125. Social Media Overload: Digital Detox & True Community with Blaklee Ramsey

About this Episode

Are you ready to dive down the digital rabbit hole? Buckle up, because this episode takes you on a wild ride through the world of social media, podcasting, and personal growth.

Blaklee Ramsey, the mastermind behind the "Elevated Edict Podcast," joins host Craig Harguess for a no-holds-barred conversation that'll make you rethink your scrolling habits. But first, let's rewind:

Remember those college days when your biggest worry was how many wings you could sling during game day? Craig and Blaklee do. They kick things off with a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminiscing about their time at Foghorns Wings near the University of Arkansas. It's all laughs and "remember whens" until...

BAM! We're thrust into the present, where TikTok reigns supreme and dopamine hits come faster than you can say "swipe up." Blaklee drops some truth bombs about social media addiction that'll have you side-eyeing your phone. But don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom.

Did you know social media can actually be... good for you? (Gasp!) Our dynamic duo explores the brighter side of the digital world, from networking opportunities to spreading positivity. It's like finding a unicorn in a sea of cat videos.

But wait, there's more! Blaklee pulls back the curtain on her journey on being called to podcasting and here quick success. Spoiler alert: it's not all glamour and perfectly edited sound bites. She gets real about the self-doubt, the late-night editing sessions, and the unexpected connections that make it all worthwhile.

And for all you aspiring podcasters out there? Craig and Blaklee serve up a heaping helping of real talk about the challenges and triumphs of growing a show. It's like a masterclass in audio entrepreneurship, minus the hefty price tag.

So, are you ready to laugh, learn, and maybe rethink your relationship with that little device in your pocket? Tune in to this episode of the Bad Roman Podcast. Who knows? You might just find the inspiration to start your own digital revolution.

Connect with Blaklee Ramsey:

• Website

• Stan Store

• Elevated Edit Podcast: Apple Podcast, Instagram,

• Personal Instagram

• Tik Tok

• Patreon

• Threads

Episode Timestamps:

(0:55) Reconnecting and Reminiscing

• Craig introduces Blaklee Ramsey, fellow podcaster and longtime friend

• Craig and Blaklee reflect on their past work experiences at Foghorns Wings in Fayetteville, Arkansas

• Realities of working in Fayetteville during game days

(4:06) Blaklee's Background

• Born and raised in Arkansas

• Started working in restaurants at age 12

• Transition to sales and real estate, highlighting her strong work ethic

• Burnout in Real Estate

• Blaklee's journey to overcome burnout and set boundaries

• The Birth of the Elevated Edit Podcast

• Focus on self-improvement, work-life balance, and feminine energy

(11:32) The Dark Side of Social Media

• Social Media Overconsumption

• Discussion on the addictive nature of social media platforms

• Craig's recent experience with social media during a difficult time

• Blaklee's experience with social media addiction during the 2020 lockdown

• Realization of time wasted on social media

(20:43) Positive Aspects of Social Media

• Social media as a powerful connector

• Blaklee's use of social media to grow her brand and podcast

• Blaklee's strategies for setting boundaries and curating a positive online environment

(28:22) The Science Behind Social Media Addiction

• Companies' strategies to keep users engaged

• Importance of setting boundaries and being mindful of social media use

(34:39) The Elevated Edit Podcast

• Blaklee's journey to starting her podcast

• Focus on vulnerability, authenticity, and positive messaging

(40:27) Advice for Aspiring Podcasters

• Importance of pushing through initial challenges

• The value of authentic, unscripted content

(58:52) Final Thoughts

• Importance of diverse perspectives in podcasting

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17. Kerry Baldwin - Asking Better Questions

In this episode, Kerry Baldwin is back to talk about her new courses designed to help people of all ages become critical, reflective, thinkers and why this lost skill is becoming more and more crucial. Craig and Kerry begin their conversation by taking a look at how both the public’s and the government's responses to COVID-19 have shifted since April.

They next dive into Kerry’s course where we are invited to reconsider how we think about thinking, learning, and what actually is wisdom? This episode is not about answers, rather it is a beacon to the importance of crafting the question to precede any answer.

Timestamps and resources to start learning more:

1:17 Who is Kerry Baldwin 

• Kerry’s Facebook page

• Coronavirus New Mexico

• Governor of New Mexico - Michelle Lujan Grisham

5:51 Shifts in public attitudes toward COVID-19

• Bad Roman Episode #2 with Kerry Baldwin

• Friedrich Hayek quote about  the fatal conceit

• Oedipal mother 

11:16 Are coronavirus measures removing our humanity?

• The immune system

• Coronavirus mortality rate

• Crime against humanity?

13:35 Kerry’s Socratic Seminars

• What is it, who is it for?

• A brief history of the Socratic method

• Socrates

  • His death 

• Ignorance as a starting point for learning 

  • Ignorance vs. stupidity

• Intellectual humility

21:36 Materials Kerry uses in her course and why

•   Middle schoolers

  • The Tuttle Twins Series

  • Kerry’s created lessons

• High schoolers

  • Lessons for the Young Economist, Robert Murphy

  • Out of Frame Series. The Foundation for an Economic Education

• Adults

  • Murray Rothbard’s For New Liberty

  • Lessons & discussions on education, faulty reasoning, manipulation and more!

• Weekly Zoom discussions to practice the Socratic Method - learning how to ask good questions 

26:53 Social media contrasted with the Socratic method

28:41 Importance of participation in the Socratic method...aka why you can’t skip the Zoom call

• Benefits of a coach in facilitating an open learning environment

• Starting with asking questions and feeling safe asking them

• Answering questions you weren't’ prepared for

33:58 How does this method teach critical thinking?

• Different skill levels in thinking - 6 Stages

  • Unreflective thinker

  • Reflective thinker

• Socrates definition of wisdom - the more knowledge you have about the world the more you realize how much you don’t know 

• Those with less knowledge believe they know more than actually do - Dunning-Kruger Effect 

• Socratic method as a way to learn about the world and self

• How can these skills help us with social media?

40:09 Understanding how true statistics can be framed to manipulate us

• Correlation vs. causation 

43:04 Kerry’s Socratic seminars vs. lecture-style classes  

• What does learning look like to you?

• Permission to fail and be wrong

• Teacher pouring knowledge into student vs. engaged learning

•  Forced vs. voluntary engagement/participation

50:00 Why we need more people involved in asking good questions and productive methods of conversation

• It’s ok not to agree, in fact, we don’t want everyone to agree with us

• It’s not about “putting someone in their place”

• Social media and the desire to be right, even without understanding why you may be right (or wrong)

53:16 Learning more from being right than being wrong

• The “gut punch” of being wrong

• Getting comfortable with not knowing

• Bruised egos

55:37 What skills do students develop?

• Compare and contrast, clarifying issues conclusions and beliefs, understanding the difference between over-simplification and generalization

• “Feelings care about facts”

• Intellectual humility, courage, and integrity

• Independent thinking, self-awareness, fair-mindedness

• Perseverance, confidence, and reason

• And more!

57: 41 Feedback: What people have said of Kerry’s Socratic Seminars 

• Don’t underestimate kids!

• Giving kids a safe environment to make mistakes and what they will reveal they know

1:01:00 What we can learn from younger generations

• Why “old people” may be stuck in their ways - what’s going on in a child’s brain?

• Neuroplasticity

1:04:25 Kerry’s plugs

• Website: courses.meereliberty.com

• Facebook group

• Sign up for a course!