Best Caroline Potter Podcasts (2024)

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Ep. #246: Collaboration Is a Curiosity Practice, with Gregg Potter 28:00

13h ago28:00

28:00

Once you know it, you see it everywhere. Ever since Gregg Potter put collaboration on my curiosity radar, I'm seeing it in everything.Gregg is a collaboration coach and founder and executive director of the International Institute on Collaboration. He knows a thing or two about how people work together toward shared objectives -- whether they think…

1
Ep. #245: Curiosity Promotes Biodiversity, with Carolin Sommer-Trembo 28:00

17h ago28:00

28:00

Curiosity, biodiversity, rewilding -- these are the exciting places Carolin Sommer-Trembo Ph.D. takes us today.Carolin is an evolutionary biologist. Her big goal is to focus attention on animal behavior as it effects evolution and biodiversity. To get there, she has studied curiosity in cichlid fish in Africa's Lake Tanganyika, combining some good …

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Ep. #244: Curiosity, Stories & Belonging, with Kiran Singh Sirah 28:00

1d ago28:00

28:00

I could listen to peace-builder and story-teller Kiran Singh Sirah all day.Not because he's a gifted and generous story-teller -- he most certainly is -- but because his world view is so encompassing, so uplifting, so empowering. So beautiful.Our conversation about curiosity, stories and belonging gets to the heart of who we are as humans, and what…

1
Episode 14: Storm of Steel with My Friend Salv 1:05:33

9h ago1:05:33

1:05:33

Who knew a direct translation trench warfare WWI memoir could be so fascinating? Certainly anyone who knows anything about WWI, including my friend Salv. In this episode, we chat about the complicated Ernst Junger and his seminal WWI masterpiece “Storm of Steel”, including what the trenches were really like, what heroism is, and asking ourselves: h…

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Ep. #243: Morbid Curiosity & Conspiracy Theories, with Joe Stubbersfield 28:00

15d ago28:00

28:00

We all want to understand the world around us, but sometimes our curiosity can lead us down some strange paths.Dr. Joe Stubbersfield is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Winchester in the UK. He's curious about how our various stories and narratives might shape -- and are shaped by -- our curiosity.Joe has researched how morbid c…

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Ep. #242: Social Enterprise: Curiosity, Innovation & Purpose, with Timothy D. Craggette 28:00

22d ago28:00

28:00

I'm intrigued by the concept of social enterprises -- businesses with a sense of purpose larger than themselves.Timothy D. Craggette is founder and Chief Education Officer of NAASBI, The National Association for the Advancement of Small Business Innovation. He trains business owners and supports small business innovation through the association and…

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Ep. #241: Curiosity, Tiny Experiments & Liminal Space, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff 28:00

20d ago28:00

28:00

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a Choose to Be Curious trifecta: researcher, theoretician -- and practitioner. A neuroscientist and deep thinker about the personal and social implications of our curiosity, she conducts tiny experiments to focus closely on how we use our time and energy to best effect.Anne-Laure is the founder of Ness Labs, a collective plat…

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Episode 13: The Clan of the Cave Bear with My Sister Moselle 55:58

21d ago55:58

55:58

“Girl Dinner” gets a whole new meaning in Jean M. Auel’s 1980 “Clan of the Cave Bear”, where my lil’ sister Moselle and I serve up tasty morsels such as what makes a GOOD villain, Mary-Sue-isms, and a Neanderthal delicacy: ptarmigan stuffed with its own eggs. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/brokenspinesc/…

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Episode 12: Less Than Zero with My Cousin Friend Jona 1:00:51

28d ago1:00:51

1:00:51

EPISODE 12: Less Than Zero with My Cousin Friend, Jona My cousin-friend (and former pod co-host!) Jona and I dive into the wild world of Brett Easton Ellis to discuss his debut novel, Less Than Zero. A fascinating and disturbing look at the world of the 1980's LA elite, Less Than Zero is equal parts literary masterpiece and chaos-riddled teen drama…

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Ep. #240: A Mile in Their Shoes: A River Runs through Us 28:00

29d ago28:00

28:00

What do people who know and appreciate a place deeply see that I might not? The Mount Vernon Trail winds its way along the river, a combination national park and major commuter artery. It's a place I find myself frequently and I wondered: what am I not seeing in this place that is so familiar?The Trail is there because the Potomac River is there, a…

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Ep. #239: Identity & the Grace of Curiosity, with Annabelle Tometich 28:00

1M ago28:00

28:00

Annabelle Tometich -- writer, editor, former food critic and now author -- joins me to explore the tricky, high-traffic intersection of identity and curiosity.Who gets to decide identity? How do we determine our own, let alone someone else's, identity? How might we allow ourselves and others a little grace to figure these things out?Find Annabelle …

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Episode 11: Night Watch with My Boss Cathal 1:04:41

1M ago1:04:41

1:04:41

Time travel, fantasy, and humor combine when my former boss (and friend) Cathal and I sit down to fish for a brand sponsorship from Mythology Whiskey. Oh yeah, we also discuss Terry Pratchett’s powerhouse fantasy-cop satire, “Night Watch”, the 29th installment of the beloved Discworld series. We chat moral v. legal justice, the role of parody in ge…

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Ep. #238: Unflinching Empathy & Putting Our Trust in Curiosity, with Rachel Kadish 28:00

2M ago28:00

28:00

"Curiosity is fundamental to writing and to everything that I treasure," said writer Rachel Kadish as we opened our conversation. Hard to imagine, but it just kept getting better from there...Inspired by her New York Times opinion essay on teaching writers to seek "unflinching empathy", I invited her to join me for a conversation about putting our …

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Ep. #237: Curiosity at Work: A Swedish Perspective, with Peder Söderlind 28:00

2M ago28:00

28:00

Peder Söderlind describes himself as a Swedish author, researcher and entrepreneur, but I believes he's an important emerging curiosity theorist. His writing and thinking on the topic are rich in all the best ways -- evocative, provocative, constructive.Our conversation moved from "local, difficult, and meaningful" problems for keeping our minds cu…

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Episode 10: Me, Myself, & I: A Solo Episode! 46:29

2M ago46:29

46:29

It’s me and me alone this week to give you my H1 Reading Review! On a mission for more Moshfegh, I review Lauren Groff’s “Matrix”, Rachel Yoder’s “Nightbitch”, and Mona Awad’s “All’s Well”, in addition to giving my listeners some QT with me. Let’s chat all things reading, writing, and more in my first (but not last!) solo episode!! INSTAGRAM: https…

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Episode 9: Childhood's End with My Cousin Ben 1:02:44

2M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

EPISODE 9: Childhood’s End with My Cousin Ben My cousin Ben and I chat about one of the greatest sci-fi classics of our time: Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. In addition to discussing what the end of days and The Wild Thornberrys have in common, Ben and I take a look at the beauty of sci-fi (and Clarke, specifically) to open up the box when it…

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Ep. #236: Images of Curiosity: Visual & Domain-Specific, with Emily Peterson 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

Can we capture what makes us curious? Where does our curiosity cross into confusion, or frustration? Can we place it? Might we experience it in one domain, but not another?These are the kinds of questions that animate the work of Emily Grossnickle Peterson, Ph.D., director of the Educational Neuroscience Lab at American University.Years after first…

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Ep. #235: Inviting Curiosity by Design, with Cassini Nazir 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

Can curiosity be meaingfully infused into design processes? Cassini Nazir thinks so.From curiosity journals to bookmarks and Valentine's Day celebrations, he's full of ideas about how to invite curiosity in, by design.Cassini Nazir teaches interaction design and user experience courses in the College of Visual Arts and Design at University of North…

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Episode 8: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with My Oldest Friend Kelly, Pt. 2 39:27

3M ago39:27

39:27

EPISODE 8: Harry Potter AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE with My Oldest friend Kelly, Pt 2 I’m back with my oldest pal Kelly to finish up our chat on Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Last week, we tackled JK Rowling. This week, cancel culture, the cottage industry supporting Pottermania on their terms, and where exactly the Iron Curtain falls in the Wiza…

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Ep. #234: Tips for Wanderers, with Andréa Seiger 28:00

2M ago28:00

28:00

Summer's coming. Time to take that curiosity out for a little spin!Whether you're traveling far from home or enjoying a little "staycation," author, tour manager and explorer extraordinaire Andréa Seiger has tips for getting the most of your adventures.Why visit cemeteries, science associations and bus stops? Can you smell green? What do your knees…

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Episode 7, Part 1: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with My Oldest Friend, Kelly 51:38

3M ago51:38

51:38

EPISODE 7 PT 1: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with My Oldest friend, Kelly What do crying at Sidney High School Prom 2010 and JK Rowling have in common? My oldest friend Kelly Whipple makes me feel better about both of them! Today is just one helping of a fun convo on all things Pottermania - from JK Rowling’s fall from grace to #justiceforsn…

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Ep. #233: Curiosity & Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense, with Saul Perlmutter 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

"We live in an experimenting society" Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter reassures us, "The fact that we can use partial information and do better is actually one of our superpowers."Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell and Robert MacCoun takes the optimism and tools of science and helps us …

1
Episode 6: The Book of Hope with My Friend Caroline 54:04

3M ago54:04

54:04

Believe it or not, naturalist and conservationist Jane Goodall gives me and my friend Caroline lots of reasons to hope...including but not limited to popsicle flavored Liquid IV, the eternal joy of reading, and the possibility of a Goodall-Attenborough kiss??? all this and more in this week’s episode on Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams’s “The book o…

1
EP. #232: Beautiful Questions, with Warren Berger 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

It’s been ten years since self-described “questionologist" Warren Berger first published his best-selling book A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas.Now, more than ever, we need the power and importance of thoughtful — and, as he would say: beautiful — questions.And what of the intersection of curiosity and que…

1
Episode 5: The Third Policeman with My Husband Maurice 1:00:11

3M ago1:00:11

1:00:11

Can a ghost story be funny? If you’re twentieth-century Irish writer Flann O’Brien, the answer might just be yes...as long as it’s mixed with a healthy dose of absurdism and existential angst. speaking of healthy dose...lots of sap incoming in this week’s episode where i sit down with my beloved husband to chat about Flann O’Brien’s “The Third Poli…

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Ep. #231: The Moore Foundation's Curiosity-Driven Science Initiative, with Janet Coffey 28:00

4M ago28:00

28:00

I came across the heading "DISCOVERY MATTERS" as I dug around the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation's website and I knew I was on to something.Janet Coffey, Ph.D., directs the Moore Foundation's Curiosity-Driven Science Initiative. She aims to enhance opportunities for active public engagement with science as a means to help cultivate a curious and…

1
Episode 4: Children of Time with My Friend Ross 1:01:07

4M ago1:01:07

1:01:07

EPISODE FOUR: Children of Time with My Friend Ross A planet of hyper-intelligent super-spiders…your worst nightmare, or humanity’s last hope? This is the question author Adrian Tchaikovsky asks and my friend Ross and I attempt to answer, along with trebuchet talk, RPG writing, and more in this week’s episode of Broken Spine Social Club! Don’t forge…

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Ep. #230: The Ask Approach with Jeff Wetzler 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

In his new and surprisingly uplifting book ASK:Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life, Jeff Wetzler distills the many lessons he’s learned into a curiosity-centric approach – “The Ask Approach” – that offers a way for all of us to tap into our desire for connection and into the wisdom hid…

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Episode 3: The Remains of the Day with My Writer Friend Zaza 1:00:11

4M ago1:00:11

1:00:11

Two girls with very little dignity of their own sit down to chat about longing, remorse, love, and just how far you can push a good woman before she puts an end to your cocoa evenings. All this and more in this week’s episode, where I sit down with my writer friend Zaza to chat about the outstanding Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day”. Don't …

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Ep. #229: Literary Agent Kayla Lightner Is Looking for Fearless Curiosity 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

A few months ago, I got a text message from a friend: “I’m at a writing conference,” she typed, “listening to a panel of agents answer the question 'What are you looking for?' Kayla’s answer began: 'I’m looking for fearless curiosity.'”Kayla Lightner is a writer and a literary agent with Ayesha Panda Literary. Together we explored how she knows "fe…

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Episode 2: The Alchemist with My Friend Britt 48:28

4M ago48:28

48:28

What’s your personal legend? Because if you avoided playdates to read about horses in your closet...you might just be on the path to becoming a jockey, like my friend Britt. Spiritual pathways, coming home again, and which “The Summer I Turned Pretty” brother is hotter - all this and more in this week’s episode as Britt and I chat about 'The Alchem…

1
Ep. #228: Wrestling with Questions, with Ken Woodward 28:00

4M ago28:00

28:00

We talk a lot about questions here on Choose to Be Curious. But talking about questions is one thing, really wresting with them is another.Ken Woodward not only curates questions, he leans into them. Big time. And that has changed his life in ways large and small that are an inspiration to me. I think they will be for you, as well.“Wrestling with t…

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Episode 1: A Court of Silver Flames with my Best Friend Sarah 49:59

4M ago49:59

49:59

Can fairy smut heal trauma? How many centuries does it take a man to become a supportive partner? SJM and Margot Robbie...friends or potential collaborators? This week, my best friend Sarah and I chat all things ‘A Court of Silver Flames’, fifth book of the internet-breaking romantacy A Court of Thorns and Roses series! Don't forget to subscribe an…

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Broken Spine Social Club Trailer 0:59

4M ago0:59

0:59

Howdy, I'm Zoe. Reader, writer, friend. Welcome to Broken Spine Social Club. I spend a lot of time talking about what I like to read, and on Broken Spine Social Club, I sit down with the people in my life to chat about their favorite books. No book is off limits, and from high modernism to high fantasy, we cover it all, getting to the heart of what…

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Ep. #227: A Mile in Their Shoes: Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail 28:00

4M ago28:00

28:00

The first in a series: looking at a place from multiple perspectives. I call it "A Mile in Their Shoes". We begin with people who have chosen to care for a bit of the Earth, the big-hearted, hard-working, fun-loving Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail. They have found community, purpose and lots to be curious about...Check out Friends of the Mount Ve…

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Ep. #226: Foraging: Curiosity & Dancing with Nature, with Tama Matsuoka Wong 28:00

5M ago28:00

28:00

I’ve been thinking that foraging – going from place to place looking for things one can eat – is a lot like the sampling and prioritizing of information gathering that neuroscientists are studying, just applied to things many of us readily dismiss as "weeds".Tama Matsuoka Wong is a finance lawyer turned professional forager. She got curious about t…

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Ep. #225: A Special Alchemy: Curiosity, Empathy & Social Media, with Dr. Ben Rein 28:00

4M ago28:00

28:00

Today’s conversation with Ben Rein, PhD is a Choose to be Curious trifecta: a neuroscientist, who studies empathy, has devoted himself to science communication, and willingly stands in the chaotic swirl where curiosity can go weirdly very awry.Ben is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Robert Malenka's lab at Stanford University and a science communic…

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Ep. #224: Curiosity, Community Radio & Choosing to Trust, with Katya Gordon 28:00

5M ago28:00

28:00

Author, journalist, sailor and community radio host Katya Gordon says radio pulls together everything she believes in: a shared purpose, old fashioned connection to one another, a vast array of differing ideas and priorities, and plain old hard work and commitment. We had a lovely and candid conversation about curiosity, spirituality, our many medi…

1
Sir Mark Elder 44:20

5M ago44:20

44:20

Tom Service talks to Sir Mark Elder about the legacy that he is leaving behind him after 24 years as Music Director at the Hallé Orchestra. He talks to Tom about Charles Hallé and his mission to set up an orchestra for all the people of Manchester, and how his ethos is still central to the orchestra today. Not only has mark Elder evolved the sound …

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EP. #223: The Social Side of Curiosity at Work, with Phil Thompson PhD 28:00

5M ago28:00

28:00

Business and popular magazines are riddled with assurances that the best leaders are curious. That where curiosity goes, success will follow. I blithely encourage people to “choose to be curious.”But the truth is: it isn’t that simple.There is some skill involved. And, not surprisingly, more than a few social constructs.So, today we’re digging into…

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Ep. #222: Lessons in Curiosity from CreativeMornings with Regina Buono & Jess Whalen 28:00

6M ago28:00

28:00

Do you have things you do, with any regularity, that feed your curious soul? Things that you just know will energize and enliven your day, your week, your whole month?You should. They make a difference.Allow me to introduce you to CreativeMorning, a global network of monthly breakfast gatherings "for the creative community" -- meaning: for you, me,…

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Aurora Orchestra's Winterreise, Kerry Andrew, and Women at the Piano 44:26

6M ago44:26

44:26

Tom Service talks to pianist and writer, Susan Tomes, about her new book Women and the Piano - a History in 50 Lives. Those lives include well-known names today, from Clara Schumann to Nina Simone, but also many women like Marianne Martinez who have been eclipsed from previous histories of pianists. Tom and Susan discuss how women went from being t…

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Ep. #221: Seeing LIke a Location Scout, with Aaron Hurvitz 28:00

6M ago28:00

28:00

What might the rest of us learn from someone whose job it is to observe places really closely?I met movie location scout Aaron Hurvitz at a wedding last summer and immediately thought (1) cool suit, and (2) interesting job – seems like a curiosity enterprise to me! Aaron’s location scouting credits include Joker, West Side Story, Indiana Jones and …

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Joyce DiDonato, Caroline Potter on Boulez, Szymanowski's Harnasie 44:24

6M ago44:24

44:24

Presented by Tom Service. This week, Tom talks to the American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato about her life in music, and her creative mission to challenge the status quo. From her work in refugee camps, to her long relationship with the maximum security prison SingSing in New York State, as well as in concert halls and opera stages, DiDonato confou…

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Ep. #220: Superpower: Curiosity & Athletic Performance, with Addie Bracy 28:00

6M ago28:00

28:00

Addie Bracy is a professional ultra trail runner, coach, and sport psychology consultant. She helps athletes of all ages and abilities to prepare for the mental demands of competing. She says curiosity is key.Check out Addie Bracy here: https://www.strivementalperformance.comTheme music by Sean Balick; “Glass Runner" by Marble Run, via Blue Dot Ses…

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Jeremy Denk and Missy Mazzoli 43:58

6M ago43:58

43:58

Sara Mohr-Pietsch talks to renowned American pianist, Jeremy Denk, ahead of his Wigmore Hall recital of Bach Partitas. He discusses his passion for Bach and the profound impact and connection he has when he plays his music. Sara talks to Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli ahead of the day-long immersion into her work with the BBC Symphony Orch…

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Ep. #219: Curiosity in Work, Life, Politics & Sports, with Matt Rogers 28:00

6M ago28:00

28:00

Matt Rogers is a political strategist by profession and nature. I wondered what insights he might have about how curiosity shows up in politics. More than anything else, this ended up being a conversation about the risks of incuriosity. Matt sees the dangers for his beloved Eagles, in his experience as a political candidate, and in personal relatio…

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Ep. #218: Curiosity & Brain Health, with Dr. Julie Fratantoni 28:00

7M ago28:00

28:00

The folks at The Center of Brain Health at the University of Texas, Dallas, want to empower people to be the architects of their own brains.At the heart of the the Center's work is the science of neuroplasticity – that our brains are works in progress, capable of remarkable continuous growth and strengthening.How might curiosity contribute? Dr. Jul…

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Anna Meredith, Igor Levit 44:04

7M ago44:04

44:04

Tom Service talks to composer Anna Meredith as her soundtrack to the poetic British film The End We Start From, and starring Jodie Comer, is featuring in cinemas across the UK. She talks in detail about the compositional process; from the very beginning as she hums a tune and records it onto her phone, to the workings required to produce music that…

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Ep. #217: Ten Thousand Friends, with Rob Lawless 28:00

7M ago28:00

28:00

Rob Lawless has set himself the goal of having one-on-one, hour-long conversations with ten thousand people. He has four conversations a day, which he carefully documents on Instagram. I was #6041.If ever there were a curiosity enterprise, this is it.You, too, can be one of Rob's Ten Thousand Friends. Reach him at @robs10kfriends on Instagram. Tell…

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Caroline Potter Podcasts

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