Here's another quickie for you, only a half hour long. It seems not only are the portions at fast-food chains shrinking, so are the CHP episodes. Thanks to a team of amateur historians, WWII enthusiasts, and survivors, this interesting tale can now be told. It concerns a forgotten man named Mr. Lam Ping Yu 林炳堯, who left behind a WWII diary from 194…

In this episode, Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Dr. Chris Laszlo—professor, author, and co-founder of the Global Consciousness Institute—to explore a transformative new approach to business leadership. Drawing on decades of research and deep personal reflection, Dr. Laszlo challenges the narrow focus on profit and “sustainability” in favor of somet…

In this compelling episode, Jeff Bloomfield sits down with tech executive, entrepreneur, and resilience coach Mohamed F. Ahmed. From the moment a curious mistake with a floppy disk nearly wrecked his dad’s $10,000 PC—and unexpectedly ignited a lifelong passion for computers—to launching and selling a successful startup, Mo shares the deeper, human …

In this episode, Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Dr. Robin Hills, founder of EI4Change and a global thought leader in emotional intelligence. From his early career in pharmaceuticals to building a digital platform with over 500,000 students across 200+ countries, Robin shares how emotional intelligence—once a mystery to him—became his life’s work. T…

In this episode of Driving Change, neuroscientist and storytelling expert Dr. Angus Fletcher returns to share insights from his latest book, Primal Intelligence. Drawing from his research with the U.S. Army Special Operations, Fortune 50 companies, and education systems, Fletcher unpacks how the brain’s ancient systems—emotion, imagination, intuiti…

This is a rather long episode, running at just about one hour. The Guangxi Massacre is one of those dark chapters from the Cultural Revolution. Down in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it was particularly dark. I was listening to Stanford Professor of Anthropology Andrew G. Walder on the New Books Network discussing his 2023 book covering this…

In this episode of Driving Change, Jeff Bloomfield welcomes renowned behavioral expert and Columbia Business School professor Dr. Adam Galinsky. From his surprising birth as a twin to his evolution from clinical researcher to bestselling author, Galinsky unpacks the experiences that shaped his work on leadership, influence, and emotional intelligen…

In this episode, we look at the life of Anson Burlingame, a well-known name in California. During Lincoln's term as president, he was appointed Chief Minister to China, arriving in Beijing in the summer of 1862. Already well-known in the US as a fiery abolitionist and a man who believed everyone should be treated fairly and with all due respect, he…

Anne Montgomery shares her extraordinary journey from overcoming childhood adversity and dyslexia to becoming a trailblazing sportscaster, referee, author, teacher, and foster mother. Her compelling story is filled with resilience, breaking barriers, and embracing life's unexpected turns. Anne Montgomery’s incredible life is a masterclass in resili…

Here's a nice little standalone episode on the life and work of Thomas Wade and Herbert Giles. And you can't mention Herbert Giles without mentioning his son, Lionel Giles. And of course, Robert Morrison must be mentioned as well as all the earliest Western scholars of Sinology going back to Michele Ruggieri. And it wouldn't be fair to only talk ab…

In this captivating episode of the Driving Change Podcast, host Jeff Bloomfield speaks with Dov Baron, a globally recognized leadership expert who explores his powerful personal journey from overcoming extreme adversity to becoming a sought-after coach for world leaders. Dov shares deeply insightful lessons about understanding the emotional source …

This is only a 2-parter, so this exciting episode will bring the curtain down on Lin Biao and his famous "Incident." We resume the story following the 1970 Lushan Plenum. Lin, or Lin's ambitious manipulators, pushed Chairman Mao just a bit too much at this meeting, and he decided to take immediate action. This whole 913 Incident, as you will hear, …

Joe Knopp’s journey is one of raw resilience and redemptive purpose. From growing up homeless and in a Philadelphia orphanage, to serving in the military, to becoming a successful Hollywood film producer (I Can Only Imagine, Unplanned, Woodlawn, The Trump I Know), Joe’s story is a testament to the power of storytelling, faith, and perseverance. In …

This is Part 1 of a 2-Part series looking at the life of Lin Biao and the actual Lin Biao Incident itself. This bit of history is documented to death. I downloaded a dozen scholarly papers, read a few books, went through my entire library, and gathered as much information as possible. But practically every source ends with "cannot be proved." The L…

In this powerful episode of the Driving Change Podcast, host Jeff Bloomfield sits down with NFL legend and championship coach Bill Curry, a man whose humility rivals his accolades. From snapping the ball to Hall of Famers like Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas to learning life-shaping lessons from coaching giants like Vince Lombardi and Don Shula, Curry…

Just in time for Liberation Day, I'm presenting this timely episode. Back in 1890, with the aim of protecting American companies from foreign competition, tariffs were jacked up significantly. With all the advances in transport, logistics, and new technologies, world trade was shifting into a higher gear. For a few centuries, the Ming and Qing empe…

Summary In this heartfelt and engaging episode of Driving Change, Jeff Bloomfield welcomes back Kevin Williams, a renowned musician, comedian, and storyteller, for an inspiring conversation about purpose, resilience, and giving back. Kevin shares his journey from humble beginnings in Kentucky to becoming a celebrated musician, bandleader, and commu…

This is the second of a two-part mini-series introducing the world of European plant hunting in China. In this episode, we look at some of the more noteworthy names and their accomplishments. After the exploits of Robert Fortune, many other plant hunters followed in his footsteps to China. We'll look at Henry Fletcher Hance, Père David, Augustine H…

In this engaging episode of the Driving Change Podcast, Jeff Bloomfield interviews Dr. Iona Naismith, a clinical psychologist, adventurer, and expert in the neuroscience of compassion. Dr. Naismith shares her fascinating journey from growing up in the Scottish Highlands to leading expeditions in the Italian Dolomites and pursuing a career in psycho…

I was afraid I'd barely be able to scrape together enough material for a short episode. Instead, this one is gonna take almost two hours to tell. I hope no one minds that I opted not to drown anyone with Latin names and to go easy on the scientific aspects behind plants. The focus will be on the European and later, American plant hunters who came t…

Calling all fans of podcast great, Lindsay Graham! Here's a sampling of the very popular podcast, History Daily. On History Daily, they do history, daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history. Whether it’s to remembe…

In this episode of Driving Change, Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Hugh Kincaid, a 40-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company. From scooping ice cream at Disney World’s grand opening to shaping the company’s organizational culture, Hugh shares his journey of personal growth, leadership, and the intentional lessons he learned along the way. With anec…

Former BBC reporter and master jade carver Andrew Shaw is back. What an informative interview this one turned out to be! I hope you all enjoy this discussion of the history and legends behind jade. I learned quite a bit during this brief talk. I hope you do too. Links to Andrew Shaw's books about jade: "A Jade Treasury" https://a.co/d/f2ynsRF "Jade…

In this episode of the Driving Change Podcast, Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Paul Epstein, bestselling author of The Power of Playing Offense and Better Decisions Faster. A former executive with the Clippers, Hornets, Kings, and 49ers, Paul shares his journey from his humble roots and personal loss to building a career in professional sports and b…

I welcomed Wuhan-based Andrew Shaw onto the CHP to talk about his book. It's all about the plundering of China's cultural treasures and imperial artifacts by not just the British, French, and Americans. It seems everyone got in on the act. Even the local people. It's a miracle there was anything left for Chian's museums. Many of you are familiar wi…

With the Singapore History series out of the way, and 2025 off and running, here's the first special interview episode of the year. Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Joel Bigman, author of a new book called "The Second Journey." If you're familiar with the Ming Dynasty novel "Journey to the West," this one by Joel might sound…

First of all, to all of you who lasted through the entire series up to this concluding episode, I extend to you, my deepest appreciation. I hope you learned a few things about Singapore. Here it is, the final installment of the series. I worked on this particular episode during my Oct-Nov China-HK-Cambodia trip. I recorded this one in Phnom Penh at…

In its hour of need, quite a few leaders rose to the occasion in Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew didn't transform the nation by himself. Last time we saw how S. Rajaratnam carried the flag around the world and advanced Singapore diplomatically. In this episode, I'll also introduce Dutch economist Dr. Albert Winsemius and his good advice. Winsemius suggeste…

We left off last time with Singapore being granted sovereignty by Britain on June 3, 1959, and Tunku Abdul Rahman’s “Grand Design” speech concerning a merger between Malaysia and Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew took this pro-merger message directly to the people of Singapore. We’ll see how Lee deals with the political left by launching Operation Coldstore …

In this year-end special episode of the Driving Change Podcast, Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Dr. Dan Docherty, Chief Coaching Officer at Braintrust, to explore the profound influence of NeuroCoaching® on leadership, relationships, and personal growth. They dive into the science-backed framework of the Six Ps—Purpose, Perspective, Plan, Progress, …

This special end-of-year episode of the Driving Change Podcast highlights some of the most inspiring moments from 2024's guests. Host Jeff Bloomfield revisits conversations with thought leaders and change-makers, showcasing their insights on emotional intelligence, transformation, resilience, and purposeful living. The episode also introduces the n…

Post-WWII Singapore was a time that was loaded with historical events that shaped how matters would unfold throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s. The matter of how to handle the future of Malaya and Singapore begins to be seriously discussed and hotly debated. To showcase what the British and political leaders in Malaya and Singapore were up agai…

Podcast Summary In this captivating episode of Driving Change, host Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Trav Bell, also known as "The Bucket List Guy." Trav shares his transformative journey from a personal trainer to a global advocate for intentional, purpose-driven living. Through humor, passion, and candid vulnerability, Trav explains how he uses the…

In this episode, we see how Japan marched and bicycled their way across the Johor Strait and proceeded to quickly defeat the British Commonwealth troops. Then we see how Japan carried out a brutal and repressive occupation. Massacres at Alexandra Hospital and against the local Chinese residents of Singapore (Sook Ching Massacre) will also be introd…

Summary Kerrie Lee Brown's journey from journalist to self-care advocate is anything but typical. Starting in the world of bodybuilding magazines, she dove into other people’s stories, interviewing celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Imagine interviewing celebrities like that and thriving in a high-stakes media career—onl…

Although all kinds of tension brewed beneath the surface, the mid to late 19th Century saw a continued bonanza for Singapore. A prosperous combination of hard-working men and women, fearless entrepreneurs, and fortunes made in tin, rubber, and oil refining turned Singapore into the best thing to happen for the British Empire since Trafalgar, or may…

In this episode of Driving Change, Jeff Bloomfield sits down with a remarkable guest, Craig Lucas, founder and visionary behind Authentica. Craig shares his personal journey, from the trials of rebuilding his life after unexpected professional challenges to creating transformative experiences for individuals and organizations. But just as you think…

Part 4 continues with the aftermath of the 1824 Treaty of London. John Crawfurd takes over from a disgraced William Farquhar as First Resident. Singapore commences its never-ending building and infrastructure process. The Straits Settlements are created in 1826. With a spike in labor demand and with slavery recently abolished, the East India Compan…

In this powerful episode of the Driving Change Podcast, host Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Chad Foster, a trailblazing motivational speaker and the first blind person to graduate from Harvard Business School’s Leadership Program. Chad shares his extraordinary journey from a childhood diagnosis of impending blindness to becoming a leader in the cor…

With Singapore formally established, we look at those first months and years. As soon as the document was signed, Raffles left the island and William Farquhar took over as First Resident. It would be hard to find a more capable person to manage what needed to get the new enterprise up and running. Taking advantage of his personal connections in Mel…

In this episode of *Driving Change*, host Jeff Bloomfield sits down with legendary comedian Jeff Allen, whose journey from addiction and brokenness to clean comedy and redemption is nothing short of remarkable. From the man behind the phrase "Happy Wife, Happy Life," Jeff's story will have you laughing one moment and deeply moved the next. But what…

Today on the Driving Change Podcast, Jeff has returning guest, Dr. Richard Boyatzis, a pioneer in emotional and social intelligence. In this mind-bending episode, Dr. Richard Boyatzis shatters conventional wisdom about leadership and transformation, revealing the surprising science behind why most change efforts fail—and what really drives lasting …

With the arrival of the Portuguese and their 1511 victory, the history of this region began to move in s new direction. The Portuguese and the Dutch rather ignored Singapore and focused their trade and colonizing efforts on the Melaka Coast and in Indonesia. The Johor Sultanate begins its early rise to prominence. The conflict between Britain and t…

Requests to present the history of Singapore go back to 2010 or 2011. At long last, here's an easy-to-consume and digest overview of The Lion City. In Part 1 we'll look at the watered world of Southeast Asia and the Monsoon Winds that led to the earliest intra-Asian sea trade. And of course, the legendary 14th century founding of Singapore will be …

Join host Jeff Bloomfield as he sits down with Lauren Lane, beloved actress from The Nanny and Professor in the Acting Program at Texas State University. Lauren opens up about her journey from Oklahoma to Hollywood, the lessons she learned along the way, and how she now guides the next generation of actors. This episode is packed with wisdom on bal…

First off, let me apologize for the less-than-optimal audio quality. This is a very informative interview. And for those of you who missed my very old episode from 2013 or thereabouts covering this topic, this discussion will be a real eye-opener. The history of the Chinese immigrant experience in Mexico (and Latin America) is not that well known. …

Summary In this episode of the Driving Change podcast, host Jeff Bloomfield sits down with Joseph Johnson, founder of Change Course Ministries, to explore a powerful journey of redemption and transformation. Joseph shares how he overcame personal failure and incarceration to create a ministry that helps others rebuild their lives. Learn actionable …

This is surprisingly not very well-known and certainly wasn't taught in my US history classes. Here's a story for you that many might find hard to believe. Perhaps you're already familiar with the history of America's Chinese Paper Sons. Less known is the story of the 1957 Chinese Confessions Program. In this episode, we'll look back on the early t…

Eugene Lee, a trailblazing actor, playwright, and director, shares his powerful journey on the Driving Change podcast. From his roots in segregated Texas, where his family nurtured his academic and creative talents, to his discovery of a passion for acting in high school, Eugene’s story is one of resilience and inspiration. Despite stereotypes and …

In this episode, I'm presenting a simple but still informative overview of not only the Grand Canal but also the bigger subject of canals in China. The history of the Grand Canal isn't one clean linear story of a structure built all at one time. Although it measures over a thousand miles long, much of that distance was pre-existing in the form of r…