Podcast
Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast
Hosted by Goodness Exchange · EN
More joy, less fear, and no end to the evidence that a bright future is possible. Hosted by Dr. Lynda Ulrich, co-founder of the Goodness Exchange, each episode we help you make sense of the world by introducing you to people tackling some of the world’s most difficult problems and show you why they still think the future is bright.
Find more good news at the Goodness Exchange, a media outlet helping you cut through today’s negative noise, saving your time and sanity with instant access to positive news, fresh insights, and uplifting perspectives.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
240. The Story in Your Head Might Be Holding You Back with Tom Schlesinger
Apr 3001:23:44Tap to summarizeThe voice in your head is what’s shaping your entire experience…but what if it wasn’t telling the truth? Master storyteller Tom Schlesinger reveals how the stories we repeat to ourselves can quietly limit—or liberate—and he offers a simple, surprisingly powerful way to step out of mental loops and back into a life that feels more present, grounded, and alive.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome04:04 – How Self-Talk Shapes Emotions and Decisions07:49 – Rehearsing Problems That Never Happen10:13 – The Power of Breathing to Reset Your Mind12:42 – A Story That Shaped a Lifetime Belief18:39 – How Stories Create Emotional Patterns22:48 – What Makes a Story Truly Connect27:26 – Break29:41 – How to Catch Harmful Thought Patterns34:54 – Rewriting Your Inner Narrative59:54 – Triggers, Boundaries, and Emotional Control01:05:55 – Why We Get Stuck in Negative Loops01:08:53 – Good Thing Bad Thing Who Knows01:13:45 – Zooming Out to See the Bigger Picture01:16:58 – Simple Daily Practice to Reset Your Mind
Transcribe →239. New Life for What We Have: Stewards of Our Abundance with Kenny Williams
Mar 3100:59:23Tap to summarizeMost of us have more abundance than we realize, and we are storing (often stuffing) all that we’ve collected without really putting it to good use anymore. This episode invites us to rethink generosity—not as charity, but as stewardship. Kenny Williams, executive director of the Arkansas nonprofit Pedal It Forward, shares how bikes become pathways to freedom, health, and dignity—and how letting go of unused things can unexpectedly transform both the giver and the receiver.Chapters00:00 — Intro & Welcome06:20 — How Pedal It Forward Works16:01 — The Bike That Saved His Job22:08 – Break24:23 — Health, Transportation and Freedom31:59 — The Volunteers Behind the Mission50:57 — Movement Is Freedom53:26 — What Pedal It Forward Needs Next
Transcribe →238. What Dogs Teach Us About Life — From a Master Storyteller with Tom Schlesinger
Mar 1201:39:36Tap to summarizeWhat if the antidote to stress, overthinking, and constant mental chatter has been quietly walking beside us all along? Today we have a conversation with a master storyteller, consultant to the likes of Pixar, LucasFilms and Disney - Tom Schlesinger, on quieting the noise, returning to the body, and rediscovering joy. All through the lens of how dogs can remind us how to lead our best lives. Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome05:02 – Monkey Mind and Mental Chatter07:22 – Storytelling Before Language10:00 – Dogs, Humor, and Emotional Balance14:30 – Remembering Dog Stories Brings Us Home20:18 – Myth, Archetypes, and the Heroine’s Journey31:09 – The Power of the Pause32:40 – Presence, Time, and Stress42:50 – Sensory Storytelling and the Body47:20 – Break49:37 – The Silent Evolution01:12:35 – Perfectionism vs Creative Flow01:28:39 – Returning to the Body and the Earth
Transcribe →237. Why The Ocean Glows, and How We Can Protect It with Dr. Edie Widder
Feb 2601:05:25Tap to summarizeWhat if the darkest places on Earth are not empty, but teaming and alive with light, quiet beauty, and wonders that can help our planet thrive? In this luminous conversation with Edith Widder, we slip beneath the surface of our planet to explore glowing oceans, hidden migrations, and the astonishing ways life seems near magical, where sunlight never reaches. This episode is an invitation to feel awe again—to remember how little we truly know, and how much wonder is still waiting just beyond our sight.00:00 – Intro & Welcome04:11 – How Deep Is the Ocean, Really?08:37 – Turning the Lights Off to Truly See13:36 – How Life Communicates in Darkness18:00 – From Jellyfish to Cancer Research24:22 – Courage, Curiosity, and Her Mother’s Influence28:52 – Break31:30 – Near-Death, Blindness, and a Deeper Connection to Light43:40 – Using Bioluminescence to Detect Pollution53:53 – Wonder, Hope, and What’s Worth Saving
Transcribe →236. Look Up! Wonder is the Key To Unlocking Discovery with Dr. Macarena Garcia Marin
Feb 1201:19:26Tap to summarizeThe universe has been talking for billions of years—and we’re finally learning how to listen. Now, if we become “all ears” we can each enjoy a worldview of wonder! Astrophysicist Dr. Macarena García Marín joins us to explore how the James Webb Space Telescope is expanding our view of the cosmos—and why it matters.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & Welcome05:32 – Career path and following scientific curiosity08:26 – Seeing the universe as a family photo in time18:26 – Humility, scale, and what space teaches us35:50 – Break38:05 – How the Webb telescope actually unfolded in space49:02 – Better questions, zooming out and zooming in54:14 – Mind-blowing truths about galaxies and possibility
Transcribe →235. Digital Minimalism: How To Declutter Your Online Life with Chris Zeunstrom
Jan 2901:27:59Tap to summarizeMost of us don’t realize how much time, money, and mental energy our digital lives are quietly draining from us until we pause: overflowing inboxes, forgotten subscriptions, and hundreds of old online accounts still following us around. In today’s Conversation with Chris Zeunstrom— founder of Yorba.co - we get a Glimpse of a Lighter Digital Future, This isn’t about quitting technology or living in fear of it — it’s about redesigning our relationship with it, and discovering that a calmer, more humane digital life may be closer than we think.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome05:21 – Feeling Lighter in a Bloated Digital World10:00 – Surveillance Capitalism and the Modern Internet13:20 – Why Digital Clutter and Privacy Actually Matter16:14 – Cleaning Up 20 Years of Digital Buildup with Yorba33:16 – Personalized Algorithms and the Cost of Convenience41:35 – How Digital Cleanup Actually Works in Practice51:41 – Break54:46 – Reclaiming Perspective in a Noisy Digital World01:03:05 – How Platforms Drift From Their Original Intentions01:12:06 – Power, Incentives, and the Cost of Scale01:22:05 – Building a More Intentional Digital Future
Transcribe →234. What Forests Know That We’ve Forgotten with Ethan Tapper
Jan 1501:18:12Tap to summarizeWe’re skimming through life—and it’s costing us hope. In this wide-ranging, deeply grounding conversation, forester and award-winning author Ethan Tapper shows how forests teach us to slow down, notice complexity, and recognize healing in motion. From the wisdom of old trees—and the life in fallen ones—to birds as messengers of possibility, this episode is an invitation to see the world, not as broken, but as quietly regenerating in ways we never realized.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome04:00 – How to Love a Forest and Why It Resonates10:30 – Why Old Trees Matter More Than Size16:13 – Death, Decay, and the Life of Forests22:05 – Why We Want Forests to Look Like Parks28:45 – Rethinking the Word “Nature”33:10 – Forest Resilience, Diversity, and Global Change39:22 - Break42:39 – Reading Forests Through Birds49:45 – From Knowing More to Doing More1:09:50 – Healing Bear Island1:16:30 – Closing
Transcribe →233. How to Travel Better: More Awe, Less Impact with Katie Losey
Jan 101:07:55Tap to summarizeKatie Losey has traveled the world with a rare blend of awe and responsibility, and she’s here to show us how to do the same. This conversation is about avoiding overcrowded destinations, supporting local communities, and letting wonder guide our choices and it will change how you think about adventure — and how gently you can move through the world.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome03:40 – Travel as a Force for Good05:15 – The Elephant Story That Sparked a Mission11:16 – Wonder, Wildlife, and Why It Matters14:35 – Overtourism and Making Better Choices21:40 – How to Vet Travel Companies and Hotels26:56 – Finding Awe in the Smallest Moments31:07 – Hidden Places and Smart Timing35:14 – Break37:29 – Practical Travel Questions Answered41:35 – Traveling With Purpose53:29 – Softness and Understanding01:05:30 – Why Personal Experiences Matter
Transcribe →232. Funding Hope, Not Hype: Scaling Local Solutions with Mohini Bhavsar
Dec 1801:30:21Tap to summarizeMohini Bhavsar of Grand Challenges Canada went from being a young innovator herself to becoming a champion for them, including several whose solutions are projected to impact 750 million people by 2035. We explore how courage grows with support, why proximity matters in problem-solving, and how small, locally-led ideas can scale to transform lives.Chapters0:00 – Intro & Welcome3:57 – Introducing Grand Challenges Canada7:09 – Mr. Oxygen Man: A Life-Saving Innovation17:41 – Courage, Risk, and the Heart of Innovation26:06 – Mohini’s Personal Journey of Courage and Opportunity33:11 – Understanding the UN Sustainable Development Goals41:24 – Break44:05 – Unexpected Innovators Changing the World57:01 – Lessons From Failure and the Power of Pivoting1:02:01 – Books, Podcasts, and Tools for Positive Thinking1:26:30 – Final Reflections on Small Acts and Global Change
Transcribe →231. The Secret Sauce? Teen Volunteers Find Meaning Feeding Others with Sarah Leathers
Dec 401:05:27Tap to summarizeInside a phone-free kitchen in Hartford, teens prepare beautiful meals for neighbors in health crises—and, mentored by patient adults, discover confidence, belonging, and voice. Healing Meals Founder Sarah Leathers shares the five simple practices that turned service into community transformation.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome05:18 – How Healing Meals Supports Teens and Families11:12 – Measuring Impact: Surveys and Data on Teen Growth18:18 – The Transformative Power of Volunteering30:20 – The Secret Sauce Behind Healing Meals’ Success34:03 – Break36:19 – Inside the Healing Meals Kitchen44:20 – Teens Realizing Their Impact on Others47:36 – How Healing Meals Changes Career Aspirations52:27 – The Power of Intergenerational Relationships54:06 – How to Get Involved and Spread Kindness01:00:32 – Staying Hopeful and “Overly Optimistic”01:04:11 – Closing Thoughts
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