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Progress Report #4 + Guest Checkup

Published Aug 5, 2021, 7:30 AM

On today's bonus episode Sophia checks up on some previous Work in Progress guests to give you an update on what they’ve been up to since you heard them on the show; but first, she tackles a few of the questions she's received in comments and through social media about the podcast.

Hi, everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to another bonus episode of Work in Progress. Over the course of the show, we have gotten to talk to such a wide variety of inspirational people from all walks of life, and so I thought for this exclusive it might be fun to check up on some of my Work in Progress guests and give you all a little update on what they have been up to since you heard them on the show. But before that, I'd like to answer a few of the questions that we've received in our comments and through our social channels at Work in Progress. So I'm going to dive into a few of these a heavy head or two. What is your favorite type of question to ask guests? It really depends on the guest. For me, what they're interested in, Especially when I interview people who are experts on something that I may not necessarily know as much about. I want to really get into how they got into their field, How did they become passionate about what they do, Does it feel like a calling, did it find them in some interesting way? And I want to know how they view the world through the lens of what they do. So, whether someone is an activist or a scientist or a writer, how does the thing they do every day enable them to see the world differently? And how connected we are? So those are the kinds of questions that I really like to ask of everyone, even though they differ guests to guests. But I will say my favorite consistent question to ask people is who they were when they were a kid. And I'm talking like single digits, you know, around eight or nine years old, maybe ten, depending on when big things happened in their life. But I'm always really interested to discover if guests have always been a version of who they are when I interview them, or if they've had a really you know, winding life path that's changed up a lot through the decades of their lives. So I think that's my favorite consistent question and definitely one that I always get out within the first, you know, five minutes of the show. Oh and this is a good question that you guys have, how do you pick your guests? Honestly, I just asked to interview people that I'm fascinated by, people who I'm genuinely obsessed with, whether it's about their work or something they wrote or something they know that I want to know more about. I feel like the podcast gives me an excuse to ask really deep questions of people who I'm just fascinated by. And I guess because I'm curious about a lot of things. I have a pretty wide variety of guests, So thank you for being as into all of them as I am and being along for the ride. Oh and this is a great question, why and how did you come up with the idea for the podcast? So this is sort of where creativity meets a little bit of imposter syndrome. I guess because for years people told me you should have a podcast, you should have a podcast, you should interview people. Uh. A lot of those comments came out of interviews I was doing or um gatherings of activists, change makers, and people would always say, you ask really good questions, why don't you have a podcast? And guys, I kind of just rolled my eyes about it forever. I thought, who's really going to care? Is it really gonna matter? You know the kinds of stuff. I guess we're all all um a bit hampered by in our own lives. And then a lot of you started asking me about whether or not I would do a podcast. On social media, I started getting a lot of feedback about it, people saying, you know, you shared this article with us, you explained this concept to us, You introduced me to this incredible person, you should do a podcast so we could get more of this than what fits in you know, an Instagram essay or a tweet. And that really made me consider it differently. And then there was a year where I went on to really great, really successful podcasts, and I just happened to know someone who worked on both who said, look at this spike in the downloads when you came on, a lot of people are really curious about what you have to say and what you have to teach them, um, because of these spaces that that you get to exist in. And that to me really made something click. The idea that having worked in activists spaces and political spaces for you know, almost two decades, means that I have a privilege of access to thought leaders and culture makers, um, also in my own industry, you know, in my day job, film, TV, music, and that I could spend the privilege of that access by doing this show and by offering people glimpses into all of these brilliant minds in such an accessible manner. And so that was kind of it that that was the thing that really um pushed me over the hesitancy edge and made me say, yes, m M, how do I prepare for my guests? Well, this is really where a whole team comes in. You know, there's a lot of behind the scenes folks who make a show run very similarly to film and television. You know, you see the actors, but there's one plus people on stage on the crew. Podcasts are obviously leaner, but there's a whole team that helps us do all of this, you know, from making sure that people's schedules work and we can get people booked. Sometimes we book people months in advance, and sometimes it works, you know, in a week's notice. So it can be a lot of kind of run, run, run, hurry up, and then also a lot of waiting. And then for me, I like to take um. You know, we have a team of researchers and writers who work on a whole bunch of shows who will put together an initial prep document for me on every guest who's coming in. And what I like to do is take if a guest happens to be someone that, like I said, I'm obsessed with and I know a lot about I take the notes that I put together for that guests and sort of cross reference them with this prep doc. I go back and read articles, I watch people's interviews YouTube. I will watch their ted talks or read their books if those are things that they've done. And then I basically take this template of a prep doc and I like full blown, go rustle crow in a beautiful mind. I tear the whole thing up and add pull quotes from things. I put my own notes into things, I reorder questions. I kind of make it feel like my version of, you know, a perfect script in a way. And then it's kind of like going on a talk show. You know, You've got this pre interview prepped, and then sometimes they just throw the cards away. And that's kind of what it can be like with guests. Sometimes I follow the document that i've you know, hammered into this very strange fashion, and sometimes I wind up completely ignoring it. It really varies guests to guest, but I I like to do an overabundance of prep because I just like to feel really, really really prepared, and it's also really fun for me when I get to interview people, some of whom are really accustomed to this, you know, really accustomed to having conversations of being interviewed. And when I get someone like that and they say to me, Wow, no one's ever asked me that, or I can't believe you know that that happened to me as a kid. That makes me feel really excited because I know my obsession with research has done something cool. I I had that experience interviewing Hillary Clinton and she couldn't believe some of the stuff I was asking her about, and that I really got to kick out of because I thought, when you are, you know, a global leader and change maker, you've probably been asked every question a hundred times. So I like being able to come up with new and and surprising things for my guests. Oh who's my dream guest? Guys, this is a hard one to answer. There's so many people. I mean, you know, having having Secretary Clinton on was absolutely a dream. I want to interview Oprah. I'm just going to speak that to the universe, because she was definitely one of the greatest sort of empathy leading journalists who influenced me as a kid. I used to beg my mom to pick me up fifteen minutes early from school, so that I would get home at three PM for the Oprah Winfrey Show, not at three twelve having missed the beginning. I just always really loved her dynamic and her energy, and she asks the best questions, and I would love to ask her a bunch of questions. How fun would that be switch places with Oprah? Come on? What a dream? So those are five questions from you all. Uh, like I said, coming in through our social channels, and that we get in the comments. It's really fun to see the things you guys are asking the most and then answer a group of those. So five questions for you. Thank you very much for checking up on me, and now we are going to check up on five of our guests. August, we aired an amazing episode of Work in Progress with the incomparable love E A G. E. Jones. Since we last spoke with Lovey, she's put out a whole new book. It's called Professional Troublemaker The Fear Fighter Manual, and it is a book about fighting fear, doubt and imposter syndrome. They are all things that Lovey has dealt with personally that I just spoke about dealing with personally. That I wager many of you probably all are dealing with also, so just now that if you're feeling those things too, you're not alone. Love's new book is already a New York Times bestseller and is an honest and sometimes humorous Let's be real Lovey is always humorous combination of memoir, inspirational guidance, and self help. Lovey has also done a really, really interesting interview with MPRS code Switch about what it's like having, as she calls it, a non conventional name in the United States, and the kinds of assumptions and questions that come up during introductions as a result. It is a really fun episode. It's a bite size listen, so we will be dropping a link to it in the episode description. Our friend Jay Shetty was on Work in Progress September nineteenth of twenty nineteen, Isn't that wild. He was one of my very first guests, so he's got a lot going on since twenty nineteen. Since we last spoke to j, He of course, has continued releasing new episodes of the On Purpose podcast, featuring guests like Guy raz and President of the Los Angeles Lakers, Genie Bus. Some of his most recent episodes talk about how to turn your passions into a full time job, new ways to look at the quality of your relationship, and strategies to build confidence. All incredible guide posts, and he has a new book, which may or may not be your running theme for this check in episode. Jay's book, Think Like a Monk, is kind of an aggregate of the wisdom he's accrued from the On Purpose podcast and his life, and he's put it all into a digestible, readable guide. The book has sections that are devoted to self improvement and categories like avoiding overthinking, I need that, translating kindness and positivity into success. We love that, and how to build a sense of purpose we all need that. And if that wasn't enough, Jay is actually offering a whole new group of video courses and workshops through his website. But let him apply his self actualization strategies to each person who signs up on a much more personal level. We are going to link a couple of really incredible interviews that he's done that have been some of my favorites this year. A podcast episode he did with Will Smith, Jay being on The Ellen Show, and a review of Think Like a Monk. So look out for those links. Dr Iana Elizabeth Johnson has been on work in progress more than once. Her most recent episode aired in April of this year, and since then she's definitely been keeping busy. Her book All We Can Save is now available in a paperback and it is a multifaceted look at the climate movement through the eyes of sixty women scientists, activists, authors and journalists. I actually had the very good fortune of hosting an Instagram live to talk about All we Can Save with one of the authors whose essays I got to read in the audiobook version, so you can check that out on my Instagram and hear me and some other people reading the audio on All we Can Save. I honest podcast, How to Save a Planet is going strong. Recent episodes of covered topics like soil is a means of reversing climate change. This is why I compost everyone. We got to talk about it, myths and truths about recycling. They even had Jane Goodall as a guest, who is my literal hero and also came to speak at my school in eighth grade and I've never gotten over it, so it is definitely they're worth checking out. And of course Dr Johnson is still taking an active day to day role to look out for how life will be impacted by climate change, especially in coastal cities, and how those coastal impacts actually affect all of us no matter where we live. Through the Urban Ocean Lab, which Dr Johnson co founded, she has started an Ocean Justice Forum where people from all different areas and backgrounds can help contribute to an environmentally focused policy agenda. As a matter of fact, if that sounds like something any of our listeners would be interested in following or participating in, we are going to link the forum in the episode description. Getting active on climate matters for all of us. It's actually incredibly important, no matter where we live, how we vote, what we believe. It should be the most bipartisan and also most urgent action we all take. So I really hope that everyone will gear up to follow Dr Johnson's lead. Don't forget. All we Can Say is now available on paperback. She's got upcoming workshops you can learn about, and you can follow the Urban Ocean Lab and get involved with the Ocean Justice Forum. That's where the workshops will be, So make sure you follow the episode notes and sign up. Next up, my Friend, My Soul sister my partner in all things voting and advocacy, Mandana Daani. Her episode aired on July, and since our talk with her last year, Mandana has hosted a series in partnership with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and the Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles called Welcome to Paradise Refugees at Home in l A. The series spotlight's refugees you've made their home in the Los Angeles area, and it gave them a chance to tell their stories. It's a celebration of the life that they lead before and a look into the life that they're leading now. If you've ever wanted to hear from someone who escaped the Holocaust in their own word, this is definitely something to check out. As we're seeing a rise in really dangerous nationalism and authoritarianism, we need to look at our history to learn how to avoid making the same mistakes. And while it can be hard to do so, it's really incredibly important. Projects like this one give us the opportunity to learn about people and about ourselves, so I can't recommend it enough. And of course, Mandana is also continuing her effort to expand the number of active voters in the United States through our organization I Am a Voter. The mission statement of the movement is to widen participation in the democratic process and educate people on the importance of voting and inspire them to get out there and make their voices heard. Mandana also hosts a podcast with our friend Debor Messing called The Dissenters, and they have featured some incredible guests like Hillary Clinton and Jane Fonda. They wrapped their first reason in the fall and they're coming back with the second season soon. It is definitely worth a lesson, so be sure to check it out and friend of the pod Natalie Portman. Her episode aired on December. Natalie is obviously saying as busy as ever on the acting side. We're gearing up for her return to the Marvel Cinematic universe in Thor, Love and Thunder. She's also producing and starring in a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel The Days of Abandonment. The book is incredible, so I am really looking forward to seeing Natalie bring it to life on screen. We also have an update on the Angel City Football Club, which Natalie Portman helped to launch. Our team is attracting big sponsors thanks to its mission of gender equality in the world of sports, and we are now officially slated to join the National Women's Soccer League for the season. It is a real deal professional team now, everybody, and as a funding investor, thanks to Natalie's gumption and bringing us a team, I know that I will continue and encourage all of you to continue watching in the hopes that this can set a new standard for both the appreciation of and the pay of female athletes. We're going to link a couple of exciting articles about what Natalie is up to for you in the episode notes, ranging in coverage from National Library Week to an Angel City Football club update, and some really great news on thor Love and Thunder, So keep your eyes peeled and guys. That wraps up a quick little review of some of our favorite friends of work in progress. Thank you all so much for the feedback that you sent us on each of those guests, the feedback that you send us every week. Thank you for your phenomenal questions. I love getting to do these little aside bonus episodes for you and give you a kind of peek into how we make the show. What we're all inspired by and to keep our relationships going, not only with me and all of you as our audience, but with all of our guests. We do consider everyone who's come on work in progress to be part of the family, so being able to keep up with their current projects and all the exciting things in their life feels really lovely and I hope you've enjoyed it. See you next time.

Work in Progress with Sophia Bush

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