Jump Start Your Joy

Franny Burkey is a baker, shop co-owner, and pastry maker at the dreamy "Franny's Cup and Saucer" in Point Arena, California. She whips up gorgeous cakes, delicious donuts, some amazing gluten free treats, all while working with her mom (and co-owner), Barbara. The shop itself feels like the embodiment of joy, with it's sweet gifts, tasty treats, and loving atmosphere. When I started creating my list of who I wanted to interview for Jump Start Your Joy, Franny Burkey was definitely one of the first names I wrote down. And, Franny herself is really one of the most joyous and endearing folks I've ever met, and so it was a real treat to get to chat with her for a bit about her childhood, her outlook on life (and business), and what she loves about her work. In this interview, you'll hear about: - Franny's childhood, growing up in Northern California, and having two parents in the food industry - How Franny comes up with flavors for her delicious Friday donuts

In today's episode, I interview Earl Rivard, a musician, songwriter, and retreat leader. Earl has released three CDs, and is currently studying to be an operatic singer. In addition to his work in music, he leads retreats, and he and I have worked together for the past decade. Earl loves stories, loves the places where the sacred and story and life come together. He is a troubadour in the classic sense, with the roots of his his art in his mother's native Argentina, while singing around campfires, with friends and family, always with community. It was fun interviewing someone I know so well, and I learned a ton about Earl's background and his interests. Thank you, Earl, for your friendship, your inspiration, your music, and for joining me on Jump Start Your Joy. In this episode, you'll learn about: - how being blind has formed his personality and shaped him - how a trip to South America during high school introduced him to the joy of music - Earl's advice on recording your own album, and what his secret weapo

Jann Cather Weaver is an associate professor emerita of worship and theology and the arts at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She's an ordained minister, and has served parishes in Wisconsin and Missouri. A published author, and a former Yale Divinity School professor, Jann and I met at Yale, where she taught one of the most memorable courses I took in my master's program, "The Theology of Art and Film." This interview was a true delight, for so many reasons. Jann's ministry has been a beautiful dance of art, of exploring the human condition, and of looking for divine communication through many lenses, and many art forms, including photography, music, and film. She is a welcoming presence, and at the same time, a powerful force, truly comfortable in her own person, and yet pushing out toward the radical edge of theological education. It's a joy to witness how she's followed her own heart in pursuing theology and the arts, "not because Ithought there was a career there, but because it was (for l

In this episode, I speak with Dave Asprey, creator of Bulletproof Coffee, is the best selling author, tech industry veteran, bio-hacker, podcaster, and the CEO of Bulletproof Nutrition. His company recently received 9 million dollars in funding, and he's just opened his first brick and mortar Bulletproof Coffee shop in Santa Moncia, along with launching a line of products that are in Whole Foods. I'm grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Dave, to chat about life. We were classmates at UC Santa Barbara, where we both lived in the San Rafael dorms during our sophomore year of college. We take an interesting (if not somewhat hilarious) trip down memory lane, revisiting our time in the dining commons, and talking about what's gotten Dave to where he is today. In this episode, we chat about: - what Dave was like in college - how Dave created spoof flyers for our dorm regarding the famed UCSB Halloween celebration - what he thinks of dorm food - why fear and loathing was a motivator for his bio-hacking - hi

For episode 3, I'm super excited to share this interview with Matthew Wood, who is the voice of General Grievous in the Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars. When he's not doing voice work, he is also a supervising sound editor at Skywalker Sound, a job he's had for 25 years. Matt has worked on a ton of amazing movies, and been nominated for two Oscars for his work on "Wall*E" and "There Will Be Blood". On the personal side, Matt and I went to grade school, middle school, and high school together, and it was so fun catching up with him. (my son thinks it's hilarious that his mommy went to school with General Grievous.) Matt and I were five  years old when Star Wars: A New Hope originally came out, and we both have fond memories of the Kenner toys, and the truly epic feel of the movie itself. And, he makes reference to the fact that he's working on the sound for the next film, The Force Awakens, which comes out on December 18, 2015. I have to give him a huge shout out and thank you ... when we got

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is the founder of the Egg Freezing Party, and goes by the nickname "The Egg Whisperer." She's an fertility specialist in Northern California, and she works with women and couples to help them realize their dream of having a child. Recently, she has introduced the concept of an "Egg Freezing Party" to the Bay Area; the idea being that women take the proactive step of having eggs harvested and frozen during their prime reproductive years so that they have more options around having children in the future. In the last year, both Apple and Facebook have announced that they will cover the costs of the related procedures for egg freezing for their employees. Dr. Aimee has a wonderful outlook and an inspiring, no nonsense way about her. She's leading the charge to talk about some traditionally taboo topics around women's reproductive options, and she's doing so with grace, open-ness, and love. It's important that women know their options, and understand how egg health impacts their abilities to

It's my greatest pleasure to kick off the Jump Start Your Joy podcast with an interview with Kathleen Davies, where we talk about "More Light," Love, and Acceptance. Kathleen and I met at Yale Divinity School where we became fast friends and room mates. Highlights of those days include our working together in the admissions office and later living in the servant's quarters above the garage of one of the master's homes from Yale College. Truly, it was a strange and magical time, and Yale was an interesting place. Kathleen is ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and currently a Pastor at Community of the Servant-Savior Church in Houston, Texas. In this episode we talk about: - her early sparks of joy listening to her Mother and Aunts tell stories, and how that ties to her current work as a preaching pastor - what moved her to be more involved with social justice, after initially not feeling like she wanted to be propelled into the spotlight - how same sex marriage ceremonies are a sacrament, not a spectacle, an