Host Christian Pearson interviews social entrepreneur & Cambodian pioneer Theary Leng, who received her MPA at BYU and is fulfilling her life mission to bring education back to her country. Theary shares her own remarkable journey with education, and explains why she believes it may be the most powerful force for good. Later, Christian asks Theary to share some of her goals for implementing change in Cambodia, including her plans to found the first public library in the country.

Podcast producer Ben Beck interviews Cambodian citizen and student, Chhour Kim. Chhour shares the best and worst parts of living in Cambodia. He compares life in the United States with life abroad. Later, they discuss some of the reasons why gender-based violence still exists in Southeast Asia, as well as how to address it effectively. Finally, Ben invites Chhour to share his favorite feature of his home country.

Host Christian Pearson is joined by David Benaim, a veritable Excel expert who believes that Cambodia weathered Covid better than any other country in the world. David describes his life as an expat living in Cambodia, and later he tells the compelling story of how he used statistics and excel sheets to fight misinformation and chaos during the global pandemic. He concludes with some key insights from his UNICEF report, which describes how different countries performed across a number of key indicators in the aftermath of the coronavirus.

Podcast producer Ben Beck invites Sam Christensen, host and director of The Best 2 podcast, onto the show. Sam shares some of his greatest impressions from his experience as a full-time missionary in Cambodia. Then, Ben and Sam discuss some of the cultural differences inherent to Southeast Asia and form hypotheses about their effect on small businesses. Finally, Sam explains what The Best 2 podcast is all about, and encourages listeners to tune in on their preferred platform.

Host Christian Pearson asks research fellows Seth Allred and Kyli Fox-Soug to talk about their experiences living and working in Cambodia for two weeks. Seth and Kyli share their initial reactions to the country, discuss various challenges related to international research, and reflect on their biggest takeaways from their time in Southeast Asia.

Host Christian Pearson kicks off Season 2 of the podcast to share an in-depth discussion on building peace with Mr. Som Chanmony, program director of the Cambodian NGO, Peace Bridges. Som (Mony) explains how his background as a former gang member influences the way he now works for peace in his community. He also tackles hard questions, including how to address generational PTSD in Cambodia, and how to heal broken relationships.

For more information about Peace Bridges, visit their website at https://peacebridges.net/

Host Christian Pearson and producer Ben Beck discuss their impending research trip while recording in an unconventional studio: the San Francisco International Airport. Ben goes into detail about research design and specific interventions to be implemented in Cambodia, while Christian shares some surprising findings about fixed vs. growth mindset. Next, they talk about the experiences they are most excited for, including touring the Angkor Wat Temple and exploring the floating villages on the Tonle Sap. Finally, Christian closes the episode by announcing a summer hiatus, but promises to return for Season 2 in the Fall.

Host Christian Pearson and global logistics expert, Dr. Scott Webb, share a fascinating discourse on the topic of cultural differences across international borders. Scott relates several stories from his years of experience, illustrating the power of cultural intelligence to create lasting business relationships. Then, they talk about how researchers might approach various cultural differences in Cambodia. Scott concludes the discussion by highlighting the importance of humility, compassion, and love to become truly "cultured."