PODCAST · society
What We Do
by WHRO Public Media
Meet the people behind the most intriguing passions, hobbies, and jobs around the world.
Episodes
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54 Billion Empty Miles | Drew McElroy, Co-Founder of Transfix
As co-founder of the digital freight marketplace Transfix, Drew McElroy is obsessed with logistics. He takes us on a deep dive into the connection between trucking's wasteful ways and life as we know it.
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What We Wonder is Worth Wondering About | Guy Claxton, Cognitive Scientist
Hailed by comedian John Cleese as a master of creative thinking psychology, Guy Claxton revolutionized business and entertainment with his book Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind. He's now using his research and methods to create better thinkers in elementary and middle schools.
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Giving Harry Potter a Face...in Secret | Mary GrandPre, illustrator of the Harry Potter Series
As the illustrator of the American version of the Harry Potter series, Mary GrandPre was sworn to secrecy. She even had to keep unpublished copies of the books under lock and key—literally.
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The Man of a Thousand Stories | Garrison Keillor, Author and Former Host of A Prairie Home Companion
From quitting alcohol to his complicated relationship with fame, Garrison Keillor shares wonderful stories and insights from his time as an author and legendary host of A Prairie Home Companion.
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The Legend of Hot Karl | Rapper and Writer, Jensen Karp
As rapper Hot Karl, Jensen Karp set off on an unexpected journey from hip hop enthusiast to taking a wild ride toward rap fame. Along the way, he ate salmon dinners with record label big wigs, struggled with a mental disorder, and loaned 300 dollars to Kanye West. But when his hip-hop career…
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The Life (and Sometimes Death) of an Actor | Voice Actor, Iké Amadi
As a voice actor for films, television shows, video games, promotions, and audio books, chances are you've heard Iké Amadi's voice. Stepping into the shoes of a character, Iké transforms into the likes of heroes and villains with the touch of a true pro. But for some actors, helping tell great...
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Forky the Spork, Forky the Onion | Actor, Tony Hale
Tony Hale has an award-winning history of playing loveable, comedic characters, including Forky from Toy Story 4. But if we peel back the surface, we’ll find layer after layer of depth to his characters—and to the art of bringing them to life.
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How to Save a Hostage with the Smell of Food | Former FBI Hostage Negotiator, Gary Noesner
As a former FBI hostage negotiator, Gary’s utilized countless tactics to save lives—including using the smell of food to take back a jail overrun by inmates.
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Creating National Geographic’s Photo Ark | Photographer and Conservationist, Joel Sartore
As a National Geographic photographer and conservationist, Joel Sartore created the Photo Ark—a decades-long project to photograph every living species in zoos and wildlife reserves worldwide. With every snapshot, Joel hopes to raise awareness and prevent further animal extinction. But is it too...
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Mario on the Run: Mastering Video Game Speedrunning | Author of Speedrun Science: A Long Guide to Short Playthroughs, Eric Kozie
As the author of the bible for video game speedrunning, Eric Kozial takes us into an international phenomenon that centers around a highly engaged and loving community of gamers on a quest for mastery.
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My Running Partner is a Donkey | Author of Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero, Christopher McDougall
Humans and animals have a deep-rooted connection far beyond pet and master—a fact Christopher McDougall learns after rescuing a donkey named Sherman from a hoarder. By becoming running partners, Christopher nurses Sherman back to health and makes a lifelong friend in the process.
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A Psychological Secret of Elite Athletes | Founder and Host of Sports Science, John Brenkus
As the creator and host of Sports Science, John uncovers the science behind the world’s greatest athletes. Along the way he’s found some incredible statistics—and a common psychological secret.
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The Funny Thing About Cancer | Comedian and Voice of Gene on Bob’s Burgers, Eugene Mirman
Comedy is a puzzle. In the documentary It Started As a Joke, comedian Eugene Mirman navigates friendships, fatherhood, and his toughest puzzle yet: Finding humor in his wife Katie’s battle with cancer.
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The Hidden Powers of Classical Music | Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Zander
Everyone loves classical music, they just don’t know it yet. As a composer, teacher, and the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Zander has made his life’s goal to open people’s eyes to their love for their classical music and its deep connection with the human experience.
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Public Safety Has a Tech Problem | Co-Founder of Mark43, Matt Polega
Outdated first responder technology has real-world implications in how evidence is processed and prosecuted. As the co-founder of startup Mark43, Matt Polega and his team are determined to overhaul tech in the public safety industry. It may seem like a niche field, but it’s far from it. They’ve...
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The Ultimate Drug | Comedian and Co-Creator of Netflix’s The Midnight Gospel, Duncan Trussell
Stand-up comedy is an art of rejection. For years, Duncan Trussell honed his craft, soaking up awkward audience silences and blistering critiques until something magical happened: he discovered himself on stage. Through difficult lessons (and a psychedelic cow), Duncan takes us on the wild and...
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The Hardship that Created an Icon | Actress and Philanthropist, Jane Seymour
One of Jane Seymour’s most famous roles—Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman—started from a need to get out of 9 million dollars of debt. Tapping into wisdom from her mother, Jane persevered to create an international icon, use her success to spread her mother’s advice through the Open Hearts Foundation and...
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Resurrecting History’s Forgotten Monsters | Creator and Host of Lore, Aaron Mahnke
Millions of listeners tune in every month to hear about creature sightings rooted in myth, or documented proof of a conman who killed to collect insurance payouts—then buried his victims in the walls of his mansion. It’s these dark, forgotten corners of history Aaron Mahnke explores on his…
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Tales of a Mafia Prosecutor | Former State and Federal Prosecutor, Elie Honig
Nicknamed "organized crime's worst nightmare," Elie Honig earned his stripes through the prosecution of John Gotti Jr and other major mafia players. Venture into the seedy details of three of Elie’s most notorious cases, where murder solves problems and justice isn't always black and white.
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The College Curiosity Crisis | Co-Founder of Masterclass and Founder of Outlier.org, Aaron Rasmussen
Every year, college students spend $2.5 billion on Calculus 1. And 40% of those students fail. Are college intro courses destined to be expensive and boring? Aaron Rasmussen doesn't think so. As co-founder of Masterclass and the founder of Outlier.org, he's setting out to revolutionize higher...
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7 Marathons on 7 Continents in 7 Days | Lisa Davis, Marathon Runner
Lisa's consistent can-do attitude and warm smile are infectious. When she talks about running, her eyes glow and she wraps you up in her stories of struggle and triumph. But when she sets out to run 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, she experiences challenges the likes of which she never…
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Without Libraries We’d Be Dumb | Lemony Snicket aka Daniel Handler, Author of A Series of Unfortunate Events
As the author of the internationally bestselling ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events,’ Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) has a curiosity for the peculiar. And a long history with libraries. Take a dive into his love for poetry, hear hilarious stories from his time on set with Netflix, and learn why...
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Art in Motion: The New Age of Stop Animation | Trish Gum, Co-Director of LEGO Movie 2
As co-director of LEGO Movie 2, Trisha had a major role in creating a film that melded the worlds of stop animation and computer animation. But it took a lot of hard work, and a lucky encounter, to rise up from still photography to working on Robot Chicken and beyond.
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Becoming the Voice of Porky Pig | Bob Bergen, Voice Actor
As a voice actor, Bob makes characters come alive. From Porky Pig to countless smaller supporting roles, and from radio ads to dubbing over Leonardo DiCaprio, Bob is always taking on new challenges. But it took a long time to get to where he is today. Using actual audio from his youth (including…
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America's Largest Survey of Sexual Fantasies | Dr. Justin Lehmiller, author of "Tell Me What You Want"
Having conducted the largest survey of sexual desires ever in America, Justin shares inside details of the study and some of his most interesting findings. In the end, the truth is we're all weird. And that's totally normal.
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Episode 7: It's Hard Being a Human | Joy Parrish, Licensed Professional Counselor
As a licensed professional counselor, Joy Parrish has heard everything. And there's a simple truth behind it all: It's hard being a human. When not helping others progress on their mental health journeys, Joy co-hosts the popular CrossFit, health, and lifestyle podcast Girls Gone WOD.
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Documenting an Unbelievable Abduction | Skye Borgman, director of Abducted in Plain Sight
As the director of Abducted in Plain Sight (the documentary that took Netflix and the world by storm), Skye takes us behind the scenes of filming and how the documentary has created international awareness for child abuse.
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A Life of Death | Jake, 25-Year-Old Mortician
Jake the Mortician - As a mortician, 25-year-old Jake works a job most of us will need, but few of us know anything about by the time we actually ‘need’ his services personally. With compassion and a touch of humor, Jake shares his experiences with life, death, and everything in the middle.
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The Power of Parenting | Jon Stoklosa, Special Olympics Powerlifter
Meet Jon. He's a Special Olympics powerlifter with zero fear. And a lot of that can be attributed to his parents, who put Jon in positions where he can fail, cultivating independence and helping Jon live his best life.
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Searching for a 17 Billion Dollar Underwater Treasure | Jeff Kaeli, Oceanographic Engineer
300 years ago, a ship carrying treasures worth 17 billion dollars sank off the coast of Columbia. In 2015, a group set out to find it. That group included oceanographic engineer Jeff Kaeli, one of five team members from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Having dreamed of discovering a…
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Isaac Marion – Creator of ‘Warm Bodies’
After finding success with his first novel—including a Hollywood movie deal before the book was even released—Warm Bodies series author Isaac Marion is faced with the challenge of where to go next, all the while fighting to break free of industry stereotypes.
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What We Do - Episode 1
In episode one of What We Do, Doug Fraser talks to Glenn Steinbaum - You may not know his name, but you've definitely heard his voice. As a voice-over actor for movie trailers, Glenn's heard by millions of people around the world. But what may seem like the easiest job in the world is anything…
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What We Do Starts This September
Meet the people behind the most intriguing passions, hobbies, and jobs around the world. Each of our stories has the power to shape us all.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Meet the people behind the most intriguing passions, hobbies, and jobs around the world.
HOSTED BY
WHRO Public Media
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does What We Do have?
What We Do currently has 33 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is What We Do about?
Meet the people behind the most intriguing passions, hobbies, and jobs around the world.
How often does What We Do release new episodes?
What We Do has 33 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to What We Do?
You can listen to What We Do on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts What We Do?
What We Do is created and hosted by WHRO Public Media.
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