Connecting The Dots with The Renaissance People

Sara Kobilka

This is a podcast for and by Renaissance People (and people who want to cultivate a Renaissance mindset). Renaissance People are complex people with interests and expertise in a wide variety of realms. Referred to with many terms (including multi-passionate, generalists, multi-hyphenates, Jack/Jill-of-all-trades, versatilists, and boundary spanners), we reject the singular niche and embrace a bramble of knowledge, both deep and wide. We have an insatiable love of learning for the sake of learning. We deeply believe that serendipitous opportunities to apply or share that knowledge will arise. We plant seeds of concepts and cross-pollinate ideas everywhere we go because we never know where an idea might blossom or inspire someone else. We connect the dots and see commonality in unique ways others cannot because of our diverse experiences. In collaboration with invited guests, host Sara Kobilka (Renaissance Woman) will explore: - What it means to be a Renaissance Person in the modern world - How and where we can thrive - What inspires us We'll also flex our creative minds with fun challenges. Think of it as part captivating interview, part game show and part improv performance. This podcast is part of Sara's effort to build a Renaissance People Community which she invites listeners to join at renwomanconsulting.com/renaissance-people-community

  1. Oct 9

    Prepared for Adventure with Marley Parker, Evolutionist

    I’m back with another guest episode and revealing the answer to a mystery for long-time listeners (listen for the moment 12 minutes into the show). Marley Parker is a science communicator and an adventurer who can frequently be found exploring the deep ocean and climbing mountains. Marley is the fifth guest with a background in SciComm, a realm that frequently attracts Renaissance People, as we discuss during the episode. It combines analytical math/science with creative artistry. We discuss how we strive to live expansive lives of check boxes, not multiple-choice answers. If you’re a complex, multi-passionate or you once were and want to get back to that, sign up for my newsletter for Renaissance People. There’s where I share updates on this podcast, my experiments in expansion and opportunities to work with me one-on-one to help you confidently live an expansive life, whatever that means for you. Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Sign up for my newsletter to get updates on my podcast and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community.What’s this Renaissance Mindset I keep talking about? This “quasi-manifesto” episode explainsWork with me to Find Your Golden Thread and explain your wide-ranging backgroundEp. 9: A Mind for Memory with Brian Skellenger, SurvivalistEp. 10: The Forever Revolution with Jenni Gritters, Multi-PassionateWhy Curiosity Beats Perfection — Lessons from the Deep with Marley Parker (Blue Collar | White Coat podcast)Nautilus Ocean Exploration Trust and their Science Communication Fellowship Program (for educators)Association of Science Communicators (ASC)ASC Mentorship ProgramThe Growth of Growing playlist YouTubeAwe Psychology (WONDER) with Dr. Dacher Keltner (Oligies podcast)Marley’s website Follow Marley on Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram A few things Marley and I discuss: Why Jill-of-all-trades and Versatilist align with Marley’s freelance career but how her mantra aligns with an Evolutionist identityMarley’s niche in the field of science communicationOcean Exploration Trust and their Science Communication FellowshipMarley’s special connection to Connecting the Dots with The Renaissance PeopleGetting into the field of science communicationThe importance of mentorship, community and human-to-human connectionHow social media impacts science communicationThe kinds of people found on research vesselsAn elegant answer to “what do you do?” with a caveatImprov GameOff on a Tangent – Why self-care is critical for Renaissance PeopleRapidish Fire QuestionsPreparing for adventures in harsh, remote environments like the ocean and mountains.Marley’s unique way of going down a rabbit hole Quotes from the episode: (Marley) One of my mantras over the course of especially my freelance career as a freelance science communicator has been "the future is unpredictable." That's one mantra. And, you have to just figure it out as you go, and that we are always learning and growing and evolving. (Marley) I specialize in documenting ocean science and specifically ocean science research expeditions. So as a professional photographer and videographer, I often join teams of marine biologists and oceanographers and other deep sea scientists, and I will go out to sea with them for several weeks at a time and document and produce stories about the research that they're doing in the deep ocean. So it is a very niche thing. It is not something that fits very succinctly into one title, like I said earlier. But it is a phenomenal job, and it's also a job that I did not know existed until about a decade ago. So it's been a wild but very fulfilling journey. (Marley) I've interviewed so many oceanographers, people who study the sea floor. And their go-to example is we know more about the surface of the moon than we know about the bottom of the ocean. (Sara) Yep! (Marley) And at this point, we even know more about the surface of Mars than we know about the ocean floor on our own planet! So lots of things like that just to be able to get people to kind of raise their eyebrows and say, "Oh, wow, that's crazy." (Marley) The biggest, common denominator with anybody working on a ship is we're all very adventurous people. You cannot work on a ship and not be driven by a spirit, like a fundamental spirit of adventure. Ha! We are literally going thousands of miles offshore, sometimes sailing across the entirety of an ocean, very, very far away from home. It's people who are absolutely willing and not only willing, but keen to get out of their comfort zone and go explore and to go find and see things that other humans have never seen before. So yeah, that very deep, profound sense of adventure and exploration is a huge part of working at sea. (Sara) And that love of adventure and new things and being curious absolutely matches, like you said, with my definition of the Renaissance Person. (Marley) I think one of the biggest challenges for Renaissance People is they invest a lot of their energy and their personality and their value goes into the work that we do. And so it can be sometimes hard to differentiate between your work and yourself. And so doing things like gardening or going on a hike or being outside or whatever it is just a really good way to reconnect with yourself and to maybe not be thinking about work and not be thinking about all of the projects that you wanna do and all the ideas that you have. Just be here now, be in the moment and enjoy yourself and take good care of yourself. Follow me, Renaissance Woman Sara Kobilka, on LinkedIn, where I put most of my social media energy, Facebook and Instagram. If you’re extra curious, check out Renaissance Woman Consulting to learn more about some of the many types of work I do. And should you care to support the production of this podcast, I’d love it if you’d buy me an oat milk cappuccino, my caffeinated beverage of choice. This podcast is hosted and edited by Sara Kobilka. Theme music is by Brian Skellenger Podcast distribution support provided by K.O. Myers of Particulate Media Mentioned in this episode: Free Newsletter Sign up for my free Newsletter for Renaissance People to stay updated on this show, learn about my expansion experiments, and find opportunities to work with me and engage others in the Renaissance People Community.

    Prepared for Adventure with Marley Parker, Evolutionist
  2. Sep 22 ·  Bonus

    Queued for Thought - Expanding the AI Conversation, Part 1

    Welcome to Queued for Thought, my curated podcast playlist designed to satiate your brain with insightful ideas! I'm Renaissance Woman Sara Kobilka, host of the podcast Connecting the Dots with The Renaissance People. Queued for Thought is a project I created where we can practice the skill of connecting the dots between conversations happening in different realms. My latest playlist addition connects the dots and complicates the narrative around AI. It features podcast episodes from Weather Geeks, Win-Win with Liv Boeree, Women at Work, The Take, The Anxious Achiever, and Vibe Check. Check it out on the Listen Notes website and from there, subscribe to it on your favorite podcast streaming platform. Queued for Thought will come out sporadically when I’m feeling inspired. If you’d like to know each time a new episode drops, sign up for my Renaissance People Community newsletter. Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Syracuse University article about the Types of AI TIME article which includes video from Joseph Gordon-Levitt's speech about AI and voting How to find a podcast streaming platform you can subscribe to Weather podcast episodes related to AI Off the Radar: The Artificial Forecaster: Innovation or Impersonation? (May 20, 2025) Weather Geeks: Artificial Intelligence, the New Weather Frontier (Oct 21, 2020) Weather Geeks: Big Data Solutions & The Weather Business (Nov 18,2020) Off the Radar: Weather the World of Artificial Intelligence (July 11, AI 2023) Weather Geeks: Artificial Intelligence & Weather Forecasting (Jan 12, 2022) Weather Geeks: How AI is Helping Weather Models Make the Grade (Apr 10, 2024) Weather Geeks: Predicting Severe Weather Using AI (Mar 5, 2025) Weather Geeks: Artificial Intelligence in Weather & Earth Sciences (May 5, 2021) Podcast episode on Indigenous perspective of AI Unreserved: Why Indigenous People are Fighting for Data Sovereignty (Mar 31, 2024) Podcast episodes on AI, work and mental health The Anxious Achiever: Using AI for ADHD With Lindsay Scola (Jul 16, 2025) The Anxious Achiever: AI, Work and Mental Health: Nilay Patel on Tech and the Future (Sep 4, 2024) The Anxious Achiever: Surfing Through the AI Apocalypse with Jacob Ward (Jun 23, 2026) Mentioned in this episode: Free Newsletter Sign up for my free Newsletter for Renaissance People to stay updated on this show, learn about my expansion experiments, and find opportunities to work with me and engage others in the Renaissance People Community.

    Queued for Thought - Expanding the AI Conversation, Part 1
  3. Aug 26

    Six Ways I Feed My Passions, Plural

    I said I had 4 tips for how I feed my passions (plural) in my last episode...but I was wrong! So I’m updating that with 6 ways that I feed my passions and that I encourage my coaching clients to do. Along with the 4 strategies I previously shared (find boundary-spanning projects, keeping a “sparkly” side interest, sharing resources reciprocally, and finding community), I’ve added two more (finding balance through strategic integration and pad your projects). If you're looking for a community of multi-passionate Renaissance People, I'm bringing us together virtually once a month in "Fertile Grounds" where we can support one another, share ideas and resources, and collaborate. Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Sign up for updates on my podcast and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community.Get updates on Fertile Grounds, a monthly virtual gathering of multi-passionate Renaissance PeopleWork with me to Find Your Golden Thread or for Career CoachingJoin the Renaissance People group on FacebookEpisode 18: Cultivate Passions and Address BurnoutWhy Nonprofits Need Generalists (and Why Now Is Our Moment), LinkedIn Article by Pherabe KolbWater Whys Visual SciComm Seminar Series, free virtual series I host for the class I teach at the University of Arizona.The Growth of Growing playlist on YouTube (clips also available on my Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts).110: Giddy Up! It's the Year of the Fire Horse with Jillian Rothschild-Scholar, Jillian’s episode of French Kissing Life with Shawnna Stivers134: What If Your Curiosity Knows Something You Don’t? | Sara Kobilka, my episode of French Kissing Life with Shawnna Stivers Follow Sara Kobilka on Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Bluesky A few themes I discussed: 2:32 Tip #1 Find boundary-spanning projects where I can be a strategic integrator 3:48: Why most of my guests don’t identify with the term “generalist” 4:53 Tip #2 Have “sparkly” projects to keep the passions alive 5:25 Tip #3 Share resources with others (like these show notes) 6:35 Tip #4 Find community with other multi-passionate Renaissance People (like my Renaissance People Community and our Fertile grounds Gatherings) 8:42 Tip #5 Find balance through strategic integration of aspects of your personal Venn Diagram so what you do aligns with your current energy level 14:50 Tip #6 Pad your projects to allow flexibility and reduce stress Check out Renaissance Woman Consulting to learn more about some of the many types of work I do (which allows me to find that balance from Tip #5). And should you care to support the production of this podcast, I’d love it if you’d buy me an oat milk cappuccino, my caffeinated beverage of choice. This podcast is hosted and edited by Sara Kobilka. Theme music is by Brian Skellenger Podcast distribution support provided by K.O. Myers of Particulate Media

    Six Ways I Feed My Passions, Plural
  4. Aug 13

    Cultivate Passions & Address Burnout

    It all started with a simple question. How do you maintain your passion, especially when passion can drive burnout? And when you're a Renaissance Person with multiple passions, is the challenge even greater?? In this solo episode, I dig into some research on passion and burnout from Harvard Business School professors Jon Jachimowicz and Ryan Buell and reframe them for Renaissance People. I look at the three facets of burnout and how they can be addressed. I also share four strategies I use to feed my passions and that I support my coaching clients to do: find boundary-spanning projects, keeping a “sparkly” side interest, sharing resources reciprocally, and finding community. If you're looking for a community of multi-passionate Renaissance People, I'm bringing us together virtually once a month in "Fertile Grounds" where we can support one another, share ideas and resources, and collaborate. Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Sign up for updates on my podcast and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community.Get updates on Fertile Grounds, a monthly virtual gathering of multi-passionate Renaissance People, kicking off Tuesday, August 18, 2026&!Work with me to Find Your Golden Thread or for Career CoachingJoin the Renaissance People group on FacebookThe Anxious Achiever PodcastCan Passion for Your Work Drive Burnout? with Jon Jachimowicz (Anxious Achiever podcast episode)Dr. Jon Jachimowicz’s websiteDr. Ryan Buell and operational transparencyFour things I do to help feed my passionsThe Growth of Growing playlist on YouTube (clips also available on my Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts).AllSpice CulinariumMeryl Evans on LinkedInMore about artistic swimming Follow Sara Kobilka on Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | BlueSky A few themes I discussed: 1:06 Research on passion 4:08 The 3 facets of burnout when it comes to passion 5:12 How reducing demands helped me keep this podcast going 13:52 The 4 ways I feed my passions 20:47 Expansion, contraction and a definition of progress 23:20 How I’m building a web of support with Fertile Grounds If you’re extra curious, check out Renaissance Woman Consulting to learn more about some of the many types of work I do. And should you care to support the production of this podcast, I’d love it if you’d buy me an oat milk cappuccino, my caffeinated beverage of choice. This podcast is hosted and edited by Sara Kobilka. Theme music is by Brian Skellenger Podcast distribution support provided by K.O. Myers of Particulate Media

    Cultivate Passions & Address Burnout
  5. Jul 27

    Learning from Everything with Maggie Blackburn, Jill-of-All Trades

    It was a single phrase that immediately made me want to have Maggie Blackburn on my podcast. We were part of the same career coaching group (with past guest, Jenni Gritters) and Maggie described herself as having a “portfolio career” and supporting women who wanted the same thing. This idea seemed beautifully aligned with the career path I have followed and what some— but not all—Renaissance People follow. Maggie has a wonderful variety of work she does and shares my passion for bringing people together to build community as well as my love of volleyball among other things. Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Sign up for updates on my podcast and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community.What’s this Renaissance Mindset I keep talking about? This “quasi-manifesto” episode seeks to explain itWork with me to Find Your Golden Thread Join Fertile Grounds, the monthly gathering of the Renaissance People CommunityCheck out my video shorts series, “The Growth of Growing” (here’s the first video on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram)My newsletter for job seekers is “Take it With You”, where I talk about the role of translation in the job search particularly if you’re changing from one industry or discipline to anotherEp. 9: A Mind for Memory with Brian Skellenger, Survivalist (my brain refused to remember the UW-Madison volleyball player he referenced, Dana Rettke. She was interview in this YouTube video about her mindset that led to her success in dance and volleyball).My reference about most athletes not being like Tiger Woods came from Range: Why Generalists Thrive in a Specialized World by David EpsteinEp. 10: The Forever Revolution with Jenni Gritters, Multi-PassionateJana Carlson’s The Co-Promotion Club (Co-Pro Club for short)Maggie’s LinkedIn post and Instagram video about completing a 40-day Instagram challenge and what she learnedMaggie’s website and newsletter, “Feeling Free” Follow Maggie on Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram A few things Maggie and I discuss: 8:04 Why the “Jill-of-All-Trades” term’s actionable nature is a draw for Maggie 9:04 Sara’s expanding definition of “Renaissance Person” 10:59 The definition of a portfolio career and why it is particularly valuable today 14:56 Comparing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic vs AI on people 19:57 Maggie’s experience with dot connecting as a product marketer 21:24 Boundary spanners serving as translators 25:18 Maggie’s evolution from information systems and database designing to marketing at Slack 29:41 The drive of first-born daughters to be challenged 32:58 Don’t tell us “we’ve always done it this way” 35:20 Why short athletes inspire us (the U. of Minnesota player I was referencing was Shannon Schonrock) 36:20 Answering the dreaded question, “What do you do?” by thinking about the other person first. 41:43 Improv Game 44:47 Rapidish Fire Questions 45: 12What taking a job in college mainly for the money taught us 49:40 Metaphor options for a portfolio career Quotes from the episode: (Sara) I know that it's really important for us to gather live, to bounce ideas off each other, to share resources, to just get inspired by other people, because when you listen to a creative Renaissance Person talking and sharing what they're doing, it just gets you revved up and excited to do something yourself. (Maggie) I right now am building a portfolio career. So the way that I describe it, is a career of multiple interests and income streams. And it sort of changes over time, which is nice because it relieves the pressure of having to think about what is the one thing that I'm gonna do next. And instead it can be, what am I gonna do in the next few months? And then maybe that changes or it builds out and becomes more stable. (Sara) I'd argue in today's world, it's almost more reliable to have more of that portfolio style or idea to your work because we can't trust one company to protect us and be the “company man”, and you get a watch when you've been there for 25 years, and your name on the door. Like, that's not the dream that I think a lot of people of our generation and younger generations even have, because it doesn't really seem feasible in a lot of spaces. (Maggie) I think again with the market changes and the shift, I feel like it does make you question how you fit into the world and how you want to show up next. I think similarly with the AI movement and people again not knowing exactly what's going to happen. It's sort of a moment to pause and be like, "OK, how is this gonna work? Where do I have control?" I think when there's no control, people try to latch onto what they have control onto. (Sara) The worst positions I've been in are the ones where somebody higher up than me or someone with more power than me says, "We're doing it this way because this is how we've always done it." I hate that phrase! (Maggie) It's the worst! (Sara) I've taken pay cuts other times in my career just because, again, it's that values that we talked about way at the beginning, is you realize what your values are when you do something that isn't values-aligned. And that doing the non-values aligned thing isn't necessarily a bad thing if you learn from it and complete whatever you promised you were gonna complete, and you're responsible and that sort of thing, 'cause we're also the oldest daughters, so we learned responsibility very early. But you complete what you're supposed to do, and then you say, "And moving on. Next thing." (Maggie) Totally! You learn from everything (Maggie) I was technically a janitor in college for the gym, but it was called something like “facilities” something? Like, something a little bit better, made it sound nicer. (Sara) And you're like, "I was a janitor. Let's admit it." (Maggie) I cleaned the bathroom. (Sara) Ooh, that's fun. Follow me, Renaissance Woman Sara Kobilka, on LinkedIn, where I put most of my social media energy, and Facebook. If you’re extra curious, check out Renaissance Woman Consulting to learn more about some of the many types of work I do. And should you care to support the production of this podcast, I’d love it if you’d buy me an oat milk cappuccino, my caffeinated beverage of choice. This podcast is hosted and edited by Sara Kobilka. Theme music is by Brian Skellenger Podcast distribution support provided by K.O. Myers of Particulate Media

    Learning from Everything with Maggie Blackburn, Jill-of-All Trades
  6. Jul 8

    Betting on Myself with Kasey Brown, Multi-Passionate

    From the beef industry to podcasting, this week's guest Kasey Brown has taken quite a journey on her path to finally betting on herself with her company, Teal Hat Communications. Kasey shares her experiences and how she brings them all together, including a love of music, ag journalism training and endless curiosity in her work with creative small business owners. If this episode had been released when it was originally planned, it would have been part of the official launch of Kasey’s new podcast, Kindly Confident Marketing, where she’ll be sharing great tips and tricks for folks like her clients who want to use a podcast-centric approach to marketing their small business (cough cough, your host raises her hand). Technology and a busy schedule delayed the release, so there are now multiple episodes available (a trailer and 2 episodes to be exact at this moment)! Bonus: See if you can find the piece of advice from the episode that I put into play right away. Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Sign up for updates on my podcast and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community.Work with me to Find Your Golden Thread Join Fertile Grounds, the monthly gathering of the Renaissance People CommunityEp. 10: The Forever Revolution with Jenni Gritters, Multi-PassionateEp. 9: A Mind for Memory with Brian Skellenger, Survivalist (Sara’s brother)RFD-TVLinkedIn post of Sara during her TV meteorology days with a bonus rant on the term "weather girl"Ep. 8: Bringing Worlds Together Full Circle with Jess Rowell, Renaissance WomanEp. 14: Capture the Flow with Alycia Buenger, Multi-PassionateKasey’s podcast Kindly Confident MarketingKasey’s business Teal Hat Communications Follow Kasey on Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram A few things Kasey and I discuss: 8:31 Kasey’s journey from the beef industry to podcasting and marketing 13:00 Taking the scary leap into entrepreneurship 16:43 Who her ideal client is (and hint, it’s found in the mirror) 17:02 How podcasting aligns with being a lifelong learner 21:50 Using podcasting as a source of connection (circle of trust) 22:15 Kasey’s ag journalism experience and the impact of role models 30:18 Language in agricultural realms and how it is (and isn’t) changing 42:06 Improv game 44:36 Rapidish Fire Questions (and what strategic confetti is) 45:50 Kasey drops a bombshell Quotes from the episode: (Kasey) “Even since elementary school, like I would get really interested in something and then like go in a huge deep dive. So like when I got interested in reading The Wizard of Oz, like I read all 14 of the books, and then I got really into the musical and the movie and all of the things. And like same thing with Titanic, and like you just go through these giant deep dives, and yeah, I'm OK with that because it's super interesting and fascinating, and it's way more fun to follow those instead of worrying about whether it's acceptable. (Kasey) I started quietly building a website, and I started working on my branding. And then they made that decision for me because I was part of a giant layoff, which honestly was a blessing in disguise, Yeah. I was prepping to leave. (Sara) Yeah. You just got kicked out of the nest by mama bird. She's like, "You can fly. Go ahead...” (Kasey) Exactly! It was the kick I needed because I probably would've stayed far too long had I not gotten the kick because I would've been like, "Oh, I'll feel safe enough if I have one more client or maybe one more client past that." And I just, I needed to bet on myself, and that's what I've done, and it's been really, really wonderful. (Kasey) I know I have a terrible habit, or I did, I've worked on it quite a bit, of interrupting people because I get so excited, and I wanna be like, " Oh, yeah, I know that too!" Or like I'm trying to interact with them. I also realized later of like that seems really rude, and I'm not trying to be. (Sara)Yes! (Kasey) I've honed that in a little bit. But because you hear the excitement in their voice, that's another thing I love about podcasting, is that get to feel the excitement along with them. And I think because their excitement is so contagious because they are interested in so many things, that just levels up everything else. (Sara) And I just realized that I think another bonus of that is that the person who has been the listener gets to connect with you and feel like they already know you. Which means that you as the podcast host get to focus your energy just on getting to know them. And how great does it feel when somebody is not trying to tell you all about themselves, but instead is just curious about you and wants to learn about you? (Kasey) Ooo yeah! (Sara) So kind of like, bypasses the need to be like, "Hi, I'm Sara Kobilka, Renaissance Woman. Now I'm gonna talk for 45 minutes about who I am and what I do. Oh, sorry, did you walk away? Never mind. Have a good day." And instead, it's, "You know what? There's a number of different episodes you can listen to to learn all about me, and now that we're together, tell me about you. Because obviously if you thought I was interesting, you must be really interesting too! So let's learn about you." (Sara) I used to have people who thought they were funny be like, "Oh, you're the weather girl." And I was like, "Do you call them weather boys?" And they'd be like, "Uh, no." And I'm like, "Well, maybe don't use that term." And some would be like, "Well, what do I call you?" And I'm like, "Well, there's a thing called a meteorologist. You could, you know, take that term if you wanted to, but, uh, whatever. You can also call me a weather goddess and I'll take that." (Kasey) So usually my elevator pitch now is I help creative small business owners streamline their marketing efforts, streamline their marketing efforts and trust their voice through a podcast-centered approach…. I help people with that. And by doing that, we learn to trust our voice, and then we use our voice to earn trust, and that is through podcasting. So again, like we mentioned, like creating that one-way connection, so when someone really does resonate with you, then you get to create that connection the other way because... (Sara) Full circle! (Kasey) Exactly! So lot of circle, lot of starting to build a community around that. Follow me, Renaissance Woman Sara Kobilka, on LinkedIn, where I put most of my social media energy, and Facebook. If you’re extra curious, check out Renaissance Woman Consulting to learn more about some of the many types of work I do. And should you care to support the production of this podcast, I’d love it if you’d buy me an oat milk cappuccino, my caffeinated beverage of choice. This podcast is hosted and edited by Sara Kobilka. Theme music is by Brian Skellenger Podcast distribution support provided by K.O. Myers of Particulate Media

    Betting on Myself with Kasey Brown, Multi-Passionate
  7. Jun 10

    The Renaissance Mindset: A Manifesto of Sorts

    Get ready, folks, this one’s a doozie! This solo episode became a “manifesto of sorts” as I shared my current definition of the “Renaissance Mindset”. This mindset is a philosophy that helps explain the complicated, sometimes seemingly contradictory actions of Renaissance People that set us apart. I look at survey data from past guests to explore what it means to be “multi-passionate”, and I dive headfirst into research around being a “lifelong learner”. I once again share neuroscientist Paula Croxson’s elegant explanation of the “left brain vs right brain” myth. I discuss patterns in how Renaissance People think and act, where we shine, the critical role we can play in today’s world and so much more. If this conversation sparks ideas for you (even if it’s a challenge to something I’ve said), reach out and let’s connect! You belong in the Renaissance People Community! Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Sign up for updates on my podcast and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community.Work with me to Find Your Golden Thread Join the Renaissance People group on FacebookSign up to learn more about Fertile Grounds, a monthly virtual gathering of multi-passionate Renaissance People tentatively schedule to launch in late summer 2026Lifelong Learning in the Educational Setting: A Systematic Literature Review by Win Phyu Thwe and Anikó KálmánProfiles of epistemological beliefs, knowledge about explanation norms, and explanation skills: changes after an intervention by Eric Klopp, Theresa Krause-Wichmann and Robin StarkLifelong learning tendency scale: the study of validity and reliability by Yelkin Diker Coúkuna and Melek DemirelPatrick Meaney’s LinkedIn post about shaping your career like a brambleSara’s LinkedIn post with her Left Brain, Right Brain artificial choice rantA Brief History of the Resting State: the Washington University Perspective by Abraham Z Snyder and Marcus E RaichleReview of the split brain work that Brenda Milner was part of (credit also to Mike Gazzaniga for this research)Range: Why Generalists Thrive in a Specialized World by David EpsteinHabits of a Renaissance Man: Learning how to learn from Leonardo da Vinci (curriculum PBS Learning Media) This episode includes clips from my guest episodes so far! Here are the links: Ep. 2: Operating at the Intersection of STEM, Creativity and Fun with Nancy Scales Coddington, Multi-PassionateEp. 3: Embracing an Outside-the-box Mind with Melissa Vining, Boundary SpannerEp. 6: The Secret Lives of Multi-Passionates with Marika Luneau, Multi-PassionateEp. 7: Pitching Your Own (Ph)uture with Stephanie Castillo, Jill-of-all-tradesEp. 8: Bringing Worlds Together Full Circle with Jess Rowell, Renaissance WomanEp. 9: A Mind for Memory with Brian Skellenger, SurvivalistEp. 10: The Forever Revolution with Jenni Gritters, Multi-PassionateEp. 11: Side Quest Unlocked with Elin Filbey, Multi-PassionateEp. 12: A Different Kind of Wonderful with Paula Croxson, Renaissance WomanEp. 13: It’s All or Nothing with Morgan Anderson, Multi-Passionate Follow Sara Kobilka on Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube A few themes I discussed: 00:59 My podcast categories choices 01:56 Survey says…we’re passionate! 04:45 Lifelong learner rabbit hole 10:38 Going wide AND deep 12:34 Live hard, play hard 14:04 Paula Croxson explains the myth of “left brain” vs “right brain” 17:28 Expansion and boundary spanning 19:49 Our intensity 20:51 Learning and sharing 22:04 Systems thinking 23:25 Comfort with nuance 24:01 Defining Renaissance Person 27:11 Why not “generalist”? 30:25 Your Fertile Grounds invitation If you’re extra curious, check out Renaissance Woman Consulting to learn more about some of the many types of work I do. And should you care to support the production of this podcast, I’d love it if you’d buy me an oat milk cappuccino, my caffeinated beverage of choice. This podcast is hosted and edited by Sara Kobilka. Theme music is by Brian Skellenger Podcast distribution support provided by K.O. Myers of Particulate Media

    The Renaissance Mindset: A Manifesto of Sorts
  8. May 27

    Capture the Flow with Alycia Buenger, Multi-Passionate

    It took three tries to schedule the recording of today’s episode of “Connecting the Dots with The Renaissance People” with multi-passionate Alycia Buenger. We are both moms of young children, educators and entrepreneurs. So, between childcare challenges and work commitments, we repeatedly had to push back our recording date. But we made it happen (otherwise you wouldn’t be seeing this). And giving ourselves the permission slip to reschedule the interview was one of our answers to the question Alycia regularly grapples with in her research and writing, How can we live, work, and be well in modern times (for ourselves and each other)? In this episode we talked about this required flexibility of caregiving and business ownership among MANY other topics listed below (in classic Renaissance People fashion). Take a listen and be sure to sign up for my newsletter for updates on upcoming podcast episodes and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community. Promised Show Notes Materials (take a drink): Sign up for newsletter for updates on my podcast and what’s happening in the Renaissance People Community.Work with me to Find Your Golden Thread and confidently tell your multi-passionate story.Ep. 12: A Different Kind of Wonderful with Paula Croxson, Renaissance WomanFlow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihály CsíkszentmihályiSarah Shotts (they/them) is an artist-mother based in ArkansasThe Neuro Nest (previously called Kindle Curiosity) is Sarah's podcast about neurodivergence, motherhood, chronic illness, and creative workA conversation with Sarah Shotts about creative capacity and inconsistent practiceRange: Why Generalists Thrive in a Specialized World by David EpsteinEp. 9: A Mind for Memory with Brian Skellenger, SurvivalistMagnet Theater in Manhattan, NYC. Performance schedule for Brian’s musical theater improv team, Lil’ Spoon.Unravel Your Journey Podcast: Alycia's year-long project with Kati Overmier to "unravel" big ideas within day-to-day lifeEp. 1: Hello! I’m Sara Kobilka, Renaissance WomanA Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek, Episode 68: Embracing the Fall with Carla Hall, Apple Podcast | SpotifyThe Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan HaidtThe Tin Can phoneThe Creatrix Spiral (as Alycia describes it) is renewable, expandable, and open to individual and collective interpretation of experience. It’s based upon varied spiritual teachings, including the Chakra System. The Creatrix Spiral is the foundation of her online studio and mentorship offerings.There are so many resources to explain and consider the chakra system; Alycia's favorite from yoga teacher training is Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea JudithEp. 10: The Forever Revolution with Jenni Gritters, Multi-PassionateYouTube video on how to create an electromagnetic nailArticle on why not to use the term “Middle East”Radiolab (not Invisibilia as said in the episode) podcast episode on the “discovery” of interstitiumBuy Me a Coffee (actually an oat milk cappuccino that I will purchase at a locally-owned coffee shop while working)Alycia’s website and Substack Follow Alycia on Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram A few things Alycia and I discuss: 3:30 Alycia’s winding path 4:51 The interconnection between physical movement and creativity 5:51 Flow in creative people 8:13 Flexibility requirement of caregiving 9:59 Creating structures for flow 11:07 Inconvenient inspiration 16:58 Improv as flow state 21:34 Being a natural rebel 23:20 Inspiration in waves 25:59 Answer the dreaded question by providing of roadmap and starting point 30:13 Not taking advice in business 32:55 Building trust in your gut and handling failure 48:31 The Creatrix Spiral and the seven chakra system 53:59 “Western medicine” vs “Eastern medicine” 56:32 Fairtrade coffee and ecotourism Quotes from the episode: (Sara) Flow can be hard, especially when you are a parent of young children and you don't feel like you've got a lot of capacity just because you're being pulled in a thousand directions and you're just trying to keep these kids alive and fed and everything else that you're dealing with. But that ability to float along the river and let the kind of the, the path of the stream take you where you're gonna go. If you fight it, you're not gonna win. It's like a rip current. If you fight the rip current and try to swim back to shore, that's how people drown. It's when you swim parallel to the shore and get out of that like force that you can finally make your way back. (Alycia) I don't think we can always force flow. I think it's kind of relatively spontaneous, but we can kind of create structures around our work or our daily lives that would encourage flow and the flow state to kind of show up. And allow us to kind of capture it when it's there. (Alycia) I would ask questions. You know, like, where, when does inspiration strike? What are you doing in that period of time? What are you thinking about when that's happening? What are you doing before and after? And how does it feel to like not capture that idea? Does it come back to you? I have a lot of questions. And if we can answer some of those questions, I think you can kind of find your own path there, if that makes sense. (Sara) Yeah, it seems like kind of almost pattern recognition. When is this happening? What's the cadence of it? (Alycia) So I think part of the challenge that I have is that I'm like a natural rebel. So anytime I like see rules or I find rules, or I find that pattern and put it in place, I'm like, okay, now I'm gonna go do something else. 'Cause like I just naturally have to push back against even my own rules. It's a deeply annoying part of who I am. But I will say that as someone who has to do these things in order to make an income, I have...

    Capture the Flow with Alycia Buenger, Multi-Passionate
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About

This is a podcast for and by Renaissance People (and people who want to cultivate a Renaissance mindset). Renaissance People are complex people with interests and expertise in a wide variety of realms. Referred to with many terms (including multi-passionate, generalists, multi-hyphenates, Jack/Jill-of-all-trades, versatilists, and boundary spanners), we reject the singular niche and embrace a bramble of knowledge, both deep and wide. We have an insatiable love of learning for the sake of learning. We deeply believe that serendipitous opportunities to apply or share that knowledge will arise. We plant seeds of concepts and cross-pollinate ideas everywhere we go because we never know where an idea might blossom or inspire someone else. We connect the dots and see commonality in unique ways others cannot because of our diverse experiences. In collaboration with invited guests, host Sara Kobilka (Renaissance Woman) will explore: - What it means to be a Renaissance Person in the modern world - How and where we can thrive - What inspires us We'll also flex our creative minds with fun challenges. Think of it as part captivating interview, part game show and part improv performance. This podcast is part of Sara's effort to build a Renaissance People Community which she invites listeners to join at renwomanconsulting.com/renaissance-people-community

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