Join us in a lively celebration of holiday cheer as we gather at Parkwood Studios to wrap gifts with friend of the show, Rachel Bell.
“Wrapping Gifts and Unwrapping Wisdom”
A festive spirit fills the air as Rachel and Host Skip Lineberg reminisce about memorable moments from past episodes, sharing laughter and witty banter.
As the gift-wrapping frenzy unfolds, we explore the profound wisdom shared by our guests this season. These stories underscore the importance of embracing challenges and finding fulfillment through persistence and adaptability, all while highlighting the joyous imperfections of holiday preparations.
A surprise guest appears when the wrapping session is interrupted by a persistent courier from Wisdom Delivery Service, an upstart package delivery company. The delivery guy brings a package featuring wisdom from Skip’s past, emphasizing the importance of perspective. Can you guess who plays this cameo role?
Atop the campy escapades, amidst the glitter and despite several cornball jokes, you will enjoy highlights and soundbites comprising some of the best wisdom from Season 5.
Brief Bio for Rachel Bell
Rachel Bell is a book publishing professional and startup founder who is on a mission to propel the book industry forward. She works with authors, distributors, printers and brands to elevate and amplify their stories.
Rachel is co-founder of Overcup Press, an award-winning independent publishing company. During the early stages of COVID-19, when the book industry faced supply chain and distributions issues, Rachel founded Printer’s Row, a business-to-business online marketplace. Her previous publishing experience includes Adweek Magazines and Pomegranate Communications. Rachel Bell is driven by the power of books to save us, give us a window into the larger world, and preserve humanity through storytelling.
Rachel and husband Pat McDonald reside in Portland, Oregon.
Resources
Season 3 Recap (Wizard of Oz Theme)
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Credits
Editor + Technical Advisor Bob Hotchkiss
Brand + Strategy Advisor Andy Malinoski
PR + Partnerships Advisor Rachel Bell
Graphic Design Chloe Lineberg
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Episode Chapters
[0:00:01] – The gift wrapping session begins
[0:10:40] – Wrapping morphs into rapping
[0:19:00] – An interruption; unexpectedly knock on the door by WDS
[0:24:00] – Bloopers and out-takes
Keywords
Wisdom, Gift, Wrapping, Holiday, Season, Memories, Uplifting, Life Lessons, Resilience, Joy, Festive, Reflection, Personal Growth, Perspective, Creativity, Excellence, Acceptance, Friendship, ALS, Hiking, Underdog, Sports, Broadcasting, Aviation, Counterbalance, Hiking, Sourdough
Full Transcript of This Episode
0:00:06 – Skip Lineberg
Oh my gosh, it’s two days before Christmas. I’ve still got wrapping to do. But you know, it’s always better to do wrapping with someone than do it by yourself. Rachel, I’m so glad you were here today. I’m so glad you were able to get together with me to finish up our wrapping.
0:00:22 – Rachel Bell
I know Parkwood Studios looks amazing. You are so ready for the holidays with all these great decorations, isn’t it festive? It really is. I love what you’re doing here.
0:00:32 – Skip Lineberg
We’ve got so many gifts to wrap, we better get going. Hey, hand me that shiny silver wrapping paper. Thank you, oh, this box is massive.
0:00:43 – Rachel Bell
Oh yeah, who’s that one? For that’s an odd package. What’s inside?
0:00:47 – Skip Lineberg
Well, it’s for Mark and it’s an uplifting gift really. I had to add some ballast to the box. You’ll see I’ve put some rocks and BBs in there because it kept floating away. It’s so uplifting, almost like it had helium inside, or you know, when the wizard leaves Oz.
0:01:07 – Rachel Bell
Skip, are you trying to do a callback to our season three recap, perhaps? All right? Well, listeners, if you haven’t heard that one, you should give it a listen, because we definitely are very much on the side of wicked in that episode hey, where’s the double-sided tape? You know, I think it’s right over there. Skip underneath the rainbow wrapping paper here you go.
0:01:25 – Skip Lineberg
Oh oh, got it. Good, good. Okay, here we go. That’s really unique.
0:01:30 – Rachel Bell
Where did you find this gift?
0:01:32 – Skip Lineberg
Well, this uplifting gift, I found it in episode 103. Veronica Lewis made it for us on foot and by hand. She had to visit 40 waterfalls before she could put this together for us.
0:01:45 – Rachel Bell
I hope she had a really great rain hat on for that experience. But I remember that one. It was so great. Her main thing was the greatest views come from the toughest climbs, right.
0:01:57 – Skip
Yep incredibly unique gift and also the most listened to episode of season five the whole year of 2024, five times as many listens as any other episode.
0:02:08 – Rachel Bell
That is great. Can you give us a sample, Skip?
0:02:11 – Skip
Absolutely! Here goes.
0:02:14 – Skip
Veronica Lewis, what is the main thing you’ve learned in your lifetime so far?
0:02:21 – Veronica Lewis
Skip, I have learned that the best view comes after the hardest climb oh, I love that way to take it into the outdoor absolutely yes yeah, tell me more about that so your climb might be scary, lonely, exhausting, confusing. You might even get a little lost during your climb for sure my wisdom I’m sharing is that, after climbing through one of the most challenging years of my life, that the view once you are on the other side is better than you could ever imagine yeah, yeah so, and you know, I love to hike, I love to be in the mountains, and so, for this whole experience has come full circle. Knowing when you asked me to be to join you today and share my wisdom, it was an easy choice.
0:03:16 – Skip
That’s beautiful. I think about special places in West Virginia. There are many of them, and most of them are off the beaten path, and you’re not just going to walk a paved park trail to get there.
0:03:18 – Veronica Lewis
There have been tough hikes that I’ve been on where you have to maybe take a break, have a seat, catch your breath, and that is the same way it is going through life. Sometimes you need to take a break, catch your breath and then keep climbing.
0:03:37 – Skip
That’s part of it too.
0:03:37 – Veronica Lewis
That’s part of it.
0:03:41 – Rachel Bell
It’s not hard to see why that wisdom was so popular. That’ll be a great gift. Mark is going to love it. Do you have any of those sparkly elastic ribbons?
0:03:50 – Skip
Yeah, I’ve got about two yards of it left here on this spool. It’s in the cabinet right behind you.
0:03:56 – Rachel Bell
Oh, okay, thanks.
0:03:57 – Skip
Sounds like you’re wrapping up a fancy gift. What are you working on?
0:04:01 – Rachel Bell
Yeah, it’s going to be a beaut Clark, I mean Skip. What I’m wrapping is this airmail box.
0:04:09 – Skip
AirMail! Wow, that’s old school. What’s inside of that?
0:04:17 – Rachel Bell
Not surprisingly, that’s for the professional pilot, Rob Akers, who would deliver his profound wisdom by the way of airmail. Of course, the box held up really well, as did his wisdom, so you wanna hear what I’ve selected?
0:04:27 – Skip
Sure Play it for us.
0:04:30 – Skip
It’s really cool and curious to me that you used the word counterbalance, because I’m thinking about you flying a big aircraft, a huge, massive aircraft, and your payload or your load of passengers is not balanced, right? You don’t have a proper counterbalance. Let’s say you’ve got a heavy load on the back and now the front’s light, yes, and that plane’s not going to fly very well without a counterbalance, is it?
0:04:58 – Rob Akers
As you’re talking about this, I’m thinking about times in my life when I have flown a plane that’s been out of balance. It doesn’t fly like it should. It doesn’t operate the way it’s intended.
0:05:12 – Skip
There we go, yeah.
0:05:14 – Rachel Bell
This package of wisdom is really dear to me. You know, I really like how Rob educates listeners on the why of writing and not just the how, because you know me, I’m a book publisher, so that kind of stuff really stood out to me.
0:05:31 – Skip
Tell us about your writing practice.
0:05:36 – Rob Akers
Before we start specifically about writing, let’s talk about why. All humans, we need a creative outlet for our lives, and it doesn’t matter what that creative outlet is. We need a creative balance. We have a left brain and a right brain. Okay, the left brain is the everyday, the order, the logical side of our head. Right and life, all technology, everything pushes us into that left brain area.
So to counterbalance our lives mentally, we need to spend some time on the right side, on the right hemisphere of our brain, in the creative side, in the imaginative side, in the fun side, and you can paint, you can draw, you can do whatever write, music, podcast, pottery, anything. It doesn’t matter what that is for each individual, but we all need that, and the more that we can be in the right side, that balances out the left side too.
0:06:49 – Skip
Rachel, can you help me stretch out this beautiful gold and green plaid paper? I want to cut a really large piece to wrap a gift for Ralph.
0:06:57 – Rachel Bell
Oh wow, that is really beautiful. I mean even I don’t know what’s going to be inside. We’re going to check it out, but that is some really gorgeous paper.
0:07:06 – Skip
There, that’s just about perfect.
0:07:09 – Rachel Bell
I’ve got the bows right here. Skip, are you thinking a red bow, white, maybe gold bow for Ralph’s gift? And, by the way, what’d you get him?
0:07:18 – Skip
All three bows on this one: the red, the white and the green. This gift is really special. He’s a really big fan of WVU sports and Ralph always roots for the underdog. So this gift is a pound of resilience and it comes to us from Episode 111. Hall of Fame sports broadcaster Tony Caridi, the voice of the West Virginia University Mountaineers.
0:07:44 – Rachel Bell
Wow, that is nice. Why don’t you give us a sample, Skip?
0:07:50 – Skip
What do you love about sports and sports journalism?
0:07:53 – Tony Caridi
Sports is that one thing that’s still out there. That is a reality show and you truly do not know what the outcome is going to be. And I think that is why people very anxiously look forward to sporting events, because they probably have a feel they think they have a feel what’s going to happen. But there’s always those times, those moments where things happen that just force you to one never forget and two to keep you coming back.
So, to me, the excitement of the unknown and then having the honor of telling that story, describing that story while it’s happening to me, that is what makes me really excited about it.
0:08:44 – Skip
Rachel, I see you’ve got a really deep box there. I’m curious about that.
0:08:46 – Rachel Bell
Hand me some tissue paper and I will talk you through this one.
0:08:52 – Skip
Sure! Here’s a dozen sheets. It’s metallic tone paper. Golden.
0:08:58 – Rachel Bell
Golden is a perfect theme for this gift and the contents of this package. You see, Skip, I’ve got a box of wisdom for your dad, Paul.
0:09:05 – Skip
Wow, dad’s gonna love this because, as you know, he’s a lifelong Orioles fan. That’s how I became a Baltimore Orioles fan myself.
0:09:13 – Rachel Bell
Yeah, you’re kind of letting the cat out of the bag a little early, but this is, of course, a baseball-related gift and it is from MLB executive Chad Bolen in Episode 107. It’s going to be so valuable for a lifetime O’s lover, like your dad.
0:09:30 – Skip
Yeah, now aren’t you a Mets fan?
0:09:33 – Rachel
I am a Mets fan, which some years is harder than others. Every time we make it to the postseason, I feel a bit happier.
0:09:39 – Skip
You know, what we have in common, the mets and the orioles, is that we’re both still paying Bobby Bonilla 21 years after he stopped playing.
0:09:48 – Rachel Bell
I’d like to get a piece of that check, but anyway, I think this is going to be valuable for your dad. But I could tell you more, but I think we should just give it a listen.
0:09:55 – Skip
Well, here’s the pitch.
Chad Bolen, what’s the main thing you’ve learned in your lifetime so far?
0:10:04 – Chad Bolen
Skip, the main thing I’ve learned in my lifetime so far is the strength of our relationships often determine the extent of our success. Our relationships matter. We are relational beings and in this day and age there’s really no excuse for staying in touch with people that you have a relationship with.
0:10:30 – Rachel Bell
Skip, all this gift wrapping is making me hungry.
0:10:34 – Skip
Hungry for a rap?
0:10:38 – Rachel Bell
That’s right, Skip. Hit it!
10:40 – The Rappers
Season Five wisdom galore, 18 shows delivered to your door, wrapping gifts, a festive plight for sister, mom and brother bright. To choose the best from every guest a challenging feat, I confess. 18 Wise Souls opened the door for growth, for learning and so much more. My friend Rach, she helped me decide.
These nuggets, she said, can’t be denied. Wrapping skills a gift from my mom. Share the best and you come along, Skip’s guests. They’re the bomb. So join us, and hear their wisdom call.
0:11:17 – Skip
Okay, Rhymin’ Rach, you still got it. But I feel like we owe our listeners an apology. You know they come here for the wisdom, not our musical shenanigans.
0:11:26 – Rachel Bell
Now Skip, come on. You know, there’s nothing better than wisdom, with just a bit of wit.
0:11:33 – Skip
Yep, we can agree on that, but I have one more special gift box to care for.
0:11:38 – Rachel Bell
Oh yeah, that one looks really heavy. Whadya got there, Skip? And who’s the lucky recipient? That paper is gorgeous—diamonds and light beams, or are those prisms?
0:11:49 – Skip
Well, actually this one’s for me.
0:11:52 – Rachel Bell
Ah, the old self-Santa routine.
0:11:55 – Skip
Yeah, I guess you could call it that. And while you’re at it, where’s that shiny silver ribbon? Can you curl a few strips of it for me? Do you know how to do that? Did you learn the curling of the ribbon?
0:12:06 – Rachel Bell
Yeah, with the scissors. Yeah, I love that. Never lost a finger, either, trying that. But come on, Skip, spill the tea. What’s so special about this package of wisdom that you’re inclined to keep for yourself?
0:12:18 – Skip
Rachel. You see, this last gift can only be described as precious and dear to my heart. It comes from my dear friend who just recently left this world behind, just three weeks ago. It’s a powerful dose of wisdom from Jon Beck who brought it to us in Ep. 117.
0:12:38 – Rachel Bell
I’d love to hear it Skip.
0:12:40 – Skip
It’s the most important lesson I’ve ever learned in my life.
Here you go.
0:12:47 – Jon Beck
Eight years ago when I got diagnosed with ALS at the Cleveland Clinic, at the same place where they had told me nine months before they were 95% sure I did not have ALS. Oh wow, so that was a bit of a blow to go back in September of that year and hear the news.
0:13:12 – Skip
Yeah, because you would say: But wait, what about what you told me before?
0:13:15 – Jon Beck
What about what you said in January, doc? Yeah, I didn’t go there because that required a healthy measure of acceptance right and uh, not, that’s not that it’s easy to wrap your head around some information when there’s a basically a death sense tacked onto it. But we were in the parking garage outside the Cleveland Clinic and my wife had an emotional moment: what are we gonna do?
I said, “We’re gonna go eat Mexican food at that five-star place on the other side of town … as was our plan.” And we just kept it in the here and now.
You know, to the extent that I’m able to do that, I do pretty well. And if I look at what might be ahead, it could get scary, but I don’t live there anymore.
So I’m at peace the vast majority of the time because, you know, the God of my understanding has gotten me through everything with 100% survival rate so far. And I always seem to have what I need to get through the moment.
And that’s important to mention too. I don’t have to accept something forevermore, I just have to accept it here and now.
0:14:44 – Rachel Bell
Incredible—what a message! And what an amazing mindset that Jon articulated and modeled for us.
0:14:50 – Skip
He had every reason to be despondent, to be down. Living with ALS for eight, almost nine years, like he did. But Jon emphasized acceptance. It’s the key.
The best wisdom often comes to us through the more difficult teachings, the ones that are easy to say and much harder to do. You know what I mean?
0:15:13 – Rachel Bell
Yeah, it’s like tying the perfect bow with satin ribbon. My mom makes it look so easy.
0:15:19 – Skip
She does. That big cylindrical gift box is just screaming for a bow. I like it. Good call. Say what’s inside there. This is your last one, isn’t it?
0:15:31 – Rachel Bell
Yeah, we’re almost finished. The time has just flown by, as you like to say Skip: Time flies by when you’re hacking wisdom … or wrapping it.
So Skip, this last one is from Holly Fussell. I picked it up from her over in Fayetteville, West Virginia—one of your and my favorite places.
0:15:50 – Skip
Oh yeah, I love me some Fayetteville.
0:15:51 – Rachel Bell
And she’s got a great store there called Water Stone Outdoors. Holly’s wisdom just resonates deeply with me.
0:15:57 – Skip
Wait a second, Rach. You’re not telling me that you also pulled off a self-Santa, are you?
0:16:04 – Rachel Bell
Yeah, I admit it, I did. I guess we’re more alike than even we realize, Skip.
0:16:09 – Skip
Too funny, Rachel. Now I have to hear it. What was the wisdom nugget that struck such a deep chord with you?
0:16:15 – Rachel Bell
Well, it was her main thing. It exemplifies my approach to life and career. I just really like to test and learn and master different things, different paths, different trails.
You know me, Skip … DJing to advertising, public relations to publishing, startups to corporate gigs. Diverse settings.
You know, I really like when Holly tells us, “I don’t think there are any shortcuts to fulfillment.”
0:16:41 – Skip
Let’s roll some tape and listen in.
0:16:45 – Holly Fussell
Skip, the main thing I’ve learned in my lifetime so far is pursuing excellence in diverse settings leads to fulfillment. What I’ve come to realize is I’ve been pursuing excellence in some way. And I say pursuing because it’s not achieving excellence always. It’s often messy, but I’m trying hard at whatever I’m doing.
So during COVID that was baking sourdough bread. I don’t do that anymore, but during that time I was trying that and committed to it every week.
Like I said, when I was younger, I was doing triathlons. I wasn’t winning anything, but I was pursuing a goal and trying hard at that.
0:17:41 – Skip
What comes through to me, Is just an innate curiosity, an intense curiosity.
0:17:47 – Holly Fussell
It is. It’s a curiosity and knowing testing. With that, I think I also had in my past a view of myself that was more fixed and I’ve learned to embrace a more growth mindset as. I’ve aged and it’s opened up so much for me and thinking of course I don’t know it yet, Of course I don’t know how to do this thing.
0:18:13 – Skip
Oh, Rachel, I think that was a great wrap-up of our wisdom from Season 5, 2024, highlights. They were definitely worth celebrating.
[Sound of doorbell ringing]
0:18:23 – Skip
Are you kidding me? Oh my gosh, we were just about to wrap up the show. There’s the doorbell. It seems like every time, you know, if you listen, there’s leaf blower dogs barking. Now there’s somebody at the door.
Just keep rolling. Rachel, sit tight. I’m gonna go see who this is, and then we’ll finish up. Not much left to do. Not much left to do. Okay, okay, who is it? Gosh!
0:18:53 – Bob Hotchkiss
Yeah, hey, this is Wisdom Delivery Service. I have a delivery here for a Roger Lineberg.
0:19:00 – Skip
Wisdom Delivery Service? I’ve never heard of you. I’ve heard of like United Parcel Service ….
0:19:07 – Bob Hotchkiss
No, no, no. We’re new, we’re cutting edge. We’re here to deliver wisdom. Maybe you’ve heard about the Main Thing podcast.
0:19:14 – Skip
I have. Yes, I have indeed. So do you have like a packing slip or something? This doesn’t seem like legit.
0:19:22 – Bob
Yeah, yeah, it’s right here. I think it says Roger Lineberg. Do you know a Roger? Is this the right address for Roger Lineberg?
0:19:33 – Skip
I do, I do. Bob, it’s me —Skip.
0:19:37 – Bob
I thought that voice was familiar. Hey, it was you the whole time.
0:19:44 – Skip Lineberg
So what’s in the box? What did you bring me?
0:19:44 – Bob
So you know, I passed by earlier and I heard this noise coming from there. It kind of sounded like two people yelling at each other with some music going on, so it really caught me off guard. So I went to another house, and I decided to come back.
But the package I have for you, it’s featuring you, Skip. I wanted to share with you a little bit of insight from one of “Skip’s Quips,” if you don’t mind.
0:20:07 – Skip
Oh wow, it’s a bit awkward, I’ll admit. But yeah sure, let’s take a listen.
0:20:12 – Bob
So the one that really stood out for me was your conversation about Ootsie and McDonald’s. And what I really love to hear, and I know it’s something that resonates with you and it resonates with me>
And I think I can hear Rachel in the background.
0:20:28 – Bob
Hi, Rachel, are you back there?
0:20:30 – Rachel Bell
Yes!
0:20:31 – Bob
Okay, you just keep wrapping presents.
0:20:32 – Skip
She’s got more to do. Yeah, she should just keep …. Rachel, just stay in there in the dining room, you’re fine. I’ll take care of this Bob guy.
0:20:40 – Bob
So basically the wisdom that stuck out for me was Ootsie talking about seeing everything from all angles—and also just never settling. That really meant a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to you as well.
0:20:53 – Skip
Yeah, and also just like looking at things from a different perspective. It can really change your outlook. It can really bring new solutions.
0:21:05 – Bob
Instead of letting us talk about it, why don’t you open the package and take a listen yourself?
0:21:07 – Skip
Okay, here goes.
0:21:11 – From Skip’s Quips
Ootsie had just shown me one of the biggest lessons of my life. Quality isn’t about doing things in the way that’s most convenient. It’s about looking deeper, seeing things from every angle, checking those hard-to-reach places to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
After all, Ootsie was famous for one thing no matter the day or the shift, he never settled. And he wanted us to see things the way he saw them, too.
That night he didn’t have to say much more to me, with one final nod as he turned to switch off the lights, casting the place into darkness. As he closed the doors behind us, he gave me a pat on the back and said, “Skip, now you get it.”
There are a lot of things I’ve forgotten about that job. I can’t remember most of my co-workers’ names or the exact routine we followed, but I will never forget that sense of clarity and pride that came from seeing my work from different perspectives. Nor will I forget the quiet way Ootsie taught us that even the smallest things count.
0:22:15 – Skip
Bob, that clip you picked really is dear to me, and you know it takes me back to ….
I was probably 18 or 19 when I met Ootsie and learned some great things from him that, as you heard, they’ve stuck with me to this day. And I just really appreciate the way he taught me … getting up on the stepladder. Let me figure it out for myself. You know, he just gave me that nudge, and then it was easy to see my own mistakes and how looking at things from a different perspective could really—literally—open my eyes.
0:22:48 – Bob
Yeah, without question, learning a lesson like that at such a young age can really kind of pave your path for success in the future. So I’m so glad that you were able to learn that lesson and that I was taught lessons very similar to that when I was young and
0:23:00 – Bob
Rachel, are you still in the back there wrapping presents. Did you learn any lessons like that?
0:23:03 – Rachel Bell
Yes, I am. I’m really stuck in a whole lot of tape right now. But you know, I thought it was a very great episode as well, and it’s always good to hear those lessons as we get ready to head into the new year.
0:23:19 – Skip
Well, Rachel, thanks again for helping out with the wrapping. Couldn’t have done it without you, and your corners and bows are a thing of beauty.
0:23:27 – Rachel Bell
Don’t let that secret out, Skip. I’ll be wrapping gifts forever.
0:23:31 – Bob
Hey, I’m going to let you two get back to your wrapping. I’ve got more deliveries to make, way more wisdom to deliver here in the upcoming year. So, you guys get back to your wrapping and I’m going to hit the road.
0:23:42 – Skip
Well, we could all say: that’s a wrap!
Wow, Rachel, you got a lot done while I was at the door with Bob getting that delivery. How many more do we have to go?
0:23:52 – Rachel Bell
We’ve got to wrap it up. We gotta get to this party.
0:23:55 – Skip
Okay, let’s get busy, let’s get back to it.
0:24:00 – All
Bloopers and Out-Takes
Transcribed by https://podium.page
