Downright Mindful
Downright Mindful
Podcast Description
Downright Mindful: Exploring People, Perspectives, and Purpose
Hosted by Matt Parris and Paul Sausville, Downright Mindful is a podcast that dives deep into the stories, moments, and musings that define us. From the classroom to the community, history to human connection, we share thought-provoking conversations with everyday people who leave an extraordinary impact.
Each episode brings candid discussions, insightful reflections, and a touch of humor as we explore life’s big questions: What shapes our choices? How do our perspectives evolve? And what does it truly mean to live with purpose?
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes of personal connection, historical narratives, and societal issues, with episodes covering the impact of music on history, discussions around legal concepts in education, and personal reflections on individualism and masculinity. Topics often dive deep into cultural commentary, exemplified in episodes like 'Buffalo Soldiers' which examines the power of music and language, and 'From Corrections to the Classroom,' where personal career stories intersect with broader societal discussions.
Downright Mindful
Good conversations. Great stories. People worth remembering.
Downright Mindful is hosted by Matt Parris and Paul Sausville from East Tennessee.
Some weeks, we sit down with educators, coaches, public servants, community leaders, local legends, and everyday people whose stories deserve to be preserved. Other weeks, it’s just Matt and Paul behind the microphones talking about history, culture, education, current events, or whatever has us thinking that week.
We don’t pretend to have all the answers. We just believe there’s still value in sitting across the table from someone, asking good questions, laughing a little, disagreeing sometimes, and actually listening.
Over 100 episodes in, the mission is becoming clearer: preserve the people, stories, and conversations of our time and place while staying curious about the world beyond it.
Think of Downright Mindful as a dusty old box of letters in the attic. Stories from our time and our place, preserved for whoever comes looking someday.
New episodes every Sunday at 2 PM.
Follow the show and come be part of the conversation.
Paul is a little under the weather this week, so Matt called in some backup.
Episode 102 introduces you to the newest member of the Downright Mindful team, Ashlynn Maddox, formerly Ashlynn Akiona.
And there’s a lot of history here.
Ashlynn is the daughter of former Walker Valley High School principal Nat Akiona, who hired both Matt and Paul at Walker Valley. She was also one of Paul’s journalism students and helped create The Hoofprint, a student publication during her time there.
A few years, a college graduation, a marriage, and a move to the Atlanta area later, things have come full circle. Ashlynn is now editing Downright Mindful.
Matt and Ashlynn catch up on what life has looked like since Walker Valley, how she ended up joining the podcast, and pretty much whatever else comes up along the way. Brushy Mountain, true crime podcasts, The War of Art, journalism, creativity, and the strange ways people from different chapters of your life sometimes find their way back around.
No big agenda this week. Just a good conversation with someone you’ll probably be hearing a lot more about around Downright Mindful.
Episode 102: Funny How Things Come Full Circle
New episodes every Sunday at 2 PM.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@DownrightMindful
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/3sANbCaTFQag9nMCnR01N7?si=0950bd8497ee47ad
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/downright-mindful/id1776503597
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DownrightMindful
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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