#66 Ken Woodward: What Happens When A Question Is Asked?

"Questions are not neutral; they're interventions." - Ken Woodward

What actually happens inside us when a question is asked?

In this solo episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward explores the neurological, emotional, and psychological impact of being asked a question.

Moving beyond techniques or tactics, Ken examines how questions hijack attention, trigger chemical responses in the brain, open unresolved mental loops, and sometimes activate fear or defensiveness.

Drawing from neuroscience and a powerful encounter during his Washington, D.C. walking project, he reflects on a question that has remained open for years: What real difference are you making?

This episode reveals why some questions feel like relief before they’re answered, why others linger long after they’re asked, and how certain questions don’t just reveal who we are, but actively shape who we become.

Questions, Ken argues, are not neutral requests for information. They are interventions. And understanding their power changes how we ask, how we answer, and how we live with them.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Be sure to check out the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)

Keep questioning!

#63 Ken Woodward: The Inquisitive Almanack: 2026

"Direction often emerges not from knowing what you want, but from finally admitting what you don’t." - Ken Woodward

The Inquisitive Almanack: 2026 Edition closes the year with something Curated Questions has never quite done before—an affectionate, slightly irreverent, and deeply thoughtful almanack for the inner life.

Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack, this episode blends dry wit, invented bureaucracy, and hard-won wisdom to offer forecasts not for the weather, but for the heart, mind, and questions we carry.

You’ll hear interior weather reports, proverbs for the asking class, arbitrary rules of inquiry, lunar phases of curiosity, and predictions for the questions most likely to surface in 2026—across leadership, relationships, parenting, teams, and personal life.

Released intentionally as the final episode of the year, this Almanack isn’t a recap or a resolution guide. It’s a pause. A breath. A lighter place to rest before the calendar turns and begins asking new things of us.

Come curious. Leave rested. And carry one good question forward.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#14 Bill Reed: Questions At The Heart Of Leadership, Mentorship and Relationships

The discussion delves into how questions have shaped Bill’s parenting, leadership, and mentoring approach, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and intentional relationship-building. We also explore the impact of effective questioning in meetings and mentoring relationships, focusing on Bill's current endeavors and insights into fostering a culture of transparency and authentic inquiry.

#09 Derek Sivers: Challenging Conventions, Reframing, & The Intentional Path

Derek delves into his experiences with questioning assumptions, pushing boundaries, and the role of journaling for self-reflection. The conversation encompasses topics like the importance of reframing perspectives, cultural differences in questioning, and Sivers' embrace of minimalism. He advocates for reframing situations and adopting beliefs that are useful over what is "true." Practical advice and anecdotes underscore the value of curiosity and inquiry, offering valuable insights into leading a more examined life through the transformative power of questions.

#06 Bobby Morgan: Creating Disruptive Educators & Restorative Classroom Practices

Bobby Morgan opens the episode by recounting the realization that his approach to teaching did not inspire the intended results in his students. This realization prompted a process of unlearning while asking questions and listening to the very students he was there to teach. This conversation provides an exhaustive list of questions for students, teachers, parents, and anyone involved with school-aged kids... and we are all students. Bobby provides practical, real-world examples of meaningful ways to serve every aspect of the educational system by building disruptive educators.

#04 Austin Graff: Raising High EQ Kids, Living With Intention, & Curiosity Led Global Travel

Austin Graff has seen much of the world. Born to American parents, he grew up in Russia and Kazakhstan and returned to the United States for college in Michigan. He has lived in Washington, DC, for nearly 20 years and is married with a seven-year-old daughter.

Austin has spent his entire career in social media and digital marketing. He started at non-profits, then shifted to larger companies such as Coca-Cola and, until recently, the Washington Post. In 2022, Austin launched Curiosity & Connection, which combines media consulting and travel guides. His family joins him on adventures as he explores and writes about DC's 131 neighborhoods and various global destinations.

Austin shares deep insights into raising inquisitive children with high emotional intelligence, planning and executing worldwide travel with care for the local community, living a designed lifestyle, and describing what is necessary for a level 10 community. This journey is characterized by Austin's humility, love for people, and insatiable curiosity.