Smart People Podcast

Smart People Podcast

Author: Smart People Industries Language: English Episodes: 500
Every other week, Chris Stemp and Jon Rojas sit down with a guest who has fundamentally shaped their field, driven not by a rigid agenda but by genuine curiosity. The Smart People Podcast from Smart People Industries is built on the idea that the most compelling insights emerge from relaxed, authentic dialogue. You’ll hear authors, innovators, and cultural leaders-each with significant recognition in areas like business, education, or society-speak in a way that often feels more like a fascinating dinner conversation than a formal interview. Chris’s thoughtful questioning, paired with Jon’s producer perspective, gently guides discussions into unexpected territories, revealing the personal journeys and nuanced ideas behind public achievements. This podcast thrives in the space between expertise and accessibility, making complex topics relatable without sacrificing depth. It’s for anyone who believes that learning is a continuous, engaging process, and that the best lessons come from listening to people who think differently. Tune in biweekly for conversations that are as intellectually substantial as they are genuinely enjoyable, reminding us that smart discourse can be both enlightening and warmly human.
Episodes
Steve Almond [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:24
To this day, ‘History of Rock and Roll’ was one of my favorite classes in college. The artists inspired me. The stories blew me away. The lifestyle seemed to be something only imaginable in books and movies. New York Tim…
Thom Shanker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:07
“There was this explosion. A cloud. Red Mist. He self-detonated. A suicide vest. As sometimes happens with suicide vests, shoes and shins still stood on the roadway, disconnected for eternity from their owner.” -Thom Sha…
Roger Simmermaker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:05
Made in America. We all (well, maybe) remember when that used to mean one thing. Quality. As times changed and we moved towards become larger consumers, companies shifted their manufacturing to places in order to take ad…
Cathy Davidson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:14
It’s a topic that we have brushed up against before on the podcast, but haven’t completely jumped into. How does all of today’s technology and instant gratification affect our ability to pay attention. Are computers and…
Jeff Ryan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:52
The 60’s had the space race to the moon, the 70’s had peace, love and hippies and the 90’s had the internet. BUT, the 80’s had the best thing of all…..wait for it…..wait for it…..NINTENDO, and more specifically the Ninte…
Nintendo Overtime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:41
Chris and I have a discussion about Nintendo following our interview with Jeff Ryan. As you can tell, we had a lot of fun discussing Nintendo this week. Leave your top 5 games in the comments section! Episode below: Lear…
Seth Godin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:27
A lot of the ways companies reach you on a daily basis can be tied back to one man. This same man was recently dubbed “America’s Greatest Marketer” by American Way Magazine. Well, it just so happens that this week we had…
Lauren Shockey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:40
We’ve all had the thought before. “That’s it. I’m quitting my job and I am going to culinary school. I am becoming a chef or opening my own restaurant.” Personally, I’ve had this thought many times. I’ve contemplated ope…
Dr. Geoff Marcy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:10
Take a look into the sky tonight and try to imagine how many planets are out there. As of February 2011, there are 1,235 unconfirmed planetary candidates out there. It is widely estimated that there are billions of plane…
Gretchen Rubin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:30
How many times have you found yourself wondering why you are not as happy as you could be? There are plenty of times that I am sit at my desk and I start to wonder things like, “am I on the right career path?,” “what wou…