It's finally happening! If you know the name Cynthia Richards, you know this is going to an Oprah-level episode (seriously, she gives me so many glow ups, it's nutty). Cynthia is a powerhouse of inspiration, who co-founded the events agency Event Spectrum (Hi Zora!). Here, she shows how some of the indelible ideas of connection are STILL essential …

Julie Gropp is my energy doppelgänger, so you know that's going to be trouble. Be sure to turn your radio down a tick or two to capture all the super insight of someone who knows who to practically de-escalate and break into the brains of those she works with. If you like real world mental health, this is your episode. Segment 01 - Mental Clutter O…

The Second Part in our Identity Crisis Cinema Trilogy The first rule of FIGHT CLUB show notes... Catchup on last year's Movie Book Club from Quentin Tarantino's CINEMA SPECULATION! Follow along at our Patreon page as once a month (although sometimes more) we read AND watch films from 1999 for BEST MOVIE YEAR EVER by Brian Raftery! Threads/Twit…

Every time I talk to Brandy Ryan, our 15 minute scheduled call turns into 90...and we have to force ourselves to stop talking to one another. She's just that engaging, interesting and empathetic. Brandy Ryan is a Creative Director who really really really takes the care and time to understand audiences. On this show, she shares great ideas on how s…

Straight up - this is a powerful and emotional episode. I met Beth at an event in San Diego earlier this year. She was a standout panelist, and I asked her if she'd like to hang out on the show. What she shares in this episode is intensely personal. From a must-read book (even if you don't work in events) to a wonderful relationship with her dad, y…

If you have a buck instead of a book you too can time travel with us back to 1999! As usual one host works in a comic book origin story for AMERICAN BEAUTY as part of a clever ruse to avoid talking about Kevin Spacey in one of his Oscar-winning performances. The other host talks about aging out of being Mena Suvari's peer to Annette Bening. There i…

The First Part in our Identity Crisis Cinema Trilogy If ever we have an identity crisis we can only hope to handle it with as much charm as Audrey Hepburn or Cary Grant. Instead you get us. And that ONCE AGAIN involves us comparing ourselves once again to Paul Giamatti's character in SIDEWAYS. So... as far from Ms. Hepburn and Mr. Grant as you can …

If you have a buck instead of a book you too can time travel with us back to 1999! In which the comparisons to AMERICAN PIE never end but at least it wasn't forced into a trilogy on Taye Diggs ALMOST ruining a wedding. That may have been us playing the part of Mr. Diggs by ruining two great slice-of-life comedies from the Best Movie Year Ever of 19…

A podcast about learning to be a great modern leader. Alison talks to some inspiring leaders about the lessons they've learned that we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode, Alison talks to the talented Jonah Disend, founder of LA-based production company Complementary Colors. Jonah's career took him from adverti…

A special bonus episode for the latest funny book on film! In true DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE fashion are we pandering by featuring this latest MCU joint without a proper trilogy in theory? Or are we doing everyone a favor by NOT trying to force two other innocent bystander films in to a discussion on a silly superhero played by a very silly Ryan Reynold…

The Third Part in our Mask of the Doctor Trilogy We finish our trilogy on masks of doctors (although that comes into question by the end of the episode) by starting with comparing our podcast to FRIENDS or SEINFELD and every other podcast is the 9:30 sitcom that everyone hate watched until ER started. In some regard THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is seen as…

The Second Part in our Mask of the Doctor Trilogy This episode is uncomfortable but we assure you that we are no longer talking about the AMERICAN PIE saga. Catchup on last year's Movie Book Club from Quentin Tarantino's CINEMA SPECULATION! Follow along at our Patreon page as once a month (although sometimes more) we read AND watch films from …

The First Part in our Mask of the Doctor Trilogy We couldn't let July end without a little Hallmark-like summer Christmas celebration by continuing our summer sexcapade! For this combination of highly specific events one most to go the master of the cinema. Kubrick. Cruise. Kidman. You know who isn't included in that list? Nolan! For that you must …

A podcast about learning to be a great modern leader. Alison talks to some inspiring leaders about the useful lessons they've learned that we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode, Alison catches up with the impressive yet accessible leader, Bill Scott. Bill is MD of Accenture Song, CEO of Droga5 London and a per…

The Third Part in our Sex Pact Trilogy The only climax one could expect from our trilogy on a sex pact among friends would have to involve two former sitcom stars in Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis who are... SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. But mainly we want them to sleep with each other (if not us, of course) in this lovely romcom from Leslye Headland…

The Second Part in our Sex Pact Trilogy Happy Fourth of July with one of your hosts stranger holiday traditions (we'll get to EYES WIDE SHUT every Christmas very soon) with the auteur Will Gluck's FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. And while spending America's birthday with Jenna Elfman and Richard Jenkins doesn't sound particularly sexy (though delightful!) t…

The First Part in our Sex Pact Trilogy For our latest trilogy we make a sex pact. Not with each other but with three films on films where friends take "the next step" together. Unfortunately for our first entry in AMERICAN PIE it's the likes of Jason Biggs and Chris Klein awkwardly making these moves on the likes of the Alyson Hannigan and Mean Suv…

If you have a buck instead of a book you too can time travel with us back to 1999! Toni Collette should have won an Oscar for and Bruce Willis at his best in THE SIXTH SENSE! This is the episode where we do not trash a universally loved modern classic ("modern" so we don't feel so old on this film's twenty-fifth anniversary) HOWEVER... the show doe…

The Third Part in our Driving with Death Trilogy Although David Lynch's THE STRAIGHT STORY didn't make the cut for our Book Club (shame on you Best Movie Year Ever!) but it's better than END OF DAYS (another strange omission from the book on 1999 in film) and so it gets to be included in a proper trilogy. On the definitive movie podcast on movie tr…

Wendy Porter sees opportunity just about everywhere. And she seems to have a knack for converting those opportunities into special things – events, businesses and one-of-a-kind of experiences. Get a front row seat on HOW she does that in this week's Gamechanger edition of The Playbook: Segment 01 – First Event "You can put on an event, right?" A ha…

The Second Part in our Driving with Death Trilogy They don't make them like they used to. Because every movie coming out now Is. Simply. Not. SPEED. From the auteur Jan de Bone we were introduced to the next great Hollywood star in Sandra Bullock (apologies to DEMOLITION MAN) and Keanu was anointed as The Next Great Action Star (though THE MATRIX a…

The First Part in our Driving with Death Trilogy We open with an attack on Star Wars and then quickly move to expressing annoyance at the auteur Nicolas Winding Refn's interview style. Populist and independent cinema... no one is safe with us! Much like the characters in William Friedkin's SORCERER. Just a bunch of dudes driving through the jungle …

A podcast about learning to be a great modern leader. Alison talks to some inspiring leaders about the useful lessons they've learned that we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode, Alison speaks to the much loved and admired leader Rhonda George-Denniston. Rhonda is the Chief Learning and Development Officer for …

If you have a buck instead of a book you too can time travel with us back to 1999! The renaissance of Brendan Fraser as a beloved actor owes a lot to his crowd-pleasing adventures with Rachel Weisz in THE MUMMY; a movie better than it has any right to be and one that your hosts thought of themselves as too cool for upon initial release. Twenty-five…

"Oh, there's a lot of opportunities, if you know when to take them, you know?" What do the Pet Shop Boys and really pretty journals have in common? The answer is event planner and creative explorer Micki Lubek. Micki is one of the most interesting writers I’ve personally come across over the past couple of years. And now…I find out what makes her s…

You know that one person in your industry who decided to push the limits, and became a superstar around the world? In my industry, that's Christian Chenier. He went from doing great work in Toronto, to doing great work with The Blue Man Group, NBC/Universal and the recent Luna Luna installation in L.A. (not to mention stops with Broadway shows and …

A podcast about learning to lead now. Alison talks to some inspiring leaders about what modern leadership means to them and the useful lessons they’ve learned that we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode Alison talks to mindfulness pioneer, author and coach Michael Chaskalson about how a mindfulness practice can…

Bring your attention to your breath in this grounding, calming ten minute guided meditation with mindfulness pioneer and coach Michael Chaskalson, recorded especially for Made Not Born.By Alison Chadwick

The Fall Guy (Drive before Get Shorty) We explore the earnest love of stuntmen across three different films with three different voices (excusing the tenor of the horrific host) as Alexis of TRASHWIRE helps us perform a box-office autopsy on the delightful THE FALL GUY but only AFTER Dan of GET REEL MOVIES looks back with some nostalgia (and good m…

Premonitions of Doom But Not Gloom A lot of people waited for the Netflix debut of MADAME WEB. Perhaps they heard a negative thing or two about this Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney team-up but as well-regarded tastemakers we will officially decide the film's fate. First we establish our nerd credentials with Web of TRILOGY IN THEORY discussing Ed…

The Third Part in our Liam Neeson is a Short-Term Mentor When a podcast host programs a Batman movie for a his co-host who usually shows up to record in a Batman t-shirt he expects a little more respect shown to BATMAN BEGINS! Alas, this is an episode in which one man's hatred of Christopher Nolan is put to the test when combined with his love of T…

A podcast about learning to be a great modern leader. Alison talks to some inspiring leaders about the useful lessons they've learned that we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode, Alison speaks to the effervescent Amy Ferguson all the way from NYC. Amy is the newly-appointed Partner and CCO of Special U.S. with …

The Second Part in our Liam Neeson is a Short-Term-Mentor We dare to go after the great Martin Scorsese. And also Cameron Diaz. Catchup on last year's Movie Book Club from Quentin Tarantino's CINEMA SPECULATION! Follow along at our Patreon page as once a month (although sometimes more) we read AND watch films from 1999 for BEST MOVIE YEAR EVER…

A Gathering of Not-So-Nice People Some might say that includes this very podcast. Jerks would say that as Jairo of the True Bromance Film Podcast, Chris of Following Films and Bernadette of Australia and audio messages join the show to discuss three films about collecting the unkind to do unkind things to them. Some might say that the host has just…

Health advice...that feels different. I've interviewed Dr. Heather Denniston three times over the past few months, and each time I have...I've learned something completely unexpected. Want to build a better life for yourself? This is an eye opening episode, where Heather shares the four things that changed her game. Segment 01 - Forced independence…

The First Part in our Liam Neeson is a Short-Term Mentor Trilogy How did one podcaster spend his May the Fourth? By running out on his sleeping family for a late night twenty-fifth anniversary screening of the George Lucas opus STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 - THE PHANTOM MENACE. He then spent a week questioning his commitment to cinema and this podcast and …

It was 29 years ago this week that I first heard the name David Brandy. It was in a voicemail. He was offering me an interview, which turned out to be my first full time writing gig. David is a writer, Creative Director and "lens based artist," and he's got some intriguing ways he's built that life portfolio. Segment 01 – Learning how to be an adul…

A podcast about learning to be a great modern leader. Alison talks to some inspiring leaders about the useful lessons they've learned that we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode, Alison speaks to Marc Nohr, portfolio chairman, coach, mentor and co-founder of highly successful UK integrated agency Kitcatt Nohr. …

What happens when you get two professional speakers together? This is what happens – 46 intriguing moments on how Michael Barris build a brilliant career as a jazz guitarist, journalist, teacher and coach. Listen up...and steal steal steal some big ideas. Segment 01 – Broken strings A live concert that is not going well, until Michael breaks a stri…

If you have a buck instead of a book you too can time travel with us back to 1999! The delightful ensemble of Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell and who else? I'm forgetting someone. Oh, that's right! Justin Long also stars in GALAXY QUEST which graces the pages of our Movie Book Club in this chapter from the book BEST. MOVIE. YEAR. EVER.…

A podcast about learning to be a great modern leader. Alison talks to some inspiring leaders about the useful lessons they've learned that we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode, Alison speaks to Sacha Deshmukh, CEO of Amnesty International UK. They talk about leading through complexity, the importance of decis…

Funny story. I was leaving a keynote session last week and bumped into this guy before I headed to my car. "This guy" turned out to be Canada's Got Talent magician, mentalist and hypnotist Savio Joseph. And does he ever have some interesting Gamechangers. Segmen 01 - YouTube Yep. THAT YouTube. How Savio uses it to learn, and how he's becoming an in…

The Third Part in our Pressure of the Pedestal Trilogy In which Sofia Coppola's nepo baby status is questioned by one host and the other can't get over Josh Hartnett's hair. However that is the case even if we were discussing THE FACULTY. This episode is on THE VIRGIN SUICIDES. Though the hosts may prefer to rewatch THE FACULTY. Less suicide. Obvio…

The Second Part in our Pressure of the Pedestal Trilogy We Pick Flick for the second part in this month's trilogy with Reese Witherspoon in a star-making performance (sorry, she was merely the fuddy-duddy in CRUEL INTENTIONS) in Alexander Payne's ELECTION. Competing with the likes of a young Chris Klein at the height of his himbo powers we discuss …

What does a comms pro, ESPN poker writer and Magic the Gathering HoFer (seriously) do for inspiration? Find out in this edition of The Playbook Game Changers, as we bring Gary Wise into the studio. This season is all about the things that change our professional games – and how we use those skills, insights and media to inspire great careers and gr…

A podcast looking at the fascinating journeys of some inspiring leaders, mining their experience for lessons we can all apply as we navigate our own leadership journeys. In this episode, Alison speaks to Nick Hulley and Nadja Lossgott, Joint Chief Creative Officers of AMV BBDO. They discuss what it truly means to lead from the inside out, the sweet…

The First Part in our Pressure of the Pedestal Trilogy In this episode we realize that WE... are the Max Fischer Players. God help us. And you! For we relive the glory days of our youth (and when we loved Wes Anderson) with 1998's RUSHMORE... as part of our look at the Best Movie Year Ever... of 1999. WHATEVER. We are very enthusiastic on this one!…