Getting kids to fall in love with reading is one of the bestest things a grownup can do! Ok, while that sounds like the opening phrase of a Dr. Seuss book, my guest today on Truth Tastes Funny is Dr. Danny Brassell - a highly-sought after speaker, trainer and coach known as “Jim Carrey with a Ph.D.,” who's bringing JOY back into education by helping educators, parents & organizations. Danny has spoken to over 3,500 audiences worldwide - from the US to India, Egypt, and Pakistan - and authored 16 books, including his latest, Leadership Begins with Motivation. He is the co-founder of www.theREADINGhabit.com, the world’s top reading engagement program.

Is ADHD on the rise? Has it become easier to diagnose, in adults and children alike? Join me for a fascinating discussion with Avigail Gimpel, an author, coach, and educator whose new book, HyperHealing, Show me the Science: Making Sense of Your Child's ADHD Diagnosis (a follow-up to her first book, “HyperHealing”) is based on many years of research and practice both as a mother of a good number of kids diagnosed with ADHD, as well as a classroom teacher of children struggling with ADHD symptoms. As we emerged from isolation, many people I know were mentioning ADHD, either diagnosed in their children or themselves, and speaking with this immensely qualified guest was illuminating!

If we take ourselves too seriously, there will be consequences. And as your Dr. of Survivalology, I recommend a dose of Doug Cox anytime it all gets too heavy! Doug is a Writer/Director from San Francisco with 20 years experience in the advertising industry and Founder of The Cabinet, a production and post-production facility. On Truth Tastes Funny, we cover the religious, the goofy, the dark and the light, and analyze the secret to his latest short film success: GARY, which is enjoying a rewarding festival run, collecting top honors at 8 fests and counting.

I now have a whole other podcast, and it's about branding (YES, BRAND, now LIVE!), so while I look forward to having Rich Kozak on THAT show, too, THIS conversation is really about heart. He and I both lead with it, which is why we get along so well. Another reason is that we share a background in helping brands - personal and corporate - tell their stories. Rich is on a mission to serve those who can, in his words, "envision clearly whom they can help or what they can do to make the world a better place or make people's lives better or add value." It was an honor to meet Rich when a mutual friend suggested he appear on TTF, and we have a blast together each time we connect, so I hope you dig this episode!

"You don't have to follow in the footsteps that have been laid out for you. You can create your own future." This, more or less, is the spine of my conversation with Melissa DaSilva, a successful physical NFT artist, entrepreneur, therapist, and coach who motivates other LGBTQ+ individuals and artists to take their life and career to the next level. She is the author of "The Profitable Practice: Helping Healing Professionals Build and Grow a Successful Business." Key Takeaways: Guilt and resentment - on both sides of an equation - are part of the territoryA difficult childhood brings with it valuable lessonsEverybody's flawed! Our role models AND our anti-role models

We all know about Freedom of Speech. But speaking without skill is like duck hunting without camouflage. To spare you that embarrassment, I bring you Brenden Kumarasamy, founder of MasterTalk, who coaches ambitious executives & entrepreneurs to become top 1% communicators in their industry. He also has a popular YouTube channel called MasterTalk, with the goal of providing free access to communication tools for everyone in the world. For those of us wanting to reinvent ourselves - or at least re-examine our careers - in the wake of the last few years, this episode is worth a listen. If you check out podcasts bout entrepreneurship and self-improvement, you will often see Brenden on their guest lists.

I should start by telling you that Jules Polonetsky is an optimist. Second, in the area of privacy and consumer protection, Jules is the man. He knows as much about privacy as Facebook knows about you. Jules serves as CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization that serves as a catalyst for privacy leadership and scholarship, advancing principled data practices in support of emerging technologies. FPF is supported by the chief privacy officers of more than 200 leading companies, several foundations, as well as by an advisory board composed of the country’s leading academics and advocates.

When your dad manages bands like Rage Against the Machine and Quiet Riot, there's a good chance you'll end up in the music biz - and an even greater chance you will do so LOUDLY. While Jessica Entner did both of those things, it took some perseverance for her to be heard. As an Executive Creative Music Producer/Supervisor, Jess helped companies succeed and artists break out, but in the shifting ground of the pandemic, decided it was time to build her own brand. She founded J.E.M Music Strategy and Production in 2021, a full service music agency specializing in branded entertainment and advertising.

Do you know Frank Agin? You might! Frank is president of AmSpirit Business Connections, an organization that empowers entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals to become successful through networking. When Frank and I recorded this interview, we didn't know each other all that well. We hit it off immediately, and I wish I could say it's because we're both that awesome. More likely, it's because he's that awesome at what he does... and in the short while since, Frank's connected me with some amazing people. And if this crazy world has taught us anything lately, it's the importance of holding hands as we walk through the storm.

This episode reunites me with my friend and client, Mellissa Tong, a three-time #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon, Award-winning Storyteller, and Founder/CCO of a Creative Marketing and Content Production Company, DuckPunk Productions, Inc. Mellissa is direct, engaged, modest, and knows what's up - which is why global brands like Westin, McDonald's, Old Navy and more heed her advice. Pay heed, dear listener, especially if you're a professional, and entrepreneur, a thought leader, or a person trying to navigate the rapid-fire realities of today's world (Mellissa is also a former journalist). And, of course, I pitch her some creative when the opportunity arises!

I’ve long maintained that a**holes are decent people minus a sense of humor. And I want to preface this episode by making sure that my audience knows I welcome as guests those with differing opinions and positions across humanhood and the political spectrum - as long as you bring your ability to laugh at life and its mysteries. My guest this episode is Jeremy Sherman, PhD, who shares my core belief that humor is the saving grace of humanity. He’s authored 1000 articles, with 10 million readers, for Psychology Today, and his latest book is called What's Up With Assholes? How To Spot And Stop Them Without Becoming One.

You wanna talk radio? Cough buttons? Sex, Drugs, & Rock N Roll? Look no further than Ralph Sutton, a seasoned podcast and pop culture commentator with two decades of experience on the mic as a TV and radio host. Currently, he leads the hit comedy podcast The SDR Show, and in 2016 founded the GaS Digital Network, which reaches 5 million listeners a month across 22 shows. He often speaks on how to start a business like his and was also featured in Entrepreneur on the topic. I had a great time with Ralph, and as you'll hear, we're both doing our best to survive and thrive in this f'd up world.

Do we really have time to waste time? Or should we fully embrace every moment? And if so, how? My chat with certified Life Coach and Spirituality Coach Simona Mango explores these questions and more. "The reason I focus on Life Purpose Mentoring is, that I understand how our alignment or misalignment with our higher purpose is what will determine the outcome of our lives. And by 'outcome' I mean, how we feel about every moment of every day, how we feel about getting out of bed every morning." Key Takeaways: Human beings should be free of fear and full of joy. This is our true natural state, when we navigate life #fromthesoulsperspective.

This is just a brief episode to serve as a bridge between seasons. I am so thrilled by the response to the show, and the growing listenership is inspiring! We've got lots more in store for Season 2 of Truth Tastes Funny. Stay tuned - Season 2 launched this coming Monday, October 31, 2022, with Episode 31. Thanks and keep taking your laughter in frequent doses! Hersh

First, let me welcome you to Episode 30 of #TTFPodcast, the final episode of Season 1! It's only been a few months, but the conversations I've had, the people I've connected with, it's all been so deeply fulfilling and I thank all of my wonderful guests and listeners who have embraced this show in a way that fills my heart with that spirited mix of happiness and giggle juice! Since the goal is also to learn about ourselves and each other, it is fitting to close out the season on my interview with Alan Stevens - an International Profiling and Communications Specialist who has worked with international clients, the likes of Disney Films and Gillette, and high-profile organizations like the Australian Federal Police to help them understand how people tick.

Sandy Ciaramitaro is a good egg for many reasons, not the least of which is her authorship of The Good Eggs series - her contribution to supporting children as they learn about virtues, diversity, and service, essential concepts to integrate into their lives as they grow into Good Eggs! Hersh's conversation with Sandy on Truth Tastes Funny touches on education issues from toddler to teen and beyond.

According to the Gallup folks, 89% of the American workforce says that they're "burned out." So, the good news is, we're not alone! The other news is, "burnout" - and PTSD - are worth looking into, and who better to sit down with than Scott Anderson: he's the founder - in partnership with Tel Aviv University - of AtEaseUSA.org, a treatment technology accelerator helping military families recover from PTSD. He also launched BurnoutBreakthrough.com, an evidence-based system to help business leaders recover from and prevent workplace burnout. Scott's an Executive Coach, the author of PLAYING BIG, and a Licensed Therapist with Masters in Clinical Counseling.

Marci Warhaft - “The Resiliency Rebel” - is a Resiliency coach and founder of The Fit vs Fiction Body Image workshops. She was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Health influencers for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 by Optimyz fitness magazine. Marci is the author of The Good Stripper: A Soccer Mom’s Memoir of Lies, Loss and Lap Dances, where she shares in raw, honest and intimate detail her eye-popping journey to self discovery. By turning a life of turmoil into an example of tenacity and survival, Marci uses her experiences to help others release themselves of the shame, guilt and insecurities that keep them from living their lives with the joy they deserve.

To paraphrase Willy Wonka, "Don't forget what happened to the little boy who suddenly got everything he ever wanted: he felt empty AF and wanted to die. And then...." One of the most gratifying things about hosting TTF is that my guests come on to get real. They've tasted the truth, and tried swallowing the BS as well. And they have a lot to teach the rest of us about getting unstuck. Kevin Palmieri is the host of Top 100 Global Podcast "Next Level University" -1000+ Episodes, with listeners in Over 125 Countries, and this is our chat.

"There's a certain pact we make with the devil to enjoy life in a way that makes us feel fulfilled. So we're not doing heinous crimes on our own volition, but we're enabling inequity. We're enabling climate disasters. We're enabling, you know, take your pick, because we've decided that on some level we are happier." This quote from my interview with Humans First founder - and serial entrepreneur - Rob Krecak forms the backdrop for this conversation, which is as useful in terms of practical solutions as it is provocative regarding the subject of social media overload and technology mindfulness.

What role does marketing play in a post-truth world? Can we believe in ourselves enough to sell the image to other people? Hersh consults with Lorraine Ball, Marketing Strategist, Marketing Educator, and host of the More Than A Few Words podcast, to get a handle on what’s always worked, what doesn’t work, and what authenticity really means. Lorraine shares her stories of the glass ceiling effect, beginning as a Brooklyn girl working the phones for an oil company in West Texas: she could put on a Texas drawl, but she was still a woman, and it was a struggle to break into the C-Suite. Her goal was to be a VP, but every path was blocked. She cut her own swath, forging ahead toward success.

"Make for yourself a teacher, and acquire for yourself a friend." This I have done, in the form of Janet Elaine Schmidt. I should say that subsequent to our interview, I had a session with Janet that has already had an impact on my mindset and I highly recommend the experience! She's the Creator of "Reprogram For Success" and has been a practical yet potent Quantum Consciousness Accelerator, Integrative Holistic Healing Facilitator, and Business Coach for a decade. If most of those descriptors make sense only when read indvidually, that's where I was before I sat down with Janet to talk about mindset in a way I never had before.

Adam Vibe Gunton shares not only his amazing story but also his methods for helping others find their voice in the journey of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. While there are harrowing moments in this conversation, Adam also injects humor into his narrative. As he explained, "Bringing light and comedy into situations can help people heal." And his faith enters the picture in such a way as to convey his experiences with honesty and reflection. Adam is a #1 Bestselling Author and Founder of Recovered On Purpose. After overcoming homelessness and IV drug addiction in 2017, Adam made it his mission in life to help addicts find a way out of their addictions.

Just when we stop obsessing about pandemics, we've gotta worry about a possible economy in recession, inflation rates, and more. But wait - this is Truth Tastes Funny, so Hersh's interview with Money 911 host Kris Miller has laughs, heart, and most importantly, useful info for changing the way you think about investing. Over the past 30 years, Kris Miller has helped over 6,000 families, individuals and businesses, avoid financial disaster by getting real about money and strategically planning their futures.

Early in my podcasting adventure, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Mark Asquith, aka That British Podcast Guy. Mark is Managing Director & co-founder of Captivate.fm (part of Global), and his business is helping podcasters to grow their audience. I asked this TEDx and Harvard speaker what I was getting into - and I got the straight talk, the only kind Mark knows how to give. And here we are, celebrating 20 episodes of "Truth Tastes Funny," so it's apt to do it with this gracious guest, and our conversation.