In this episode of the “I Find It Interesting” podcast, I sit down for an extended interview with Peak Extracts‘ CEO Katie Stem. Katie is an absolutely fascinating person, whose background, interests, and skillsets cover an immense range of topics. Our conversation barely touched the surface of Katie’s vast and varied curriculum vitae.
As CEO of Peak Extracts, Katie deals not only with the foundational business matters of company, but also works out the chemistry, proportions, and physiological effects of her cannabis-centric products. Continue reading “Seeds of Wisdom From Peak Extracts’ Katie Stem”
Christine Frazer works as an H.R. consultant, based out of Bend, Oregon.
Does that sound interesting to you?
Well, I’ve got to be honest here, when I was first given Christine’s name (and, especially, her job title) as a potential guest for the show, I was a bit… Well… Hesitant.
Human Resources consulting? How interesting could that be?
Well, as it turns out, absolutely fascinating.
Because Christine has an absolutely fascinating backstory.
For a good portion of my life, I’ve been trying to figure out just what are the specific qualities in a person that makes them interesting.
I know a good number of truly interesting people – fascinating folks – and in conversation it’s absolutely, completely, 100% obvious that these interesting people are indeed… Well… Interesting.
But what exactly is it that gives them this quality?
Well, as a general rule, most are well traveled.
Most have some degree of speaking ability in a language other than English.
Most – if not all – are extremely well read.
But there’s something else…. Some other quality.
And then it hit me.
And it hit me just shortly after interviewing the amazing (and incredibly interesting) Dave Allen.
The people in this world who are interesting – who are genuinely fascinating – can’t be defined by a single job they’ve performed or task they’ve undertaken.
Interesting people are always moving forward, always looking beyond categories and job descriptions and niches, always seeking new knowledge and experiences, and doing as much as they can to avoid being pigeonholed into one specific job, category, or niche.
And Dave Allen is one hell of an interesting person.
Throughout most of her day-to-day life, Rachel Zoller is a mom, an office administrator, and an educator. But when she heads off into the fields and woodlands of North America she becomes “Yellow Elanor,” a specialist in all things fungi related.
Rachel holds out a black cup fungus she found during our hike in the woods.
Through workshops and – especially – her YouTube channel and Instagram account, “Elanor” provides detailed information about edible and medicinal mushrooms, while also giving a clear heads up on which species of fungi out there might make you sick, or are even deadly poisonous.
Just a few weeks back, Rachel/Elanor and I headed up a mountainous trail on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge, where we hunted for mushrooms and talked about… Well… About a wide variety of mushroom related topics.
This was a really fun episode to make AND a physically challenging episode to record: myself, I was wearing about 20 pounds of audio gear strapped to my body as I huffed and puffed up the mountain trail.
Oh! And do be sure to listen all the way through to the very end, where there’s a last minute mushroom encounter that… That… Well, it’s hard to describe… But it’s an entertaining encounter.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to leave a review on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever/however you listen to podcasts.
Lastly, here are few quick highlights from the interview, along with links to books and outside resources mentioned.
Reema Zaman is an actress, artist, essayist, public speaker, and author of the outstanding new memoir, “I Am Yours.” Reema and I sat in front of the microphones for nearly an hour, where we had an in-depth conversation about relationships, power, culture, physical appearance, and generational change.
A few quick highlights from the interview, along with links to other authors and books mentioned, along with Reema’s official website and social media.
• “Art gives voice to what would otherwise remain silent.” – 00:04:00
• “Boys will be boys, and men will be men is a reoccurring theme” – 00:09:45
• “Everytime I receive a negative or trollish comment, I can see clearly it’s a confessional. It’s a confessional about the person’s internalized shame” – 00:12:05
• “Everywhere I look, everywhere I go, being female means a degree of powerlessness” – 00:12:45
• “Do you think there’s comfort to be found in the uncomfortable?” – 00:18:15
• “What do you think most people don’t know about power but is absolutely true?” – 00:21:20
• “I decided to pursue beauty the way a shark attacks flesh.” – 00:22:25
• “Do you remember the first passage you wrote in the book?” – 00:28:10
• “What power do books hold over us?” – 00:37:25
• “What are three books that have given you strength in life?”
