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:

World Events, Quality Matters, Why Disappointment Hurts Oct 03, 2016

Show notes

Joe Cannon – World Events (16:50) Joe Cannon is our Washington Insider. Joe served as an assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1983-1985. Was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992. He served as the Chairman of the Utah Republican Party from 2002 to 2006. He was named editor of the Deseret Morning News on December 8, 2006. Joe currently is the CEO of Fuel Freedom Foundation. Deb Adair - Quality Matters (1:00:12) Thanks to technological advancements students can now access educational courses online. But the recent closing of ITT Tech has some people worried about the legitimacy of online courses. Dr. Deb Adair has more than 25 years’ experience in higher education, in faculty and administration, as well as non-profit leadership and management consulting. Previously, she served in the U.S. Army as a Soviet Analyst and Cryptologic Linguist (Russian). She currently serves as the Executive Director of Quality Matters and joins us today to discuss online courses. Liana Tan - Roommates (1:28:30) Everyone has likely had a roommate in their life before, and if you don’t now, you probably will in the future. It’s important to create healthy relationships with roommates and learn to communicate. Our producer, Liana Tan, will share with us 5 questions we should ask our roommates to get to know them on a deeper level and avoid any potential relationship disasters. Katherine Hawley - Why Disappointment Hurts (1:50:12) Katherine Hawley is a professor of philosophy at the University of St Andrews, in Fife, Scotland and author of the blog, “Trust: Ethics and Beyond” for psychologytoday.com. She joins us today to discuss her article, “Why Someone’s Disappointment Hurts Us More Than Their Anger.”

ACA Ailments, American Homeschooling, Box Office Sep 30, 2016

Show notes

J.B. Silvers – What is Ailing the Affordable Care Act (17:37) J.B. Silvers is a professor of Health Finance at Case Western Reserve University. He is currently vice chair of the board at Metro Health Medical Center and does research in financial management and health services. Professor Silvers shares what is ailing the ACA, and what can be done to fix it. Kyle Greenwalt – How Home Schooling is Changing America (1:07:25) Kyle Greenwalt is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. He studies the social studies school curriculum by exploring the ways in which history is applicable in the present. His new book is entitled: Home/Schooling: Creating Schools That Work for Kids, Parents and Teachers. Kyle Greenwalt explains how home schooling is changing America. Parent Preview – Box Office (1:52:44) Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews joins the show to review the newest movies to hit the box office.

Congress and Zika, Why Hire Introverts, Activity Overload Sep 29, 2016

Show notes

How Congress is failing on Zika (14:47) Ana Santos Rutschman teaches and researches intellectual property, health law, incentives theory and innovation policy in the life sciences. For the past year she has been working on the intellectual property-related aspects of the development of the Ebola and Zika vaccines, having recently consulted for the World Health Organization on this topic. With the Olympic games over and Brazil out of the news, Zika seems to have disappeared from the headlines as well. However, is it still a problem, and should we be concerned about cases of the virus popping up in America? Ana Rutschman gives us the latest developments with the Zika virus. Why You Should Hire an Introvert Now (1:00:14) Ray Bixler has been SkillSurvey’s President and CEO since December 2006. He has advised human resources leaders at hundreds of organizations on how to improve their quality-of-hire, increase recruiting efficiency and implement new best practices for hiring. Are you a fan of the movies? If so, do you like Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Emma Watson or Audrey Hepburn? In the world of business, do you believe that Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have been quite successful? Agree that Abraham Lincoln was one of our best presidents? All of these influential and memorable people have one thing in common: they are all introverts. So, if introverts can do and become such amazing people why do we talk about them as if they are a germ that doesn’t belong in the office? Ray Bixler explains why you should hire introverts now. Caitlin Thomas - Infomercials (1:25:40) Ever heard of Ginsu Knives? The Shamwow? A chia pet? How about those “As seen on TV” aisles at the grocery store, every actually stopped to check those out? Infomercials has been one of the top selling markets in the nation for years and years, and even though we make fun of them, they are still in business! Caitlin Thomas is here with us this morning to talk more about infomercials and why we love them. Activity Overload and Special

Preventing Lone-Wolf Terrorism, Why Women are Smarter Sep 28, 2016

Show notes

Terrorism and a Sense of Belonging (17:37) Robert F. Barsky is a professor of English and French Literature, and a professor of law at Vanderbilt University. He has recently published two books, Undocumented Immigrants in an Era of Arbitrary Law: The Flight and Plight of People Deemed ‘Illegal and his first novel, Hatched, a fictional story about three friends that illegally stimulate the American economy. Terrorism can in fact be homegrown right here in America. We have the security structures to stop organized terrorist attacks, but are we prepared to stop lone-wolf-terrorist attacks? Dr. Barsky explains. Organizations Rise and Fall (1:03:23) Dr. John Kotter is a New York Times best-selling author, award winning business and management thought leader, business entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, and Harvard Professor. His ideas and books, as well as the company he founded, Kotter International, have helped mobilize people around the world to better lead organizations and their own lives, in an era of increasingly rapid change. Dr. Kotter shares his book “That’s Not How We Do It Here: A Story About How Organizations Rise and Fall- And Can Rise Again”. Liana Tan - Car Tangent (1:31:14) We live in a country where owning a car is almost a necessity, but the process of buying and having a car isn’t always the most glamorous. Our producer, Liana Tan, went through this for the first time this past week when she bought her first car and she’s going to share with us a little about her experience. Why Women are Smarter Than Men (1:51:39) Dr. Travis Bradberry, world-renowned expert in emotional intelligence, award-winning coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests, TalentSmart. It’s been a long debate on recess playgrounds everywhere who is smarter- girls or boys. Well this recent study suggests that maybe we have some data to support an answer to that question. And the answer is girls- when it comes to “Emotional” intelligence, anyw

Debate Recap, Financing Education Goals, Thinking About Eating Sep 27, 2016

Show notes

Debate Recap (17:52) Joe Cannon is our Washington Insider. Joe served as an assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1983-1985. Was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992. He served as the Chairman of the Utah Republican Party from 2002 to 2006. He was named editor of the Deseret Morning News on December 8, 2006. Joe currently is the CEO of Fuel Freedom Foundation. Joe and Dr. Townsend recap the First Presidential Debate How to Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams (1:04:53) John Hupalo is the founder of Invite Education. He is a nationally recognized expert in education loan finance and private credit student loans. His work has secured more than 50 billion dollars of student loans has helped more than 1 million students finance their college education. Whether your child wants to be a doctor, construction manager, engineer, or a teacher they will need a university degree to achieve their goals. But the cost of college has been and continues to rise at an aggressive rate, so how do you help your children pay for college? Mr. Hupalo is the co-author of Plan and Finance your family’s college dreams: a parent’s step-by-step guide from Pre-K to Senior Year When is it Too Early for Christmas (1:33:04) People say Christmas come earlier and earlier every year. Is August too early? How about September? Producer Caitlin Thomas joins Dr. Townsend to answer the question when is it to early for Christmas. Thinking About Eating (1:54:41) Dr. Ron Hager 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.

Against Democracy, Parental Anger, Problems in the Relationship Sep 26, 2016

Show notes

Against Democracy (15:34) Dr. Jason Brennan is the Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Chair of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He is the author of seven books, including, most recently, Against Democracy. As Americans, we defend and fight for the cause of Democracy. In fact, we are well known for helping other countries develop their own forms of a democratic government. This raises some questions. Is democracy the best form of government? Have we found a better way for the government to represent the people? Dr. Brennan explains. Why Parents are Getting Angrier (1:04:01) Mike Fisher is the founder of the British Association of Anger management, where he has worked with over 20,000 people since 1996. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of human potential and personal growth. There are thousands of reasons to get angry. The traffic, that irksome co-worker, your broken appliances, or your child’s disrespect. How do you take a step back and avoid having that negative energy influence you? Mike Fisher discusses how families can better manage anger. Liana Tan - Tongue Twister (1:32:44) One of the hardest things about learning a language can be the pronunciation of words. Even if you have spoken the language your entire life, it’s easy to stumble over your words. So, you might think you have mastered the English language but wait until you give these tongue twisters a try. Our producer, Liana Tan, will show us a few tongue twisters that had her stumped. How to Know if You are the Problem in the Relationship (1:53:40) 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. Author of the Book Choosing Clarity: A Path to Fearlessness. Kim Giles shares her latest article on How to know if you are the problem in the relationship

Economic Fear and Political Inaction, Children and Alcohol Ads Sep 23, 2016

Show notes

American Insecurity: Why our Economic Fears Lead to Political Inaction (16:01) Dr. Adam S. Levine an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University. Most people will say that public speaking, heights, and snakes would stop them dead in their tracks. However, is the American economy one of the scary monsters under our beds? Here today to answer that question is Adam Seth Levine, the author of American Insecurity: Why our economic fears lead to political inaction. The More Alcohol Ads Kids See, the More Alcohol they Consume (1:02:45) Dr. Timothy Naimi is a physician and substance use researcher/epidemiologist at Boston Medical Center (BMC), and an Associate Professor with the Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. His current research interests, for which he receives grant support from the National Institutes of Health and CDC, include binge drinking, youth drinking, and the effects of alcohol control policies. Dr. Naimi explains a rescent on about the effect of alcohol ads on kids. Liana Tan - Lefties (1:28:54) What do Barrack Obama, Richard Simmons, Oprah Winfrey, and Jack-the-Ripper have in common? They were all left handed. Did you know only 12 percent of the world’s population is left handed? You might be left handed yourself, but you might not know some of the other powers that came with your ability. So today we will have our producer, Liana Tan, explain to us this rare phenomenon and some of the most interesting quirks that come with it. Parent Previews - The Magnificent Seven (1:50:53) Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews joins the show to review the new movie The Magnificent Seven.

Political Agenda, When Strangers Meet, Romantic Attraction Sep 22, 2016

Show notes

The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind (17:30) Dr. Jason Weeden is a senior researcher with the Pennsylvania Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology and a lawyer in Washington, DC. He received his Ph. D in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and is the co-author with Robert Kurzban of the book, “The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind.” Jason Weeden explores how self-interest shapes our political opinions – and why we won’t admit it. When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You (1:01:12) Kio Stark is the author of When Strangers Meet, published this month from TED Books. She is also the author of the novel Follow Me Down and the independent learning handbook Don’t Go Back to School. She writes, teaches, and speaks around the world about stranger interactions, independent learning, and how people relate to technology. Caitlin Thomas - Why We Watch Reality TV (1:26:00) Reality TV was once an oddity but has now become mainstream entertainment. From Survivor, to The Bachelor, to Dancing With the Stars reality TV covers diverse topics and attract millions of viewers every week. Producer Caitlin Thomas explains why we watch reality TV. How to Turn Attraction Into a Real Relationship (1:54:10) Dr. Carmen Harra is an internationally acclaimed intuitive psychologist, relationship expert, WABC radio show host, TV personality and best-selling author of seven books, including her latest, “The Karma Queen’s Guide to Relationships.” Carmen Harra says “Don’t look at a budding relationship as a temporary fling, because you will turn it into that. A healthy human bond doesn’t come with an expiration date, but it does come with a predestined reason: it was no coincidence that you met this person.” She joins us today from Miami, Florida to teach us how we can turn mere attraction into a substantial, lasting relationship.

American Polarization, Measuring Generosity, Improving Love Sep 21, 2016

Show notes

Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America Dr. James E Campbell is a UB Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University at Buffalo, Sate University of New York. Healthy debate and good public discourse is healthy for a strong representative government. But when debates go from “this idea vs that idea” to “us vs you” we might be battling a problem of polarization. Dr. Campbell, the author of Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America explains the division in our country. Why money is an impoverished metric of generosity Dr. Richard Gunderman is Chancellor’s professor of Radiology, Pediatrics, Medical Education, Philosophy, Liberal Arts, Philanthropy, and Medical Humanities and Health Studies at Indiana University. Often we hear about people like John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie as some of the most generous Americans of all times. Lists of the most generous philanthropists in the US are regularly produced to show how much these men and women give away. But these lists distort our understanding of generosity. Dr. Gunderman recently released an article about charitiable giving and how time is many times more valuable than money. Help You Fall More Deeply in Love Lesli Doares, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, marriage coach and author of Blueprint for a Lasting Marriage, How to Create Your Happily Ever After With More Intention, Less Work. When you first fall in love it seems natural to leave love notes, make dinner for your partner, and fight to spend every waking moment with them. But after a while we let those little things slip. We become comfortable with spending less time and putting in less effort. But those little things are what helped you and your partner fall in love in the first place- and those little things are what help you continue to fall in love over time. Lesli Doares discuss the article, “8 Tricks to Help You Fall More Deeply In Love.”

Young Turned Off to Politics, Loathing Leadership Training Sep 20, 2016

Show notes

Why Young Americans are Turned Off to Politics Jennifer L. Lawless received her Ph. D in Political Science and is a current Professor of Government and the Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University. Her research focuses on gender, political ambition, campaigns and elections in the United States. She is the co-author of Running from Office: Why Young Americans Are Turned Off to Politics. Jennifer Lawless conducted a study with 4,000 high school and college students to discover their interest in politics. Surprisingly 89% of them said they wouldn’t ever be interested in running for office. Why We Loathe Leadership Training Dr. Sydney Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management and Faculty Director of the Center for Leadership at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Professor Finkelstein has published 20 books and 80 articles, including the #1 bestseller “Why Smart Executives Fail.” His latest book that we talked about back in February is titled “Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Manage the Flow of Talent.” Dr. Finkelstein is here this morning to help talk to us about new ways and rules for motivating others. Postpartum Depression and Psychosis 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 Relationship Skills at Utah Valley University. Julie has written two books about parenting including Keep it Real and Grab a Plunger. Dr. Matt, Julie, and Noreen Lemon talk about Postpartum Depression and Psychosis.

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