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Join KCRA TV morning news anchor Deirdre Fitzpatrick for a podcast that asks her favorite question: how did you do that? Her guests wrote the book, launched the product, won the race, influenced social media or figured out a must-try life hack. Master your mindset while learning how to live bigger and better.
Episodes
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Are you old enough to remember the before times? Before times — as in before the internet.
If you are, then this is the interview for you. If not, then this is the interview for you.
Pamela Paul is the author of "100 Things We've Lost to the Internet."
It's a collection of 100 essays about things we no longer do or no longer need because of the internet. She writes about everything from Rolodexes, to answering machines, to struggling to remember the name of an actor on TV before you could google it.
Pamela recently took on the role as a full-time opinion writer for the New York Times after working as the editor of the Book Review and overseeing the Times' book coverage.
The idea for "100 Things" sprang from an essay she wrote about the lost art of boredom titled "Let Children Get Bored Again."
The result is a fun walk down memory lane for some and a true history lesson for others. Either way, it's a great reminder of how much our lives have changed in a reasonably short period of time.
On this Dying to Ask podcast:
- The viral NY Times article that sparked the idea for this book
- Pamela's takeaways about our connections with the internet
- Why acknowledging your relationship with the internet is a powerful tool to bridging generational differences
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
Getting into college. It's complicated.
Navigating this year's college acceptance season is tricky thanks to some emerging trends.
There are record numbers of applications. But class sizes haven't increased and that means more kids than ever aren't getting into their target schools.
It's made talking about college plans challenging for a lot of families.
Jenn Curtis and Cynthia Muchnik are the authors of "The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness & Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World."
Both have worked as college counselors for years and have been troubled about trends they were seeing in their offices. Kids who couldn't speak for themselves and parents who can't stop talking about their kids' college dreams.
Post-Varsity Blues Scandal, they say the spotlight is heavily on who gets in and who doesn't get into select schools.
The pressure is greater than ever for high school seniors, and sadly, a lot of parents add to the stress.
On this Dying to Ask
- The do's and don'ts of college acceptances
- Why Curtis and Muchnik would like to ban the word "rejection" from college-talk
- Why parents should refrain from celebratory social media posts
- And a lot of adults joke that they'd never get into their alma maters today. Is that actually true?
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Procrastination isn't new. But it's getting worse, especially with kids.
Why?
Because there's a lot of stuff we'd rather be doing than the stuff we should be doing.
And that is basically the definition of procrastination.
The difference these days is that we have so many digital distractions to monopolize our attention.
You think you have a tough time focusing on a task at hand? It's way worse for kids.
Patrick Quinn is a parenting expert at the online homework help site, Brainly. Before that, he worked as a middle school teacher in Brooklyn.
The father of three is also a viral video star and the creator of one of the greatest time wasters of all time, the Cheerio Challenge.
His sense of humor combined with his understanding of how kids' brains work make for a powerful combo in his role at Brainly. And, he has some time (and dad) tested ideas of what's fueling our ever-growing tendency to procrastinate and more importantly, what we can do to get more stuff done.
On this Dying to Ask:
- How Patrick went from making viral dad videos to becoming a parenting expert
- Advice for parents and kids on how to avoid procrastination
- How creative outlets like blogging turn into careers
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Do you Venmo as a side hustle?
If your answer is "yes," there's a decent chance you could be breaking the law if you’re not aware of recent tax changes related to selling goods and services.
Tech expert Jennifer Jolly is on the podcast this week with a heads up for anyone who provides a good or service on a cash app.
For more than 15 years, Jolly has been one of the top tech journalists in the country.
Her website Techish is a landing place for all things consumer tech. It's a go-to place for unbiased and unsponsored product reviews.
Jolly's stories have appeared in The New York Times and USA Today. And, you've likely seen her consumer tech segments on NBC's "Today" show and on KCRA 3.
Recently, she made a huge personal pivot and moved herself and her business out of the heart of Silicon Valley.
Why? Because she could thanks to, wait for it, technology.
Jolly explains how she made the decision to join what's become known as the Great Relocation.
On this Dying to Ask:
- Who is and isn't affected by cash app tax changes
- How to make your phone battery last longer
- The piece of tech you should slip into a moving truck before it pulls away with your stuff
- And how to decide whether a big move across the country should be in your future
Wednesday Mar 16, 2022
Wednesday Mar 16, 2022
Feeling helpless over the situation in Ukraine?
Share a tweet or this podcast link and potentially change a life.
In this bonus episode of the Dying to Ask podcast, learn about a program that is helping ensure Ukrainian refugees' important documents are safe.
Article 26 Backpack is named after Article 26, the Universal Declaration of Human Right to education. But, people forced to flee countries often have to leave without documents like diplomas and other professional certifications.
That can make continuing a college education or pursuing your career path difficult.
Article 26 Backpack allows users to create a safe place in the cloud to store documents free of charge. The program is run by UC Davis professor Keith Watenpaugh and requires just a cellphone and email.
"Americans, we always think our documents will never be lost always be stored and we know that's not the case even for us," said Watenpaugh.
More than 2,000 people, including many Ukrainians, are using Backpack.
But, as the situation in Ukraine becomes direr, the push is on to make sure even more Ukrainian students and professionals get access.
That's where you come in.
Share a tweet from Article 26 Backpack or this podcast and spread the word.
It's an easy ask that could literally change the trajectory of a life.
In this Dying to Ask:
- How Article 26 Backpack was created
- The lessons Article 26 Backpack learned this summer during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan just a few months ago
- How powerful retweeting is to the Backpack mission
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
My sister gave up social media for 30 days. And it didn't kill her.
But her personal and professional lives suffered some unexpected hits.
A recent Forbes article cited a new survey from USwitch that found Americans spend about 1,300 hours a year on social media.
My sister, Siobhan Fitzpatrick Kratovil, wrote about her 30-day detox of Instagram and Twitter for a parenting magazine.
Social media isn't a technical addiction. But going cold turkey off posting sure sounds a lot like giving up other addictive substances.
Siobhan describes a twitching for her phone that never really went away. And, she was surprised to find out how many school and work opportunities she missed because they were only communicated on social media sites.
On the flip side, her productivity as a writer skyrocketed and she read six books.
Her conclusion?
It might not be practical to live a life off social media anymore.
Maybe, we should strive for a more balanced relationship with our favorite sites?
On this Dying to Ask:
- How to realistically evaluate if your time on social media is out of control
- The pros and cons of taking time away from your online persona
- How to reduce your social media time without a true detox
Thursday Mar 03, 2022
Thursday Mar 03, 2022
You've heard the phrase you are what you eat.
Turns out, you are where and how you live too.
The key to living a healthy, balanced and happy life might be in designing a healthy, balanced and functional home.
It sounds expensive. But it doesn't have to be.
Shiree Segerstrom is an interior designer and wellness expert who specializes in designing restful homes.
She intuitively realized the healing powers of her home after the sudden loss of her husband more than 10 years ago.
She sought refuge in her garden and in the design of her home and discovered carving out specific spaces to relax, cook healthfully and exercise cemented her healthy routines and improved her outlook.
Most of us have spent more time at home in the last few years than ever before because of the pandemic.
Feeling blah after two years of pandemic life?
Maybe it's time to freshen up your living space and see if it changes your mood. Shiree will teach you how to "undecorate" before you decorate.
On this Dying to Ask:
- How our environment impacts our biology
- Why we all need a quiet space
- How to make the most out of a small space and small budget
- Which paint colors tend to ease anxiety
- How to give your home a wellness makeover in one weekend on the cheap
Friday Feb 18, 2022
Friday Feb 18, 2022
Joy.
It's as fleeting as it is elusive.
Olympic skiers like Travis Ganong earn their living from doing something others do recreationally. It's their day job. And, anyone's day job can get old.
So, what did this pro athlete do hours after returning from the 2022 Beijing Olympics?
He went skiing.
Why? Because it brings him joy.
"Contrary to the belief that as a pro skier we get to ski a lot, when we're racing, we're not skiing that much. When we're racing, we're going up and inspecting the hill and we're resting a lot. And we're doing our race runs so we're doing two or three runs a day to conserve energy and trying to stay healthy and saving a lot for the race run. During the whole season, I can't wait to get home and ski for myself and for the joy of skiing without the pressure and the stress," Ganong said.
For this two-time Olympian, home sweet home means home sweet snow.
On this Dying to Ask:
- Behind the scenes of the Beijing bubble
- Why athletes are leaving the Olympic Village before the games even end
- How to keep your joy for a sport or a hobby alive
Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
Could you survive 21 days in a hotel room by yourself?
Bruce Welton did and he's sharing his secret to developing mental toughness in unfamiliar circumstances.
It's always interesting to find out how people do life. It's especially interesting to find out how they handle their lives being turned upside down.
That's the case for anyone competing in or working at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Bruce Welton is a ski patrol member at Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California.
He took on a prestigious assignment working as a ski patrol trainer for the 2022 Beijing Games. His job? Train his Chinese counterparts in the nuances of mountain rescue and then work as a patroller during competition.
The catch? He had to go to China in November and he had to quarantine for 21 days in a hotel room by himself.
Twenty-one days alone.... and hopefully COVID-19-free.
On this Dying to Ask:
- How Bruce developed a plan to stay sane during his Olympic quarantine
- The logistics of teaching mountain rescues to people with a major language barrier
- His advice for anyone who finds themselves in a strange place in need of a new routine
Friday Feb 04, 2022
Friday Feb 04, 2022
When was the last time you got out of your comfort zone?
Like, really OUT of your comfort zone?
Team USA Olympic Skier Winter Vinecki is a pro at being comfortable being uncomfortable.
And, with a name like Winter, how could she not have ended up in the Winter Games?
She's a first-time Olympian in aerial skiing.
But she ended up in her sport in a strange way.
At the age of 11, Winter set two world records. Once, for being the youngest person to run a marathon on all seven continents and the second for being the first mother-daughter duo to achieve that feat.
She started a foundation called Team Winter to raise money for prostate cancer. While accepting an award, she met Olympic aerialist Emily Cook and the rest is history.
On this Dying to Ask:
- How marathon running gave Winter the skills to be successful in aerial skiing
- How she made the decision to leave her family at a young age to pursue a new dream
- What it's really like in the Olympic Athletes Village in Beijing right now
- And some easy ways to get out of your comfort zone for our 21-Day Challenge