not About the Shark: How to Solve Unsolvable Problems. Dr. Niven’s The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People – and seven other titles in the series – have sold more than 1 million copies in the U.S., and has been translated in 30 languages. Dr. Niven shares his approach to solve tough problems by focusing on the solution. Intermittent Fasting (1:53:27) Ron Hager, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Exercise Sciences in the College of Life Sciences at Brigham Young University. His area is expertise is Chronic Disease Prevention. Dr. Hager discusses the popularity of Intermittent Fasting and if it healthy. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:58 - Why the Flu is so bad 01:68:59 - How to Solve Unsolvable Problems 01:113:27 - Intermittent Fasting

5 Hour Shutdown, Happiness Booster, Our Need to Belong Feb 12, 2018

Show notes

5 Hour Shutdown (20:30) Joe Cannon is the CEO of the Fuel Freedom Foundation, former Chairman of the Utah Republican Party, past assistant administrator in the US EPA, and editor of the Deseret News. Joe Cannon talks about the 5 Hur Shutdown, White House staff allegations, and Trump's parade. World's Easiest Happiness Booster (1:08:55) Greg Panza is an exercise physiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut whose research has focused on the effects of exercise on cardiovascular health. He is also a current Doctoral Candidate at the University of Connecticut. We all know that exercising is a great way to kick start our day and feel better, even if most of us struggle to keep a consistent struggle. New research, though, shows that we don’t even have to break a sweat in order to reap the benefits of exercise. Greg Panza reveals the World's Easiest Happiness Booster. Our Need to Belong (1:55:00) Brian Willoughby, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. Dr. Willoughby's research focuses on young adult dating and relationship patterns. Dr. Willoughby is the co-author of the book "The Marriage Paradox" Dr. Willoughby discusses Our Need to Belong. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:30 - 5 Hour Shutdown 01:68:55 - World's Easiest Happiness Booster 01:115:00 - Our Need to Belong

Co-working and Loneliness, Justice vs. Law, Learned Mindfulness Feb 10, 2018

Show notes

Coworking is About Feeling Less Lonely (23:49) Steve King is a partner at Emergent Research who studies the independent workforce and the impact of big data on small businesses. He has extensive consulting, marketing, and general management experience with both large companies and start-ups. One of the workplace trends that is more common now than ever is working remotely. Although it can be a great way of cutting costs, it also brings with it its share of problems. Recent studies show that remote workers are often lonely, and this, in turn, hurts their productivity. In order to combat the challenges of remote work, employees are beginning to turn to coworking as a solution. Steve King talks about the ins and outs of coworking Why Justice is More Important than the Rule of Law (1:07:57) Klaus Mladek, Ph.D., is a professor of Comparative Literature and German Studies at Dartmouth College and a Public Voices Fellow with The Op-Ed Project. His research focuses on 18th through 20th-century political theory, literature, and law, philosophy and psychoanalysis. Americans are feeling more and more stressed. A study last year confirmed that people are most worried about the “Future of the nation” and the “current social divisiveness.” Most people say this is because the rule of law is being ignored. But what is the rule of law and how does it relate to justice? Klaus Mladek explains justice versus the rule of law. Learned Mindfulness (1:57:06) Frank John Ninivaggi MD is an associate attending physician at Yale-New Haven Hospital, an assistant clinical professor of child psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine’s Child Study Center and the psychiatric director of the Devereux-Glenholme School in Washington, Connecticut. He is in private practice in New Haven and teaches at Yale. He is a regular contributor to Psychology Today online and is the author of the book, Making Sense of Emotion: Innovating Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Ninivaggi talks about the benefits of learned mindfulness. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:23:49 - Coworking is About Feeling Less Lonely 01:67:57 - Why Justice is More Important than the Rule of Law 01:117:06 - Learned Mindfulness

Heartland Economy, Kids Delaying Gratification, Screen Cleaning Feb 09, 2018

Show notes

How America’s Coastal Cities Left the Heartland Behind (20:00) Brian Feldman is a Researcher-Reporter with the Open Markets Program at New America. He previously worked for an education technology company in Cleveland, OH through Venture for America, an entrepreneurship fellowship centered on regional economies. Many of America’s Midwestern cities are experiencing an economic decline with big employers moving to bigger cities or out of the country. While many believe it to be an issue of deindustrialization and the trends in the free market, it may not be that simple. Brian Feldman says that the problems are actually a result of decisions made by “presidents and lawmakers in both parties, influenced by a handful of economists and legal scholars, quietly altered federal competition policies, antitrust laws, and enforcement measures over a period of 30 years.” So why are many Midwestern cities seeing such heavy economic blows? How have laws affected the growth of the cities? And will they ever return to their former “glory days”? Kids Delaying Gratification (1:13:41) John Protzko, Ph.D., is a cognitive scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research is focused on the development of intelligence.He received his Ph.D. in Psychological Development and his Master’s in Educational Psychology, both from New York University. Many of us are familiar with the famous Stanford marshmallow experiment, which showed that kids who exercise self-control often have more success in life. What you probably don’t know is that researchers have been doing the same experiment on kids for the past 50 years. The results may surprise you. Children today are actually better at delaying gratification than any generation that has come before them. John Protzko analyzed 50 years’ worth of data on this issue and shares his findings. Jeff Simpson - Screen Cleaning (1:36:56) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family-friendly options. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:00 - How America's Coastal Cities Left the Heartland Behind 01:73:41 - Kids Delaying Gratification 01:96:56 - Jeff Simpson - Screen Cleaning

Premarital Counseling, Open-Mind Positive Attitude, Sibling Relationships Feb 08, 2018

Show notes

Premarital Counseling (20:00) Alan J. Hawkins, Ph.D., is the Camilla E. Kimball Endowed Professor of Family Life at Brigham University in Provo, Utah. He earned a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University in 1990. Americans receive education and training before receiving a driver’s license. Yet when those same people seek a marriage license, relatively few of them receive education about how to establish a successful marriage. Alan Hawkins talks about the benefits of pre-marital counseling. Open-Mind and Positive Attitude Will Make All the Difference (1:08:56) Christopher Connors is an enthusiastic writer, career coach and speaker and the author of The Value of You: The Guide to Living Boldly and Joyfully Through the Power of Core Values. He focuses on personal development, values, and emotional intelligence, in an effort to deliver value that will help enrich life. We’ve all been given life advice whether we asked for it or not. Most commonly the advice revolves around some sort of positive thinking. The thing is your own experiences are a much more powerful influence than hearing about someone else’s. Positivity becomes a mindset that permeates your thinking, influences your actions and shapes the way others think of you. Christopher Connors shares the importance of An Open-Mind and Positive Attitude. Liana Tan - Couples Counseling (1:31:00) Former Producer Liana Tan tackled many topics when she worked on this show. One topic that came up over and over was relationships. She read many articles from relationship and marriage experts and believes that she knows enough to share this knowledge with others. Liana Tan tries her hand at Couples Counseling. Sibling Relationships as Adults (1:53:36) Jeanette Bennett is founder and editor-in-chief at Bennett Communications, where she primarily focuses on Utah Valley Magazine, BusinessQ Magazine, and Prosper Magazine. Jeanette earned a bachelor's and master's degree in journalism from BYU and has been a regular guest on Huff 00:00:00 - Introduction 01:68:56 - Open-Mind and Positive Attitude Will Make All the Difference 01:91:00 - Liana Tan - Couples Counseling 01:113:36 - Sibling Relationships as Adults

When to Unfriend on Facebook, Be Right Or Be Married Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

When should you unfriend someone on Facebook? (21:34) Alexis Elder is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her book, Friendship, Robots and Social Media False Friends and Second Selves, has just hit the shelves. Everyone has an overly political or opinionated friend on Facebook or the friend that shares too much about his or her children. Is it okay to unfriend people who don’t have the same opinions as us? Is Social Media bringing us closer together or tearing our friendships apart? Alexis Elder, a professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota Duluth, explains when to unfriend. You Can Be Right Or You Can Be Married (1:08:23) Brett Williams has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for 27 years. In any relationship, disagreements are bound to happen. As the disagreement goes on, the focus of the disagreement often shifts from the problem to who’s right and who’s wrong, and those can be dangerous conversations. Here to talk to us today about healthy disagreements is Brett Williams, author of the book “You can be right, or you can be married.” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:34 - When should you unfriend someone on Facebook? 01:68:23 - You Can Be Right Or You Can Be Married

Justice vs. Law, Learned Mindfulness, Power of Vulnerability Feb 06, 2018

Show notes

Why Justice is More Important than the Rule of Law (19:12) Klaus Mladek, Ph.D., is a professor of Comparative Literature and German Studies at Dartmouth College and a Public Voices Fellow with The Op-Ed Project. His research focuses on 18th through 20th-century political theory, literature, and law, philosophy and psychoanalysis. Americans are feeling more and more stressed. A study last year confirmed that people are most worried about the “Future of the nation” and the “current social divisiveness.” Most people say this is because the rule of law is being ignored. But what is the rule of law and how does it relate to justice? Klaus Mladek explains justice versus the rule of law. Learned Mindfulness (1:08:24) Frank John Ninivaggi MD is an associate attending physician at Yale-New Haven Hospital, an assistant clinical professor of child psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine’s Child Study Center and the psychiatric director of the Devereux-Glenholme School in Washington, Connecticut. He is in private practice in New Haven and teaches at Yale. He is a regular contributor to Psychology Today online and is the author of the book, Making Sense of Emotion: Innovating Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Ninivaggi talks about the benefits of learned mindfulness. Power of Vulnerability (1:57:02) Jeff Manchester has been a professional consultant for 20 years, helping professional athletes and over 1,000 company presidents and CEO. He is the co-author of the book The Power of Vulnerability. In today’s society, many people think that vulnerability is a weakness in leaders. However, if people can’t see vulnerability or authenticity in their leaders, they will feel disconnected. The more leaders show their authentic selves, the more their team will achieve. Here Jeff Manchester talks about the power of vulnerability. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:12 - Why Justice is More Important than the Rule of Law 01:68:24 - Learned Mindfulness 01:117:02 - Power of Vulnerability

Payday Loans, Coworking and Loneliness, When Kids Leave Religion Feb 05, 2018

Show notes

Payday Loans (20:00) Richard Evans, Ph.D., is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Any drive through town is guaranteed to cross paths when at least one of the hundreds of payday and title loan establishments that dot city maps across the country. These companies advertise Paycheck advancements that are convenient, quick, without any sort of credit assessment. These advancements are typically loans in the $150-$400 range with a repayment agreement due when the borrower has a scheduled payment, such as a paycheck. But what are the risks associated with these loans and what are the financial dangers the nearly 12 million users face? Dr. Evans shares what he has learned studying the payday loan industry. Coworking is About Feeling Less Lonely (1:13:00) Steve King is a partner at Emergent Research who studies the independent workforce and the impact of big data on small businesses. He has extensive consulting, marketing, and general management experience with both large companies and start-ups. One of the workplace trends that is more common now than ever is working remotely. Although it can be a great way of cutting costs, it also brings with it its share of problems. Recent studies show that remote workers are often lonely, and this, in turn, hurts their productivity. In order to combat the challenges of remote work, employees are beginning to turn to coworking as a solution. Steve King talks about the ins and outs of coworking When Kids Leave religion (2:00:00) Nicole Cunningham is a Master Executive Coach with 15 years of coaching and consulting experience. Nicole has dedicated her career to assisting companies, individuals and families in Australia, Malaysia, UK, Singapore, and America to understand, change and improve human behavior and relationships. Nicole is a people whisperer, she has an incomparable understanding of all aspects of human nature and she is the creator of the 12 Psychological Inclinations. She is also the COO 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:00 - Payday Loans 01:73:00 - Coworking is About Feeling Less Lonely 02:120:00 - When Kids Leave religion

Crisis of Faith, Social Media Click-Bait, Disagreeing More at Work Feb 03, 2018

Show notes

What is the cause of a Crisis of Faith (22:10) Scott R. Braithwaite, an associate psychology professor at Brigham Young University. Scott began graduate school in New York but followed his mentor to Florida State University where he obtained his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Scott completed his predoctoral residency at the Medical University of South Carolina and became a professor at Brigham Young University. It is fairly common to come across a member of the newer generations who has rejected religion in some form or another. Not only are people moving away from the religions of their childhood, but atheism has become a frequent substitute. Scott Braithewaite has researched the psychology behind this generational shift. Social Media and Click-Bait (1:08:45) Barbara Romzek, Ph.D., is a professor of Public Administration and Policy in the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. Social media creates profit from connecting people and encouraging global conversations. But certain people have found a way to exploit these forums that weaken shared norms of trust and openness. Barbara Romzek explains the dangers of clickbait, why it needs to be stopped, and why social media companies need to do more. Why We Should Be Disagreeing More at Work (1:57:41) Amy Gallo, the author of the Harvard Business Review's Guide to Dealing with Conflict. Imagine the most irritating person in your workplace. Why don’t you like them? Do they do anything that drives you nuts? Amy Gallo explains how disagreeing more at work can help relieve workplace tension and personal stress. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:22:10 - What is the cause of a Crisis of Faith 01:68:45 - Social Media and Click-Bait 01:117:41 - Why We Should Be Disagreeing More at Work

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