What It's Like To Be... with Dan Heath

Josh Beckley, a third-generation custom harvester from Colby, Kansas who runs Beckley Harvesting and a massive south-to-north 'Harvest Run.' He describes outrunning hail, running a multimillion-dollar convoy of combines and crew trailers, and the logistics of GPS auto-steer, night shifts, international crews, and rescuing machines from ditches.

Heather Hill, a Raleigh funeral director who guides families through services and body preparation. She describes taking death calls, overnight pickups and storage, arranging funerals on short timelines, creative viewings like a beach-chair setup, embalming and cosmetizing techniques, and how staff cope emotionally while staying compassionate.

Swati Mohan, an aerospace engineer at NASA JPL who led guidance and landing callouts for the Perseverance rover. She discusses guidance, navigation, and controls, the drama of the “seven minutes of terror,” testing breakthroughs, rover sample-collection strategy, planetary protection and clean-room routines, and the engineering trade-offs and emotional stakes behind Mars missions.

John Johnson, a retired U.S. Foreign Service diplomat with 20+ years and postings from Kabul to Brussels. He recounts a press gaffe that almost sparked a crisis. He explains intense language training and how fluency catches softened meanings. He describes the chaotic Kabul evacuation, rescuing vulnerable Afghans, and the moral strain of who could leave.

Elden Rivas, a Houston journeyman lineman who repairs grids and leads storm crews. He talks about how electricity reaches homes, daring helicopter and Faraday-suit work on high-voltage lines, chasing outages after tornadoes, and the tiny causes of big problems like squirrels on transformers. He also shares training paths, dangerous rescues, and the radio call every crew fears.

Justin Dwyer, a Peoria health inspector with 10+ years hunting food-safety hazards. He tells stories of being locked out, shutting down unsafe kitchens, and tracing foodborne illness outbreaks. Short, vivid scenes cover dodgy dishwashers, staged fixes, handwashing myths, and the detective work behind an outbreak of cooled pulled pork.

Kaillie (Kaylee) Humphries, Olympic bobsledder and multi-time medalist who won gold for two countries, walks through life at 100 mph. She describes the physical training and sprint-style starts. She explains the sensations and high G-forces on the track. She talks about visualization practice, hunting hundredths of a second, and the logistics of a short ice season.

Lucy Stewart-Gould, a London partner who handles high-net-worth family law and Supreme Court matters, discusses negotiating tricky settlements and cross-border jurisdiction races. Short stories cover custody oddities, spotting hidden assets, delivering hard legal truths, and the simple questions that can unlock deadlocks. The conversation also touches on law changes, billing rhythms, and why recovery after divorce can feel hopeful.

Sophie Williams, owner and baker at Raven Bakery in Bellingham who bikes her deliveries and works with local whole grains. She talks about tinkering recipes like a gingerbread that needed hotter baking, adapting to variable local rye harvests, running a bike-based community bakery, scaling from solo baker to team leader, and the physical craft of preserving bodies and workflow.

Join Aaron Williams, a skilled dog groomer from Alabama, as he shares his insights on the unique world of pet grooming. Discover the psychological artistry behind the grooming table and how it influences dog behavior. From battling dreaded anal gland expressions to decoding the sounds of nail clipping, Aaron reveals the intricacies of his craft. He also shares hilarious anecdotes about bites and his encounters with 'fernados'—wild grooming storms that can occur with dirty double-coated dogs. Tune in for an enlightening glimpse into this rewarding profession!