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.

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Residential Solar, Achieving Goals, Broken but Not Worthless Sep 04, 2017

Show notes

State of Residential Solar Power (9:54) Lee Phillips,Ph.D., a theoretical physicist, and writer who lives in McLean, Virginia. Solar energy has captivated us from we were children. From solar powered toys and glow in the dark stars to solar powered calculators. Although it works on a small scale, how will it look on a bigger scale? Will it be environmentally sustainable and economically sustainable? Lee Phillips explains the current state of solar power. Setting and Achieving Goals (52:02) Kaitlin Woo a ley, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago school of Business. She'll be joining the marketing faculty at Cornell University this summer as an assistant professor. The importance of delaying gratification is universally recognized. Being able to forgo immediate benefits in order to achieve larger goals in the future is viewed as a key skill. For example, consider the classic “marshmallow test” experiment: children’s ability to delay eating one marshmallow so that they can get two marshmallows later is linked to a number of positive life outcomes, including academic success and healthy relationships. Kaitlin Woolley discusses what separates goals we achieve from the ones that we don’t. Broken but Not Worthless (1:33:03) Life is hard. There is no getting around it, but for some reason it makes us feel better when we learn we aren’t the only ones struggling. One prime example of this is our guest Kristina Kuzmic, a free-lance writer and blogger. Kristina has an in-your-face perspective on issues of parenting and life in general. In fact, you may have seen Kristina recently on your Facebook feed, or on any one of a number of internet, radio or TV outlets. She has become a Youtube sensation with her “mom-centric” videos about raising children and juggling all of life’s challenges, with over 300 million views across media outlets and websites worldwide. Kristina shares with us more about her experiences. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:09:54 - State of Residential Solar Power 00:52:02 - Setting and Achieving Goals 01:93:03 - Broken but Not Worthless

School Challenges, Heroes and U.S. Politics, Male Crying Sep 02, 2017

Show notes

School Challenges (18:59) Daphna Oyserman is a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California. Have you ever lacked the motivation to go to the gym, go to work, or clean your house? At some point, everybody experiences a lack of motivation. It’s not only important to have motivation to do simple tasks or chores daily, but also because motivation can be a predictor of educational and professional accomplishment. Daphna Oyserman shares about how challenges affect our motivation. Heroes and American Politics (1:03:47) Bruce Peabody is a professor of Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Madison, New Jersey. Krista Jenkins is a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she is also the director of FDU’s survey research center, PublicMind. Who are your heroes? Depending on who you ask, the answer can be very different. Children might look up to parents or even movie superheroes. If you ask and someone off the streets or a politician, they might answer with a friend or a colleague. Professors Bruce Peabody and Krista Jenkins are co-authors of Where Have All the Heroes Gone? The Changing Nature of American Valor. They talk about American Heroism and how it is viewed in politics and society in general. What If He Cries? (1:53:48) Rick Belden is a respected explorer and chronicler of the psychology and inner lives of men. He has been writing for most of his life and has been using creative expression, dreamwork, personal mythology, and listening to the body as tools for self-healing since 1989. He is the author of Iron Man Family Outing: Poems about Transition into a More Conscious Manhood which is used by therapists, counselors, and men's groups as an aid in the exploration of masculine psychology and men's issues, and as a resource for men who grew up in dysfunctional, abusive, or neglectful family systems. Men often keep the depth and complexity of their inner lives fairly hidden. They do this so well that it is commonly assumed by many tha 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:18:59 - School Challenges 01:63:47 - Heroes and American Politics 01:113:48 - What If He Cries?

Trucking the American Dream, Religious Anger, Screen Cleaning Sep 01, 2017

Show notes

The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream (18:46) 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 pay check 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? (1:05:16) 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,

Fixing Electronics, Self-Love Experiment, Marriage Meetings Aug 31, 2017

Show notes

Why can’t we fix our own electronic devices? (17:10) 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 (1:04:43) 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 (1:55:26) 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

What is the Religious Left, ADHD Myths, Responding to Criticism Aug 30, 2017

Show notes

What is the Religious Left (18:45) Christopher Evans is Professor of the History of Christianity at Boston University. His work specializes in the history of American Protestantism, emphasizing the relationship between Christianity and social reform in U.S. history. He is the author of several books including The Social Gospel in American Religion. Religion has always played a huge role in shaping the America we know today and in shaping and promoting social and political reform. From the founding of our country to the abolitionist movement and the civil rights movement… religious leaders have taken the lead in progressive causes. Christopher Evans explains the "religious left" and its role in political and religious culture. Myth of the ADHD Child (1:08:23) Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the American Institute for Learning and Human Development and an award-winning author and speaker who has been an educator for over forty years. He is also the author of the book “The Myth of the ADHD Child”. School has started and it can bring many problems. One of the biggest concerns for teachers can be the students in their class that struggle with ADHD. Very commonly during the summer breaks, parents take their children off their medication. This can cause problems with attention and productivity when they start taking it again for school. So the question is, are we utilizing ADHD medications as a correction of behavior or as a school performance pill? Psychologist and learning specialist Dr. Thomas Armstrong provides a thought-provoking argument against this hidden agenda of underlying values behind the ADD/ADHD diagnosis”. After addressing the many inconsistencies, faulty logic, and unsupported conclusions of the ADHD paradigm, he proposes a far broader range of practical, positive, and organic strategies that parents and educators should consider to help kids diagnosed with ADHD. Allison Abrams - How to Respond Gracefully to Destructive Criticism (1:53:07) Allison Abrams, LCSW-R, is a license

Heroes and Politics, Male Emotions, Eating Before Exercise Aug 29, 2017

Show notes

Heroes and American politics (16:04) Bruce Peabody, Ph.D., is a professor of Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Madison, New Jersey. Krista Jenkins, Ph.D., is a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she is also the director of FDU’s survey research center, PublicMind. Who are your heroes? Depending on who you ask, the answer can be very different. Children might look up to parents or even movie superheroes. If you ask and someone off the streets or a politician, they might answer with a friend or a colleague. Professors Bruce Peabody and Krista Jenkins are co-authors of Where Have All the Heroes Gone? The Changing Nature of American Valor. They talk about American Heroism and how it is viewed in politics and society in general. What If He Cries? (1:06:04) Rick Belden is a respected explorer and chronicler of the psychology and inner lives of men. He has been writing for most of his life and has been using creative expression, dreamwork, personal mythology, and listening to the body as tools for self-healing since 1989. He is the author of Iron Man Family Outing: Poems about Transition into a More Conscious Manhood which is used by therapists, counselors, and men's groups as an aid in the exploration of masculine psychology and men's issues, and as a resource for men who grew up in dysfunctional, abusive, or neglectful family systems. Men often keep the depth and complexity of their inner lives fairly hidden. They do this so well that it is commonly assumed by many that men are cool and calculated beings with little complexity of emotions, especially in comparison to women. But nothing could be farther from the truth, and many men, no matter how protective they may be of what lies hidden within them, are starving for some sort of safe harbor in their lives. Rick Belden discusses men's emotions and the importance of being able to express those emotions. Eating Before Exercise (1:51:50) Ron Hager, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Exercise Science

Hurricane Harvey, School Challenges, Relationship Skill Aug 28, 2017

Show notes

Hurricane Harvey (19:15) 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 impact of Hurricane Harvey and President Trumps fight with the Republican Party. School Challenges (1:06:00) Daphna Oyserman is a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California. Have you ever lacked the motivation to go to the gym, go to work, or clean your house? At some point, everybody experiences a lack of motivation. It’s not only important to have the motivation to do simple tasks or chores daily, but also because motivation can be a predictor of educational and professional accomplishment. Daphna Oyserman shares about how challenges affect our motivation. Important Relationship Skill (1:52:02) Kim Giles, President, and founder of Clarity Point Life Coaching. Named one of the top 20 advice gurus in the country by Good Morning America in 2010. Writes a regular column on KSL.com every Monday in the Happy Living Section. Kim Giles is the author of the Book Choosing Clarity: A Path to Fearlessness. Kim and Executive Life Coach Nicole Cunningham discuss 12 types of people in the world and the science of Psychological Inclinations. Today Kim and Dr. Matt how to address why relationship skills might be your most important skills.

Gendered Jobs, How to Sleep, Too Busy for Friends Aug 26, 2017

Show notes

How a job acquires a gender (20:20) Laura Doering is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Organization, McGill University. Professor Doering researches the impact of sociological forces on economic development in emerging markets. Her work examines how factors like personal relationships, status characteristics, household constraints, and spatial location shape economic outcomes for entrepreneurs and organizations. Ph.D. in Sociology and Business Administration, University of Chicago. Why is it that some jobs are seen as best suited for women and other jobs are for men? Women are assigned receptionist, nursing, and childcare while men get construction, mechanic, and managerial jobs. Laura Doering explains how Gender bias in the workplace can disadvantage women and men. How to Sleep (1:06:08) Dr. James Hamblin is a writer and senior editor at The Atlantic. He hosts the video series If Our Bodies Could Talk, for which he was a finalist in the Webby awards for Best Web Personality. After medical school at Indiana University, he did three years of residency before joining The Atlantic to develop a health section and write. In a society where we feel like we have a lack of things, one of the top things on most of our list is the coveted nighttime Zzzzzs. Sleep is one of those things that we seemingly can’t get enough of. Here to speak with us today is Dr. James Hamblin, the author of If Our Bodies Could Talk: A Guide to Operating and Maintaining a Human Body. talks about the importance of sleep. Being Too Busy for Friends Won't Help Your Career (1:54:48) Neal Roese, Ph.D., is a globally recognized theorist and expert in the psychology of judgment and decision-making. His research examines basic cognitive processes underlying choice, focusing on how people think about decision options, make predictions about the future, and revise understandings of the past. He is the John L. and Helen Kellogg Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and is jointly appointed as Prof 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:20:20 - How a job acquires a gender 01:66:08 - How to Sleep 01:114:48 - Being Too Busy for Friends Won't Help Your Career

Religious Motivated Giving, Daily Recovery, Screen Cleaning Aug 25, 2017

Show notes

How religion motivates people to give and serve (18:40) David P. King is the Karen Lake Buttrey Director of Lake Institute on Faith & Giving as well as Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies within the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He earned his Ph.D. from Emory University with a specific interest in American religious history and its intersections with the growing field of world Christianity. Today the world is facing one of the greatest humanitarian emergencies in history with mass starvation threatening millions of people in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen, while an unmatched refugee crisis continues in Syria. There is a lot of need for people who are willing to give and serve and religion can be a big motivation for charity. Dr. David King help us understand the role religion plays in motivation to charitable giving and service. Things You Need to Recover From Every Day (1:07:09) Benjamin Hardy was the #1 writer on Medium.com in 2016, he writes about self-improvement, motivation, and entrepreneurship. Currently, he is finishing his dissertation and graduating with his Ph.D., hopefully by late 2017 or early 2018. Being busy and being productive are not the same thing. Most people are trying to do too much. The desire to “keep up” has them doing more, living less, and deceiving themselves into believing they’ve actually made progress. True growth and success are always sustainable. It’s not a short sprint with an inevitable physical, mental, and emotional crash. All goals are means, not ends. Each succeeding stage of your progression should clearly build one-upon-another, leaving you stronger and more able, not weaker and permanently damaged. Benjamin Hardy shares a list of 6 things that we need to properly “recover from” on a daily basis. Screen Cleaning (1:35:57) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family friendly options.

Garbology, Selective Parenting, American Dream Aug 24, 2017

Show notes

Garbology (17:38) Edward Humes is a journalist and author of fourteen books. He received a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the military for the Orange County Register newspaper. Why is it that as Americans our instinct is an unprecedented readiness to throw things away? We throw out 10 million plastic grocery bags, 45 million newspapers, and 500 million straws EVERY single day. At what point will we run out of room for all of this waste? Edward Humes, author of GARBOLOGY: Our Dirty Love Affair With Trash, discusses his research on what is happening and what can be done. Selective Parenting (1:09:25) Catherine Pearlman, Ph.D., The Family Coach to help moms and dads with typical parenting issues. Her mission is to help parents enjoy their parenting and kids more. To that end, she advises on all matters of parenting such as potty and sleep training, discipline, food issues, sibling rivalry, and more. She has been a featured speaker for PTA gatherings, parent meetings, Moms Night Out, the Wall Street Journal Parenting Panel, nonprofit groups, and academic conferences around the country. She also conducts parenting seminars relating to practical parenting, behavior modification, setting expectations, and much more. With all the whining, complaining, begging, and negotiating, parenting can seem more like a chore than a pleasure. Dr. Catherine Pearlman shares her book, Ignore It How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction, and explains how ignoring some bad behavior from your kids can improve overall happiness. American Dream (1:54:35) David Sims is an associate professor in the department of economics at Brigham Young University. He earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004. Recently Utah congressmen have been working on new bills to help reduce dependency on food stamps. These bills would require able-bodied recipients without dependent children to prove they're searching for jobs, something Alabama has already done. Dav

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