Best Making It With Thomas Cook Podcasts (2025)

1
OH, AND ALSO! A voice note from me to you with lots of love and choas 14:11

Play Pause

28m ago14:11

14:11

CONNECT FURTHER WITH RACHEL: https://rachelawtrey.com/SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.instagram.com/realtalkpodcast https://www.instagram.com/rachel.awtrey/CONTACT: [email protected] video/podcast may contain affiliate links, sponsorships, or products I’ve received for free. I only share things I truly love and think will bring you value. If y…

1
Inside a dark web kill list | Carl Miller 16:25

4m ago16:25

16:25

Who pays for an assassin on the internet? Dark web researcher Carl Miller spent years tracking down the answer to this question. In this chilling talk, he shares how he uncovered real kill orders placed online by seemingly ordinary individuals — and gives an unsettling look at what drives people to the brink. (Note: This talk contains descriptions …

1
Spinouts: How Can Universities Turn Research Into Successful Businesses? 31:04

15m ago31:04

31:04

What happens when university research becomes a business? It’s called a spin-out and it’s built Silicon Valley, with Stanford University at the centre. In the UK, Oxford alone has launched more than 200 in the last 15 years. Whether it’s a new drug, software or material, brilliant university research can create huge rewards – for founders, universi…

1
Don’t Use Rome as a Model of Why Societies Collapse; Use Crime Syndicates and Somalia Instead 49:42

3d ago49:42

49:42

12,000 years ago, human history changed forever when the egalitarian groups of hunter-gathering humans began to settle down and organize themselves into hierarchies. The few dominated the many, seizing control through violence. What emerged were “Goliaths”: large societies built on a collection of hierarchies that are also terrifyingly fragile, col…

1
That’s Just Not True with Erica Gwynn | Episode 346 35:47

4d ago35:47

35:47

Are you carrying the weight of expectations, comparison, or hustle culture—and wondering why it still feels so heavy? You’re not alone. In this episode, I sit down with author Erica Ligenza Gwynn to talk about the lies we’ve believed for far too long and the freedom that comes when we finally replace them with God’s truth. Together, we unpack commo…

1
A Union General Found a Loophole in the Fugitive Slave Act, Causing 1 Million Slaves to Flee North 45:21

5d ago45:21

45:21

After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, enslaved people feared running away to the North, as their return was mandated, and they faced brutal punishment or even death upon return to deter others from escaping. But that changed during the Civil War. Black slaves in Confederate Virginia began hearing rumors that they could receive their …

1
OH, AND ALSO! Welcome to my chaos and fave things! 15:48

4d ago15:48

15:48

RACHEL'S BOOK: https://rstyle.me/+lBidbooIwoU_I9BuL097BQ CONNECT FURTHER WITH RACHEL: https://rachelawtrey.com/SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.instagram.com/realtalkwithrachelawtrey https://www.instagram.com/rachel.awtrey/CONTACT: [email protected] video/podcast may contain affiliate links, sponsorships, or products I’ve received for free. I o…

1
Interview: The plant-based coating that is eliminating food spoilage | Jenny Du 20:51

4d ago20:51

20:51

If food waste were a country, it’d be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions after China and the US, says Apeel Senior VP of Operations Jenny Du. Following her talk at TED2025, Du sits down for a conversation with host Sherrell Dorsey on how her lab is creating plant-based coating that can help reduce food spoilage. From combating fo…

1
Cooking, Houses, and Rocky Horror: Jacksonville's Entertainment Triple Threat 21:40

7d ago21:40

21:40

Jacksonville's entertainment calendar is exploding with star power this fall as celebrities, musicians, and unique live experiences arrive in Northeast Florida. From legendary performers to reality TV favorites, the city is becoming a magnet for top-tier talent. The culinary world meets live entertainment when MasterChef All-Stars Live comes to the…

1
Direct to Consumer: A Better Way to Sell? 33:27

7d ago33:27

33:27

It's easier than ever to create a website for your business and talk directly with customers, but what are the pitfalls to avoid? Three business leaders discuss the pros and cons of selling 'D2C' with Evan Davis. Sellers no longer need to convince bigger retailers to carry their products or invest in inventory just to fill the shelves. Selling dire…

1
The Civil War’s Brutal Finale: A War of Attrition as Terrible as WW2-Pacific and the Napoleonic Wars 47:55

10d ago47:55

47:55

In 1864, the American Civil War reached a critical juncture with Ulysses S. Grant’s Overland Campaign, including the brutal battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania, which claimed over 60,000 casualties, surpassing Gettysburg as the Americas’ deadliest clash. Abraham Lincoln faced a contentious re-election against George B. McClellan, while Confe…

1
“I just wish I had…” with Kate Strickler | Episode 345 39:24

6d ago39:24

39:24

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I just wish I had a bigger kitchen, more time, better friendships, or fill-in-the-blank…” this conversation is for you. Rachel sits down with Kate Strickler, the voice behind the wildly popular blog and Instagram account Naptime Kitchen and now the author of I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen: And Other Lie…

1
Camp David Looks Like a 1970s Lakeside Retreat. Why is it the Site of the World’s Biggest Political Summits? 41:42

12d ago41:42

41:42

Camp David, nestled in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains, spans about 125 acres, making it significantly smaller than other presidential getaways like Lyndon B. Johnson’s sprawling 2,700-acre Texas ranch or the vast 1,000-acre Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. Compared to grand diplomatic venues like the White House or international summit …

1
How to build in space for life on Earth | Ariel Ekblaw 13:01

11d ago13:01

13:01

Is space the “final frontier” — or the perfect place to revolutionize life on Earth? Space architect Ariel Ekblaw reveals how self-assembling structures could build orbiting real estate in space dedicated to solving humanity’s greatest dilemmas on Earth, leading to scientific and medical breakthroughs only possible in zero gravity. Interested in le…

1
Decisions That Made Me: Greg Jackson (Octopus Energy) 15:58

12d ago15:58

15:58

Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Greg Jackson left school at 16 to write computer games, later joining Greenpeace before returning to study economics at Cambridge. Growing up in a family so stretched that the energy supply was cut off, he channelled that experience into a drive to make energy fairer and more affordable. By his twenties he was runni…

1
How British Scientists' Self-Experiments on Underwater Rebreathing Created D-Day Submarine Tech (And Nearly Killed Them in the Process) 53:29

17d ago53:29

53:29

In August 1942, over 7,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, in a largely forgotten landing, with only a small fraction surviving unscathed. The raid failed due to poor planning and lack of underwater reconnaissance, which left the Allies unaware of strong German coastal defenses and underwater obstacles. Inadequate submersible…

1
What People Don’t Know About DCC Reece: Faith, story and when she got in trouble?! 51:20

18d ago51:20

51:20

What happens when America’s Sweetheart takes off the uniform, sits down for a pod and gets real? In this episode, I sit down with Reece Allman, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, and we cover it all: faith, marriage, public criticism, and the kind of joy you have to fight for when the spotlight is bright.We laugh, we go deep, and yes…I ask the questions n…

1
Over 200,000 Allied Troops Tried and Failed to Crush the Soviet Revolution After World War One 41:20

19d ago41:20

41:20

The Allied Intervention into the Russian Civil War remains one of the most ambitious yet least talked about military ventures of the 20th century. Coinciding with the end of the first World War, some 180,000 troops from several countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Greece, Poland, and Romania, among others…

1
All Shook Up with Rosemarie O'Brien 1:36:12

18d ago1:36:12

1:36:12

For over two decades, Rosemarie O'Brien was the driving force behind the Collingwood Elvis Festival — the largest Elvis tribute festival in the world. In this heartfelt episode, Rosemarie sits down to reflect on the passion, people, and purpose behind her 23-year journey. From turning a small-town celebration into an internationally recognized even…

1
The AI revolution is underhyped | Eric Schmidt 29:51

18d ago29:51

29:51

The arrival of non-human intelligence is a very big deal, says former Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt. In a wide-ranging interview with technologist Bilawal Sidhu, Schmidt makes the case that AI is wildly underhyped, as near-constant breakthroughs give rise to systems capable of doing even the most complex tasks on their own. He explores the s…

1
Decisions That Made Me: Charlie Bowes-Lyon (Wild) 13:08

19d ago13:08

13:08

In 2019, Charlie Bowes-Lyon co-founded Wild with childhood friend Freddy Ward, frustrated by the lack of sustainable options in personal care. Their first product — a refillable deodorant in compostable packaging — struck a chord with consumers looking to cut down on plastic. From a standing start, Wild became one of the UK’s fastest-growing consum…

1
How the U.S. Occupation of Japan After WW2 Forged the Most Durable Peace of the 20th Century 1:00:19

24d ago1:00:19

1:00:19

During World War II, the U.S. and Japan were locked in bitter hatred, fueled by propaganda portraying each other as ruthless enemies, exemplified by dehumanizing "Tokyo Woe" posters in the U.S. and Japanese depictions of Americans as barbaric invaders. After the war, the feelings seemed to turn 180 degrees overnight. By the early 1950s, American se…

1
Car Ride Confessions: Joys + Oh Boys of A Girl’s Weekend 36:09

25d ago36:09

36:09

This one feels like you’re in the backseat with us. On the drive home from LO Conference with Sadie Robertson Huff, my girlfriends and I hit record and just started talking—about the joys and the oh boys, the wild and wonderful moments from the week, and life in this season.Think of it as unfiltered car chatter with your besties: the kind where you…

1
Homer Couldn't Have Written the Iliad, But He Probably Dictated it Word for Word 52:53

26d ago52:53

52:53

The Iliad is the world’s greatest epic poem—heroic battle and divine fate set against the Trojan War. Its beauty and profound bleakness are intensely moving, but great questions remain: Where, how, and when was it composed and why does it endure? To explore these questions is today’s guest, Robin Lane Fox, a scholar and teacher of Homer for over 40…

1
The future of finding love with Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd | ReThinking with Adam Grant 36:29

25d ago36:29

36:29

What will dating look like in the age of AI? Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble, the popular dating app that has helped millions of people meet their match. In this episode, Whitney chats with Adam about her vision for the future of dating online and offline, her decision to take a break from leading Bumble, and the importance of p…

1
Decisions That Made Me: Mark Dixon (IWG) 13:26

26d ago13:26

13:26

Mark Dixon left school at 16 and began selling hot dogs before building a bread roll business. In 1989 he founded Regus, spotting the need for flexible offices after watching people hold meetings in coffee shops. From a single site in Brussels, he grew the business into IWG — now the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace, with thousands of…

1
Depression-Era Planners Thought They’d End Poverty with Public Housing. Instead, They Created the Projects 41:02

1M ago41:02

41:02

In the 1930s, New Deal-era technocrats devised a solution to homelessness and poverty itself. They believed that providing free or low-cost urban housing projects could completely eliminate housing scarcity. Planners envisioned urban communities that would propel their residents into the middle class, creating a flywheel of abundance where poverty …

1
For The Ones That “Just Need A Break” with Dr. Alison Cook | Episode 342 38:41

1M ago38:41

38:41

Today is for the ones that think "I just need a break" are getting tired, overwhelmed, worn out and need a reset. I HEAR YOU! Dr. Alison is helping us name what's hard, tame our guilt and transform us into brave action!! So many good "aha" moments, practical next steps and more today! CONNECT FURTHER WITH RACHEL: https://rachelawtrey.com/ ORDER RAC…

1
The Art of Immersive Entertainment: Boot, Scoot and Bourbon 17:45

28d ago17:45

17:45

What happens when two world-class entertainers decide to bring Vegas-quality production to Jacksonville? You get Boot, Scoot and Bourbon—a revolutionary immersive country music experience that's about to transform how the city experiences live entertainment. Meet Russ and Ali Francis, the creative force behind this groundbreaking show. Their story …

1
The Alabaman Jacksonians Who Rejected the Confederacy and Marched with Sherman to the Sea 49:01

1M ago49:01

49:01

As the popular narrative goes, the Civil War was won when courageous Yankees triumphed over the South. But an aspect of the war that has remained little-known for 160 years is the Alabamian Union soldiers who played a decisive role in the Civil War, only to be scrubbed from the history books. One such group was the First Alabama Calvary, formed in …

1
A concrete plan for sustainable cement | Ryan Gilliam 10:43

1M ago10:43

10:43

Cement is one of the most-consumed materials on Earth — second only to water — and it accounts for a whopping eight percent of the world's carbon pollution. What if we could turn this climate villain into a hero? Clean tech innovator and serial entrepreneur Ryan Gilliam reveals his company's surprisingly simple process for transforming waste from t…

1
LIVE FROM NASHVILLE with Chandler Ashcraft and Nicole Warren | Episode 341 37:37

1M ago37:37

37:37

Recorded live in Nashville, this episode is pure spur-of-the-moment fun with my friends Chandler Ashcraft (@chanwiththeboys) and Nicole Warren (@nicole_thenomad)! Together, we dive into what it really looks like to hold onto joy in the middle of the hard and we even pull in stories, questions, and joy-filled recommendations from the audience right …

1
Decisions That Made Me: Thomas Beahon (Castore Co-Founder) 19:23

1M ago19:23

19:23

Tom Beahon played youth football for Tranmere Rovers from the age of eight, but when he realised he’d never make the very top, he walked away to chase a new dream: building a sportswear brand with his brother, frustrated by the lack of quality kit on the market. Today, Castore is valued at almost a billion. Tom joins Evan Davis to discuss giving up…

1
Frederick Douglass’s Private Writings on Abraham Lincoln, His Strong Critiques and Stronger Praise 49:05

1M ago49:05

49:05

Frederick Douglass made the strongest arguments for abolition in antebellum America because he made the case that abolition was not a mutation of the Founding Father’s vision of America, but a fulfillment of their promises of liberty for all. He had a lot riding on this personally – Douglas was born into slavery in Maryland around 1818, escaped to …

1
The Industrial Revolution Was Supposed to Lead to Unlimited Free Time But Only Gave Us Smartphones and Endless Dopamine 31:11

1M ago31:11

31:11

Free time, one of life’s most important commodities, often feels unfulfilling. But why? And how did leisure activities transition from strolling in the park for hours to “doomscrolling” on social media for thirty minutes? Despite the promise of modern industrialization, many people experience both a scarcity of free time and a disappointment in it.…

1
A survival guide for musicians in the age of AI | Harvey Mason jr. 15:36

1M ago15:36

15:36

Artificial intelligence can write a song in seconds, but does that mean human songwriters will become obsolete? Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. doesn’t think so. A songwriter himself, he offers a four-step “survival guide” for human creators to endure the age of AI, urging musicians to embrace technology while preserving the emotional essenc…

1
Decisions That Made Me: Anthony Eskinazi (JustPark Founder) 16:01

1M ago16:01

16:01

When he finished university Anthony Eskinazi was destined for a graduate scheme with a top accountancy firm, but he couldn’t resist a business idea he’d had while trying to get to a baseball game during his gap year. The tech entrepreneur tells Evan Davis how he gave up job security, and a promising career path, to try to connect drivers with under…

1
James Cook Mapped the Globe Before Dying At the Hands of Hawaiians Who Once Worshipped Him 56:56

2M ago56:56

56:56

Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan are known for discoveries, but it was Captain James Cook who made global travel truly possible. Cook was an 18th-century British explorer who mapped vast regions of the Pacific, including New Zealand and Australia’s eastern coast, with unprecedented accuracy. He meticulously conducted soundings to measure…

1
Love Your Life—Even in the Chaos 35:49

1M ago35:49

35:49

What if the best part of the dream wasn’t hitting the milestone—but what you do after it happens? In this special Joy Morning Show mash-up episode, Rachel brings together two powerful conversations that explore what it means to dream with God, run with resilience, and keep your heart aligned while your hands are full. Fresh off the release of her n…

1
American Anarchists: The Original Domestic Extremists 39:37

2M ago39:37

39:37

In the early twentieth century, anarchists like Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman championed a radical vision of a world without states, laws, or private property. Militant and sometimes violent, anarchists were heroes to many working-class immigrants. But to many others, anarchism was a terrifyingly foreign ideology. Determined to crush it, gover…

1
Why your phone battery gets worse over time | George Zaidan 9:47

2M ago9:47

9:47

Almost all batteries, even single-use batteries, are theoretically rechargeable. That's because the metals and other chemicals are still there in the battery. So chemically speaking, a dead battery is actually not that different from a fresh one. Then why do batteries die in the first place? And what should you do with them once they're spent? Geor…

1
Decisions That Made Me: Joanna Jensen (Childs Farm Founder) 17:10

2M ago17:10

17:10

When an investor pulled the plug on a £3m cash injection for Joanna Jensen’s fledgling business, it could not have come at a worse time. The Childs Farm founder was just about to launch in two of the UK’s biggest high street stores, and was also going through a divorce and moving out of the family home with her two young daughters. Joanna tells Eva…

1
100 Years Before Ford v. Ferrari, a Horse Breeder Revolutionized Thoroughbred Racing Through a Similar Obsession With Progress 1:14:41

2M ago1:14:41

1:14:41

Horse racing was the most popular sport in early America, drawing massive crowds and fueling a cultural obsession with horses’ speed and pedigree. In the early 1800s, every town in America with a few thousand people had a horse racing track, with major cities drawing crowds of up to 50,000. In the midst of this was Alexander Keene Richards (1827–18…

1
Why Haven't You Joined the Florida Theater Yet? (Carolyn Will Shame You) 24:57

2M ago24:57

24:57

Dive into the heart of Jacksonville's vibrant music scene as we take you behind the velvet rope at the historic Florida Theatre with board member and marketing committee head Carolyn Klucha. What begins as a chance meeting at a Dave Koz concert blossoms into a revealing conversation about one of Jacksonville's most treasured cultural landmarks. Car…

1
Western Rome Fell Due to Germanic Immigration, Mass Inflation, and a Bloated Bureaucracy 39:05

2M ago39:05

39:05

It took little more than a single generation for the centuries-old Roman Empire to fall. In those critical decades, while Christians and pagans, legions and barbarians, generals and politicians squabbled over dwindling scraps of power, two men – former comrades on the battlefield – rose to prominence on opposite sides of the great game of empire. R…

1
Will AI make humans extinct? | Yoshua Bengio 15:42

2M ago15:42

15:42

Yoshua Bengio — the world's most-cited computer scientist and a "godfather" of artificial intelligence — is deadly concerned about the current trajectory of the technology. As AI models race toward full-blown agency, Bengio warns that they've already learned to deceive, cheat, self-preserve and slip out of our control. Drawing on his groundbreaking…

1
Decisions That Made Me: Nick Grey (Gtech, Founder and CEO) 16:58

2M ago16:58

16:58

When Nick Grey started his cordless vacuum business 20 years ago he took a big risk by handing a lot of control to a much bigger rival. The entrepreneur, who’d designed and built prototypes in his garage, tells Evan Davis about that decision and the moment he knew it had really paid off. Production team: Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: Matt Willis S…

1
Why the Atomic Bombing of Japan is as Justified in 2025 as it was in 1945 52:29

2M ago52:29

52:29

It's been 80 years since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the question of whether or not those bombings were justified has never been more contentious. That wasn't the case in the immediate aftermath: 85% of the American public approved the decision to bomb the cities in 1945, but this has dropped to 56% in more recent years, particularl…

1
What to Do When You Feel Overbooked and Overwhelmed with Tara Sun 35:31

2M ago35:31

35:31

What if rest wasn’t a reward—but the way through your overwhelm? In this honest and hope-filled episode, Rachel sits down with speaker and author Tara Sun to talk about what it really looks like to live a present, peaceful, and purpose-driven life without burning out. Together they unpack the reality so many women face: juggling faith, motherhood, …

1
Surviving the Siege of Leningrad with Sawdust Bread and Iron Determination 46:54

2M ago46:54

46:54

The first year of the siege of Leningrad that began in September 1941 marked the opening stage of a 900-day-long struggle for survival that left over a million dead. The capture of the city came tantalizingly close late that year, but Hitler paused to avoid costly urban fighting. Determined to starve Leningrad into submission, what followed was a w…