Shows
Talk, UnleashedStream of LifeIt’s funny the things noticed when you take the time to … stop.Not something we do all-that-often in this day and age. Everyone is moving fast - making decisions, clicking links, consuming information from the firehose of the Internet. The act of slowing down let alone stopping? It’s almost unheard of. Lately I’ve taken to setting a timer on my social media apps. No more than 15 minutes a day. When that time is up, I’m done for the day. Checking email only 1-2 times. Not turning on the TV. Keeping th...
2025-11-2611 minTalk, UnleashedDark Woods LessonsIt’s a common misconception. The idea that the woods at night are quiet. Don’t get me wrong. After 10 years in Las Vegas where it never gets dark and never really slows down, the woods are the opposite of that. Turn the lights out at night and it’s dark as pitch. The immediate sense is almost a pressure on the eardrums, the weight of silence.I mean it’s certainly more quiet than any city or suburban area, but when you come to a dead stop in the woods at night, and truly let yours...
2025-11-1912 minTalk, UnleashedBlaze OrangeAh, fall. It’s among my favorite times of year - especially when it comes to the tapestry of colors Especially orange. Except in this week’s episode, the color orange I’m talking about is neither part of that palette, nor is it the new black. This is blaze orange - that particularly vibrant shade worn … to avoid getting shot during hunting season.It’s a color in which I get to be pretty much entirely wrapped from October through the start of the new year.As I meandered in the woods the other...
2025-11-0512 minTalk, UnleashedMove Fast. Break ThingsIt’s a famously awful quote used by Mark Zuckerberg in Facebook’s (now Meta) early days. Move fast. Break things.The idea behind it was, allegedly, to spark innovation; to remove obstacles in creativity by giving folks license to make mistakes, to iterate and to charge forward.This IS critical for innovation. Moving forward, moving quickly, not needing things to be “finished” or “perfect” before launching.AND as with so many things, taken literally and/or implemented by individuals who are focused on immediate goals rather than long term, this type of pract...
2025-10-1509 minTalk, UnleashedBumper Sticker JudgementJudgement. Talk about a gateway to misery. Sure. It may feel satisfying for a hot minute, but just like letting fly with a nasty statement in retaliation when my feelings are hurt, the feeling is fleeting.More to the point, when I’m judging others, it says more about me, than it does about them. After all, who the f*ck am I to judge, anyway? And yet, we all do it.What if, in the moment the judgement arises, instead we get curious? That’s what I discuss this week. Inspir...
2025-10-0112 minTalk, UnleashedIn the Woods Where it HappenedThing about living in the woods - you get to be the ears present when a tree goes down. Doesn’t just make a sound. Shakes the ground too. Turns out when it’s gone down, it also tells a story.And this week on the podcast, the conversation that ensues.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 simple, but often isn’t easy. That’s why Cathy...
2025-09-2409 minTalk, UnleashedThat Stinks. Literally.I’ve always had the olfactory sense of a Bloodhound. I’d probably have made a superb “nose” for a French perfume company. Having an acute sense of smell is both blessing and curse - it also holds one secret to my masterful skills with dogs and turns out opened up pretty interesting insights about interactions between people.With the sense of smell being one of (if not THE) most important link to memory, what happens when a place (or person) smells, to put it simply, like sh*t? Turns out that soothing the proboscis can sooth...
2025-09-1712 minTalk, UnleashedDon't Just DisappearI’ll never forget the first time it happened. I was talking with an engineer or coder type at a party. Their cell phone rang. They looked at it, answered it, and walked away without so much as an “excuse me”. In the middle of a sentence.I’d like to say it was the only time it happened. It wasn’t. Sadly this kind of thing happens with more and more frequency.Here’s the irony - when someone checks out (permanently or for a period of time) from some social media platform or a...
2025-09-1010 minTalk, UnleashedWokeness Creates WeaknessThere’s nothing like a provocative t-shirt to really make my day. I used to have one that said “F*ck Yoga”. The reactions to it were epic. Most folks would look at it, look at me and laugh.Every now and again someone would get utterly twisted up with me about it and I’d tell them two things:It’s a fucking t-shirt.The t-shirt originated from a YOGA BRAND that was based in New York.Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating t-shirts that spew hate, racist nonsense or suc...
2025-08-0610 min
Talk, UnleashedBoundaries ARE FreedomRemember when you were a kid in school and some unruly kid couldn’t mind the rules and as a result the entire class faced consequences? Everyone being hit with staying late, extra homework, pop quizzes. I sure do.It sucked. DISCLAIMER - I’m not talking about kids who may have had undiagnosed situations that weren’t properly understood; who’d have been better served by a different learning environment. I’m talking about disruptive kids whose home lives failed to give them the basic social structure to help them be successful.Rules. Boundaries...
2025-07-3011 minTalk, UnleashedIgnorance or Stupidity?I don’t know about you but I’m of the generation where calling someone “stupid” resulted in varying levels of punishment. In my house the word was tantamount to the F-bomb. Funny how it seems lately that everyone is pointing fingers and calling other people just that.But is it really stupidity? Or is it ignorance? Truth is, in many cases it’s the latter. How do you figure that out and what does that have to do with dog behavior?Good questions. Listen to this episode.In a world where what...
2025-07-2309 minTalk, UnleashedHEY HONEYLISTEN CLOSELY TO THIS EPISODE AND YOU'LL HEAR A SECRET SOUND :) One of the more hokey sayings in transformational leadership training is we are human BEings, not human DOings. It’s a cheeky way to tell people to chill the f*ck out, be present and pay attention. Boy did that generate a whole bunch of eye rolling for me when I began my own personal development journey. Like, sprain the connective tissue attaching my eyeballs into my noggin.Then I woke the f*ck up.Truth is, being stil...
2025-07-0909 minTalk, UnleashedNo Bad DogsOne of the most irritating cliches in dog training is this - there are no bad dogs, only bad owners.Talk about trying to shame people into changing their behavior.And shame as a lever for shifting how folks behave has worked … never. At least not with anything remotely resembling a healthy change.That said, there are dogs that may behave “badly” … and it’s in those moments when we humans have a great opportunity to look where it matters, make some changes and get miraculous results.When animals are uncomfortable, they behav...
2025-07-0208 minTalk, UnleashedHierarchical Thinking is Bullsh*tDisclosure - the idea of this podcast episode isn’t new. It’s the Peter Principle. What is new is looking at the concept of rising to a level of incompetence’s flaw, as seen through the naturally occurring order in a group of wolves.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 simple, but often isn’t easy. That’s why Cathy Brooks created Talk, Unleashed – a weekly podcast...
2025-06-2509 minTalk, UnleashedFeedbackThere’s a line in the film “A Few Good Men” where Tom Cruise’s character, a lawyer, demands the “truth” of Jack Nicholson, a General who’s on a witness stand.“The TRUTH!?” Nicholson bellows. “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”Feedback. It's a bastardized concept in society today and that’s a shame. Because feedback is a privilege. Feedback - a neutrally delivered, radically honest perspective - enables growth, progress and change.No one sees themselves clearly, really. It takes outside perspective for any of us to truly see ourselves as others see us. To grow. To...
2025-06-1809 minTalk, UnleashedLeadership = Relationships = TrustNothing like mass market exploitation of words to render them near useless.Let’s take “leadership” for example. Bandied about mercilessly these days, and somehow what the word even MEANS has been lost.It’s simple - leadership is about RELATIONSHIPS, and in order for those to exist, you have to have TRUST.So, put simply - No trust. No leadership. Period.This week’s nugget shares a recent figurative 2X4 on the topic, swung and landed of course, by my dogs.In a world where what passe...
2025-06-1108 minTalk, UnleashedClarityIn 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 simple, but often isn’t easy. That’s why Cathy Brooks created Talk, Unleashed – a weekly podcast of radically honest conversation about — everything. Whether her own musings or in conversation with industry leaders, each episode invites curiosity. Curiosity not about what people do, but why they do it. Who they are and what makes them tick. It’s about digging underneath to reveal the th...
2025-06-0407 minTalk, UnleashedFOMO and GriefI’ve talked before on the podcast about FOMO - the Fear of Missing Out. How interesting it is that people will go so far as to co-opt other people’s drama, misery and grief just in order to be in line with whatever meme or topic is hot at the time.Yeah, when you think of it that way it sounds pretty awful.But is it?Or is it just another sign that people’s sense of self has gotten so far outta what that we’ll do anything to belong?In a w...
2025-05-2808 minTalk, UnleashedAfraid of the DarkOh the irony. We are taught - largely through entertainment and media sources - that monsters come in the dark. To be afraid. Be alert and know that danger lurks around every corner.Why irony? Because the truth is that the darkness isn’t danger. Usually that danger IS human-driven and the reality is that we NEED darkness. To reset our bodies, to rest and as I’ve come to discover by living deep in the woods - to find the light.ALSO - There is a small irony in this episode - as I’m talki...
2025-05-2108 minTalk, UnleashedLoose Leash Walking - Kind of.It’s among the most frequently sought after and common asks for any dog trainer: "How the f*ck do I get my dog to walk NICELY on the leash?"Loose leash walking. It’s a critical skill.And that’s not what this episode is about, really. It’s about the concept of attachment and obligation - “no strings attached” - which typically isn’t actually the case. As per usual it relates to dogs and dog training, and the lesson that applies to relationships between humans? Well that’s per usual too.In a world whe...
2025-05-1409 minTalk, UnleashedDelivering HappinessIf your goal in life is to be happy, I hate to break it to you, but your life is going to be pretty f*cked up. Because happiness isn’t goal. It’s a feeling. And feelings are not permanent. They shift. They change. They’re always in motion. So if the goal is a thing that doesn’t stick, I’m always going to be in some state of dissatisfaction, of failure.Perhaps a bit ironic a view from someone whose main investor in her business, Tony Hsieh, wrote a bo...
2025-05-0808 minTalk, UnleashedSh*tI find scatological humor delightfully amusing. Probably because not so deep inside I’m really a 10-year-old boy. Yes, I find poop and fart jokes hilarious. So when I found myself confronted with the unmistakable aroma of chicken sh*t, I realized there was a lesson for this week's episode.Even if some of you may think it’s a crappy one, I’m dumping it on you anyway. Yep, just going to pile it on. Okay. Okay. I’ll stop. Just go listen to the episod...
2025-04-3009 minTalk, UnleashedJust Let ThemOkay. I get it. In today’s world the value of good content has become embarrassingly commoditized. It’s more about clicks than quality. The idea of co-opting someone else’s idea and passing it off as one’s own has become de rigueur.Or has it?It’s been practice in the art world for centuries that artists and creators are inspired by those who come before them, and begin their craft by modeling it after others.Those who rise above and create their own distinct voice, those are the ones we remember...
2025-04-2310 minTalk, UnleashedChange Isn't SlowAh, humans. We’re such funny creatures. Someone says a story often enough and folks believe it to be true. Kinda like that story about how if you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly bring it to boil, the frog will die. It’s a story shared when folks want to emphasize about the slow boil that leads to big change.Here’s the thing - big change, it’s not sudden. Evolution isn’t like a volcanic eruption or big earthquake. It’s not tectonic. It’s slow. And each time there’s a shift, humans...
2025-04-1608 minTalk, UnleashedBaking PatienceYou can’t un-bake a cake. Seems a silly statement, because - of course you can’t. Once it’s done, it’s done. Same with those words that may fly outta your pie-hole without thinking - those words that leave a mark. Those words that can’t be taken back.That’s not what this episode is about.This episode is kind of about the opposite of that. That in order to avoid an error in baking, it takes patience. You gotta let it sit. You can’t turn up the heat and expect that the cake...
2025-04-0910 minTalk, UnleashedAnticipation and ExpectationsAnticipation. It’s one of those words that cuts both ways. Anticipating something delightful and delicious, or waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sadly, there seems to be much more of the latter in the world lately. Feels like everyone is running around either like Chicken Little (proclaiming the sky is falling) or a chicken with its head cut off (and if you’ve never seen such a thing, suffice to say it’s gross - the body races around as the nervous system exists after the head’s been lopped off). In either...
2025-04-0209 minTalk, UnleashedFalse Spring ComplacencyAh the human condition. We’re just fucking lazy. Truly. Okay perhaps a bit nicer to call it complacency - that sense of resting on our laurels, settling back and assuming just because something has been a way, it’ll stay. Of course that’s a load of horseshit.It’s everywhere. Especially when I look in the mirror. It’s about how easy it is to assume things will just go along, that the work I’ve done is sufficient. Except, that’s not how it works.And courtesy of we...
2025-03-2610 minTalk, UnleashedScattered DiamondsAs winter wends its way to a close, a few experiences remain that I’ll be carrying into the spring. Most of it is about perspective. And in this week’s episode it’s the awareness from seeing that where I am in relation to anything determines everything. It’s possible to be too close to something to see it clearly. It’s also possible being too far back skews the view incorrectly.It’s not either/or. It never is. It’s both/and. It’s being able to immerse in a thing to kn...
2025-03-1910 minTalk, UnleashedCrunch Crunch CrunchWhat happens when you’re SO attached to the path you’re on, SO committed to being right it is the only way, that anything else becomes impossible?What happens? Take a look around, friends. The dumpster fire sh*tshow in which we’re meandering is case in point.What if the path is erased? What if you cannot see where it lies? There’s only one choice. Well, technically there are two, one could just be paralyzed by it and not move, but let’s assume that’s not an option. The...
2025-03-1208 minTalk, UnleashedWegman'sUnless you’re from the Northeast of the US chances are the name Wegman’s doesn’t ring a bell. So to get us all on the same page - it’s a grocery store. If a very young Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s had a baby with the feeling of a neighborhood grocery that's an idea of what it's like.Based out of Rochester, NY, it’s now a decent-sized chain with 111 locations in the northeastern part of the country. (That’s as of February 2025.)So why am I doing an episode about Wegman’s? No i...
2025-03-0511 minTalk, UnleashedStanding in the Sh*t StormIt’s funny. The more the world seems to be spinning into a quantifiable, category 5, dumpster fire of a mess, the more people seem to be pointing fingers looking for someone to blame.Meanwhile, it occurs to me that for every finger pointing in one direction, there’s really only one place where anyone can do anything about anything.The f*cking mirror.And yet, when standing in the sh*t storm and getting splattered with all kinds of verbal, emotional and - perhaps occasionally, actually - excrement, staying neutral and moving forward inte...
2025-02-2610 minTalk, UnleashedNot About the Super BowlIn 2024 I had a lot to say about the #SuperBowl. Mostly about #TravisKelce and his temperamental sideline meltdown (which included his stepping up on his head coach and screaming in his face - a pretty aggressive move given Kelce’s towering stature). Lots of folks wrote it off saying - oh, that’s just the adrenaline of the game and he’s just being a guy.Sorry, nope. He was being a dick.And guess what? No amount of adrenaline or rush of playoff/finals energy justifies being a dick. Zero. I wrote about this a few...
2025-02-1909 minTalk, UnleashedGrey's AnatomyIn general I don’t watch a lot of TV. Lately, though, I’ve been snacking on reruns ofGray’s Anatomy - not exactly what I’d call mind expanding, erudite content. So imagine my surprise when a lesson about the delicate balance between innovation and not reinventing wheel came from the show.Mostly I have the show on as background noise - it’s on right now as I’m typing this - but the writing is entertaining, the people are pretty to look at, and I have mad respect forShonda Rhimes. (Don’t know who she is? A great...
2025-02-1211 minTalk, UnleashedBoundaries, Again.Some topics that never get old.
Probably because the lessons never stop coming. Always another layer. That’s the story this week as another perspective arose for me with the topic of boundaries.
Overall they’re important. For individual agency, for partnerships, for groups. They’re the guardrails that enable a society to operate.
But who chooses which ones go where? Who decides? Especially since not everyone requires the same kind of boundaries in order to thrive.
Some folks need super rigid, very clear and unmistakable lines. Others can function with borders...
2025-02-0509 minTalk, UnleashedAccountabilityAccountability - there’s a fun word. Right up there with responsibility. But what does it MEAN, anyway? Being accountable … especially these days. It’s really all about my end of the leash.
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 simple, but often isn’t easy. That’s why Cathy Brooks created Talk, Unleashed – a weekly podcast of radically honest conversation about — everything. Whether her own musings or in conversation...
2025-01-2912 minTalk, UnleashedNature SignsWow. It’s been just over a year this urban-saturated gal has been living in the country. And by in the country, I mean like in the middle of fucking nowhere.
Deep in the woods on the far corner of a massive property surrounded by trees and … silence.
During this time I have come to utterly adore the quiet and peace, and also to appreciate the massive lessons that come from nature.
This week on the podcast, it’s about the moon, but really it’s a...
2025-01-2211 minTalk, UnleashedSubmissionThere are a lot of words that carry strange weight for me.
Submission is one of them.
The socialized experience for me used to be that to submit was to lose, to be weak. The truth, though, is that submission sometimes merely means acknowledging a boundary, recognizing a relationship to something or someone and letting it be what it is.
Who knew I’d learn such a thing from an ice storm.
Mother Nature is no joke. And it's fu...
2025-01-1509 minTalk, UnleashedBig Players, Big PlaysI’ve never been an athletic super star. Decent, sure. Moderately skilled, absolutely. But as someone who spent the majority of her teen years hospitalized and sick, a time when so many of my friends with athletic prowess were engaging in sports at a more serious level, the whole team play thing never really landed for me.
So joining a work team, largely male, whose lens of perspective come heavily from sports-oriented, masculine energy thinking, it’s been a fascinating journey to discover what playing TEAM means. There is no “I” in team, but there is...
2025-01-0810 minTalk, UnleashedThe Scent of a HumanAfter taking a bit of time off during the holidays, I thought about how I wanted to kick off the New Year with the podcast.
This was the episode that I opted to pull out of my files to post.
It’s something I recorded on a holiday trip to South Carolina and the message - about the deeply impactful lessons from memories triggered by scent - seemed a good way to roll back into your ear-balls.
With that … enjoy … and get ready for an evolution of the podcast in the New Year!
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2025-01-0110 minTalk, UnleashedBlack FridayYes. I'm aware. This episode is posting WAY after the actual Black Friday, but the message is certainly one that carries pretty much any time of year. It’s just that somehow that time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to put a hyper sensitive filter on pretty much everyone, pretty much everywhere. Especially when it comes to shopping.
Anyone who goes shopping during this time and is in a rush should probably have their head examined. Unless, of course, one is someone who loves people watching and uncovering lessons about how to navigate a...
2024-12-2614 minTalk, UnleashedNo CricketsIt’s funny how sometimes you don’t notice something until it’s gone.
It’s like you don’t realize just how damn loud the city is, until you’re not there. And then you don’t realize how noisy the country is, until one of its constant sounds, goes away. This week - the realization of how the absence of something can be more important than its presence
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 t...
2024-11-2709 minTalk, UnleashedBig HorsesIf you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.
You’ve probably heard that along with any number of other animal-related metaphors that all mean the same thing.
Size matters and if you’re the little guy, get the f*ck out of the way.
SO much posturing bullshit these days. Doesn’t seem to matter whether win or lose. If win, there’s gloating, bullying and entitlement. If lose there’s pointing blame, complaining and catastrophizing.
Newsflas...
2024-11-2008 minTalk, UnleashedWe Are OkayAfter taking off the month of October intention was to come back the first Wednesday in November.
That day was the day after the 2024 Election.
I recorded this before election day, and fully intended to post it for Nov 6.
The day came and it was clear there was way too much noise and too much raw emotion for this to have any hope of landing.
So ... I waited a week.
As usual - I’m...
2024-11-1310 minTalk, UnleashedThe Big LieSome things merit talking about more than once. This week is an example of that and it carries on from last week. If you missed it, here’s the gist - the bullshit perspective that in order to enjoy success, one first must suffer.
Load of horseshit.
What’s not horseshit, though, is the other bit of today’s epsiode - a heads-up on some changes in our upcoming programming. So make sure you listen alllllll the way to the end.
In a world where...
2024-09-2509 minTalk, UnleashedWho Said it Had to Be Hard?Seems like there was a handbook or instruction manual that I missed. The one that says in order to achieve success, one must first suffer. Newsflash. Not true. And somehow the attachment to trauma persists.
Don’t get me twisted here - bad things happen. People have experiences. All true. AND there is this insidious push - typically by larger forces whose foundation is based on perpetuating chaos around them.
This week … a rant in the woods that hopefully lands like a friendly two by four.
In a...
2024-09-1811 minTalk, UnleashedVanessa Woods - The Truth about Developing Service DogsIn the wild and wooly world of dog behavior, research and education there are lots of folks promoting themselves as experts. Blessed few of them actually are. And then there are those whose legitimate scientific research has grounding in evolutionary anthropology and canine cognition. One of those folks is Vanessa Woods - she’s an accomplished author and her most recent book Puppy Kindergarten: The New Science of Raising a Great Dog - lays some very important information about the world of Service Dogs.
In this wide ranging conversation about what a Service Dog *ac...
2024-09-1236 minTalk, UnleashedOpen Mouth, Insert PieWith all the talk in the world there seems to be less and less listening and even less understanding. Ridicule and mocking have become bloodsport, going far beyond the pale. Don’t get me twisted, I’m all for well-intentioned and harmless chirping and challenging. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about people who talk about how bad others are … and in so doing, are being precisely the same. That’s this week’s pondering - what it means to think before letting words fly outta your pie hole.
In a world whe...
2024-09-0409 minTalk, UnleashedWhen a Tree FallsAh the joys of watching people hurling mud at each other online. Commentary threads saturated with finger pointing, name calling and utterly awful commentary.
I don’t know that I’ll ever understand it. People’s need to spout off with insults, name calling or otherwise engage in a fight in the comments of a social media post. It’s like spitting into the wind.
For starters, if you’re seeing a person or organization’s post in your feed, that’s your responsibility. If you don’t like what someone say...
2024-08-2809 minTalk, UnleashedFraudulent Selflessnesseing selfless. Generous. Of service to others. These are good things, right? Sure, unless the motivation behind them isn’t on the up and up. There is such a thing as fraudulent selflessness and it can take many forms.
And that’s what I talk about this week.
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 simple, but often isn’t easy. That’s w...
2024-08-2109 minTalk, UnleashedSlow RollAs a morning person I don’t really need coffee to get up to start the day. My eyes open and the engines are on and going. Most of the time, that is. There are those days when waking in the morning can be a struggle. Historically, I’ve just lit a fire under that damn day and made it go go go.
What if I didn’t. What if I paused and took a breath? What if I let the day just be? What if? What if I put down the resistance and got cur...
2024-08-1408 minTalk, UnleashedSlow RollAs a morning person I don’t really need coffee to get up to start the day. My eyes open and the engines are on and going. Most of the time, that is. There are those days when waking in the morning can be a struggle. Historically, I’ve just lit a fire under that damn day and made it go go go.
What if I didn’t. What if I paused and took a breath? What if I let the day just be? What if? What if I put down the resistance and got cur...
2024-08-0708 minTalk, UnleashedLynne Sheridan - Radical Fairy Godmother and BadassWhat if there are no sides? What if there is no other? This what if lies at the heart of the mindset, philosophy and work of this week’s guest, Lynne Sheridan.
For three decades, Lynne has been committed to transforming people’s view of the world, of themselves and of others. She’s a sought-after transformational leadership trainer and coach, has a thriving practice working with couples, collaborates with another leading transformational trainer, Lisa Kalmin (who’s also been on this podcast AND with whom Lynne has been best friends for years) focusing on empow...
2024-07-3140 minTalk, UnleashedYATA
Aren’t acronyms fun? I sure think so, and this one in particular - YATA - is one with which near every person is familiar … though most tend to avoid admitting it. So as usual, I will start by outing myself and admitting it. Sometimes, I am. What does that mean? You’ll just have to listen to this episode to find out what this acronym stands for … and why it relates to the preposterous idea of lone wolves.
And if after this episode you’re ready to dig in deeper on the top...
2024-07-2413 minTalk, UnleashedAttention and PerceptionIt’s not what happens to you. It’s how you choose to view it. That sounds nice, but when life throws a shitstorm at your noggin, it feels impossible.
Take that to macro scale, look at what’s happening in the world and it’s pretty easy to say - everything is going to hell in a hand basket and there’s no two ways about that.
I call bullshit.
To be clear - I’m not suggesting we smack on rose-colored lenses and pretend...
2024-07-1710 minTalk, UnleashedThe Deep EndAfter taking a week off for the July 4th holiday, we're back with some swimmingly interesting perspectives.
When learning to swim, typically one doesn’t just leap into the deep end right off. So why is it that we believe that people should just jump in and learn things and not make mistakes? Oh wait, maybe that’s just me. I was this year year’s old when the light bulb blinked on. Being in that deep end, it doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for someone to jump in and help you learn t...
2024-07-1008 minTalk, UnleashedLeaves on a StreamIt’s one of the most common visuals one hears in guided meditations. The concept of visualizing yourself sitting by a stream, and any time an errant thought pops into your head, to imagine it as a leaf on the stream, and allow it to drift by. It’s a visual I’ve always loved. It’s always worked. Thing is, I never really spent much time by streams. So imagine my surprise when I found myself creekside recently and realized that this metaphor is a bit more complicated than I’d thought.
In a world wh...
2024-06-2609 minTalk, UnleashedThirty FourThough this relates to a specific incident a week or so ago, the troubling truth is that whenever you’re listening to this episode, it’s likely there’s been another incident that had the same result. A thing happened. One group of people celebrated it. Another group of people decried it as travesty, a disgrace.
Both responses are bullshit.
Saturated with ego, conditionality and resulting in more of the same. More friction. More confrontation. More opposition. More chaos.
One of my trusted mentors pointed...
2024-06-1911 minTalk, UnleashedJaime Konzelman
Jaime Konzelman is the kind of woman whose story will stop you in your tracks. It’s also the kind of story that, at least probably until somewhat recent years, most folks would have avoided telling. I mean, it’s not often that a high-power, deal-making corporate executive admits to having gotten her start as a stripper.
She’s not the first woman I’ve met who established a financial foundation and negotiating skillset in the adult entertainment industry. She is the first one I know who wrote a book about it, and...
2024-06-1236 minTalk, UnleashedWant a pig?When I was 9 years old I convinced one of my neighbors that my mother would allow me to have one of their Guinea Pigs. I brought it home.
Needless to say, it didn’t go so well. Had the little guy long enough to name him Cornflake, and then return him.
That's the last time I randomly brought home an animal for which I wasn’t properly set up to provide care.
So when a guy at a gas station offered me a piglet from...
2024-06-0513 minTalk, UnleashedCountry CourtesyOne of the most irritating things about driving in most American urban and suburban areas is the utter sense of entitlement and disregard for anything even remotely resembling courtesy. Head to Paris or most any city in Europe where complex roundabouts and other traffic control exist, and watch as what seems to be chaos, orchestrates perfectly. It’s because folks know the basics and are minding the rules. They are literally staying in their lane.
Country roads very much have a sense of courtesy. There are mostly winding, two lane roads, some of which do...
2024-05-2911 minTalk, UnleashedRoad KillDriving around in the country you see a lot of times when some woodland creature just didn’t make it across the road. I do my best to not be the person leaving that collateral damage behind me.
In this week’s episode - a case of stopping in my tracks - and in the process engaging with someone whose politics and views lay just about as far from mine as possible.
Except here’s the thing. We got along. Because of a Box Turtle. Road Kill - maybe the thing we should leave behind is hat...
2024-05-2211 minTalk, UnleashedDon't Ask. Just Do.Not sure when it happened but at some point doing nice things for people became suspect. You do something for someone and they think you want something. Sad, really. Result is that most folks keep to themselves, don't share when they need help and end up floundering around in this world trying to get shit done. Or take it to the other extreme and become overly dependent on others.
That balance. That fine line. That stepping forward to offer help before it’s requested. Being of service. That’s what I dive into this week...
2024-05-1513 minTalk, UnleashedThe WhistleIf you were an 80s kid you recall the whole going out to play after dinner and coming home before the street lights come on thing. You may also recall that most folks’ parents had some sort of whistle or call, a code that said - get your a$$ home. My father has been dead for 24 years. And the other night I heard part of his whistle. In the woods. So obviously that gave me an inspiration for this week’s episode.
In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just lett...
2024-05-0807 minTalk, UnleashedRaising the BarI’m not sure when it happened but at some point, good healthy competition and the drive for self-improvement and growth became a zero sum game where one person’s success was only valued at the cost of someone else.
That the climb to the top became based on climbing over others. As if there’s only one ladder, one mountain.
Thing is, there isn’t.
We all have our own hurdles to jump and raising it to challenge yourself? That’s a good thing. And it also can come with some serious discomfort...
2024-05-0109 minTalk, UnleashedTaking a Stand or a PositionI grew up in a family where I was taught that speaking up and using your voice matters. That having beliefs and standing by them, matters.
Today’s world, though, seems saturated with folks who are so focused on doing that, they lock into wherever they are, double down and become very committed to how right they are - and how wrong others are. It was recently that I learned this isn’t taking a stand. It’s taking a position. And that doing so, by definition means there will be something or someone in op-position … aka conflict...
2024-04-2410 minTalk, UnleashedAin't Over Till It's OverAh the joy of musical memories. Experiences, thoughts and phrases that trigger some song or another in my head. In the case of this week’s episode, though I reference Kate Smith and the whole “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings” thing, the song I’m really hearing is by Lenny Kravitz. It ain’t over, till it’s over. Either way, the point is this - just because something *seems* settled, just because an accomplishment is unlocked, doesn’t mean the push is over. It doesn’t mean coast. This week’s episode delves into that, sparked by ice...
2024-04-1707 minTalk, UnleashedThe Problem is How You See the Problem with GUEST Lisa KalminThis is a very special episode. Both because I diverge from my usual format and because of the incredible guest whose wisdom you get to experience. Her name is Lisa Kalmin and she is among the elite in the world of Transformational Leadership. In this wide ranging conversation, Lisa shares how she came to the world of Transformational Leadership, and why a specific part of the process is so meaningful to and for her. This conversation, recorded on the day of the Winter Solstice in 2023, is evergreen in its relevance. Below is a bit more about Lisa with links...
2024-04-1050 minTalk, UnleashedTake the Red PillIt’s one of the key moments in the movie The Matrix. That moment when Neo chooses the “red pill”. Now if you haven’t seen the movie, that makes no sense. So if that’s the case, here’s a metaphor that might work - the idea that you cannot un-bake a cake, cannot un-ring a bell. Once a thing is seen or known, it cannot be otherwise. What on earth does that have to do with this week’s episode of the podcast? Everything. It’s about the huge ah-ha that arrived for me years ago when I began training...
2024-04-0312 minTalk, UnleashedFalling DownWhen you’re learning to walk, no one berates you for falling down. Somehow, once we get older, falling down is seen as humiliation. Embarrassment. And that applies whether that falling down is literal or figurative. Last thing you want to do is make a mistake, fall down.
Problem is, we all do it, and so having shame around it doesn’t really serve. What might it look like if we could embrace the falling down and see it instead as falling forward? That idea, sparked by a face plant into a large pool of d...
2024-03-2712 minTalk, UnleashedDon't Ask WhyWe’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. Sometimes the best path forward is realizing that there’s a different path and...
2024-03-2011 minTalk, UnleashedBurn Baby Burn (Book)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 already one point landed. One...
2024-03-1314 minTalk, UnleashedBalanceWhen 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 attention.
In a world where what pa...
2024-03-0614 minTalk, UnleashedWhere Do You Belong?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 those preferences mean and what happe...
2024-02-2811 minTalk, UnleashedCurrency of GossipThis 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 come up. I’m not talking about THAT. Yo...
2024-02-2110 minTalk, UnleashedPower in PAWSSome 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 simple, but often isn’t easy. That’s why Cathy Brooks created Talk...
2024-02-1413 minTalk, UnleashedPoetry and POWER of SilenceThis 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 most at...
2024-02-0711 minTalk, UnleashedBrutal Honesty is Bullsh*tLast 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 it’s easier to do...
2024-01-3111 minTalk, UnleashedContext is NothingAmazing 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?
In that sense, context is bullsh*t...
2024-01-2410 minTalk, UnleashedI Am An Oak TreeIf 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 week’s...
2024-01-1712 minTalk, UnleashedGetting BakedThis 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 new year” and we’r...
2024-01-1011 minTalk, UnleashedLike Riding a BikeKicking 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...
2024-01-0310 minTalk, UnleashedLessons Shopping at TargetGoing 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 letting things...
2023-12-2010 minTalk, UnleashedGPS For CommunicationThere’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 communic...
2023-12-1314 minTalk, UnleashedThe Wisdom of WeatherMother 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 for radically authentic conversation. Conscious communication is simple, but oft...
2023-12-1314 minTalk, UnleashedDon't Look BackThose 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 especially when it comes to how the...
2023-12-0614 minTalk, UnleashedSquare Peg, Round HoleMaking 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 into the...
2023-11-3014 minTalk, UnleashedDoes a Bear Sh*t in the Woods?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 hon...
2023-11-2214 minTalk, UnleashedWhen Words are MasksAdvertising 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 truck stop gas station showed Cathy a good example and that’s what we...
2023-11-0810 minTalk, UnleashedRituals - NOT the Creepy KindThe 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 where we com...
2023-11-0114 minTalk, UnleashedCommunication Looking ForwardCOME 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 world where what passes...
2023-10-2513 minTalk, UnleashedFinding the Words in HorrorThe 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.
In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just...
2023-10-1911 minTalk, UnleashedPower and Peace in Chaotic Times - Judith RichNo 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 humility - seems all the more necessary now.
2023-10-121h 16Talk, UnleashedMinding My Own Business ... and Yours.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 humans as Gotham gives a whole new view Spending a few days in...
2023-10-0519 minTalk, UnleashedDr. Judith Rich - Living in Purpose and HumilityBold. 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. She is all about empowerment, encouragement and evoking. It’s not abou...
2023-07-201h 16Talk, UnleashedMeaning of GoodbyeConscious 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 on a word, giving the opportunity to sink into a p...
2023-07-1212 minTalk, UnleashedDetours, Distractions, and Jurassic ParkThere are a a few fascinating things about Southern Florida. One of them - the wildlife. Specifically a particular Iguana that isn’t actually from here, but ended up here due to … well … human error. This week Cathy found herself playing Iguana wrangler and in the process connecting with a substantive message about responsibility, tolerance and that topic that was mentioned last week, the difference between detours and distractions.
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 new podcast of ent...
2023-02-0117 minTalk, UnleashedDetached versus Unattached - Who Knew?In last week’s episode I spoke about a concept that I dig into today - the difference between between detached … and unattached. Yes, I hear you. “Come on, Cathy. They’re not that different those words.” Perhaps not in literal meaning, but for this gal, the way they land is much different. The latter is about staying present, connected and committed - even in the face of difference. The former is about an attitudinal f*ck you. In today’s episode I share the journey of my last few weeks, the big ah ha and how being smacked in the head...
2023-01-1218 minTalk, UnleashedSuicide [**Trigger Warning**]No easy way to say this. Losing someone to suicide rips a hole in your gut like few other things. Losing someone, it’s never easy. No matter the circumstance. When, however, that loss comes at that person’s own hand - there is something exponentially more gutting. The shock of loss combined with this deep, sick knowing that it just didn’t have to happen. The world was rocked with the sudden suicide of DJ tWitch - a favorite from the Ellen Degeneres show. It was sad that someone who was so publicly seen as positive could somehow be in...
2022-12-2111 min
Talk, UnleashedBeverly UlbrichIt’s a word that’s come up on our podcast before – empathy. Today’s guest, Beverly Ulbrich, highlights it as part of the way she defines her method of dog training. Empathetic. A former Silicon Valley Tech Exec turned dog trainer (sounds a bit like last week’s guest J ), Beverly turned her attention to full-time dog training nearly 20 years ago and much like Talk Unleashed’s host, Cathy Brooks, finds that the core need to bring a sense of empathy to communication applies to both ends of the leash. Regarded as one of the top dog behaviorists and trainers...
2022-05-0449 minTalk, UnleashedCathy BrooksWith 36 episodes under our belt, we’re taking a moment to regroup, think about where things are right now and share a little bit about what it is we’re doing here, how that has evolved from our start and where things are going next. The guest is your host, Cathy Brooks.
She is a communications professional whose work ranges from radio to television, newspaper and digital platforms. For 22 years she worked in Silicon Valley in public relations, event curation, and business development. In 2012 she turned a life-long passion of canine behavioral study to a career, opening The...
2022-04-2712 min