Now You’re Talking with…D‪!‬ Shandana A. Durrani

This month's episode is all about travel and specifically, the future of travel post-COVID. My guest is travel PR guru, Jennifer Hawkins, who owns Hawkins Public Relations (https://www.hawkpr.com/) and Maverick Creative (https://www.maverickcreative.us/). She is a veteran in the travel business and is known for her work ethic, tenacity and kindness, especially when it comes to us pesky journalists. 

We discuss how COVID has impacted the industry, how to help hotels and restaurants rebound, how private travel is on the rise, why Americans are resorting to resorts this year and why travel insurance is a necessity post-COVID.



Photo courtesy of Shandana A. Durrani

Is there something I should know? There sure is. This time around, I speak to Crispin Kott, author of "Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to NYC" and the forthcoming "Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to San Francisco and the Bay Area," about Duran Duran, one of our favorite bands. We rank their albums from favorite to least favorite, and discuss how we became fans as teens, their diverse discography and videos, why we think the band deserves to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the always hotly debated topic: Andy or Warren. 

Photo courtesy of Shandana A. Durrani

I speak with Riz Virk, an MIT computer scientist, entrepreneur, investor and author (“The Simulation Hypothesis” and the upcoming “Simulation Multiverse”) about how we are living in a simulated video game. We discuss simulation theory, quantum physics, movies about virtual worlds, science fiction, and other things. 

Whether you believe we are in a real world or in a simulation, whether you are a fan of "Black Mirror" and The Matrix or not, I hope you find this conversation as fascinating as I did.

The Matrix snippet courtesy of Warner Bros./Village Roadshow Pictures

I speak with Sally Stewart, an advanced sommelier and wine shop owner from Denver, Colorado, (DenverWineMerchant.com) about her career in wine, sexism in the industry, which under-the-radar varietals to look for and why Champagne sparkles. We also discuss her ALS diagnosis and how you can help find a cure. Please head to ProjectALS.org to find out more.

In my very first podcast epi, I talk to Kayla Parent (KaylaParent.com), a romance writer based in Boston, Mass., about historical romance novels and specifically, the popular “Bridgerton” series by Julia Quinn. We discuss the good, bad and ugly of romance novels, the Bridgerton books, and the Netflix series, which launched on Christmas Day in 2020.