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:

Eating Habits on the Brain, Take a Photo Throw It Out, Approval Oct 09, 2017

Show notes

Eating Habits and the Brain (21:49) Terry L. Davidson, Ph.D., is the founding Director of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Professor in the Department of Psychology at American University in Washington, DC. Davidson and his students aim to increase understanding of how learning and memory processes contribute to the control of food intake and body weight and; how dietary and other environmental factors that promote obesity might impair the function of brain areas that underlie those cognitive processes. Take a Photo and Let it Go (1:07:42) Karen Page Winterich, Ph.D., is a Frank and Mary Smeal Research Fellow and Associate Professor of Marketing at the Pennsylvania State University. Winterich conducts research in the area of consumer behavior, with specific interests in the effects of consumer identities and emotions on consumer judgments and decision-making. Her research focuses on examining the effect of cultural and moral identities on charitable giving and brand evaluations as well as the impact of emotions on consumer decisions and consumption. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to let go of our material possessions especially if there is sentimental value attached to it. Nobody wants a house full of cluttered items we haven’t used in years but at the same time, we don’t want to, get rid of them. Karen Winterich and a team of consumer psychologists examined why it’s so hard to leave things behind us an how we can move forward and better cherish those memories. Makena Bauss - Fatberg Fuel (1:29:48) Fatberg's are a plague on the sewer systems of the world. Cities like London, Dublin, and New York are struggling with the masses of congealed cooking oils and other items found in sewers blocking the pipes. Makena explains how in England researchers are trying to recover the cooking oil and make a fuel source. Are you an Approval Addict? (1:52:10) 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 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:21:49 - Eating Habits and the Brain 01:67:42 - Take a Photo and Let it Go 01:89:48 - Makena Bauss - Fatberg Fuel 01:112:10 - Are you an Approval Addict?

Positivity Crash Course, Fixing College Admissions, Leaders Oct 07, 2017

Show notes

Head First: A crash course in positivity (16:02) Steve H. Lawton is the author of “Head First! A Crash Course in Positivity,” a story about how his attitude literally saved his life from a near-fatal skiing accident. Steve enjoys helping others by sharing his story and practical advice on how to create a positive mindset, lead with positivity, and achieve better outcomes for individuals and organizations. After a life-threatening ski accident, doctors weren’t sure Steve H. Lawton would survive. But because of his attitude, a helmet, a message from God, and a rubber chicken named Henrietta, Lawton not only survived but recovered nearly completely and lives to share his tale and the wonders of positivity. College Admissions in China and USA (1:05:20) Yan Chen is a professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. Yan Chen and a visiting professor of Economics at Tsinghua University. Her research interests include mechanism design, behavioral and experimental economics, and information economics. Fall marks the beginning of the college application season. Many students get into the college of their choice… and many do not. The reality is that students both in China and in America don’t get into the Universities of their choice because of a broken system. All of these students have the same question: Is there a better way to do this? Yan Chen shows that there may way to fix the admissions system. Liana Tan - Reconnect with Family (1:28:11) Our producer, Liana Tan traveled to many different places over the summer. One of those places she visited was Vermont to spend time with her Grandmother and extended family. She shares some of her adventures and some lessons she learned on how to reconnect with family and embrace a different way of life. Good Leaders Are Good Learners (1:53:21) Susan Ashford holds the Michael and Susan Jandernoa Professorship in the Management and Organization at the Steven M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include lea 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:16:02 - Head First: A crash course in positivity 01:65:20 - College Admissions in China and USA 01:88:11 - Liana Tan - Reconnect with Family 01:113:21 - Good Leaders Are Good Learners

Violence and Kids, Myths of Leadership, Screen Cleaning Oct 06, 2017

Show notes

Effect of Witnessing Violence on Children (20:55) Daniel J Flannery, Ph.D., is the Director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at Case Western Reserve University. How do you raise a child in a world with so much violence? We hear of terror attacks and school shootings and other violent acts nearly weekly. What’s the best way to approach your children and how is this violence affecting them? Dr. Flannery with some ideas The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership (1:09:06) Ron Edmondson is a pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church, a church leader, and the planter of two churches. He is passionate about planting churches but also helping established churches thrive. His specialty is organizational leadership, so in addition to his role as a pastor, he consults with church and ministry leaders. Many people think that leaders must be both outgoing and popular to be successful. But in reality, most leaders aren’t extroverts or popular. Pastor Ron Edmondson is the author of the book “The Mythical Leader.” He shares with us about these myths and how you can be a better leader. Screen Cleaning (1:38:05) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family-friendly options. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:55 - Effect of Witnessing Violence on Children 01:69:06 - The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership 01:98:05 - Screen Cleaning

Problem of Aging Politicians, Growing a Startup, Stop Tantrums Oct 05, 2017

Show notes

Very Old Politicians (17:33) Harold Pollack, Ph.D., is the Helen Ross Professor at the School of Social Service Administration. He is also an Affiliate Professor in the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division and the Department of Public Health Sciences. He is Co-Director of The University of Chicago Crime Lab and a committee member of the Center for Health Administration Studies (CHAS) at the University of Chicago. Harold Pollack believes that we have a political problem that no one wants to talk about: very old politicians. Currently, we have 12 Senators who are at least 70, 5 Justices who are 67 or older, and the oldest President in our country’s history. Some say that age is just a number, but is it possible that age is becoming a hurdle and causing less work to get done? Harold Pollack explains why this is an issue that needs to be addressed. From Startup to Millions (1:09:56) Kory Stevens is CEO and founder of TAFT shoe company. Stevens and his wife Mallory launched a Kickstarter Campaign in 2014 for no-show socks, which ended up raising over $46,000 in a month-long campaign. This transitioned to designing and selling shoes. TAFT has 30,000 customers and earns $5 million in annual revenue, and it all started from Stevens’ living room. How did they do it? Kory Stevens shares his story and how you can do the same. How to Stop Tantrums (1:56:57) Stuart Shanker, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University in Toronto and CEO of The MEHRIT Centre . He has just published Self-Reg: How To Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life. When kids misbehave it can be embarrassing and exhausting and sometimes the easiest solution is to send them to timeout so we don't have to deal with them for a few minutes. But what if your kids' misbehavior is actually stress behavior? Dr. Shanker explains. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:17:33 - Very Old Politicians 01:69:56 - From Startup to Millions 01:116:57 - How to Stop Tantrums

Purpose of Memory, Body Language, Cohabitating Myths Oct 04, 2017

Show notes

Purpose of Memory (19:18) Blake Richards, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Neurophysiology at the University of Toronto, and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Richards' research sits at the interface of neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. It's normal to forget things from time to time. It may be annoying but it is something most people experience. Researchers in Canada set out to answer the question “Are people just forgetful or is the human brain being efficient and just erasing useless memories? Professor Blake Richards explains more about his study. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are (1:05:07) 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. Makena Bauss - Wooden Cars (1:32:43) The car industry is trying to find ways to build cleaner more efficient cars. Many are planning on moving to building more electric cars but what if they changed the material they built the car with? Producer Makena Bauss shares how some cars, in the future, may be made out of wood. Cohabitating Myths (1:56:52) 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 is the co-author of the book "The Marriage Paradox" Dr. Willoughby discusses the downside of cohabitating. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:18 - Purpose of Memory 01:65:07 - Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are 01:92:43 - Makena Bauss - Wooden Cars 01:116:52 - Cohabitating Myths

College Admission in China, Leaders Who Learn, Home Births Oct 03, 2017

Show notes

College Admissions in China and USA (17:38) Yan Chen is a professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. Yan Chen and a visiting professor of Economics at Tsinghua University. Her research interests include mechanism design, behavioral and experimental economics, and information economics. Fall marks the beginning of the college application season. Many students get into the college of their choice… and many do not. The reality is that students both in China and in America don’t get into the Universities of their choice because of a broken system. All of these students have the same question: Is there a better way to do this? Yan Chen shows that there may way to fix the admissions system. Liana Tan - Reconnect with Family (40:30) Our producer, Liana Tan traveled to many different places over the summer. One of those places she visited was Vermont to spend time with her Grandmother and extended family. She shares some of her adventures and some lessons she learned on how to reconnect with family and embrace a different way of life. Good Leaders Are Good Learners (1:05:39) Susan Ashford holds the Michael and Susan Jandernoa Professorship in the Management and Organization at the Steven M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include leader effectiveness and development. There are many types of leaders such as captains of sports teams and parents of families—although not all are effective leaders. Business organizations especially need good leaders and spend more than $24 billion on leadership development every year. Despite this large amount of spending, many leaders who participate in these programs don’t gain the experience they need to make them the best possible leaders. Susan Ashford shares about how to overcome this deficit and become a better leader. Home Births (1:51:50) 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 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:17:38 - College Admissions in China and USA 00:40:30 - Liana Tan - Reconnect with Family 01:65:39 - Good Leaders Are Good Learners 01:111:50 - Home Births

Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Head First Positivity Oct 02, 2017

Show notes

Las Vegas and Puerto Rico (17:07) 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 Las Vegas shooting, Puerto Rico recovery, and the Supreme Court. Head First: A crash course in positivity (1:01:58) Steve H. Lawton is the author of “Head First! A Crash Course in Positivity,” a story about how his attitude literally saved his life from a near-fatal skiing accident. Steve enjoys helping others by sharing his story and practical advice on how to create a positive mindset, lead with positivity, and achieve better outcomes for individuals and organizations. After a life-threatening ski accident, doctors weren’t sure Steve H. Lawton would survive. But because of his attitude, a helmet, a message from God, and a rubber chicken named Henrietta, Lawton not only survived but recovered nearly completely and lives to share his tale and the wonders of positivity. Makena Bauss - Improve Focus (1:26:30) Sometimes it can be tough to concentrate on a task. Finding a way to improve your focus would help and science my have some ideas. Producer Maken Bauss shares some counter-intuitive ideas to improve your focus Reason Most Americans are Broke (1:52:41) Holly Johnson is a financial expert and award-winning personal credit writer. The Federal Reserve says the average American family with credit card debt carries more than $15,000 in balances on their cards alone? It is so easy to swipe the card and live in luxury these days. But luxury comes with a price- and that price is a lot more than what they charge you at the store. Holly Johnson shares her article, “The Upside-down Reason Most Americans Are Broke,” and help us realize some of the spending and saving mistakes we could be making. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:17:07 - Las Vegas and Puerto Rico 01:61:58 - Head First: A crash course in positivity 01:86:30 - Makena Bauss - Improve Focus 01:112:41 - Reason Most Americans are Broke

Internet and Terrorists, Gastrophysics, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Sep 30, 2017

Show notes

Can the world ever really keep terrorists off the internet? (20:00) Shontavia Johnson, Ph.D., is a Professor of Law at Drake University Law School. Her academic specialties include Intellectual Property, Entrepreneurship, Property, and Entertainment Law. The internet can be a dangerous place, especially on social media. There are child predators, serial killers, and even more recent: terrorist. Is it possible to keep all terrorist off the internet? Shontavia Johnson explains the challenges companies face. Gastrophysics (1:05:39) Charles Spence, Ph.D., is a professor at the Oxford Department of Experimental Psychology and the author of Gastrophysics: The Science of Eating. There are four senses most people think of when eating a meal: taste, touch, sight, and smell. But there is a 5th sense that can make or break a meal eating experience, sound. Professor Charles Spence explains the emerging field of Gastrophysics. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (1:52:17) Julie Rehmeyer is an award-winning freelance math and science journalist and contributing editor at Discover magazine. Imagine for a second that you had an illness that no one understood or even believed in. Think how people would treat you and how frustrating something like that could be. You could be called attention seeking or lazy while your self-esteem and personal morale take hit after hit. That kind of loneliness could be crippling to a person. So how could you survive something like that? In her new book Through the Shadow Lands, science journalist Julie Rehmeyer walks us through her similar experience and how she was able to still find purpose and joy while on the healing path. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:00 - Can the world ever really keep terrorists off the internet? 01:65:39 - Gastrophysics 01:112:17 - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Online Privacy, Art of Manliness, Screen Cleaning Sep 29, 2017

Show notes

Why it's likely impossible to restore online privacy (19:40) Randy Dryer is the Presidential Honors Professor in the Honors College at the University of Utah and a Professor of Law (Lecturer) at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. There was a spark in the media recently about a free genealogy site that lets users search for someone by name then the site provides the year the individual was born, possible relatives and associates, and the person's addresses, past and present. This raised a lot of concern for people regarding online privacy. Randy Dryer explains. The Art of Manliness (1:05:41) Brett McKay, who is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Art of Manliness and author of The Illustrated Art of Manliness: The Essential How-To Guide. Brett writes brilliantly illustrated articles to help men be the best fathers, brothers, sons, and men they can be. Manhood has been defined as the ability to work successfully and competently navigate the murky waters of life. In many cultures, the most attractive attributes women find attractive are competence and effectiveness. These characteristics of manliness are very broad so we have to ask ourselves, what exactly makes a man? According to Brett McKay “to be a man means to be skilled in the range of tasks that are critical to survive and thrive in society”. Brett McKay shares what motivated him to start The Art of Manliness and some ideas on modern manhood. Makena Bauss - Self-Control (1:28:10) How does exercise influence self-control? Producer Makena Bauss shares new research. Screen Cleaning (1:36:15) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family-friendly options. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:19:40 - Why it's likely impossible to restore online privacy 01:65:41 - The Art of Manliness 01:88:10 - Makena Bauss - Self-Control 01:96:15 - Screen Cleaning

Help Kids Become Voters, Fully Charged, Performance Foods Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

How to help kids become better voters (16:46) John Holbein Ph.D. is an assistant professor of political science at Brigham Young University. He studies political participation, political inequality, democratic accountability, political representation, and education policy. The United States trails far behind many democracies in voter turnout. In 2016, the U.S. saw 55.7% voter turnout while France, to give just one example, saw 67.9% voter turnout rate for its presidential election in May. But new evidence suggests a surprisingly effective way to address the problem: When children develop certain social skills, they’re more likely to vote when they’re older. John Holbein explains his research into helping kids become better voters. Liana Tan - Greece Trip (38:38) The global refugee crisis has really spiked in the last couple of years and it’s still a hot topic, especially with some of Trump’s administrative decisions. But did you know that UNHCR says there are 22.5 million refugees worldwide? So, where are all these people staying if they’re not in their own homes anymore? Well, as a continuation of her Summer Throwback Series, one of our producers, Liana Tan, is going to tell us about her first-hand experience living in a refugee camp. How to Energizing Your Work and Life (1:06:09) Tom Rath is a researcher, author, and filmmaker who studies the role of human behavior in business, health, and well-being. Tom’s most recent work includes the bestselling book "Are You Fully Charged?" and the documentary "Fully Charged." Tom explains steps that can be taken to energize your life. Foods for Top Sports Performance (1:50:05) 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 childr 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:16:46 - How to help kids become better voters 01:66:09 - How to Energizing Your Work and Life 01:110:05 - Foods for Top Sports Performance

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