Actual People
Welcome to Actual People, an unfiltered exploration of individual and societal shifts in a world undergoing tremendous change.
I open up about my own experiences in order to dive into social and cultural phenomena, positive developments, and collective pain.
We look at survival, endurance, strength, triumph and despair while imagining a future with creative joy and hope.
Each episode is dedicated to meaningful conversations about the evolving landscape of our lives and the power of our own creativity and imagination to make magic.
Episodes
34 episodes
S2E16- The Origins of Brit Cool and The Creative Community We Need Now
Welcome to a conversation with a true pioneer in elevating the best design in the world. Piers Roberts offers profound reflections on the distance we've fallen from conscious consumerism and where to go from here with a strong emphasis on uplif...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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1:18:25
S2E15 - Bro Show: The Question of Men
Welcome to an imperfect episode about imperfect times. You can call it the 'Boys to Men Episode', 'The Man Show', 'How The Boys Will Thrive 2025', or 'The Bro Show'. It's a musing on boys and men from the perspective of a GenX woman raised in a...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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22:46
S2E14 - Moral Injury in Healthcare and the Entire Nation
Chauncey Zalkin sits down with Dr. Jennie Byrne, a psychiatrist working with clinicians who sees a painful trend in healthcare but first Chauncey explores why she thinks the wound has spread to the entire nation and why it's time to exile virtu...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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58:32
S2E13 - Creative Agency and the Youth Fallacy
An ad agency called Geezer is flipping the 50 plus narrative on its head to something more accurate. It's about time. Join us for a conversation with Founder, Karen McKinley, CEO, Brent Rivard, and CCO, John Kieselhorst.More on Gee...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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50:50
S2E12 - A Vision for The Next-Gen Economy through the lens of Essentialist Design
Each creative discipline offers a piece of the puzzle of human creativity. In this episode, host Chauncey Zalkin sits down with three time "International Designer of the Year" award winner and Fast Company board member Todd Bracher to talk abou...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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44:54
S2E11 - Blue Bracelets, Pussyhats, and Other Good Intentions: Where We Go from Here
In this episode Chauncey Zalkin sits down with guest and advocate for Black women in the workplace, Jessica Pharm, to take an unflinching look at the complexities of race, gender, and trust for liberal America as we face Trump's second term.
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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52:18
S2E10 - Female Leaders in Advertising: Taking Control in an Uneven Playing Field
Life isn't fair. So what are you going to do about it?In this episode, Jill Brinsdon shares her journey as a creative director and prominent leader in New Zealand's advertising industry. She talks when to play the game and when to jump ...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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37:18
S2E9 - Moving Beyond Polarization + Feel Good Viewing & Listening
Host Chauncey Zalkin defines Actual People for its second year but not before diving into the movies, tv, and music that held the keys to change in 2025. Despite a backdrop of sadness and uncertainty, we will start anew like we always do.
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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24:25
S2E8 - Neurodiversity and Individuality
This episode, Host Chauncey Zalkin sits down with friend and British Futurist Melissa Sterry who combines a passion for fashion and art with multiple degrees in sustainability, architecture and science.The two met through the A Small Wo...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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48:38
S02E7 - Multigenerational Women Facing Our Current Climate Together
From divergent thoughts, convergent thoughts, indecision loops, and 'a ha moments' to touring middle schools, this discussion starts off with soul searching and moves on to the soul freeing way a woman named Amy Reinert is able to embrace all p...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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42:59
S2E6 - Non-Linear Career Paths: Smashing the Ageism Hurdle
Psychoanalyst. Mother. Clogger. Playwright.. Meet my mom's college friend who never stops learning and growing: an interview with Tarpley Long and a road map for Gen X women who never cared much for the linear path.
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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56:36
S2E5 - The Toll of Election Anxiety and How To Engage Meaningfully
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Fears of Totalitarianism, and Finding ParadiseSpooky season is still not over: In this episode host Chauncey Zalkin covers Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Gorging on Political Wonkery, and Where Beauty and Meanin...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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15:28
S2E4 - The New Networking: How to Promote Yourself as a Creative Now (hint: it's not just social media)
A New Vibration - The Optimism and Renewed Passion of Creative Boom Founder Katy CowanThis is a special one. Katy was Chauncey's first pick for a guest episode when launching her podcast almost a year ago and finally it's here. ...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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50:51
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S2E3 - Our National Compromise - From Hope to Hanging On (And How to Get Back on Path)
Host Chauncey Zalkin recounts a trip to the grocery store with her daughter reminiscing on Obama era ideals realizing, we've largely abandoned them.
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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29:12
S2E2 - Gen Z, AI, and a Permanently Shifting Workplace Dynamic
A conversation with Harris Poll Chief Strategy Officer, Libby Rodney.Could the future of AI monetize creativity rather than exploit it? Is there a future version of capitalism where we ditch artificial scarcity and all get a piece of th...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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40:08
S2E1 - Divorce and Motherhood: Reacquainting Yourself with You
On A Desire For More: The Summertime Sadness of the Single Mom + The Fire in the Pants That is Kamala's Art of War.In the season premiere, Chauncey Zalkin reflects on her solo summer trip to New Zealand while her kids were with their fa...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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19:04
017 - Hot Menopause Summer!! - Three Women, Three Stories (one is an aging expert!)
💃🏻 Welcome to the mega 'season finale' episode featuring three personal and honest conversations about what menopause, aging, strength, and vitality mean to women facing this new era. Join us as we dive into discussions of the chan...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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1:04:48
016 - Collaboration, Conflict Resolution, and Our Macro and Micro Futures
Welcome to Episode 16! We are nearing the end of Season 1 of Actual People. In this episode, host Chauncey Zalkin muses on conflict resolution from a cul-de-sac baseball game between 5-10 year olds to two daft elderly men sq...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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25:58
015 - A Career in Storytelling from Kate Tellers of The Moth
Musing on Loss of Organic Culture & Interview with Kate Tellers of The Storytelling Platform the MothSense making. It's one of the deepest human drives. We desperately want to make sense of our world and our role in it. Host C...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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29:22
014 - How Constant Self Help Can Harm Creativity
Self-Helping Yourself with Allegory 🐾 With excerpt of novel in progress, Claw 🐾We're pushing lots of buttons. We're clicking and liking and commenting. We're beeping and booping, scrolling and scheduling. We're drinking from a fir...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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48:00
013 - An Ad Agency Executive With A Strategic Plan for Living
Get Curious, Get Clear - Writing a Life Brief with Bonnie Wan. Today host Chauncey Zalkin sits down with the author of "The Life Brief ".Her guest, Bonnie Wan, has been the head of brand strategy at famed agency Goodby, Silverstein and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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45:26
012 - Actual People - Finding Elijah - Mother's Day Edition
In this special Mother's Day edition of "Actual People," host Chauncey Zalkin shares a real-life story of serendipity and chance encounters in the mom era of her life. Three weeks ago, a Saturday morning bagel run turns into an unf...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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16:56
011 - How to Collaborate Like a TV Writer
The Anatomy of Collaboration: Insights from a Writer's Room Veteran. Meet Oscar-nominated writer and director, Rob Pearlstein, known for his work in both advertising and television, MacGyver, Scorpion, Someone Marry Barry, and more. Join ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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49:57
010 - An Influencer Marketing Expert Quits Tech & Finds Peace
Tech Free in NYC? How One Super Successful Digital Marketer and City Mom Gave it All Up And Went For Broke . In the latest episode of "Actual People," host Chauncey Zalkin talks to the author of "Raising Hell and Living Well: Freedom from Influ...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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45:04
009 - Breaking Up With Bad Love for Good
Welcome to this week's episode of Actual People, hosted by Chauncey Zalkin. Today, we delve into the intricate world of relationships, trauma, and the journey towards healing and self-love with relationship and trauma therapist Jasmonae ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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30:26