Episodes

  • Matt “Rudy” Ronfeldt Reminds Us That Clarity Begins With Space To Listen

    Matt “Rudy” Ronfeldt Reminds Us That Clarity Begins With Space To Listen
    Jun 2 2026
    Matt “Rudy” Ronfeldt grew up possessing a deep curiosity and passion for physics and Buddhism, but graduating from Amherst College having majored in physics left him with a gnawing doubt: whether he wanted to pursue physics professionally. He then did something some of us may only daydream about: he stepped off the grid and into the Himalayas. Months of trekking, six weeks of silence in a Buddhist monastery, and a vow to make compassion his North Star reshaped everything that came after. That included walking away from the foundation that physics had provided and pursuing a career in education and educational research devoted to identifying the qualities and inputs that are associated with better teachers. In this conversation, Rudy reflects on navigating uncertainty and the unexpected ways that purpose can emerge when we slow down enough to hear it. Contact Rudy via email: ronfeldt@umich.edu.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • Peter Tothy Treats People, Not Cancer

    Peter Tothy Treats People, Not Cancer
    May 26 2026
    Dr. Peter Tothy (hematology/oncology) has spent nearly two decades guiding patients through some of life's hardest moments, including navigating terminal cancer diagnoses. In this episode, he reflects on the experiences that have shaped him and made him such a compassionate caregiver and advisor. From attending and working at a rustic Adirondack summer camp to being a student and resident counselor at Amherst College to his clinic in northern Indiana, he has learned how to treat people with honesty and deep empathy. Or, as he puts so emphatically in the context of his life's calling, Peter treats people, not cancer. We also explore the role of clinical medical ethics in meeting patients where they are and the ways he helps some patients process and navigate devastating news toward an outcome that at first might seem like a contradiction in terms: a good death. To contact Peter, email him at ptothy@yahoo.com.
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Bill Bares Redefines Success For The Second Half Of Life

    Bill Bares Redefines Success For The Second Half Of Life
    May 19 2026
    Bill Bares has lived a life that unfolded almost exactly as he planned it in his early twenties, when he completed a Tony Robbins-branded one‑year, five‑year, and 25‑year plan. That plan resulted in a career as a jazz pianist, scholar, and now Distinguished Professor of Humanities at UNC Asheville. These days, Bill finds his interests shifting to unlearning the habits that made him successful and designing a more relational, community‑centered future — much the way he sits at the center of jazz ensembles as a pianist. In this conversation, Bill talks candidly about the psychological forces that drove his early ambition, the joy he finds in leading from the middle, and the shift he’s making toward serving others. In the process, we explore how midlife invites a different kind of planning. That includes what it means to loosen the grip of individual achievement and how to build a second life phase dedicated to connection and generosity. You can learn more about Bill or get in touch with him via URSA Asheville (ursaasheville.com), Bill’s music site ( billbaresmusic.com), and email: wbares@unca.edu.
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Kate Lewis Shows How A Liberal Arts Mind Thrives At The Center Of Big Tech

    Kate Lewis Shows How A Liberal Arts Mind Thrives At The Center Of Big Tech
    May 12 2026
    Kate Lewis (nee Westerbeck) has willed every stage of her career into existence. In her childhood, she knew she wanted to work in media. Her very first job after Amherst College landed her at Conde Nast. She then joined Hearts and rose all the way to Chief Content Officer, overseeing some of the most iconic titles in American publishing. When she later set her sights on Apple, she made that happen too, bringing her editorial acumen into one of the most influential technology companies on the planet. Kate exudes the power of optimism, curiosity, and good old fashioned cheerfulness. She makes a compelling case for something every Amherst alum will feel in their bones: that a liberal arts education is awfully useful in a world where the ability to synthesize, communicate clearly and compellingly, and connect the dots across disciplines is as valuable as ever. Her recent shift from media to tech and from the East to the West Coast is instructive for anyone contemplating their own pivot. Her playbook also affirms why the skills we honed at Amherst still matter in some of the most competitive environments in the world. To reach Kate, email is best: kcwlewis@gmail.com. Show note: Kate mentions a Radiolab podcast episode on the power of novelty. Listen to that episode here: https://radiolab.org/podcast/secret-long-life
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • Sara Keen Explains Why Alignment Starts with Seeing People Clearly

    Sara Keen Explains Why Alignment Starts with Seeing People Clearly
    May 5 2026
    Sara Keen has been a close friend of mine for more than three decades. She has a rare gift: she listens in a way that makes people feel fully seen, and even when she disagrees with them, she remains attentive, kind, and firm yet flexible in her own mind. Whether we’re talking sports, politics, or the messy realities of organizational life, she always brings curiosity, good humor, and a deep respect for other people’s perspectives. Professionally, Sara has spent more than 20 years helping organizations work through complexity, aligning teams, repairing strained partnerships, and guiding leaders through the choppy, human side of change. Her work spans biopharma, academic medicine, major health systems, and cross‑industry collaborations. She grounds all of it in an ability to uncover the deeper meaning beneath what people say and to help them find their shared 'what,' even if they disagree on the 'how.' This conversation is both professional and, for me, personal, because all her abilities are on such vivid display, especially the quiet strength of someone who makes every room and every relationship better.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • JJ Haines Describes How Mindfulness Shaped His Life And Career In Japan

    JJ Haines Describes How Mindfulness Shaped His Life And Career In Japan
    Apr 28 2026
    For most of his adult life, JJ Haines has called Tokyo home. He didn't imagine that outcome while at Amherst College, but in retrospect it almost feels inevitable given his long-standing appreciation for Japanese culture. JJ traces the winding path from studying Buddhism and Japanese cinema at Amherst to building a global banking career that took him through risk management, real estate, the Lehman collapse, and now his role as Managing Director and Country Manager for Japan at ING. He reflects on the curiosities that first pulled him toward Japan, the self‑awareness practices that have shaped his entire life, and the family he and his wife have built in Tokyo, including how they navigated the perilous days immediately following the 3/11 earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster. Highlights include: The importance of his early service‑industry jobs and what they taught him about understanding human behavior Navigating the Lehman collapse, Fukushima, and major career pivots from inside Japan’s financial system Raising a family and watching his daughters explore the world on their own terms How meditation and presence guide his decision‑making and daily life You can email JJ at jjhaines333@gmail.com and find him on LinkedIn.
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Valerie Leipheimer Rediscovers The Joy Of Art Through A New Lens: Motherhood

    Valerie Leipheimer Rediscovers The Joy Of Art Through A New Lens: Motherhood
    Apr 21 2026
    Valerie Leipheimer may be the first person in human history who can persuasively and clearly show how much art history and tax law have in common. How'd she come to that conclusion? By way of a path that has taken her from Amherst College, where she studied art history, through law school, and into a serendipitous turn as a corporate tax law summer associate in London that helped her find her true professional calling. Along the way, she enjoyed a long detour through Florence that sparked a deep love of Italian culture. She has passed her passion for arts and culture to her 17‑year‑old son, who has become her museum buddy and is lobbying hard to have her speak to his class about her Amherst thesis on Francis Bacon. For the opportunity to bond with her kid in his native environment, it may be time to dust off that thesis, which she came *this close* to publishing her senior year at Amherst. To contact Valerie, email her at vleiphei@yahoo.com.
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Anand Pandian Asks What Stands Between Us — And What Could Bring Us Together

    Anand Pandian Asks What Stands Between Us — And What Could Bring Us Together
    Apr 7 2026
    Anthropologist Anand Pandian joins me to explore the everyday walls—physical, social, and mental—that shape modern American life. Drawing from his book, Something Between Us, he explains how the boundaries built into our homes, cars, and information sources make it harder to imagine living in community with people who might think differently or come from another place. We talk about what it takes to lower those barriers and create better ways to coexist. Anand also reflects on Ayya’s Accounts: A Ledger of Hope in Modern India, his book about his family's ancestral homeland told through his grandfather’s harrowing refugee journey. We revisit Amherst, where he didn't study anthropology but where he definitely got the bug. He also fondly remembers the rooftop “beach” at Valentine, the professors who shaped him, and the unexpected ways and timing that our intellectual callings announce themselves. We close with thoughts about the world the next generations will inherit, the ecological futures he’s working to imagine, and the advice he won’t give his teenagers. To get in touch, email him at pandian@jhu.edu. You'll find his books on Amazon and other booksellers, , and you also can visit his website: https://anand.studio/.
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins