Dr. Holly Bell on Curiosity, Road Trips, and Reinvention

The Human Risk Podcast

How can road trips and curiosity shape our perspectives on life?
In this episode, I speak with Dr Holly Bell, a former professor, author, and spontaneous traveller.
Holly’s diverse background, which includes teaching economics, writing thrillers, and even working in corporate management at a Fortune 100 company, is rooted in her insatiable curiosity and love of reinvention.
Together, we discuss her fascinating career journey and how she continuously evolves by following her passions and embracing new experiences.
Holly shares her stories of spontaneous road trips, from jump-seating on FedEx planes to discovering hidden parts of Alaska. We explore the joy she finds in taking the road less travelled and how her adventures have shaped her outlook on life. She also dives into the quirks of U.S. tipping culture and other fascinating topics, giving us a unique perspective on behavioural economics and societal norms.
Whether you’re curious about career reinvention, travel, or the behavioural side of everyday decisions, this episode offers a fresh take on living with passion, curiosity, and a bit of spontaneity. Tune in to discover how embracing life’s uncertainties can lead to incredible adventures.
Guest Biography:
Holly is a retired professor of economics and business, known for her unconventional career journey and adventurous spirit. A former corporate executive with a Fortune 100 company, Holly has also been a novelist, voice actor, and radio copywriter. Her love for spontaneous travel and curiosity about the world has taken her to all corners of the U.S., including 13 years living in Alaska. In addition to her academic and business accomplishments, Holly is also passionate about storytelling and currently spends her time acting, writing, and creating unique experiences through her travels.
Holly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollybell/
Holly on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/HollyBell8
AI-Generated TimeStamp Summary
[00:00:00] Christian introduces Dr. Holly Bell and her diverse background
[00:02:00] Holly shares her early life in Wisconsin and her journey from a blue-collar family to college at 29 to working in radio, advertising, and voiceover projects
[00:04:00] Holly’s career reinvention: from professor to voice actor and writer in Florida
[00:05:30] Holly talks about her jump-seat travels on FedEx planes and spontaneous adventures
[00:07:18] The freedom of spontaneous travel and its impact on Holly's life
[00:08:21] Holly’s road trips in Alaska and the culture of curiosity behind them.[00:10:09] Exploration and divergent road trips with her husband
[00:12:13] Holly’s passion for human behaviour and its influence on her academic and professional life
[00:15:00] Christian and Holly discuss how education separates disciplines like geography and history
[00:17:00] The tipping culture in the U.S., Holly’s frustrations, and how it distorts incentives
[00:29:05] Holly’s brief stint in politics and her work on local governance
[00:33:00] Holly’s experience in her local community with frictional changes, like replacing gate access cards
[00:36:39] How large social changes, like smoking bans, face resistance but later become normalized
[00:39:16] Holly’s experience managing people and getting them to own decisions
[00:41:00] Holly's factory tours and her fascination with understanding how things work
[00:47:00] The benefits of curiosity and how it can lead to unexpected discoveries
[00:50:30] Final thoughts on how curiosity and taking the road less travelled shape both Holly's and Christian’s lives