The Gist

“I don’t want to be angry as a way of being strong.” Tyler holds himself to high expectations, placing a deep value on self-sufficiency and the social contract. But as a science teacher and dad to a blended family, he gets incredibly frustrated when others do not hold themselves to those same standards. On this episode of How To!, Mike brings on psychologist Dr. Ryan Martin (@AngerProfessor) to talk through the realities of male anger and why our closest relationships trigger us the most. He walks Tyler through assertive communication, the "grounding" technique, and why keeping your cool is less about burying your feelings and more about understanding the core principles that spark them. “#AngerManagement #Mindset #CommunicationSkills #PersonalGrowth #Psychology @pescami

Brett has spent her career in foreign policy — shaping strategy, advising governments, moving pieces on a board whose outcomes she may never live to fully see. It's meaningful work. It just never feels finished. So she's started thinking about a different kind of problem: the kind with a beginning, a middle, and an answer. Oh, also, and these mysteries keep presenting themselves in her workplace, and Brett loves mysteries! On this episode of How To!, Mike brings on Christian, a private investigator to talk through the realities of being a PI. He walks Brett through the subtle art of "elicitation," the unglamorous realities of tailing cars and tracing skips, and why cracking a case in the real world is less about lurking in shadows and more about being the kind of person people want to talk to. @pescami #privateinvestigator #mysteries #howto #howtopodcast

You think you know what your cat’s meows mean? Think Again. This week on HowTo! with Mike Pesca... 🐈 Dr. Mikel Delgado — cat behavior consultant, animal welfare scientist, and co-founder of Feline Minds — explains that while cats do have facial expressions, they’re so subtle we often misread them completely. But it’s not hopeless: in the full episode, Delgado shares practical ways to better understand your cat’s signals and even change problem behaviors. Full episode: How To Communicate With Your Pets (Cats). @pescami #Cats #CatBehavior #PetAdvice #MikePesca #HowTo

This week on Funny You Should Mention: Mike offers an unreserved endorsement of comedian @Raanancomedy and his new special, Morbidly Jewish. In this installment of Funny You Should Mention, the two discuss the trap of "normalizing the absurdity" in political comedy, the agony of naming a stand-up special, and Raanan's experience debating conspiracy theories on The Joe Rogan Experience. Plus, how Raanan managed to craft a truly original joke about Israel, and what it's like to be a guy who has read Ulysses three times but still accidentally pours hot coffee on his own crotch. #standupcomedy #comedyanalysis #joerogan #altright #darkhumor @ComedyCellarUSA @pescami

Today on HowTo! with Mike Pesca: Relying on filler words like "um," "like," and "you know" is a universal habit that clutters our speech and betrays our nerves, but simply willing yourself to stop only makes the problem worse. Today on How To!, Mike Pesca is joined by renowned data journalist and author @NateSilver538, who bravely steps up as the guinea pig to have his own fast-talking, filler-heavy conversational style diagnosed in real-time. Then, communications coach @MCHoeppner, author of Don’t Say Um, steps in to break down the physical mechanics of communication—treating speaking as an athletic act—and offers actionable, kinesthetic strategies like "catching the ball" and "walking the fingers" to help anyone slow down, pause, and speak with confident precision. @pescami #HowToPodcast #MikePesca #NateSilver #PublicSpeaking

It’s one of the most common tactics in modern elder fraud: celebrity romance scams. Getting older brings new vulnerabilities, especially when navigating the sophisticated, ever-evolving world of financial scams targeting seniors. Today on How To!, Mike Pesca is joined by journalist @NancyRomm , who shares the harrowing personal reality of watching her mother fall prey to predatory phone calls and a corrupt accountant. Then, AARP’s Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support, Amy Nofziger, steps in to break down the DNA of modern elder fraud—from "pig butchering" crypto schemes to celebrity romance catfishing—and offers actionable, team-based strategies like credit freezes, call blockers, and family "admin nights" to keep your loved ones, and their life savings, safe. @pescami @aarpfraudwatch #scams #elderfraud #podcastclips #cybercrime

Derrick Stroup may be known as a clean comic, but that choice is as much strategy as style. In this episode of Funny You Should Mention, he joins Mike Pesca at the Comedy Cellar to talk about opening for Nate Bargatze, watching arena crowds up close, and how clean comedy can scale. They also get into growing up in the ’90s, being a Southern comic in New York, and leaning into a fish-out-of-water persona — shirt stains and all. His special Nostalgic reflects that balance: clean material, sharp perspective, and deliberate craft behind every joke. @pescami #cleancomedy #standuplife #comedybusiness #comedycraft #comicsontheroad

Stand-up comedian and philosopher @myqkaplan has built a successful career exploring the human condition, but navigating his own underlying anxiety presents a very different challenge. He knows how to handle recreational and spiritual psychedelic trips in the jungles of Peru, but the leap to "crossing the streams" and using these substances in a formal, clinical therapeutic setting feels uncertain. On this episode: How To!'s Mike Pesca brings on @willvanderveer, a veteran psychiatrist, co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, and author of Psychedelic Therapy. Dr. Will Van Derveer offers Myq guidance on using medicines like ketamine and psilocybin to "shake the snow globe" of the brain's default mode network, the importance of treating the therapy like a psychological tow truck rather than a permanent ride—and why you really need to stop bothering the Sonoran Desert toads. @pescami #pyschedelictherapy #psychiatry #psilocybin #ptsd #mentalhealth #spiritualvibes

Awesome to see the HowTo! podcast featured in the main carousel on @iHeartPodcasts last week. Grateful for the love. @iHeartMedia #Howtopodcast #howtowithmikepesca

Today on The Gist, historic double Oscar-nominated director @GeetaGandbhir joins the show to discuss her Netflix documentary feature, The Perfect Neighbor. She breaks down the tragic murder of AJ Owens by her neighbor Susan Lorincz, explaining how Florida's "Stand Your Ground" laws, racial bias, and easy access to firearms enabled a deadly escalation. Gandbhir also explores the ethical complexities of using raw police body cam and Ring doorbell footage to document the community's grief without re-traumatizing the victim's family. Plus, why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is acting like a media critic instead of fighting an actual war. And in the Spiel, Donald Trump's repeated attempts to unlawfully install loyalist U.S. Attorneys keep getting smacked down by federal judges—proving the Constitution's guardrails are made of steel, not hanging by a thread. #oscars #documentaries #standyourground #secondamendment #gunrights #racialbias

Today on Not Even Mad: Jeff Nussbaum and Dan Rothschild debate the Iran war’s shaky public support, the administration’s failure to make a clear case for sacrifice, and whether the mission is deterrence, regime change, or just another round of mowing the lawn. Then they turn to the Democrats who won in 2025, asking whether Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill, and Zohran Mamdani are actually governing on affordability or drifting toward the usual cultural and ideological fights. Plus, in Goat Grinders, conference badges, left-side driving in St. Lucia, and the humiliations of the new Acela. @danrothschild #politicaldebates #iranwar

It sounds absurd. But you need to schedule time to worry. Instead of obsessing over mistakes all day, give your brain a specific time to think about them. And most of the time… you forget what you were worried about. Author and behavioral design expert @nireyal explains why our beliefs shape reality—and how to stop reinforcing the ones that make us miserable. The Gist Podcast is longest running daily news podcast of all time. Check it out wherever you listen. @PescaGist #Psychology #MentalHealth #Productivity #NirEyal

Thanks to Castbox for featuring How To! on their app: castbox.fm/vic/1469631127 #howtopodcast #castbox