Thought Partners Podcast

Ed Buchanan & Paul Tonden
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Careers

At the intersection of creativity and career, it’s the Thought Partners Podcast. Who You Are You are looking for more meaning in your work and a better balance in your life. You might be a quiet leader who feels overlooked, a parent trying to make a business fit your family, or a professional ready to start a brand-new chapter. You want to move past fear and find a path that brings you joy. You are tired of competing with others and are ready to focus on your own growth. Who We Are We are Ed and Paul—two friends who believe that ideas are better with company. Ed is a creator and storyteller who loves to build things and solve problems. Paul is a business owner driven by curiosity and the human side of leadership. Think of us as an extension of your own brain, helping you rethink problems and find new perspectives. What We Do Every episode, we sit down to tackle big questions about work and creativity. We use a simple three-step approach: we challenge old ways of thinking, clarify what is truly important, and co-create something useful together. We’re here to practice. Because thinking alongside someone you trust, with the mess welcome and the stakes real, is one of the most underrated things a human being can do. We avoid fancy talk to focus on real-life stories and honest conversation. Every show provides a small, targeted activity to try so you can start making progress that same week.

  1. Jun 16

    All Words Are Made Up with Beth Ardner

    A grant proposal. A conversation with your doctor. A veterans program in Maryland. Beth Ardner argues they are all the same act: telling a story well enough that someone sees themselves in it. In the Season 2 finale, Beth comes back as our first two-time guest and makes a bigger claim than she did the first time. Storytelling is not one skill among many. It is the connective skill, the one that lets you turn durable skills, soft skills, world-ready skills, and every other rebranded version of the same idea into something people actually adopt. Stories build consensus. Consensus is how anything changes. Then it gets personal. Beth writes collaborative fiction with fifteen people across the world, a hobby that just made her a Simming Prize Laureate. When one of those writers passed away this year, the group made plot decisions to honor his wishes and keep his character alive. That story becomes the clearest answer in the episode to the question everyone is asking right now: what can humans do that AI can't? You cannot give AI the context of a human. We land where the show always tries to land. Not on theory, but on what you can do with it. Beth's answer for anyone who thinks they aren't a storyteller is simple, and it might change how you read everything after this. CHAPTERS (timestamps)00:00 — Cold open 00:39 — Welcome back: our first returning guest 01:24 — Fun fact: "capital" comes from cattle 03:06 — What Beth is juggling: a $25M RFP, apprenticeships,veterans 05:46 — Is everyone just busy, or is it 2026? 07:36 — Storytelling is THE skill, not a sub-skill of communication 10:03 — "All words are made up": the terminology trap 14:56 — How story builds consensus (Goldilocks) 17:40 — Relatability, morals, and consent 18:33 — Sci-fi that came true: Star Trek, the tablet, the communicator 20:34 — The second label: inspiration 22:19 — Timeless vs. of-a-time: history as consensus 24:53 — Learning is a skill too: storyteller as learner and teacher 27:48 — Retelling: Disney, remakes, and generational nostalgia 30:47 — Archetypes and the Bechdel test 33:42 — Why AI can write scripts, and where humans come in 34:54 — Inside collaborative writing: fan fiction, simming, fifteen authors 36:43 — Choose your own adventure as long-form improv 38:23 — The Simming Prize: Beth becomes a Laureate 40:50 — Who's in the room: a ferry captain, a UK cop, a winery 43:49 — AI in the hobby: where the line actually is 46:13 — AI as translation: getting what's in your head out 47:24 — Plotting with AI without losing the people 49:13 — What AI can't do: honoring a writer they lost 52:46 — Ed's challenge: what do you carry into the real work? 54:10 — "An apprentice is a title, not a person" 57:02 — Compassion and empathy as the real test 1:01:03 — How anyone can write their way out of a problem 1:04:29 — The close: first to say yes, and a new question 1:11:10 — Take care of yourselves and each other

    1h 12m

  2. Jun 9

    Living in the Dash with Steven Fleming

    Ed and Paul jam with career coach and musician Steven Fleming to tackle what it means to be "stuck in the dash" of life's transitions. Moving from corporate accounting to artistic freedom, Steven drops powerful mental models on overcoming fear, escaping the passive "NPC" mindset, and reclaiming your life's controller. The energetic session shifts into deep, raw vulnerability when Steven flips the script, challenging the hosts to reveal their own proudest personal triumphs.   Stick around to the end of this week’s episode for a very special performance by Steven Fleming courtesy of his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@steventoddsounds/featured. Don’t miss it!   Chapters 0:00 Opening 05:01 Self-Discovery and Facing Fears 09:09 Integrating Passions and Professional Life 13:07 The Power of Perspective and Reality 16:55 Embracing Change and Energy 23:18 Being the Main Character in Your Story 25:16 Unlocking Your Superpower 34:17 Leadership as a Unifying Force 48:56 Questions for Reflection and Growth

    1h 5m

  3. Jun 2

    Whose Development Is It, Anyway?

    It's that time of year. The calendar flips, performance reviews hit, and somewhere in the building a memo goes out: submit your professional development plan. No guidance. No direction. Just go do it — and oh, don't forget, you still have to do your actual job. That's exactly where a friend of mine found himself when he reached out to talk it through. We're calling him Matt — names changed to protect the innocent. And the conversation went somewhere I didn't expect. What started as "I don't even know where to start" turned into something a lot more interesting once we stopped talking about what the company needed and started asking what Matt actually wanted. In this episode, Paul and I get into the real friction behind professional development mandates — why so many of us dread them, what that resistance is actually telling us, and how to extract genuine value even when nobody handed you a map. CHAPTERS00:00 – Cold Open: "Go Learn This, Because I Said So"01:09 – Back in the Sandbox01:19 – Meet Matt: A Mandate with No Map03:15 – Paul's Background and the Familiar Tune of PD Season05:18 – Apply It or It Didn't Happen07:52 – Value Shows Up in Context08:53 – The Uncomfortable Truth: What If They Just Don't Want To?10:17 – Paul's Estate Sales Approach to Extracting Value12:39 – The Sticky Note on Paul's Desk13:12 – The Treasure Box: Whose Development Is This, Really?16:03 – "Go Learn This, Because I Said So" (And Why That Backfires)17:25 – The Trust Equation: Who's Actually Centered Here?19:47 – Green Pastures, No Map21:00 – The Three Filters: Accessible, Aligned, and Applicable24:04 – When You Need the Value to Show Up Immediately26:45 – Compliance Isn't the Same Thing as Growth30:10 – What Organizations Actually Get Right31:28 – Story Time: Ed Walks Into the Wrong Room40:53 – What He Actually Got Out of It44:54 – The Clique That Was Studying Cliques45:29 – Ed Was the Disruption48:45 – The Guiding Question

    51 min

  4. May 26

    Acknowledge, Accept, and Address Career Chaos with Ryan Poirier

    What happens when you suddenly lose your job? In this episode, therapist-in-training Dr. Ryan Poirier joins the podcast sandbox to talk about navigating the raw grief of career transitions. Ryan shares how a high school wrestling move called the "neck bridge" can teach us to survive heavy professional pressure without getting completely pinned. The conversation covers how to repurpose AI as a graduate school study tool , why mistakes are our best leadership teachers , and how to use the "Acknowledge, Accept, Address" framework to process big emotions. Finally, Ryan shares a powerful live epiphany: your internal personal mission and integrity matter far more than any corporate statement on a wall. Time Stamps 00:00 – Processing Job Loss and Finding the Glimmer 01:48 – Welcome to the Arena: Unfinished Thinking in the Sandbox  03:44 – The Metaphor of the Neck Bridge  06:27 – Redefining the Creative Canvas: Problem Solving vs. Art  10:55 – The Human Edge vs. Artificial Intelligence  14:19 – Operational Creativity & Graduate School AI Hacks  17:15 – Narrative Storytelling and Stumbling into Psychology  21:30 – People-First Leadership and the Safety to Fail  24:02 – Ladder vs. Rock Climbing Wall: Reimagining the Career  26:44 – Shifting Professional Values and Organizational Friction  33:24 – The Framework: Acknowledge, Accept, and Address  35:41 – Healing Through Creative Play  39:52 – Advisor Advice and the Hospital Psych Unit Path  41:34 – Unpacking Ikigai and Writing to Your Future Self  45:40 – Embracing the Messy Process of Collaborative Problem Solving  52:14 – Workplace Reminders and Staying Out of the River  56:10 – The Realm of Possibility: Prioritizing Self-Care in Transition  1:00:04 – The Epiphany: Internal Personal Mission vs. External Banners  1:01:17 – Approaching Careers as Experiments and Final Wrap-Up

    1h 6m

  5. May 19

    Fandom, Pathways, and Self-Reflection with Kathleen Stone

    What happens when you spend your entire life collecting elite academic degrees, only to realize the view from the top of the ladder isn't what you actually wanted? In this episode, Ed and Paul sit down with Dr. Kathleen Stone to talk about stripping away the corporate armor, surviving intense life transitions, and why the standard advice to "follow your passion" might be making you miserable. Timestamps: 00:00 – Mirror Check 01:05 – Drop the "Doctor" Title 03:06 – People Over Projects 06:33 – Email Typos & Leadership Flaws 12:57 – Why "Follow Your Passion" Is Bad Advice 17:51 – Harry Potter, Cosplay, & Clear Skies 21:27 – Life Is Too Short: Caregiving & Sunshine 28:17 – Pulling the Five-Degree Resumé Thread 33:53 – Evolving Whys: "Yes, And" 39:54 – Coasters, Dinosaurs, & Closing the Arena   Links Kathleen Living Life YouTube Channel

    1h 21m

  6. May 12

    Corporate to Franchise: Paul's Transformation Journey

    In this episode, Paul Tonden shares his transformative journey from corporate America to franchise ownership, highlighting the challenges, lessons, and principles of entrepreneurship. Discover how systems, community, and mindset play crucial roles in building a sustainable business and navigating change. Chapters 00:00 Creating Sustainable Business Practices 00:40 Intro & The Shift 11:38 One Person's Treasure is Another's Soon 17:28 Service & Transitions 22:43 Discipline & Life 30:22 Circling Around

    35 min
  7. Embracing Passion and Self-Reliance with Erica Dawn

    May 5

    Embracing Passion and Self-Reliance with Erica Dawn

    Join us as we dive into a conversation with Erica Dawn, a dynamic professional in voice acting, dance, and instructional design. Discover how she balances creativity with business growth and the importance of self-reliance and passion in achieving success. Timestamps:00:00- Introduction to Erica Dawn's drive and determination 00:40- Meeting Erica: From Akron to Atlanta, voice acting, and dance 01:52- Erica's journey from NBA dancer to instructional designer 03:12- Balancing business growth with creativity 04:30- The challenge of separating work ideas from personal business 07:39- The importance of balance and passion in work 09:54- Overcoming entrepreneurial challenges and finding passion 13:15- Establishing boundaries and learning to say no 17:19- Building confidence and expertise in instructional design 18:33- Passion as a motivator for saying yes 20:09- The role of communication and accountability in coaching 24:57- Understanding communication as a gift 27:15- Defining success through self-reliance and community 30:05- Pride in community and creating opportunities 32:34- Erica's journey into instructional design during the pandemic 39:16- Recognizing transferable skills and design thinking 45:46- Helping others find their best selves and overcome imposter syndrome 49:35- Encouraging self-initiative and creativity without permission 51:03- Erica's approach as an accountability coach 55:06- Building a supportive and fun community 56:15- How to connect with Erica Dawn for coaching and collaborations 58:15- Key takeaways: Overcoming obstacles and knowing your passions Connect with Erica Dawn:Instagram: Erica Dawn VoicesEmail: erikadonvoices@gmail.comEDV Learning Solutions: WebsiteThis episode highlights the power of passion, self-reliance, and community in crafting a successful and fulfilling career. Erica's insights offer valuable lessons for anyone looking to create their own opportunities and embrace their unique path.

    1 hr

  8. 11/18/2025

    Designing Work Around Life... and Podcasts

    Summary In this conversation, Nicki Ong and Paul Tonden discuss the importance of finding happiness and joy in our work and lives. They emphasize that since we spend a significant amount of time working, it is essential that our careers bring us fulfillment and satisfaction. The dialogue explores the impact of work on our overall happiness and the necessity of aligning our careers with our passions. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Thought Partners Podcast 03:18 Embracing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship 06:16 The Journey into Digital Marketing 12:20 Breaking Free from Corporate Constraints 15:18 Finding Work-Life Balance as a Mompreneur 20:10 Time Management and Productivity Strategies 25:21 The Importance of Flexibility in Work 30:21 Creativity and the Female Cycle 33:40 Embracing Dual Roles: Motherhood and Business 36:20 The Shift in Work Culture: Remote vs. Office 39:57 The Importance of Employee Well-being 41:39 Happiness as a Metric of Success 44:01 The Power of Podcasting: Sharing Stories 49:04 Navigating Podcasting Challenges 51:51 Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset in Business 54:26 The Language of Service vs. Product 01:01:20 Building Connections and Networks 01:03:59 Final Thoughts: Taking Action and Finding Joy 01:10:00 Slow Outro 30s.mp4

    1h 11m
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

At the intersection of creativity and career, it’s the Thought Partners Podcast. Who You Are You are looking for more meaning in your work and a better balance in your life. You might be a quiet leader who feels overlooked, a parent trying to make a business fit your family, or a professional ready to start a brand-new chapter. You want to move past fear and find a path that brings you joy. You are tired of competing with others and are ready to focus on your own growth. Who We Are We are Ed and Paul—two friends who believe that ideas are better with company. Ed is a creator and storyteller who loves to build things and solve problems. Paul is a business owner driven by curiosity and the human side of leadership. Think of us as an extension of your own brain, helping you rethink problems and find new perspectives. What We Do Every episode, we sit down to tackle big questions about work and creativity. We use a simple three-step approach: we challenge old ways of thinking, clarify what is truly important, and co-create something useful together. We’re here to practice. Because thinking alongside someone you trust, with the mess welcome and the stakes real, is one of the most underrated things a human being can do. We avoid fancy talk to focus on real-life stories and honest conversation. Every show provides a small, targeted activity to try so you can start making progress that same week.

Information

  • Creator
    Ed Buchanan & Paul Tonden
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Ed Buchanan & Paul Tonden