SuperPsyched with Dr. Adam Dorsay

Women contribute enormously to the workplace all over the world. Yet, all too often, their contributions are seen as less important than those of their male colleagues. And while things may have improved over the years, statistics suggest that women still earn only 84% of what their male counterparts earn. Clearly, we aren’t where we need to be and this is a topic that needs airtime, awareness, and changes. I was so happy to speak with Valerie Alexander (www.speakhappiness) about women at work. Valerie has done many things professionally, but I’ll keep it short: she earned a law degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law, she’s written screenplays that have been purchased by large studios, and she’s the author of two books including How Women Can Succeed in the Workplace. I loved the book, and I was so happy to speak with her and share her ideas with you.So, listen in as Valerie and I talk about women at work!

There are many cultures worldwide and throughout history that have valued age and wisdom. Yet in the US today, ageism is prevalent. Too many modern Americans of a certain age who feel self-conscious about making a reference to an old TV show or a phenomenon from a while back often use the expression, “I’m dating myself.”  Disparaging our age can be toxic. We’re all aging, and age can bring with it many gifts, especially if, along the way, we’re accruing wisdom, learning more, and improving ourselves. While we can bemoan the realities of ageism, a better option is to do something. Paul Walborsky (https://openwater.group/) decided to take that option and he created an enterprise that may benefit people of any age. Paul is a seasoned executive and founder whose CV includes SVP at The New York Times, and CEO of multiple startups that have been acquired by giants like Meta. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of OpenWater, an organization whose mission is to connect seasoned professionals with decades of experience and showcase their wisdom to the world. So, listen in as Paul talks about aging, wisdom, and the strengths of these traits.

Whether we're stuck in a long line, stuck in traffic, or stuck in some aspect in our lives, being stuck kinda sucks. We've all experienced feeling stuck at some point. I know I have! Don't you wish there was an easy-to-grab resource to help get you unstuck? Help is here! My colleague, Britt Frank, LCSW, has created The Getting Unstuck Workbook: Practical Tools for Overcoming Fear and Doubt - and Moving Forward with Your Life. This workbook, a follow-up to her book The Science of Stuck, is a valuable resource for navigating those challenging moments. Join us on SuperPsyched as Britt shares insightful tips on how to get unstuck.

Have you ever experienced the fear of sharing your opinion at work or had the feeling like you're walking on eggshells in a relationship? The absence of psychological safety probably plays a vital role in each of these scenarios.  Dr. Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor, identified psychological safety as a key factor in innovative companies and stable relationships. Amy has won numerous awards including the Most Influential Thinker in Human Resources by HR Magazine in 2019. I loved her book, The Right Kind of Wrong, which delves into this topic, and has won prestigious awards like the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year in 2023. Join Amy and me as she shares what psychological safety entails, how to nurture it in professional and personal settings, and why it's crucial for success in both spheres. 

Join Dr. James Hollis, a Jungian analyst and author known for his insightful takes on dream interpretation, as he explores the profound meanings behind our nighttime visions. He sheds light on the connection between dreams and mental well-being, emphasizing their role in personal accountability. Jim shares tips on documenting dreams for self-reflection and discusses how they can guide us toward authenticity. He even interprets one of Dr. Dorsay's dreams, showcasing how dreams can unlock our inner wisdom and courage to pursue a fulfilling life.

What does it take to become a gold medalist at the Olympics? How about becoming a gold medalist at your third Olympics after coming home without a medal in the first two tries? And what is required to create a team that is in sync and ready for any in-game situation?My guest answers these questions and more: Olympic men’s volleyball gold medalist Ryan Millar (https://www.goldmmindset.com/)!As you’ll hear, Ryan is disciplined, and his practices go far beyond sport. We can all learn from what his path has taught him.So, listen in as Ryan shares the gold medal mindset, here or anywhere you listen to podcasts:

This particular episode is something of a special one. It features a person I knew in high school but, as you will hear, there was so much about her I didn’t know. We talk about many important themes including, but not limited to: the importance of narrative, discovering more about your family, and working through narrative and discovery to establish a cohesive sense of self. While this may sound a bit intellectually challenging, fear not! Everything discussed on this episode is highly relatable! My guest, Dr. Kathryn DeZur has worked as a professor of English for well over two decades including her most recent position at SUNY Delhi. She is a total delight to speak with and, as you'll hear, a proponent of what SuperPsyched is all about! She is committed to doing things—often things that scare her or intimidate her—but in doing so, allow her to feel most alive. So, listen in as Kathy and I talk about the power of narrative.

Imagine being a 12-year-old girl. You are going through the awkward adolescence of any of your peers. But there’s a difference: you’re 6-feet tall. You stand out. And, although you are a person with many great qualities, it’s only your height that people focus on. But soon you discover rowing. You love the sport. Better still, your height is an asset, a tool that assists you in excelling. This is the origin story of Olympic Gold Medalist, Caryn Davies. Caryn would go on to study at Harvard and continue rowing there. She sat in the most important position on the boat known as stroke, as she participated in three Olympic Games: Athens, Beijing, and London. She has won two gold medals and one silver. She also won the Thomas Keller Medal, which is the most prestigious award in rowing, and she’s the only American to have ever won it. As if that weren’t enough, she got her bachelor’s at Harvard, MBA at Oxford, and law degree at Columbia. There are so many things I admire about Caryn. As you’ll hear, she thinks deeply about sport, excellence, and being a well-rounded person outside of sports. You’ll also hear I’m practically jumping out of my seat with excitement as Caryn tells her stories and shares her wisdom. So, listen in as Caryn talks about winning in and out of the water.

These days, artificial intelligence is a hot topic on the news, social media, our workplaces, and our conversations. Yet AI has a long history. One of its pioneers, Dr. Terry Winograd, has been engaging it for well over 50 years. After finishing his doctorate at MIT, Terry was hired by Stanford University to teach computer science. He’s now professor emeritus at Stanford where he spent the bulk of his career teaching and contributing mightily to the field of computer science. And just to give you a sense of his international impact, let’s consider the h-index, a way to measure the impact of a person’s research. An h-index of 40 is considered outstanding while an h-index of 60 is considered truly exceptional. Terry’s is 70, which means his research made a massive splash and has been frequently cited in order to further knowledge on his subject.  And while at Stanford, two of his doctoral students were none other than Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who would later go on to found Google. You’ll hear that story and so many others. So, listen in as Terry and I talk about AI and Google, then and now. Sources: https://web.cs.ucla.edu/~palsberg/h-number.html and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10025721/#:~:text=It%20is%20simple%20to%20calculate,had%20h%2Dindex%20of%2030.

Love is a funny word. To be sure, it’s a word that has been used a lot on this podcast particularly as it relates to our love of people. These people could be a romantic partner, a family member, a friend, or another meaningful interpersonal relation. But what about our love of things? We might love our houses, our phones, certain types of food, a brand, or a kajillion other things, both tangible and intangible. On this episode I will be interviewing Dr. Aaron Ahuvia (https://thethingswelove.com/), a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Business, who is the most widely published and cited academic expert on non-interpersonal love. His latest book, The Things We Love: How Our Passions Connect Us and Make Us Who We Are, explores our love of things that are not human.  Speaking of things I love, I loved this book! And I’m not alone. Publisher’s Weekly said, “This stimulating volume is easy to love.” So, listen in as Aaron and I talk about the things we love.