Swan Dive Ron Rothberg and Stu Sheldon

“Crazy is a prerequisite in this shit." -- George Clinton

Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective is considered one of the foremost innovators of funk …  and his music made asses shake worldwide, including ours. With over 40 hit singles and three at #1, Clinton has been sampled by everyone from Dr. Dre to Tupac and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2019, George and Parliament-Funkadelic were given Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards. Wiz Khalifa stars as George in the brand new film, "Spinning Gold," about his time on Casablanca Records with such mega-acts as Kiss, Donna Summer and the Village People. Multi-talented, this Renaissance man also paints (though he's colorblind) and recently had an exhibition at the illustrious Deitch Gallery in LA. At his essence, George is a  philosopher who gave us all the secret to living well when he sang, “Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip … And come on up to the Mothership.” We are so honored and delighted to welcome this fine, legendary soul to Swan Dive!

Follow his intergalactic journey @YoLikeGeorge




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David William Carson's heart lives among the tall trees and endless oceans. This environmental scientist, entrepreneur and artist was raised in the forests of upstate New York. He earned a Master's degree in Environment and Resource Management in Amsterdam after pivoting from a rocky career in tech and finance. Now 31, David  recently started his dream job as executive director of the Rogers Center, a 600-acre nature sanctuary and environmental education facility in upstate New York whose historic lands have been cherished by four generations of his family. David is elated to be living and working close to family, back in his hometown as a steward of the forest he grew up in. 

Learn more at www.friendsofrogers.org


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In 1984, Keith Pariani and eight fellow enthusiasts left San Francisco on antique "high-wheeled" Columbia bicycles, following the path across the USA taken 100 years earlier by pioneer Thomas Stephens. They rode these awkward contraptions which have no brakes and only one gear across the entire country, through sun and rain, over the Rockies and vast stretches of emptiness, finishing 61 days later in Boston. The classic bike Keith rode, along with his extraordinary collection of antique bikes, is currently on display in the "Ride On" exhibit at the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, FL, housed in the former Hotel Alcazar, built in 1888, when these bikes were all the rage. ollected over a lifetime, Keith’s bikes represent the intersection of engineering and art from the "Gilded Age." But, they also represent the culmination of his Swan Dive, the first time this shy yet passionate enthusiast and successful entrepreneur received the recognition he deserves for honoring a lifelong obsession. Keith reminds us all that we can chase our dreams and let our "freak flags fly," no matter how eclectic, alongside our our day jobs


Learn More about "Ride On" at the Lightner Museum



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All day, every day, we each tell stories about who we are and how we are. Collectively, we speak of “controlling the narrative,” both positively and negatively. Rick Stone tells stories for a living and is one of the world’s foremost experts on the power of storytelling. He began in advertising and has dedicated the past 30 years to bringing back this ancient art form in service of teaching, learning and connecting people worldwide. As the CEO of StoryWork International, Rick uses story-telling based training programs to help fortify interpersonal relationships and for team building and leadership development, helping professionals add deeper purpose and meaning to their work and life at Disney, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Hewlett Packard and many more. His latest book, Story Intelligence, co-authored with Scott Livengood, helps each of us become a master of our story and amplify and unleash every aspect of our IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence).

Learn more at Storyintelligence.com
And check out TheCentralFire.net where you can bring the delight of storytelling to your own community and join other communities of amazing raconteurs. 


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With sold out tours, millions of followers on social and growing critical acclaim, Jake Miller has quietly emerged as a magnetic pop presence. He has done this on his own terms with an infectious, high energy style that’s full of optimism and fun as hell. His fans, dubbed “The Millertary,” are so devoted that many tattoo his lyrics on their body. Florida-raised and LA-based, this singer, songwriter, and producer made waves with 2014’s Dazed and Confused EP. The title track to his 2015 project, Rumors, gathered tens of millions of streams. Jake’s been making heartfelt music steadily ever since … and has shared the stage with the late Mac Miller (who Jake cite as a major influence), Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes to name a few. He recently performed on NBC’s Today Show and LIVE with Kelly and Ryan. Jake continues to inspire on a series of 2022 singles and his forthcoming fifth full-length album.

Click Here for to learn more about Jake's tour, music and more
Click Here to see Oscar from the Office on Tic Tok 
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Nothing is more gratifying then when a listener calls to share that a discussion on Swan Dive influenced their life choices in a positive way. A recent call with an old coworker of Ron’s was exactly that and explored this listener’s “great resignation” opportunity. This prompted Ron and Stu to revisit some of the key and critical aspects of their own swan dives. In this short episode, your hosts look back at some of the more pragmatic details surrounding their decisions to chase their dreams and discuss the “new wealth” concept, in which time represents the truest and most important currency of all. If you have a story to share or have heard something in this podcast that prompted some action in your life, please reach out and share!

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