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:

Trucking Decline, Religious Anger, Myth of the ADHD Child Nov 24, 2017

Show notes

The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream (11:50) Steve Viscelli is an economic sociologist and lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and Fox Family Pavilion Scholar. He is the author of the book The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream and he works with a range of public and private stakeholders to make the trucking industry safer, more efficient, and a better place to work. In the 1960s truck driving was a great profession, it had benefits and fairly compensated workers for their time. However, since then there has been a dramatic shift, truck drivers are now expected to work long hours for little to no pay. In one case a California truck driver took home a $0.67 paycheck after paying the gas, insurance, and truck lease payments. In 2005, Steve Viscelli spent six months working for a for-hire carrier. For an average of 90 hours a week, his truck’s 53-foot trailer hauled a mishmash of material: pillows, steel coils—anything a pallet could hold. Steve Viscelli shares his experience and explains the importance of and challenge truck drivers face. Is there a religious way to get angry? (1:00:00) The Rev. Elaine Ellis Thomas, St. Paul’s Memorial Episcopal Church, Charlottesville, VA grew up in North Carolina and Tennessee, lived in Oregon for four years, and finally landed in Pennsylvania before coming to Charlottesville in 2014. She has a Masters of Divinity from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale where she did intensive work in reconciliation which took her from New Haven to Coventry, England, to Cape Town, South Africa. Religion generally urges people of faith to keep their temper in check. For example, anger-related teachings appear at many different points in the Bible, and most references condemn the emotion. Verses like these, as well as anger's inclusion on the list of seven deadly sins, lead some people to try to avoid the emotion completely. Trying to avoid anger all together is a losing battle, 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:11:50 - The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream 01:60:00 - Is there a religious way to get angry? 01:101:08 - Myth of the ADHD Child

Fix Your Phone, Self-Love Experiment, Marriage Meetings Nov 23, 2017

Show notes

Why can’t we fix our own electronic devices? (11:14) Sara Behdad is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Her research interests include Sustainable Design and Manufacturing, Remanufacturing, and End-of-Life Product Recovery. If your tire goes flat what do you do? You change the tire. If the AC unit stops working you open it up and take a look at it. But if your iPhone will not turn on what do you do? Drive 40 minutes to the closest Apple Store to have them fix it for you. Why is it that we can’t fix our own electronic devices? Sara Behdad explains. The Self-Love Experiment (1:02:05) Shannon Kaiser is an international empowerment coach and best-selling wellness author. She has written several books including her most recent book " The Self-Love Experiment" where she shares the personal challenge she designed to explore the self-harming beliefs that were holding her back and learn how to take action, lighten up, and increase her self-confidence, self-acceptance, and accountability. In our constant quest to be happier, skinnier, smarter, and wealthier, we’re living our daily lives based on some notion that we aren’t enough as we are. The fact is that many of us just don’t like ourselves all that much: 90% of women reportedly hate their bodies, twice as many American women than men are on antidepressants, and studies estimate 10 million women and girls suffer from eating disorders. We’re suffering from a self-care deficit, and Shannon Kaiser knows it’s a time we made a change. Shannon shares her personal experience with " The Self-Love Experiment" and how we can treat ourselves better. Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love (1:50:57) Marcia Naomi Berger is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. Did you know the average couple spends as few as four minutes a day talking to each other? No wonder it can be so hard to figure out what your partner is thinking or what they want. After being married for a while, couples c 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:11:14 - Why can't we fix our own electronic devices? 01:62:05 - The Self-Love Experiment 01:110:57 - Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love

Robots and Jobs, Holiday Eating, Working With a Spouse Nov 22, 2017

Show notes

Robots won’t steal our jobs Thomas Kochan is a professor of work and employment at the MIT Sloan school of management. We remember the Jetson’s futuristic world where technology ruled and machines took care of simple menial tasks. In real life, would that futuristic world might be that Utopia we all remember or will robots take over and steal all our jobs? Thomas Kochan says many jobs will be saved if employers engage the workforce to be active participants. Liana Tan - Small Talk Alright, it’s the day we’ve been waiting for! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means some of you are dreading the dinner talk. If you’re meeting the in-laws, visiting a friend, seeing long lost relatives, or meeting your sister’s new boyfriend, you’re probably bracing for a lot of small talk tomorrow. So, one of our producers, Liana Tan, is going to teach us a few ways we can master the small talk and enjoy this holiday season. Holiday Eating Justification 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. As winter approaches and the days get shorter some people feel more unmotivated or maybe depressed. This is a condition known as seasonal affective disorder or more commonly known as the "winter blues". Dr. Hager answers the question, Does your behavior change as justified by the “holiday” time of year? Makena Bauss - Turkey Tail According to recent polling, 88% of Americans eat Turkey on Thanksgiving. But one part of the bird never makes it to the table: the tail. The fate of this fatty chunk of meat shows us the bizarre inner workings of our global food system. Producer Makena Bauss shares the story of this part of the festive bird. Working With a Spouse 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 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:37 - Robots won't steal our jobs 00:38:28 - Liana Tan - Small Talk 01:61:43 - Holiday Eating Justification 01:87:47 - Makena Bauss - Turkey Tail 01:113:30 - Working With a Spouse

Shifting TV Landscape, Challenging Opportunities Nov 21, 2017

Show notes

TV’s shifting landscape (18:38) Cynthia Meyers, Ph.D., a professor of communications at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City. Today you can’t get away from commercials, whether you are trying to watch a youtube video or you are just surfing Facebook, it is everywhere. But today’s advertisement is not the same type of advertisement as your parent’s, it is branded content. Cynthia Meyers talks about branded content and how it is changing in reaction to how we are consuming entertainment. Learning and its difficulties (1:12:03) 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 his book, Making Sense of Emotion: Innovating Emotional Intelligence has just been published. It’s very difficult to live in today’s world without literacy skills. The developing world is constantly trying to figure out how to spread literacy in reading, writing, and calculating to the rest of the world and how to get students in the U.S. up to speed. But what are some of the underlying problems with the lack of literacy? Is it just political, or could there be a diversity of learning difficulties out there? , is here to teach us a little more about these learning difficulties and how to address them. He says, “Understanding empowers you as an adult and a guide for your child.” Liana Tan - Black Friday Survival (1:35:53) Black Friday is upon us. People are gearing up for late night shopping to get the best holiday deals. Producer Liana Tan with some tips on how to survive the physical contest of consumerism. Turn Challenges into Opportunities (1:57:41) Paul Jenkins, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist. He is the author of Pathological Positivity. He is a member of the

Harassment, Difficult English Spelling, Survive Holidays Nov 20, 2017

Show notes

Political Harassment 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 discusses the Republicans problems in supporting or abandoning Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, the future of Al Franken, and the struggle for tax reform. Spelling Makes English Difficult Stephen Linstead is Chairman and Honorary Treasurer of the English Spelling Society. Some of the most difficult languages to learn are 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. Makena Bauss - Psychology of Black Friday Black Friday the first shopping day after Thanksgiving. Characterized by long lines and low prices along with mob scenes and physical altercations. Why do we do this? Producer Makena Bauss shares some research the explains this yearly behavior. How to survive the holidays with your family 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 of Clarity Point Coaching. Nicole with some tips on how to survive the holidays with your family. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:52 - Political Harassment 01:72:12 - Spelling Makes English Difficult 01:94:44 - Makena Bauss - Psychology of Black Friday 01:118:50 - How to survive the holidays with your family

Facebook User Types, Art of Fear, Elected Official Lies Nov 18, 2017

Show notes

Four Types of Facebook Users (21:56) Kris Boyle, a professor of Communications at Brigham Young University. Facebook is one of the leading social media sites in the world, so we all know the different types of people on Facebook. We Facebook the friend who “shares way too much” and the friend who only post petitions for social change. Kris Boyle was part of a study to discover how we use the social media platform and shares with us the four different type of Facebook personalities. The Art of Fear (1:10:00) Kristen Ulmer is a former extreme skier and now works with clients and speaks publicly on helping people resolve their fear and anxiety. Her recent book is The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What to Do Instead. Everyone experiences some type of fear, whether it be a fear of death or of public speaking. Kristen Ulmer was voted as the most fearless woman athlete in North America and was known for being the best big mountain extreme skier in the world for 12 years. She doesn’t claim that she conquered her fears, but does say that she became intimate with them. Kristen Ulmer shares with us how she made friends with her fears and also how we can do the same. Is it a problem when elected officials lie? (2:00:03) Allison Mueller, Ph.D. Candidate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. What do you do when you know your children lie to you? How about if a politician lies to you? Do we hold them to the same standard? Allison Mueller conducted research into how and why political lying occurs. She explains how both sides are guilty but also explains how it reveals how "flexible" with the truth we may be comfortable with. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:56 - Four Types of Facebook Users 01:70:00 - The Art of Fear 02:120:03 - Is it a problem when elected officials lie?

Redefining Aging, Potential Principle, Screen Cleaning Nov 17, 2017

Show notes

Redefining Aging (20:11) Ann Kaiser Stearns, Ph.D., is a professor of behavioral science at the Community College of Baltimore County. Her new book, Redefining Aging – A Caregiver's Guide to Living Your Best Life, will help readers think differently about caregiving, ageist stereotypes, and their own aging. Dr. Ann Kaiser discusses ways to cope with the challenges and blessings of caregiving while successfully aging yourself! The Potential Principle (1:09:22) Mark Sanborn is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea lab for leadership development and turning ordinary into extraordinary. Mark is considered as one of the top leadership experts in the world. His latest book is, The Potential Principle: A Proven System for Closing the Gap Between How Good Your Are and How Good You Could Be. When some people become the best, they hit cruise control. Yet, even when you become the best you still have room for improvement. Mark Sanborn shares with us how we can reach our full potential. Makena Bauss - Worlds Largest Air Purifier (1:35:29) The world's governments are looking for a way to clean up the air we breathe. Producer Makena Bauss shares some new technology that could be described as a huge air freshener for a big city. Screen Cleaning (1:38:39) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family-friendly options 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:11 - Redefining Aging(20:11) 01:69:22 - The Potential Principle 01:95:29 - Makena Bauss - Worlds Largest Air Purifier 01:98:39 - Screen Cleaning

Jobs Beyond Criminal Records, You Matter Marathon Nov 16, 2017

Show notes

Jobs for American with Criminal Records Richard Bronson is the CEO of 70MillionJobs, a for-profit employment jobs placement company. He is a philanthropist and the founder of an asset management firm. One in three American adults has a criminal record, making it harder for them to get a job. Two-third of released inmates find themselves back in prison. Richard Bronson is trying to turn that around and explains what his company 70MillionJobs is doing to help find jobs for those with criminal records. You Matter Marathon Cheryl Rice, M.S., CPCC; leadership consultant and coach, brings over 20 years experience facilitating individual and organizations change. She has advanced degrees in counseling and organization development, plus a professional coaching certification. Cheryl is also the author of the inspiring memoir, Where Have I Been All My Life? A Journey Toward Love and Wholeness. The death of a loved one has a way of causing us to reevaluate our lives. After Cheryl Rice’s mother passed away from cancer, Cheryl discovered she wasn’t truly living her life—and wasn’t allowing herself to love. Cheryl reached out to others and built on that motivation to create the You Matter Marathon which is an effort to hand out 1 million "You Matter" cards in the month of November to change the lives of those around us. Cheryl Rice shares how she changed her life by learning to love again. Liana Tan - Turkey Well folks, Thanksgiving is just one week from today. To gear up for the holiday feast, our producer, Liana Tan, put together a little tangent to amuse us with 6 weird stories about turkeys. Redirect: Changing the Stories We Live By Timothy D. Wilson is a renowned psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. It can feel like the world is crashing down on you. Everyone has their own trials they have to work through every day--- getting through depression, overcoming trauma, working out family problems, making difficult decisions, you name it. And have you ever felt like you’re getting now 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:21 - Jobs for American with Criminal Records 01:67:24 - You Matter Marathon 01:89:45 - Liana Tan - Turkey 01:114:54 - Redirect: Changing the Stories We Live By

Elected Official Lies, Contagious Emotions, Immune System Nov 15, 2017

Show notes

Is it a problem when elected officials lie? Allison Mueller, Ph.D., Candidate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. What do you do when you know your children lie to you? How about if a politician lies to you? Do we hold them to the same standard? Allison Mueller conducted research into how and why political lying occurs. She explains how both sides are guilty but also explains how it reveals how "flexible" with the truth we may be comfortable with. Surprising Science of Infectious Behaviors and Viral Emotions Lee Daniel Kravetz is a bestselling author. He has written for print and television, including The New York Times, Psychology Today, The San Francisco Chronicle, and PBS. In 2009, tragedy struck the town of Palo Alto: A student from the local high school had died by suicide by stepping in front of an oncoming train. A few weeks later, it happened again. And again. And again. In six months, the high school lost five students to suicide at those train tracks. Author Lee Kravetz’s purpose in writing his new book “Strange Contagion” was to explain how it was possible that a suicide cluster could develop in a community of concerned, aware, and hyper-vigilant adults. The answer is what Kravetz calls a “strange contagion:” a perfect storm of highly common social viruses that, combined, can form unconscious mirroring motivations triggered by our environment. Makena Bauss - Thanksgiving Politics Thanksgiving with family can be tough as relatives sit down to eat and put aside any disagreements. The current state of politics may make this holiday feast more awkward. Producer Makena Bauss shares the upside of this potentially uncomfortable family meal. Tips for a Healthy Immune System 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 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:47 - Is it a problem when elected officials lie? 01:68:05 - Surprising Science of Infectious Behaviors and Viral Emotions 01:93:15 - Makena Bauss - Thanksgiving Politics 01:118:10 - Tips for a Healthy Immune System

Profiling Facebook Users, Art of Fear, Digital Marketing Nov 14, 2017

Show notes

Four Types of Facebook Users (21:57) Kris Boyle, Ph.D., a professor of Communications at Brigham Young University. Facebook is one of the leading social media sites in the world, so we all know the different types of people on facebook. We Facebook the friend who “shares way too much” and the friend who only post petitions for social change. Kris Boyle was part of a study to discover how we use the social media platform and shares with us the four different type of Facebook personalities. The Art of Fear (1:10:00) Kristen Ulmer is a former extreme skier and now works with clients and speaks publicly on helping people resolve their fear and anxiety. Her recent book is The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What to Do Instead. Everyone experiences some type of fear, whether it be a fear of death or of public speaking. Kristen Ulmer was voted as the most fearless woman athlete in North America, and was known as being the best big mountain extreme skier in the world for 12 years. She doesn’t claim that she conquered her fears, but does say that she became intimate with them. Kristen Ulmer shares with us how she made friends with her fears and also how we can do the same. Liana Tan - Pranks (1:34:48) We are getting around to the holiday season and you might be wondering what Santa’s going to bring. One of our producers, Liana Tan, is convinced some people may be getting ‘nuttin for Christmas.’ She and some other producers around here put together a tangent where they’ll share with us some of their experiences of pranking others or being pranked. Digital Marketing (2:00:34) 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 HuffPostLive. Sometimes people step away from a job because of health issues, family emergencies, or other personal issues. Jeanette Bennett shares what she h 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:57 - Four Types of Facebook Users 01:70:00 - The Art of Fear 01:94:48 - Liana Tan - Pranks 02:120:34 - Digital Marketing

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