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If you've ever wondered where the CIA finds inspiration to disguise their agents, you'd think maybe… Hollywood with their special effects?

Turns out, it was the magic community that helped them develop technology that may have saved lives and uncovered secrets!

Hear stories from retired CIA Chief of Disguise, Jonna Mendez, including how she used this technology to surprise the former head of the CIA, President George HW Bush.

For a full transcript of this show, click here.

GUEST: 
Jonna Mendez: Retired CIA Chief of Disguise, and author of the new memoir, In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked

If you've ever wondered where the CIA finds inspiration to disguise their agents, you'd think maybe… Hollywood with their special effects?
Turns out, it was the magic community that helped them develop technology that may have saved lives and uncovered secrets!
Hear stories from retired CIA Chief of Disguise, Jonna Mendez, including how she used this technology to surprise the former head of the CIA, President George HW Bush.
For a full transcript of this show, click <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/audacious-with-chion-wolf-transcript-for-retired-cia-chief-of-disguise-jonna-mendez-on-magic-technology-and-the-art-of-deception" data-cms-ai="0">here</a>.
GUEST: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.themasterofdisguise.com/%C2%A0" data-cms-ai="0">Jonna Mendez</a>: Retired CIA Chief of Disguise, and author of the new memoir, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-true-face-jonna-mendez/1143738172?ean=9781541703124&amp;st=AFF&amp;2sid=Hachette%20Book%20Group_8040641_NA&amp;sourceId=AFFHachette%20Book%20Group" data-cms-ai="0">In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked</a></li>
</ul>

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we're often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.

For more: ctpublic.org/audacious

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we're often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.
For more: <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf">ctpublic.org/audacious</a>

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. 

Audacious with Chion Wolf

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.

Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we’re often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.

Listen at ctpublic.org/audacious

Support is provided by a generous contribution from Suzanne Hopgood, in Memory of Frank Lord.

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.
Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we&rsquo;re often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.
Listen at <a href="http://ctpublic.org/audacious">ctpublic.org/audacious</a>
Support is provided by a generous contribution from Suzanne Hopgood, in Memory of Frank Lord.

Retired CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez on magic, technology and the art of deception

Obituaries are meant to mark an end. But sometimes they start a whole new conversation.

First, Andy Corren, whose funny, biting, tender obituary for his mother captured so much life that it went viral and became a memoir.

Then, Sallie Hammett, whose loving obituary for her dog Charlie rippled across the internet and moved countless strangers.

And finally, we talk with professional obituary writer Jamie Passaro about what makes an obit memorable, honest and worth reading.

Suggested episodes:


Rethinking funerals with the Coffin Confessor, living eulogies, and designer caskets 


What death investigators can tell you about life 

GUESTS: 


Andy Corren: Writer and author of Dirtbag Queen, a memoir that grew out of the viral obituary he wrote for his mother, Renay


Sallie Hammett: South Carolina writer whose heartfelt obituary for her dog, Charlie, went viral after she shared it online


Jamie Passaro: Professional obituary writer and founder of Dear Person Obits; she also co-founded Elegy.us, an online obituary platform

Obituaries are meant to mark an end. But sometimes they start a whole new conversation.
First, Andy Corren, whose funny, biting, tender obituary for his mother captured so much life that it went viral and became a memoir.
Then, Sallie Hammett, whose loving obituary for her dog Charlie rippled across the internet and moved countless strangers.
And finally, we talk with professional obituary writer Jamie Passaro about what makes an obit memorable, honest and worth reading.
Suggested episodes:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2025-08-01/rethinking-funerals-with-the-coffin-confessor-living-eulogies-and-designer-caskets">Rethinking funerals with the Coffin Confessor, living eulogies, and designer caskets</a>&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2026-02-20/what-death-investigators-can-tell-you-about-life">What death investigators can tell you about life&nbsp;</a>
</li>
</ul>
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Andy Corren: Writer and author of <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Dirtbag-Queen-Audiobook/B0D4WS78W8?source_code=AUDORWS0718179KY7">Dirtbag Queen</a>, a memoir that grew out of the viral obituary he wrote for his mother, Renay
</li>
<li>
Sallie Hammett: South Carolina writer whose heartfelt obituary for her dog, Charlie, went viral after she shared it online
</li>
<li>
Jamie Passaro: Professional obituary writer and founder of <a href="https://dearpersonobits.com/">Dear Person Obits</a>; she also co-founded <a href="http://elegy.us">Elegy.us</a>, an online obituary platform
</li>
</ul>

Unconventional obituaries: for a mother, for strangers, and for one very good dog

What’s a sentence that invites the universe to call your bluff?

“I could do that!”

Meet three people who said it, and then had to live it.

Christopher Lamar runs Lunar Embassy, a company that sells deeds to plots on the Moon and other celestial bodies. Logan Goodspeed learns what happens when you casually claim you could run a marathon “with 24 hours’ notice,” and your spouse takes that seriously. And Mandle Cheung, a tech CEO and devoted music lover, writes a huge check to fund a Mahler concert, so he can conduct the Toronto Symphony Orchestra himself.

 

Suggested episodes:


What Happens When You Act Like You Belong 


GOOD GOURD! A show about pumpkins!


TOPS: A woman summits Everest, a man considers a body transplant, and world-record hat-wearing 

 

GUESTS: 


Christopher Lamar: CEO of Lunar Embassy, a company that sells deeds to plots on the Moon and other celestial bodies. The business was founded by his father, Dennis Hope, in 1980


Logan Goodspeed: A 32-year-old software engineer from California who ran the Rock ’n’ Roll San Diego Marathon with about 24 hours’ notice and no formal training


Mandle Cheung: A 78-year-old technology CEO and amateur conductor who founded Mandle Philharmonic in 2018. In June 2025, he personally funded a one-night performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”) and conducted the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

 

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Meg Fitzgerald, and Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show, with help from Coco Cooley. 

What&rsquo;s a sentence that invites the universe to call your bluff?
&ldquo;I could do that!&rdquo;
Meet three people who said it, and then had to live it.
Christopher Lamar runs Lunar Embassy, a company that sells deeds to plots on the Moon and other celestial bodies. Logan Goodspeed learns what happens when you casually claim you could run a marathon &ldquo;with 24 hours&rsquo; notice,&rdquo; and your spouse takes that seriously. And Mandle Cheung, a tech CEO and devoted music lover, writes a huge check to fund a Mahler concert, so he can conduct the Toronto Symphony Orchestra himself.
&nbsp;
Suggested episodes:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2021-08-13/rebroadcast-what-happens-when-you-act-like-you-belong">What Happens When You Act Like You Belong </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2023-10-19/good-gourd-a-show-about-pumpkins">GOOD GOURD! A show about pumpkins!</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2022-04-07/tops-a-woman-summits-everest-a-man-considers-a-body-transplant-and-world-record-hat-wearing">TOPS: A woman summits Everest, a man considers a body transplant, and world-record hat-wearing&nbsp;</a>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Christopher Lamar: CEO of <a href="https://lunarembassy.com/">Lunar Embassy</a>, a company that sells deeds to plots on the Moon and other celestial bodies. The business was founded by his father, Dennis Hope, in 1980
</li>
<li>
Logan Goodspeed: A 32-year-old software engineer from California who ran the Rock &rsquo;n&rsquo; Roll San Diego Marathon with about 24 hours&rsquo; notice and no formal training
</li>
<li>
Mandle Cheung: A 78-year-old technology CEO and amateur conductor who founded Mandle Philharmonic in 2018. In June 2025, he personally funded a one-night performance of Mahler&rsquo;s Symphony No. 2 (&ldquo;Resurrection&rdquo;) and conducted the <a href="https://www.tso.ca/">Toronto Symphony Orchestra</a>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Jessica Severin de Martinez, Meg Fitzgerald, and Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show, with help from Coco Cooley.

“I could do that!” Stories of improbable confidence

At 74, Karen Smith is still chasing the feeling she fell in love with as a kid: the freedom and aliveness of playing sports.

After years of sudden pain and uncertainty, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis - news that could have ended her life in athletics. Instead, adaptive equipment helped her keep skiing, and it reshaped how she carried the diagnosis. 

Through the Gaylord Sports Association, she helped expand a program now offering 17 adaptive sports, and she became a gold medal-winning goalie on Team USA’s women’s sled hockey team. 

At Choate Ice Rink, she and veteran player Anthony Kuntz introduce Chion to sled hockey, and to Karen’s fierce belief in inclusion and the “dignity of risk.”

 

Suggested episodes:
A marathon swimmer and ultrarunner: surviving cancer, breaking records 
Revealing Our Blind Spots About Blindness

 

GUESTS: 
Karen Smith: Team manager of the Gaylord Wolfpack sled hockey team and a longtime leader in Connecticut’s adaptive sports community. In her early 60s, she earned the starting goalie position on Team USA’s Women’s Sled Hockey squad at the first IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Women's International Cup in 2014, winning gold alongside teammates decades younger
Anthony Kuntz: Gaylord Wolfpack sled hockey player from Colchester, Connecticut, who has spina bifida. He has 22 years of experience in the sport, including four on the U.S. Junior National Team, competing internationally in Vancouver during the 2010 Paralympic Games

At 74, Karen Smith is still chasing the feeling she fell in love with as a kid: the freedom and aliveness of playing sports.
After years of sudden pain and uncertainty, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis - news that could have ended her life in athletics. Instead, adaptive equipment helped her keep skiing, and it reshaped how she carried the diagnosis.&nbsp;
Through the Gaylord Sports Association, she helped expand a program now offering 17 adaptive sports, and she became a gold medal-winning goalie on Team USA&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s sled hockey team.&nbsp;
At Choate Ice Rink, she and veteran player Anthony Kuntz introduce Chion to sled hockey, and to Karen&rsquo;s fierce belief in inclusion and the &ldquo;dignity of risk.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Suggested episodes:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2026-01-23/a-marathon-swimmer-and-ultrarunner-surviving-cancer-breaking-records">A marathon swimmer and ultrarunner: surviving cancer, breaking records&nbsp;</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/health/2020-12-11/revealing-our-blind-spots-about-blindness">Revealing Our Blind Spots About Blindness</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Karen Smith: Team manager of the <a href="https://sportsassociation.gaylord.org/sled-hockey-team">Gaylord Wolfpack sled hockey team</a> and a longtime leader in Connecticut&rsquo;s adaptive sports community. In her early 60s, she earned the starting goalie position on Team USA&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Sled Hockey squad at the first IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Women's International Cup in 2014, winning gold alongside teammates decades younger</li>
<li>Anthony Kuntz: Gaylord Wolfpack sled hockey player from Colchester, Connecticut, who has spina bifida. He has 22 years of experience in the sport, including four on the U.S. Junior National Team, competing internationally in Vancouver during the 2010 Paralympic Games </li>
</ul>

Retired CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez on magic, technology and the art of deception

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