Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential potential in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors, to resumes and meal-plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex. In the Building Thinkers podcast we will explore a wide range of topics (business, education, organization, habits, therapy, finances, research to name a few) unpacking the design, strategy, and details behind the things we build to create accessible blueprints for you to explore and apply to your own learning and life. There is no limit to what you can learn.
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What if the food on your plate is either slowly breaking you down or building you up?
In an effort to continue the ongoing theme of living a flourishing life here at Building Thinkers, I sat down with Brad Fuster. He’s a university provost, former world-touring percussionist, and someone who went from 245 pounds, smoking a pack-a-day, and a chronic arthritis diagnosis to being 53, medication-free, and in the best health of his life.
Brad has been whole food plant-based since 2013, and in this conversation he explains the difference between veganism and actually eating well, he shares the practice that put his psoriatic arthritis into full remission, and he breaks down why protein is probably the last thing you need to worry about.
Key Takeaways:
There’s a meaningful difference between being vegan and eating a whole food plant-based diet.
The medical system is built around symptom management, not true wellness.
Water fasting can reset your microbiome and improve health.
Inflammatory conditions can potentially be addressed through diet and fasting.
You don’t have to go fully plant-based to see benefits in your health.
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:49 Brad’s transition to a plant-based diet
5:24 Myths about protein in vegan diets
8:17 The new food pyramid and nutrition education
12:35 Difference between veganism and whole food plant-based diet
15:38 Brad’s experience with water fasting
19:39 Practical tips for increasing whole food plant intake
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
Leading with Change When the System Is Stacked Against You
Season 4 · Episode 19
Friday, September 11, 2026 • Duration 38:20
Building Thinkers has had a front-row seat to the work happening at SFBU, and this episode is a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to reimagine how people learn.
My guest, Brad Fuster, is the Provost of San Francisco Bay University and host of the EdUp Innovation Podcast, and he's spent more than two decades in higher education. We go deep on what it really takes to challenge the status quo, lead through resistance, and build something new when the structures around you are designed to stay the same.
We also get into the MBA program launching at SFBU this September, a fully AI-integrated, flexibly paced degree designed around the way humans want to learn, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional program.
Whether you're building a company, leading a team, or just trying to grow in a world that keeps changing, the lessons in this conversation go beyond the university.
Key Takeaways:
What it really takes to lead change when the system is designed to resist it
Why wrapping full support around learners changes everything (99.7% retention proves it)
The curriculum innovation that Google, Apple, and Tesla are taking notice of
Why bolting AI onto old systems is the wrong move and what to do instead
How a $10K MBA is redefining what accessible, human-centered learning looks like
You’ve Had a Long Week. But Is the Wine Actually Helping?
Season 4 · Episode 17
Friday, August 28, 2026 • Duration 16:11
What if the glass of wine you pour every night isn't a reward, it's a signal?
I sat down with Keelie Louise, a Sober Curious Mentor and Psychology-Based Coach who rebuilt her life after decades of using alcohol to quiet a mind that never felt like enough. This conversation isn't about sobriety in the all-or-nothing sense — it's about getting curious about why you reach for that drink in the first place.
Keelie breaks down the real science behind what alcohol does to your dopamine baseline, your cortisol levels, and your ability to show up as the high performer you know you can be. We talk about how to navigate the social pressure of 'just have one,' how to figure out who actually fills your cup, and why falling down on this journey might be the very thing that gets you to the life you've always known was possible.
Key Takeaways:
If you say you need a drink, that’s worth paying attention to.
Alcohol gives you a dopamine spike, but it’s also dragging your baseline happiness down.
You don’t owe anyone an explanation for not drinking.
Getting sober curious isn’t just about removing alcohol, it’s about figuring out who actually fills your cup.
Falling down is part of the process, the difference is whether you ask yourself why.
Timestamps:
Is This Your Life or Someone Else’s? | Building a Flourishing Life Retreat
Season 4 · Episode 17
Friday, August 14, 2026 • Duration 21:57
You've gone to the conference, read the book, felt inspired for exactly four days, and then life swallowed you whole again.
My friend of over 20 years, Katie Conley, luxury travel advisor and founder of the Adventurous Women's Travel Club, joins me to talk about why we built something different — a women's retreat rooted in genuine intentional living and life design, not just another agenda-packed with content. Together we unpack the wheel-of-life framework, the mid-career identity shift nobody warns you about, and what it really means to re-evaluate your life without blowing it up entirely.
This conversation is for the woman who's capable and driven and still quietly wondering if she's chasing the right things. If personal growth and reflection have ever felt too theoretical to actually stick, this is the episode that makes it practical. We talk about what real connection looks like when women are given space to show up fully, why flourishing is less about having it all figured out and more about asking better questions, and how women's empowerment starts with making room for yourself first.
Key Takeaways:
“Is this my life or someone else’s?” - the first question worth asking.
You’re not short on time. You’re short on room.
Solo reflection only gets you so far. Community accelerates clarity.
The wheel of life: a simple tool for seeing where you’re actually at.
Gratitude and presence aren’t soft skills; they’re rooted in neuroscience.
How to Have Hard Conversations (With Someone You Love)
Season 4 · Episode 16
Friday, July 31, 2026 • Duration 37:55
You know that conversation you keep rehearsing in the shower and rescheduling in real life? The one with someone you love that's started to feel more like a standoff than a way back to each other?
That's exactly what I dig into in this episode with Sara Blanchard. She’s the co-host of the What Do You Mean By That? podcast, author of Dear White Women, and a life coach rooted in positive psychology who's spent years studying what it actually takes for people to thrive.
Sara shares why our closest relationships are a bigger predictor of long-term health than cholesterol. Yes, really. There's 80 years of Harvard research behind it. She gives us practical tools for staying in the room when the topic is hard and the stakes are personal. We talk about the two-minute rule that changed how she greets her family, why every action makes sense from the perspective of the person doing it, and how to get curious instead of furious when someone says the thing that makes your whole body tense up.
If there's a hard conversation you've been avoiding, this episode might be the nudge and the roadmap you've been waiting for.
Key Takeaways:
Relationships are the cornerstone of long-term health and happiness.
Asking 'What do you mean by that?' deepens understanding and connection.
Slowing down and building time affluence improves relationships.
Physical and emotional regulation are key to responding, not reacting.
Curiosity about others' perspectives fosters compassion and reduces conflict.
Your Labs Are Normal, But You Feel Awful - Now What?
Season 4 · Episode 15
Friday, July 17, 2026 • Duration 40:29
If a doctor has ever told you "everything looks normal" while you felt anything but, this one's for you.
I sat down with Elise Clark, a functional medicine nurse practitioner with over 15 years of experience in family practice, endocrinology, and hormone health, who has made it her mission to help women understand what's actually happening in their bodies. We talked about why hormone shifts start 10 to 15 years before menopause, what "normal but not optimal" really means, and how to know when it's time to dig deeper than a standard lab panel.
Elise also took me on a learning journey through one of the most persistent myths in women's health — the supposed link between hormones and cancer — and unpacked what the research actually says now. What struck me most is how much of this comes back to a theme we return to again and again on Building Thinkers: you don't have to accept feeling "off" as just part of this stage of life. There are things you can learn, questions you can ask, and choices you can design around — and it starts with trusting what your body is telling you.
Key Takeaways:
Why your 30s is when the hormone conversation should actually start.
What birth control might be quietly masking and the questions to ask before starting or stopping.
What a functional medicine appointment actually looks like.
Why “your labs are normal” might be the most incomplete sentence in women’s health.
Timestamps:
How to Upskill and Make Yourself Irreplaceable in the Age of AI
Season 4 · Episode 14
Friday, July 3, 2026 • Duration 40:30
If you've been avoiding AI because it feels too technical, too risky, or just not for someone like you, this episode is your permission slip to start.
My guest, Gigi Karmous-Edwards, is a water technology consultant and researcher who has spent the last three years focused on how generative AI is reshaping an entire global industry. What struck me most about Gigi is where her thinking has landed, not on the fear side, not on the hype side, but on something much more grounding: the idea that AI, done right, should make us more human, not less.
We get into the real difference between generative AI and traditional AI in a way that actually makes sense, how to start experimenting without needing a technical background, and where to pump the brakes on privacy and trust. But the conversation I didn't expect was the one about what we do with the time AI gives us back, and why most of us will just fill it with more work unless we're intentional about it.
If you're AI curious, AI avoidant, or somewhere in between, Gigi will leave you with a clearer picture of what's possible and why now is the time to start.
Key Takeaways:
Generative AI and traditional AI are not the same thing, and understanding the difference changes how you approach it.
The most powerful prompt isn't a perfect formula, it's a ramble.
AI works best when you bring the ideas and use it as a thought partner, not when you ask it to think for you.
When AI saves you time, what you choose to do with that time is the real question.
The Skill That Makes Uncertainty Feel Less Scary
Season 4 · Episode 13
Friday, June 19, 2026 • Duration 39:03
If you've ever felt paralyzed by uncertainty or like the world is shifting too fast to keep up, this episode is going to reframe how you think about that feeling entirely.
I sat down with Mathias Behn Bjørnhof, a futurist and founder of Anticipate, a strategic foresight consultancy based in Copenhagen, who has done this work with organizations like the United Nations, and he completely changed how I think about navigating the unknown. A futurist isn't someone who predicts the future, it's someone who helps you build the mental skills to move through many possible futures with more confidence and creativity.
We talk about how to fight the algorithm, how to find a balanced news diet, and why imagination is actually one of the most practical and underrated professional skills you can develop right now. We also go deep on something I don't think we talk about enough in the context of work — love, empathy, and what it actually means to become a whole person.
If you're a leader, a builder, or just someone trying to find your footing in a noisy world, I think this one will stick with you.
Key Takeaways:
The future is not predetermined, and you have more agency over it than you think.
Fighting the algorithm is a skill, and your news diet shapes how clearly you can think.
Imagination is not fluffy; it is one of the most practical professional tools you are not using enough.
Scenarios and strategic foresight are not just for big organizations; they are tools any individual can apply to their own work and life.
What Your Employees Are Carrying That You Can’t See
Season 4 · Episode 12
Friday, June 5, 2026 • Duration 33:58
***Content Warning***
Before we begin, this episode contains discussion of mental health and suicide. If you're struggling, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
Some losses split your life into a before and an after, and this conversation is about what it actually looks like to keep living anyway.
This week, I sit down with Cristie North, a longtime mortgage industry leader and founder of the Taylor Hagan Memorial Foundation, who lost her son, Taylor, to suicide in 2017. She speaks from nearly a decade of turning unimaginable pain into meaningful work at the intersection of grief, leadership, and healing. Together, we explore how prevention often begins with something much simpler and more human than people realize: creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be honest, vulnerable, and truly heard before their pain becomes isolation.
We also talk about leadership in a way I think many people need right now, in a season when we're rethinking what good leadership even looks like. Cristie shares how losing Taylor changed the way she leads, teaching her that empathy, vulnerability, and connection are not "soft skills,” they are essential to trust, innovation, and lasting impact. One of the most meaningful parts of our conversation is around the idea of "collateral beauty," the unexpected depth, perspective, and compassion that can emerge through suffering without minimizing the loss itself.
Key Takeaways:
Prevention starts long before a crisis; it starts with the kind of presence you build every day.
Results are the output, and the heart is what actually drives them.
Why AI Feels Fast But Doesn't Feel Easier
Season 4 · Episode 11
Friday, May 22, 2026 • Duration 43:36
If you've been using AI tools and quietly wondering whether they're actually saving you time, or whether you're just doing the same work in a different order, this conversation is for you.
I sat down with Max Kirchoff, a principal technologist and product-focused engineer who writes about the intersection of humans and machines on his Substack, Human of the Loop. What I love about Max is that he's not afraid to say most of us have been getting AI wrong, not because the tools aren't powerful, but because we keep bolting them onto the way we already work instead of pausing to rethink the work itself.
We get into the four layers of work and where AI actually pays off, why "building trust with AI" is the wrong frame, and what leaders are missing when they chase efficiency instead of growth. If you've been feeling the dissonance between how fast AI lets you start things and how the work itself doesn't always feel easier, you're going to find a lot here.
Key Takeaways:
AI doesn’t fail because the tools are weak; it fails when you bolt it onto workflows you haven’t rethought.
Most people apply AI at the task level; the real leverage is at the workflow layer and above.
You can’t build trust with an LLM the way you build it with a person.
The shift that’s making everyone anxious isn’t AI itself.
Leaders who chase AI for efficiency miss the bigger opportunity: growth.
Adoption follows the leader. If you want your team to learn AI, demonstrate that you’re learning it too.
What higher ed’s crisis means for anyone building something new
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:57 How a disillusioned provost ended up rebuilding from the inside
04:33 Why "reimagining" is just a buzzword for most institutions
08:35 The bold leadership move that's actually saving struggling schools
08:44 What entrepreneurs need to understand about leading change
10:00 The nuclear option that stops bold leaders in their tracks
13:27 Why faculty resistance is more complicated than you think
14:43 What it actually looks like to put students first
18:07 The retention stat that changes the conversation
19:14 The curriculum Google, Apple and Tesla are paying attention to
25:26 Why AI in education is being done wrong and what right looks like
31:37 How to build pro-social skills in an online program
33:36 What happens when learning meets the real world
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
00:00 Introduction
03:03 Why ‘I need a drink’ is a red flag
06:14 What even one glass of wine does to your body
08:06 How to handle social challenges without owing an explanation
10:40 Why falling off the wagon might be the thing that saves you
12:19 Who fills your cup when alcohol leaves the room?
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
Good learning design makes the difference between inspiration and implementation.
The mid-career shift: from doing everything to orchestrating everything.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:17 Using the Wheel of Life for self-assessment
05:27 The mid-career identity shift
07:41 Why build this women’s retreat vs. a travel trip?
08:39 What ‘re-evaluating your life’ actually means
10:22 What you’ll leave this retreat with
12:08 Who is this retreat for?
13:59 The benefits of getting away to reflect
15:49 How we plan to help women realize their own dreams and goals
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:25 What does it mean to live a “flourishing life”?
06:21 Time affluence vs. productivity
10:11 How to have hard conversations with people you love
16:07 Connecting before correcting
20:22 Curiosity over judgment & understanding behavior
28:31 Why hard conversations deepen relationships
32:21 Different doesn’t mean deficient
34:09 Preparing for hard conversations: know your triggers
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
00:00 Introduction
01:26 Hormonal health care at any age
04:01 When you know something’s wrong but your labs come back normal
06:41 The difference between functional medicine vs. traditional medicine
10:29 What does “flourishing” look like in health?
Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential impact in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors to resumes and meal plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex.
In the Building Thinkers podcast, we explore how to build a flourishing life across different life domains: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, relationships, finance, career, play, and growth. Flourishing is something you can design, domain by domain, through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play.
Every episode turns a conversation with an expert into something you can build with: a single, completable blueprint you can put to use right away, so the insight leaves with you instead of staying on the page.
This podcast is for those who are actively designing a more intentional life, the multi-potentialites and high achievers who want real success and a life that feels good to live.
Harness curiosity. Win your future.
Women are using AI 25 to 30 percent less than men, and that gap matters.
Flourishing in an AI world might actually mean doing less, not more.
Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential impact in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors to resumes and meal plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex.
In the Building Thinkers podcast, we explore how to build a flourishing life across different life domains: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, relationships, finance, career, play, and growth. Flourishing is something you can design, domain by domain, through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play.
Every episode turns a conversation with an expert into something you can build with: a single, completable blueprint you can put to use right away, so the insight leaves with you instead of staying on the page.
This podcast is for those who are actively designing a more intentional life, the multi-potentialites and high achievers who want real success and a life that feels good to live.
Harness curiosity. Win your future.
Love and empathy are not soft skills to leave at the door at work; they might actually be the most critical ones we have.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:03 What “futures thinking” actually is
04:17 How to deal with information overload
7:39 How to intentionally break out of your echo chamber
11:37 Why we are wired for doom & how to fight it
15:11 Strategic foresight in action
21:36 Imagination is your most underrated professional skill
28:22 The skill anyone can learn regardless of their background
30:03 Why love belongs at work more than you think
35:18 Where to find Mathias & his hopes for the future
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
When a leader admits they’re not at their best, it doesn’t erode trust; it builds it.
The goal isn’t to get over what you’re carrying, it’s to learn to carry it in a way that doesn’t break you.
Being truly seen by people who understand your loss is what transforms grief.
There’s a difference between being hopeful and being intentional about hope. One is passive, the other is a choice.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:37 Cristie’s story and the foundation
03:15 What prevention actually looks like
05:37 Leadership with heart
10:47 Supporting employees through grief
15:30 The role of vulnerability in leadership
18:30 What to do with the parts of life we never asked to carry
21:32 How to ask for help and find hope again
24:34 Collateral beauty in loss
28:07 Living your best life after loss
31:32 If you’re struggling, here are resources to help
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
The most underrated skill in the AI era is curiosity.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:46 Who is Max Kirchoff?
03:00 What “human in the loop” actually means
05:15 How to navigate AI tools effectively
10:37 Why you can’t trust AI the way you trust a person
15:48 The 4 layers of work
19:22 How to spot assumptions running your workflow
22:40 The evolution of programming languages and abstraction layers
28:31 The shift that’s making everyone anxious
29:36 What leaders keep getting wrong about AI adoption
31:39 Investing in human skills for AI integration
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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