Best Throwaways Podcasts (2025)

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180. December Is Not a Throwaway Month: How to Stay on Track During the Holidays 21:06

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23d ago21:06

21:06

The week after Thanksgiving can feel like a blur. You're still full from turkey and pie, your schedule feels off, and suddenly December is staring you in the face with its holiday parties, school concerts, and cookies everywhere you turn. This week, I'm addressing that familiar temptation to throw up your hands and decide to "just deal with it in J…

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842: Silvia Bellezza, part 1.5 and 2: When at first you don't succeed 39:44

5h ago39:44

39:44

Since Silvia teaches as a business school, I'll address a leadership aspect of our interaction. I skimped on a leadership step, so we did an episode 1.5, which is my lingo for redoing episode 1 when the person wasn't able to fulfill his or her commitment. That's my responsibility as leader of the interaction. Silvia and I had a wonderful first conv…

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183. Stop Overcomplicating the Holidays: How to Find Presence and Actual Joy 19:25

1d ago19:25

19:25

Are you hiding in the bathroom right now, taking a break from the holiday chaos? If you are, I get it. This time of year has a way of turning even the most organized person into an overwhelmed, overfunctioning machine. You're trying to keep all the traditions alive, cook the perfect meals, buy thoughtful gifts for everyone, manage everyone's emotio…

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182. Why You Give Up Before You Even Start (and How to Stop) 22:12

9d ago22:12

22:12

Have you ever given up on yourself before you even tried? That quiet moment where you think, "I already know how this is going to go"? Maybe it's about that workout you planned, the healthy lunch you packed, or the boundary you intended to set. The truth is, you're not failing in the moment. You're giving up before you even get there. I call this "…

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Crafting Just Reuse Policy 56:22

14d ago56:22

56:22

How do just transition principles apply to policymaking? Brian Loma of GreenLatinos Colorado and Upstream’s Sydney Harris get real about the policymaking process in a just transition to a reuse economy. They discuss everything from community stakeholder involvement; to capacity, budget, and messaging challenges; to modeling the values of reuse, and…

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181. Feeling Behind This December? How to Break the Holiday Stress Cycle 23:26

16d ago23:26

23:26

What if December overwhelm isn't about your lack of discipline, but about carrying too much? If you're feeling like time is speeding up while the pressure to do more keeps rising, you're not alone. In this episode, I'm addressing the reality of how heavy this season gets when you're taking your already busy life and adding all the holiday hoopla on…

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179. When Your Old Self Shows Up at the Holidays: How to Stay Present 26:13

30d ago26:13

26:13

Do you ever walk into a family gathering feeling confident and capable, only to find yourself 30 minutes later scrubbing dishes to avoid conversation or saying yes to things you don't want to do? In this episode, I'm addressing something that affects every single one of us during the holidays but that we usually don't name - the version of you that…

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178. When Old Thoughts Come Back: You Don't Need to Erase Your Mind 22:10

1M ago22:10

22:10

So you've done all the mindset work: read the books, listened to the podcasts, practiced the tools… only to find yourself slipping back into old patterns. Maybe it's a critical voice that resurfaces during stress, or that familiar spiral of negative thinking that you thought you'd conquered. If this sounds like you, I have good news: you're not fai…

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177. What Fitness Teaches You About Life (and Yourself) 22:44

2M ago22:44

22:44

Have you ever noticed how we willingly sign up for a very specific type of pain, when in general, pain is the very thing we spend our lives trying to avoid? We crawl out of warm beds to lift heavy things. We run until our lungs burn. We push ourselves to the point of exhaustion. And we do it on purpose. This willingness to choose pain on purpose is…

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176. Breaking a Bad Habit: Why Strategy Isn't Enough (and What Actually Works) 30:38

2M ago30:38

30:38

What if that moment your brain starts screaming "This is too hard" when you're trying to change a habit isn't failure? What if it's actually the exact moment where real change happens? Most people walk away at this point, convinced they need a better plan or more willpower, but they're missing the crucial piece that makes habit change actually stic…

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841: Sandra Goldmark, part 1: Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet 41:57

2M ago41:57

41:57

How often does something break that you know could be fixed, but you don't know how and there are no places to fix it? I remember repair stores all over the place, but the field doesn't exist any more. We all know about planned obsolescence and how products are designed to break. Now we feel we have to throw things away and replace them (after avoi…

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840: Dr. Leonardo Trasande, part 1: Sicker, Fatter, Poorer: The Urgent Threat of Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals to Our Health and Future ... and What We Can Do About It 1:10:11

2M ago1:10:11

1:10:11

I found Dr. Trasande quoted in a Washington Post article The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about: Phthalates, chemicals found in plastics, are linked to an array of problems, especially in pregnancy. He said, "Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are one of the biggest global health threats of our time ... And 2 percent of us know about …

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175. Dopamine, Habits, and Real Motivation 23:59

2M ago23:59

23:59

You start a new workout program with all the excitement in the world. The spreadsheet is color-coded, your meal prep containers are lined up perfectly, and you've got that brand new notebook with matching pens ready to track every detail. For those first few weeks, you're unstoppable. Checking boxes, hitting targets, feeling like you've finally cra…

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174. The 3 Biggest Traps Keeping High Achievers Stuck (And How to Break Free) 27:44

2M ago27:44

27:44

Pushing harder isn't working. Despite your best efforts, you're still stuck in the same patterns: starting strong then quitting, living in extremes, or running yourself into the ground. If you've ever waited for the "perfect time" to start something, thrown in the towel after one slip-up, or pushed yourself to exhaustion because "that's just what i…

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Robots and reality 49:27

2M ago49:27

49:27

Are we entering an era when robots will finally liberate people, and particularly women, from the drudgery of housework? There is certainly a buzz around domestic robots right now and every month seems to bring us a new autonomous machine that can fold your clothes or stack your dirty dishes. But while impressive, these robots are still much slower…

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173. How to Actually Believe You Can Change Your Habits 28:12

2M ago28:12

28:12

Most people carry around a mental scorecard of their failed attempts. Every diet that fell apart, every workout routine that fizzled out, every promise to stop snacking that ended with your hand in the chip bag - they all stack up as evidence that maybe you're just not cut out for lasting change. Your brain uses this track record like a crystal bal…

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172. 7 Words That Changed My Life 26:47

3M ago26:47

26:47

When life gets overwhelming, there's a natural human tendency to look around and wait for someone to fix it. But that waiting becomes a trap - a comfortable but suffocating space where you convince yourself that your circumstances will magically improve. And while you wait, the years slip by and nothing changes. Join me this week as I share seven w…

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839: Saabira Chaudhuri: Consumed: Throwaway Plastic Has Corrupted Us 48:34

3M ago48:34

48:34

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171. More Isn't Always Better: How to Feel Like You're Enough 29:49

3M ago29:49

29:49

What if that constant feeling that you're not doing enough is actually the very thing that's breaking you down? Join me this week as I tackle the paradox of sufficiency and why your pursuit of "more" often backfires and leaves you with less. You'll learn how we've been conditioned to believe that our worth equals our output, creating a cycle where …

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838: Zach Rabinor, part 2: What if your business and values clash? 1:01:27

3M ago1:01:27

1:01:27

Zach and I got so into our first conversation that we had to take a second one to get to the Spodek Method. Listen for yourself, but I hear Zach working with three motivations: His surfer, outdoors self wants to conserve, protect, and enjoy nature and enable others to do the same by experiencing it. His CEO self wants to deliver what his customers …

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837: Zach Rabinor, part 1: Getting serious about sustainable travel? 1:03:40

3M ago1:03:40

1:03:40

I met Zach at an event I spoke at sponsored by the Young Presidents Organization, whose members tend to be successful in business. The criteria to join require it. I knew the people would be friendly, but suspected they would pollute and deplete more than most without realizing it. Zach plays a leadership role in the local chapter and was one of th…

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170. Breaking the On-Again, Off-Again Cycle of Healthy Habits 31:24

3M ago31:24

31:24

The roller coaster of healthy habits is exhausting. You're either completely on track with your workouts, meal prep, and sleep schedule, or you're completely off: avoiding the scale, eating whatever's easiest, and telling yourself you'll deal with it later. Most high achievers experience this pendulum swing because our brains are wired to chase imm…

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836 Dr. Robert Fullilove, part 5: Unsustainability is upstream of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, and racism 1:34:47

3M ago1:34:47

1:34:47

Since our fourth recording, Dr. Bob and I spoke at length about what's driving me and keeping me going beyond where nearly anyone else does on sustainability leadership. We cover in this recording most of that conversation, plus we go in other directions. He shares the commonalities of what he sees in me and my work with the people he's known and w…

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Weddings: Romance and ritual 48:31

3M ago48:31

48:31

One of the first recorded examples of a marriage ceremony is dated more than 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia. And it seems that through the ages, weddings have never lost their appeal. The global wedding industry is today worth billions of dollars, and it is one that keeps on growing. While aspects of weddings differ across many cultures, they celebr…

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Incentivizing Reuse Within Recycling Reform 46:06

3M ago46:06

46:06

Earlier this year, Washington became the seventh state in the US to pass an Extended Producer Responsibility Bill for packaging. The bill, SB 5284—The Recycling Reform Act—was supported by Upstream and civic and elected partners around Washington state, and includes something rarely featured in EPR bills: best practices for reuse. In this episode, …

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169. Why You Know Better But Don't Do Better 29:37

3M ago29:37

29:37

You've read the books, tracked the data, and analyzed your patterns. You can explain exactly why you eat when stressed, skip workouts, or stay up scrolling. Yet week after week, nothing changes. That gap between your sharp awareness and your stuck behavior has a name: insight paralysis. Tune in this week to learn why awareness alone keeps you stuck…

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835: At last! I can access my roof to charge solar for the first time in 18 months. 30:21

4M ago30:21

30:21

This week, I charged my solar panel and battery on my roof for the first time for over 18 months. My building had to do maintenance during which no residents could access the roof. They told us the job would take 5 months, but it took over 18. They also didn't say exactly when it would start until one day I got an email that said I couldn't access …

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168. Your 5 Most Common Health & Fitness Struggles 32:34

4M ago32:34

32:34

If you're wondering why you keep falling into the same patterns with your health and fitness goals, you're not alone. After coaching countless physicians, lawyers, executives, and entrepreneurs, the same handful of recurring struggles comes up over and over again. That's why, this week, I'm sharing the top five struggles my clients face when they c…

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167. Over-Scientizing Your Health & Fitness: Why More Data Doesn't Mean Better Results 25:05

4M ago25:05

25:05

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that if you just had the right fitness tracker, the perfect app, or the latest gadget, your health and fitness goals would finally click into place? I get it. Data feels safe. Numbers feel concrete. When everything about your body, health, fitness, and weight loss feels unpredictable, numbers might feel like a…

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166. When Healthy Eating Backfires 27:16

4M ago27:16

27:16

Have you ever found yourself obsessing over every single bite of food you eat? When you've imposed rigid rules around healthy eating, the very thing meant to make you feel better ends up making you miserable. The constant mental checklist and fear of messing up takes up way too much brain space, and that's why this week, I'm exploring why perfectio…

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834: Do Americans Know How to Prepare Food From Scratch? 14:10

4M ago14:10

14:10

Late summer means produce at peak ripeness, especially peaches and heirloom tomatoes. Regular readers of my blog and subscribers to my newsletter have read of how my volunteering to bring overstock food from stores to places that give it to anyone for free has led to my getting for free amounts I can barely keep up eating that people turn down. Thi…

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165. When Looking Good Feels Bad 30:57

4M ago30:57

30:57

That old photo where you looked amazing might be lying to you. You know the one - where your arms looked defined, your waist looked tiny, and you got compliments everywhere you went. The photo that makes you think, "I want that body back," while forgetting that you were actually exhausted, hungry, and missing out on life just to maintain it. This d…

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The unfolding history of the magazine 48:36

4M ago48:36

48:36

When magazines first emerged, they were the preserve of an elite who could afford to pay for them. But as time went on, the cost of paper fell, printing technology became more streamlined, literacy improved and would-be publishers spotted an opportunity to connect with audiences hungry for information and entertainment. Magazines found a place to a…

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833: Aaron Blaise: A Master Disney Director and Animator on Self Expression, Leadership, and Nature 1:06:47

4M ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Aaron and I met after I got to see a screening of his recent short animated film Snow Bear. I knew about Aaron's achievements from participating in some of the biggest animated movies of all time. I expected to talk about art, creativity, and expression, topics I love. We did, after first hitting on leadership, especially empathy. He started by sha…

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164. Crab Cakes & People Pleasing: How One Dinner Changed Everything 21:53

5M ago21:53

21:53

This episode tells the powerful story of a client who transformed not just her body, but her entire approach to life after a single dinner changed her perspective. After years of yo-yo dieting and trying programs like Optavia, she came to coaching wanting something different. Listen in this week to hear exactly what happens when someone decides the…

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832: Robert Fullilove, part 4: Action in the Center of Civil Rights in the 1960s 1:06:21

5M ago1:06:21

1:06:21

Dr. Bob worked in the heart of the US Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. He shares stories of his interactions with Stokely Carmichael (later Kwame Ture), John Lewis, and more. In earlier conversations with him, I shared what brought me to him. I had been telling people who acted as if acting on sustainability was a burden. I pointed out that peop…

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163. The Uncomfortable Truth About Your Priorities 22:48

5M ago22:48

22:48

The disconnect between wanting to exercise, eat better, or sleep more and actually doing it can feel incredibly frustrating. You know these things matter, you genuinely want them in your life, but somehow they keep getting pushed aside. Listen in this week to learn how to recognize the difference between "I don't have time" and "This isn't a priori…

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831: Glenn Hubbard: Dean of Columbia Business School on Adam Smith and Leadership 36:31

5M ago36:31

36:31

I can't help but call Glenn "Dean Hubbard" since I met him as a student at Columbia Business School. That was 2005, making him one of the guests I've known the longest. I invited him to the podcast after seeing a talk he gave on the 300th birthday of Adam Smith. My recent learning more about Smith and other Enlightenment thinkers led me to find rel…