Dying To Ask

How To Be A Genius With Biographer Walter Isaacson

Here's a genius move. Immerse yourself in a few more interests and watch yourself grow intellectually.

That's the advice from biographer Walter Isaacson. And he should know as he's often considered the genius biographer.

Isaacson is a bestselling author. He's written biographies about people including Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs and Jennifer Doudna.

He's a former editor of Time Magazine and served as the CEO of the Aspen Institute in addition to teaching at Tulane University.

His latest book may be his most controversial due to his subject, Elon Musk.

Isaacson spent two years with Musk with what he describes as unfiltered total access.

He thought the book would primarily focus on electric cars and space travel. Then came the Twitter sale in the middle of his writing project.

Now, Isaacson's Elon Musk is out and he's facing criticism from some in the tech world for taking hit too easy on a controversial leader. Isaacson says his job is to be a storyteller and it's a reader's job to reach conclusions on his subjects.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The unusual deal Walter Isaacson struck with musk before writing the book
• How Isaacson found out Musk had accepted his offer to do the book
• How the Twitter sale impacted his research and book
• Why broadening your interests helps you think bigger

Avoid Holiday Stress With This Fall Organization Hack

Move over spring cleaning. Fall organization may have an even bigger impact on mindset, stress levels and happiness.

Kim Salisbury is a personal organizer and the creator of Home Method Co. She says a lot of people get a burst of energy when the cooler weather starts. She recommends using that energy to get your house ready before the holiday season.

Want to thrive instead of survive the holidays? The key is getting the holiday to-do's done now, not later.

"I always say to try to get as much done as you can in October and November before Thanksgiving. Make a list of everything that you need to do before the holidays," advises Salisbury. 

The holidays are stressful because of all the extra demands on your time. Those opportunities should be fun. Don't resent them. Just prep for them.

Take our Fall Organization Challenge and give yourself the gift of decompression!

On this Dying to Ask:

• The psychology behind fall organization
• Why your fridge and pantry deserve your time and Clorox wipes
• How an organizing binge will save you money this holiday season
• The gift hack to reduce waste and increase happiness
• How to make a master holiday to-do list that will keep you accountable

Detoxing ’A to Z’ With Author Sophia Ruan Gushee

Sophia Ruan Gushee is one of the least toxic people you'll meet. That's probably because she wrote the book on it.

She's the author of "The A to Z of D-Toxing" and the host of the Practical Nontoxic Living podcast.

But Sophia isn't a scientist and didn't study harmful plastics in school.

Becoming a mom for the first time forced her to look at her environment in a whole new way. That led her to question the impact of products she used on her family's health.

The questions turned into answers and, ultimately, major lifestyle changes to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals. Her book reads like an encyclopedia and is like a bible for families trying to reduce toxic exposure.

Along the way, Sophia became the go-to expert in all things toxic. She left her dream job to become a practical, nontoxic lifestyle expert.

In her passion, Sophia found her purpose.

The good news?

Leading a less toxic lifestyle doesn't have to be hard. A few simple swaps can lower your exposure and ultimately let you feel better about harmful toxins that are seemingly everywhere.

Sophia is smart, kind and essentially a non-toxic cheerleader for those of us who would like to do better but really don't need it to feel like a lot of work!

On this Dying to Ask:

• Sophia's unlikely path from finance to nontoxic lifestyle expert
• The role convenience plays in our lifestyle choices
• 3 simple swaps you can make today to live a cleaner lifestyle
• And, how did Sophia decide to go all-in on her new career?

4 ways to jumpstart motivation when you’re just not feeling it

Have something you need to do but can't find the motivation? Join the club.

Sometimes it's just hard to get yourself going, even if you're normally a disciplined person.

It's normal and it's really annoying!

This week, we're looking at where motivation comes from and why it's hard to jumpstart sometimes.

And we have a 4 step action plan to fire up your motivation to get more out of life.

On this Dying to Ask:

• Defense of the word "busy"
• The difference between "have to's and want to's"
• Why your "want to's" get put off first
• A 4 step plan to get motivated

 

 

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Diving Into ’Victory In The Pool’ With Bill George

This summer, Paris will become the second city to host three summer Olympics. This week, we're merging history and the Olympics on the "Dying to Ask" podcast.

Bill George is the author of a new book called "Victory in the Pool."

Decades before Team USA celebrated names like Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, Sacramento was the center of U.S. swimming, and its aquatic leader was a guy named Sherm Chavoor.

Chavoor coached athletes, including Debbie Meyer, Mark Spitz and Mike Burton, to win Olympic gold medals between 1968 and 1972.

Chavoor coached at the Arden Hills Swim and Tennis Club.

But he wasn't a swimmer himself.

And Sherm Chavoor wasn't even his real name.

"He didn't publicize it. His real name was Izikiel Correa and he was a poor kid from the Oakland area. He came to Sacramento as a swim coach and became famous as Sherm Chavoor. Everybody knew him as Sherm Chavoor. I think even his swimmers never really realized his real name," George said.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How Sherm Chavoor became Sherm Chavoor.
• How he started a swimming dynasty that defied race, religion and social status.
• And how a natural knack for marketing led underdog swimmers and a green coach to greatness.

John Legend’s ’Twin’ Talakai Seizes The Moment

As doppelgangers go, Talakai is the ultimate winner. And now he can credit his likeness for his latest opportunity.

Talakai is a 34-year-old singer from Sacramento. He turned chairs with his rendition of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me" during the blind auditions on "The Voice." Then, he turned heads with his uncanny resemblance to judge John Legend.

“Wait until you see his face,” Legend told Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani as the other coaches turned their chairs following Talakai’s performance.

Twinning with a superstar is nothing new for Talakai. He can't go anywhere without someone saying something. The thing is, Talakai can sing. Like, really sing. And now the world, and John Legend, know it.

Talakai stopped by the KCRA 3 studios in his now signature "Legend" jacket and charmed everyone he met. He's as likable as he is talented and is enjoying every minute of what he calls "the best week of my life."

He is seizing the moment and has advice on how you can, too.

On this Dying to Ask:

• What it's like to have a famous doppelganger
• How to take advantage of a natural edge
• How to be in the moment when it happens

The Power Of a Beginner’s Mindset

What if I told you the key to personal growth could be forgetting everything you know? It's called a beginner's mind, and it's worth mastering.

It's the idea of approaching something with a 100% fresh perspective or like you've never done it before.

Do you remember the thrill of riding a bike? How about learning to read? Speaking another language and actually having someone understand what you're saying?

Beginner's mind is a little like the social media trend, "I was today years old when..."

It's a powerful tool.

Mastering a beginner's mindset can pay off big time for your physical and mental health.

And it's linked to boosting creativity and overall happiness.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The areas of your life that can benefit from a beginner's mindset.
• Three ways to develop a beginner's mind.

Why We All Want Glowy Skin With Elise Hu, Author Of ’Flawless’

The Korean Wave continues and it's coming after your pores. Korean exports of beauty products have surpassed smartphones.

Elise Hu is the author of "Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital."

Hu is a journalist and podcaster who currently is the host of "Ted Talks Daily."

Flawless is inspired by her years working as an NPR bureau chief in Seoul, South Korea.

The book examines how South Korea's pervasive beauty culture spread globally as the latest ripple of a Korean Wave of entertainment and tech.

"Six out of 10 of all Netflix subscribers in the world have watched some sort of Korean content. When it comes to Korean beauty, Korea is now exporting more cosmetics and skin care and skin care tools than it exports in smartphones," Hu said.

Hu's book is part memoir, part international investigative reporting, and well-researched.

Fun fact: Elise and I are both graduates of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and our former professor connected us for this interview!

On this 'Dying to Ask':

• How Korean beauty culture seeped into and then dominated beauty culture around the world
• What is technological gaze, and how it impacts your feelings about yourself
• How Zoom forever changed and blurred the visual and virtual world
• Why is glowy skin a thing?
• A reality check on how much beauty costs in terms of time and money
• And how do we get to a better balance in our lives where we're more accepting of who we actually are?

’Growing Up In Public’ With Author Dr. Devorah Heitner

Growing up on the internet may not be as bad as we thought.

The first generation of kids exposed to a fully digital childhood is coming of age.

Their childhoods have been radically different than their parents' childhoods.

That's led a lot of parents to instinctively want to control kids' access to things like screen time and social media by installing limits and trackers on phones.

It's like a digital tug-of-war between parent and child with sometimes unintended consequences.

Dr. Devorah Heitner is an expert in all things family and tech and she has spent years looking at the impact of screens on kids.

Her new book, Growing Up in Public, examines the good and bad about growing up in a digital world.

Her message is non-judgmental and in many ways, she's more positive about teen screen exposure than their parents are.

In fact, a lot of teens are expressing frustration with their parents after, in some cases, discovering how much of their childhood was shared on social media.

Heitner says parents often express frustration with how much their kids share online. But, in her experience, kids often have a better grasp of online privacy than kids do.

Heitner says, "I have met so many kids who are so embarrassed by things that their parents are posting. When I go into schools, I'll ask kids to step in a circle if their friends have posted something that's embarrassing, and about half the kids will step in. Then, if I say step in if your parents have ever posted something embarrassing, and 100% of the kids will step into the circle."

On this Dying to Ask:

• What it's like to grow up in public.
• Why Heitner emphasizes mentoring over monitoring.
• Two things parents should do before posting about their kids on social media.
• A warning for schools and families when it comes to education apps that track assignments and grades.
• Why Heitner isn't a fan of tracking apps like Life 360.

4 Habits To Set Your kid (And Yourself) Up For School Success

It's back to school time and that means back to anxiety for a lot of families. But four easy tips could lessen stress for kids and parents.

Jenn Curtis is an educational consultant, the founder of FutureWise, and co-author of "The Parent Compass." She says back to school stress is normal. But, going into the school year with a plan can help.

The school year is a natural reset for families and a great time to shake up habits, both in and out of the classroom.

Jenn has four tips to help improve academic success for kids. The funny thing? Those tips are applicable to all ages!

It starts with setting out some goals and then setting your kids (and yourself) up for success.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How to set goals with your kids for the school year
• Why you need a "family meeting" at the start of the year
• How to form a "what if" plan in case kids run into trouble academically
• 4 tips to set your kid (and yourself) up for success this school year