Good People, Cool Things

In January 2020, Adam Kaat quit his corporate job to focus on creative pursuits. To help support his new path, he took a job at a grocery store. Things were going swell until, as you may have heard, the Covid-19 pandemic shut down life just a few weeks later.

Suddenly, Adam was working at virtually the only place on earth that was still open. While everyone else was rocking masks and practicing social distancing, Adam was in the thick of things, watching and interacting with people who were mere moments away from a breaking point.

He started blogging about his experiences, and people quickly responded to his stories, which showcased our humanity in the middle of one of the worst times in history. Adam used that great feedback to write Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic. And we’re chatting all about what that life was like.

If you've seen a movie or show with a puppet, it's very possible Lisa Buckley was involved. The professional puppeteer has worked with The Muppets, Sesame Street, Alf, Men in Black and so much more.

She's taken her puppets beyond the screen to do humanitarian aid work in impoverished countries. Focusing on adverse issues such as trauma, hygiene, and gender equality, Lisa works on the front lines of refugee camps, using customized puppets as teaching tools to better the lives of those who are caught in the crossfires of upheaval, war, and disease. She's also working with the Born Free Foundation in Kenya, creating elephant puppets to raise awareness for animal welfare and conflict.

In this episode, she's sharing some of her favorite puppet characters and how they help teach all kinds of important topics.

Damion Taylor has long been fascinated by the intersection of data and creativity, and he's used a unique skill set to create content for brands and media companies such as Warner Bros., NBC Universal, and Machinima.

Damion also created the Professional Confession podcast after experiencing the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and the Central Park Karen incident. The podcast features those conversations from people that aren't frequently told, from people of color, women, and queer individuals.

Additionally, we're diving into the joys of traveling and being curious about others, and we go down a wacky Disney rabbit hole.

You'll definitely learn lots from this episode, and I hope you tell someone — or maybe everyone — you know to check it out.

Help! I need somebody...to listen to all the good stuff in this episode. Dan Greenberger is the author of The Boys Next Door: A Novel About the Beatles, and he's diving into his writing process for this historical fiction novel, rules around creative liberties, and a Hollywood career that's spanned a quarter-century.

We're also discussing how someone with creative ambitions can find a place in Hollywood, the best writing exercise Dan did while in college, and his top Beatles songs.

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An entrepreneur at heart, Sadie Higgins experiences "hurry sickness," or a need to constantly keep doing the next thing. She founded her first business three months after having her first child. The day before the pandemic forced us into lockdown, she had started the idea that turned into her current business Gleam, which helps relieve the mental burden of giving gifts.

Sadie candidly talks about the pivots she's had to make throughout her businesses, strategies that have and haven't worked, and the best ways to be thoughtful.

She also touches on the elements of life we’ve all experienced during the pandemic—namely, family distractions (including background TV noise, which you may hear as you listen) and how she still manages to get work done. One of her kids even makes an appearance during the episode!