If not for…
A gratitude project.
What is 'If not for…'
It's a podcast I started that is really just an excuse to spend time finding and talking with people who remind me of my journalist dad and the 38 people he hosted, seven at a time, for dim sum brunches, 2,546 Saturdays in a row, from 1966 to 2015.
Each guest talks, for no more than five minutes, about a single person who's had an indelibly positive effect on their life.
What was special about your dad and those 38 people?
They all possessed two specific character traits that you rarely find together in even one person — High intelligence and high, authentic humility.
Why are the episodes so short?
When the podcast started, the episodes were much longer. But that turned out to be impractical, a lot to ask of each guest, and a barrier to hearing from as many people as possible.
[Earlier long-form interviews here]
Did you get to go to your dad's dim sum brunches?
He started having me tag along in 1980, when I was eleven, right after he split with my mom. I'd never been around grown-ups who got along that well or laughed that much. Getting to be around those people is probably the most important thing that's ever happened to me.
Do you only feature folks who remind you of your dad?
No.
Too many people, of all stripes, reached out wanting to tell stories about folks who'd made a difference to them. This made the podcast better.
However, subscribers have the option to receive only those episodes that feature folks who remind me of my dad and his dim sum crew.
How do I subscribe?
Send me a note at ted@ifnotfor.com and I'll add you to the roster. You'll get new episodes via email.
Why can't I use my podcast player?
I didn't want this podcast to have ads, and podcast players have a nasty habit of inserting ads into podcasts that are meant to be ad-free.
Can I be a guest?
Tell me about the person you'd like to talk about, in an email. My address is ted@ifnotfor.com
Have you ever gotten guests together in person?
Yes. When I have time to organize them.
[Photos of gatherings here]