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:

Fixing the Olympics, Why the Growing Belief in UFOs, Movies Aug 05, 2016

Show notes

Fix the Olympics (17:29) Dr. Paul Christesen, Professor in the Department of Classics at Dartmouth College. His areas of expertise include ancient Greek history (with a particular focus on Sparta), sport history (including the ancient Olympics), and the relationship between sport and political systems. The 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games are underway and Rio is facing some difficult challenges with the threat of the Zika virus, civil unrest, political turmoil, & construction cost overruns. Dr. Christensen feels that the games have become too big and has some ideas on how to adjust the games so they can be better managed and enjoyed all over the world. Why are people starting to believe in UFOs again (1:04:42) Dr. Joseph P Laycock is an assistant professor of religious studies at Texas State University. He teaches courses on world religions, religion in America, new religious movements, and the intersection of religion and popular culture. Dr. Laycock discusses why American’s flip flop belief in UFO’s and the presidential candidate who may support further research. Parent Previews - Suicide Squad, Nine Lives (1:49:47) Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews joins the show to review the new movies Suicide Squad and Nine Lives.

Emotional Intelligence and Loss, Myth of the Self-Made Man Aug 04, 2016

Show notes

The Way Emotionally Intelligent People Handle Loss (17:37) Damon Brown is an Inc. columnist and author of several books. His latest book is The Bite-Sized Entrepreneur: 21 Ways to Ignite Your Passion & Pursue Your Side Hustle. All of us will experience loss in some form, and without emotional intelligence, loss would cause of to crumble under our circumstances. Damon Brown explains how emotional intelligence can aid us all in handling loss in our lives. Coaches Corner - Emotional Intelligence (42:27) Dr. Matt Townsend teaches about the importance of controlling emotions in leadership situations. Leaders need to develope trust and if they can't control their emotions people will find it hard to trust that leader. Tackling the Myth of the Self-Made Man (1:02:46) Tom English is an award-winning, innovative field sales Executive. He works within the Gale business unit in England. Tom is also an involved community member he is the Non-Executive Director of Unity Homes & Enterprise in Leeds England. How does someone become successful? Is it through careful preparation? Hard work? The ability to adapt and learn? All though these all play parts sometimes we forget that the self-made man doesn’t actually exist. Tom English on the Myth of the Self-Made Man

Real Food Fake Food, Violence and Mental Health, Habits Aug 03, 2016

Show notes

Real Food/Fake Food (18:38) Larry Olmsted writes the “Great American Bites” column for USA Today. His forbes.com food and travel column was named one of the World’s top 100 Travel sites, and The Society of Professional Journalists named Olmsted one of the “10 Most Extreme U.S. Journalists.” His book is “Real Food, Fake Food" discusses how much of the food we eat is not what we think it is. Effect of Witnessing Violence on Children (1:00:27) Dr. Daniel J Flannery, 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 Liana Tan - College Readiness (1:26:44) We are really fortunate to be able to have the opportunity for higher education and go to college. But college life can be stressful and taxing. We actually have a lot of the university students at BYU working for us while they attend school and one of our producers, Liana Tan, has recently become convinced that college life is killing her. She’s going to tell us some ways college could be expanding your mind but shortening your life. Timeless Habits That Will Change Your Life (1:46:58) Marcel Schwantes is the founder of Leadership From the Core, a leading provider of servant-leadership development, training, and coaching dedicated to growing exceptional leaders and healthy work cultures. He is an executive coach, leadership trainer, entrepreneur, columnist, speaker, thinker, husband, and father. We live in a constantly changing world. The only constant we do have is that we can always expect trial and hardship to come, but it doesn’t have to be the end of us. We have all hit low points in life that might include divorce, unemployment, loss of a loved, or sickness. Marcel Schwantes explains how we can take these hard parts of life an

Brexit and Populism, Keep Top Employees, Alcohol and Cancer Aug 02, 2016

Show notes

Brexit and Populist Policies (18:19) Dr. Jeffrey Kucik, an assistant professor of political science at the City College of New York. Britain voting to exit the European Union at the end of June this year had dramatic international consequences. What’s even more concerning is that those who voted to leave acted according to false information and statists. Dr. Kucik claims that the rise of populist ideas are responsible for political and economic decisions like Brexit. Keep Top Employees From Quitting (1:01:48) Robin Camarote is a communications strategy consultant, meeting facilitator, and writer. She is intent on helping clients get more done with fewer headaches by outlining clear, creative strategies and solutions that build buy-in at all organizational levels. Leadership over the last several decades has been about creating a vision and strategy that others can see and follow. Many organizations have made dramatic improvements in office working conditions but a disconnect still remains. Robin Camarote, a communications strategy consultant talks a little bit more about how businesses can win over their employees loyalty and keep the most talented workers in the workplace. Whitewashing of Hollywood (1:27:17) Anyone can be a real-life hero. You don’t need a cape, super strength, or a sad backstory to help someone in need. But to play a hero on the silver screen, there’s one physical characteristic that just might give aspiring actors an edge: being white. Here to weigh in on this issue is Madeleine Dresden, our Life Lessons segment producer. Alcohol Consumption as a Cause of Cancer (1:48:17) Dr. Ron Hager is an Associate Professor of Exercise Sciences in the College of Life Sciences at Brigham Young University. His area of expertise is Chronic Disease Prevention. Dr. Hager discusses a new study that shows that alcohol consumption may be a cause of cancer

Khan vs Trump, Gossip is a Social Skill, Concussion and Recovery Aug 01, 2016

Show notes

Khan vs Trump (16:35) 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 discuss the conflict between the father of a fallen Muslim American soldier and Donald Trump. Gossip is a Social Skill (1:05:27) Dr. Frank McAndrew, evolutionary social psychologist from Knox College, explain why he thinks gossiping is not a character flaw. You probably can’t forget the sound of whispers and giggles that filled the halls in high school and after thinking it would go away after high school, you were probably disappointed to hear the exact same kind of whisperings and giggles filling the cubicles at work. Gossip seems like almost an innate part of human nature- and no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to escape it- whether it’s whispers amongst coworkers or pictures filling the tabloids. We all know gossip can be damaging- it can burn bridges, hurt feelings, and kill reputations. But, is it possible that gossiping can actually be good for us too? Liana Tan - Is Your Smartphone Making You Fat (1:28:50) Today we have our heart monitors, our agendas, our alarm clocks, and even our babysitters right in our pockets. You rarely see anyone walking around these days without a smartphone on hand. Some say they make us more aware of current events, make us faster typers, and make us better networked. But today, our producer, Liana Tan, is going to tell us how they could also be making us fat. Concussion and Recovery (1:49:36) Stefania Barr is a singer with the band Shrink the Giant, filmmaker, band member, actress, and much more. Stefania suffered a severe brain injury in an accident that went undiagnosed for months. In 2013, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (A

Vice-Presidential Influence, Introvert in the Workplace, Movies Jul 29, 2016

Show notes

Vice Presidential Influence (16:57) Dr. Kyle Kopko, Associate Professor of Political Science at Elizabethtown College and Dr. Chris Devine Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Dayton, are authors of the book The VP Advantage: How Running Mates Influence Home State Voting in Presidential Elections. Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have chosen their vice presidential candidates and now Tim Kaine and Mike Pence have arrived as vice presidential candidates. What effect will the VP's have on the election? Dr. Kopko and Dr. Devine explain. How I Thrived As an Introvert in an Extroverted Work Environment (1:01:32) Ann Davis is the Founder of Boost Your Skills Boost Your Income blog. She is on a mission to help people identify their talents and improve their lives. Are you or a loved one an introvert? An introvert may be someone who prefers solidarity to large groups or personal reflection to controversial conversation. These type of personalities may have troubles with the American workplace culture. Blogger Ann Davis discusses her path to success as an introvert in an extroverted work environment. Liana Tan - Etiquette (1:24:53) Before going out, your mom probably told you to “remember your manners.” We grow up learning a lot of strange rules with no real purpose behind them- like keeping our elbows off the table or shaking hands. Who decided that these odd habits were ‘polite’? Our producer, Liana Tan, on what she found out about the history of American etiquette. Parent Previews - Jason Bourne (1:45:19) Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews joins the show to review the new movie Jason Bourne

Presidential Intelligence Briefings, Millennials, Rethink Narcissism Jul 28, 2016

Show notes

Presidential Intelligence Briefings (19:13) Dr. David Priess is currently the Director of Analytic Advantage, Inc. He is a former intelligence officer during Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations and is the former manager and daily intelligence briefer at the CIA. Have you ever wondered what kind of information you would have access to as the President of the United States? Dr. Priess is the author of The President’s Book of Secrets: The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America’s Presidents from Kennedy to Obama shares an inside look at the information that has been given in the Oval Office.Dr. Priess discusses his book and the kind of information Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will soon be recieving. Working With Millennials (1:02:22) Jamee Tenzer is an Executive Coach, Trainer and Mentor. For the past 15 years she has been privileged to coach and train executives and managers and to work internationally as a coach mentor and trainer. She has successfully worked with Executives and Managers in many industries including; entertainment, non-profit and technology. Jamee Tenzer disscusses how to better work with the younger generation in the work place. Rethinking Narcissism (1:46:19) Dr. Craig Malkin is a clinical psychologist and Lecturer for Harvard Medical School. He is president and director of the Cambridge, Massachusetts–based YM Psychotherapy and Consultation, Inc., which provides psychotherapy and evidence-based couples workshops. Do you know someone who can’t help but look in anything reflective, or who believes they are better than everyone around them and that the world should cater to them? It’s normal to have selfish or egotistical tendencies, but sometimes it goes beyond vanity. Dr. Malkin discusses his newly launched book, “Rethinking Narcissism,” and tell us how we can recognize and cope with narcissistic tendencies within ourselves and others.

Democratic Convention, Outward Mindset, Marriage Meetings Jul 27, 2016

Show notes

Democratic Convention (16:45) 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 talks about the Democratic Convention and teh DNC emial leak. The Outward Mindset (1:02:30) James L. Ferrell is a bestselling author and managing director of The Arbinger Institute, a management consulting firm and scholarly consortium that specializes in peacemaking for various organizations, families, and individuals. Jim earned his Law degree at Yale. Jim Ferrell, author of “The Outward Mindset” , discusses how to make lasting changes in your life. Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love (1:49:11) 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 can get so used to finishing each other’s sentences that they forget to let the other person talk. Small details like simple conversation can get lost in our everyday to-do lists. Marcia Naomi Berger is the author of “Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love.” She explains how couples can conduct a weekly gentle conversation that increases intimacy, romance, teamwork, and smoother resolution of conflicts.

Global Liberal Ideals, Teach Team to Expect Success, Bored Kids Jul 26, 2016

Show notes

Global Rejection of Liberal Ideals (18:32) Dr. Charles Hankla, Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University. Back in June the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. In the United States Donald Trump has found a following embracing conservative ideas and perusing a nationalistic agenda. What do these political events have in common and how far can these political movements go? Dr. Hankla explains the Global Rejection of Liberal Ideals. Coaches Corner - Political Rhetoric (43:11) Dr. Matt Townsend shares some ideas about how to sift through Political Rhetoric and identify ideas that we all agree on. Teach Your Team to Expect Success (1:03:30) Christina Curtis incorporates research and theoretical applications into her work as a Leadership & Executive Coach. Her experience spans Fortune 500 companies, Olympic Athletes, as well as individuals looking to advance their careers and achieve their goals. Christina writes a blog for psychology today, and wrote the article we’re discussing today “teach your team to expect success” published in Harvard Business Review. Expectations play a huge role in success. You may expect success for your business, group or family. But unless they believe it too, you won’t get very far. Christina Curtis explains how to ‘teach your team to expect success’. Why it's good for kids to be bored (1:49:16) 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 talks about Why it's good for kids to be bored.

America's Identity, Strong-Willed Children, Movies Jul 22, 2016

Show notes

America's Identity (15:54) Michael Lind is a co-founder of New America. He is the Policy director of the Economic Growth Program of New America. His most recent book Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States (2012) He is also a columnist for Salon and writes for The New York Times.Political Journalist Michael Lind, who feels that America is currently struggling with an identity crisis. Michael has proposed, in an article published on Politico, ideas that he feels are “solutions” to this identity crisis. Superpowers of a Strong-Willed Child (1:13:32) Renee Jain is an award-winning tech entrepreneur turned speaker and certified life coach. She specializes in cultivating skills of resilience in both adults and children. She has created one-of-a-kind programs, GoStrengths! and GoZen!, to teach life skills via digital animation. The parents of the strong-willed children know that saying "because I said so" won’t always cut it. Renee Jain discusses how to help deal with the challenges of raising a strong willed child Pokemon Go (1:25:59) You will see them in parks and other public areas. Some times in groups staring at their phones and sometimes cheering and talking about Squirtle, Charmander, Jigglypuff, and Vaporeon. Those are creatures called Pokémon and these odd people are playing the wildly popular game Pokémon Go. Student producer Liana Tan explains Pokemon Go. Star Trek and Ghostbusters (1:48:52) Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews joins the show to review the new movies Star Trek and Ghostbusters

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Matt Townsend Show

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected