Episode Summary: "AMPLIFY: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World" with Adam Met, PhD

Podcast: Totally Booked with Zibby
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Adam Met, PhD
Release Date: July 24, 2025

Introduction

In this insightful episode of Totally Booked with Zibby, host Zibby Owens welcomes Adam Met, a multifaceted individual who seamlessly blends his passions for music, education, and climate advocacy. Adam, known as the bassist for the multi-platinum band AJR, is also the co-founder of the climate research and advocacy nonprofit Planet Reimagined and an educator at Columbia University. He discusses his new book, AMPLIFY: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World, which explores leveraging strategies from the entertainment industry to bolster social movements.

Adam Met’s Unlikely Journey

From Musician to Climate Advocate

Adam Met shares his unique path, highlighting the intersection of his musical career and academic pursuits:

• Building a Fan Base Over 18 Years: Adam emphasizes the gradual growth of AJR, moving from intimate venues to sold-out arenas, a journey that instilled in him a deep understanding of fan engagement.
  "It took 18 years to get here. Every step is something that we spent a lot of time and effort on and really understood how to grow a fan base from nothing all the way to being able to sell out arenas..." (03:36).

• Academic Pursuits: Simultaneously, Adam pursued higher education, earning a PhD and engaging extensively in the climate space. This dual focus allowed him to bridge the gap between entertainment and advocacy.
  "I worked a little bit with the Biden administration on their big climate initiative. I worked with the U.N..." (04:18).

Motivation Behind AMPLIFY

Responding to fans' desires to engage more deeply with causes they care about, Adam was inspired to write AMPLIFY to adapt successful strategies from the music industry to various social movements.
"...those strategies from the music industry and entertainment industry more broadly can be applied really effectively to any movement you care about..." (05:35).

Key Principles from AMPLIFY

Creating Evangelizers

Adam introduces the concept of "evangelizers" as pivotal to modern movements:

• Beyond the Traditional Ladder: Traditionally, movements relied on a hierarchical engagement ladder, which Adam likens to an outdated model. Instead, he proposes a more dynamic, hurricane-like approach where individuals are empowered to spread the movement organically.
  "It's more about different ways that you're treating different segments of the fan base in order to have them go and be the people who can help grow it for you." (09:31).

• Empowering Fans: Drawing parallels with AJR's strategies, Adam explains how providing fans with exclusive access and interactive experiences can transform them into active advocates.
  "They take ownership over it. They created the track list, they worked together, they made it, they posted it before we even did. And that kind of ownership they felt over the product allowed 10 times more eyeballs to see the content..." (11:32).

Gamification and Engagement

Adam delves into gamification as a tool for increasing engagement:

• Collaborative Gaming: Unlike competitive or open-world strategies employed by artists like Taylor Swift and Twenty One Pilots, Adam's approach with AJR involves collaborative efforts across various social media platforms to engage fans in meaningful ways.
  "We put each piece in a different area of social media. One on Twitter, one on Facebook, one on Instagram... they worked together to create something." (11:34).

• Interactive Live Spaces: Transforming live events from traditional protests or galas into enjoyable, action-oriented experiences aligns with Adam's vision of fun advocacy.
  "What if the live space was actually fun? What if it really was a dance party?" (12:36).

Practical Advice for Activists and Individuals

Participating Without Starting a New Organization

Adam offers actionable strategies for individuals passionate about causes:

• Leverage Existing Organizations: He advises aligning with established groups to avoid duplicating efforts and to amplify impact.
  "If you care about something, go see if there's an organization that you can volunteer with, participate with in your area..." (14:22).

• Integrate Diverse Skills: Recognizing that every profession can contribute to movements like climate change, Adam encourages individuals to find intersections between their careers and advocacy work.
  "Every role, everything that people do... can be applied to the climate space." (16:00).

The Power of Local Elections

Highlighting the significant impact of local governance, Adam underscores the importance of voting:

• Local Impact Over Federal: Local elections often have a more immediate and tangible effect on climate policy.
  "Your vote at the local level is thousands of times more powerful than your vote at the federal level." (20:32).

• Call to Action: He urges listeners to participate in upcoming local elections, emphasizing that individual votes can be decisive.
  "Your vote could literally be the deciding vote in that election." (20:32).

Insights from Academia and Collaboration

Teaching at Columbia University

Adam shares his experiences and challenges within academic institutions:

• Curriculum vs. Implementation: He critiques the focus on theoretical knowledge over practical application in climate education.
  "We know what the what's are, but the hows are the things that we need to be focusing on." (27:19).

• Diverse Perspectives: Highlighting the value of diversity among students, Adam illustrates how different backgrounds contribute to innovative campaigning strategies.
  "The most impactful things are when students disagree with each other. Because they're coming from such different backgrounds." (28:37).

Collaboration in Authorship

Adam emphasizes the importance of collaboration in writing:

• Partnering with Heather Landy: Co-authoring with a journalist like Heather Landy brought a critical perspective that enriched the book.
  "Collaboration is key. I love working with people that will push back against me, that will make me think harder." (30:19).

• Feedback and Refinement: Engaging with others helped refine ideas, ensuring they resonated effectively with the intended audience.
  "They're not going to resonate unless you test them out with other people and let other people who you trust be the shapers of your ideas." (30:19).

Innovative Book Promotion Strategies

Transforming Book Tours

Adam describes a novel approach to promoting his book AMPLIFY by integrating entertainment with advocacy:

• Interactive Shows: Instead of traditional book tours, he plans events that combine musical performances with interactive, gamified activities encouraging audience participation in advocacy actions.
  "We're going to all of these different cities and basically putting on a show... playing games and had all of these different things in order to promote your book." (23:24).

• Advocacy Moments: Each show includes moments where the audience engages in local advocacy, such as contacting representatives, thereby merging entertainment with meaningful action.
  "There are advocacy moments in the show where all together, everybody in the audience is taking a local advocacy action..." (23:24).

Personal Insights and Recommendations

Reading Habits

Adam shares his preferences in literature, balancing fiction and nonfiction to stay informed:

• Nonfiction for Knowledge: He listens to nonfiction to stay updated on current affairs, though he also enjoys fiction during leisure.
  "I listen to a lot of nonfiction... but I tend to read more fiction." (25:22).

• Favorite Fiction: One standout fiction book he enjoyed is Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which explores the video game industry through a narrative lens.
  "It's a story about three students and building video games... it's really excellent." (25:22).

Time Management

Balancing multiple roles, Adam outlines his typical day:

• Nonprofit Leadership: Leading Planet Reimagined consumes a significant portion of his time, especially with its recent expansion.
  "About a year ago we were five people... now we're more than 30 people working in it." (26:38).

• Teaching and Touring: He also dedicates time to teaching at Columbia University and preparing for his book and summer tours.
  "I also teach climate policy and campaigning at Columbia University... once the book tour and summer tour is over." (26:38).

Final Thoughts and Advice

Advice for Aspiring Authors

Adam offers practical tips for new writers:

• Embrace Collaboration: Partnering with others can enhance the depth and resonance of your work.
  "Collaboration is key. I love working with people that will push back against me..." (30:19).

• Be Open to Feedback: Allowing trusted individuals to shape your ideas ensures your message effectively reaches and impacts your audience.
  "Let other people who you trust be the shapers of your ideas." (30:19).

Balancing Work and Family

Recognizing the challenges, Adam advises prioritizing family over work when working with loved ones:
“Family needs to come first and the work needs to come second no matter what.” (31:57).

Conclusion

Adam Met's conversation with Zibby Owens sheds light on innovative strategies to engage communities and amplify social movements by drawing parallels from the entertainment industry. Through his book AMPLIFY and ongoing advocacy efforts, Adam provides a blueprint for leveraging connection and creativity to drive meaningful change. Listeners are encouraged to take actionable steps in their local communities, collaborate across diverse fields, and embrace new models of engagement to build a better world.

Notable Quotes:

• "Your vote at the local level is thousands of times more powerful than your vote at the federal level." — Adam Met (20:32)

• "Collaboration is key. I love working with people that will push back against me, that will make me think harder." — Adam Met (30:19)

• "We could solve climate change today if we wanted to. We know what the what's are, but the hows are the things that we need to be focusing on." — Adam Met (27:19)

Stay connected with Zibby Owens and explore more award-winning episodes on zibbymedia.com. Follow her on Instagram @zibbyowens.