The Asad Badruddin Podcast: Recent Episodes
Asad Badruddin
I interview experts about relationships, dating, negotiation, cross-cultures, creativity, inner work and spirituality among other themes.
Devon Walz is a mixed media artist, muralist and art mentor based in Southern California. In this episode we cover:
- how to navigate periods of resistance and stuckness
- what’s the boundary between sharing your personal life in your art
- how the “shoulds” of society and culture stop us from being creative
- why we are not comfortable relying on our own authority
You can learn more about her work: https://www.devonwalz.com/
Art & Magic Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-magic/id1496458820
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Another solo podcast from me where I cover 3 things I've learned over the last few months:
- How self-awareness can lead to more discontent and how the I see/I love practice can help balance this out
- How the concept of repair in relationships can help you be more assertive
- What are some ways to repair relationships
- How to use a "beam of kindness" to help tough questions be more well received
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Vadia Rhodes is a Northern California based singer/songwriter and a celebrity makeup artist. She sings jazz, show tunes, r&b and pop music. Her song “No Graves”, centered around themes of persistence, has inspired a growing movement and her live performances have moved audiences to tears. In this interview we discuss:
- Vadia's creative process and spiritual roots
- How she came to an epiphany about her creative career
- How she came up with her song "No Graves" as well her song "I've Been Waiting" with a live performance of those songs in the interview
- How themes of fate and destiny interweave into her writing
You can find Vadia's songs on spotify and follow her on instagram
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Often when we think about filmmaking, or other large creative projects, they seem inaccessible to us because of the large costs and logistics involved. My guest on this episode challenges this notion. Noam Kroll is an LA based filmmaker, director, cinematographer, colorist and host of the podcast Show Don’t Tell. In this episode we cover:
- How to get lucky by making many smaller micro-budget films versus one big budget film
- How Noam is making his most recent film for under <$1000 in fixed costs
- How constraints like smaller budgets can enable creativity
- Some innovative ways filmmakers have built an audience
You can learn more about Noam on his website: https://noamkroll.com/
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Emily Somers is an actress, model, writer, producer and story analyst. She was a recurring guest star on the most recent season of Westworld, and is the writer and producer of the upcoming indie movie INTO THE VALLEY which was shot in Northern California.
In this episode we cover:
- How Emily built relationships after moving to LA and her advice for others considering a similar move
- What she learned from being in the cast of Westworld
- What were some of the creative challenges in adapting a novel into an indie film
- Lessons from her team's successful crowdfunding of the film
You can learn more about Emily’s work at https://www.emilyannesomers.com/
You can see learn more about INTO THE VALLEY here: https://seedandspark.com/fund/intothevalley#updates/37213
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Recording a solo podcast where I share my philosophy about why pitching is over rated.
In this episode I cover:
- A common misconception when it comes to sales and negotiation
- A case study of a client conversation and what I learned from it
- How changing statements into questions can make you more persuasive
- Why some questions are better than others
- How to have the counterpart pitching you, while making the conversation more collaborative
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Ruwan Meepagala is a men’s coach and host of the Ruwando podcast, where he talks about men’s challenges in relationships, with a focus on archetypes and esotericism. He also has substack and second podcast called the History of Man. In this episode we cover:
- what are some warning signs you might be part of cult
- what are some of the positive things families and businesses can learn from cults
- living a public life and covering taboo topics
- how he thinks about masculine feminine polarity while raising his daughter
You can learn more about Ruwan’s work here: https://www.ruwando.com/start
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Maya Hu-Chan's latest book “Saving Face: How to Preserve Dignity and Build Trust” is an Amazon #1 best seller. She is also a keynote speaker and and executive coach. In our conversation we talk about:
- What is Face, and why is it so important?
- How do different roles (parent/child, customer/client, manager/employee) affect how people interact with each other and save face?
- What is the role of intermediaries when trying to get information while saving face?
- How do you balance being honest, while saving face?
- What are some of the biggest culture clashes when American businesses work and negotiate in East Asia?
You can learn more about Maya’s work here: https://mayahuchan.com/
Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode. https://asadbadruddin.substack.com/
Gary Noesner retired from the FBI in 2003 following a 30 year career as an investigator, instructor, and negotiator. During that time he was heavily involved in numerous crisis incidents covering prison riots, right-wing militia standoffs, religious zealot sieges, terrorist embassy takeovers, airplane hijackings, and over 120 overseas kidnapping cases involving American citizens and the siege at Waco. He is also author of the book Stalling for Time.
In this episode we cover:
- How time is a negotiator's friend and some tactics to increase the time you have
- What to do when you have intense scrutiny on your actions (in Gary's case, his negotiations were covered by the press)
- How to use creative solutions in a negotiation (Why Gary sent a photo of his wife and family to a man who was holding 35 people hostage)
- Why navigating internal politics is key to the success of your external negotiations
You can learn more about Gary's work here: https://garynoesner.com/
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Brad Wolfe is a songwriter, author and founder of the non-profit Reimagine: which focuses on loss, adversity, and mortality and how to channel life’s challenges into meaning and growth. As a musician he has shared the stage with Rusted Root, the Gin Blossoms, Howie Day, and members of Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows.
In this episode we cover:
- How Brad’s grandparents experience with the holocaust and then later with his friend Rachel shaped his view around death and loss
- How to think about end of life planning with family members
- Brad’s advice for those working through grief
- Brad’s advice for those who are helping others through their loss
- Why Brad thinks heaven is over-rated
You can learn more about Reimagine here: https://letsreimagine.org/
You can find out more about Brad including his library of songs here: https://www.bradwolfe.com/
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My guest for this podcast Karla McLaren is the author of more than 11 books including The Language of Emotions, The Power of Emotions at Work and the Art of Empathy. She is also the developer of Empathy Academy. In this podcast we cover:
- what are the gifts of anger, shame and fear?
- how the Beatles were able to create magic by utilizing all 4 human intellgiences
- what’s the difference between expressing, repressing or channeling an emotion?
- Why is forgiveness sometimes a deceptive approach, especially when you haven’t worked through your anger?
- why does Karla not considered an emotion?
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You can learn more about Karla's work here: https://karlamclaren.com/
If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review on itunes.
Within the span of a few months David Emerald’s father passed away, and he was medically diagnosed with infertility leading to his marriage falling apart. He details his journey going from Victim to Creator in his book The Empowerment Dynamic; and how to use those lessons at work in his next book Three Vital Questions: Transforming Workplace Drama.
In this episode we cover:
- David’s story and an overview of the drama triangle
- How the drama triangle transforms into the empowerment triangle
- Why anxiety prevents people from escaping the drama triangle
- How to go from Victim to Creator
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You can find more about David's work at https://www.theempowermentdynamic.com/
Nate Regier, PhD, is the CEO and founding owner of Next Element Consulting, a global leadership firm dedicated to bringing compassion into the workplace. He is also the author of Beyond Drama: Transcending Energy Vampires; Conflict without Casualties: A Field Guide for Leading with Compassionate Accountability; and his newest book, Seeing People Through: Unleash Your Leadership
In this episode we cover:
- How to understand people's signals of distress and communication preferences
- How do you stay in integrity with your own self while adapting to the communication style of others?
- Should we strive for a world with no conflict?
- How does the drama triangle cause conflict?
- What are some strategies to engage in healthy conflict?
You can learn more about Nate's work at https://www.next-element.com/
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Kendra Cunov is the author of the Beyond Boundaries course and has been studying, facilitating, and practicing Authentic Relating, Embodiment Practices & Deep Intimacy work for over fifteen years, working with thousands of men, women and couples. In this podcast we cover:
- Whose (boundary) line is it anyways?
- The difference between requests and demands
- Why is the ideal boundary a semi-permeable membrane?
- How do you decide if something is something is a place you need to insert a boundary or a place of growth for you?
- Why seeing options as either/or is sometimes a sign of a rigid boundary
You can find more about her work at https://www.kendracunov.com/beyond-boundaries/
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In Western societies confusion reigns on gender roles. In some instances, women are out-earning their male partners and men are expected to be more in touch with their feelings. Couples are having to contend with these new dynamics in a way earlier generations did not.
On one hand there are those who say gender roles don’t matter, and then there are those that argue for reverting to more rigid gender roles. My guest on this podcast Justin Patrick Pierce is an intimacy teacher who works with couples on deepening intimacy and polarity in relationships.
In this episode we dive into:
- how should people think about gender roles in relationships?
- what is he connection between consciousness and masculinity?
- the history of how Eastern spirituality fused with Western occultism
- tips on how to maintain attraction and chemistry in long term relationships
You can find more about Justin’s work and his retreats at https://www.justinpatrickpierce.com/
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I went on a hunting trip last week and recorded a pre and post trip episode with my friend and guide Soren.
In this episode we cover:
- how we prepared for the trip
- the ethics of hunting
- connecting with the food supply
- our relationship to death
- dealing with nature's probabilities
- debrief after the trip
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Do animals have anything to teach us? My guest today, Judy Skeen answers with an affirmative yes. Judy is a Professor of theology at Belmont University who brings her students together with horses to help bring theological concepts to life. She is also a facilitator at the Center for Courage and Renewal and is currently hosting a retreat series on Finding Home. In this episode we cover:
- What can we learn by communicating with animals that see us as predators
- How giving up on changing the Other opens the door for true empathy
- How horses are wired to see through you and your masks and what that can teach us about ourselves
- Finding home, during a time of unease and lockdowns
You can find Judy's work with the Center of Courage and Renewal here: https://couragerenewal.org/wpccr/?s=judy+keen&x=8&y=18
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Misha Glouberman teaches communication skills, and facilitates meetings and conferences for organizations.
He has taught his course How to Talk to People About Things to hundreds of people imparting memorable and effective negotiation and conflict resolution skills which have been described as "life changing".
He is the co-author of the book The Chairs Are Where the People Go, which the New Yorker named as one of its top nonfiction books of 2011 and described as "a triumph of what might be called conversational philosophy." In it, Misha relays everything he knows about communication, conferences, relationships, making friends, monogamy, playing charades and more. In this episode with Misha we cover:
- The importance of intending for your work to be life changing
- Understanding everyone is a character in their own movie
- Conversations as improv games
- How the best negotiators aim to maximize both substance and relationship in a negotiation
- A reframe to help bring up difficult topics in conversations
- Why you are probably running your meeting wrong
You can find him at https://www.mishaglouberman.com/
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I got a question from Twitter about dating while sober. Instead of interviewing a guest, my friend L interviews me around strategies and mindset toward dating without drinking.
- the mistakes most sober guys make dating
- a mindset shift when thinking of venues to go on dates
- how dating while sober can accelerate personal growth
- How to Win Friends and Influence People book recommendation
If you know someone who could benefit from this podcast episode please pass it along.
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The more I’ve learned about negotiations, the more I’ve realized the importance of managing your own emotions and baggage. Exploring the sensations in your body (soma) that give rise to those emotions can help in understanding them. My guest on this podcast interview, Stephen Kotev is one of the few negotiation practitioners whose work covers the overlap between negotiation and somatic awareness. In this episode we cover:
Strategies to approach fight, flight or freeze responses when negotiating
What did Stephen gain from joining a Men’s group
Emotions beyond anger and humor that men should explore
How women can change their body language to avoid uncomfortable situations
You can learn more about Stephen’s work, including his negotiation services, by visiting his website https://www.stephenkotev.com/
I was interested in speaking to Jessica because of her work with grief. Grief unites us in a shared humanity because we all have to deal with loss. But many of us also find it very hard to grieve. And I think part of the reason is because we don’t actually have the words or the vocabulary to express how we feel.
I suspect our fear of death is very closely linked to our inability to process grief. It is with this in mind, that I was drawn to Jessica’s work because she helps individuals process grief through the music of a piano duet – a pre-verbal space that isn’t constrained by the barriers or language.
Jessica Roemischer is an award-winning pianist, author, and visual artist. Through her multidisciplinary approach, Jessica’s life is dedicated to freeing the human spirit, opening a door to the stories that are held in the silence of our hearts. Jessica inspires this awareness of self, amidst the magnificence of the Cosmos, through interactive performance events, music soundtracks and compositions, podcasts, writings, videos, and more. New York-born and raised, Jessica lives in Sydney, Australia. For more visit, www.pianobeautiful.com
Music for Personal Reinvention Toolkit
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Naida runs a blog and Twitter handle called Orphic Inscendence – Inscendence being the opposite of transcendence. What drew me to her work was the understanding she brought to the feminine and the Goddess archetype through the lens of Jungian psychology, Abrahamic religions as well as Hinduism and Pantheism. I am very familiar with the Hero’s Journey, popularized by Joseph Campbell, but I wondered if there was a heroine’s journey too? Click “Listen Now” to hear Naida talk about this and other topics like the Sacred Prostitute and Woman as Home of the World.
You can find her on her Blog and Twitter
The Sacred Prostitute
The Heroine's Journey
Woman as Home of the World
I invited Dr. Bernard Mayer to my podcast after reading his book The Conflict Paradox. I’ve been doing a deep dive into negotiation and his book stood out. It particularly helped me put conflicting advice in context. For example, most sales roles are structured to be competitive. But I’ve also confusingly been told about the virtues of being cooperative. Well which one is the right approach? Dr. Mayer, breaks out of this binary paradigm by advising: you can’t cooperate effectively if you cannot compete effectively. You can learn more about this and other paradoxes by tuning in to this episode. In this podcast you will also get a preview of Dr. Mayer’s next book tentatively titled: The Neutrality Trap: From Constructive Engagement to Strategic Disruption in Social Conflict.
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Mikael is a writer and martial artist. I first came across his work on Twitter.
In this episode we cover:
- How to differentiate between a bad teacher making you uncomfortable and a great teacher making you uncomfortable
- How Mikael’s journey through Japanese Martial Arts brought him closer to some of the fundamental concepts of Islam
- The power of breathing and speaking from your belly
- Why you should move into the center of conflict according to his school of martial arts
- Supernatural Femininity
- Masculinity’s relationship to will power and surrender
You can find Mikael on Patreon and Twitter.
My interview with Visa @visakanv where we talk about:
- The value of being prolific and the hangups that come with it
- Why Visa doesn’t edit his youtube videos
- The correct answer to “How much does Central Park cost?”
- Why “we are all Westerner’s now”
- The importance of having a great boss
- Reply Game: how to making friends on the internet
- The relationship of creativity to note taking
You can find Visa’s ebook Friendly Ambitious Nerd on Gumroad and find him at his Youtube Channel