Silver Disobedience® Perception Dynamics with Dian Griesel: How People Think, Lead and Succeed

Rick Rosenfield on Building California Pizza Kitchen, Culture, and Reinventing at 80In this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics podcast, host Dian Griesel interviews author and California Pizza Kitchen co-founder Rick Rosenfield. Rosenfield recounts how he and Larry Flax left federal prosecution and later a stressful criminal defense practice to open the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills, intending from the start to build a chain, while borrowing $250,000 based on their law practice. He explains that CPK’s success went beyond the barbecue chicken pizza, hinging on hiring and developing people, creating a workplace culture that became ROCK (Respect, Opportunity, Communication, Kindness), enforcing high training standards, and removing “unkind” influences. Rosenfield describes promoting leaders from within to scale to 205 company-owned U.S. restaurants and 14,000 employees, while personally guarding the brand identity, including the signature yellow. He also outlines multiple ownership changes, the strain of leading through the 2008–2009 recession, subsequent debt and bankruptcy under later owners, and his new book and commitment to not “waste” his 80s.Visit Rick's website to learn more:https://www.rickrosenfield.com/Get a copy of Rick's book: The California Pizza Kitchen Story: How Two Federal Prosecutors Changed the Way America Eats Pizzahttps://link.amazon/B02gmDDK4If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.“Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between."

Deborah Goodrich Royce on Secrets, Memory & Reinvention SilverDisobedience© Perception Dynamics™ Podcast host Dian Griesel interviews novelist Deborah Goodrich Royce about how perception, memory, and secrets shape both life and fiction. Royce shares a pivotal childhood discovery of a previously unmentioned half-brother, illustrating how “nice people have secrets,” and connects that theme to her novels. She discusses Finding Mrs. Ford — about a wealthy woman confronted by the FBI and a long-buried 1979 secret tied to Detroit’s Iraqi Chaldean community and ISIS-era fallout — and Ruby Falls, a gothic, Rebecca-inspired story beginning with a girl abandoned in a tourist cave who later becomes a soap actress. Royce describes her creative resurgence in menopause, her writing habits and overlap between projects, and her editing process, including major revisions to a mother-daughter ghost mystery. She also recounts a full-circle Times Square billboard moment and explains Reef Road’s origins in an unsolved murder that affected her family, with a potential film adaptation underway.Learn more about Deborah Goodrich Royce here: https://deborahgoodrichroyce.com/If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.“Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

Spartan Race Co-Founder Brian Duncanson on Why People Seek Discomfort, Building Resilience, and Scaling a Global BrandIn this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics Podcast episode, host Dian Griesel interviews Spartan Race co-founder Brian Duncanson about the psychology behind why people voluntarily pursue difficult challenges and how Spartan built a global obstacle-racing brand around discomfort, resilience, and community. Duncanson shares how endurance and adventure racing inspired the concept; how Spartan was sketched on a paper napkin in Hartford in 2009; and, how they simplified complex adventure races into a run-plus-obstacles format with iterative participant feedback. He explains Spartan’s event progression from a 5K to 10K, half marathon “Beast,” and multi-lap Ultra, and how a reward system like the Trifecta medal increased retention. He recounts early scrappy growth, international expansion, and lessons that led to his business-focused book, “Becoming Spartan,” including stories like Hurricane Irene and his own leukemia experience.Follow Brian Duncanson here and learn more about Spartan Raceshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-duncanson-6825971a/https://www.spartan.com/If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.“Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights.A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

Wives-in-Law: How Two Women Married to the Same Man Became Friends | Andrea Cataneo & Heidi PrudenteOn this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics podcast, host Dian Griesel talks with Andrea Cataneo and Heidi Prudente, two women who were married to the same man at different times and chose communication and cooperation over competition in their blended family. Andrea and Heidi share how awkward beginnings, insecurities, and assumptions evolved into trust through shared milestones like graduations, weddings, vacations, and late-night conversations -- all of which ultimately inspired their book, Wives in Law: A Story of Unexpected Friendship. The women discuss finding common ground, being careful with assumptions, addressing conflict directly, and prioritizing the kids while building a relationship that became genuine friendship beyond family obligations. Heidi and Andrea also explain the “wife-in-law” term, reactions from others, and how their approach can make milestone events less stressful for everyone involved.You can follow Andrea Cataneo & Heidi Prudente at any of these links:https://www.facebook.com/WivesInLawhttps://www.instagram.com/wivesinlawofficial/https://www.linkedin.com/company/wives-in-law/email: [email protected] the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4h5WPVJAndrea: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.cataneoHeidi: https://www.facebook.com/Heidi.J.PrudenteKind Isn’t Weak: https://www.facebook.com/KindIsntWeak If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.“Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

AI, Social Media & the Human Connection Crisis | Dr. Kristina Tracy SteinIn this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics podcast, host Dian Griesel welcomes licensed marriage and family therapist Dr. Kristina Tracy Stein to discuss what they describe as a growing human connection crisis despite unprecedented digital connectivity. Together, they explore how AI chatbots and social media can reinforce one-sided perspectives, reduce accountability, and weaken empathy, repair skills, and face-to-face communication -- especially for youth. Dr. Stein shares how online dating and endless options can lower tolerance for imperfection, fuel fear of missing out (FOMO), and undermine presence, commitment, and intimacy. They critique pop-psychology labels like “toxic” and “narcissist,” emphasize curiosity and second chances in relationships, and note how fear of judgment and being filmed dampens spontaneity, flirting, and real-world socializing. Dr. Stein’s parting advice is to take action by complimenting someone to help rebuild connection.You can learn more about Dr. Christina Tracy Stein here:https://www.drchristinatracystein.com/If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.“Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

How Barbara Bronstein Built Second Servings Houston at 60: Rescuing Surplus Food to Fight Hunger and WasteIn this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics Podcast host Dian Griesel interviews Barbara Bronstein, founder of Second Servings Houston, who launched a food rescue organization at age 60 after seeing large amounts of prepared food discarded at charity events. After learning food banks wouldn’t accept cooked food, she connected events with a local soup kitchen, researched food recovery nationwide, and formed a 501(c)(3) with pro bono legal help, grants, and a pilot with a Meals on Wheels program using idle refrigerated trucks. Second Servings now operates as a logistics-focused model with seven refrigerated vans, making 30–40 same-day pickups and deliveries daily from events, hotels, commissaries, and grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. The organization runs free Pop-Up Grocery Stores, distributes food through local nonprofits, relies on grants, individuals, and sponsors, and emphasizes legal protections under the Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act while addressing Houston’s high food insecurity and environmental impact of food waste.Learn more about the amazing work being done: https://secondservingshouston.org/If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively."“Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

John R. Miles on The Mattering Effect: Rebuilding Meaning, Connection & Self-Worth in a Culture of UtilityIn this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics host Dian Griesel interviews John R. Miles, author of Passion Struck and host of the Passion Struck podcast, about his new book The Mattering Effect and why many outwardly successful people still feel burned out, lonely, disconnected, or emotionally depleted. Miles argues these struggles are driven by “unmattering,” a gradual erosion of significance as modern institutions shift us from a culture of mattering to a culture of utility, where worth becomes conditional, transactional, and tied to performance, status, and visibility -- especially in workplaces and social media. He explains the “mattering market,” rooted in childhood environments that condition autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and describes social media as an accelerant that quantifies belonging. Miles introduces his science-based MATTER framework: Meaning, Autonomy, Trust, Time, Energy, and Reciprocity as he emphasizes self-mattering as the starting point for restoring connection and flourishing.You can learn more here on his website: https://johnrmiles.com/The Mattering Effect book: https://link.amazon/B0gE9LZuBIf you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively."Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

Why You Regress Around Family: Dr. Judith Swack on Trauma Triggers, Damage Patterns & Tapping to Regulate  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics host Dian Griesel interviews Dr. Judith Swack, a biochemist and immunologist, who is also the author of “Clear Trauma Now.” Together they explore why capable adults can regress around family gatherings or feel outsized reactions to certain holidays, dates, people, and places. Dr. Swack explains “damage patterns” as unconscious, physiological responses formed when trauma isn’t fully processed, which can shape perception, behavior, health, and relationships for decades. She outlines her Healing from the Body Level Up (HBLU) method that integrates conscious, unconscious, body, and soul levels, and describes using muscle testing to access inner guidance and identify blocks. Defining trauma as a fight-or-flight response that becomes conditioned and “frozen in time,” Dr. Swack proposes to the audience that time doesn’t heal trauma and she demonstrates how tapping/meridian techniques can activate a calming reflex to reduce traumatic reactions and help separate experiences from identity.Judith Swack, Ph.D. Linked in:https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-a-swack-ph-d/Website: https://www.hblu.org/aboutBook: Clear Trauma Nowhttps://link.amazon/B04NYDYOpIf you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively."Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

How Your Space Shapes Your Mind with Leidy Klotz, Author of "In a Good Place"In this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics podcast episode, Dian Griesel interviews University of Virginia professor Leidy Klotz about his book, In a Good Place, and how the spaces where we live, work, and play quietly shape our thoughts, emotions, relationships, and behaviors. Together, they discuss how familiarity and a sense of control can increase comfort in an environment; why spaces can “advertise our values;” and, how small, intentional changes -- such as reducing clutter or redesigning layouts -- can reinforce desired values and connection. Klotz explains the calming effect of “organized complexity” found in nature and design, and how noise and clutter can raise stress even when tuned out. He also suggests “space before screen” to reconnect with the physical world. As a way to regain attention, he notes that observing the ways that kids’ notice their worlds serves as a good model for developing deeper awareness.Grab a copy of Leidy's book: "In a Good Place"If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively."Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

The Conversation Beneath the Conversation: How Perception Drives MisunderstandingsIn this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics podcast episode, host Dian Griesel explains why conversations can get really confusing or very tense -- even when we're thinking our words seemed straight-forward enough. Dian explains that in most conversations, there is the primary one and often a second, “invisible” conversation happening underneath. This second convo is being shaped by each person’s interpretations of trust, respect, competence, control, and safety. Using examples like discussing project decisions, lateness, pricing, and seemingly reasonable questions that are heard as criticism, Dian describes how meaning forms through individual perception -- highly personalized lenses built from our unique past experiences, sensitivities, and current emotional states. It is these factors that lead to emotions and then behavior that can derail communication. Dian explains that most communication breakdowns are interpretation issues and suggests that "getting curious" instead of over-explaining or getting louder is a great strategy to use. This might be remembering to ask questions like “What did you hear me say?” or “What changed in this conversation?” to uncover what the words meant to the other person and move toward resolution. Tune is for 16 minute and learn new ways to elevate your communication skills. If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE!I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively."Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.Subscribe & Join the Conversation