Dying To Ask

Brenda Novak is the queen of the HEA. Happily ever after. And, she wouldn't have it any other way. "We've been through some rough years for sure. I think that that is just so enjoyable to see two people overcome whatever challenges they face to find a happy ever after," says Novak. Novak will publish The Seaside Library, her 75th book, in April. She's known primarily as a romance novelist. But, in recent years, she's pivoted to writing romantic suspense and women's fiction. The Seaside Library is the perfect beach read. And, she'll kick off a two month tour in an Airstream trailer retrofitted to function as a bookstore and coffee shop on wheels. Check out her "bookstream" here. Novak's introduction to writing sounds like one of her plot twists. She was working as a loan officer and caught her babysitter drugging her kid with cough syrup. She looked around for a job she could do at home and settled on writing books. She had no experience. But, she had an incredible imagination and work ethic. Novak quickly rea

In a rut? Want to be more creative? Author Elizabeth Gilbert finds inspiration in a box of crayons. Really. Gilbert is the author of seven books, including the New York Times Best Seller "Eat, Pray, Love." But even she feels stuck sometimes. And that's saying something considering she wrote a book about creativity called "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear." Her hack? Crayons. "Lots of times, all I do is just make baked giant circles. It was something that soothed me when I was 3. It soothed me when I was 8. It soothed me when I was 11, and it soothes me now when I'm 53," Gilbert said. In this bonus "Dying to Ask" podcast episode, author Elizabeth Gilbert shares her favorite hack to spark creativity and the specific type of crayon that makes the big magic happen. Here is where to find the crayons Liz talks about.

Eat, pray, love and get creative. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of "Eat Pray Love" is taking on creativity these days. "Eat Pray Love" has sold more than 13 million copies. It inspired a movement. It also, depending on who you ask, inspired a lot of divorces. Julia Roberts starred in the movie adaptation in 2010. Gilbert's memoir tells the story of how she rediscovered who she is and who she wants to be on a solo trip around the world following a divorce. More than 15 years later, the story is reaching a new generation of readers but its core message hasn't changed. "I always think, as women, we forget that we belong to ourselves. I think 'Eat Pray Love' was this giant celebration of that. I think that book is a giant permission slip that reminds women to change their lives, leave their lives, and most of all remember their lives belong to them," says Gilbert. "Eat Pray Love" is Gilbert's biggest book. But she's a prolific writer. Gilbert is the author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction. Her book, "Big

"Who's in your five?" That T-Mobile ad was onto something. In part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Ivan Misner, we're talking about the 5 types of people you need to know. Dr. Ivan Misner was nicknamed the "Father of Modern Networking" by both CNN and Forbes. He's the founder of Business Network International (BNI,) a business networking organization with more than 10, 000 chapters globally. His colleagues call him "the people scientist." He's an expert in workplace dynamics and relationship building. His latest book is a deep dive into your five, as the T-Mobile commercial says. "Who's in Your Room? The Question That Will Change Your Life" is a metaphor that asks the reader to evaluate their relationships. Did your friend circle shrink during the pandemic? There's a reason for that. Your inner circle, whether professional or personal, has a great impact on your mental health and mindset. In this Dying to Ask: How to evaluate your inner circle The types of people you need to know The types of people you don't

Small talk gets a bad rap. But small talk can lead to big payoffs if you do it correctly. Dr. Ivan Misner was nicknamed the "Father of Modern Networking" by both CNN and Forbes. He's the founder of Business Network International (BNI,) a business networking organization with more than 10, 000 chapters globally. His colleagues call him "the people scientist." He's an expert in workplace dynamics and relationship building. Misner says networking has changed a lot since the pandemic and the increase of work-from-home jobs. It's more important than ever to initiate face-to-face conversations with colleagues or others in your community. Those small moments can lead to job opportunities or deeper connections with friends. Want to get to know someone better or expand your social circle? Initiate some small talk. But conversation can be tricky. Say the wrong thing and you might end the connection. Say nothing and you might lose an opportunity to expand your network. Misner has hacks to increase your comfort level in

Struggling to form a habit? Temptation bundling could boost your willpower. Temptation bundling is the concept of bundling a behavior you don't want to do with an activity that you do like to do. The idea is that by pairing the two actions, you're more likely to follow through on the harder habit. The habit hack can give willpower a boost. And it can make everything from working out to cleaning the house a little more enjoyable. On this Dying to Ask: The psychology behind temptation bundling Ideas on how to bundle fitness and tough family conversations

You SHOULD stop saying the word SHOULD immediately if you want a near-instant boost to your mental health and creativity. That's the recommendation from psychotherapist Dr. Ron Alexander. Dr. Alexander is a go-to mindset shifter for clients including Apple, Universal Pictures, Sony Entertainment and Microsoft. He's also the author of Core Creativity: The Mindful Way to Unlock your Creative Self. The American Psychological Association says 27% of adults report being so stressed they can't function in everyday life! Read the report here.  Dr. Alexander has a simple tip that provides a lot of us relief. Stop saying the word should. He calls it the most stressful word in the English language. Dr. Alexander says the word should is harmful because "it implies you are wasting time or doing things that aren't important instead of what you 'should' be doing." You can stay out of the stress zone and get a near-instant positivity boost by using different self-talk. On this Dying to Ask: How the word should impacts minds

An extortion note. A statewide manhunt. The most complicated bomb in history. It's not the plot of a movie. It actually happened. It's the subject of the first collaboration between Hearst Television's KCRA and Very Local. And it's also a great example of what can happen when someone who likes their job decides to spread their wings within their current workplace. Dave Manoucheri is the producer and director of "Bringing Down the House." The documentary explores the bombing of Harvey's Casino in South Lake Tahoe in 1980. No one died. No one got hurt. But a 1,000-pound bomb did go off and blew up part of the casino. It's the stuff Hollywood movies are made of, yet few people really know what happened. Dave and KCRA 3 photojournalist Victor Nieto spent a year tracking down everyone from the lead FBI agent, to the bomber's son, to the grandson of casino owner Harvey Gross. In this BONUS Dying to Ask: What drew Dave Manoucheri to the backstory of the Harvey's bombing Who on the KCRA 3 staff got tasked with buildi

Are water bottles the size of a toddler the key to better health? TikTok says yes and giant water bottles are having a moment. Social media is filled with influencers touting the health benefits of downing large amounts of water each day. Increased water intake gets the credit for everything from better skin to lower weight to increased energy. That's led to an entire industry of giant water bottles. Water prophets are filling social media feeds linking increased productivity thanks to increased water consumption. And, it's made companies that make those bottles like Stanley and Hydroflask household names. But how did giant water bottles become a lifestyle trend? And, is it a trend you should jump on? On this Dying to Ask: How giant water bottles became a trend Why some people are addicted to lugging them around and what it's like to chug from one all day long Can increasing water really improve your skin and help you lose weight? And a reality check on how much water you really need in a day This week's po

Want to feel more refreshed when you wake up tomorrow? The secret lies in what you do today. That's the conclusion of a sleep study that looked at the neurological reasons of why it's hard to wake up and why some people feel less energetic after the alarm goes off. UC Berkeley researchers teamed up with European counterparts and analyzed sleep data from roughly 800 people. They tracked how much participants exercised, ate and slept. They then monitored the participants' alertness when they woke up. You can read the full study here. The big conclusion? What you do today significantly impacts how you will feel when you get up tomorrow. Raphael Vallat, the lead author of the study, is my guest this week. Raphael will break down three basic things you can focus on to improve how you feel tomorrow morning. In this Dying to Ask: How to figure out how much sleep you really need The best breakfast to eat today to wake up better tomorrow Why workouts impact sleep quality This week's podcast recommendation: Listen her

Getting in shape is the number one New Year's resolution. But 80% of people have failed their goals by February because they haven't figured out how to make fitness habits stick. Solidifying habits can be hard. But there are hacks putting actions and behaviors on autopilot. Keystone habits are the things you do that you don't have to think about. When fitness isn't on autopilot, New Year's health goals don't stand a chance. Just do, don't think. That's the advice from researchers at the University of Scranton. In a study called "The Resolution Solution," they studied when our New Year's goals lose steam. They confirmed eight out of 10 New Year's resolutions fall apart by February. "The problem is that people have great intentions. They get started, but they don't really have a plan on how they're going to execute it is that why we tend to fall into that statistic of 80% of the people drop off by February," says personal trainer Ty Rendlich- Texidor. This week, we're doing a deep dive with three experts who've

Do you have a work best friend? New research says work besties are the key to professional and personal happiness. The Gallup organization tracked workplace relationships (non-romantic) and found having a work best friend is good for morale and good for the bottom line. The research showed those relationships are good for employee engagement. Having a work best friend is proven to raise morale, increase productivity and help with employee retention. Most interesting, the need for strong work connections has gone up since the pandemic thanks to an increase in remote work and a decrease in worker satisfaction. Bosses: want to hang onto your people and make them happier without spending money? Create a supportive environment that encourages colleagues to interact beyond the scope of their jobs. Employees: want to enjoy the place you likely spend the bulk of your day? Find a friend and enjoy life on the job together by vesting in each other's personal and professional lives. The research is so overwhelming that w

Want an easy way to improve your health? Add an activity snack into every hour. An activity snack is a short break where you get up and move. A "snack" as small as five minutes can have a big impact on how you feel and perform. And science has proven it. Dr. Keith Diaz, an associate professor of behavioral medicine at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, conducted the study. Dr. Diaz researched the harmful effects of sitting. Participants took part in "activity snacks," usually simply leaving a desk and walking for a few minutes. You can read the results here. Bottom line, moving is life-changing. Move as little as five minutes and you will likely impact things like blood pressure, diabetes and mental health. On this Dying to Ask: How we got to a point that we have to remind ourselves to get up and move. The unexpected business benefits to getting your people walking more. Come along on an activity snack with my friend and colleague, Eileen Javora This week's podcast recommenda

Want to be more productive? Stop multitasking and master the lost art of singular focus. Singular focus is loosely defined as doing one thing at a time. That might seem like a colossal waste of energy in a world where we wear busyness as a badge and treat spinning plates as an Olympic sport. But research continues to show that multitasking isn't as effective as we think. And, it's harming our mental health by increasing stress and anxiety. Constant interruptions to your attention are bad for business too in terms of lost productivity. How you do one thing is how you do everything. And, if you can re-learn singular focus, you might find you have more time on your hands and more to show in general for your effort. But it's surprisingly hard to do one thing at a time after years of doing 17 things at once. We're breaking it down into three steps you can implement today. New this episode? Don't miss "what I'm listening to" at the end of the show for recommendations to other podcasts worth listening to. On this Dy

Laurie Gelman got fired from a volunteer gig as a class mom. Then she wrote the best-selling book series "Class Mom" and wrote her personal next chapter as an author. Chances are you've seen Laurie Gelman from time to time on "Live with Kelly and Ryan." Her husband Michael Gelman is the show's producer. Gelman worked in TV as well as a news anchor, reporter and TV host. She left TV after the birth of her daughters and threw herself into raising kids and volunteering at their school. An invitation to be the class mom led to firm advice from Live's host Kelly Ripa, who warned that the volunteer gig was to be avoided at all costs. Laurie ignored Kelly's advice and jumped into the job with enthusiasm and humor. She infused sarcasm and humor into emails with parents to get their attention about school activities. It was a huge hit with parents until it wasn't. A mother complained about Laurie's approach and Laurie got fired as class mom. Yes, you can get fired from a volunteer school position. "It was my agent who

Andrew Herr wants to make you a better human. A better performing human that is. Herr is a human performance expert. He claims he can get rid of 95% jet lag with protocols designed to optimize sleep, light exposure and what you eat and drink. His most recent high-profile client? Team USA's men's soccer team and its performance at the World Cup indicates the guys are feeling good. The U.S. Army has twice named Herr a "Mad Scientist" for his work in optimizing rest protocols for fighter pilots. Among his early "lab rats?" Navy Seals. Herr's early work with the military transitioned to an entrepreneurial effort called Fount. Fount creates protocols and products to help you feel and perform your best. FlyKitt is his most recent creation. The app-based program controls how you feel post-flying by dictating what you do before and during a flight. But you don't have to be an elite athlete or a frequent flier to improve your daily performance. Herr's unique take on our "humanness" has takeaways for all of us. On this

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join our holiday gratitude challenge. Commit to focusing on what you're grateful for every day from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. Gratitude is an attitude. It's also the quickest way to improve your mental and physical health. Science backs that up. There is a lot of research that supports that being thankful can lower stress and improve your sense of well-being. And it doesn't take long to start seeing results. This week, we're taking a look at the power of a simple gratitude practice and encouraging you to join our Gratitude Challenge. Try one of our three tips each day and see how the In this Dying to Ask: A 30-second way to make gratitude a habit The gratitude hack that can stop your kids from fighting in the car And the two words that will keep you engaged in The Gratitude Challenge

'Tis the season to get stressed out. But, what if we made a game plan to thrive and not just survive the holidays? This year, I'm treating the holidays like I would an endurance race. I'm developing a strategy, making a plan, and I'm going to stick to it in order to get to the finish line. That finish line? A less stressed holiday season that focuses on the meaning behind the season and being in the moment. And, that could be tricky this year since all your holiday favorites (and not so favorites) are back after their pandemic hiatus. In this episode, we'll identify three ways you can lower your stress level without missing out on holiday fun. But the "work" starts now. We're frontloading the holiday chore list and making decisions about what we will and won't do right now. The goal is to make being truly in the moment doable and allow you free time to be spontaneous with the people you care about. In this Dying to Ask: 3 ways to reduce holiday stress How to put the "no" into November And a reality check on f

What's your "why?" Mark Goldman's "why" for being an Ironman is simple. "I can because they can't." They are the 13 Americans the Ironman athlete competes in honor of in the 13 for 13 Heroes Mission. Goldman said, "13 for 13 Heroes is simply a mission to complete 13 Ironman, full distance or half distance races in honor of each of the 13 service members who we lost on August 26th of withdrawing from Afghanistan after our 20-year presence there." Goldman is a husband, father and businessman from Minneapolis. He's a recreational athlete who turned to Ironman racing to test his personal limits and improve his health. The Ironman is a 140.6-mile endurance race featuring a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles of cycling and a 26.2-mile run. The explosion that took the lives of the 13 service members at the Kabul Airport made Goldman think his athletic efforts could bring attention to the sacrifice military families make. Each of his races takes place near where one of the heroes grew up. Goldman races with an American flag tu