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What happens when the profession you've devoted your life to no longer resembles the one you fell in love with? In this episode of One More Thing Before You Go, Michael sits down with Dr. Stewart Lonky, a physician, playwright, and novelist whose more than four decades in medicine have given him a front-row seat to one of healthcare's greatest transformations: the rise of technology, data, and artificial intelligence. As a young boy growing up in New York, Stewart was inspired by a television show that portrayed medicine as something more than science. Years later, a mentor reinforced a lesson that would shape his entire career: listen to the patient. But what happens when physicians begin spending more time looking at computer screens than looking into the eyes of the people they're treating? Together, Michael and Stewart explore the extraordinary advances that have transformed medical care, the growing influence of AI, and the difficult questions surrounding efficiency, cost, and human judgment. Stewart also reveals how his lifelong love of theater and storytelling inspired his medical thriller, Conspiracy of Data: Fail Safe — Not Safe, the first installment of a trilogy exploring the consequences of allowing technology and institutional priorities to shape medical decisions. But this conversation isn't simply about medicine or artificial intelligence.It's about the people behind the diagnoses, the responsibility of those entrusted with their care, and why being heard, understood, and treated with compassion matters. Because behind every medical record is a human being with a story that deserves to be heard.Pull up a chair. You're always invited to take a seat at the table. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What happens when the silence that protected you as a child follows you into the life you've built as an adult? In this episode of One More Thing Before You Go, Michael sits down with Rich Dunning, author of Silence Was My First Language, to explore how family, childhood experiences, and the people we encounter shape who we become. Growing up in the Bronx as the son of Dominican immigrants, Rich experienced poverty, domestic violence, and homelessness. At sixteen, he found himself sleeping in an abandoned train station while continuing his education. Yet a compassionate teacher, a musician who became his mentor, and a college coach helped him discover a world beyond the one he'd known. Rich shares how those early experiences followed him into professional success, marriage, fatherhood, and addiction—and how finding his voice ultimately inspired him to help vulnerable young people through the First Language Foundation. Can we change the stories we've carried about ourselves for a lifetime? Pull up a chair. There's always room for one more story at our table. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://lnk.bio/theherstmethod Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if the one thing you’ve learned to live with is the very thing you need to question? In this episode of One More Thing Before You Go, Michael sits down with Reid Robinson to explore the experiences that shaped him, the ordinary freedoms we take for granted, and the unexpected people and possibilities that emerge when we dare to question what we’ve always accepted. After a devastating 2015 car accident, Reid faced thirteen surgeries, years of recovery, and a future he could never have imagined. Somewhere between surgery ten and eleven, a simple sketch in a hospital bed set him on an unexpected path—one that would eventually lead to the creation of the XLEG, a wearable mobility device. But the real story isn’t the invention. It’s the man behind it. What might be waiting in your own life for you to notice it? Pull up a chair. There’s always room for one more story at our table. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

Can a film bring an entire city back to life—not just its streets and buildings, but its flavors, music, memories, and the people who made it unforgettable? In this cinematic conversation, Michael sits down with Peruvian filmmaker Ricardo de Montreuil, director of Mistura, to explore how food, cultural traditions, and groundbreaking filmmaking techniques helped recreate the vibrant world of 1960s Lima, Peru. As we prepare to welcome a new season of conversations, we're returning to one of Michael's favorite journeys into the stories that connect people, places, and culture. For Ricardo, Mistura is more than a period film. It's a love letter to Peru—a story that brings together the country's extraordinary culinary traditions, Afro-Peruvian influences, and the complex relationships between culture, social expectations, and belonging. Michael and Ricardo explore the personal experiences behind the film, the creative challenges of bringing a vanished era to the screen, and how virtual production helped transform memories of a city into a living, breathing cinematic world. But beyond the cameras and technology lies something deeply human: the way food carries memories, how cultural traditions connect generations, and why the stories we tell can preserve places and experiences that might otherwise fade with time. Through the lens of Mistura, this conversation invites us to consider what we carry from the places we've known—and how storytelling allows those places to live on. PRESENCE • CURIOSITY • STORY The three pillars of The Herst Method™, and the foundation of conversations that look beyond the finished work to discover the person and experiences behind it. Because sometimes the most powerful stories don't simply show us a place we've never been. They make us feel as though we've always belonged there. Find One More Thing Before You Go on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What makes a crime story stay with you long after you've turned the final page? Is it the mystery? The characters? Or the emotional truth hiding underneath the story? Michael sits down with writer, researcher, and author Rhonda Parker Taylor to explore the psychology behind compelling crime fiction—and how the experiences we carry through life can find their way onto the page. New conversations return next week. In the meantime, we're reaching back for one of Michael's favorite conversations, exploring what happens when human behavior, emotional intelligence, and storytelling collide. Rhonda's debut novel, Crossroads, may be a suspenseful crime thriller, but beneath the mystery are characters navigating emotion, relationships, difficult choices, and the consequences that follow. Together, Michael and Rhonda explore how her experiences, academic research, encounters with law enforcement, and the people she's met have influenced the way she creates characters—and why emotional intelligence can make the difference between a character we simply read about and one we actually understand. But this conversation goes beyond the mechanics of writing. It's about why certain stories connect with us, why complicated characters feel real, and how the choices people make—on the page and in life—can reveal something about human nature. Because sometimes the most compelling mystery isn't simply what happened. It's why someone made the choice that changed everything. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

In this episode Michael sits down with Jessica McGann, a world traveler whose journey took her solo through 30 countries over more than two years. Discover what it’s truly like to experience the world firsthand—and how those experiences shaped the person she became. Jessica’s journey eventually led her into the film and television industry, where she worked behind the scenes on popular productions including Big Brother Canada, Top Chef Canada, Blown Away, and All-Round Champion. But her story took another unexpected turn in 2020, when her mental health reached a breaking point. That difficult chapter became a turning point, leading Jessica to pursue a Diploma in Life Coaching and eventually share what she learned through one-on-one sessions, workshops, and her podcast, The Pivot Point. This is a conversation about travel, transformation, creativity, resilience, and the unexpected turns that shape a life. Before we return to a new conversation next week, we’re reaching back into the One More Thing Before You Go archives for a story worth experiencing again—or perhaps hearing for the first time. Sometimes the journey changes us in ways we never anticipated.And sometimes, the story is worth revisiting. This is In thisOne More Thing Before You Go, Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What actually shapes you into who you are today? Is it where you grow up? The choices you make? The people you meet? Or the moments that seem insignificant at the time—but quietly change the direction of your life? For Clifford Brown, the path was anything but predictable. In this conversation, Michael sits down with Clifford Brown, a former Beverly Hills attorney who walked away from a successful legal career in 1987, giving up two-thirds of his income to join the U.S. Agency for International Development. What followed was nearly three decades working across Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia—including leadership roles in Guinea and Sierra Leone, Kyrgyzstan, and Colombia. But the story begins much earlier. Growing up along Washington State’s Columbia River, Clifford worked farms, canneries, tugboats, and railroads before joining an oceanographic research vessel that took him to Tahiti and Latin America. That journey planted an idea that would eventually change the course of his life: the world was bigger than the one he knew. A Thomas Watson Fellowship took him back to Latin America. Learning Spanish, as Clifford describes it, was “like growing another soul.” And years later, when an unexpected opportunity appeared, he followed that curiosity into a completely different life. Michael and Clifford explore the choices, encounters, risks, and unexpected turns that shaped that journey—and what happens when you stop trying to design your life and start paying attention to where it is leading you. At the heart of the conversation are three ideas: PRESENCE • CURIOSITY • STORY The three pillars of The Herst Method™—and a reminder that sometimes the most important chapters of our lives begin long before we realize we're writing them. Because the life that shapes us isn't always the life we planned. Sometimes, it begins with a road we didn't expect to take. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if you could leave the place that shaped you… but never really leave it behind? The sounds, smells, stories, traditions, and struggles of our childhood can follow us farther than we ever realize. In this powerful conversation, Michael sits down with Donald Williams, co-author of Born of Nothing: From White Trash and Lintheads to Purpose Across Generations, to explore heritage, identity, belonging, travel, and the places that shape who we become. Donald grew up in a South Carolina cotton mill village surrounded by more than 80 first cousins and generations of family. He eventually became the first in his family to graduate from a major university, earned three degrees from Clemson University, and traveled and worked across the United States, South Korea, and Japan. But the farther Donald traveled, the more clearly he began to see where he came from. Michael and Donald explore what happens when we encounter cultures different from our own—and discover that beneath the differences in food, faith, family, and tradition, people often want the same things: connection, purpose, belonging, and a better life for the next generation. Through stories of the American South, family heritage, travel, agriculture, food, and generational memory, this conversation asks a deeper question: Can you reinvent yourself without losing the people and places that made you who you are? At the heart of the conversation are three ideas: PRESENCE • CURIOSITY • STORY™ Because sometimes you have to travel far from home… to finally understand where you came from. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What makes a crime story stay with you long after you've turned the final page? Is it the mystery? The characters? Or is it the emotional truth hiding underneath the story? In this replay of one of Michael's favorite conversations, Michael sits down with writer, entrepreneur, and academic researcher Rhonda Parker Taylor to explore the powerful intersection of storytelling, emotional intelligence, and crime fiction. Rhonda's debut novel, Crossroads, is a suspenseful crime thriller—but beneath the mystery is something deeper: complex characters shaped by experience, emotion, difficult choices, and the consequences of the paths we take. Together, Michael and Rhonda explore how life experiences, relationships, law enforcement encounters, mentorship, and academic research can find their way into a writer's imagination—and how emotional intelligence can transform the way we understand both fictional characters and ourselves. This isn't simply a conversation about how to write a crime novel. It's about why we tell stories in the first place… and what those stories can reveal about who we are. PRESENCE • CURIOSITY • STORY The three pillars of The Herst Method™—and the foundation of how Michael explores the stories behind the people he interviews.Three ideas at the heart of this memorable conversation—and at the heart of what makes great storytelling connect. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcas

What if the most important recipe you ever learned had nothing to do with food? For Chef Don Bowie, it started in his grandmother’s kitchen—and became a lifelong journey through food, culture, entrepreneurship, and community. In this conversation, Michael sits down with celebrity chef and entrepreneur Don Bowie, founder of Taste Kitchen + Bar in Houston, to explore how one early influence can shape an entire life. With more than two decades in the culinary world, Don has built a career around a simple belief: food should nourish us, but it should also give us an experience worth remembering. From global flavors and Texas influences to the lessons passed down from his grandmother, Don reveals how cooking became more than a profession. It became a way to connect people, tell stories, create belonging, and give back. Michael and Don explore the intersection of food, heritage, creativity, and purpose—and why inspiring the next generation of chefs may be one of the most meaningful things a successful chef can leave behind. Because sometimes the recipe for a meaningful life isn't written on a menu. It's passed from one generation to the next. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

Some stories don’t just belong to a family. They belong to all of us. What would you do to survive if everything you knew had been taken from you? Martin Bodek's grandfather survived four armies, two world wars, starvation, poison, and a 1,600-mile journey home during World War II. He survived what should have been impossible—and then faced the harder question: How do you build a life after surviving history? In this deeply moving conversation, Michael sits down with author Martin Bodek to uncover the extraordinary story of his grandfather—a Holocaust survivor whose second life was shaped by faith, family, food, and an extraordinary will to begin again. From the devastation of war to rebuilding a life in Israel, surviving the Six-Day War, and ultimately spending 40 years as a chef in the United States, his journey reveals that survival isn't always the end of the story. Sometimes, it's the beginning of another one. Michael and Martin explore the responsibility of preserving family history, the relationship between trauma and identity, and the surprising ways food can carry memory across generations. Because when those who witnessed history are gone, the stories they left us become our responsibility to remember. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if giving up alcohol didn't mean giving up adventure? Travel is supposed to expand our world. But what happens when the very places we travel to seem to revolve around drinking? A hotel minibar. An airport bar. A champagne toast. A business conference where networking happens over cocktails. A cruise where drinks seem to follow you everywhere. For travel writer Teresa Bergen, traveling alcohol-free isn't about living a smaller life. It's about finally being free to experience a bigger one. In this conversation, Michael and Teresa explore the unexpected challenges of sober travel—and the freedom that comes from learning how to navigate the world on your own terms. Teresa shares what she's discovered through 15 years as a travel writer specializing in outdoor adventure, wellness, vegan and sober travel, and why she believes we didn't get sober to have little lives. Her new book, Sober Travel Handbook, offers practical strategies for navigating airports, hotels, conferences, family gatherings, cruises, and unfamiliar cultures without alcohol becoming the center of the experience. But this conversation goes deeper than travel tips. It's about what happens when we stop allowing other people's expectations to define how we experience the world. Because the goal isn't simply to travel without alcohol. It's to discover how much more life there is to experience when you don't need it. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if a story buried in your family for more than a century suddenly asked you to tell it? Brigid Kennedy’s story begins with a real Irish treasure hunter, her great-grandfather Robert Patrick Kennedy, who crossed the Atlantic, married Eudocia Rodrigues in Arequipa, Peru, in 1910—and then disappeared into the Amazon. The story survived in fragments until one night, when Brigid’s grandmother appeared to her in a dream and asked her to write the family story. Brigid had never written a novel. She said yes. The result is LOST — The Lost City of Incan Gold, a historical fantasy rooted in her Irish and Incan heritage. In this remarkable conversation, Michael and Brigid explore family mysteries, ancestral places, the power of heritage, and what happens when we travel across the world to reconnect with the people who came before us. From Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher and Galway to the monastery in Peru where her great-grandparents married, this is a story about the past refusing to stay buried—and one woman’s journey to bring it back to life. Sometimes the story isn’t lost. It’s waiting to be remembered. Takeaways: The story of Brigid Kennedy's great-grandfather, an Irish treasure hunter, is a profound tale that spans cultures and generations.Brigid's journey to write her family's history began with a dream from her grandmother, prompting her to uncover a long-buried legacy.The intertwining of Irish and Incan heritage in Brigid's novel serves as a testament to the power of ancestry and storytelling.Brigid's travels to Ireland and Peru allowed her to connect deeply with her roots, enriching her narrative with authenticity and emotion.The act of saying 'yes' to her grandmother's call led Brigid to rediscover her family's past and share it with the world through her writing.The conversation highlights the importance of reclaiming one's heritage and the stories that shape our identities across time and space. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if the places that carry humanity's deepest wounds also have the power to heal something within us? In this episode of One More Thing Before You Go, Michael welcomes poet, author, photographer, and adventurer Briana Gervat for a deeply reflective conversation about history, solitude, resilience, and the unexpected ways travel transforms us. In 2022, Briana set out alone on an extraordinary pilgrimage along the Western Front, walking hundreds of miles from the border of Switzerland and France, across the Vosges Mountains, and through the battle-scarred forests and villages where World War I forever changed the course of history. But this isn't simply a story about war. It's a story about what happens when we slow down enough to hear the whispers of the past—and our own hearts. Together, Michael and Briana explore what it means to walk alone through landscapes marked by unimaginable loss, how nature quietly teaches resilience, why solitude can become one of life's greatest companions, and how simple moments—sharing a meal, meeting a stranger, or following an unfamiliar path—can reconnect us with what truly matters. Whether you're drawn to history, travel, poetry, or the search for meaning, this conversation invites you to see the world—and perhaps yourself—with fresh eyes. In this episode, you'll discover: • Why walking through historic places changes the way we see ourselves • How solitude can become a source of strength instead of loneliness • What the landscapes of the Western Front still have to teach us today • The surprising connection between nature, memory, and healing • How travel can become a journey inward, not just across the world Sometimes the longest journey isn't measured in miles. It's measured in perspective. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if the greatest lesson from Hollywood wasn’t about making blockbuster movies—but about living a more focused, creative, and meaningful life? In this episode of One More Thing Before You Go, Michael welcomes Steven Puri, former EVP at DreamWorks and VP at 20th Century Fox, whose career helped shape iconic films including Transformers, Star Trek, Die Hard, and Independence Day. Yet the most compelling story isn’t what happened behind the camera—it’s what happened within. Steven shares an extraordinary journey from television news anchor to software engineer, from Oscar-winning visual effects producer to Hollywood executive, entrepreneur, and founder. Along the way, he opens up about selling his first company at 28, enduring the disappointment of failed startups, and discovering that success without purpose is never enough. Together, Michael and Steven explore why flow—that rare state where focus, creativity, and performance align—may be one of the most valuable skills we can cultivate in an age of constant distraction. They discuss how setbacks reshape identity, why failure often becomes our greatest teacher, and how purpose emerges when we stop chasing achievement and start pursuing what truly matters. Whether you’re a creator, entrepreneur, leader, or simply searching for greater clarity and fulfillment, this conversation offers practical insights into unlocking your best work—and perhaps your best self. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why flow states unlock peak creativity and performanceThe surprising lessons Hollywood taught about storytelling and human natureHow failure can become the catalyst for reinventionWhy focus is becoming one of the world’s rarest—and most valuable—skillsPractical ways to create the conditions for deeper work, creativity, and fulfillment Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs don’t happen on a movie set. They happen within us. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts