Advertise on podcast: Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast

What if the community you’re looking for is already there, but you haven’t found your way into it yet?WISE Connect founders Marie Brodsky and Kat Close join Dr. Lynda to explore how we can make friendship, purpose, and belonging easier to find at every age.Inspired by their own family experiences, Marie and Kat discovered a surprising disconnect: people wanted meaningful ways to participate in their communities, while nearby organizations struggled to reach them. The possibilities existed. What was missing was a way to bring them together.Their work began with the needs of older adults, but the questions they raise touch all of us. Does anyone expect us to show up? Can we find opportunities to learn, contribute, and have fun? And could technology help us spend more time connecting with people in real life?In this episode, we explore:• Why struggling with technology isn’t a character flaw• The difference between a smart city and a community that works for people• Why joy, purpose, and belonging matter throughout our lives• How WISE Connect helps people discover activities, volunteering, and local support• How families can help loved ones connect from a distance• Using AI to support human relationships• What different generations can learn from each other Chapters 0:00 — Intro & Welcome 5:22 — Rethinking Technology for Older Adults 13:27 — The Story Behind WISE Connect 23:04 — Aging With Purpose, Joy, and Belonging 34:35 — How WISE Connect Works4 9:58 — Finding the Community Already Around You 58:03 — Using AI to Strengthen Human Connection 1:01:55 — What Generations Can Learn From Each Other 1:08:55 — How to Help Build More Connected Communities

You clean out your closet, donate a bag of clothes, and feel pretty good about it. But where do those clothes actually go? Dr. Nicholas Ledra is solving the enormous textile-waste problem hiding in plain sight—and today we celebrate the science that could change it. His work at Nuria Scientific points toward something far more exciting than simply recycling our clothes once: a future where the materials inside them can be recovered, reused, and given life after life, after life, instead of eventually becoming waste. 0:00 — Intro & Welcome 5:32 — The Hidden Reality of Donating Clothes 8:30 — Why Modern Fabrics Are So Difficult to Recycle 12:50 — Break 15:06  — From Grandma’s Sewing Room to Textile Innovator 33:53  — Open-Loop vs. Closed-Loop Recycling 39:44  — Giving Old Clothes Multiple New Lives 44:47  — When Recycling Isn’t Actually Green 48:24  — The Future of Textile Recycling and How to Help

Most of us know the big health pillars: eat well, move your body, and get enough sleep. More recently, we’ve started to understand the importance of social connection. But according to Teresa Davis, there’s another essential part of being fully alive that many adults have forgotten: play. In this episode, Dr. Lynda Ulrich talks with Teresa Davis, founder of Davis Studio and Play Intention in South Burlington, Vermont, about why play is not a childish escape from real life. It may be one of the most intelligent, healing, connecting, and practical things humans can do. Together, they explore adult play, creative expression, “foraging for joy,” curiosity, resilience, and how small playful choices can help us feel less heavy, more connected, and more human. This conversation is a reminder that play is not a waste of time. It is a way back to ourselves. Learn more and find the full article on the Goodness Exchange. Chapters 00:00 — Intro & Welcome 04:45 — What If Play Was Seen as Wisdom? 07:26 — What Children Teach Us About Connection 13:28 — Foraging for Joy 19:16 — Is Play a Form of Intelligence? 20:55 — What Adult Play Actually Looks Like 33:13 — Break 35:28 — Bringing Play Into Everyday Life 41:10 — Teresa’s Story and Permission to Play 48:11 — Can Play Make Us More Hopeful? 57:05 — Play as the Fifth Pillar of Health 1:07:45 — How to Start Foraging for Joy 1:16:12 — Curiosity at the Core of Play 1:27:47 — Growing the Movement 1:31:52 — What Teresa Wishes People Knew

What if higher education measured success not only by grades and job placement — but by whether students are actually flourishing? Marjorie Malpiede, editor in chief of LearningWell magazine and host of LearningWell Radio, explains how a committed group of colleges and universities helping students build belonging, resilience, purpose, agency, and lifelong wellbeing in their students. Chapters 00:00 – Intro and Welcome 05:09 – Rethinking the Purpose of Higher Education 16:48 – The Problem With Achievement Culture 29:10 – Break 32:00 – From Mental Health Crisis to Human Flourishing 43:43 – Is College Becoming Too Transactional? 50:16 – Character Education Is Making a Comeback 01:00:50 – Relationship-Rich Education 01:13:05 – What Would an Ideal First Year of College Look Like?

When we know our neighbors, the world feels more human and much less scary. Michael Wood-Lewis is the co-founder of one simple, moderated platform that has helped rebuild trust, reduce loneliness, and strengthen communities in every town in Vermont. With 250,000 active members in a state of roughly 270,000 households, Front Porch Forum offers a hopeful model for how technology can bring us back to each other.  Chapters 00:00 – Intro and Welcome 05:45 – The Power of Neighborliness 08:38 – Front Porch Forum vs Big Tech 16:00 – Real Stories of Community Connection 22:55 – Break 25:12 – Redistributing Abundance Through Community 29:23 – Why Moderation and Tone Matter Online 39:15 – Building Social Infrastructure for Communities 47:57 – Surprising Insights From Front Porch Forum Data 57:20 – Designing for Decency in Digital Spaces 01:18:38 – Why Real-Life Conversations Matter

The 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. Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 04:04 – How Self-Talk Shapes Emotions and Decisions 07:49 – Rehearsing Problems That Never Happen 10:13 – The Power of Breathing to Reset Your Mind 12:42 – A Story That Shaped a Lifetime Belief 18:39 – How Stories Create Emotional Patterns 22:48 – What Makes a Story Truly Connect 27:26 – Break 29:41 – How to Catch Harmful Thought Patterns 34:54 – Rewriting Your Inner Narrative 59:54 – Triggers, Boundaries, and Emotional Control 01:05:55 – Why We Get Stuck in Negative Loops 01:08:53 – Good Thing Bad Thing Who Knows 01:13:45 – Zooming Out to See the Bigger Picture 01:16:58 – Simple Daily Practice to Reset Your Mind

Most 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. Chapters 00:00 — Intro & Welcome 06:20 — How Pedal It Forward Works 16:01 — The Bike That Saved His Job 22:08 – Break 24:23 — Health, Transportation and Freedom 31:59 — The Volunteers Behind the Mission 50:57 — Movement Is Freedom 53:26 — What Pedal It Forward Needs Next

What 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. Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 05:02 – Monkey Mind and Mental Chatter 07:22 – Storytelling Before Language 10:00 – Dogs, Humor, and Emotional Balance 14:30 – Remembering Dog Stories Brings Us Home 20:18  – Myth, Archetypes, and the Heroine’s Journey 31:09 – The Power of the Pause 32:40 – Presence, Time, and Stress 42:50 – Sensory Storytelling and the Body 47:20 – Break 49:37 – The Silent Evolution 01:12:35 – Perfectionism vs Creative Flow 01:28:39 – Returning to the Body and the Earth

What 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 & Welcome 04:11 – How Deep Is the Ocean, Really? 08:37 – Turning the Lights Off to Truly See 13:36 – How Life Communicates in Darkness 18:00 – From Jellyfish to Cancer Research 24:22 – Courage, Curiosity, and Her Mother’s Influence 28:52 – Break 31:30 – Near-Death, Blindness, and a Deeper Connection to Light 43:40 – Using Bioluminescence to Detect Pollution 53:53 – Wonder, Hope, and What’s Worth Saving

The 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. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction & Welcome 05:32 – Career path and following scientific curiosity 08:26 – Seeing the universe as a family photo in time 18:26 – Humility, scale, and what space teaches us 35:50 – Break 38:05 – How the Webb telescope actually unfolded in space 49:02 – Better questions, zooming out and zooming in 54:14 – Mind-blowing truths about galaxies and possibility

Most 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.Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 05:21 – Feeling Lighter in a Bloated Digital World 10:00 – Surveillance Capitalism and the Modern Internet 13:20 – Why Digital Clutter and Privacy Actually Matter 16:14 – Cleaning Up 20 Years of Digital Buildup with Yorba 33:16 – Personalized Algorithms and the Cost of Convenience 41:35 – How Digital Cleanup Actually Works in Practice 51:41 – Break 54:46 – Reclaiming Perspective in a Noisy Digital World 01:03:05 – How Platforms Drift From Their Original Intentions 01:12:06 – Power, Incentives, and the Cost of Scale 01:22:05 – Building a More Intentional Digital Future

We’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. Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 04:00 – How to Love a Forest and Why It Resonates 10:30 – Why Old Trees Matter More Than Size 16:13 – Death, Decay, and the Life of Forests 22:05 – Why We Want Forests to Look Like Parks 28:45 – Rethinking the Word “Nature” 33:10 – Forest Resilience, Diversity, and Global Change 39:22 - Break 42:39 – Reading Forests Through Birds 49:45 – From Knowing More to Doing More 1:09:50 – Healing Bear Island 1:16:30 – Closing

Katie 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. Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 03:40 – Travel as a Force for Good 05:15 – The Elephant Story That Sparked a Mission 11:16 – Wonder, Wildlife, and Why It Matters 14:35 – Overtourism and Making Better Choices 21:40 – How to Vet Travel Companies and Hotels 26:56 – Finding Awe in the Smallest Moments 31:07 – Hidden Places and Smart Timing 35:14 – Break 37:29 – Practical Travel Questions Answered 41:35 – Traveling With Purpose 53:29 – Softness and Understanding 01:05:30 – Why Personal Experiences Matter

Mohini 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. Chapters 0:00 – Intro & Welcome 3:57 – Introducing Grand Challenges Canada 7:09 – Mr. Oxygen Man: A Life-Saving Innovation 17:41 – Courage, Risk, and the Heart of Innovation 26:06 – Mohini’s Personal Journey of Courage and Opportunity 33:11 – Understanding the UN Sustainable Development Goals 41:24 – Break 44:05 – Unexpected Innovators Changing the World 57:01 – Lessons From Failure and the Power of Pivoting 1:02:01 – Books, Podcasts, and Tools for Positive Thinking 1:26:30 – Final Reflections on Small Acts and Global Change

Inside 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. Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 05:18 – How Healing Meals Supports Teens and Families 11:12 – Measuring Impact: Surveys and Data on Teen Growth 18:18 – The Transformative Power of Volunteering 30:20 – The Secret Sauce Behind Healing Meals’ Success 34:03 – Break 36:19 – Inside the Healing Meals Kitchen 44:20 – Teens Realizing Their Impact on Others 47:36 – How Healing Meals Changes Career Aspirations 52:27 – The Power of Intergenerational Relationships 54:06 – How to Get Involved and Spread Kindness 01:00:32 – Staying Hopeful and “Overly Optimistic” 01:04:11 – Closing Thoughts