Actual People

We’re burnt out on bettering ourselves and each other. From sleep scores to productivity hacks to scolding people, the pursuit of improvement has reached a breaking point. Host Chauncey Zalkin is joined by futurist and cultural cartographer Lynn Casey, who explains how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are redefining “better" through spiritual practice, tangible connection,  do-it--with-me vs. DIY and more.

Written, directed, and executive p...

Season 3 opens with host Chauncey Zalkin talking burnout, perfectionism in grad school, and finally giving her kids her last name. She then sits down with publishing veteran and writer Cindy DiTiberio (The Mother Lode) who talks reclaiming competence after divorce, the “math of motherhood,” the portal of 40, and what it's like to undergo MDMA therapy.

Highlights:

• The cost of motherhood—money, labor, identity
• Renaissance after...

Are we really getting work done, or just pretending en masse? We're working ourselves to death & getting little done. How do we fix it? Interview with former Washington Post reporter and director of Better Life Labs, Brigid Schulte.

This episode dives into:

• Overwork Culture
• The Behavioral Psychology of Work
• The Importance of "Real Work" vs. "Stupid Work"
• Systemic Challenges
• Workplace Inequality
• Cultural Sh...

From developing custom tools to create over 200 VFX shots on his own award-winning indie to supervising globally at major studios like DreamWorks and Sony Animation where he is now, hear Chris Browne's story and spot on advice for creativity that won't quit.

Learn more about Chris here: http://www.chrisbrownedigital.com/projects.html

Written, directed, and executive produced by Chauncey Zalkin. Intro/Outro sound engineered ...

Are women’s networks working? What’s right about them and what can be improved? And why can't we always connect the way we intend to? Host Chauncey Zalkin reflects on these questions before diving into a conversation with Lindsay Kaplan, co-founder of the best-in-class professional women’s network, Chief, who stepped down this year. Together, they explore identity, creativity, burnout, and our role in building community.

Writte...

Welcome to a conversation with a true pioneer in elevating the best design in the world. Piers Roberts offers profound reflections on the distance we've fallen from conscious consumerism and where to go from here with a strong emphasis on uplifting neurodivergent ways of thinking.

For over 20 years, Piers has played a significant role in contributing to East London’s success as an inspirational beacon of creativity and innovati...

Welcome to an imperfect episode about imperfect times. You can call it the 'Boys to Men Episode', 'The Man Show', 'How The Boys Will Thrive 2025', or 'The Bro Show'. It's a musing on boys and men from the perspective of a GenX woman raised in an all female household now raising only daughters herself. 

In this monologue episode, among the bombardment of terror from the White House and in ...

Chauncey Zalkin sits down with Dr. Jennie Byrne, a psychiatrist working with clinicians who sees a painful trend in healthcare but first Chauncey explores why she thinks the wound has spread to the entire nation and why it's time to exile virtue signaling and embrace anger signaling. Like immediately. 

Written, directed, and executive produced by Chauncey Zalkin. Intro/Outro sound engineered by Eric Aaron. Photography by Alonza...

An ad agency called Geezer is flipping the 50 plus narrative on its head to something more accurate. It's about time. Join us for a conversation with  Founder, Karen McKinley, CEO, Brent Rivard, and CCO, John Kieselhorst.

More on Geezer can be found on their website.

The report on 50+ population referenced in the episode can be found here: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies 

Written, directed, and executive produced by Chau...

Each creative discipline offers a piece of the puzzle of human creativity. In this episode, host Chauncey Zalkin sits down with three time "International Designer of the Year" award winner and Fast Company board member Todd Bracher to talk about how we can shift the emphasis from needless crap to creating a better future for everyone from an essentialist design perspective.

Inside the episode:

• The value of crossing disc...

In this episode Chauncey Zalkin sits down with guest and advocate for Black women in the workplace, Jessica Pharm, to take an unflinching look at the complexities of race, gender, and trust for liberal America as we face Trump's second term.

Written, directed, and executive produced by Chauncey Zalkin. Intro/Outro sound engineered by Eric Aaron. Photography by Alonza Mitchell with Design Consulting by Paper ...

Life isn't fair. So what are you going to do about it?

In this episode, Jill Brinsdon shares her journey as a creative director and prominent leader in New Zealand's advertising industry. She talks when to play the game and when to jump ship and the importance of personal agency in shaping your career and driving change. She also talks about the important role men have in shaping the future of advertising. 
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Host Chauncey Zalkin defines Actual People for its second year but not before diving into the movies, tv, and music that held the keys to change in 2025. Despite a backdrop of sadness and uncertainty, we will start anew like we always do.

Actual People is about TRANSITIONS, EVOLUTIONS, NEW CHAPTERS, from the personal to the global.

Topics Include:

• Lingering Post-Election Sadness and a Newfound Optimism 👁️
• Beyon...

This episode, Host Chauncey Zalkin sits down with friend and British Futurist Melissa Sterry who combines a passion for fashion and art with multiple degrees in sustainability, architecture and science.

The two met through the A Small World network in the mid 00s while Chauncey lived in Paris and Melissa in the UK. A lot has changed since then. They discuss the modern paradox of homogeneity in a diverse world. Melissa expl...

From divergent thoughts, convergent thoughts, indecision loops, and 'a ha moments' to touring middle schools, this discussion starts off with soul searching and moves on to the soul freeing way a woman named Amy Reinert is able to embrace all phases of her life and connect with other women through pure honesty.

Topics Discussed:
Postpartum Depression
Misogynistic Corporate Policies for Mothers
Hormone...

Psychoanalyst. Mother. Clogger. Playwright.. Meet my mom's college friend who never stops learning and growing: an interview with Tarpley Long and a road map for Gen X women who never cared much for the linear path.

Written, directed, and executive produced by Chauncey Zalkin. Intro/Outro sound engineered by Eric Aaron. Photography by Alonza Mitchell with Design Consulting by Paper + Screen.

Want to go d...

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Fears of Totalitarianism, and Finding Paradise

Spooky season is still not over: In this episode host Chauncey Zalkin covers Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Gorging on Political Wonkery, and Where Beauty and Meaning Really Come From.

Topics Covered:

• Election Anxiety: Chauncey opens up about her deep concern over political divides and the potential fallout of the election outcome, capturin...

A New Vibration - The Optimism and Renewed Passion of Creative Boom Founder Katy Cowan

This is a special one. Katy was Chauncey's first pick for a guest episode when launching her podcast almost a year ago and finally it's here.

In this episode of Actual People, host Chauncey Zalkin sits down with the ever-so-charming Katy Cowan, founder of UK-based Creative Boom, a global platform supporting creatives ...

Host Chauncey Zalkin recounts a trip to the grocery store with her daughter reminiscing on Obama era ideals realizing, we've largely abandoned them. 

Written, directed, and executive produced by Chauncey Zalkin. Intro/Outro sound engineered by Eric Aaron. Photography by Alonza Mitchell with Design Consulting by Paper + Screen.

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