Arash's World Podcast Arash Farzaneh

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with law professor Mehrsa Baradaran, the author of “The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America” on how neoliberalism was gradually and surreptitiously incorporated and implemented into law for economic and political purposes.
Mehrsa details that during the 1960s, there was a significant and pivotal global shift in terms of freedom and human and civil rights, international law, and the sovereignty of nations, and that is when neoliberalism gained its foothold not only in American policy but across the world.
This ideology made itself known at that time as an antidote and protection against communism and was touted as a free-market policy that would decrease laws and government intervention, but it ended up creating more laws and regulations to benefit its own agenda.
As Mehrsa explains this profit-driven ideology operates on double standards, is algorithmic in nature and has infiltrated laws and policies in the form of a quiet coup, which has been propagated by both sides of the political spectrum.
Furthermore, we discuss how this has the potential to lead to totalitarian and fascist regimes and that we need to be aware that evil exists in its “banality” as Hannah Arendt noted, namely as common forms of blindness and ignorance among the people and citizens.
People are frustrated with the rampant corruption and hypocrisy, and are hence distrusting of governments, institutions, and corporations as the game is rigged and tilted in the favor of the wealthiest.
In a sense, we are at a crucial and pivotal point in history as events around the tumultuous 60s are reoccurring and are being mirrored but this time around we have the chance and potential of solving the issues together and attaining true and lasting democracy for everyone by investing in human genius and giving it free reign.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with spiritual healer and coach Sheila Winter Wallace about the importance of body awareness and the focus on the breath to deal with and overcome physical and emotional pain and blockages in our mind and body.
Over the years, Sheila has worked predominantly with women, most of whom are successful but do not think they are as they tend to feel burdened and weighed down by an unhealthy and unrealistic drive for perfection as well as the impostor syndrome.
Sheila points out that we often need to define states and concepts for ourselves to be able to discover our uniqueness and where we excel most. A shift in mind and perspective can help us see things more clearly, while curiosity can be our anchor and driving force throughout our life's journey.
Finally, she gives examples of Hawaii and some of their chants, which focus on each of us having powerful spiritual forces that make us whole, unique, and essential to our world. By drawing parallels to quantum field theory, we may better understand that nothing is good or bad, right or wrong in and of itself, and that our aim and goal should be to connect with our spiritual force within and to create the life we want and wish for.
 

In this episode, I have the great opportunity of speaking with author, entrepreneur, and strategic consultant Gary Laney about his book “Become a Super Leader: The 4 Essential Anchors for Mastering Influential Leadership” as well as his own personal and professional experience regarding leadership.
Successful leadership goes beyond making one’s business function well or making it good and reputable in the eyes of the world, but an important, necessary, and crucial aspect is relationships with one’s staff and employees, clients, and community. Moreover, it is interesting to note that you are not just born a leader, but it is a skill that can be taught, learned, practiced, and improved upon.
Gary shares how Benjamin Franklin’s quest and work on 13 virtues influenced and inspired him to consider and look at 40 competencies that make a good and effective leader based on surveys of various successful business leaders around the world. These different skillsets can make you tap into and become your best version in the business field and perhaps even turn you into a polymath like Franklin himself.
Moreover, a super leader wears many hats and has access to a wealth of knowledge and experience that they can put on and take on at any given moment. Although we may not be multitaskers, we can do, focus, and improve upon various things one at a time. Yet, an important question to ask yourself is what your superpower and your legacy are, and we may start asking ourselves this question at a young age so that we can activate, realize and even go beyond our inherent potential.
 

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with presidential historian Talmage Boston and the author of “How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents.” We talk about timeless leadership qualities embodied in each of the Top 8 American Presidents and how this knowledge and insight can be of great benefit to anyone interested in becoming a leader in any field or business.
Talmage explains how each of the presidents offers something unique that can inspire us and help us on our own leadership path. For instance, Washington was good at learning from his mistakes, was good at making decisions and had an impeccable reputation, whereas Jefferson demonstrates the importance of having positive relationships, keeping the communication lines open, and getting people in a mode of collaboration and cooperation.
What others have shown as well is the importance of a clear vision, of unwavering faith and dedication to one’s goals and aims, and of overcoming various obstacles and challenges. In addition, Lincoln shows us great focus and not being distracted from one’s path, while Franklin Roosevelt’s strength and resilience are commendable and inspiring.
Finally, a sense of pragmatism imbued with optimism often leads to success. This is embodied in both the attitude as well as deeds of Reagan, who managed to restore confidence and motivate the nation after a period of stagnation and demotivation. Not only do we learn more about the selected presidents, their personalities, and political careers but also, how this information can make us all more successful leaders in our own respective endeavors.

In this episode, filmmaker Jennifer Takaki talks about her documentary “Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story” on the photographer and journalist Corky Lee who over 50 years and with almost a million pictures to his credit managed to combine art, images, and photographs with politics as well as awareness, inclusion, and social change.
In fact, Corky retook the 1869 photo of the railroad celebration and made it more diverse, inclusive, and true to fact by - this time around - not excluding Asian faces from the image even though many Chinese workers had been involved in the work and labor of the railroad construction.
Moreover, Jennifer explains how Corky was very passionate, persistent, dedicated and very good at his art of photography while always being at the right place at the right time. A picture speaks a thousand words, and, in this case, it also caught what had often eluded mainstream media at the time and has framed and reframed our knowledge and understanding of historical events.
Finally, his influence needs to be put into perspective as in the lens and framework of his times, it was rather uncommon for people and society to be diverse and inclusive in their practices. At the same time, by being open to and even expanding his community to include many others, he has always brought attention to a lot of cultural festivities and celebrations in New York.  

In this episode, I have the wonderful pleasure of speaking with Rabbi Jeffrey Katz, the author of “Rules to Live By: Maimonides’ Guide to a Wonderful Life,” which provides us a summary of fascinating maxims and proverbs by this intellectual and spiritual mind of the Middle Ages.
Maimonides was a multi-talented person, and he was a doctor as well as a prolific writer who was persecuted for his beliefs but whose ideas influenced many philosophers, thinkers, and scholars, including Thomas Aquinas. In fact, the writings of Maimonides were discussed and even revered by three main Western religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Yet on this podcast, the Rabbi focuses on practical tips and guidance for everyday life and taps into the wisdom of Maimonides’ maxims and proverbs. We learn about finance and how to best deal with money as well as how a charitable and philanthropic mindset and lifestyle can attract affluence in different ways.
Moreover, it comes down to character and attitude, which can bring not only happiness to our personal and professional life, but they can also build and create trust and respect within our own community. Moreover, family is of great importance and so best practices and values are encouraged to ensure that there is mutual respect and love within the given family unit.
Finally, we also delve into the more mystical aspects of Maimonides and the importance of tapping into the good and the light and refraining from falling prey to evil and negativity. Through a spiritual lens and outlook, we can not only find love but also connect with God and experience divine overflow, which would help us see and notice signposts and divine providence throughout our lives. This would lead us to a feeling of awe and connectedness and transform our lives in profound ways and manners.