Who are we without a living relationship to place and community? How do we measure progress in ways that keep people and systems alive? Season 3 of Are We There Yet? opens with an exploration of what it means to live off the land—metaphorically, physically, collectively. Despite being creatures who created rich cultural traditions rooted in ancestral place, we are also now global citizens, and for many our connection to land has been fractured, potentially altering who we are as a species. So what does it mean to “return to the land” in a modern, digitized life?
With each new episode, Season 3 will focus on the lessons we can learn from permaculture—a modern philosophy built on indigenous traditions co-developed over millennia as we evolved in our environment—as both a land-based practice and a framework for living. Within a structure provided by the twelve principles of permaculture, hosts Sonja Ernst and Jamie Hardy discuss how the philosophy’s core ethics—Earth care, people care, and fair share—extend beyond gardening to shape business, communication, and personal growth in ways that will help shape our future for the better.
You’ve worked tirelessly and achieved the pinnacle of what is humanly possible long before turning 30. Then what? What measures success when medals fade into memory? Are we more defined by expectations—our own, others’—or by the choices we make every day? When staring down burnout, is stepping back quitting, or preserving oneself? Olympic bronze medalist swimmer Natalie Hinds shares with Sonja and Jamie her powerful journey from Midland, Texas—where she followed her older sister into the pool and kindled a love of swimming—to the international stage. As one of the few Black girls in her community sport, Natalie forged a new path for herself and others to follow in her wake. But this success came with intense pressure, ultimately leading to burnout. After time away from competition helped her rediscover her passion and clarify her goals, Natalie returned at the top of her game. Now half a decade later and leading a life largely off the blocks, she has a wise perspective on the connection between teamwork and leadership, as well as the value of prioritizing mental health and wellbeing. Natalie’s story is an inspiring reminder that success isn’t just about medals—it’s about embracing the journey, finding balance, and leading with authenticity.
How do we balance a life-defining career with the strain it can place on life outside it? How can we reconcile complex identities that may clash at home and in our careers? When a profession shapes your identity, who are you once it ends?
Mary Winchester and Sarah Defur’s stories reveal how unexpected detours can lead to purpose, leadership, and resilience. Mary’s path began at seventeen in the Army Reserves, evolving into a vital biomedical engineering role during Operation Desert Storm. Sarah, once set on becoming a veterinarian, found her calling in firefighting and emergency medicine. In this powerful season two extra about the stratospheric highs and chasmic depths, both women share how they faced life’s toughest moments—Mary’s sudden job loss and Sarah’s heartbreaking loss of a child—with strength, faith, and the sometimes awkward but always well-meaning support of their communities. Navigating high-stakes careers in male-dominated fields, they reflect on stepping into leadership, challenging norms, and forming deep bonds through shared experiences. In a refreshing take on our eternal question, are we ever really “there,” or is life just chapters of becoming?
What is an educator’s role in developing well-rounded students facing an unpredictable future? Can an emphasis on social-emotional learning close persistent gaps created by the pandemic? How should educators center human connection in tech-heavy classrooms? In this episode of "Are We There Yet?," Sonja & Jamie sit down with Luis Ramirez, principal of Littlebrook Elementary in Princeton, NJ, to dive into the evolving landscape of educating young children in the age of AI. Emphasizing the importance of teacher-led implementation to ensure technology enhances rather than detracts from the learning experience—from circle time to tech tools—Ramirez highlights the importance of listening, staff collaboration, and experiential storytelling in supporting students’ growth.
In this episode of "Are We There Yet?," global leadership expert Gerd Hoefner shares fascinating insights from his decades-long journey across multicultural landscapes managing teams across borders, cultures, and time zones. Sonja and Jamie explore with him the transformative power of cultural sensitivity in organizations, digging into the nuts and bolts of employee engagement and open communication. Together they explore the universal human need for authentic connection, arriving at the importance of understanding diverse perspectives in our interconnected world. Tune in to discover how cultural awareness can drive personal and organizational success.
What role does emotion play in effective communication? What makes words so powerful they can stick with you for the rest of your life? In this podcast episode, Sonja and Jamie meet renowned speechwriter and professor Jim Holtje to discuss the enduring power of storytelling through all eras of human civilization. From Aristotle's principles of pathos and logos that emphasize the emotional impact of narratives, Jim underscores the value of human relationships and personal stories that AI cannot mimic. Together they explore the societal implications of AI, such as career displacement, and the urgency for proactive political discourse on AI. As AI comes for white-collar jobs and transforms speech writing, Jim highlights the importance of maintaining human connection and uncovering personal stories that technology simply cannot replicate.
How does open communication contribute to sustainable change? How can leaders balance the demands of immediate objectives with long-term vision? What strategies can be employed to build consensus in diverse teams? In this episode, Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General David Bassett sits down with Sonja and Jamie to share insights on empathetic leadership drawn from his 35-year military career and transition to private sector consulting. He emphasizes leadership as a marathon, advocating for fluid communication and consensus-building to achieve sustainable change through time and geographies. There is nuanced overlap in motivating teams across both mission-driven and commercial organizations, highlighting human connection as a core strength in building resilience. And as former director of the Defense Contract Management Agency overseeing billions of dollars in military contracts, Lt. Gen. Bassett addresses misconceptions about government inefficiency, emphasizing the importance of valuing people over technology. Together they cover strategies for maintaining organizational identity and unity, and discuss why prioritizing people is essential amidst transformational change.
Chaos theory shows that both the future and the past are unknowable. Exponential growth always seems to be stymied by an unpredictable limitation that flattens the curve. Creativity happens when something is new, surprising, and has value. But how do we assign value when we are awash in a world of endless data? Mathematics is one universal storytelling language that can help decipher what the universe is telling us. In one of their most intriguing episodes yet, Sonja and Jamie talk edges, AI, creativity, and the melancholy of solving theorems with Marcus du Sautoy, a celebrated pattern-seeking mathematician deeply invested in journeying into the unknown.
There are hundreds of AI-powered therapy apps on the market today. When we talk to them, are we doing more than just talking to ourselves? Can we reach the same effect by simply stopping to watch snow fall outside? In this intimate episode, Sonja and Jamie use AI as a framework to reflect on the potential illusion of human agency, work-life balance as a rhythmic cycle of rest and productivity, and the essence of true communication.
Resilience, grit, and determination: three essential qualities for achieving one’s goals. But are they enough? This episode we follow Marion Gornick’s career from personal assistant to Siemens Global Head of Cybersecurity Finance, a path fraught with traditional norms, gender biases, and gatekeeping. We learn how Marion turned roadblocks into stepping stones and leaned on her self-awareness and persistence from childhood to reach the pinnacle of corporate success. We explore remote work dynamics, automation, and the role of AI in business, an acute issue in cybersecurity. Marion's insights offer valuable lessons in curiosity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability as key to ensuring teams grow alongside technological progress.
Sometimes people can feel like hostages to their organizations, leading to negative outcomes at every scale. As a team leader, how can you recognize and address these dynamics to generate a more supportive environment? At the end of the day, leadership and hostage negotiation require the same critical skills: preparation, persuasion, collaboration, and emotional regulation.
Sonja and Jamie interview expert crisis negotiator Scott Walker, author of the recent book, “Order Out of Chaos,” to learn lessons for team leaders who find themselves navigating crisis management and adversarial confrontations.
The episode dives into the importance of honest, direct conversations, even when there are fundamental disagreements on the table. They also discuss strategies to maintain respect and fluid communication among all people involved using a clear understanding of both sides’ motivations. Take a peek into a high-stakes world that actually has many parallels in our everyday lives.
Will AI transform creative endeavors like film, television, and music into one where human contribution is centered, or marginalized? What about painting, theater, or sculpture? In this episode of Are We There Yet?, Sonja and Jamie talk with digital, media, and advertising executive Greg Kahn about how technology can assist—or maybe replace?—many of the things creative minds spend their time working on today, for better or worse.
Greg spent his elementary school years analyzing box office statistics to understand how marketing and production strategies can make or break films of all genres, and is on the front line of implementing new AI tools in creative industries today. The conversation highlights the unique hurdles faced by independent film in the streaming era, and how AI tools are now pivotal in predicting and shaping success across genres. From personalized education to challenges faced by CTOs and creative producers alike, Greg advocates for democratizing creative resources to foster inclusive workforce (and creative) development. One can lament the incursion of AI into creative spaces, but what if its cost-effectiveness was the only thing that made a work of art possible to produce at all?
To kick off season two of Are We There Yet?, Sonja and Jamie invite distinguished healthcare advisor, entrepreneur, and author Dr. Jennie Byrne to unpack the complex mental health challenges facing clinicians on the front lines of the profession, and how technology is already empowering a meaningful transformation in healthcare practice.
Magnified by the high-stakes and perfectionist culture ingrained in medical training, the conversation covers generational approaches to wellness and workplace dynamics, and walks through effective communication strategies that embrace diversity and humanize the often unacknowledged struggles clinicians face to provide real-world adaptations to reach professionals where they are. Dr. Byrne's optimism about a synergistic future where AI, communication and healing intersect opens up exciting possibilities for the future of medical practice, which in many ways is already here—we just need to see it.
What is the one crucial aspect of leadership that correlates directly with the success of a team? Research shows a clear answer—but to get to it, first you must define success, and how you choose to measure it. Join Sonja and Jamie in a conversation with Gerda-Marie Adenau, a global communications manager and philosopher focused on leadership and ethics, on asking the right questions to get the most valuable answers. During the pandemic, she conducted narrative interviews to build a theory of transformational leadership, in times of both crisis and calm. Her conclusion? Aligning managers' actions with teams’ expectations is more important than cultivating an outcome-focused—and often inauthentic—leadership style.
The future of work in today’s AI world is unwritten, and successful leaders must be observant, flexible, and responsive to the people they serve. Rather than asking themselves, what kind of leader do I want to be, or who do I want to be in the world, the better question is: what kind of world shall we build?
A mother's determination to provide a better future for her son set a transformative journey in motion, thrusting the boy into the unknown and, ultimately, towards a thriving career in leadership excellence.
As a complement to the core Are We There Yet? season, Sonja and Jamie release extras that explore how we get “there,” and the diverse ways leaders have shaped their own lives and those of the people around them. In this beautiful and profoundly personal season one extra, Sonja and Jamie speak with Pasha Khaledpour, a high-end fashion and luxury brand director, to explore his incredible path from a childhood scarred by tragic loss in war-torn Iran to Miami’s top shelf design districts. Dive deep into Pasha’s world as they discuss how a family’s shared values can shape a life’s trajectory, and uncover the true essence of luxury (spoiler alert: it’s not about what something costs, but about connection, authenticity, trust, and loyalty).
Have you ever imagined that the leadership skills needed to spin up a regional methamphetamine lab would transfer to leading a church ? While he couldn’t have known his destiny from the start, this is the path Pastor Michael Buck took as he set his inner compass to his true North.
As a complement to the core Are We There Yet? season, Sonja and Jamie release extras that explore how we get “there,” and the diverse ways leaders have shaped their own lives and those of the people around them. In this second season one extra, Michael reflects on his personal journey from burnout to dealer to pastor, and how his fascinating life experiences shaped his role as an effective communicator and community builder today. In this enlightening episode, Michael walks through how he cultivated self-awareness to claim a direction for his innate drive, and reminds us how critical authenticity is to true leadership.
What makes a story—an ancient myth, a newspaper article, even a map—powerful enough to shape a culture? Dr. Benjamin Strauss asks this question every day in his role as CEO and Chief Scientist of Climate Central, a scientific research and news organization focused on hyperlocal, actionable climate communication. Why have cautionary tales of centuries ago, such as Noah’s flood and Gunyah’s spearing of the sacred fish, persisted through to the present? What can they teach us about how we humans shape our values, and how we can apply these learnings to an abstract threat like climate change today? How are we using AI and other technology to turn global datasets into localized action plans? And why is it misguided to place too much hope on achieving specific outcomes?
Our conversation with Dr. Strauss sheds light on the Surging Seas project’s revelations, achieved using advanced neural networks to create accurate global coastal maps that identify at-risk populations who can be prioritized for local outreach and action. We also explore the transformative power of visual storytelling through initiatives like Mapping Choices and the brand-new FloodVision, which offer interactive, photorealistic depictions of future sea levels and storm surges for local leaders to deploy in their planning and advocacy campaigns. We discover how data, technology, and visual storytelling can combine to serve as a catalyst for people to tell their own stories and make meaningful change where it matters most: close to home.
This episode is essential for anyone passionate about bridging the gaps between climate science, public understanding, and effective action.
Imagine AI as a public utility—what would that look like? This episode, Sonja and Jamie ask: What are the hidden societal costs of broad AI adoption? How can we mitigate the implicit bias inherent in the creation of AI? And why are tech companies so interested in universal basic income, anyway?
Their guest is Ami Fields-Meyer, a political strategist and former policy advisor in the Biden-Harris administration, who worked on the creation of the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. This fascinating and far-reaching discussion touches on whether and how to make AI accessible to society’s most underserved people; how governments, from local to federal, each play a unique role in ensuring an equitable rollout of this new technology; and what lessons can be learned from historical rapid adoption of private-sector products before we knew all the externalities (think asbestos). Will our obsession with efficiency and convenience override the needs of our most vulnerable? As AI continues to take up most of the oxygen in the room, this comprehensive conversation is as timely as it is crucial.
What happens when a bird no longer recognizes the song of its species? What is the role of art and storytelling in building sustainable worlds? Can AI unchain human creativity and center compassion in our daily lives? As climate change continues to rewrite the rules of existence on Earth, Dr. Zoë Sadokierski and Dr. Timo Rissanen join the podcast to confront the emotional weight of biodiversity loss and explore how stories help us understand the plight of endangered species, and our own part in shaping the narrative.
Using design as a vehicle for empathy and engagement, the two collaborators and ecological communicators reflect on technology’s role in supporting the resilience of the human spirit in the face of political short-sightedness and ecological amnesia that allows our fellow beings to slip away unnoticed during this sixth extinction we are living through. Resisting the cultural tide pushing us towards a baseline of fear, aggression, and self-preservation, the conversation explores the inherent kindness humans can display in times of crisis, and how we can access generosity and community to document changes around us, and learn from our collective history to shape the trajectory of our future.
Intrinsic motivation, curiosity, emotional literacy, mindfulness, learning from our environment: these are aspects of intelligence that are uniquely human, and truly cannot be replicated by AI. Innate and accessible to everyone, these skills have incredible staying power even as our ways of being are shifting at light speed toward destinations unknown.
This episode, Sonja & Jamie welcome associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University Dr. Rina Bliss to challenge the concepts that have traditionally defined human intelligence. How do our established societal structures stifle creativity and limit individuals from reaching their full potential? How can we cultivate imagination and resilience amidst the surge of automation? Can an ethically wielded AI leave us the space we need to engage more deeply in mindfulness and the human connection we so deeply crave?
This conversation is for leaders, educators, and learners alike to spark ideas on how we can recognize and harness our greatest asset—our distinctive intelligence—to forge our path forward through an increasingly uncertain future.