In this Ready Living Podcast episode, microplastics researcher and science communicator Dana Zhaxylykova talks about the prevalence and dangers of microplastics in our everyday lives. She explains how they move through water, air, soil, and food systems, are embedded in products people might never suspect, and are now found virtually everywhere on Earth.
She bridges the gap between cutting-edge science and everyday life through her Instagram account, where she translates complex research into accessible insights that offer practical, realistic steps people can take to reduce plastic exposure in their own personal environments.
She also shares findings from her co-authored peer-reviewed research published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Dana is the co-founder of Microplastic Free, a free app that helps people identify microplastics in common products, discover safer alternatives, and advocate for systemic change through petitions and policy awareness.
Her work has been featured on the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, and PBS, and in Elle.
The interview is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
What drives someone to pursue a Ph.D. in public health? For Kevin Cevasco, it all began with a story about a high schooler nearly dropping out to help pay his family’s rent during his mother’s medical treatment.
In this Ready Living Podcast episode, Kevin recounts fascinating parallels from past outbreaks—like the Black Death in fourteenth century Europe and smallpox in the 1800s—to help us understand the various ways humans react to public health crises.
He looks at why people cling to misinformation in the face of evidence, why prevention efforts sometimes struggle to gain political support despite saving countless lives, and the important role cultural and religious leaders can play in advancing community health.
He also explains how public health efforts, from vaccination campaigns to better infrastructure, rely on proactive policies, adequate funding, and the trust of the communities they serve.
Kevin shares why studying patterns of disease isn’t just about medical data— it’s about people and their capacity to work together for the common good. He highlights the ways we can all contribute to a healthier and stronger society.
This episode will leave you with a deeper understanding of why public health matters and help see it as a shared responsibility.
The interview is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
What if the key to a happier and more connected life lies in reclaiming the wild parts of ourselves that we’ve lost along the way? The answer may lie in rewilding the human psyche, which helps people bridge the gap between rational thought and sensory experience and rediscover aspects of their humanity that have been sidelined by modern life.
This episode’s guest is award-winning psychologist Dr. Dana Klisanin, founder of ReWilding: Lab, whose passion for integrating ancient wisdom with modern science led her to create a holistic approach to wellness that reconnects individuals with nature and their creative potential. In addition to recognition by the American Psychological Association for her pioneering contributions to media psychology and celebrated in Forbes as a top female futurist, she is also a sought-after consultant for global organizations looking to develop resilient and adaptable leadership.
She explores the pivotal role of hope and courage in confronting life’s challenges, emphasizing the importance of cultivating both as essential tools for navigating the uncertainties and crises that define our times.
She also talks about the crucial difference between resilience and antifragility, two concepts that represent how we respond to life’s challenges. While resilience is about bouncing back, antifragility goes a step further by embracing the idea of growing stronger through adversity, representing an optimal outcome for life’s toughest moments.
Dr. Klisanin’s insights offer a fresh perspective on how we can face life’s greatest challenges with renewed strength and creativity.
The interview is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
In a world where pushing to the brink of burnout and beyond is often the norm in pursuit of success, what led a former policy and political advisor to shift course and embrace a life of health and well-being?It’s a question that challenges us to identify what truly brings meaning to our lives and invites us to consider how we might redirect our talents from a purely achievement-oriented focus towards a life that combines service of others with personal well-being.
This episode’s guest is Laurie A. Watkins, a former policy and political advisor in the Obama administration, author of the health and wellness book Go From Stressed to Strong, Founder & President of Sunshine L.A.W. Consulting, and Founder of The Cook’s Collective.
After suffering a burnout in 2008 while working in national politics, she learned the importance of prioritizing one’s physical and mental health. She traded in a stress-filled and unhealthy lifestyle for one that enabled her to flourish, strengthening her ability to serve others. As a social impact leader and catalyst for change, she now helps other people do the same.
It was during her own health journey that she recognized the important role food plays in nourishing both body and mind. After getting to know celebrity Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals to people at the front lines of humanitarian, climate, and community conflict, she was inspired to co-found The Cook’s Collective which champions systemic changes that prioritize the mental health and well-being of people who work in the food and beverage industry.
In this episode, Laurie shares how from a young age she learned to speak up when something was wrong, why taking care of yourself isn’t selfish, and why we don’t need to sacrifice well-being in pursuit of an impactful and meaningful life. She also talks about the very special role her companion animal plays in her life.
The interview with Laurie is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Anger is often seen as a destructive force, something to be feared and avoided. Yet, beneath its fiery exterior lies a powerful tool capable of driving change and even fostering creativity. Understanding and harnessing anger can unlock a new realm of possibilities, turning this misunderstood emotion into a source of strength and inspiration.
This episode’s guest is Dr. Ryan Martin, also known as the ‘Anger Professor.’ He is a distinguished researcher and author who has dedicated his career to studying anger and other emotions. Regularly featured in the media, he is also a TEDx speaker and the author of the books Why We Get Mad: How to Use Your Anger for Positive Change and How to Deal with Angry People: 10 Strategies for Facing Anger at Home, at Work and in the Street.
He explains that anger is fundamentally an emotional response comprising thoughts, physiological arousal, and action tendencies. He delves into the cognitive aspects of anger, highlighting how thoughts of fairness, injustice, and even revenge can accompany this emotion.
He also highlights the societal biases that affect how different groups are perceived when expressing anger, noting that marginalized individuals often face unfair consequences for their anger.
He discusses how the intensity and frequency of anger, along with its impact on the individual and others, determine whether it is problematic. He encourages people to be aware of how their anger affects their loved ones and to seek professional help if necessary. But he suggests avoiding therapists who recommend outward physical expressions of anger as a way to feel better, arguing that things like rage rooms don’t work.
While sometimes anger is misplaced, Dr. Martin points out that it can arise from genuine experiences of poor treatment or injustice, making it a legitimate and appropriate response. He calls on people to recognize the power of anger and harness it for constructive purposes.
The interview with Dr. Martin is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
The May 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review has a special report containing thirteen articles about Preparing for a Pandemic that focus on different areas such as the science behind H5N1, the role of leaders, the importance of communication, and modeling, among others.
However, the article on organizations, Survival of the Adaptive by Nitin Nohria, the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, is particularly enlightening for PR and and other related professionals counseling clients on crisis management. Nohria writes:
“In the complex and uncertain environment of a sustained, evolving crisis, the most robust organizations will not be those that simply have plans in place but those that have continuous sensing and response capabilities…
We know from complexity theory that following a few basic crisis-response principles is more effective than having a detailed a priori plan in place….
The goal is not to create specific rules for responding to specific threats but to practice new ways of problem solving in an unpredictable and fast-changing environment.”
Nohria recommends that organizations have a global network of people in place that can help out as needed if internal communications systems break down, or as either human or physical resources are compromised.
He also compares the characteristics of organizations that will be less, and those that will be more, successful in surviving an outbreak:
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Hierarchical vs. networked
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Centralized leadership vs. distributed leadership
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Tightly (greater interdependence among parts) vs. loosely coupled (less interdependence)
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Concentrated workforce vs. dispersed workforce
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Specialists vs. cross-trained generalists
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Policy and procedure driven vs. guided by simple yet flexible rules
