Episode 209: Work has always been about more than deadlines, meetings and paychecks. The quality of our connections with colleagues often determines whether the office feels like a community or a cold, transactional environment.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada explore the complex role that relationships play in shaping purpose, belonging and well-being in modern professional life.

Drawing on insights from psychotherapist and bestselling author Esther Perel, the hosts explore her four pillars of strong workplace connections: trust, belonging, recognition and collective resilience. They consider why these principles matter more than ever, at a time when many people socialize less outside of the office and rely on their jobs to provide a sense of community.

The hosts also debate whether structured tools — like question cards designed to spark conversation — can genuinely help colleagues build trust, or whether such efforts feel contrived. Along the way, they reflect on Kyte’s two decades of teaching courses on community building, offering practical examples of how leaders can foster camaraderie without resorting to blunt instruments.

The discussion also ventures into topics many organizations avoid, such as romance between coworkers. Is it ethical to discourage friendships and relationships at work simply because some may turn sour, or does connection outweigh those risks?

Technology looms large in the conversation. Remote and hybrid roles may boost productivity and employee satisfaction, but they often lead to reduced engagement and leave individuals feeling isolated. The hosts ask whether organizations have a responsibility to intentionally create opportunities for connection in an age where people may find screens more predictable than people.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Esther Perel on how technology is changing love and work, with podcast host Scott Galloway

7 questions that can instantly boost your work relationships, by Angela Haupt, Time

Episode 208: For years, experts and parents alike have debated how to get children off their devices. Limiting screen time, blocking apps and setting stricter household rules are common strategies. But what if the problem isn’t the technology itself but the loss of freedom to simply be a kid?

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada look at a revealing report from The Atlantic that asked children directly how they would spend less time online. The most common response was not more rules or stricter discipline — it was more unstructured play with friends, free from constant supervision.

The answers highlight a cultural shift. Over the past several decades, the independence once common for children — riding bikes across town, walking to the corner store or wandering through a local park — has steadily disappeared. Parents often cite safety concerns, and social norms reinforce the idea that letting kids roam is risky. Yet statistics show that many communities are actually safer today than in past generations.

The episode raises an uncomfortable possibility: children are not “addicted” to screens so much as they are starved for spaces where they can make choices and explore without adults hovering nearby. Smartphones, for all their flaws, offer at least the perception of autonomy. They allow young people to connect, interact and discover on their own terms — even if those experiences are shaped by algorithms.

Episode 207: Walking is one of the simplest, healthiest, and most accessible things a person can do. It strengthens the heart, reduces stress, helps maintain a healthy weight and boosts mental well-being. Yet, in the United States, daily walking has quietly slipped out of many people’s lives.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada dig into why that happened — and why it matters far beyond personal health. They trace the decades-long shift toward designing towns and cities almost entirely around cars, making short trips on foot less safe, less convenient and, in many cases, practically impossible.

The hosts talk about how changes in school design, neighborhood planning, and even parental habits have contributed to fewer children walking or biking to school. They share striking statistics: in 1969, roughly half of U.S. children walked or biked to school. Today, it’s about 10 percent. And it’s not because more kids are taking the bus — parents are driving them, even for distances as short as a few blocks.

The conversation also dives into the health consequences of this shift — from rising childhood obesity to declining mental health — and the irony that fears about letting kids move around independently are often exaggerated. Kyte shares data showing how rare stranger danger actually is, while Rada points out that cellphones now make unsupervised outdoor time even safer than in previous generations.

They explore potential fixes, from “walking school buses” to car-free zones near schools to “Drive to Five” programs that encourage parents to park a short distance away and let kids walk the rest. But solutions aren’t just about sidewalks — they require changes in mindset, city planning, and community culture.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast

Uphill both ways? That's probably not such a terrible thing, Richard Kyte

US report card on physical activity for children and youth, Physical Activity Alliance

Young children who walk or bike to school are more likely to continue the habits as they age, Greg Bruno, Rutgers

Video: Why did kids stop walking to school?, About Here

Video: Why America can't build walkable cities, flurfdesign

Help! Our neighbor kept calling the cops on my kids. Well, my son took matters into his own hands, Jenee Desmond Harris, Slate