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Talk, Unleashed

122 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratings

What motivates people? Why do they do what they do? What does leadership actually mean in today’s world? Good questions, right? That’s what Cathy Brooks, thought. And it’s why she created Talk, Unleashed – a podcast of candid conversation. Sometimes as commentary. Sometimes as discussions with fascinating people doing remarkable things. Topics range widely and all of them have one thing in common. Dogs.

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Episodes

Don't Ask Why

March 20, 2024 16:00 - 11 minutes - 27.2 MB

We’re taught to listen to authority. Kids learn to ask “Why?” and parents respond “Because I said so.” Over time, we question, query and dig underneath. Today’s culture - saturated by psychotherapy and coaches - encourages people to ask “What’s underneath that?” Questioning and digging underneath every action’s motivation. It’s exhausting. It’s also often a waste of time. There’s also a very real and deeply damaging impact of the constant querying. Truth is, sometimes the why doesn’t matter...

Burn Baby Burn (Book)

March 13, 2024 16:00 - 14 minutes - 33 MB

When I heard Kara Swisher was writing her memoir, Burn Book, I couldn’t wait. Besides being one of - if not the - most influential Journalists covering Silicon Valley and tech at the rise of the Internet Age, she’s a stupendous writer, and is never one to shy away from calling bullsh*t.   Admission - at this recording I've only read the introduction. Mostly because it’s already clearly a page turner and deserves clearing some time and reading it cover to cover … so I’ll report back. But alr...

Balance

March 06, 2024 17:00 - 14 minutes - 33.2 MB

When you think about balance, what comes up for you? Do you go immediately to the ever-present impossible expectation of life/work balance? If so, this episode is absolutely for you. It’s about a terrifying experience I had with literal balance that made me take a good, hard look at just how out of what my internal balance was. And more importantly the fact that I’d had tons of warning signs that things were heading that direction. Those signs, they’re around us ALL THE TIME, if we pay atten...

Where Do You Belong?

February 28, 2024 17:00 - 11 minutes - 27 MB

Where do YOU belong? Where is the place you just fit, no matter what? The whole idea of “home is where the heart is” has such value - and it’s not just about the heart. Those online “quizzes” that ask the question - “where would YOU prefer to live?” With images of mountains, the desert, forest, beach and cities - implying that the choice determines what kind of person you are (along with images of cars, different animals, houses and the like). Of course there are preferences, but what do t...

Currency of Gossip

February 21, 2024 17:00 - 10 minutes - 24.1 MB

This week, inspired by a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, I ponder the value that society places on one of the most toxic behaviors around communication - gossip. Let’s be clear - we all have done or do it. Everyone. So let’s take a deep breath. The person who truly and honestly NEVER does is a rare creature indeed. It’s not new behavior - people have talked about others probably since we started talking. And before you say “BUT CATHY” … yeah, I get it. Of COURSE in conversation people will c...

Power in PAWS

February 14, 2024 17:00 - 13 minutes - 30.3 MB

Some topics just like to stick around. Pausing. Silence. The power that comes from taking … a … breath. This week, the power of the pause (but that’s always PAWS for me). How do dogs stay in the moment and what can we learn from that and how does communication shift? In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just letting things fly outta their pie-hole without much care for others, it’s time for radically authentic conversation. Conscious communication is sim...

Poetry and POWER of Silence

February 07, 2024 17:00 - 11 minutes - 26.7 MB

This week another meander into a concept that everyone seems  to “get” and plenty of people talk about. But for some reason, most folks have their heads shoved squarely up their a$$ when it comes to what it *actually* means. The power of silence. Silence is the most informative, instructive and valuable place when it comes to making decisions and finding paths to resolution. In the dumpster fire that is today’s world, where he or she who shouts loudest and most offensively gets the m...

Brutal Honesty is Bullsh*t

January 31, 2024 17:00 - 11 minutes - 26.3 MB

Last week I talked about how context is bullsh*t. Since there’s so much shit around these days, figured taking on the ridiculous premise of “brutal honesty” would be next. Put simply, #brutalhonesty is a load of horsesh*t.  The word brutal literally means savage, violent and destructive. So by association anyone who would be “brutal” with honesty? Yeah they’re probably kind of an a$$hole. Or at least behaving like one. This week diving into how what we really need these days is RADICAL and...

Context is Nothing

January 24, 2024 17:00 - 10 minutes - 24.4 MB

Amazing how words and concepts get hijacked and bastardized. Because OF COURSE communication has a level of context to it. Saying “I love you” for example in one setting (like to a friend) has an entirely different meaning when looking into the eyes of someone you’re dating. (The latter sometimes even giving rise to a sense of nausea if if the first time you’re saying it.) BUT - to imply that somehow “context” allows for some things or that some things can be excused by a perceived context? ...

I Am An Oak Tree

January 17, 2024 17:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MB

If you were a tree, what kind would you be? It’s one of the oldest urban legend interview stories. It’s said that Barbara Walters famously asked that of Katharine Hepburn. Turns out the actual interview didn’t go that way, but Hepburn DID note that she’d lived her life as an Oak tree. What on earth does that have to do with communication?  Everything. It has to do with the balance between being steadfast, committed and strong while simultaneously being flexible and bending … a bit. In this...

Getting Baked

January 10, 2024 17:00 - 11 minutes - 26.9 MB

This is about cookies.  Bet you saw the title and thought this was about something else.  Sorry to disappoint, but this is about cookies. Also it’s about complacency. It’s about what happens when you get so “comfortable” with a skillset you’ve “mastered” you take your foot off the gas. Stop pushing yourself. Stop reaching for excellence. During holiday season many people shift into neutral, lulled into a state of hibernation by the extended run of holiday season. Suddenly WHAM it’s “a ne...

Like Riding a Bike

January 03, 2024 17:00 - 10 minutes - 24.1 MB

Kicking off a New Year felt like this particular topic was apt. Getting back on the horse. Starting again. Most skills we develop require some level of practical application or practice to maintain. Learning an instrument as a kid doesn’t mean you’ll be able to just play it later if you don’t keep up with practice. Other things may be a bit rusty but with a bit of focus, the old skills come back. For some reason, it’s not like that with riding a bike. In fact the phrase “It’s just like rid...

Lessons Shopping at Target

December 20, 2023 17:00 - 10 minutes - 24.3 MB

Going shopping during holiday season can be a bit like a full contact sport. Which is precisely why it’s my favorite time of year to go shopping. It’s when the best and most powerful lessons about human behavior and communication are writ large. This year was no different, and this time around - courtesy of a high-traffic Target Superstore - the lessons are all about home. And that’s where we go this week. In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just lett...

GPS For Communication

December 13, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 33.6 MB

There’s something romantic about an old school map - those things made out of paper folks used to use to navigate from one spot to another. Technology made these obsolete. Navigation built into cars or on your cell phone - plug in your destination and GPS does the rest. It’ll even immediately re-route if the system detects traffic or issues. Far more efficient and convenient … but there is a cost. Context. In this week’s episode - a look at old school navigation and the parallel to communi...

The Wisdom of Weather

December 13, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 32.1 MB

Mother Nature sure has a way about her. Damn smart, really. Not that this should be new information, I guess, but there’s something remarkably powerful when she lands messages that are relevant for every aspect of life. In this week’s episode - lessons from nature that relate deeply to heat of conversation and how to cool it down.  In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just letting things fly outta their pie-hole without much care for others, it’s time fo...

Don't Look Back

December 06, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 33.7 MB

Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it.  I always found that statement to be dark. It also can sometimes create a whole new problem. Spending time saturated in the past not only doesn’t prevent things from happening again, it almost guarantees that you’ll attract precisely that which you’re paying attention to.  That creates something of a bind. If we ignore the past, it happens again. If we focus on it too much, it happens again. As so often is the case - and especia...

Square Peg, Round Hole

November 30, 2023 15:26 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MB

Making it work. Getting it done. Powering through the problem. This way of thinking has its value AND it’s also a colossal contributor to the mess that is our world. After all, if someone doesn’t speak a language, talking more slowly and loudly in that language to them, doesn’t work. If you hit an obstacle, backing up and running at it harder MIGHT get you through - but at what cost? In this week’s episode a discussion of what it means to find the way that actually GETS the square peg in...

Does a Bear Sh*t in the Woods?

November 22, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 34.3 MB

Well, I can confirm it’s true. Bears DO sh*t in the woods. I know because I came across a very very very very very fresh pile of bear scat during a hike. The good news - I didn’t step in it. The better news,  though incredibly fresh (and likely meaning the bear wasn’t far off), I didn’t actually meet the bear. The even better news - the whole experience was a great lesson in responsibility, accountability and … cleaning up my sh*t. In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually me...

When Words are Masks

November 08, 2023 17:00 - 10 minutes - 23.7 MB

Advertising is a funny thing. Words and phrases become identified with a brand based on artful and consistent use. “Just do it”. “We love to fly and it shows.” “Where’s the Beef?”  What happens when words feel weaponized? What happens when words that appear to be celebratory or positive have a darker meaning? What happens when words are used to splinter and divide?  What happens? Just turn on the news and you’ll see it. But what happens if we look past the words? A recent experience at a tru...

Rituals - NOT the Creepy Kind

November 01, 2023 16:02 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MB

The word ritual has a lot of weight to it. Its main definition designates it as being about religious ceremony. Pretty sure that’s where my resistance to it comes from. Truth is, though, that ritual doesn’t have to be heavy, or religious. Ritual, having some sort of consistent process or practice, can be a source of comfort, solace and a beautiful way to connect with others. In this week’s episode we explore how the onset of fall is a reminder of powerful rituals - rituals that remind us...

Communication Looking Forward

October 25, 2023 16:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MB

COME ON CATHY LIGHTEN UP! That started out as a CAPS LOCK error, but seemed pretty apropos to keep. So I did, because that was very much on my mind in putting together this week’s episode. How to come from a lighter place in times that feel so darn dark? That’s the key, though, in compassionate communication. So in this week’s episode, an attempt to find not so much levity as a way forward and how that applies to the fierce compassion imperative for radical honesty and communication. In a w...

Finding the Words in Horror

October 18, 2023 22:19 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MB

The last weeks have been trying times for anyone with a pulse. Feelings from fury to fear. People from all walks of life letting fly with words of fury and over-amplified emotion or remaining silent, feeling they have nothing they can say. When someone’s work IS communication that presents an interesting situation. How to enter the conversation and create an upward spiral, a productive direction? This episode doesn’t provide a complete solution, but it does start things in a useful direction...

Power and Peace in Chaotic Times - Judith Rich

October 12, 2023 18:01 - 1 hour - 174 MB

No sooner were we back from hiatus with an episode on minding my own business, boundaries and respect of space, when the world seemed to go even further sideways into hatred. And so, rather than trying to make sense and speak about it, this week - for OUR 100TH EPISODE - it felt appropriate to repeat one of our most powerful episodes — An interview with Transformational Leader, Coach, Mentor and Wise Woman, Dr. Judith Rich. This episode - that dives deeply into living in purpose with hum...

Minding My Own Business ... and Yours.

October 04, 2023 23:06 - 19 minutes - 43.8 MB

WELCOME BACK listeners! After a delicious summer hiatus, Cathy is back with a new season of Talk, Unleashed and kicking off with thoughts that percolated from a recent trip to New York City. The thing that came up? Mind your own @#(*&$ business - and how that, and statements like it, masquerade as “being honest”.  Here’s the thing - it’s not honest. It’s a defense mechanism. Get outta my space. Not exactly what I’d describe as mindful. Granted being in a City that is as jam-packed with human...

What's the Point?

August 09, 2023 22:29 - 8 minutes - 8.05 MB

Being at a loss for words is a rarity for our host. So when she found herself at loose ends for what to talk about this week, suddenly the loss of words became pausing and being still, and in the stillness, the liminal space of a season change, this week’s topic emerged.  In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just letting things fly outta their pie-hole without much care for others, it’s time for some radically authentic conversation. Conscious communicat...

Strong As F*ck

August 02, 2023 17:18 - 10 minutes - 23.3 MB

If clothes make the man (and woman) I wonder what that says about folks who have a penchant for provocative t-shirts. I’ve always been a fan of such things, and over the years have had quite a few shirts and some hats that did just that. What I didn’t expect was that wearing one such shirt in a Wal-Mart in the middle of Virginia would spark a conversation about respect, authenticity and strength. But that’s what happened. Never know where the lessons are going to come and this week it was ai...

Form and Function - Finding Balance

July 27, 2023 00:02 - 10 minutes - 24.6 MB

How do you find ease, flow and comfort in life, go with the flow AND at the same time have some sort of structure, order and plans? If you’re like me the latter can sometimes get in the way, but without it nothing gets done. Thus the conundrum. What I came to and found in this week’s #unleashedtalk is that the key to bringing the two together is based entirely in the language I use - to myself. The things I say in my head, how I talk about what I’m doing and how I define it. In a world wher...

Dr. Judith Rich - Living in Purpose and Humility

July 20, 2023 15:53 - 1 hour - 174 MB

Bold. Fierce. Wise. Just a few of the words that come to mind when thinking about Dr. Judith Rich. Deeply involved in transformational leadership for nearly 50 years as a coach, trainer and mentor, Dr. Rich also is author of the best-selling book “Beyond the Box: Lean Out, Break Free, Rise Up”. In her book, and related podcast “The New Beyond”, Facebook Group and all her teachings, Dr. Rich does more than just talk about how people can change and what the world would be like if they did. S...

Meaning of Goodbye

July 12, 2023 16:00 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MB

Conscious communication. Seems that it should be a no brainer, right? I mean, words coming out of your mouth have to come from somewhere. Thing is, we live in a such a numb world that more often than not words not only have lost their meaning, in many cases they have lost their way. Don’t worry, this isn’t a gloom and doom episode, it’s actually hopefully; because in this week’s episode of #TalkUnleashed Cathy digs into what happens when a specific incident or experience points a spotlight o...

New Metaphors Take Root

June 28, 2023 16:00 - 14 minutes - 32.2 MB

The magic of metaphors. It’s a graceful way to relate, land a message and connect. We all have our favorites, areas that map to our lives. For me the magic trio is ice hockey, dogs, and music (specifically classical and jazz). Since hockey season is now formally over (another hearty HUZZAH for the Vegas Golden Knights on their Stanley Cup Championship), internet algorithms have shifted and are feeding me all kinds of dog and music content. So given the idea that came up for me today I’m wond...

This is Not About Hockey

June 21, 2023 16:00 - 12 minutes - 17.5 MB

This is not about hockey. It’s not even about sports. It’s about what it means to find heart in something entirely unexpected. It’s about what it means to give people hope, healing. That it involves the story of a six-year-old NHL team is kind of besides the point. If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a hot second you know my passion for the Vegas Golden Knights. You also know that hockey, for me, is a metaphor. The lessons in the last weeks have come fast and furious as the 2023 hoc...

Do Not Push

June 14, 2023 16:00 - 15 minutes - 21 MB

The more you resist a thing, the more it persists. That’s a common phrase used in lots of places - transformational coaching, recovery, Eastern philosophy. It’s all about energy, the flow of it. That things have an order and flow. Ever try to rush to do something and it becomes impossibly difficult and then you slow down, breathe and suddenly it flows? Or how about when you are rushing to get out the door and no matter what you do, there are obstacles. Slow your roll and things move smooth a...

Feelings, Nothing More Than ... What the???

June 07, 2023 16:00 - 17 minutes - 39.2 MB

We all have them. Feelings. Learning how to have them without having them ON other people seems to be a much lacking skillset in the world these days. Lots of effusive display (especially on social media) but how connected is it to real emotion? How authentic is it, really? That’s where I go this week. What does leadership actually mean in today’s world? Good question. That’s what Cathy Brooks thought. And it’s why she created Talk, Unleashed – a new podcast of radically honest conversation...

Stacy Kehren Idema: Breaking the Cycle, Breaking the Chains

May 31, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 146 MB

The conversation, sadly, isn’t new. There is, though, a collection of very powerful influencers who are committed to changing it. The conversation I’m talking about? The colossal inequity facing women when it comes to seeking venture funding for their startups. It seems an impossible task - shifting a paradigm that’s existed for decades. The key word there, it “seems” impossible. It isn’t “actually” impossible. And when you meet someone like Stacy Kehren Idema you get the real feeling that ...

Death and Yoga

May 24, 2023 16:00 - 13 minutes - 18.2 MB

The topic sounds serious, right? Death. Week. Truth is, we folks in western culture seem to have this fear-based relationship with death. What if it’s not scary? What if it’s just about shifting from one place to another and what if as we approach it, the veil between the two draws thin enough that we can be in both? Haven’t had a near death experience, thankfully, but I have had some experiences of folks who are further along towards that veil and I gotta say, there is something to it. With...

What is Consciousness

May 17, 2023 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MB

Lots of talk about consciousness and the seemingly serious lack of it around these days. Can’t say that I overall disagree, but having just spent a week in Paris, primarily for a conference specifically focused on bringing ancient “technology” of indigenous culture to create a more conscious business world, gotta say there’s some real movement.  The event was PAUA Paris 2023 and I had the great honor of curating and hosting the very first StartUp Award Showcase for the event. Over 40 compan...

Can't Get There From Here

May 10, 2023 16:00 - 17 minutes - 23.6 MB

If I do what I’ve always done. I’ll get what I always gets. Bet you’ve heard that before. It’s a pretty solid perspective on why it’s important to break beyond usual convention, try new things and stretch into uncomfortable places in order to truly rise to the next level of … whatever. It’s bigger than that, though. There are two thoughts in particular that came up for me this week: The first is around the practice of adapting even the most mundane and habitual activities so that there’s a...

Talking About Feelings

May 03, 2023 16:00 - 11 minutes - 15.2 MB

Nothing like getting an inspired thought while in the shower, and jumping out buck naked to record a podcast episode about it.  Okay, so I wrapped myself in a towel first (it was a little chilly). You’re welcome for the visual.  What was that important? I’ve been spending a lot of time going through some emotional excavation and in the process finding myself thinking about my feelings. It occurred to me that it was precisely the wrong thing to do. In fact it’s precisely the opposite of wha...

Go With the Flow

April 26, 2023 16:00 - 11 minutes - 27.2 MB

So I’m a results gal. Always have been. Made a career of it, actually. Nearly ground myself to a nub in the process. Taking a break to work with dogs, I thought was going to be the new path entirely. Turns out that it was that work, and getting to be really clear about what it means to be in the flow of an intention, in the process of creation and not letting the output (goal) muddy the path.  I’ve been spending some time consuming lots of content about neuroscience, the science of positive...

No Short Cuts

April 19, 2023 16:00 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MB

In our instant gratification, short attention span world there’s SO much effort spent on efficiency, streamlining and using technology to replace or speed things up. In some ways that’s great. Overall, though, especially when it comes to the things that make us human, it’s a load of horseshit.  Specifically, you cannot rush a relationship with another human being. That being said, it actually *doesn’t* take long to establish a meaningful connection with another person, but that’s assuming t...

What is Real(ity)?

April 12, 2023 16:30 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MB

What is real? I’m reminded of that question in a favorite children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit. That story tells that being “real” is about being loved, well-worn, and so authentically connected that being messy is more than just okay, it’s guaranteed. So what of today’s world? What of this time when Artificial Intelligence is the hottest topic of discussion? In a Twitter chat with my friend Philip Rosedale he posited that it’s about people becoming “comfortable” speaking and being as avata...

Spring

April 05, 2023 16:00 - 17 minutes - 40.4 MB

Transitions. It’s amazing how nature has them. More odd that we humans seem so set on homogenizing everything. All things the same. Taking one place and whitewashing another with it. Missing the point entirely about exploration and discovery. What gives rise to the perspective? Being in a place where Spring is a real, actual thing. There’s a deep sense of transition and evolution to something new. That I’m here from a place where stark separation is more the norm, I’d forgotten. Funny that. ...

Trust

March 29, 2023 16:00 - 14 minutes - 19.3 MB

Funny thing, trust. Seems that people believe it is built and grown over time. Truth is, trust is binary. It is or isn’t. Kinda like being pregnant. Inspired by this blog post from my friend Loic LeMeur I decided this week to dig into the crux of where trust lies - with oneself.  In a world where we can no longer necessarily trust even what we see (frightening and powerful images that caught my eye this week were 100% generated by AI) if I can trust ME, at least I have a foundation. So on an...

Puck You

March 22, 2023 16:00 - 14 minutes - 20.6 MB

Oops. Well, for the first time in over a year - I dropped the ball. Okay, in the case of this week's episode, the puck. Guess that's fitting given the general theme this week. DON'T BE SO FUCKING SERIOUS. Took a minute and looked back at the most recent episodes and ... holy shit. It's been a heavy and serious ride this year so far. I mean, makes sense. It's been a tectonic time and I share what's going on and the lessons that arise. The lesson this week? Sometimes you gotta take a breath,...

Honesty

March 15, 2023 16:00 - 10 minutes - 13.9 MB

Do or do not. There is no try. And that, friends, could be all I need to say when it comes to honesty. Do or do not. There is no try. There is no “brutal” honesty. There is no qualifier in front of it. You are, or aren’t. There is, however, something called discretion. There is a time when unvarnished, forthright communication gets to be tempered, consider the context and whether the person is in a place to hear the information. That said, the other thing that came up for me this week around...

International Women's Day - Taking a Stand

March 08, 2023 16:54 - 16 minutes - 22.9 MB

Hate is an interesting thing. The immediate reaction of response is defensive, right? And in my experience that defensive energy comes with its own level of reciprocal hate. Perhaps different words or intention. Perhaps justified as necessary because it’s protective, but hate all the same. And thus the cycle of hate is perpetuated. In this week’s podcast, a close look at a very personal example of this in my own life - an example that took place 7 years ago this week. For more details on tha...

The War of Northern Aggression

March 01, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 20.4 MB

If we do not pay attention to the past, we are bound to repeat it, right? Well, sometimes paying too much attention isn’t good either. I mean, when driving a car it’s best to look forward through the windshield AND ensure that you pay some mind to the side and rear mirrors to be clear on what’s going on behind you. To be aware. To avoid problems. Thing is, the view I have from my rearview mirror is different than what someone sees in another car. Same thing for the windshield, actually. And ...

Don't Talk to Strangers

February 22, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MB

There are likely few who haven’t heard the warning at some point when they were young. “Don’t talk to strangers.” It’s not an altogether unusual premise. There are some logical dangers in the world of which to be aware. AND at the same time creating a fear-based view of the world doesn’t exactly do us any favors. The irony is that if I move around the world with intention and belief of fear, I end up creating the very situations that I fear. Odd how energy works that way. Top that off with t...

Haters (Not) Gonna Hate

February 15, 2023 17:00 - 23 minutes - 32 MB

On any list of criteria for people in my life you’d think “must love dogs” would be top of the list. You wouldn’t be wrong. That said, there are people in my life who don’t particularly care for them. Some of them had bad experiences as kids. Others are allergic. And some just don’t like them much. They’ll tolerate well behaved dogs but generally speaking given a choice they’d rather not have dogs around. What they don’t do is HATE dogs. Hate, it’s a substantive word that has a lot of heat t...

Beaver

February 08, 2023 17:00 - 16 minutes - 22.2 MB

Home. It’s a four-letter word that brings up a lot of things. As a gal who was voted “most likely to move away and never come back” in high school, the idea of home has never been about a birthplace. Okay so I wasn’t actually voted that, but I never felt like Philadelphia fit. Odd to say, considering it’s where I was born and spent the first 18 years of my life. Went away to college and loved Chicago, but that never felt like home either. The feeling of home, truly solid feeling of it, didn’...

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