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:

Taxes and Mueller, Level Up Your Life, Single at the Holiday Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

Taxes and Mueller (20:13) 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 tax bill vote this week, Republicans vs. Mueller, and the fallout from the Alabama election. Level Up Your Life (1:02:33) Steve Kamb is the author of “Level Up Your Life: How to Unlock Adventure and Happiness by Becoming the Hero of Your Own Story”. He is the founder of nerdfitness.com. He has guest lectured at Google and regularly speaks at Vanderbilt University. Do you wish you had nerves of steel? Or the observation skills of Sherlock Holmes? Or perhaps the adventurous spirit of Frodo Baggins? We all have heroes in literature, movies, and video games. There are characters who have attributes and skills we wish we did. Steve Kamb talks about how to become your own superhero. Makena Bauss - Kids Think Birthday Parties Make You Get oldOlder (1:26:20) Children as old as four and five think that the actual purpose of a birthday party is to increase your age. It’s not a celebration—it’s a ritual. Producer Makena Bauss shares a recent study. Single at the Holidays (1:51:02) Kimberly Giles is the President and founder of Claritypoint Coaching and The 12 shapes relationship system. She is a regular guest on our program and she hosts an internet radio show called Relationship Radio every Thursday on VoiceAmerica.com. Kim is a sought-after coach, speaker, and human behavior expert, who teaches a simple, easy method to help families and organizations to create healthy relationships and get along with everyone. Kim talks about How to Thrive When Single at the Holidays. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:13 - Taxes and Mueller 01:62:33 - Level Up Your Life 01:86:20 - Makena Bauss - Kids Think Birthday Parties Make You Get oldOlder 01:111:02 - Single at the Holidays

Better Ballots, Fostering Wonderment, Tax Cuts Impact Dec 16, 2017

Show notes

Designing better ballots (9:48) Michael Byrne, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and of Computer Science, Rice University. His areas of Interest include Human factors/human-computer interaction, computational modeling/artificial intelligence, statistics, cognition, decision-making, memory. With all the focus on the Russian interference in the 2016 election, there is a growing concern for the integrity of future elections. One threat that is receiving more attention is voting system usability. Does what actually gets recorded on to the ballots accurately reflect the will of the voters? Dr. Bryne explains his research into this problem. Why "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is the wrong question (46:37) Amy Schaffer is the creative director and co-creator of The Wonderment, a nonprofit digital platform and global community-based in Salt Lake City where thousands of kids from over 25 countries have taken creative action to connect and impact communities all over the world. Growing up, teachers and parents always asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Even when we are adults, many of us still feel like we haven’t found what we want to be when we grow up. Amy Schaffer, who has given a TED talk about this question, claims that it is the wrong question to ask kids and that instead, we should be asking, “What do you wonder about?” She shares about why a sense of wonder is an essential trait not only for children but also for everyone. Impact of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (1:26:42) Ryan Alexander, the president of Taxpayers for Common Sense with us, Taxpayers for Common Sense is a nonpartisan budget watchdog with a goal of promoting fiscal responsibility and opposing wasteful tax and spending policies. Ryan Alexander discusses the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act and how it can impact each of us. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:09:48 - Designing better ballots 00:46:37 - Why "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is the wrong question 01:86:42 - Impact of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act

Electronic Media, Religion and Work Conflict, Screen Cleaning Dec 15, 2017

Show notes

Power of Electronic Media has to build or destroy (22:37) Randal Wright has a Ph.D. in Family Studies and is now a personal life coach. He has written several books, taught college for many years, and done extensive research and studies on the influence of electronic media. U.S. adults spent an average of 123 minutes, that’s two hours and three minutes, on laptops or desktops every day in 2017. People watched, read, listened, streamed and posted more media than ever in 2017, and it is expected to rise again in 2018. But what effect is this having? Dr. Randal Wright explains the power electronic media has to either build or destroy. When Religion and Work Conflict (1:07:19) Kabring Chang, a Clinical Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics at Boston University. Since 2007, the number of complaints about religious discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has risen significantly. It’s not hard to see why: An increase in immigrants of diverse faiths, greater workforce diversity, and the globalization of business all play a role in more workers from different religious backgrounds meeting on the job. For many employers, it is only a matter of time before they face conflicts between religion and work. So, as an employee or as a boss, what do you do when this situation comes up in the workplace? Kabring Chang shares her article that explains the struggles and shares some possible solutions to the issues surrounding religion in the workplace. Makena Bauss - De-Extinction (1:30:59) New genetic science may help to bring back previously extinct species. Producer Makana Bauss shares the details. Jeff Simpson - Screen Cleaning (1:35:33) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family-friendly options. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:22:37 - Power of Electronic Media has to build or destroy 01:67:19 - When Religion and Work Conflict 01:90:59 - Makena Bauss -De-Extinction 01:95:33 - Jeff Simpson - Screen Cleaning

Spirituality and Science, Body Obsession, Trim Holiday Tradition Dec 14, 2017

Show notes

Spirituality and Science (22:33) Anthony Jack, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Case Western Reserve University College of Arts and Sciences. He co-authored the recent study: “Why Do You Believe in God? Relationships Between Religious Belief, Analytic Thinking, Mentalizing and Moral Concern”. Scientific and Spiritual approaches can often collide head to head. It is possible, that the conflict between the two is actually rooted in our brains. He shares his the results of the resent study Body Perfection or Body Obsession? (1:10:38) Lindsay Kite, Ph.D., is co-director of the nonprofit Beauty Redefined along with her identical twin sister, Lexie Kite. She is a scholar and advocate of positive body image and body image resilience. She holds a master’s and Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Utah, specializing in the study of media representation of women and female body image. Many women today don’t like what they see when they look in the mirror. Self-objectification happens when women view themselves from an outside perspective and see only the flaws. In fact, studies show that self-objectification can even negatively affect someone’s mental and physical abilities. Lindsay Kite, a founder of the non-profit organization Beauty Redefined, shares with us why body image needs to be redefined. How to trim your holiday traditions (1:59:56) Brooke Romney is a freelance writer, speaker, and blogger. You might be on your way to do some Christmas shopping right now or maybe finding time to bake 5 dozen cookies for your family party. Sometimes during the holidays, we want to smash in so many festivities that it makes us feel more stress than holiday cheer. Dr. Matt talks Brooke Romney join us today to discuss her article, “How To Trim Your Holiday Traditions.” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:22:33 - Spirituality and Science 01:70:38 - Body Perfection or Body Obsession? 01:119:56 - How to trim your holiday traditions

FCC and Local News, Introverted Teachers, Goldilocks Theory Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

FCC and Local TV News (19:59) Margot Susca, a professor of journalism at American University. Since WWII, the ‘main studio rule” was put in place to ensure that news stations were hearing and serving the communities they broadcasted to. In an effort to increase revenues for big companies, the Federal Communications Commission abolished that rule in October. Margot Susca talks about what the effects of this decision may be. Introverted Teachers (1:10:12) Jessica Honard who is a writer, educator, and speaker. She created The Adaptive Introvert—and online community for introverted educators. 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 is the author of Introversion in the Classroom. A few months back Matt Townsend spoke with Jessica Honard about the struggle of introverted teachers. Goldilocks theory of Marriage and Divorce (1:59:27) 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 the Goldilocks theory of Marriage and Divorce. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:59 - FCC and Local TV News 01:70:12 - Introverted Teachers 01:119:27 - Goldilocks theory of Marriage and Divorce

American Dream, Broader Bolder Education, Holiday Stress Dec 12, 2017

Show notes

The American Dream (20:11)(The American Dream (20:11) Mechele Dickerson, Professor of Law at the University of Texas at Austin, whose recent article, Is The American Dream Dead?, explores the downward spiral of the three basic tenants of the American Dream, owning a home, having stable employment, and retiring debt-free and financially secure. How has the recent economic turmoil and the trends in housing and employment affected our ability to achieve the thing that once made our nation great? And will we ever get back on top? Mechele Dickerson shares her thoughts on why and where the economy is influencing The American Dream.) Mechele Dickerson, Professor of Law at the University of Texas at Austin, whose recent article, Is The American Dream Dead?, explores the downward spiral of the three basic tenants of the American Dream, owning a home, having stable employment, and retiring debt-free and financially secure. How has the recent economic turmoil and the trends in housing and employment affected our ability to achieve the thing that once made our nation great? And will we ever get back on top? Mechele Dickerson shares her thoughts on why and where the economy is influencing The American Dream. Broader Bolder Approach to Education (1:11:53) Elaine Weiss, Ph.D., is the National Coordinator for the Broader Bolder Approach to Education (BBA). Last year the Washington Post published an article that revealed that an analysis of 2013 Federal Data revealed 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 are tough questions and they are being asked and addressed by The Broader, Bolder Approach to Education national campaign. Dr. Elaine Weiss discuss these questions and explains the goals of the BBA campaign. How to Handle Holiday Stress (2:01:13) Paul Jenkins, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist. He is the author of Pa 00:00:00 - Introduction 01:71:53 - Broader Bolder Approach to Education 02:121:13 - How to Handle Holiday Stress

Will Roy Moore Win, Building Organizational Trust, Weight Gain Dec 11, 2017

Show notes

Will Roy Moore Win (21:18) 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 Trump announcement recognizing Jewersalm as the capital of Israel and the upcoming Alabama Senate special election. Building Trust in Your Organization (1:10:02) Stephen M. R. Covey is a co-founder 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. Makena Bauss - Hear Silent GIF's (1:36:00) People have commented online that they can "hear" an animated GIF which has no sound. There is a psychological reason for this situation. Producer Makena Bauss explains. Avoid Holiday Weight Gain (2:03:16) Karen Mangum is a licensed, registered dietitian, seasoned recipe developer, food blogger, and nutrition consultant. She is the author and producer of Inside Karen’s Kitchen, a healthy food blog, where she shares recipes that nourish and heal along with insightful nutrition musings which attempt to sort fact from fiction. Karen is married to Michael and the mother of five almost grown children, including BYU football’s starting quarterback, Tanner Mangum. Karen Mangum shares her tips on how to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:18 - Will Roy Moore Win 01:70:02 - Building Trust in Your Organization 01:96:00 - Makena Bauss - Hear Silent GIF's 02:123:16 - Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Jobs Without Degree, Harassment in the House Dec 09, 2017

Show notes

30 Million Workers Without a Bachelor’s Degree Have Good Jobs (19:35) Neil Ridley is the Director of the State Initiative at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Some say that a college diploma is the new high school degree. Manufacturing jobs are disappearing, so does that mean there are fewer jobs for high school graduates? Neil Ridley shares research that shows that you may not need a college degree to get a good paying job. The Way We Talk About Sexual Assault and Harassment Matters (1:08:20) Sarah Cook, Ph.D., a professor of Psychology at Georgia State University. The #metoo movement has brought major attention to the plight of women and all those who deal with sexual harassment. It has challenged how the world sees sexual harassment in our communities, in the news industry, and in Hollywood. Here to speak more about this is Sarah Cook who has confronted the problem of sexual violence as an emergency room rape companion, a social worker, an advocate for initial passage of VAWA, a teacher, and a researcher. She discusses how we as a society talk about sexual assault and harassment. Harassment in the House (1:56:38) Enid Greene Mickelsen was the third woman and first Republican woman ever elected to Congress from Utah. Enid became the acting chair of the Utah Republican Party upon the resignation of Joe Cannon in November 2006 and was unanimously elected to serve as state party chair in February 2007. Today in our country, many individuals in Hollywood and Capitol Hill are coming forward to report sexual misconduct that has been going on for years. How can we change this culture of sexual harassment? Enid Mickelsen shares with us her experiences in the House of Representatives with sexual harassment and what can be done to change this problem. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:35 - 30 Million Workers Without a Bachelor's Degree Have Good Jobs 01:68:20 - The Way We Talk About Sexual Assault and Harassment Matters 01:116:38 - Harassment in the House

Impact of the Tax Cuts, Pursuit of Happiness, Screen Cleaning Dec 08, 2017

Show notes

Impact of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (20:40) Ms. Ryan Alexander, the president of Taxpayers for Common Sense with us, Taxpayers for Common Sense is a nonpartisan budget watchdog with a goal of promoting fiscal responsibility and opposing wasteful tax and spending policies. Ryan Alexander discusses the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act and how it can impact each of us. Liana Tan - Missing College (42:38) One of our producers, Liana Tan, has been doing little bits for a while now called “Little Tangents.” Her graduation is coming up, though, so as she’s wrapping things up she’s going to tell us about 5 things she’ll miss about college. Pursuit of Happiness (1:10:08) Lynya Floyd, Health Director at Family Circle magazine, is a nationally certified health and wellness coach, fitness enthusiast and award-winning journalist. Many people believe that they can find happiness by earning more money, losing more weight, or even binge-watching their favorite show on Netflix. Although people may find temporary happiness from these things, they won’t find real and lasting happiness from them. Lynya Floyd, a journalist who writes about health and wellness, decided to Google how to find true happiness and discovered some surprising theories. She shares these theories with us. Makena Bauss - Bots at Christmas (1:33:50) Producer Makena Bauss explains how computer programs called "Bots" are buying up all the popular toys this Christmas making them harder to find. Jeff Simpson - Screen Cleaning (1:36:59) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family-friendly options. Today he continues his search for hidden gem Christmas movies and also talks to YA author Chad Trisef (2:02:30) about his Oracle series and some of his favorite movie adaptations from books. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:40 - Impact of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act 00:42:38 - Liana Tan - Missing College 01:70:08 - Pursuit of Happiness 01:93:50 - Makena Bauss - Bots at Christmas 01:96:59 - Jeff Simpson - Screen Cleaning 02:122:30 - Chad Trisef

Better Ballots, Wonder can be harnessed, Busy mom Holidays Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

Designing better ballots (21:23) Michael Byrne , Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and of Computer Science, Rice University. His areas of Interest include Human factors/human-computer interaction, computational modeling/artificial intelligence, statistics, cognition, decision-making, memory. With all the focus on the Russian interference in the 2016 election, there is a growing concern for the integrity of future elections. One threat that is receiving more attention is voting system usability. Does what actually gets recorded on to the ballots accurately reflect the will of the voters? Dr. Bryne explains his research into this problem. Why "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is the wrong question (1:09:18) Amy Schaffer is the creative director and co-creator of The Wonderment, a nonprofit digital platform and global community based in Salt Lake City where thousands of kids from over 25 countries have taken creative action to connect and impact communities all over the worl. Growing up, teachers and parents always asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Even when we are adults, many of us still feel like we haven’t found what we want to be when we grow up. Amy Schaffer, who has given a TED talk about this question, claims that it is the wrong question to ask kids, and that instead we should be asking, “What do you wonder about?” She shares about why a sense of wonder is an essential trait not only for children, but also for everyone. Liana Tan - Pearl Harbor (1:30:33) It's Pearl Harbor Day — 76 years since Japan's surprise attack on Hawaii, killing 2,403 soldiers, sailors and civilians, and propelling the U.S. into World War II. Producer Liana Tan discusses this important day in history. How to Enjoy the Holidays as a Busy Mom (2:00:00) 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 be 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:23 - Designing better ballots 01:69:18 - Why "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is the wrong question 01:90:33 - Liana Tan - Pearl Harbor 02:120:00 - How to Enjoy the Holidays as a Busy Mom

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