Episode 653 - Alan Mueller - Improv Comedy and the Art of Leadership - Reading The Room and Active Listening

A sought-after keynote speaker and leadership trainer, Dr. Mueller blends deep expertise with engaging storytelling to spark real change in organizations. As Senior Consultant at Adaptive Challenge Consulting, he draws on decades of experience spanning finance, sales, higher education, and hospitality management to deliver practical, high-impact leadership development.

Dr. Mueller is the author of Leading with Emotional Intelligence and the TEDx speaker behind “Doing the Math: How Do We Measure Privilege.” His work is grounded in intercultural intelligence, helping executives and teams lead boldly across difference. He is also a Myers-Briggs Certified Interpreter, who teaches teams how to unlock the power of this tool to understand how leaders and followers can work better together.

What sets Alan apart? A background in professional improv comedy. For nearly a decade, he performed with an award-winning troupe—and now teaches organizations how to use improv to strengthen executive presence, build trust, and supercharge collaboration.

Whether in the boardroom or on the stage, Dr. Mueller is known for his authenticity, inclusion, and sharp sense of humor. He equips leaders not just to manage complexity, but to rise and thrive within it.

Improv Comedy and the Art of Leadership explores the connections between improv comedy techniques and leadership. This book skillfully borrows key improv concepts and connects them with the critical skills and competencies needed by leaders.

https://www.adaptivechallengeconsulting.com/

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EPISODE 652 - Randee Dawn - Journalist, Author, Storyteller - Short Stories, Non-Fiction and Standalones

I’m a Brooklyn-based author and journalist focusing on speculative fiction across the categories (science-fiction, fantasy and horror) at night, while writing entertainment and lifestyle stories during the day for publications including Today.com, Gold Derby.com, Variety, The Los Angeles Times and Emmy Magazine.

You may have seen my name in other publications over the years, including Soap Opera Digest and The Boston Phoenix, E! Online, New Musical Express and Mojo. I contributed to a French book about American television, Les Series Tele and co-authored (with Susan Green) The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion.

I’ve got a fair amount of short fiction in anthologies, and authored the short story/poetry compilation Home for the Holidays. I’m currently represented by Bridget Smith at JABberwocky Literary Agency, and I frequently appear at conventions and workshops on panels and to give readings.

My first novel, Tune In Tomorrow, was published by Solaris/Rebellion in 2022 and re-issued with additional bonus content in 2024 via Solaris Nova. Arc Manor will publish my next two novels in 2025: The Only Song Worth Singing (April) and Leave No Trace (August), and Solaris Nova will publish my follow-up to Tune, We Interrupt This Program in spring 2026.

Currently, I reside with the love of my life with a lot of books and never enough mangoes. No, I don’t have a fox, but if you want to meet a fox like this or donate to their care, JAB Canid Education and Conservation Center can help.

https://randeedawn.com/

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podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

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EPISODE 651 - Mark J Wilson - Full of Beans - A dead professor. A missing student, And a time-traveling detective.

Mark is a scientist who works in gene therapy and very foolishly decided he had to write a novel about a time-traveling detective in his spare time.

I live in Washington, DC with my wife, Carrie, but I was born and brought up in Reading, England. My favourite place in the world is in the Cotswolds, just down the road from Oxford (where most of Full of Beans is set).

I went to college in Canterbury where I studied biochemistry and got a PhD. I have worked in biopharmaceuticals for the last 35 years or so.

I’m currently working in gene therapy, helping to develop a much-needed cure for Rett Syndrome.

I worked in Nottingham and Cambridge before moving back to Reading (so it can’t be all bad, right?). Then I came to America in 2009. It does seem like a drastic move just to get out of Reading again. I lived in North Carolina for 7 years before moving to the DC area.

Growing up in Reading gave me a fascination with trains and planes, being as how there wasn’t much else there to interest a kid. I loved hanging around at the west end of Platform 5, and when Concorde would fly over. And there was a Model Shop. I loved the Model Shop. And Eames’ model train shop.

My dad gave me lifelong passions for astronomy, physics, chess, cooking, and model-making. And I love model trains. Over the years, in my spare time, I’ve also been a watercolor artist and a music producer. I love electronic dance music.

Full of Beans is my first published novel and it is dedicated to Carrie and her coffee machine, which would constantly instruct us to “Fill Beans,” whether the hopper was full or empty. Without either of them this book might never have been written. It took over two years to write, on the weekends and holidays, and I learned a lot about writing.

I heard they are bringing back Clippy... ‘I see you’re writing a novel. Do you need help with that?’ I did need help, but instead I have relied on some actually talented hooman-beans for that.

The book was an editor’s nightmare to work on. We chose British English spellings (like ‘colour’) and phrases (such as ‘bugger off’) to go with most of the settings and characters. However, we also chose to go with the Chicago Manual of Style for other stuff like punctuation, rather than the Oxford Guide to Style. Sorry Oxford. Please check the CMOS before levelling criticism at the editing; it was a heroic effort. Thanks Kevin and Avery.

Feel free, however, to debate the choice to liberally use the Oxford comma. And to jolly-well split some infinitives. And start sentences with conjunctions.

If strict British grammar is your passion, rather than a fun read, then hard cheese. It isn’t meant to be bloody Shakespeare. I’m sure there’ll be a new Booker Prize nominee along any minute now.

The artwork was accomplished with help from artlist.io, using its Comic Noir algorithm and many, many attempts, amalgamations, and many hours of editing images to get what I wanted. The book cover was a team effort with Joe and Michelle.

https://markjwilson.com/

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