Through Another Lens Podcast

I do not set out to be a podcaster.

My first memory of the medium is Adam Curry in my ears on an iPod, and I think, This is portable radio that belongs to me. Interesting. Then life moves on.

The spark to actually make a show lands in 2015. I'm having coffee downtown when I hear a host say, "Live from the basement of the Balboa Building in Santa Barbara, California." Two blocks away from where I'm sitting. I track him down. His name ...

Capturing the Moment

I'm on a quick trip to Colorado for my friend Duey Freeman's 75th birthday. He picked me up at the airport Saturday night, and now it's Sunday morning, over breakfast at my hotel in Golden.

Duey and I found ourselves talking about something neither of us had examined before. Two men in their seventies, trying to figure out why neither of us has had what we'd call a best friend since... well, maybe never.

"I have f...

It’s a picture-perfect Santa Barbara day at Tucker’s Grove. Blue sky, soft breeze, and that warm sun that sinks into your skin like it belongs there. We’re gathered under the trees, catching up—old Wavefront friends. Forty-one years since we launched the company. Most of us are now in our sixties or seventies. The conversation feels familiar: grandkids, travel, the joys of slowing down.

You’ve heard this one before. Where are you li...

I didn't expect an iceberg to open the door.

Or that an 11-year-old would hold my gaze like a Zen monk while I explained the subconscious.

We were sitting together, my grandson and I, talking about the mind. I asked him to imagine an iceberg.

"The part you can see above the water," I said, "is your day-to-day thinking. What you're doing right now. Talking to me, listening, thinking about what you might say next."

That got a nod.

"But th...

The Mobius Mind

How refusing to pick a lane led to breakthrough thinking

I'm sitting outside at a café in Santa Barbara. The sun is warm on my face, and I can see exactly where we are — this little table by the window. It's 2003. I'm 48, in that space between Wavefront and whatever comes next.

I've brought in two great guys — Robert and Brett — to help me shape what I think will be a personal brand. I'm starting to get speaking invita...

I had just left Wavefront. This was early 2002.

I didn't have a plan. Didn't have a product. Hadn't met Kymberlee yet. No introNetworks on the horizon. Not even a whiteboard sketch of what was next.

I was wandering, really. But when your brain runs on systems and visual metaphors, it doesn't exactly sit still. Even when you want it to.

So when I ended up at a wildlife film festival here in Santa Barbara, I wasn't expecting it to becom...

"Coach Richard delivers his pickleball wisdom, we all just listen, then he says 'Good talk' and walks away. Nobody talked back! This hilarious habit sparked a revelation: certain phrases don't just stick with us—they completely hijack our brains and become our unconscious operating system.

In this episode, Mark explores how sayings choose us, from borrowed wisdom like 'See One, Do One, Teach One' to his own coaching catchphrases lik...

Our animal companions often become unexpected mirrors, reflecting back chapters of our lives we might otherwise forget. In this personal narrative, I trace my journey from a childhood surrounded by 37 rooftop cats to my current life with two bonded Ragdolls. Along the way, I've learned about care, loss, and finding connection on nature's terms, not mine. If an animal has ever chosen you, you'll recognize yourself in this story. Rea...

The pizza was burning.

Not a wisp. Not a curl. A full-on billow of dark smoke forced its way out of the oven and into the living room like an angry guest.

It was 1975, Los Angeles. I was 20, newly settled in Santa Barbara, and down in L.A. to visit my younger brother, Tim. He was hosting a party at his rental house. Like a lot of young-adult spaces, it was held together with folding chairs, takeout menus, and optimism. It was the kin...

There's a strange kind of clarity that shows up in your seventies. Not in the 'I've got it all figured out' way, but more like a long view finally coming into focus. I look back and think: How did I make it through all of that without knowing what I know now? And also: What even is it that I know now

At 21, I found myself divorced with a small son to raise. Everything I thought I knew about adulthood shattered overnight. That moment...

Welcome to See What You Think, the podcast where I share stories that spark reflection, connection, and a little bit of wonder. I'm Mark Sylvester, and each episode, I take you on a journey—sometimes personal, sometimes unexpected—but always meaningful. My hope is that you'll walk away seeing things just a little differently. This week's story begins on a Santa Barbara beach, where a conversation with an old friend sparked a revela...

This week on See What You Think, I'm sharing my winding path from reluctant teenage runner to martial artist to pickleball enthusiast at 71. But this isn't just about sports—it's about the communities that shape us and the decisions that determine how we'll experience our later years.

You'll discover why "training for the future" matters at every age, how finding your tribe transforms physical activity, and the one question that ch...

In this episode of See What You Think, we present an AI-generated conversation exploring the world of Oddly Useful Robots—a collection of quirky, AI-driven tools that are equal parts practical and whimsical. Using Notebook LM, we transformed raw insights into a casual, engaging dialogue, diving into how robots like Gastro Gnome, TeaKu, and The Veil & Crumb turn everyday moments into something extraordinary. From mystical fortune co...