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:

SCOTUS and Senate, Being a Stepdad, Men and Grief Jun 26, 2017

Show notes

SCOTUS and Senate (16:19) 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 last week of the Supreme Court session and the Senate Health bill. Joshua Gold - Being a Stepdad (1:05:38) Joshua M. Gold, Ph.D., a Professor of Counselor Education in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Gold's research interests include spirituality in counseling, family counseling especially with stepfamilies, and common factors research. He is the author of Stepping In, Stepping Out: Creating Stepfamily Rhythm. Today, over 50 percent of families include partners who have remarried or recoupled, and 1,300 stepfamilies are being formed every day. The most common composition of stepfamilies – about 85 percent – consists of a mother, her biological children, and a stepfather. The process of integrating the stepfather into the family can be difficult. Dr. Gold talks about some of the misconceptions that some stepfathers have as they join an existing family group. Rick Belden - Men and Grief (1:52:31) 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 exploring the use of creative expression, dreamwork, personal mythology, and listening to the body as tools for self-healing since 1989. His book, Iron Man Family Outing: Poems about Transition into a More Conscious Manhood, is widely used in the United States and internationally 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. Rick joins Dr. Matt Townsend to discuss the important topic of helping men deal with grief.

Cyber Security, Evolved for Happiness, Immigration Court Jun 24, 2017

Show notes

Small Business Cybersecurity (15:28) Scott Shackelford, an associate professor of business law and ethics at Indiana University. When we hear about a business having their computers hacked it is a big company like Target, Chick-Fil-A, or Sony. What you don't hear about are the small companies that suffer a data breach. The damage can be more devastating because the company may not be able to protect themselves from future attacks. Scott Shackelford talks about the three “Bs” of small business cyber security. Are We Evolved for Happiness? (59:26) Glenn Geher is Professor and Chair of Psychology as well as Founding Director of Evolutionary Studies at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Motivation is something that we all need but what exactly drives the motivation? Anxiety, for instance, is a common drive that we experience. It encourages us to get to work on time, go to school, or to meet deadlines. Now from an evolutionary standpoint this is why anxiety actually exists, to keep us safe from some things and motivates us to do others. Glenn Geher has taken this perspective of evolution and applied to happiness. Just as anxiety evolved to help motivate adaptive behaviors, happiness has also evolved to help motivate adaptive behaviors. Is the US immigration court system broken? (1:47:19) Lindsay Harris, an assistant professor of law at the University of the District of Columbia Law School. In the United States, we have a shortage of law clerks, judges, and asylum case officers to assist people seeking asylum and people who don’t want to get sent back to their home country. Even if we hired 300 more asylum officers, it will still take us to the year 2020 for us to get through all of our back log. Is our immigration court system broken? Lindsay M. Harris explains. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:15:28 - Small Business Cybersecurity 00:59:26 - Are We Evolved for Happiness? 01:107:19 - Is the US immigration court system broken?

Summer Healthy Eating, Troubled Sleep, Talking Movies Jun 23, 2017

Show notes

Summer Fitness and Easy Summer Meals (16:26) 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 Mangum shares ways to be more fit and eat healthy this summer. Troubled Sleep (56:19) Do you wake up refreshed every morning? Some people have problems getting a good night sleep. We talk about healthy sleep positions and why sleeping on your stomach is not the best choice. We discuss one man's experience sleeping on the floor and how it helped him to enjoy sleeping again. Talking Movies (1:17:10) Jeff Simpson and Shawn O'Neil discuss favorite movies of the past and new movies in theater

Morning Person, Habitat Made Us Human, Built for Growth Jun 22, 2017

Show notes

Are You a Morning Person (29:45) Mornings can be tough. It comes naturally to some but is a challenge for others. We found an article that gives some ideas on how to make the morning more productive and allow you to claim your "morning personhood." How Habitat Made Us Human (58:58) Dr. John Allen Neuroanthropologist working at the Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center and Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California. According to Dr. Allen, that “feeling of home” is “more than just an expression: it is a part of our evolutionary heritage.” And “homes have helped us become the species we are today.” Dr. Allen joins the show to talk about his book, "Home: How Habitat Made Us Human." John Danner - Built for Growth (1:46:57) John Danner advises Fortune 500 companies as well as startups in the fields of healthcare, energy, finance, enterprise services, technology and consumer products. He also currently teaches entrepreneurship at Princeton University's Keller Center. There are many factors that go into the success of a start-up business, but what factors are completely within your own control? John Danner, co-wrote the book Built for Growth: How Builder Personality Shapes Your Business, Your Team, and Your Ability to Win, shares his ideas on building yourself to find professional success.

Immigration Court System, Happy Kids, Emotional Mayhem Jun 21, 2017

Show notes

US Immigration Court (15:27) Lindsay Harris, an assistant professor of law at the University of the District of Columbia Law School. In the United States we have a shortage of law clerks, judges, and asylum case officers to assist people seeking asylum and people who don’t want to get sent back to their home country. Even if we hired 300 more asylum officers, it will still take us to the year 2020 for us to get through all of our back log. Is our immigration court system broken? Lindsay M. Harris explains. Secrets of Highly Happy Kids (1:07:23) Katie Hurley, LCSW, is a child and adolescent psychotherapist, writer and speaker in Los Angeles, CA. Katie’s work can be found online at PBS Parents, mom.me, Everyday Family, Momtastic, and The Huffingtons Post. She is the author of “They Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World”. Katie Hurley shares her Secrets of Highly Happy Kids. Managing Emotional Mayhem (1:56:33) Dr. Becky Bailey is an award-winning author, renowned teacher and internationally recognized expert in childhood education and developmental psychology. She is the founder of Loving Guidance, Inc., and the developer of the Conscious Discipline program. Dr. Bailey has authored 14 books related to guidance and discipline including her core publication for parents, Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, and joins the show to discuss her newest book, Managing Emotional Mayhem.

Small Business Cybersecurity, Happiness, Cancer Prevention Jun 20, 2017

Show notes

Small Business Cybersecurity (15:59) Scott Shackelford, an associate professor of business law and ethics at Indiana University. When we hear about a business having their computers hacked it is a big company like Target, Chick-Fil-A, or Sony. What you don't hear about are the small companies that suffer a data breach. The damage can be more devastating because the company may not be able to protect themselves from future attacks. Scott Shackelford talks about the three “Bs” of small business cyber security. Are We Evolved for Happiness? (59:27) Glenn Geher is Professor and Chair of Psychology as well as Founding Director of Evolutionary Studies at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Motivation is something that we all need but what exactly drives the motivation? Anxiety, for instance, is a common drive that we experience. It encourages us to get to work on time, go to school, or to meet deadlines. Now from an evolutionary standpoint this is why anxiety actually exists, to keep us safe from some things and motivates us to do others. Glenn Geher has taken this perspective of evolution and applied to happiness. Just as anxiety evolved to help motivate adaptive behaviors, happiness has also evolved to help motivate adaptive behaviors. Cancer Prevention (1:46:06) Dr. Erin Van Blarigan is currently an assistant professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Urology, at the University of California in San Francisco. Currently, treatments for cancer are expensive and difficult for the patient. They include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. But there may be a free and far less painful treatment you can do at home. Dr. Erin Van Blarigan led a study alongside Harvard academics to study what the effects of exercising 30 minutes a day has on cancer patients and shares the findings.

Special Election, Teaching Sportsmanship, Mastering Habits Jun 19, 2017

Show notes

Special Election (15:15) 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 special election in Georgia and what it means for the country. Teaching Sportsmanship (1:02:30) Dr. Jennifer Waldron, associate professor of Physical Education and leisure services at the University of Northern Iowa. the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is trying to correct the practice of game-day taunts, and the students are not thrilled. Are the taunts all in good fun or are they actually detrimental to the players and game experience? Dr. Waldron explains the importance of sportsmanship. Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives (1:50:10) Gretchen Rubin is a graduated from Yale Law School. She began a career in law but is now one of the most thought-provoking and influential writers on habits and happiness. She is the author of many books including Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives. Gretchen Rubin gives us tips on all our unanswered questions about the behind the scenes of forming habits.

Algorithms to Live By, Life Lessons, Consumer Miles Jun 17, 2017

Show notes

Algorithms to Live By (17:40) Brian Christian, a co-author of the book, Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Decisions. Every day we are faced with problems which we need to solve by making decisions. What if all the answers we needed about anything: relationships, job advice, or problems with n-laws were all sitting on your computer? Although this might seem strange, computers do have a lot to teach us about our decision procedures. Brian Christian talks about the computer science of decision making. What Has Life Taught You So Far? (1:04:03) Bob Taibbi is a graduate of Rutgers University and the University of South Carolina and has served as adjunct professor at several universities. He provides training nationally and internationally in the areas of couple therapy, family therapy, brief therapy and clinical supervision. He is currently in private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia. Research shows that older people are happier with themselves and their lives when compared to younger people who may be just starting out in life. The reason is that the older people have experienced the good and bad of life and gained experience and knowledge from those situations. Bob Taibbi helps us learn how to identify those learning lessons. Door to Door: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation (1:50:28) Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of DOOR TO DOOR: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation. He is also the author of, GARBOLOGY: Our Dirty Love Affair With Trash and the collaborative eBook BEYOND THE SNITCH TANK. We all know rush hour traffic can get crazy, and over the years, it seems to have gotten worse. Edward Humes explains how many miles go into getting us our new iPhone and how far a tank of gas in moved before it is used in your car. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:17:40 - Algorithms to Live By 01:64:03 - What Has Life Taught You So Far? 01:110:28 - Door to Door: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation

Making of Our Digital Selves, Diaper Dude, Screen Cleaning Jun 16, 2017

Show notes

We Are Data - Algorithms and The Making of Our Digital Selves (15:11) John Cheney-Lippold is Assistant Professor of American Culture and Digital Studies at the University of Michigan. A digital profile of you is constructed and constantly updated with every click you make online. Algorithms watch every search, every connection, and every click. What does your digital profile look like? John Cheney-Lippold, author of We Are Data – Algorithms and the Making of Our Digital Selves, answers questions about online algorithms and what internet companies know about you. Diaper Dude (1:01:46) Chris Pegula, the founder of Diaper Dude diaper bags and products for dads, helps make a dad's life easier with serious style. Pegula is a lifestyle expert in all things family, parenting, and partner-related with the goal of making a man's transition easier when he becomes a dad. When Chris Pegula first became a dad, the biggest struggle was feeling confident on his own with his newborn son. He relied heavily on his wife and judged himself a failure, unable to feel comfortable trusting his own instincts and fighting preconceived notions of what it meant to be a dad. Now with his new release DIAPER DUDE: The Ultimate Dad’s Guide to Surviving the First Two Years, he hopes to motivate dads to take on a larger role in the family dynamic and help out from the get go without fear of judgment. Screen Cleaning (1:50:00) Jeff Simpson talks about movies and TV helping you find family friendly options. Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews reviews Cars 3. Jeff talks with Scott Alan Metzger on if movies are a good way to learn history.

Consumer Miles, Balanced Leadership, Performance Rituals Jun 15, 2017

Show notes

Door to Door: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation (15:46) Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of DOOR TO DOOR: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation. He is also the author of, GARBOLOGY: Our Dirty Love Affair With Trash and the collaborative eBook BEYOND THE SNITCH TANK. We all know rush hour traffic can get crazy, and over the years, it seems to have gotten worse. Edward Humes explains how many miles go into getting us our new iPhone and how far a tank of gas in moved before it is used in your car. Tighten the Lug Nuts: The Principles of Balanced Leadership (1:04:10) Rocky Romanella is the Founder and CEO of 3SIXTY Management Services, LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in Executive Speaking, Leadership Development, and Consulting Services. Rocky is an experienced leader who led one of the largest rebranding initiatives in franchising history - The UPS Store, revolutionizing the $9 billion retail shipping and business services market. It’s the choices we make that determines the kind of leader we can be. In Tighten the Lug Nuts: The Principles of Balanced Leadership, Rocky Romanella uses his over forty years of experience in supply chain, logistics and transportation, retail, sales, CEO and Director roles, to explore the ways a true leader can add value as a trusted advisor, mentor, and visionary who uses a process approach to lead the organization and its people to new levels of success. Performing a Ritual Improves Performance (1:48:30) Juliana Schroeder, an assistant Professor of Management organization at UC Berkeley Hass School of Business. Imagine these situations: you are about to walk into a big job interview, you are about to make a special presentation in work, or you are about to go on a very important date. Did you feel those pre-game jitters? Some people swear by their pre-performance rituals to get them through important and nerve-racking events. Do they really work? Juliana Schroeder explains.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Matt Townsend Show

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected