Sadly, my grandmother passed away this week at the age of 99. You might remember her from episode #49 of WTS: Can't Get There From Hair (Acceptance).  She was a force and I hope you take a few minutes to listen to what she has to say. Article written in 2019:  https://tntribune.com/mother-of-the-year-a-tribute-to-mrs-verleon-h-s-grant-age-98/?fbclid=IwAR223gtu-k4umJtZgWW6MkyPs5yv7OkEzS8EHrrv_AXFo6jGUpxaA3iUUa8

It is December and any show worth its weight in gold (or frankincense… or myrrh) has a Christmas episode - and WTS is definitely with its weight in tree resin. This episode comes to you in the form of two audio gifts. We even wrapped them and put them under the tree for you. We hope you enjoy them and, perhaps, even take away an idea or two that helps your holiday season be merry and bright. Thank you to Joseph Quinn for joining us in this episod and also for crafting and recording this...

Brett & Nick pop into the feed to talk about what you can expect in December and January. (Spoiler: It's a brand new Christmas special and new episodes in January. 

What is Halloween without the trick or treating? That is the question that started the journey of this episode. A lot of our traditions over the next few months are going to look different this year. Not just Halloween. It’s unlikely that celebrations of US Thanksgiving, Diwali, Hanukkah, or Christmas will have the same gatherings of people they have in the past. And that sucks. And many people feel stuck. And this feeling of being stuck is not exclusive to Halloween where 2020 is...

Halloween is coming up and that means Halloween movies and TV specials! To celebrate, Nick explores one of the earliest and most famous Halloween specials - It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. An often overlooked element in that show is the fact that Linus must be sincere in order for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. But, what does it mean to be sincere? Is it the kind of thing that we can create or should we just fake it ‘til we make it? Brett & Nick branch out from the Great Pumpkin to...

The world is grappling with a lot of tough issues. Issues that are nuanced and layered. Issues that don’t necessarily have a right or wrong answer. Issues that demand dialogue for progress. And yet we seem to mostly be doing something else.  This week we are talking about talking. Debate vs Dialogue. Nick revisits an actual debate, and both Nick and Brett attempt to create some dialogue.  In the end they hope to answer the question, Is dialogue dead? Find full show notes for this episode...

Is it true that one man's shame was the cause of the AIDS epidemic in North America?  Nick's new show, Shame Rules!, is available today and this week we're giving you a sneak peak.  To hear the rest of it, subscribe to Shame Rules! wherever you listen to podcasts. This link will provide you with links to some of your favorite podcast apps: http://smarturl.it/jjuoz0 We'll see you next week with a brand new episode of Where There's Smoke!

This week our episode is inspired by the life of Chadwick Boseman. We challenge ourselves to look at how we are showing up in the world. With all of our fears and doubts and distractions, and over corrections and under corrections, and at times just plain laziness or indifference - how many of us manage to consistently show up in our life? For ourselves and for others? To bring all of ourselves to the party? We hear a story from Personal Story expert, Bo Eason. And you may just leave this...

Rate & Review Shame Rules! right now: https://smarturl.it/jjuoz0 New episodes of Where There's Smoke return on Friday, September 25! New episodes of Shame Rules! premiere on Friday, October 2. Wanna free Shame Rules! bag? If you want to get your very own Shame Rules! bag or help with the launch in other ways, then visit www.shamerules.com/launch.  Shame Rules! on Instagram Shame Rules! on Facebook Shame Rules! on Twitter

“Change is the only constant in life.” Heraclitus said that back in 500 BCE. It was true then, and 2500 years later, it is still true.  That said, there are times in life when it feels like we are in a more intense period of change. As we release this episode, it is June of the year Two Thousand and Twenty AD. We’ve got a pandemic that is still very much happening, economic uncertainty, and the world is starting to look closely at systemic racism. Oh yeah, and a globally significant...

This week, as the world continues to reckon with race and equality after the murder of George Floyd, we try to understand what an ally IS... and what it isn't.Brett and Nick both hold up a mirror to look at their own actions (or lack of them). And Nick has a conversation with Holliday Philips, who recently published the article ‘Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead)’. ARTICLE: Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead) ...

Now that you've listened to our episode on the topic of intention, Brett and Nick explain how you can donate money AND get some pencils from Nick's personal stash. It's win-win! You get a new tool to help practice being intentional and you get to help support organizations that are doing the important work of fighting for justice for all Black Americans.  Here's how it works:  What do I get? These are brand new, nice pencils from Nick's personal stock. They have brought him joy and...

Life moves pretty fast and, if you're not careful, it's easy to be swept away by it. (How's that for a mixed metaphor?) Anyway, today's episode asks several important questions: What would it mean to slow down? What does it mean to be mindful? Is it even possible anymore? What does any of this look like? To help us answer these questions, Brett talks with Mark Champagne about the power of intentional practice and journaling. Then, Nick shares a new passion of his and hopes that it inspires...

Where There’s Smoke is observing BLACKOUT TUESDAY and not releasing a new episode today. This initiative, also known as #TheShowMustBePaused, was created by two black women in the music industry in observance of the long-standing racism and inequality that exists in our society. This is not a day off. It is a day to reflect and educate ourselves on how we can confront systemic racism and support the Black community.

This episode is a riddle, wrapped in an NBA championship, wrapped in a chance encounter, wrapped in privilege, wrapped in mashed potatoes, washed over by the ocean, and inside of a critical message for our world about humility. Our journey starts  with a celebration and a question, and ends with a celebration and a question. In between we hear from two TedX speakers, an American playwright, a psychologist, and have in depth conversation with Ed Hess, author of Humility is the New Smart:...

It's our first new Where There's Smoke episode in two years! Pliny the Elder said, “The only certainty is that nothing is certain.” In a world where nothing is certain and so much is out of our control, what options do we really have? Should we fight? Do we give up? Or is there something else? In this episode we move from a tragic accident, through quicksand, and into a very personal story from Brett about his Mom - all while exploring the power of surrender. Find full show notes...

Brett & Nick are dropping in to check-in. Sharing some thoughts around where we’re at, where they’re at, and even hearing from one of you, our listeners, with regards to where you are at. Next week Brett plans to talk to more of you. If you are interested in having a conversation with Brett, please drop an email to [email protected], or reply on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (as we’ll be putting invites up there too).  And we are still taking questions for Dear WTS. So if...

In this episode, Brett & Nick connect up with listener (and fellow quarantined human) Ben for another segment of Dear WTS. Ben has a question that might seem fun and trite, but upon further exploration may actually hold the key to enlightenment .... Which letter is silent in scent? Nick has proclaimed “100% perfect answers guaranteed”. Will the team fall on their face in the first round, or are they currently batting 1.000? You will have to listen to find out.  Now remember, WE WANT...

"Sound is touch at a distance." This week, Self Isolated in Toronto writes, “Dear WTS, Do you know anything about Jaguars?” Ok, not quite, but you can find more of those here. In actuality, Brett & Nick are trying a bit of an experiment. Recently Brett did a Listening Tour, where he spoke to 26 listeners across 6 countries. We wanted to learn what listeners love about WTS, and to get their feedback on some ideas aimed toward launching new episodes in 2020. In that process we were...

Two holiday vignettes make up this week’s episode:  First, Brett peels back the veneer of the joyful and festive holiday season, to acknowledge that sometimes … Christmas sucks. But, what if that’s actually be a good thing? If you are feeling a bit blue this Christmas, or know someone who is, then this segment is for you. Then, Nick chimes in with a story about silence. To join our mailing list visit www.wheretheressmoke.co * * * If want to support the show and help keep it...

Nick returns to bring attention to one of his personal favorite episodes of WTS. (Well, at least part of it... come back on Thursday!) *** Original Show Notes (2/9/16) In honor of the return of Serial, this week we’re looking at Truth - well, truth and lies. Sometimes we lie for good reasons and sometimes we lie for bad ones. Which is which and why does it matter? Also, Author Scott Berkun also talks to us about The Myths of Innovation. Note: This is part one of a two-part episode. Make...

This week, we bring you a fan favorite (literally) and encourage our Explorers to keep reaching out to us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. (Who knows would could happen!?) www.facebook.com/explorewts www.twitter.com/explorewts www.instagram.com/explorewts (Also, Nick is excited to have remastered this episode, too.) *** Original show notes “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” That’s Steve Martin’s advice for anybody looking to be successful. We hear some form of this idea from...

Brett & Nick stop by to find ask Explorers an important question. Then, you get to hear a classic episode of WTS - newly remastered for 2019! (Nobody will really care about that, but Nick was so happy to finally go back and make some adjustments!) Make sure to visit the following places to let us know where you found us! www.facebook.com/explorewts www.twitter.com/explorewts www.instagram.com/explorewts   Original Episode Description for #15 Are You In or Out? (Moments) Life is a...

Brett & Nick talk on the phone.