Where There's Smoke

What does it mean to explore in a world where everything’s been found? That’s the question posed to Brett by Bassam Tarazi - author, entrepreneur, adventurer, and friend of the show. Bassam participated in The Mongol Rally which is plugged as “the greatest motoring adventure on the planet” - a 10,000 mile intercontinental car rally, from London England to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He shares his experiences with that extreme form of exploration with Brett and, together, they work on trying to understand both what exploration is and why it might be important. Then, Brett shares a dream he had. Get our newsletter and updates by joining our mailing list at www.wheretheressmoke.co. GUEST: Bassam Tarazi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bassamtarazi/ Website: https://www.bassam.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bassamtarazi Pre-order a copy Bassam’s latest book - available on January 9, 2018. * * * #WTSdigs Brett: Halt and Catch Fire Nick: Alex French Guy Cooking If want to support the show and help keep it g

We’ve heard it countless times before: “Beautiful minds inspire others,” “Time to inspire,”, “Get out there and inspire people”, or simply “Be inspiring.” But, despite all of what the people and posters hanging on office walls say about inpiring others, rarely does anyone tell you how to do that. How do you inspire others? Communication is a linchpin in our society. It enables us to form connections, influence decisions, and inspire change. How effectively we communicate comes largely down to our ability to engage and inspire others. Chris Atkinson speaks, writes, and trains on the subject of engagement. His book, How To Engage And Inspire Audiences, has been praised as one of the most complete and actionable guides on communication and engagement. Chris joins Brett in this episode, as we explore confidence, inspiration, and the importance of sharing your story. In addition, Brett & Nick have a question for you and a brand new #WTSdigs. * * * Get our newsletter and updates by joining our mailing list at

We are getting tragically hip this week with a story about a band, a country (Canada), and all the people in it. But, this episode is really about everyone, everywhere. So, regardless of who you are, where you live, and what listen to - there is a message here for you. Just listen and see. Plus a #WTSbumps. And the announcement of WTS contest - with prizes and everything! Get our BRAND NEW newsletter by joining our mailing list at www.wheretheressmoke.co. GUEST: Josh Mitchell Check out the documentary Long Time Running, streaming globally (excluding Canada) on Netflix (starting Nov 12, 2017) and on CraveTV in Canada. * * * #WTSbumps Willful Founder and CEO, Kevin Oulds, shares the Toronto-based company’s mission to make sure every Canadian adult has a will. Willful uses technology to provide simplified end-of-life planning. Willful makes getting your affairs in order affordable, convenient, and easy. Learn more at www.willful.co. If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Suppor

Halloween is coming up and that means Halloween movies and TV specials! To celebrate, Nick explores one of the earliest and most famous Halloween specials - It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. An often overlooked element in that show is the fact that Linus must be sincere in order for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. But, what does it mean to be sincere? Is it the kind of thing that we can create or should we just fake it ‘til we make it? Brett & Nick branch out from the Great Pumpkin to discuss sincerity in a variety of situations - from late night talk shows to a friendly neighbor. Also, we’ve got a brand new addition of #WTSDigs. Get our BRAND NEW newsletter by joining our mailing list at www.wheretheressmoke.co. * * *   #WTSdigs Brett: Jamila Woods - HeavnNick: Mr. Rogers accepts a Lifetime Achievement EmmyTheresa: Videodrome (Atlanta) and Alfred Hitchcock films (Rebecca) Nick's Bonus #WTSDig: The Chris Gethard Show Dumpster Episode ("No Man's Trash")   If want to support the show and help keep it goi

Have you ever heard of The Golden Rule? If you have, you may realize that while it sounds nice, it has a pretty significant flaw in it. In this episode, we expose that flaw and go on an exploration to try and fix it.  We are joined in this journey by author, speaker, and fellow podcaster Gretchen Rubin. Her new book, The Four Tendencies, provides us with a personality framework we can apply to better understand ourselves and others. In addition, we have an Explorer of the Week from Germany and a brand new #WTSdigs. Get our BRAND NEW newsletter by joining our mailing list at www.wheretheressmoke.co. GUEST: Gretchen Rubin Twitter: @GretchenRubin Instagram: @GretchenRubin Facebook: facebook.com/GretchenRubin Website: GretchenRubin.com Check out Gretchen’s latest book, The Four Tendencies: gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/intro, and take The Four Tendencies quiz at: gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/take-the-quiz * * * WTSdigs Brett: Miley Cyrus, Younger NowDylan: The Subtle Art of Not G

It’s easy to see that the world has a lot of problems right now. But as the saying goes, slightly paraphrased, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing’. And we don’t feel that anyone who listens to this show is interested in doing nothing. So, in our first show of Season 4, we decided to tackle that little question: How do we change the world? Or at least make a significant dent in it. This episode takes a journey from a ‘70s rock anthem through to one of 2017’s biggest blockbuster movies. We are joined on this journey by author & innovator Nilofer Merchant. Her new book, The Power of Onlyness, serves as a guide for this episode. “Onlyness” is a term coined by Nilofer that describes an economic phenomena happening right now that asks how we will create value and solve the problems facing our world today. The answer to this question is centers on each one of us and our ability to bring our unique ideas to fruition. All of this PLUS a quick recap of Where There’s

Where There’s Smoke is coming back in September for their Fourth Season! In this episode you will hear all the details - launch date, frequency, etc. But first, Brett and Nick seem to have slightly different views on how exactly to launch this new season. It is not a problem unique to them. Often we can find ourselves struggling in decisions and bouncing between what we want to do and what others want us to do. And then, even when we think we are clear, we are concerned about what others might think of our choice. In those moments, what is the best advice? Does it vary? Do we listen to ourselves, others, or just follow the lead of ‘90s Television Producers? In this Summer (almost) Spectacular episode, we explore those questions, and much more! GUEST Lisa Jakub Twitter: @Lisa_JakubWebsites: www.lisajakub.netCheck out Lisa’s next book, Not Just Me, out this week!   To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.co

This week, Nick asks himself AND the listeners a hypothetical question. If you have an answer or a thought that you'd like to share, visit www.wheretheressmoke.co and leave a Speakpipe message.  To help get you in the mood, Nick presents the first two acts from his first podcast, One Degree of Separation. These segments are now three years old, they sound rough, but we hope the stories still communicate something worth thinking about. To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * *If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with the show on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtspod and Twitter: @exploreWTS.* * * DOWNLOAD & LISTEN directly from iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/wts-itunes. If you dig the show, please take a moment to rate & review it on iTunesFind us on Pocket Casts here: http://pca.st/smoke, and also on Spotify and Google Play. You can al

Succeeding at something isn’t just about having a good idea. That’s part of it, but there’s so much more. This week, we are talking about strategy - and breakfast - but mostly strategy. How do you take the idea you have in your brain and turn it into a successful endeavor in the real world? And when we say “business” we mean any kind of endeavor - a service business of some kind, a product, a restaurant - it could be a podcast! Joining us at the table this week are speaker & consultant Melanie Deziel, and the founder of Truly Social, Tara Hunt. * * * Our Guests Melanie Deziel http://mdeziel.com/ Twitter: @mdeziel   Tara Hunt http://www.trulysocial.ca/ Twitter: @missrogue Truly Social Web Series: https://www.youtube.com/user/sanfranrogue   To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with the show on Fac

Brett provides an update and shares some thoughts. Listen to past episodes of Where There's Smoke at www.wheretheressmoke.co.   

Two holiday vignettes make up this week’s episode:  First, Brett peels back the veneer of the joyful and festive holiday season, to acknowledge that sometimes … Christmas sucks. But, what if that’s actually be a good thing? If you are feeling a bit blue this Christmas, or know someone who is, then this segment is for you. Then, Nick chimes in with a story about silence. Plus a special opening segment, with greetings from Brett & Nick and some holiday themed WTSdigs. To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with the show on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtspod and Twitter: @exploreWTS. * * * WTS Digs!   Brett: Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra, A Very Ping Pong Christmas: Funky Treats from Santa’s Bag https://shawnleeubiq.bandcamp.com/album/a-very-ping-pong-christmas-funky-treats-from-santas-bag Jaz

How much of who we are is influenced by where we are? And what do we do if we feel our environment is draining us, instead of charging us? A year and a half ago, Brett moved from San Francisco to the suburbs of Toronto, and lately he’s wondering - well, actually he’s worried - if his new environment may be having a negative effect on him. So he sets out to explore how each of us are affected by both what is around us, and who is around us. And we learn not only what impact our environment has on our thoughts, feeling, and results; but also what we can do to alter environments that might not support us. Along the way we hear from the author Adam Alter; Neuroscience Professor Sebastian Seung; Zig Zigler; and Jason Silva. And have a one-on-one conversation with the founder of Archangel and the Archangel Summit, Giovanni Marsico. Plus a new edition of WTSdigs. GUEST Giovanni Marsico Twitter: @GiovanniMarsico Websites: www.archangelsummit.com / www.archangelacademy.ca Tickets are now available for the 2017 Ar

Mahatma Gandhi never said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.". But … that doesn’t mean it's not an accurate statement. This week, we explore what we can do to make a difference through service. We hear from author and speaker Jon Gordon; education leader Jim Kielsmeier; former Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams; and minister and activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with the show on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtspod and Twitter: @exploreWTS. * * * DOWNLOAD & LISTEN directly from iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/wts-itunes. If you dig the show, please take a moment to rate & review it on iTunes Find us on Pocket Casts here: http://pca.st/smoke, and also on Spotify and Google Play. You can also go to www.wherethe

We don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but it’s Election Day in the United States of America. And that is causing many people just a bit of anxiety. So today, rather than release a new episode, we thought we could provide you with something calm, short, and packed with a smile or two to help you relax on a day that is often VERY long and stressful. This is a sort of Election Day “meditation”, as only Where There’s Smoke can deliver it. (And it even includes a couple of new WTSdigs!) To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with the show on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtspod and Twitter: @exploreWTS. * * *   WTS Digs! Nick: David Bull - Japanese Woodblock Printmaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5avyDs19U_k Brett: Radiolab, One Vote http://www.radiolab.org/story/one-vote/ * * * DOWNLOAD & LISTE

What does it mean to be certain? Which comes first: judgement or reason? What is the difference between our differences dividing us or empowering us? And what does any of this have to do with riding an elephant? This week Nick & Brett explore the concept of certainty, as it exist in everything from our political climate, to our businesses, to our communities. And through the research of neuroliogist Dr Robert Burton, the insights of professor Jonathan Heidt, the experience of designer Mark Busse, and the unique perspective of writer Dan Harmon, they discover that self awareness, humility, and empathy may hold some of the keys to us gaining control of this wild beast called Certainty. Plus WTSdigs, a bunch of random clips, and a sound effect or three. To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with th

The US Presidential Election is weeks away, and while Brett and Nick initially thought they wouldn’t address it in the show, it eventually became clear there was no way around it. After all, the whole premise of Where There’s Smoke is to take pop culture and current events, and wrap it up into a conversation about self-development. And the current US Election is dominating both pop culture and current events. That said, this still is WTS and not a political podcast, so Brett and Nick are using the current election climate to talk about a series of things from responsibility to lying to democracy to decency. And though the show leaps off of things happening in the political arena, it is really about being a better human being, and we believe the ideas in here that apply to your everyday lives. So hit play, and let’s see if we can find the positive and productive in this perceived mess of an election. And of course, this week’s WTSdigs with Brett & Nick. To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmo

It’s the Season 3 premiere and Brett and Nick are asking: “Is stress really THAT bad?” To help them unpack this question they are joined by health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, Kelly McGonigal. Kelly’s most recent book is The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good At It.   Brett and Nick ask: What if everything you know about stress is but a fraction of the story? What if the science you know about stress is just a story? And what does any of this have to do with rodents and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Find out in this episode. Plus, Nick & Brett are back with a fully cooked segment of WTSdigs! To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co GUEST Kelly McGonigal Twitter: @KellyMcGonigal Website: http://kellymcgonigal.com/ Check out Kelly’s latest book, The Upside of Stress, and her TEDtalk, How to make stress your friend: https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend * * * If want to support the show and help keep it

So much of our life is going from Point A to Point B, and it is about execution, deliverables, and responsibilities. And there is an absolutely a place for that. However for our sanity, and our success, it is also important that we take breaks. And these breaks provide us with much more than just a rest - they are an opportunity to reboot and reset -  and they can dictate the quality of our work and our lives. In our 50th episode (and the final episode of Season Two), we are joined by Karan Bajaj - best-selling author, marketing executive, and striving yogi, who has found a way to take yearlong sabbaticals on a semi-regular basis. We talk with Karan about the importance of extended breaks on our creativity, mindset, and identity. Plus a few “digs” for the road. Make sure to text “SMOKE” to 66866 or visit www.wheretheressmoke.co to join our mailing list and get updated when season three gets started! * * * GUESTKaran Bajaj Twitter: @RealKaranBajaj To order a copy of Karan Bajaj’s new book, The Yoga of Max’s Di

Eventually, we’re all forced to turn around and face the truth. In today’s episode, Nick shares a truth with Brett that he is having a hard time accepting and together - with some very special help - they try to get a handle on it. Where There’s Smoke is approaching the Big 5-0 (this is it’s 49th full episode), and we are talking acceptance. Plus, a brand new WTSdigs! * * * WTS Digs Brett: Whitney - No Woman: https://youtu.be/CGKN6qiDqnk Nick: “Next Time on Lonny”: https://youtu.be/nUnXlhzicx0?list=PL3qi8J5cf3ZgKEUhWzXmwFHurBR4F_a-k * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with the show on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtspod and Twitter: @exploreWTS. * * * DOWNLOAD & LISTEN directly from iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/wts-itunes. If you dig the show, please take a moment to rate & review it on iTunes Find us on Pocket Casts here: http://pca.st/smoke,

Do a Google search for ‘How Do I Find My Life Purpose’ and you will find a slew of articles and videos claiming to help you discover your purpose in 7 minutes … 5 minutes ….3 minutes...and even “less than 5 seconds”. But is there even a such thing or is purpose about something else altogether? Joining us is Drew Daywalt, author of the children’s book blockbuster, The Day The Crayons Quit. Drew’s journey provides us with lessons and insights into how we can strive and stumble through life to feel that sense of fulfillment, and live a purposeful life. Plus, a new edition of WTS digs (with nary a mention of a TV show!). GUEST Drew Daywalt Website: www.crayonspicturebooks.com Twitter and Instagram: @DrewDaywalt * * * If want to support the show and help keep it going, please check out Support WTS.com for our Patreon campaign. Also, help others discover the show by LEAVING AN ITUNES REVIEW! Thx. Connect with the show on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtspod and Twitter: @exploreWTS. * * * Links from WTS DIGS! Brett: