Authbition

A046 - The Biggest Criminal of Your Mind Is in Your Pocket

In this solo episode of Authbition, Andrew DiMeo records from the quiet engineering quad at NC State University during a Saturday bike ride on Mother’s Day weekend. What begins as a test of a new mobile recording setup becomes a more personal behind-the-scenes episode about listener feedback, building Authbition into something bigger than a podcast, and returning to the roots of the show: reading essays out loud. Andrew shares the story behind his essay, “The Biggest Criminal of Your Mind Is in Your Pocket,” a provocative reflection on cognitive offloading, GPS, smartphones, AI, memory, brain health, and the skills we may be losing without noticing. The episode explores the tension between useful technology and overdependence, asking what happens when we let devices do the thinking before our minds have had the chance to grow. Along the way, Andrew reflects on: * Recording from NC State, where he taught for 12 years * Feedback from listeners about the future of Authbition * Why he plans to read more of his own essays again * Building Authbition as a movement, not just a show * Cognitive offloading, dementia, GPS, calculators, CAD, and AI * Why getting lost, drawing by hand, playing music, and remembering phone numbers might still matter * The difference between using tools and surrendering our minds to them Read the essay for free with this Friend Link: https://medium.com/ai-ai-oh/the-biggest-criminal-of-your-mind-is-in-your-pocket-ff610b52c00f?sk=4e9de44905f57504818cc86e05d162d2 [https://medium.com/ai-ai-oh/the-biggest-criminal-of-your-mind-is-in-your-pocket-ff610b52c00f?sk=4e9de44905f57504818cc86e05d162d2]

A045 - Joanna Gaertner - Fear, Trust, and Creative Awareness

In this episode of Authbition, Andrew DiMeo sits down with Joanna Gaertner—ICF credentialed life coach, founder of Yoga Off Mat, and lead at Homebody Yoga in Raleigh, North Carolina. Together they explore Joanna’s journey from New York to Raleigh, her path into coaching, the power of yoga beyond the mat, and why awareness is often the first step toward meaningful change. The conversation moves through mentorship, healing, personal growth, fear, trust, and what it means to live with greater alignment. They also play The Whole Mind Game on the tension between Fear and Trust. What begins as a familiar opposition opens into something deeper: * Fear can create safety, preparation, learning, and energy. * Trust can create connection, integrity, creativity, and courage. * The “best of the best” became: Creative Awareness. This is a thoughtful conversation about growth, embodiment, and learning how to trust life without losing wisdom. Find Joanna Gaertner: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannagaertner/ [https://www.instagram.com/joannagaertner/] Homebody Yoga (Raleigh): https://homebodync.com/ [https://homebodync.com/] #Authbition

A044 - Stefanie Morejon - The Whole Mind Game: Pursue and Surrender

In this episode of Authbition, Andrew DiMeo and Stefanie Morejon sit down to play The Whole Mind Game on the tension between Pursue and Surrender. What begins with stories of travel, creativity, and life transitions opens into a deeper conversation about effort, trust, control, openness, and what it means to move toward something without gripping too tightly. Together, they explore the best and worst of both sides: Pursue can bring clarity, fire, and momentum. Surrender can bring peace, flexibility, and flow. But each has a shadow. This episode is a live exploration of what happens when we stop treating those two forces like opposites — and start looking for the best of both.

A043 - Shaler McClure Wright - Leadership Without Ego in a Divided America

Shaler McClure Wright reads her essay, “I’m an American Worn Down and Weakened by Rancor,” and joins me to explore the tension between being quiet and speaking out. Read her essay here: https://medium.com/the-narrative-arc/im-an-american-worn-down-and-weakened-by-rancor-fa7cc66556c5?sk=v2%2F9401e8ff-0492-46c8-8b1a-7d5f808e5389 [https://medium.com/the-narrative-arc/im-an-american-worn-down-and-weakened-by-rancor-fa7cc66556c5?sk=v2%2F9401e8ff-0492-46c8-8b1a-7d5f808e5389] Through the Whole Mind Game, we wrestle with silence, responsibility, courage, and ego — and land on a shared idea: Leadership Without Ego. A thoughtful conversation about listening, writing, and leading in a divided America.

A042 - Pamela Bonse - Nursing and the Cost of Caring

In this episode of Authbition, I sit down with nurse and writer Pamela Bonse for a conversation about aging, imagination, and the hidden cost of a life spent caring for others. Pam reads two stories. The first is a dreamlike reflection on the phases of her life — a tender meditation on time, identity, and what it feels like to grow older inside a body that has served others for decades. The second is a piece of fiction — a chilling, playful preview of a future Halloween episode that proves her storytelling has range. We also play the Whole Mind Game, exploring the tension between being selfless and selfish. When we boil it down, the best of the best is this: Be a leader. The worst of the worst? Burned out and alone. Care and self-care. Service and sustainability. This is a conversation about how to give — without disappearing.