Understanding the Science of You – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to a special episode of "Understanding the Science of You," where the tables are turned, and our host becomes the guest. This week, Graham Skidmore delves deep into his journey with the help of his good friend, Todd "Mad Dog" Matskin-Bridger. In a candid conversation, Graham reflects on his transformation from a corporate executive to a more self-aware, compassionate individual.

Join us as Todd navigates through Graham's past, uncovering stories of resilience, personal growth, and the challenges of maintaining authenticity in a high-stakes corporate world. From humorous anecdotes to heartfelt moments, this episode is a rollercoaster of emotions, shedding light on the complexities of leadership, friendship, and self-discovery.

Don't miss this unique and unfiltered discussion that promises to inspire and entertain, offering valuable insights into the journey of becoming one's true self.

ABOUT TODD MATZKIN-BRIDGER

Todd Matzkin-Bridger is a Credit Improvement Product Owner with GreenPath Financial Wellness. His professional journey began at Quicken Loans in 2000 as a mortgage banker, where he met Graham Skidmore. He worked at QL/Rocket Mortgage until 2024.

This episode of Understanding the Science of You explores the importance of understanding differences, fostering empathy, and embracing individuality to promote unity and support. Graham speaks with Tom Parsons, who shares his family's experiences raising Dane, a child with autism, and how it has transformed their perspectives.

Key themes include: 

• The challenges of communication and mutual understanding, especially between parents and children with different needs/abilities.
• The value of suspending judgment and trying to see the world through another's eyes to build compassion.
• How embracing unique talents and non-conformity can lead to personal and professional success.
• The role of empathy in strengthening relationships, improving business outcomes, and creating a more inclusive society.

The discussion emphasizes the need to move beyond blind certainty and instead celebrate the richness that comes from diverse experiences and perspectives. The podcast aims to inspire listeners to cultivate greater understanding and support for those who may think or live differently.

About Tom Parsons

When Tom and his wife Alica started a family, they had an ideal in mind. Having their 4th child Dane diagnosed with Autism began a redesign of what ideal looks like. As it turns out, something else was way better. All 4 of their kids became successful artists in diverse ways, from animation to dessert design and websites to cartoon characters. Tom supports their launches by doing marketing consulting but during his off hours, he’s an employee of his kids’ companies.

Tom’s Professional Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adprofessortom/

Dane’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LuckyKidDaneStudiosDaneParsons

Juli’s Dessert Website: https://madampastry.com/

Jill’s Ad Agency Website: https://mediahighground.com/ 

In this episode of Understanding the Science of You, Graham Skidmore and Jonathan Angelilli engage in a conversation about masculinity, vulnerability, and self-discovery. Jonathan, a native New Yorker, 2X American Ninja Warrior, and Founder of Breathe Move Nourish, is pioneer of holistic fitness with nineteen years of coaching experience.

He shares his journey growing up in Queens and searching for his purpose in life, calling himself, "sensitive, but not submissive. In this episode, he also discusses:

• Masculinity, recovery, and personal growth.
• Upbringing, education, and cultural influences in a diverse Queens neighborhood.
• Eastern culture, spirituality, and personal growth.
• Societal expectations on boys.
• Rites of passage.
• Personal beliefs and emotional intelligence.
• Personal growth through meditation and nature.

ABOUT JONATHAN ANGELILLI

Jonathan is a native New Yorker, 2x American Ninja Warrior, and pioneer of holistic fitness with nineteen years of coaching experience. His core passion is teaching others how to achieve new levels of health and strength through primal movement and energy medicine. He started exercising to "look better naked", but fitness ended up radically transforming his life; he was able to overcome a destructive teenage drug addiction using only holistic movement, meditation, and nature connection.

For those interested in learning more about Jonathan's work or seeking guidance, visit his website at purestrength.nyc or follow him on Facebook @jonathan.angelilli, or Instagram at @bmn.coach.

Are labels helpful or hurtful? From neurodivergent to alcoholic to witch, labels can be adopted by someone or placed on a person without their consent. Are labels helpful or harmful depending on how they are used?

In this episode of Understanding the Science of You, Graham Skidmore and Sunshine, a Psychic Medium, Soul Healer, Spiritual Advisor, High Priestess, Reiki Master, recovering alcoholic, and Founder of Sunshine Readings, discussed their experiences with labels and identities, grappling with the tension between wanting to belong and not wanting to be defined by labels.

Sunshine shares her personal journey of accepting labels such as witch and alcoholic, discussing the challenges of embracing one's true identity in a society that emphasizes conformity, and the importance of listening to our bodies to gain insight into our emotional states.

Finally, they touched on the importance of self-reflection, embracing challenges, and understanding that people around us may change as we grow and find our path.

• Labels and their impact on self-expression and belonging.
• Embracing non-traditional labels and dealing with judgment from others.
• Navigating identity labels and embracing self-discovery.
• Embracing individuality and nonconformity in a society that values conformity.
• Body sensations as indicators of emotional state.
• Spirituality, identity, and validation.
• Meditation and receiving spiritual information.
• Personal growth and transformation through recognizing and challenging limiting beliefs and patterns.
• Personal growth, self-awareness, and recovery from addictive behaviors.

To learn more about Sunshine, visit sunshinereadings.com, or find her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. 

How did Graham get to this place of beginning the Understanding the Science of You Podcast?

In this introductory episode, Graham reflects on his journey, which began with a 21-year corporate career, and culminated in recognizing he had "checked all his success boxes" only to find he was inherently unhappy.

Leaving corporate, he began a walkabout journey that gave him a deep trust and belief in the universe, with a drive to help individuals find themselves and their purpose.

He speaks about his understanding of accommodations: the tools, technologies, philosophies and perspectives that take us from our current state to our most productive state. He acknowledges how these accommodations, often taken for granted, become glaringly essential when absent.

He dives into his personal journey leaving that executive role, which he likens to a bitter divorce. He opens up on the struggle, frustration, and cry for help he experienced during this period, now appreciating this period as an essential step in his journey towards self-discovery, fulfillment, and authenticity. He further encourages listeners to be more open and vulnerable to receive the offered help.

On his exploration of healing modalities, he notes the common essence that resonates with everyone, asserting that there's something to learn from everyone and everything. Closing, Graham discusses his Podcast motivations: sharing insights on self-discovery and personal intricacies, hoping to spark thought-provoking comments and reflections from the listeners.

His ultimate goal is to demonstrate different ways of living and inspire others to embrace vulnerability, understand their needs, and ultimately, cultivate a more genuinely happy and productive life.

Welcome to 'Understanding the Science of You' a podcast in which Graham Skidmore will help you discover untapped aspects of yourself and alternative paths to personal freedom and empowerment outside of conventional systems. Throughout this series, Graham will be having candid conversations about the unspoken thoughts and ideas we often keep to ourselves or share only with a close circle of friends.

The goal of this podcast is to delve into our unique personal journeys, shedding light on how each of us finds peace and contentment in our own way. We'll explore how we grow from our initial set of beliefs, shaped by our upbringing and surroundings, and how we find ourselves comfortably settled in a completely different mindset later in life.

In 'Understanding the Science of You,' we won't necessarily be focusing on creating new information but understanding and making sense of what's already out there. The bigger challenge is figuring out how to interpret the immense amount of information available to us. Is it right for us? How does it impact our lives? There are countless ways of interpreting a piece of information and making it meaningful to us in our unique ways.

Graham is eager to interview a diverse group of guests who exhibit intriguing and contrasting narratives, guests who have found peace in living life their way. Some of them might be fully immersed in society, while others may recluse. Our journey here is not to judge or favor one way of life, but to understand the varied paths that lead to the same destination.

By sharing these individual journeys, we hope to uncover what resonates with us and others. Remember, 'hurt people hurt people', but 'heal people heal people'. 

In this solo episode, Graham Skidmore shares his insights and learnings from observing nature and animals. He discusses the concept of intelligent design, highlighting how every element of the natural world serves a purposeful role.

Through examples like chipmunks and squirrels, Graham explores the universal intelligence and problem-solving abilities demonstrated by non-human beings.

He emphasizes the importance of expanding our own consciousness and learning from the curiosity, play, and adaptability exhibited in nature. Graham also recounts an experience with a duck's injured foot, using it to illustrate how animals can teach us about the importance of proper environments and diets.

Overall, this episode encourages listeners to connect more deeply with the natural world and find wisdom in the lessons it provides.

If you could talk to a squirrel, what would it say? In this episode of Understanding the Science of You, Graham Skidmore and Ruby Hernandez experiment with channelling squirrels to dig into the way different species interact.

"So I have so my belief is absolutely that we are part of an intelligent design system," explains Graham. "And when I say intelligent design, you know, strip away any sort of dogma or religion or philosophy or new age or anything else. What all I mean when I say intelligent design was that there was purposeful intent behind the laws that govern our existence. Everything was designed for a purpose and an outcome and to work together."

In this fun and whimsical conversation, Graham and Ruby look through the lens of these creatures to experience empathy and another perspective within the circle of life. If you like this conversation, make sure you visit scienceofyoupodcast.com to learn more about Graham and EnGen Solutions.

Podcast Website: scienceofyoupodcast.com

EnGenSolutions Online: engensolutions.com

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scienceofyoupodcast

Follow Ruby on YouTube: @RubysWisdomWell 

00:00 Introduction

02:21 Intelligent design

06:15 Engaging with squirrels in his yard

08:13 Universal intelligence

13:36 Why do squirrels run away?

16:43 Are squirrels easy to tame by humans?

19:03 Why do squirrels try to cross the road?

23:24 Squirrels questions for humans

26:15 Relationship between species

33:22 Closing

In this episode of Understanding the Science of You, Graham speaks with Jessica Ruby Hernandez for a conversation spanning two interview sessions. Ruby, a therapist, resilience coach, and yoga instructor, shares her deep connection with nature, a bond that has been essential to her well-being throughout her life.

Ruby also discusses her unique ability to communicate with animals, a skill she developed at a young age. As an only child who moved frequently, Ruby often found herself being "the new kid," but she embraced her individuality, staying true to herself despite the challenges.

Throughout her childhood, she found many different outlets for self expression including reading, spending time in nature, connecting with animals, dancing, playing sports, and participating in band.

Jessica Ruby Hernandez is a therapist, resilience coach, and yoga instructor. Her background is in clinical psychology, nutrition, yoga and meditation, and life coaching, believing all of those modalities are interrelated, and all fundamental for guiding a person back to their sense of wholeness and wellbeing. 

Learn more about Ruby's September sailing retreat by visiting her website.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 06:05 Ruby's story
• 11:19 How Ruby came to know her unique self
• 13:11 Ruby's connection to animals
• 16:06 Communicating with animals
• 25:25 Sharing with other kids 00:27:19 Being comfortable in her own skin
• 31:12 Being in the band
• 36:17 Fears growing up
• 43:41 Start of 2nd Interview
• 46:04 Finding a sense of belonging
• 1:00:04 Yoga and sailing retreat in Croatia

In this solo episode of Understanding the Science of You, Graham Skidmore discusses how realities imposed from others can create complexity around someone understanding the science of oneself.

He outlines the difference between a shared reality and an individual reality and poses the question: how do we have different realities co-existing to enrich existence?

Graham then touches on 11 different imposed realities he beliefs are false:

1. The idea that one just "needs to work harder" to be successful
2. Women's roles are defined and/or less capable than men
3. Favoring hierarchy over independent providers
4. Determining reality strictly by claims of science
5. That segments of the population are seen as less valuable and, therefore, do not receive appropriate accommodations
6. A one-size-fits-all approach to medical and psychiatric definitions of being healthy
7. That material goods and social standing define success
8. Success can be achieved solely by an individual without help or luck
9. That all people should be wired the same (e.g. learn the same)
10. Intelligence and competency is defined by standardized testing
11. Verbal communication is the measuring stick to define conscious or sentient life

What do you think of Graham's 11 imposed realities? Do you agree or disagree with them?