2343 No BS Interviews
107 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 22 ratingsAn ads-free podcast to take a break from stressing news and the noise of social media. Dive into extraordinary life stories and honest, intimate conversations about what makes us human. Listen to independent creators and guests from Google, Pixar, SNL, and more. Hosted by Simone Salis.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Creating a Universe of Art, Games, and Toys: Ninjatown & Shawnimals — Shawn Smith
May 01, 2020 01:12 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBShawn co-founded a unique character design studio, Shawnimals—created with his wife over 10 years ago. Hundreds of characters inhabit those worlds and live through toys, murals, and videogames. The ninjas from Ninjatown transformed from handmade plush toys to vinyl creations, posters, stickers, calendars, keychains, and mobile apps. He grew up admiring Japanese and American pop-culture, with a passion that morphed from early doodles to characters like the Wee Ninja from Ninjatown, Moustachio...
Don't Worry About Being Funny & Stumbling Into Brilliance — Rachael Mason
April 16, 2020 15:02 - 50 minutes - 23.4 MBRachael began her career in improvisation at Skidmore College, home of the National College Comedy Festival, with the Ad-Liberal Artists. After graduating with a degree in English Literature (concentrating on Shakespearean Studies) she moved to Chicago to study improv comedy with Del Close. Currently the head of Advanced Improvisation at The Second City, she created the Dramatic Improv programs as well as The History of Satire Series for The Second City Training Center. Rachael has performed...
Sandor Weisz – Conversation 35
April 02, 2020 07:34 - 35 minutes - 16.4 MBSandor is the founder of The Mystery League, a company of creative puzzlemakers who stage live games. He developed large scale puzzles and games at locations like the Chicago Art Institute, the Lincoln Park Zoo or the Harold Washington Library. A Northwestern University graduate, Sandor transitioned to working full time on the Mystery League from a career as a software and web developer. He currently focuses on creating tabletop puzzle games and shares a new puzzle every day on Twitter via h...
Becoming A Puzzle Maker & Founding The Mystery League — Sandor Weisz
April 02, 2020 07:34 - 35 minutes - 16.4 MBSandor Weisz is the founder of The Mystery League, a company of creative puzzlemakers who stage live games. He developed large scale puzzles and games at locations like the Chicago Art Institute, the Lincoln Park Zoo or the Harold Washington Library. A Northwestern University graduate, Sandor transitioned to working full time on the Mystery League from a career as a software and web developer. He currently focuses on creating tabletop puzzle games and shares a new puzzle every day on Twitter...
Lanny Fox – Conversation 34
January 23, 2020 09:30 - 34 minutes - 16.1 MBLanny Fox (Pam Who?!) is a brilliant writer, actor, comedian, and drag performer exploring through comedy and satire controversial social themes. He has written and performed with The Second City, The Annoyance Theater, and The iO Comedy Network in Chicago. He is also a student of The New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
Free Expression Through Art & Radical Self-Learning — Lanny Fox
January 23, 2020 09:30 - 34 minutes - 16.1 MBLanny Fox (Pam Who?!) is a brilliant writer, actor, comedian, and drag performer exploring through comedy and satire controversial social themes. He has written and performed with The Second City, The Annoyance Theater, and The iO Comedy Network in Chicago. He is also a student of The New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
Free Expression Through Arts & Radical Self-Learning — Lanny Fox
January 23, 2020 09:30 - 34 minutes - 16.1 MBLanny Fox (Pam Who?!) is a brilliant writer, actor, comedian, and drag performer exploring through comedy and satire controversial social themes. He has written and performed with The Second City, The Annoyance Theater, and The iO Comedy Network in Chicago. He is also a student of The New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
Ben Grosser – Conversation 33
January 09, 2020 08:34 - 1 hour - 32.5 MBBen is an artist focused on the cultural, social, and political effects of software. What do computers mean for human creativity? How does software design affect our behavior and ideas of friendship and relationship? Faculty member at the University of Illinois, his artworks have been featured in The New Yorker, Wired, The Atlantic, and more. Ben's projects include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Demetricator. Would not seeing likes and retweets make a difference in your online experience...
Our Relationship With Technology & What Social Media Metrics Do To Us — Ben Grosser
January 09, 2020 08:34 - 1 hour - 32.5 MBBen is an artist focused on the cultural, social, and political effects of software. What do computers mean for human creativity? How does software design affect our behavior and ideas of friendship and relationship? Faculty member at the University of Illinois, his artworks have been featured in The New Yorker, Wired, The Atlantic, and more. Ben's projects include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Demetricator. Would not seeing likes and retweets make a difference in your online experience...
Our Relationship with Technology & What Social Media Metrics Do to Us — Ben Grosser
January 09, 2020 08:34 - 1 hour - 32.5 MBBen is an artist focused on the cultural, social, and political effects of software. What do computers mean for human creativity? How does software design affect our behavior and ideas of friendship and relationship? Faculty member at the University of Illinois, his artworks have been featured in The New Yorker, Wired, The Atlantic, and more. Ben's projects include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Demetricator. Would not seeing likes and retweets make a difference in your online experience...
Susan Messing — Following the Unknown
June 06, 2019 09:00 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBThe improviser from The Second City, the iO, and The Annoyance on how to navigate the unknown and your reality, moment by moment.
Following the Unknown & Navigating New Realities — Susan Messing
June 06, 2019 09:00 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBThe improviser from The Second City, the iO, and The Annoyance on how to navigate the unknown and your reality, moment by moment.
Susan Messing – Conversation 32
June 06, 2019 09:00 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBThe improviser from The Second City, the iO, and The Annoyance on how to navigate the unknown and your reality, moment by moment.
Telling the Story of Chicago Theater & Improv — Mark Larson
December 13, 2018 13:57 - 47 minutes - 22 MBMark Larson is a writer, interviewer, educator, and curator of many oral history projects like American Stories Continuum and Ensemble, Chicago collecting and sharing conversations about contemporary life in the United States. Professor at National-Louis University, Mark also published two books: 'Making Conversations' and 'Situations' (co-authored with Betty Jane Wagner). Inspired by Studs Terkel's work, Mr. Larson's interviews are intimate portraits of subjective experiences in our communi...
Mark Larson – Conversation 31
December 13, 2018 13:57 - 47 minutes - 22 MBMark Larson is a writer, interviewer, educator, and curator of many oral history projects like American Stories Continuum and Ensemble, Chicago collecting and sharing conversations about contemporary life in the United States. Professor at National-Louis University, Mark also published two books: 'Making Conversations' and 'Situations' (co-authored with Betty Jane Wagner). Inspired by Studs Terkel's work, Mr. Larson's interviews are intimate portraits of subjective experiences in our communi...
Mark Larson — Writing the Chicago Theater History
December 13, 2018 13:57 - 47 minutes - 22 MBMark Larson is a writer, interviewer, educator, and curator of many oral history projects like American Stories Continuum and Ensemble, Chicago collecting and sharing conversations about contemporary life in the United States. Professor at National-Louis University, Mark also published two books: 'Making Conversations' and 'Situations' (co-authored with Betty Jane Wagner). Inspired by Studs Terkel's work, Mr. Larson's interviews are intimate portraits of subjective experiences in our communi...
Merging Unlikely Passions and Careers Through Exploration — Melissa McEwen
November 29, 2018 18:00 - 46 minutes - 21.7 MBMelissa McEwen is a tech consultant and writer merging two passions and careers, publishing articles for Quartz, Submain, on Medium and more. You can check out her website and social media profiles by visiting melissamcewen.com.
Melissa McEwen – Conversation 30
November 29, 2018 18:00 - 46 minutes - 21.7 MBMelissa McEwen is a tech consultant and writer merging two passions and careers, publishing articles for Quartz, Submain, on Medium and more. You can check out her website and social media profiles by visiting melissamcewen.com.
Melissa McEwen — Bugs and Glitches
November 29, 2018 18:00 - 46 minutes - 21.7 MBMelissa McEwen is a tech consultant and writer merging two passions and careers, publishing articles for Quartz, Submain, on Medium and more. You can check out her website and social media profiles by visiting melissamcewen.com.
Tim Kazurinsky – Conversation 29
November 15, 2018 06:01 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBTim Kazurinsky is an actor, screenwriter, Saturday Night Live alumnus, and performer from the Police Academy series as Officer Sweetchuck. In the early 80s, Mr. Kazurinsky played iconic characters on SNL, like Jack Badofsky on Weekend Update, Mr Landlord, Gandhi, Hitler, and even a chimp's husband in "I Married a Monkey". As a two times Jefferson Awards nominee, Tim's experience on live stages started with the Second City in Chicago and goes on to these days as the Wizard of Oz in Wicked's i...
SNL, Police Academy, & What Truly Matters in Life — Tim Kazurinsky
November 15, 2018 06:01 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBTim Kazurinsky is an actor, screenwriter, Saturday Night Live alumnus, and performer from the Police Academy series as Officer Sweetchuck. In the early 80s, Mr. Kazurinsky played iconic characters on SNL, like Jack Badofsky on Weekend Update, Mr Landlord, Gandhi, Hitler, and even a chimp's husband in "I Married a Monkey". As a two times Jefferson Awards nominee, Tim's experience on live stages started with the Second City in Chicago and goes on to these days as the Wizard of Oz in Wicked's i...
Tim Kazurinsky — Police Academy, SNL, and What Truly Matters
November 15, 2018 06:01 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBTim Kazurinsky is an actor, screenwriter, Saturday Night Live alumnus, and performer from the Police Academy series as Officer Sweetchuck. In the early 80s, Mr. Kazurinsky played iconic characters on SNL, like Jack Badofsky on Weekend Update, Mr Landlord, Gandhi, Hitler, and even a chimp's husband in "I Married a Monkey". As a two times Jefferson Awards nominee, Tim's experience on live stages started with the Second City in Chicago and goes on to these days as the Wizard of Oz in Wicked's i...
Boosting Creativity Through Restraints — Scott Robbin
November 01, 2018 05:01 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBScott Robbin, web developer and co-creator with Naz Hamid of Vapid, an intentionally simple content management system to create websites. Starting in the late 90s, Mr. Robbin founded different companies like Halobrite and Songza, and also worked as lead developer and director for Cards Agains Humanity, Blackbox, and more. You can check out his projects on srobbin.com and learn more about Vapid, his latest creation, on vapid.com.
Scott Robbin – Conversation 28
November 01, 2018 05:01 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBScott Robbin, web developer and co-creator with Naz Hamid of Vapid, an intentionally simple content management system to create websites. Starting in the late 90s, Mr. Robbin founded different companies like Halobrite and Songza, and also worked as lead developer and director for Cards Agains Humanity, Blackbox, and more. You can check out his projects on srobbin.com and learn more about Vapid, his latest creation, on vapid.com.
Scott Robbin — Boost Creativity Through Restraints
November 01, 2018 05:01 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBScott Robbin, web developer and co-creator with Naz Hamid of Vapid, an intentionally simple content management system to create websites. Starting in the late 90s, Mr. Robbin founded different companies like Halobrite and Songza, and also worked as lead developer and director for Cards Agains Humanity, Blackbox, and more. You can check out his projects on srobbin.com and learn more about Vapid, his latest creation, on vapid.com.
Self-improving with People Smarter than You — Cody Gough
October 18, 2018 17:00 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBCody Gough is a radio host, producer, and audio editor. For over a decade he worked as a producer and content creator with WGN Radio, GonnaGeek Network, and Curiosity.com. Mr. Gough's skills help shows to take shape and become even more successful while he works with hosts like Spike O'Dell, Brian Noonan, Nick Digilio, Steve King and Johnnie Putnam, Milt Rosenberg, and Pete McMurray. He hosts the award-winning, daily curiosity.com podcast and Game/Life Balance U.S., a lifestyle show.
Cody Gough — People Smarter Than You
October 18, 2018 17:00 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBCody Gough is a radio host, producer, and audio editor. For over a decade he worked as a producer and content creator with WGN Radio, GonnaGeek Network, and Curiosity.com. Mr. Gough's skills help shows to take shape and become even more successful while he works with hosts like Spike O'Dell, Brian Noonan, Nick Digilio, Steve King and Johnnie Putnam, Milt Rosenberg, and Pete McMurray. He hosts the award-winning, daily curiosity.com podcast and Game/Life Balance U.S., a lifestyle show.
Cody Gough – Conversation 27
October 18, 2018 17:00 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBCody Gough is a radio host, producer, and audio editor. For over a decade he worked as a producer and content creator with WGN Radio, GonnaGeek Network, and Curiosity.com. Mr. Gough's skills help shows to take shape and become even more successful while he works with hosts like Spike O'Dell, Brian Noonan, Nick Digilio, Steve King and Johnnie Putnam, Milt Rosenberg, and Pete McMurray. He hosts the award-winning, daily curiosity.com podcast and Game/Life Balance U.S., a lifestyle show.
Linnea Gandhi — Take Back Your Attention
October 04, 2018 17:00 - 47 minutes - 22.1 MBLinnea Gandhi is adjunct professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth and founder of BehavioralSight—an advisory firm helping businesses to integrate insights and methodologies from behavioral science into their research and decision-making processes. Linnea also coaches leaders on ways to reduce error in their own everyday decisions. Her work has been published in Harvard Business Review. Prof. Gandhi has also written and spoken about topics such as noise in decision-m...
Linnea Gandhi – Conversation 26
October 04, 2018 17:00 - 47 minutes - 22.1 MBLinnea Gandhi is adjunct professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth and founder of BehavioralSight—an advisory firm helping businesses to integrate insights and methodologies from behavioral science into their research and decision-making processes. Linnea also coaches leaders on ways to reduce error in their own everyday decisions. Her work has been published in Harvard Business Review. Prof. Gandhi has also written and spoken about topics such as noise in decision-m...
Reclaiming Focus, Attention, & Involving Emotional Stakeholders — Linnea Gandhi
October 04, 2018 17:00 - 47 minutes - 22.1 MBLinnea Gandhi is adjunct professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth and founder of BehavioralSight—an advisory firm helping businesses to integrate insights and methodologies from behavioral science into their research and decision-making processes. Linnea also coaches leaders on ways to reduce error in their own everyday decisions. Her work has been published in Harvard Business Review. Prof. Gandhi has also written and spoken about topics such as noise in decision-m...
Seeking Your True Self & Having Fun in the Process — Jen Ellison
September 20, 2018 17:00 - 49 minutes - 22.9 MBJen Ellison is an actor, writer, director, and professor focusing on comedy and theatre. Throughout her career, Ms. Ellison performed and directed at ComedySportz, Collaboraction, The Neo-Futurists, and The Second City, the legendary improv theater where Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Key and Peele, and Stephen Colbert first learned how to be be funny on stage. As a professor, she is the former lead of an Ethics in Gaming class, analyzing how we, as players, can become somebody else, living through...
Jen Ellison – Conversation 25
September 20, 2018 17:00 - 49 minutes - 22.9 MBJen Ellison is an actor, writer, director, and professor focusing on comedy and theatre. Throughout her career, Ms. Ellison performed and directed at ComedySportz, Collaboraction, The Neo-Futurists, and The Second City, the legendary improv theater where Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Key and Peele, and Stephen Colbert first learned how to be be funny on stage. As a professor, she is the former lead of an Ethics in Gaming class, analyzing how we, as players, can become somebody else, living through...
Jen Ellison — Seeking Your True Self
September 20, 2018 17:00 - 49 minutes - 22.9 MBJen Ellison is an actor, writer, director, and professor focusing on comedy and theatre. Throughout her career, Ms. Ellison performed and directed at ComedySportz, Collaboraction, The Neo-Futurists, and The Second City, the legendary improv theater where Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Key and Peele, and Stephen Colbert first learned how to be be funny on stage. As a professor, she is the former lead of an Ethics in Gaming class, analyzing how we, as players, can become somebody else, living through...
Byron Reese – Conversation 24
September 06, 2018 17:00 - 55 minutes - 25.7 MBByron Reese is an entrapreneur, public speaker and author, currently CEO and Publisher of GigaOM, a leading technology research company. As a technologist and futurist, Mr. Reese brings his passion for history and philosophy to the readers shining a light on social dilemmas that we already face, and will face, as humans. His most recent book, The Fourth Age, explores the essence of humanity through the lenses of philosophy applied to technological change, using an objective yet positive ligh...
Byron Reese — Being Great Ancestors
September 06, 2018 17:00 - 55 minutes - 25.7 MBByron Reese is an entrapreneur, public speaker and author, currently CEO and Publisher of GigaOM, a leading technology research company. As a technologist and futurist, Mr. Reese brings his passion for history and philosophy to the readers shining a light on social dilemmas that we already face, and will face, as humans. His most recent book, The Fourth Age, explores the essence of humanity through the lenses of philosophy applied to technological change, using an objective yet positive ligh...
GigaOm & The Fourth Age of Humans and Machines — Byron Reese
September 06, 2018 17:00 - 55 minutes - 25.7 MBByron Reese is an entrapreneur, public speaker and author, currently CEO and Publisher of GigaOM, a leading technology research company. As a technologist and futurist, Mr. Reese brings his passion for history and philosophy to the readers shining a light on social dilemmas that we already face, and will face, as humans. His most recent book, The Fourth Age, explores the essence of humanity through the lenses of philosophy applied to technological change, using an objective yet positive ligh...
Ashley Ray – Conversation 23
August 23, 2018 17:00 - 45 minutes - 21.3 MBAshley Ray is a comedian, writer, and TV critic sharing her personal stories and ideas while touching important topics like gender, race, and sexuality. As a cultural critic, Ashley writes for The A.V. Club, Vice, and The Chicago Reader.
Comedy, Writing, & Not Settling for What You're Given — Ashley Ray
August 23, 2018 17:00 - 45 minutes - 21.3 MBAshley Ray is a comedian, writer, and TV critic sharing her personal stories and ideas while touching important topics like gender, race, and sexuality. As a cultural critic, Ashley writes for The A.V. Club, Vice, and The Chicago Reader.
Ashley Ray — Don't Settle for What You're Given
August 23, 2018 17:00 - 45 minutes - 21.3 MBAshley Ray is a comedian, writer, and TV critic sharing her personal stories and ideas while touching important topics like gender, race, and sexuality. As a cultural critic, Ashley writes for The A.V. Club, Vice, and The Chicago Reader.
Dakota Conduct — Protest by Having Too Much Fun
August 16, 2018 17:00 - 46 minutes - 21.5 MBDakota Conduct is a Supply Chain Analyst by the day, and drag queen by night. Living in the duality of corporate daytime professional and gender-bending drag queen in nightlife, she shows how knowledge can only further enhance her drag aesthetic.
Dakota Conduct – Conversation 22
August 16, 2018 17:00 - 46 minutes - 21.5 MBDakota Conduct is a Supply Chain Analyst by the day, and drag queen by night. Living in the duality of corporate daytime professional and gender-bending drag queen in nightlife, she shows how knowledge can only further enhance her drag aesthetic.
The Journey to Drag & Protest by Having Fun — Dakota Conduct
August 16, 2018 17:00 - 46 minutes - 21.5 MBDakota Conduct is a Supply Chain Analyst by the day, and drag queen by night. Living in the duality of corporate daytime professional and gender-bending drag queen in nightlife, she shows how knowledge can only further enhance her drag aesthetic.
Jake Shapiro – Conversation 21
August 09, 2018 17:00 - 33 minutes - 15.7 MBRadioPublic's CEO and co-founder Jake Shapiro talks about RadioPublic's stragety, business model, and risks, discussing how to create a sustainable marketplace for podcast creators and listeners while contributing to the development of open standards and a decentralized ecosystem.
Jake Shapiro – RadioPublic and the Podcast Community
August 09, 2018 17:00 - 33 minutes - 15.7 MBRadioPublic's CEO and co-founder Jake Shapiro talks about RadioPublic's stragety, business model, and risks, discussing how to create a sustainable marketplace for podcast creators and listeners while contributing to the development of open standards and a decentralized ecosystem.
RadioPublic & Empowering the Podcast Community — Jake Shapiro
August 09, 2018 17:00 - 33 minutes - 15.7 MBRadioPublic's CEO and co-founder Jake Shapiro talks about RadioPublic's stragety, business model, and risks, discussing how to create a sustainable marketplace for podcast creators and listeners while contributing to the development of open standards and a decentralized ecosystem.
Ali Barthwell – Conversation 20
August 02, 2018 17:00 - 42 minutes - 19.6 MBAli Barthwell is the co-founder of WakandaCon, a celebration of afro-futurism and black culture in a society that stripped african-americans of their past. She is a writer, performer and comedian teaching her students how to use sterotypes on gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation as a tool of growth for themselves and their audiences.
Founding WakandaCon, Black Culture, & Reclaiming Your Past — Ali Barthwell
August 02, 2018 17:00 - 42 minutes - 19.6 MBAli Barthwell is the co-founder of WakandaCon, a celebration of afro-futurism and black culture in a society that stripped african-americans of their past. She is a writer, performer and comedian teaching her students how to use sterotypes on gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation as a tool of growth for themselves and their audiences.
Ali Barthwell — WakandaCon and Reclaiming Your Past
August 02, 2018 17:00 - 42 minutes - 19.6 MBAli Barthwell is the co-founder of WakandaCon, a celebration of afro-futurism and black culture in a society that stripped african-americans of their past. She is a writer, performer and comedian teaching her students how to use sterotypes on gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation as a tool of growth for themselves and their audiences.
Cliff-dwelling & Architectural Landscapes — Thomas Thorson
July 12, 2018 17:00 - 35 minutes - 16.4 MBThomas Thorson is a landscape architect and urban designer interpreting the physical world to interconnect people in an urban environment. He serves on the Board of Directors at the Cliff Dwellers Club, an historic and iconic arts club in downtown Chicago. You can find more about Tom visiting https://cliff-chicago.org.