The He's Just Podcasts

For nearly four decades, Joseph Margulies has stood beside people accused and convicted of some of the most violent crimes imaginable. A criminal defense attorney, civil rights litigator, writer, and Professor of the Practice of Government at Cornell University, Joseph has spent his career confronting some of society’s hardest questions. He was Counsel of Record in the landmark cases Rasul v. Bush 2004, which established the right of Guantánamo detainees to challenge their detention in federal court, and Munaf v. Geren 2008 which affirmed that American citizens detained by the U.S. government could also challenge their detention.

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JULIET FAITHFULL is a Spanish-British-American writer who grew up in Brazil. She was awarded a fellowship to the Novel Incubator program at Boston’s GrubStreet. Today we discuss her debut novel, Liar’s Dice, winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair as well as a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Juliet is a graduate of Harvard University and Smith College School for Social Work,

Liar’s Dice is far more than a historical fiction. It is an emotional story about identity, disability, immigration, family secrets, belonging, betrayal, and the invisible wounds children carry in...

JULIET FAITHFULL is a Spanish-British-American writer who grew up in Brazil. She was awarded a fellowship to the Novel Incubator program at Boston’s GrubStreet. Today we discuss her debut novel, Liar’s Dice, winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair as well as a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Juliet is a graduate of Harvard University and Smith College School for Social Work,

Liar’s Dice is far more than a historical fiction. It is an emotional story about identity, disability, immigration, family secrets, belonging, betrayal, and the invisible wounds children carry in...

JULIET FAITHFULL is a Spanish-British-American writer who grew up in Brazil. She was awarded a fellowship to the Novel Incubator program at Boston’s GrubStreet. Today we discuss her debut novel, Liar’s Dice, winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair as well as a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Juliet is a graduate of Harvard University and Smith College School for Social Work,

Liar’s Dice is far more than a historical fiction. It is an emotional story about identity, disability, immigration, family secrets, belonging, betrayal, and the invisible wounds children carry in...

JULIET FAITHFULL is a Spanish-British-American writer who grew up in Brazil. She was awarded a fellowship to the Novel Incubator program at Boston’s GrubStreet. Today we discuss her debut novel, Liar’s Dice, winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair as well as a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Juliet is a graduate of Harvard University and Smith College School for Social Work,

Liar’s Dice is far more than a historical fiction. It is an emotional story about identity, disability, immigration, family secrets, belonging, betrayal, and the invisible wounds children carry in...

JULIET FAITHFULL is a Spanish-British-American writer who grew up in Brazil. She was awarded a fellowship to the Novel Incubator program at Boston’s GrubStreet. Today we discuss her debut novel, Liar’s Dice, winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair as well as a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Juliet is a graduate of Harvard University and Smith College School for Social Work,

Liar’s Dice is far more than a historical fiction. It is an emotional story about identity, disability, immigration, family secrets, belonging, betrayal, and the invisible wounds children carry in...

MARY KEATING is a lawyer, disability advocate, and three-time Pushcart Prize nominated poet. After a car accident at fifteen changed the trajectory of her life, she went on to Yale Law School, worked as an attorney at IBM, founded her own law practice twice and was appointed by Governors Jodi Rell and Daniel Malloy to serve on, and later chair, the Connecticut State Rehabilitation Council. Keating lives and works in Connecticut where her firm, Mary Keating Esquire, LLC, guides clients through estate planning, trusts, and planning for long-term care and disability.

Today on our show, we sit...

Farmer Wayne Swanson Jr. is the owner and operator of Swanson Family Farm, LLC and began the agricultural business in 2008. His interest in farming began as a young child witnessing his grandparent’s work on their farm in New Jersey. He would later gain the experience to run and operate a successful farm. Mr. Swanson graduated from Morris Brown College with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media Arts in 1995. He is a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In addition, Farmer Wayne is a co-founder of the Georgia Black-Owned Farms Tour – a tour of Black-owned Georgi...

Deni Elliott spent much of her life proving she could do everything on her own, until losing her sight forced her to rethink what independence really means.

In her new book, Catching Sight: How a Guide Dog Helped Me See Myself (co-authored with veteran guide dog instructor Graham Buck), Elliott tells the deeply personal story of learning to trust again, this time with a yellow Labrador named Alberta. What begins as guide dog training becomes a life-changing partnership that reshapes her identity, her confidence, and her understanding of strength.

Catching Sight reveals the extraordinary communication...

Dr. Edmund H. Moore is a Dayton, Ohio based engineer for the federal government, author, and community advocate. A devoted single father, he centers his life around faith, family, and service, remaining actively involved through his church and Parity Inc. In both his professional and personal life, Moore is guided by balance, intention, and impact.

In his book, Financial Freedom: Doing Nothing Is An Option, Dr. Moore challenges the hustle-driven narrative of wealth by showing how financial freedom can be achieved by letting money work for you, not the other way around. Through practical insight and lived...

ROBYNN SMITH, Professor Emeritus at California’s Monterey Peninsula College, where she founded Print Day in May in 2007. She holds a BFA in Painting from Rhode Island School of Design and two degrees from San Jose State University: an MFA in Sculpture/Ceramics and an MA in Painting. A printmaker and mixed media painter , she has had solo exhibitions in galleries and museums from Australia to Iceland Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Her work can be found in public collections in Belgium, Canada, and the United States. Robynn travels extensively for residencies and teaching opportunities, and leads workshops at...

The week of (April 11–17), is Black Maternal Health Week. In the United States, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy related complications than white women. These are not just statistics. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends whose lives matter.

Meet Dr. Donna Adams-Pickett, board- certified OB/GYN with a deep commitment to women’s health. Her expertise spans a range of topics, including gynecologic cancer awareness, menopause management, and reproductive health. Through her compassionate approach and dedication to education, Dr. Adams- Pickett is making a lasting impact on women’s wellne...

The week of (April 11–17), is Black Maternal Health Week. In the United States, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy related complications than white women. These are not just statistics. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends whose lives matter.

Meet Dr. Donna Adams-Pickett, board- certified OB/GYN with a deep commitment to women’s health. Her expertise spans a range of topics, including gynecologic cancer awareness, menopause management, and reproductive health. Through her compassionate approach and dedication to education, Dr. Adams- Pickett is making a lasting impact on women’s wellne...

Val Whiting, two-time NCAA Champion and former elite WNBA athlete. Val starred all four years at Stanford, she ranks 6th all-time in scoring (2,077 points) and 6th in rebounds (1,134). Val holds a Master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology and is currently a certified Mental Health Coach.

On paper, her career was a success. Mentally, it was a different story. Despite her championships and her accolades, Val struggled with pressure, self-doubt, and emotional overload, challenges no one had trained her to manage. That experience led her to found MentallyStrongHer, an organization dedicated to helping female athletes build me...

Since retiring from a life spent in the operating room, Dr. Allen Saxon, has returned to two enduring callings: storytelling and teaching the next generation of physicians. A graduate of Tulane Medical School, he learned medicine where it is most human, inside safety net hospitals, where care is given not for profit, but for dignity, survival, and hope.

Those early years shaped Dr Saxon. Before screens, algorithms, and electronic charts softened the edges of training, medicine was learned hand to hand and heart to heart. Skill came from doing. Compassion came from standing at the bedside when...

Lauren C. Johnson, holds a B.S. in Journalism from Emerson College and an MFA in Creative Writing from American University. Her work has appeared in the Orion and The Rumpus. She is the co-host of Babylon Salon, one of the Bay Area’s longest-running literary and performance series, and the co-founder of Club Chicxulub.

Today, we’re discussing her haunting new novel, “The West Facade.” Set during the plague in Paris, the story begins high above the city walls at Notre Dame Cathedral, where statues stand frozen as centuries pass below them. In an act of grief an...

For more than three decades, Dexter R. Hall has been a powerful voice at the intersection of economic opportunity, corporate responsibility, and community impact. As the leader of Noir Kith Consultants, he has helped businesses, nonprofits, and public institutions move beyond intention and toward real, sustainable change.

An MBA graduate and respected board leader, Dexter’s work in financial literacy, crisis recovery, and corporate philanthropy has expanded access to opportunity for thousands in underserved communities.

Today, our conversation turns to one of the most urgent issues facing our cities, homelessness and housing stability. Through his wo...

VICTORIA HETHERINGTON’s debut novel, Mooncalves, was shortlisted for the 2020 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. Her second novel,Autonomy, looks at human agency in the age of technology. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Into the Mist, which explores an aviation tragedy. Victoria is also a screenwriter, instructor, and communications specialist, she has written for Yahoo! Finance and Hazlitt, she has served as a frequent panelist at universities and conferences, appeared on CBC, and performed on the main stage of NPR’s The Moth.

Today on our show we discuss her new book “The Friend...

Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs is a cancer and nutritional epidemiologist, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and nutritional sciences at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, and a researcher with the University of Arizona Cancer Center. As Principal Investigator on a federally funded R01, her work examines how selenium supplementation affects cancer prevention, grounded in rigor, precision, and deep respect for human life.

But science alone is not Dr. Jacobs’ calling. She is the co-founder of Defend Public Health, an all-volunteer coalition of physicians, scientists, and advocates united in a steadfast mission: to protect the health an...

ADAM BARSOUK, MD , is an oncology fellow at Johns Hopkins University and resident-physician at the University of Pennsylvania. His articles about science, medicine, and policy have been featured in Forbes, Newsweek, Fox News, and Business Insider. Today we discuss his new book Outsmarting Cancer Risk Reduction and the Power of Prevention.

Cancer has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in many developed countries and US states, and is the leading cause of healthcare expenditure worldwide. That’s the bad news. The good news is that half of all cancer deaths could be preventable through li...

Jeffrey B. Rubin, PhD, is a psychoanalyst, teacher, and author of eight books. Today on our show we will have a conversation about one of his most treasured pieces “The Art of Flourishing,” A Guide to Mindfulness, Self Care, and Love in A Chaotic World.

Dr. Rubin practices in New York City and North Salem, New York, and teaches at the Object Relations Institute of New York, the American Institute of Psychoanalysis, and the C. G. Jung Institute of New York. He is widely regarded as a leading integrator of Western psychotherapy and Eastern meditative traditions.

A...

ALEXA MORRIS grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, dabbling in several jobs (including Senate page) before choosing the world of non-profits, where she remains to this day. When she married Ben Parkett’s daughter and learned of his Holocaust survival journey, she became determined to help him turn his story into a book. Alexa lives with her family in Northern California and is currently at work on her first novel. Alexa joins us today to discuss “ The CourtYard” , a memoir she co-wrote with Ben Parkett.

Hours before the Nazis came to arrest the Parkett family in Jul...

Patricia Martin is a cultural analyst, researcher, and speaker. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, The New York Times, Slate and Psyche Magazine. Author of four books, she holds an MFA in nonfiction from Bennington College, with post-graduate certifications from Duke University in medical narrative, and Jungian theory at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago where she teaches writing and hosts the psychology podcast, Jung in the World. Today, we’re talking with Patricia about her most recent book, Will the Future Like You?: Reflections on the Age of Hyper-reinvention.

It’s a...

SUSANNE PAOLA ANTONETTA is the author of The Terrible Unlikelihood of Our Being Here and numerous other works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Her accolades include a New York Times Notable Book, an American Book Award, a Library JournalBest Science book, and others. She writes for Psychology Today, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The UK Independent,The Hill, Orion, andThe New Republic and has been featured on CNN.

Today we on our show we talk to Susanne about her most recent book “The Devil’s Castle Nazi Eugenics, Euthansia, and How Psychiatry’s Troubled History Reverb...

CARLA KAPLAN is the Davis Distinguished Professor of American Literature at Northeastern University. She has published seven books, including Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance and Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters, both New York Times Notable Books, and has written for such publications as The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Slate, and The Nation. Kaplan has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. She serves on the board of Biographers International Organization and is a Society of American Historians Fellow. Kaplan earned...

Join us for this earth shattering conversation with Emmy Award winning writer and host of Your Democracy, Gloria J. Browne-Marshall. professor of constitutional law at John Jay College, civil rights litigator, playwright, and award-winning author. Her work with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Community Legal Services has placed her on the front lines of America’s legal battles over rights, power, and justice.

Her previous works include She Took Justice: The Black Woman, Law, and Power and The Voting Rights War. Gloria is a frequent commentator on CNN, NPR, and MSNBC, sh...

USA National Bestselling Author Darius Ross shares his lived experiences and hard-earned insights with audiences around the world. His bestselling book, The TPS Blueprint: Transforming Trauma to Triumph, has become a powerful resource for readers seeking a fresh start from within. He is also the co-author of Leadership DNA and Success DNA, two works that spotlight character, clarity, and purpose in leadership.

Beyond authorship, Darius is a Forbes contributor, public speaker, and a frequent guest on global podcasts and events. Whether addressing Fortune 500 executives or mentoring emerging entrepreneurs, his message is rooted in strategy, healing, and legacy...

ELLEN BASSUK, MD is a psychiatrist, researcher, clinician, and advocate whose five-decade career has centered on mental health, homelessness, and society’s most vulnerable populations. Her son, DANIEL SCHOONOVER, an animal lover, volunteer, and steadfast champion for overlooked creatures and communities, has devoted his life to caring for those too often forgotten.

Mental health lives at the center of their story. For Daniel, it has meant confronting circumstances that remind us how fragile stability can be. For Ellen, it has meant facing the painful reality that the very systems she helped build now fail her son, forcing he...

Anne Hand is a writer and global education expert whose work bridges personal history and social change. Born in New York she has divided her time between Massachusetts and Mexico City, exploring what it means to belong across borders. Her debut memoir, Austrian Again, traces her journey through Austria’s citizenship process for descendants of Holocaust refugees and the unexpected rediscovery of her family’s hidden past. With empathy and curiosity, Anne reflects on identity, memory, and the legacies we inherit. A graduate of Harvard University, she has devoted her career to advancing equity and opportunity through education and tech...

Dr. BOBBY HOFFMAN is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida who specializes in motivation science and solving the mysteries of human behavior. At UCF he teaches a variety of graduate-level courses in motivation, learning, cognition, and intelligence. Hoffman has authored over 100 publications in the fields of education, psychology, leadership, and organizational development and serves on six journal editorial boards. He holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Human Resources Psychology. Before earning his PhD in Educational Psychology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he worked for over 20 years in HR management and performance, consulting...

Dr. BOBBY HOFFMAN is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida who specializes in motivation science and solving the mysteries of human behavior. At UCF he teaches a variety of graduate-level courses in motivation, learning, cognition, and intelligence. Hoffman has authored over 100 publications in the fields of education, psychology, leadership, and organizational development and serves on six journal editorial boards. He holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Human Resources Psychology. Before earning his PhD in Educational Psychology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he worked for over 20 years in HR management and performance, consulting...

Dr. BOBBY HOFFMAN is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida who specializes in motivation science and solving the mysteries of human behavior. At UCF he teaches a variety of graduate-level courses in motivation, learning, cognition, and intelligence. Hoffman has authored over 100 publications in the fields of education, psychology, leadership, and organizational development and serves on six journal editorial boards. He holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Human Resources Psychology. Before earning his PhD in Educational Psychology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he worked for over 20 years in HR management and performance, consulting...

MASON DONOVAN and MARK KAPLAN are Managing Partners of The Dagoba Group, a global consulting firm advancing inclusive leadership, employee well-being, and organizational culture. They are also the authors of The Inclusion Dividend, a perennial best-seller leveraged in corporate and academic classrooms worldwide, as well as SET for Inclusion and The Golden Apple. Their work has been featured by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company.

Mason and Mark working parents themselves, bring decades of expertise in employee engagement, wellness, and workplace inclusion. As thought-leaders and advisors to Fortune 1000 companies, they’ve helped organizations reframe talent development fo...

Jamie Del Rio has lived a life of service and community outreach since childhood. After earning his business degree from New York University, the tragic events of September 11th inspired him to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer. He entered the next NYPD Academy class and went on to serve with distinction for 20 years, retiring as a Detective 2nd Grade.

Grounded in his faith, Jamie found strength and purpose throughout his career, and that same spirituality now fuels his passion for empowering the next generation. A gifted motivational speaker, he challenges young people to discover...

Jae Tracy is an artist, business owner, and trauma educator. She spent over a decade working in creative and survivor- centered spaces running a mural company, and working as a certified PADI Divemaster, and creating media that helps kids understand boundaries. She's volunteered with Special Olympics in Hawaii, Oregon, and Virginia, and served in mutual aid and outreach programs including Food Not Bombs, Union Gospel Mission, and Love in Action Hawaii, and Home Aid Hawaii. Today, she leads Boundary Bandits: No Excuse For Abuse, a creative education project teaching kids how to identify harm, build emotional safety, and grow...

Howard Yaruss an economist, professor, attorney, businessman, and activist whose passion lies in making complex ideas accessible to empower people with knowledge. Howard brings decades of experience from the world of finance, law, and public policy, which includes his time as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Radian Group. Yaruss, a graduate of Brown University, with studies at the London School of Economics and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Today we will talk to Howard about his highly praised book, and winner of the Bronze Award at the Axiom Business Book Awards, “Understandable Ec...

This unforgettable 100th Episode Jules Douge takes life's unpredictable journey. The fun times and joys of childhood to the unexpected spins of grief. Emerging with resilience with his signature mix of raw storytelling Jules shares his emotional honesty of what happens when we encounter loss. Facing trauma head-on. Jules opens up about the lessons that shaped his life and experiences. This episode offers both the personal and the practical strategies that significantly can support us through challenges.. More than a milestone, The He’s Just Podcast eclipsed a monumental episode. This chapter might feel like an ending, but more of...

Listen in on this powerful conversation with Steven Eichenblatt. An accomplished attorney, a devoted father of five, and a relentless advocate for children and families. Steven is a graduate of Florida State University and the University of Florida College of Law, Eichenblatt has spent more than three decades standing up for those whose voices too often go unheard; whether serving as a pro bono guardian ad litem or representing the families of first responders lost on 9/11.

But today, Steven joins us in a different role: as an author, a father, and a man reckoning with the deep...

Father Nathan Castle is a Catholic priest with the Dominican Order, Father Nathan has developed a remarkable ministry: helping souls who died suddenly and traumatically such as victims of fires, car accidents, shootings, drownings, and suicides to find peace in the afterlife. Often appearing to him in dreams, these souls seek his aid in completing what he calls Interrupted Death Experiences.

He documents these profound encounters in his acclaimed Afterlife, Interrupted series (Books 1–3), sharing moving stories of grace, healing, and hope. His other work, And Toto, Too: The Wizard of Oz as a Spiritual Adventure, explores classic st...

Natalia Diaz is the inaugural Chief of Staff at NYC Her Future, a groundbreaking New York City initiative dedicated to uplifting young women and girls of color. A proud Latina and daughter of immigrants, Diaz brings a culturally grounded and community informed lens to every aspect of her leadership. Her role is central to shaping the agency’s strategy, operations, and internal culture, ensuring that each program and partnership aligns with the mission of racial equity, access, and care.

A seasoned public servant, Diaz previously served as the Director of Programs for the Young Men’s Initiative (YMI...