I thought this conversation was going to be about meetings. And it was. But it turned out to be about something much larger: a fundamental redesign of power in organizations.

Sheella Mierson, PhD is a scientist-turned-organizational-consultant whose whole practice is built on a simple, subversive premise: meetings are a window into culture, and if you can fix the meeting, you can fix the culture. Henry Herschel brings a complementary lens — a business background helping packaged goods startups navigate the journey from entrepreneurial chaos to IPO — now applied to the fascinating challenge of governing a Jewish co-housing community in Berkeley called Berkeley Moshav.

And I came to this with skin in the game. I spent nine years in co-housing myself, in a 22-household community in Durham, North Carolina. So I know firsthand how quickly idealistic visions of communal living can devolve into parking disputes, pet policy standoffs, and festering factions. What Sheella and Henry are describing — the governance framework called Sociocracy — is the most elegant answer I've encountered to the question of how groups of passionate, opinionated people (and let's be honest, co-housing and startups both attract people with very strong opinions) can make real decisions together without anyone losing their mind or their dignity.

Sociocracy was developed by Gerard Endenburg, a Dutch electrical engineer who looked at a traditional organizational chart and said: I would never design a power system this way. There's no feedback loop. You can't steer it. What he built instead is a system of distributed decision-making, structured rounds, consent (not consensus), and built-in review cycles that treat every policy as an experiment rather than a decree.

After this conversation, I've been thinking about what a Sociocratic world might look like. The question that keeps haunting me: what could Google or Meta or Microsoft contribute and stand for if all their talented, idealistic people had a real say in what they built?

1. "Show me a meeting and I'll tell you what your culture is like" — why fixing meetings is a route into fixing everything
2. The difference between meetings that drain and meetings that build

1. Gerard Endenburg's insight: a traditional org chart has no feedback loop, so it can't self-correct
2. How distributed decision-making gives everyone a say in the policies that affect their work
3. Why Endenburg built the system to run his own electrical contracting company — and what that has to do with power grids

1. Why Sociocracy doesn't seek agreement — it seeks the absence of paramount objections
2. "Is this good enough to try?" as a more useful question than "Does everyone love this?"
3. How consent decision-making short-circuits faction formation

1. Clarifying questions round → Reaction round → Consent round
2. Why having a proposal that's well-thought-out before the meeting matters enormously

Ohio therapist, EMDR trainer, and consultant Tom Zimmerman is doing something I find genuinely thrilling: taking one of the most promising trauma treatment approaches in recent memory — the Flash technique — and grounding it in a rigorous neuroscience framework called predictive processing.

The result is a model of healing that is both deeply humane and almost startlingly elegant. What if you could help someone process a traumatic memory by barely touching it? What if the brain's prediction machinery — the same system that keeps trauma locked in place — could be gently tricked into releasing it, a micro-slice at a time?

Tom connects Flash to Bruce Ecker's work on memory reconsolidation (which long-time Plant Yourself listeners will recognize, and if that's not you, check out the link to my interview with Bruce below), to the neuroscience of rumination, and to the possibility that modern trauma therapies may be rediscovering what ancient communal healing rituals always knew. And he's building a Cleveland-based nonprofit to study all of this formally.

This conversation left me buzzing. I hope it does the same for you.

1. Why "eye movements" is a misleading shorthand — the real mechanism is present-based bilateral stimulation
2. EMDR's "admission cost": why some clients can't tolerate slowing down long enough for it to work

1. How Flash "micro-activates" tiny slices of a traumatic memory — just enough to tag it, not enough to overwhelm
2. Why immediately pivoting to something pleasant (yes, puppy videos) is the therapeutic mechanism, not a distraction
3. The crucial difference between Flash and ordinary scrolling: one is structured processing, the other is escapism

1. How trauma functions as a very loud, very sticky prediction: danger is real, I am not safe
2. Why precision weighting makes it so hard to stay present long enough for disconfirming experiences to land
3. How Flash creates the "juxtaposition" Bruce Ecker identifies as the key to memory reconsolidation — in micro-doses

1. How internally replayed experiences register as new confirming data — reinforcing trauma rather than processing it
2. The feedback loop that keeps people from getting the sensory mismatch needed for change

1. Why a single powerful disconfirmation often can't unlock a schema built from tens of thousands of hours of adverse learning
2. How Flash targets small representative memories and relies on generalization to update related networks
3. When you'd reach for one approach vs. the other

1. Why the...

Today’s conversation explores one of the most urgent questions of our time: What would our world look like if our economic system prioritized human and ecological wellbeing instead of endless growth?

I’m joined by Omer Tayyab, researcher and collaborator with economist and author Jason Hickel (Less Is More). Omer works at the intersection of economic theory, political ecology, and democratic reform — with a special focus on degrowth, post-growth futures, and how societies can thrive within planetary boundaries.

We met at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he’s currently based, and this episode turned into an expansive, energizing exploration of how we might redesign the systems that shape our daily lives — from work and wealth to democracy, technology, and community resilience.

If you're curious about how to build a world that actually works for people and planet, this one’s for you.

We cover:

• Why “degrowth” is not austerity or “living with less”—but a pathway toward more wellbeing, more leisure, more connection, and more equity.
• How our current growth-driven system is structurally incompatible with ecological stability.

• The key insights from Jason Hickel’s book and why it resonated so deeply.
• How capitalism’s central goal—maximizing profit rather than wellbeing—creates ecological overshoot and social harm.

• Why the modern economy forces us to produce things nobody needs, simply to keep money circulating.
• Alternatives that emphasize public services, care work, and meaningful contribution.

• How the pandemic revealed the brittleness of global supply chains.
• The risk of collective amnesia now that we’re “moving on” without actually solving the underlying vulnerabilities.

• Why many democracies behave like competitive reality shows—pitting groups against each other for votes.
• How democratic structures might be redesigned to emphasize deliberation, cooperation, and long-term thinking.

• Why efficiency alone cannot solve ecological collapse (“Jevons paradox”).
• Where technology does help—and where it simply accelerates throughput.

• Why a degrowth society is not about deprivation, but about liberation from unnecessary work, debt, and consumption.
• How communities across the world are piloting post-growth models right now.

Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World, by Jason Hickel

The Divide: Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets, by Jason Hickel

Thinking in Systems: A Primer, by Donella Meadows

Omer's LinkedIn Profile

Omer on Twitter

"

In this episode, Matthew Nagler and I discuss a bunch of things, after intending to focus on cognitive flexibility.

That's pretty meta...

We meander through various behavioral science "greatest hits," including the endowment effect, loss aversion, and altruism.

We explore how these phenomena affect human behavior and social dynamics, specifically by looking at a "prisoners' dilemma" type game show, and how one person's "Golden Ball" strategy shocked a nation.

Then we roll up our metaphorical sleeves and get serious about cognitive flexibility.

We explore the role it plays in personal identity, career changes, and societal issues like gender fluidity.

We also tackle thorny ethical questions of how to balance personal and societal concerns, and how to enhance human welfare for all in a world where my ability to change can seem like a direct threat to you.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:04 Exploring the Endowment Effect

04:15 Loss Aversion and Decision Making

18:49 Cognitive Flexibility and Personal Growth

38:58 Entering the Business World

39:36 Challenges in the Private Sector

41:18 Reflections on Meaningful Work

43:28 The Value of Teaching

49:14 Cognitive Flexibility and Social Impact

53:52 Balancing Personal and Social Responsibilities

01:00:17 Game Shows and Human Nature

Zen and Economics — a Substack by Matthew Nagler

Golden Balls - split or steal on YouTube

The Will of the Many, by James Islington

Catalog of Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld series

Affari Toui - Italian version of Deal or No Deal

Moral Ambition, by Rutger Bregman

Are empathy and humanity compatible with great leadership, or do they just get in the way? That's the topic of today's conversation with executive coach Jennifer Nash about her book, "Be Human, Lead Human: How to Connect People and Performance."

Jennifer's got great war stories (or more accurately, Peace Stories). Like how Alan Mulally turned things around at Ford by NOT being the smartest guy in the room.

Looking for a mnifty mnemonic to guide you to become a better, more human-centric leader? The HUMANS framework has you covered.

Don't miss this inspiring conversation—you'll definitely walk away with some fresh insights on creating happier, more effective workplaces.

01:00 Ballroom Dancing and Leadership

02:02 The Story Behind 'Be Human, Lead Human'

03:33 Alan Mulally's Transformative Leadership at Ford

09:36 The Importance of Human-Centric Leadership

21:56 Jennifer's Journey: From Ford to Deloitte

23:40 Implementing Human-Centric Strategies in Organizations

29:55 The Motivation Behind Transformation

30:15 The Power of Semantics in Change

30:44 Understanding Human Behavior and Motivation

31:22 Organizational Change Strategies

32:55 Ford's Inclusive Leadership Approach

35:03 Introducing the HUMAN Framework

35:51 Breaking Down the HUMAN Framework

38:19 The Importance of Relationships in Leadership

40:03 Self-Assessment and Feedback in Leadership

43:04 Addressing Neurodivergence in Leadership

48:18 Coaching Through Self-Awareness and Emotional Reactions

52:53 The Future of Leadership with AI

Remember Donna the Deer Lady, and her call to a radio talk show that electrified the nation?

To refresh your memory, she was wondering why the highway department place the "Deer Crossing" signs at the busiest sections, where the deer were most likely to get hit by a moving vehicle. “Why are we encouraging deer to cross at the interstate? I don’t get it. That’s a high- traffic area,” she said.

That’s exactly the kind of oddball story that grabbed me from minute one with Todd Cherches — a man equipped to wring out profound and useful truths from tales like that one.

Todd is not your typical leadership guru—he earned his stripes in Hollywood, teaching actors how to deliver scenes, and later as a project manager sketching theme parks in China.

These days, he coaches executives and trains leaders using what he calls visual leadership—a way to help people "see" what you’re talking about, not just hear it.

In this episode, Todd unpacks how metaphors sneak into everyday chat (“Feed me, Seymour!” anyone?), why a CEO fetching potato chips for the staff says more about leadership than a big speech, and how to stay real and connected when half your team is working in slippers on Zoom.

Show Highlights

• How a radio caller’s confusion about a deer crossing sign turned into a killer leadership metaphor
• Why metaphors are baked into 50–70% of our language—and how to notice when you’re spooning them out
• Todd’s Hollywood adventures—including delivering lunches for Aaron Spelling and battling Mt. Hollywood traffic for extra chicken salad
• The three lenses of leadership: microscope, telescope, and kaleidoscope – and why you’ll need ’em all in today’s hybrid, VUCA world
• Digital leadership in 2025: making hybrid teams feel seen when you can’t just pop by their desks
• AI’s place in education and leadership—and how to stay mentally fit in spite of its pull
• The four G’s of leadership everybody can start practicing today: Genuine, Generous, Gracious, and Grateful
• How a single thank-you note from a student or client can become your secret stash of joy
• About Todd Cherches

Todd is the CEO and co-founder of BigBlueGumball, a management and leadership consulting firm. He’s the author of Visual Leadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life, and a globally recognized speaker and executive coach. A two-time TEDx speaker, Todd teaches at NYU and Columbia University and brings a unique blend of pop culture, practical tools, and visual metaphors to leadership and communication.

Connect with Todd on LinkedIn

Learn more at toddcherches.com and watch his TEDx talk on visual thinking

Get VisuaLeadership at Bookshop.org

Five short years from now, 2030 will be here—and the world of work (and life) is shapeshifting at warp speed.

We're all going to have to do some serious surfing to stay afloat, let alone to participate in creating the world we want.

Executive coach Anna Glynn helps sales leaders, which isn't me and probably isn't you either. But what she teaches them can help us all stay effective, engaged, and sane in the rough seas ahead.

In this conversation we unpack her STRONG framework—six evidence-based levers anyone can pull to build performance, wellbeing, and joy.

• S – Strengths: spotting and flexing what you’re already good at to create robustness
• T – Trust (and psychological safety): the foundation for experimentation, feedback, and growth
• R – Resilience: bouncing forward (not just back) when the unexpected hits
• O – Optimism: the power of realistic optimism to fuel action, not complacency
• N – Networks: cultivating diverse, generous relationships that expand perspective and opportunity

Beth Green has lived many lives: activist, Marxist, spiritual channeler, intuitive counselor, and founder of the Healing Arts Network. In this moving and provocative conversation, she shares stories from her remarkable life—beginning with her expulsion from Smith College for protesting nuclear weapons at age 16—and the wisdom she’s gained through decades of navigating political and spiritual contradictions.

We explore how ego shows up in both activism and spirituality, and how Beth integrates the two by grounding them in a simple yet radical truth: our job is to care for people and the Earth. She challenges the commodification of human creativity, the spiritual bypassing of systemic injustice, and the failure of both capitalism and traditional leftist movements to recognize the deeper roots of human suffering.

This episode also features a powerful (and private) counseling session where Beth guides me through deep personal insight—so powerful that most of it didn't make it into the final cut. What remains, though, is the transformation that session catalyzed, and a conversation that just might do the same for you.

Links and Resources:

• Beth’s counseling and spiritual work: bethgreen.org
• Free books, music, and teachings: healingartsnetwork.org
• Beth’s nonprofit and activist platform: thestream.info
• The New Declaration of Independence: thestream.info/next-steps

Topics We Cover:

• The cost of courage in a conformist world
• The problem with both capitalism and spiritual escapism
• How ego hijacks politics and spirituality alike
• What it means to live “at the intersection of the human and divine”
• A radically compassionate vision for collective thriving