The Audcaious Voice

The Audacious Voice

Show & Tell—Anyone who has ever had the chance to meet Chion knows that when it comes to interviews, she is more than prepared. So, what would happen, she wondered, if she went into a show with absolutely no prep? She took on the challenge and ended up doing an extended Show & Tell session (Remember those from elementary school?) with 21 people. Live. In a Brewery. And the result? Well, you can read all about it online, or hear the interviews, but the upshot is, it was a revelation—and a reminder to stay open and vulnerable to anything that comes your way in life.

AI Love—Can an AI Chatbot replace human interaction? Well, yes and no, as Chion found out when she delved into the topic. While there’s no replacement for real, live human interaction, believe it not there is a benefit to the kind of fantasy interaction—relational, even erotic—with an AI partner. It’s a kind of a dopamine hit with no regret, no cheating, and definitely no “walk of shame” involved. In fact, Chion talked to a guy who claims his AI chatbot partner saved his marriage. As Chion points out—and as you’ll discover—at the root of it all, AI is just providing a new way for people to feel comfort, confidence, something it’s a pretty safe guess all of us humans have been looking for for years.

Starbucking—Who would guess that a goal of visiting every corporate-owned Starbuck’s on the planet would lead to revelations about a healthy approach to life? Well, Chion, obviously. She talks to a guy named Winter who set that lofty goal, and, well, Starbuck’s ended up expanding faster than he anticipated. When he started this quixotic caffeinated odyssey, in 1997, there were a relatively manageable 1,400 Starbuck’s stores. At the time Chion interviewed him, Winter had visited a cool 19,172 locations, becoming a bit of a celebrity—and setting his sights on a few other chains to visit. The larger lesson, though, as Chion points out is that learning to pivot is perhaps one of the most important skills we can develop. And why not see where the roads lead you? It’s bound to be an adventure if you let it be one.