Top of Mind with Julie Rose

4.6 (170)
Self-Improvement
Updated Weekly

Tackling tough topics in a way that will help you feel more empathy and empower you to become a better citizen, kinder neighbor, and more effective advocate. For people who are turned off by the divisive nature of the news, but still want to engage with important issues. Hosted by journalist Julie Rose, Top of Mind is a production of BYUradio.

12h ago

The Untold Story of How America Remembers 9/11 – PART 2

What does it take to create a new American tradition? For years, Jay Winuk and David Paine have been fighting to transform September 11th into a National Day of Service. Now, just when their effort seems stuck, help arrives from an unexpected place. But getting Washington on board is only the beginning. How do you turn an idea into something millions of Americans will actually do year after year? And as more Americans grow up with no firsthand memory of 9/11, can service preserve something important about the way the country responded in its aftermath? In Part 2, host Julie Rose follows the surprising final chapters of an effort to change what 9/11 means on the American calendar and explores what it takes to keep the memory of that day alive for generations who weren't there to experience it. GUESTS Jay Winuk, co-founder of 9/11 Day David Paine, co-founder of 9/11 Day Cindy McGinty, 9/11 widow who played a pivotal role in the effort Fred Dombo, attorney and lobbyist Andrea Sorkin, 9/11 Day event leader Learn more and find opportunities to serve at https://www.911day.org/ Other resources for volunteer and service opportunities: https://www.americorps.gov/serve/volunteer/911-day https://createthegood.aarp.org/ https://www.justserve.org/ CHAPTERS (0:00) Part Two Setup (2:30) 2008 Political Opening (3:25) Serve America Act Push (6:02) Cindy McGinty Story (15:52) Bill Signed into Law (16:33) Ad Break (17:09) Making Service Catch On (19:07) Signature Meal Packing Events (21:26) Scaling for 25th Anniversary (23:45) Teaching the Next Generation (25:33) How to Get Involved (26:19) Closing Credits
Aug 31

The Untold Story of How America Remembers 9/11 – PART 1

Every September 11th, millions of Americans honor the victims of 9/11 by volunteering and doing good in their communities. But how did the anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil become a National Day of Service? In Part 1 of “The Untold Story of How America Remembers 9/11,” host Julie Rose traces the idea back to the aftermath of the attacks, when Americans responded to tragedy with an extraordinary outpouring of service and unity. After losing his brother Glenn—a volunteer firefighter and EMT who rushed to the World Trade Center to help—Jay Winuk joined his longtime colleague David Paine with an ambitious idea: What if Americans could recapture that spirit of unity every September 11th through service? They had no staff, no budget and no roadmap for navigating Washington. And turning their idea into a national tradition would prove much harder than they imagined. GUESTS Jay Winuk, co-founder of 9/11 Day David Paine, co-founder of 9/11 Day Terry Sears, nonprofit leader and former executive director of Tuesday’s Children Fred Dombo, attorney and lobbyist who helped lead the effort in Washington Learn more and find opportunities to serve at https://www.911day.org/ Other resources for volunteer and service opportunities: https://www.americorps.gov/serve/volunteer/911-day https://createthegood.aarp.org/ https://www.justserve.org/ CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (2:04) Glenn Winuk Story (4:04) Grief and Unity (9:18) David Paine Idea (12:39) Nonprofit Aftermath (16:06) No Holiday Just Action (17:13) Enter Fred Dombo (19:52) Roadblocks on Capitol Hill (22:46) Breakthrough Resolution (24:44) Not Done Yet (25:35) Part Two Tease
Aug 17

Has AI Changed What It Means to Be Creative?

Artificial intelligence can write poems, compose music, create works of art, and even help produce podcasts. But if AI can create almost anything, what makes human creativity special? In this episode, we explore one of today's biggest questions with philosopher Lindsay Brainard, illustrator Jon Cockley, musician Kate Brunotts, and pioneering AI artist Claire Silver. Together, they wrestle with whether AI is replacing creativity, expanding it, or simply changing what it means to create. GUESTS Kate Brunotts, freelance music producer (https://www.breakingsound.com/kate-brunotts) John Cockley, co-founder of the illustration agency, Handsome Frank (https://www.handsomefrank.com/) Lindsay Brainard, professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (https://www.lindsaybrainard.com/home) Claire Silver, AI collaborative artist (https://www.clairesilver.com/selected-work) CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (1:17) Kids Love DALL-E (2:51) AI Everywhere Now (4:14) Musicians and AI (7:16) Ownership and Credit (9:40) Illustrators Push Back (17:28) Cheese Sonnet Test (25:19) Protecting Creativity and Connection (28:05) Offloading Drudgery to AI (29:38) AI as Creative Enabler (30:19) Claire Silver AI Collaborator (34:08) Promptcraft and Taste (39:14) Authorship Influence and Rights (43:19) Ghost in the Machine Finale
Aug 3

Can Family Estrangement Heal? The Truth About Reconciliation

Family estrangement is more common than most people realize and far more complicated than people often assume. In this episode, we explore why parents and adult children become estranged, what makes reconciliation so difficult, and why some families can reconnect after years—or even decades—apart. You'll hear the remarkable story of author Charlotte Gill, who reunited with her father after 20 years apart, alongside insights from psychologist Dr. Joshua Coleman, author of “Rules of Estrangement,” and researcher Sheri McGregor, who has spent years studying the experience of estranged parents. GUESTS Charlotte Gill, author of “Almost Brown: A Memoir” (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705633/almost-brown-by-charlotte-gill/). Sheri McGregor, author of “Done with the Crying: Help and Healing for Mothers of Estranged Adult Children” (https://a.co/d/93JwJ4C). Joshua Coleman, clinical psychologist and author of “The Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict” (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622584/rules-of-estrangement-by-joshua-coleman-phd/). CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (1:07) Charlotte’s Break (2:58) Why Families Split (9:37) Reunion in Bogota (16:28) No Apology Needed (17:58) Life with Dad Today (21:26) Parents Left Behind (29:10) Choosing Joy Again (31:58) Reconciliation Is Possible (33:29) Culture Fuels Estrangement (38:24) Coleman’s Family Story (42:24) Letter of Amends (45:19) Boundaries and Common Mistakes (49:18) What Reconciliation Looks Like (53:32) Conclusion
Jul 20

Can You Joke About Anything? Where Funny Becomes Offensive

Can you joke about anything, or are some topics simply off limits? In this episode, we explore what makes something funny, why people disagree so deeply about what's offensive, and whether comedy has ethical limits. Through conversations with a stand-up comedian and two philosophers, we examine race, satire, intent, workplace humor, and the surprising ways laughter can strengthen or strain our relationships. GUESTS Isak Allen, stand-up comedian (https://www.drybarcomedy.com/isaka). Luvell Anderson, Professor of Philosophy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; scholar of the ethics of racial humor (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/josp.12384). Mike Cundall, Professor of Philosophy, North Carolina A&T State University; founder of Mirth Management Consulting and author of “The Humor Hack” (https://www.mirthmanagement.co/). CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (1:09) Meet Comic Isak Allen (2:01) Race Jokes and Family History (5:59) Why Humor Matters (7:02) Comedy as Catharsis (8:39) Avoiding Hacky Stereotypes (9:18) Anything Off Limits (11:09) “Blaccent” and Obama Bit (16:37) Philosophers on Laughter (20:41) Race Satire and Colbert (25:03) Racially Insensitive Humor (31:31) Offense and Power (36:34) Workplace Humor Debate (49:09) Humor as Kindness
Jul 6

The One Thing That Makes Difficult Conversations Easier

Why do some difficult conversations leave us feeling understood while others leave us frustrated and further apart? In this episode, we explore a surprisingly powerful tool that can make even the hardest conversations easier: storytelling. You'll hear about groundbreaking research from BYU showing how personal stories can increase empathy between autistic and neurotypical individuals. You'll learn why vulnerability helps people connect across differences, how stories create understanding where facts and arguments often fail, and why some of the world's leading dialogue facilitators begin difficult conversations by asking people to share a personal story. GUESTS Garrett Cardon, cognitive neuroscientist, audiologist, and Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Brigham Young University (https://education.byu.edu/directory/view/garrett-cardon). Kennedy Kleinman, storytelling researcher, workshop facilitator, and master’s student in English at Brigham Young University (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studentpub_uht/480/). John Sarrouf, Co-Executive Director of Essential Partners (https://whatisessential.org/). Story Slam participants – Zanza, Julie, Benjamin, Emma, and Natalie Top of Mind episode featuring the Abortion Talks - https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-how-to-talk-about-abortion CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (1:44) The Double Empathy Problem (4:30) Storytelling Experiment Setup (9:52) Five Stories on Stage (15:52) Results Brain Sync and Takeaways (25:55) Transformative Story Framework (29:18) Workshop Steps (32:18) Storytelling Beyond Campus (35:09) Stories in Deep Divides (46:54) Asking for Stories (53:11) Conclusion
Jun 22

Are Juries America’s Best Defense Against Injustice?

Every year, millions of Americans receive a jury summons, but how many of us truly understand the responsibility that comes with deciding another person's fate? In this episode, we explore one of the foundations of American democracy: trial by jury. We’ll hear from a juror who struggled with the weight of a guilty verdict, a man who was wrongfully convicted and sent to death row, and a former felon who argues that America's jury system excludes crucial voices. GUESTS Kristin Campbell, Senior Fellow, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) (https://www.pacefunders.org/). Herman Lindsey, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence and a former death row prisoner (https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/). James Binnall, attorney, professor at California State University Long Beach, and author of “Twenty Million Angry Men: The Case for Including Convicted Felons in Our Jury System” (https://www.ucpress.edu/books/twenty-million-angry-men/paper). Valerie Hans, Professor of Law at Cornell University and one of the nation's leading jury researchers (https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/valerie-hans/). CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (1:05) Kristin Campbell Jury Shock (3:55) Who Counts as a Peer (5:42) Deliberating the Gun Charge (7:32) Verdict Weight and Aftermath (10:35) Defendant Perspective Herman Lindsey (16:57) How Juries Get Skewed (20:27) Felons Banned from Juries (25:32) Binnall Research on Inclusion (34:43) Host Jury Story and Fixes (49:47) Rebuilding Trust in Juries
Jun 8

Why Is Everyone Asking for a Tip Now?

Why does it feel like everyone is asking for a tip now? From coffee shops and takeout counters to self-checkout screens, tipping culture in America has changed fast, and many of us feel confused, pressured, or even guilty about it. In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore the hidden psychology of tipping, the history behind it, and what our tipping habits reveal about power, status, fairness, and human connection. Hear from customers who feel overwhelmed by “tip creep,” workers who rely on gratuities to survive, restaurant owners struggling to pay staff fairly, and one of the nation’s leading experts on tipping behavior. GUESTS Matt Johnson, Top of Mind listener from Texas Jaime Wilson, behind-the-counter worker, food blogger and self-employed baker (https://www.jaime-wilson.com/about). Mike Fadem, owner and founder of Ops and Leo, pizzerias in Brooklyn, New York and drummer for The Jealous Girlfriends (https://www.opsbk.com/). Michael Lynn, professor of consumer behavior and services marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration (http://www.tippingresearch.com/). CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (1:04) Why Tipping Feels Weird (6:24) Workers’ Side of the Counter (10:44) Tipping’s Dark History (17:04) Going Tip Free (19:44) Why Tip Free Failed (22:22) Pandemic Tip Shifts (25:51) Pooling Tips (28:03) Tip Creep Meets Tipflation (34:26) Digital Screens Pressure Us (39:36) Discrimination/Inequity (43:35) Why Ending Tipping Fails (46:44) A Better System (48:00) What Tipping Says About Us (52:17) Conclusion

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Trailer

TRAILER: Top of Mind Podcast with Julie Rose

A podcast for people who are turned-off by the depressing, divisive nature of the news, but still want to engage with important issues in our communities. Hosted by radio journalist Julie Rose, Top of Mind tackles one tough topic each week in a way that will challenge you, help you feel more empathy and empower you to become a better citizen, a kinder neighbor and a more effective advocate. Top of Mind with Julie Rose is a production of BYUradio.

4.6

out of 5

170 Ratings

Grieving

11/10/2025

alishaembroidery

I’ve enjoyed this podcast immensely for a while now, but today’s episode hit especially close to home. I lost a dear friend two days ago, and the timing for this episode could not have been better. Thank you for being honest and open and accepting of all kinds of grief. I’ve shared this episode with many people already.
Thoughtfully presented

10/03/2025

KWP_DC

Found this pod through The Tangle. Like the diversity of topics. And how each side is thoughtfully addressed and explained.
Need a DEI episode

09/20/2025

Jessy Rose

I love Julie’s thoughtful approach to issues. I’d love to hear an episode on DEI, interviewing employers and admissions workers with experience in implementing it. Love to hear the pros and cons.
Enjoyable and viewpoint-challenging

10/08/2024

<3 Catherine <3

This podcast is so interesting! I can’t wait to hear more.

Tackling tough topics in a way that will help you feel more empathy and empower you to become a better citizen, kinder neighbor, and more effective advocate. For people who are turned off by the divisive nature of the news, but still want to engage with important issues. Hosted by journalist Julie Rose, Top of Mind is a production of BYUradio.