Summary + Highlights
Sue Bethanis hosts Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, co-founders of Astrea Strategies and co-authors of the new book, GOLDEN: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. Drawing on lessons from neuroscience, business, spirituality, politics, and the arts, Justin and Leigh explore why auditory, informational, and internal silence is essential for physical health, mental clarity, ecological sustainability, and vibrant community.
In this episode we explore the meaning of silence, how it impacts us as individuals and how we can cultivate it as leaders and within our community. Justin and Leigh have studied silence through their own experiences of meditation and mindfulness teachings, in addition to interviewing a wide range of individuals with unique experiences of silence. They ask the question “What is the deepest silence you have ever known?” to better understand other’s perspectives and meanings of silence, and what they have found is that silence can have a different meaning and connotation to every individual.
Guest Profile
Justin Talbot Zorn has served as both a policymaker and a meditation teacher in the U.S. Congress. A Harvard- and Oxford-trained specialist in the economics and psychology of well-being, Justin has written for the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy, and other publications. He is cofounder of Astrea Strategies, a consultancy that bridges contemplation and action, helping leaders and teams envision and communicate solutions to complex challenges. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife and three children.
Leigh Marz is a collaboration consultant and leadership coach for major universities, corporations, and federal agencies as well as a longtime student of pioneering researchers and practitioners of the ritualized use of psychedelic medicines in the West. In her professional work, she has led diverse initiatives, including a training program to promote an experimental mindset among teams at NASA and a decade-long cross-sector collaboration to reduce toxic chemicals in products, in partnership with Green Science Policy Institute, Harvard University, IKEA, Google, and Kaiser Permanente. She is the cofounder of Astrea Strategies. Leigh lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and daughter.
Resources
- Book: GOLDEN: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise
- Websites: justinzorn.com | leighmarz.com
- Connect on LinkedIn: Justin Talbot Zorn| Leigh Marz