Chasing Joy

What Do You Actually Want? Reinventing After Layoffs with Josh Damigo

What do you actually want? It's the question Josh Damigo asks every coaching client, and a month after being let go from his own job, it's the one he's been asking himself. Josh is back in the studio as our resident expert in something he calls "fun-employment." He walks Spencer and Bryan through what his day looks like... meditation, journaling, two hours of reading, three job applications sent only to roles that fit, two coffee chats, and the gym at noon. It's not aspirational; this is his routine. The kind built when, as Josh puts it, "your full-time job is getting a full-time job." But the routine is the easy part. The harder conversation is the one underneath it. What do you want from the next chapter? What do you definitely not want? Why "it's better to be broke and joyful than miserable because you're chasing a job." And the warning that runs through the whole hour... motion only matters when it's pointed somewhere. A conversation for anyone navigating the in-between, and trying to answer the question honestly before they answer it under pressure. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Cognitive Surrender: When AI Starts Thinking For You

There's a difference between using a calculator and asking ChatGPT to write your essay for you. One is a tool you reach for to handle something you could do yourself but would rather not. The other is something else entirely. On this week's episode of Chasing Joy, Bryan and Spencer work through that distinction in a conversation about cognitive load... what it is, how it's changed since the caveman version of the human nervous system, and where the line falls between healthy offload and what Wharton researchers are now calling "cognitive surrender." Along the way they touch Kahneman's fast-and-slow thinking framework, password managers, dirty dishes as a barometer of mental state, and a recent MIT Media Lab study suggesting that 83% of people who used ChatGPT to write an essay couldn't quote their own work afterward. It's a conversation about tools, not a screed against them. At least one host uses AI daily. The question is what stays yours when you do. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Pasta Class That Taught Us About Free Will

On this episode of Chasing Joy, Spencer and Bryan find unexpected wisdom in a pasta-making class in Florence, milestone birthdays, and everyday life. Two summers ago, twelve of us stood around a long wooden table in Florence. Same flour, same eggs, same instructions from a sweet Italian teacher who learned the recipe from her mother and grandmother before her. Twelve completely different doughs. Bryan has been thinking about that class ever since. This week, with Wayne off chasing some new endeavors, Spencer and Bryan sit with the question underneath that pasta class and a few others like it. Where do we actually learn the things that change us? What happens when the obvious teachers (pain, tragedy, a wrecked car, a hard birthday) aren't the only ones in the room? There's a heron rearranging the social order of an estuary. A dog named Daisy who keeps teaching Spencer about faith. And a closing thought on what it means to suspend judgment and stay curious. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How to Stop Living Reactively and Take Control of Your Day w/ Jina Provensen

What if the difference between a chaotic life and a meaningful one… is just 20 minutes in the morning? In this episode of Chasing Joy, we sit down with entertainment attorney Jina Provinson to unpack the surprising system behind her calm, focus, and success—even in a high-pressure career built on predicting conflict. From waking up at 4:30am to building a daily plan before the world intrudes, Jina shares how she: * Creates purpose instead of waiting for it * Uses meditation to manage stress, not eliminate it * Avoids the trap of reactive living in a hyper-connected world * Builds structure without becoming rigid * Protects her energy in an age of endless information This isn’t about perfection. It’s about intention. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, distracted, or stuck reacting to life instead of shaping it… this conversation will challenge how you start your day—and what you allow into your mind. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why Real Change Starts with a Conversation (and Maybe a Beer) w/ Clint Garman

What does it really look like to live a life of service? In this episode of Chasing Joy, we sit down with Clint Garman—former Santa Paula mayor, business owner, pastor, and now leader at the Rescue Mission Alliance—to explore a life shaped by reinvention, relationships, and a deep commitment to helping others. From opening a restaurant to revitalize a struggling downtown… to navigating the realities of local government… to working directly with people facing homelessness, addiction, and trauma—Clint shares what he’s learned about leadership, empathy, and the human experience. This conversation dives into: * Why hospitality and leadership are more connected than you think * The biggest misconceptions about being a mayor * How real change happens at the local level * What it means to “suspend judgment and get curious” about people * How proximity to suffering reshapes your perspective on humanity * Why relationships—not systems—are often the key to impact At its core, this episode is about growth—learning from mistakes, letting go of ego, and choosing to show up for others with compassion. Because behind every person is a story… and sometimes, all it takes is a conversation to start changing it. Find out more about Clint's work with Rescue Mission Alliance at www.erescuemission.org ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.