Learning 19

In this episode, Onya speaks with Mara Stoll (UCL MSc Prosperity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship) and theologian Dr. David Dark about how hermeneutics, the art of interpretation, can transform social entrepreneurship. Together, they unpack why understanding our own assumptions and a community’s lived reality is key to avoiding well-intentioned missteps. Discover how applying hermeneutic principles can help founders slow down, listen deeply, and co-create ventures that truly fit the people they are meant to serve.

Date of episode recording: 2025-09-01
Duration: 00:41:27
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Dr Onya Idoko
Guests: Mara Stoll and Dr David Dark
Producer: Manolo Fournier
Podcast owner: Victoria Howard


Slow Down and Listen: Hermeneutics for Social Entrepreneurs

A top expert in personal branding shows introverts how to leverage their unique strengths to get ahead    

To build a career, you need a personal brand to showcase your distinct skills, experience, and expertise. Building that brand can feel daunting—particularly for introverts. Conventional wisdom holds that introverts should fake extroversion in order to succeed, advice that can be terrifying for anyone who finds social interaction exhausting. Personal branding expert and introvert Goldie Chan says it doesn’t have to be this way.   

Chan empowers introverts to create memorable and recognizable personal brands without feeling the pressure to become someone else. With examples from everyday introverts to introvert celebrities like Taylor Swift and LeVar Burton, Chan shows how introversion can be a superpower when building a personal brand. She shares strategies for goal setting, navigating in-person networking events, building online and offline communities, partnering effectively with extroverts, and sustaining energy for the long run.   

This book is essential reading for any introvert looking to level up a career or community without sacrificing authenticity.    

Personal Branding for Introverts by Goldie Chan read by Ferdelle Capistrano

This is the wild story of how Donald Trump capitalized on the Democrats’ growing disconnect with male voters — told through the explosive culture war battles playing out in sports.
 
Democrats don’t have a Trump problem. They have a man problem. And Trump was just the guy to exploit it. Young men see the Democratic Party as anti-men, run by weak, low-testosterone beta males. And here’s the truth: Trump won with balls. And he won’t be the last Republican to do it. The 2024 red tsunami was led by men fed up with woke nonsense. Unless Democrats change fast, it’s only going to get worse for them.

This book breaks down how Trump used sports as his secret weapon to rack up votes. From the Lia Thomas controversy to Bud Light’s downfall, ESPN’s woke meltdown to his own assassination attempt—where he proved once again he’s a fighter—Trump seized these opportunities and played the game like a winner. And America’s men took notice.

Clay Travis doesn’t hold back. As the founder of Outkick, the co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, and one of the most influential voices in sports and conservative media, he’s interviewed Trump more than ten times—including on Air Force One. Now, he’s bringing the unfiltered truth about why men turned on the Democrats—and why they’re never coming back.

Balls by Clay Travis read by Clay Travis

A definitive new history of the world’s most watched sporting event—just in time for the 2026 tournament​

Since 1930, the World Cup has become a truly global obsession. It is the most watched sporting event on the planet, and 211 teams competed to make it into the 2022 tournament. From its inception, it has also been a vehicle for far more than soccer. A tool for self-mythologizing and influence-peddling, The World Cup has played a crucial role in nation-building, and continues to, as countries negotiate their positions in a globalized world. 
 
The Power and the Glory is a comprehensive history of the matches and goals, the tales of scandal and triumph, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, and the political and cultural tides behind every tournament. Jonathan Wilson details not merely what happened but why, based on fresh interviews and meticulous research. The book is as much about the legends of the sport, from Pelé to Messi, as it is about the nations that made them, from Mussolini’s Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar. 
 
Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time.

The Power and the Glory by Jonathan Wilson read by Paul Thornley

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6FRYWYQ
Audiobooks: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/907677
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-black-queer-history-of-the-united-states-c-riley-snorton/1147316778?ean=2940192908013
Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780807022153

ABOUT
The first-ever Black history to center queer voices, this landmark study traces the lives of LGBTQ+ Black Americans from slavery to present day

Gender and sexual expression have always been part of the Black freedom struggle

In this latest book in Beacon’s award-winning ReVisioning History series, Professors C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost unearth the often overlooked history of the Black queer community in the United States.

Arguing that both gender and sexual expression have been an intimate and intricate part of Black freedom struggle, Snorton and Bost present historical contributions of Black queer, trans, and gender non-conforming Americans from slavery to the present day to highlight how the fight against racial injustice has always been linked to that of sexual and gender justice.

Interweaving stories of queer and trans figures such as:

*Private William Cathay/Cathay Williams, born female but enlisted in the Army as a man in the mid-1860s
*Josephine Baker, internationally known dancer and entertainer of the early 20th century who was also openly bisexual
*Bayard Rustin, prominent Civil Rights activist whose well known homosexuality was viewed as a potential threat to the movement
*Amanda Milan, a Black trans woman whose murder in 2000 unified the trans people of color community,

this book includes a deep dive into the marginalization, unjust criminalization, and government legislation of Black queer and trans existence. It also shows how Black Americans have played an integral role in the modern LGBTQ rights movement, countering narratives that have predominantly focused on white Americans.

Through storytelling and other narratives, Snorton and Bost show how the Black queer community has always existed, regardless of the attempts to stamp it out, and how those in it continue to fight for their rightful place in the world.

A Selection from "A Black Queer History of the United States"

Goodbye, diets, restriction, and food noise. Hello, delicious food, satiety, and a healthy way to eat for life!

We have never been more informed—and yet, more confused—about what we eat as we are today. And between our cultural fear over food additives and the buzz around GLP-1 drugs, the noise has become impossible to tune out. Registered dietitian Abbey Sharp has seen—and debunked—it all. Her revolutionary Hunger Crushing Combo Method helps you banish fear foods, guilt, and cheat days, and finally get off the diet roller coaster for good. It’s a simple framework that teaches you to effortlessly balance your meals by combining two or more of the Hunger Crushing Compounds: protein, fiber, and healthy fats. The result? You crush physical hunger, silence emotional cravings, and eat well without deprivation, denial, or dieting. No counting. No tracking. No restricting. Even better, the HCC is adaptable to your goals and unique needs while restoring joy and pleasure to eating.

 Discover:
• Science-backed insight into why the HCC compounds work
• Tips on how to use the HCC method effortlessly and intuitively
• Chapters devoted to specific conditions including weight loss, insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes and PCOS), fitness, menopause, and raising healthy kids
• Thirty easy and adaptable recipes
• Cheat sheets for building your own HCCs
• and much more!
 
Learn how to turn your “unhealthy” cravings into HCCs to stabilize blood sugars and help support a healthy weight—all without giving up the food you love. The Hunger Crushing Combo Method helps you finally feel full and reduce food cravings without ever dieting again. And, yes, you can have your cake and eat it too!

The Hunger Crushing Combo Method by Abbey Sharp read by Abbey Sharp

Grammy-winning audiobook publisher. Authors include James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Michael Connelly. Earbuds encouraged. Follow us on Twitter at @HachetteAudio.