Unlocking Your Cranky Superpowers with Steven Joseph

Rich Bennett 0:00
Thanks for joining the conversation where we explore the stories and experiences that shape our world. I'm your host, Rich Bennett. And today, I am thrilled to welcome Stephen Joseph, a masterful attorney, seasoned negotiator and an award winning author known for his unique take on life's crankiness. You heard me right, crankiness as a son of a Holocaust survivor and an accomplished marathon runner. Stephen brings a depth of experience and a profound sense of humor to his work. He's here to discuss his latest book, Cranky Superpowers Life Lessons Learned from the Common Crake, A Sauce Chronicles. I love that title, offering insights on how to turn our everyday annoyances into sources of strength and wisdom. Stephen, first of all, welcome to the show. I got to ask right off the bat, where did you come up that term crank source? 

Steven Joseph 1:01
Well, first of all, thanks for having me. It's great being here. It's a lot of fun. So crank stories. My first book was a children's book, The Last Surviving Dinosaur, the Teressa Crank It Saurus. And 

Rich Bennett 1:15
Okay. 

Steven Joseph 1:15
the word saurus is the Yiddish word for problems. So 

Rich Bennett 1:20
Oh. 

Steven Joseph 1:20
I grew up in the in the Jewish home where it's like, Oh, you think you have stories? If I have your stories, I'd be doing cartwheels. Nobody could out to my stories. So it was like that. Stories, Olympics and and the story came about. I was actually in Rome with my wife, and we have this Airbnb kind of place, and she was dying. Her hair and the electricity went out. The dye went into her eye and then she got cranky and and because she's kind of tiny, I said, you're like the the crank at source. That's probably how all the other dinosaurs died. You kept this one little dinosaur, kept cranking out that source to all the other dinosaurs drop dead. And that got a laugh out of her. So that book was a story about how all humans evolved from the Teredo to crank good source. And that's how I read the first stories, which they they got married. The witch clutching means complaining. 

Rich Bennett 2:22
Right. 

Steven Joseph 2:22
This and that, you know. So that's that's how the cricket of came about. 

Rich Bennett 2:28
If. If I would. Good thing that she left. Because if I would have said that to my wife, she probably would have clocked me. 

Steven Joseph 2:34
She 

Rich Bennett 2:34
You know. 

Steven Joseph 2:35
left that kind of poker out of that, you know. So she kind of laughed at that. 

Rich Bennett 2:40
Well, I love it. So your book introduces us to the concept of turning crankiness into a superpower. So can you share a moment when embracing your own crankiness led to an unexpected, unexpected, positive outcome? 

Steven Joseph 2:56
Well, I guess the first the first big thing. So this goes way, way back. It was December 1987. I was practicing law in Pittsburgh. I was an attorney. I am an attorney now. So but 

on Christmas Eve, my girlfriend dumped me. Then on New Year's Eve, my brand new car got stolen. And then I got fired from my job. And so I lost my girl, my car and my job within, like, two weeks. 

Rich Bennett 3:32
Sounds like a country song. 

Steven Joseph 3:33
Yes. Yes, that's right. So I was kind of cranky. And also at the time I was like, this was after law school and I like cooking. So instead of studying all night, I would just be eating and cooking and going out for Important Night in Squirrel Cafe in Pittsburgh. And I got up to like £240. I was kind of heavy, so I said, no matter how tired I was, I was going to go to the gym and workout and they started me on a lifecycle level one 3 minutes and I could barely finish that 3 minutes at the easiest level. 

Rich Bennett 4:15
Why? 

Steven Joseph 4:15
And then by. By June of 88, I went from 240 £255. So I lost £85 and like that, five and a half months and I wasn't planning on it so. So that that's like an example. I was kind of cranky and, and I really said that, hey, I'm going to make a change. 

Rich Bennett 4:39
Mm hmm. You did? 

Steven Joseph 4:41
Yes. And I've been running marathons kind of ever since. Since then. So. And I'm 62 and I'm going to run the Jersey City Marathon in two weeks. So. So still working at. 

Rich Bennett 4:57
Annie, you're 62. 

Steven Joseph 4:58
Yes, the. 

Rich Bennett 4:59
Oh, come on, now. 

Steven Joseph 5:00
Yes. Yes. 

Rich Bennett 5:02
Really? 

Steven Joseph 5:02
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 5:04
For those of you listening. And of course, you can't see Stephen, but he looks a lot younger than me. I would have figured maybe late forties, early 50. 

Steven Joseph 5:14
No, no, no. I 

Rich Bennett 5:15
Wow. 

Steven Joseph 5:15
was born 1961, and and I went to 

I went I went to my first baseball game was like 1968, 69. I was from the I'm from the Bronx. I'm a mets fan. And I started going to Jewish school. And they they said, if you pray for a miracle, they happen. So I prayed for the Mets to win the World Series and they won. And then they were called the Miracle Mets. So I go, wow, this this praying stuff really works. Yeah, but that was that. I was kind of like the last miracle. I could take credit for. 

Rich Bennett 5:58
I love that women. How are they going to do this year? It's opening day here for us. 

Steven Joseph 6:04
No, no, no. No predictions. 

Rich Bennett 6:08
So I love the term crank it source. But how do you think recognizing our crankiness? This I love this. Rain could change the way we approach personal and professional relationships. 

Steven Joseph 6:23
Well, but by record. One of the things I have this book and then my prior book is a grownup guide to effective crankiness to crack at source method and in both of those books, I talk about the common crank at source. And, you know, we talk about the common cold where you have like one or two in a year, a common crank, that source two or three in the morning alone. So so by giving it a name and making it like this is like something that happens to everybody, you don't really look at it like, oh my God, like it's woe is me. It's like this is happening to myself. This is like a common, common thing. And then, then you could slow down, okay? You know, it's just like it happens. So it makes it a little bit easier. It's almost like, you know, you're going to get hit by a punch in, you know, how to defend it. You know how to slow it down. So I think that that's important to to look at. And and even with, you know, that kind of mentality, like in my first book, I talk about how we go, which is like, you know, you go to your grandmother's home and she says, Me, take off your shoes. I just got this carpet for $25. I don't want you to put dirt on the rug. My new fancy schmancy rug. So you take off your shoes because you don't want to make the $25 rug dirty. But then we work what comes out of our mouth. You know, we just like, put on each other. And again, understanding that, you know what the effect of our crankiness. You know, I talk about effective crankiness. We all get cranky. We all give ourselves permission to get cranky. And that kind of slows it down. And then, you know, you're not like taking somebodys. It's like, Oh my God, You know, It's like, okay, it happens in my book, in my crazy super powers book, I have this chapter called Crank It Source Menopause. And that was because somebody wrote a review saying this woman said, I wish she was. She was he was a woman because then he could talk about crank a source. Menopause like menopause, the cure for menopause. So I said, I'll write something. And the thing about in that in this book I talk about, I thought about the relationship with with my wife is that we have this deal that we're allowed to be 5% crazy, 20% in certain, 5%, 20% crazy, 5% insane, but 75% normal. And then you might think, Steve, I did the math in my head, 20% crazy in here. That's 73 days a year of crazy. I don't know if I could do all that, but it's counterintuitive because if I said red, you're allowed 0% crazy. So when you do become crazy because we all become crazy once in a while, you can say, I'm not I can't. You can't say you're crazy. You have to say I'm not crazy. You're the one who's really crazy. And then me, because I like being called crazy by a crazy person makes me a little crazy. And then we have this big, crazy, insane fight. So by giving you permission to be a little crazy once in a while, first of all, you appreciate how I get to be crazy. Oh, that's great. Oh. And I'm saying, you know, Rick is only using like 2%. It's no big deal. But so it just goes it goes up by the side. It does not. And then if we're not allowed that permission, we could end up 50, 60% crazy. And that's not really healthy. 

Rich Bennett 10:08
Okay, Steve, I got to know. Have you ever done stand up comedy? 

Steven Joseph 10:15
I actually Well, I did lot last year. I actually took from from crazy superpowers. I did perform on on stage on Broadway at a rare Earth Day event. 

Rich Bennett 10:29
Wow. 

Steven Joseph 10:30
Which was fun. And I actually took bits from the Cranky Superpowers book. 

Rich Bennett 10:38
Mm hmm. 

Steven Joseph 10:39
So it was it was about Seymour and Zelda, where the minister says. Seymour, do you take Zelda, for better or for worse? And he said, Yeah, No, no, no, no. You have to pick which one. Better or worse. So. So, Seymour thing, though. 

Zelda gets very nervous. I don't want to put pressure on her. I'll go with worse. And so the minister asks Zelda the same question. Do you take see more, prepare for war. So she goes, Well, well, I picked Seymour. I was picking from the bottom of the barrel. 

Rich Bennett 11:18
My. 

Steven Joseph 11:19
And when you go from the bottom of the barrel, you only hope for the better. So I'll go with better. And then, of course, see more because, I mean, like part of the barrel. I want to keep my answer. I want to I want to keep my answer better. And Zelda, I can't be better. I can't be better. And yes, I'm getting a panic attack. And and she goes to this similar I always used to think to me game changing to try to please me. I never want you to work so hard bullcrap. And so they go, can we do can we get both your and to get both you need lawyers that Mr. Explain you had to go they have to side like what is considered better what is considered worse. Let's say like you think you're better and she thinks you're worse. Like need lawyers to like the side or like the in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. So then they're picking up worse and they end up going for sickness to. 

Rich Bennett 12:18
Oh. Oh, my God. I couldn't. Yeah, I was gonna say, you doing stand up? I could sit there and watch you for hours. Just. I f I'm freaking rolling here as it is, which is good. It scared me for my next question here, because the books. All your books? Yeah, of course. Craggy superpowers. The last surviving dinosaur. Taran a crank. It's snickerdoodles in space. Noodles, kid Doodles, Poodles. Where in the world do you come up with these titles? 

Steven Joseph 12:54
I don't know. I don't know. And 

how I write I. I thought running for like in the morning. I go running like 2 hours and. 

Rich Bennett 13:07
Wow. 

Steven Joseph 13:08
And then. 

I come up with some ideas and then also work being an attorney. That kind of inspires me. It gives me material. This 

is in the bonus material doing what I do during the day so I can always get something out of that. And then. 

Rich Bennett 13:34
Right. 

Steven Joseph 13:35
I come up with something. So. And being an attorney. Just to let you know, like I explain in my book, Cranky super powers what law school is like. I say, the first year they teach you how to gather people's nerves, and the second year they teach you how to rub people the wrong way. And the third people, third year law school, they teach you how to get underneath people's skin. So when you can do all three exactly at the same time, you're a lawyer. So. So if you imagine that, like I have to surround myself with those two and I'm one myself all day long. First of all, there is material there and it also gets me cranky once in a while. 

Rich Bennett 14:24
Oh, God. Oh, man. I hope the hell I could make it through the race. 

I've never listened, Eberhard. 

Steven Joseph 14:35
Sorry. 

Rich Bennett 14:36
Oh, no, Don't be sorry. Hey. LAUGHTER is the best bet as severe. 

Steven Joseph 14:40
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 14:42
You have to laugh. Yeah. You mentioned that traditional self-help strategy strategies might miss the mark for many people. So in your view, why is embracing crankiness more effective than trying to suppress it? 

Steven Joseph 15:00
Embracing crankiness. First of all, if you can embrace crankiness, you have a sense of humor. You can laugh at. 

Rich Bennett 15:08
Oh, I love it. Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 15:09
That's if you take things too seriously. Every little thing. Like you have this really thin skin and everything sets you off. And then you know that it's like, ineffective crankiness. But. The thing about being effectively cranky, it's like, okay, that's that's why I have like in my first book, I talk about the crank at SawStop in terms of relationships where, you know, I recognize my partner's crankiness and I then the next chapter, crack at Source Kryptonite, everybody has their kryptonite. And, and I talk about how, you know, Superman has this kryptonite issue. Never went to the doctor. You know, you can go to the doctor for that. But but Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen doesn't get, like, discussed in saying, you know, we need a new superhero. Like, he's like, what's Superman? What's kryptonite again? So we know. So again, it's about having empathy, not not only for others, but also for ourselves. That again, by saying, okay, this is this is life. You know, life is going to give us some some of those days and we have to deal with it. 

Rich Bennett 16:27
Yeah. So I have to ask you this because 

I'll be just talking to you. The books here, you have to be laughing every day. You have to be. And you, of course, you make your wife laugh. I'm sure everybody around you, you make them laugh. But as an attorney, do you have you turn it on and off because. Just me talking to you this brief time. I. I haven't stopped. 

Steven Joseph 17:03
So. 

No, I use is humor. I negotiate and I use humor all the time. All the time. And in in I work in-house, so we have outside counsel. So just to give you an example 

in I do a lot of mediations where we negotiate. 

Rich Bennett 17:30
Okay. 

Steven Joseph 17:31
And it's a dance. It's always the same. The the first demand is like this huge, crazy amount. And I. And then the mediator conveys that to us. And I have to say, Oh, my God. I must presume that plaintiffs lawyer thinks he or she is most brilliant attorney of the entire country. This person is going to be appointed the United States Supreme Court. There won't be even like a like, you know, like Senate confirmation hearings because he's so smart. And then on our side, I actually had this conversation. I hired our attorney. I said, hey, you really stunk last time. Could you stink even worse this time? How about the guy you fired last week? Hire him back and have him handle the case? So you say, okay, there they have the number where their most brilliant lawyer and we have the biggest singer. So could you believe it? I actually didn't have that conversation. So presume it. Like, let's say they do a decent job 

Rich Bennett 18:33
Right. 

Steven Joseph 18:33
and miracles happen. We do a decent job as well. You get some things, you don't get everything in and then I move it for their. 

So to get the case back to reality. 

And then the other thing again, cases like lawyer Yuma, what I talk about, just to bring it into like the make it real. I have attorneys on the table every week. We have to fight fire with fire. That's what they also have to fight fire with fire. And I said, well, that is very interesting. So I went to the fire house near me and I asked the fire chief what high impact explosives to use a pot of fire. I also I'm thinking about smoking in bed. How much lighter fluid do I need to stick on the mattress before I start smoking? And believe it or not. The fire chief says we use water. Who know, who know, like they use actually water to put a fire in again. I this is my my day job. I'd 

Rich Bennett 19:39
Right. 

Steven Joseph 19:39
say like like what is our water? What is crystal clear? It puts out the fire. That's what we're trying to do from like a defense standpoint. I'm trying to put out the fire. But again, I have this funny way of bringing that to make like, a very serious point. And in my books, I want to be hysterically funny, but there is really a serious part to it in. 

Rich Bennett 20:07
Right. 

Steven Joseph 20:08
Sometimes I actually say what that is. So it goes on and on and on with all that. 

Rich Bennett 20:16
So have you thought about. Yeah, because you have the chicken soup box. 

Steven Joseph 20:21
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 20:22
Yeah, for everything. Have you ever thought about doing a, you know, a crank, a source book for everything, for different things? 

Steven Joseph 20:31
Well, you know, my books are almost like a chicken soup book for the. 

Rich Bennett 20:36
All combined different charts. 

Steven Joseph 20:37
Yeah. Yeah. Different chapters. Everything is. Is something different that you could take away. 

But yeah, like just different books. I haven't thought about it yet. You know, in terms of like right now I have my next snuggles, Fox News and SpaceX Episode two The Civil Strike Back. That's going to be coming out in a couple of months. And again, it's it's it's hysterically funny. It's ridiculous. But 

I'm very excited about it because that that to me, it's like it's a light bulb went off. You know when you get when you get to like, oh, wow, like that, that's something. So that book, just to give you the story, it is you know, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka in that story there, there was like the kids are spoiled kids and they made their decisions. But also there was a media circus, you know, like like even in that original movie, you see all the TV crews in the newspapers, everybody, no one has ever let in the chocolate factory before. So So I was, well, these poor spoiled kids, they probably got bad press or they went back to school and kids found out what really happened. And it was almost like, you know, shaming, you know, sort of things. 

Rich Bennett 22:06
Right. 

Steven Joseph 22:07
So. So I make those kids heroes in this book. So there's a for profit grow in worthy whining world or preppy from frumpy fruit or has a fuzzy woodsy poppy doodle first effects in any way with. And then he went pop and and wimpy whiny Google has had a Twizzlers Twizzlers slimy doodle. So first he swivelled and then she whistled. And then she turned into a bucket of slime. So. So that that was all over the papers and the kids. CALLER Find me do the woo, though, you know, like, like, you know me. But but then they have an opportunity to save the planet and do some good things. And and because there is a plot to turn everybody into Willy Nellies and dilly dally willy nilly noodles and dilly dally doodles, so. So they uncover the plot and and things worked out. 

Rich Bennett 23:08
So you're okay? It sounds like to me your books included in this one. It covers various life lessons. 

Steven Joseph 23:17
Yes. Yes. 

Rich Bennett 23:19
Okay. Okay. So even your children's books are not just for children. I would say for all ages, because. 

Steven Joseph 23:27
Yes, they are. I yeah, I definitely want people to like, like adults, you know, just to enjoy it. And 

Rich Bennett 23:38
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 23:38
my illustrator and kids newspaper articles which like they don't really appreciate so. 

And he's from Nottingham England. So in my first book this new though is new is like replace replace of Kraut mobile which was very stinky and made everybody cranky. Noodles runs on noodles. So just go to linoleum, fill up your studio with noodles. And even so you get to drive off like the noodle is a noodle powered car. And not only that, you get this wonderful dinner when you get home, just press the button, outcomes, the bowl, pasta, whatever you want. And it became quite popular. So. So he has like this one, like newspaper headings like, like this, this noodle mania, like this noodles bigger than the Beatles. And you have to like the force noodles are crossing Abbey Road. 

So that's something like any any adults like who were through the Beatles would go yeah that's that's very funny crossing and it's but a kid might not necessarily pick that one up again the adults are know that that's funny so. 

Rich Bennett 24:56
I don't know. Maybe because some of these it's a you see a lot of I seen on social media a lot even young people, when they go over there and they go to that Abbey Road, they have to reproduce. It's like they want to retake that photo of themselves. And I've seen young people do it as well. 

Steven Joseph 25:16
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 25:17
You can't beat the Beatles. Let's face 

Steven Joseph 25:19
No, 

Rich Bennett 25:19
it, 

Steven Joseph 25:19
he can't. 

Rich Bennett 25:21
sir. So with the new book, we talked about life lessons, but which lesson was the most challenging for you to learn and why? 

Steven Joseph 25:35
And this is again, talking about like learning. You know, when I write for myself. And I teach myself by by writing. So I always say, this is not the first interview I have said. This is like in is great. When you get that, you could catch it. You can hold it in your hand and say, okay, I'm not going to I'm going to slow that one down. So what it is in the first book of this chapter drive me crazy, Crank it source. And and I explained that we're in. I have a daughter. She's 29 years old now. But just like, you know, having kids, there is always those moments. It drives me crazy when and you fill in the blank, whatever. Something happens and then the next sentence in my head, I cannot understand how. 

And the smoke starts coming out of my my ears. So it was actually my my daughter had this experience that she heard she had to get her windshield replaced. So she takes her car to the professional windshield repair place where all they do is replace windshields. 

Rich Bennett 26:50
Right. 

Steven Joseph 26:51
They put in the wrong windshield and it's leaking and she has to go back and replace it and. So right away, the first thing goes like, I can't understand how the one thing that these people know how to do, they don't know how to do. It drives me crazy when something like that happens and I go, Yeah, but that happens to me a lot where, oh, I love things drive me crazy. And maybe I don't have to go there when that happens. I could. And then I wrote this chapter. Like, what happens was the the installer, the owner, everybody had their drive me crazy moment in that experience. And then we like in that story it's a made up story, but it's kind of partly true where. And we've all had this kind of experience where you go to the restaurant and you're waiting be served and you're not served and somebody is seated next to you. You see these other people. They came 20 minutes at you already on their dessert and you're still waiting to get served. So that would be like it drives me crazy when, you know, I cannot understand how. And and the waiter, the owner has to apologize and the owner goes crazy. And then the waiter is everybody over here? Is everybody else in the bathroom? So. So everybody have that that moment. So. So again, yes, it's it's driving me crazy moment. But by looking at it and making it, hey, this happens to everybody and. In the past. It's really got the steam, my blood going. Maybe I could just slow down now. This is one of those again, by making a comment as opposed to this. The first time I ever went into a restaurant and didn't get served right away. Well, you know it's going to happen. It's not fun. It's frustrating. It's annoying. But hey, there'll be other dinners, too. You know, just let me go on and we're going to get that windshield replaced the right way. It's annoying. It's going to take time, you know? Yes, but it let's let's let's move on. So I think that kind of helped me. 

Rich Bennett 29:18
Right. 

Steven Joseph 29:19
Just my own, like writing something and I taught myself. 

Rich Bennett 29:24
Speaking of the restaurant, cooking's mentioned as the ultimate superpower. So in a world often chic, where everybody's looking for fast food solutions, how do you think cooking and sharing meals actually play into building stronger connections and communities? 

Steven Joseph 29:44
So I yeah I wrote about that where and 

it was, it's just like when I came from a house my mother is a great cook. I happen to like my mother's cooking. So I kind of learned stuff and, and I enjoy cooking also. And. And then, uh, the thing about it is, is just like, making stuff with great ingredients, and it looks really beautiful. You know, you're presenting it and you created it. And people like you watch people enjoy the food and you're enjoying the food and it's it's really, it's really, uh, you know, 

uh, it's really like a great experience. I just want to I, you know, I'm not a, a reader of, like, on, on like when I do these interviews to read the beginning of that chapter, actually, because it makes the point. And if I could find the chapter. Yeah, 

crank it, sauce up Chapter ten. Page 52. So this is in the book. 

So I. Right. It's it's finally Friday. You made it to the end of the week. It's now time to crack the sauce inventory. You start out the week determined to do a deep dive but yet barely scratched the surface. You want to start peeling the onion, but you're only given a sack of potatoes. You needed to get to the heart of the problem. And you are told that we're not doing brain surgery here. You thought about taking the road less traveled, but you quickly discovered it was no map. You decide you're going to start thinking outside the box, but you are facing a stack of boxes with the instructions. There's a lot to unpack here. You needed to turn out, have to turn over every stone. But it felt like being pelted with rocks. By the end of the week, you resigned yourself to picking only the low hanging fruit, but most of that fruit had already spoiled. And you found yourself staring at the delicious rocks out of reach. You were hoping that you would finally catch up, but you found yourself just dropping further down. You were assured not to worry because we'll crack this nut. But you start to think that you're the only nut that will end up being cracked. So. 

So we had those weeks. 

Rich Bennett 32:15
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 32:15
And I've had these weeks as Friday. Yes, I can I talk about I could go to the bar and I had to give me two, you know, so. But Friday night. 

I make this spectacular dinner, I actually I go to this place where I get, like, really great fresh fish. I, I get branzino, I have it fillet, I say, head off, skin on, and then I buy like, like wild ocean trout or wild king salmon. I actually make two fish. Yes. I broil the salmon, I, I pan fry the branzino, I roast the vegetables and so, like carrots, artichoke hearts, baby broccoli, baby, zucchini, baby, whatever, whatever I could find. So I had this whole tray of like that vegetables, 

asparagus, and I get to talking mushrooms. Well, I was I pan fry the mushrooms, portabella mushrooms. I do all sorts of up it. So it's healthy, 

Rich Bennett 33:29
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 33:29
you know, so but it but it's beautiful and, and the fish is like wow. Like what a tasted. And my, my one kind of advice like red wine. I'll have a little wine with it and, and all that stuff I was talking about like that week I just described. It's gone. It's gone. And 

Rich Bennett 33:51
It's there. 

Steven Joseph 33:51
then. 

Rich Bennett 33:52
The cooking's therapy. 

Steven Joseph 33:53
Yes. Yes. So. So I get that. I know Friday is going to be this wonderful experience. So it just makes everything better. And it's a lot better than just drinking because you mean you drink. You just wake up the next morning, you're hungover and you think, like, I still have that stuff. 

Rich Bennett 34:17
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 34:17
Yeah. So. So this is like I created something. I created something, and I watched other people enjoy it. And it was. It was fabulous. 

Rich Bennett 34:29
And I got to agree there because I believe that cooking is the ultimate superpower. I love cooking myself, but there's times where a group of us will just get together, will pull the barbecue grills out, and just all of us cook together. 

Steven Joseph 34:45
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 34:46
One of my favorite things that I love doing, and we always do it. I think it's once a year we do it. There's a rotating homeless shelter and we always. Grill and cook the food for them. And that because then we even have the young kids coming in and joining us because they want to serve the homeless. And it's just so rewarding. 

Steven Joseph 35:10
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 35:10
It feels so good in that Poland community to get. It just seems like food always does that. 

Steven Joseph 35:17
My daughter and I would volunteer at some church. We lived in Nyack and 

we would help prepare the food. And we would then serve the food and then we would sit down with these people who were homeless or, you know, kids had little means. And she got to see it and have conversations with people. And and it was great. It was great. And they were everybody was appreciative. So. So that that that's that was that's really great. 

Rich Bennett 35:52
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 35:53
On my website. 

I have a blog. And. 

Rich Bennett 35:58
Yes. 

Steven Joseph 35:58
And then. And it's a lot of this crazy stuff. And I actually it's not written yet, but it's all written my head, which is how I work. And I was on the podcast and my illustrator, Andy Case, who like he's like like I'm in the middle of this like buddy movie with him and it's fabulous. I never want it to end. And I was in Nottingham with him 

and. One of the places to go, if you like, beer, one of the places you go to before you die is this place in Nottingham. It's the oldest pub in England. It's called The Old Road to Jerusalem. It was opened up in 1189 and you're sitting at tables that in seats that are like 800 years old. Nothing was changed in a pub. The beer inside the tap, they pump it and it was delicious. And and then it came back and I was on this podcast with them and I talked about, you know, Passover is coming up soon and I happen to be Jewish. And there is this this song we sing, it's called Diana, which is like when we sing Little Kids, it's like emphasis. It's kind of silly because we say, Die, die, yay! You like, you know. But really means it would have been enough. You did this one thing if you kissed this one thing but didn't do the second thing, that one thing would have been, Oh, is it the second thing? Well, we did a second thing, but it didn't do the third thing. The second thing would have been up to the third thing. Oh, we did a third thing, but it didn't do that. And it goes on and on and on. And it's about like gratitude saying like, Oh my God, you did all this. And so many times we think the exact opposite. It did this, but it didn't do that. You know, it feels like, oh, well, like, well, like what, Mike? I call you like, yeah, you did one thing too. So it's just turning it around and thinking about like, wow, like you've done so much. Like, even if you did, like, even half that. Oh, my God, I'm so grateful. And again, 

where like the opposite would make both of us cranky, like, Oh, you didn't do that. Yeah. Like, what have you done for me lately? And and I'm annoyed, I'm cranky. And then you're feeling cranky with some criticizing. You know, I've done so much for this guy, and he's nothing, and that's never enough. And and instead, by looking at things that we've got and 

appreciating that. And that's, that's why I like sitting there with people and eating and and having gratitude, you know, just that sort of thing. It's again, it comes through crankiness, but looking at crankiness, how could I change it? How could I move it a little bit different so I'm not overwhelmed by it and. 

Rich Bennett 39:03
Right. 

Steven Joseph 39:05
And again, I might even be cranky because something wasn't done. But I kind of have to remind myself about the gratitude piece of what was done. So 

Rich Bennett 39:16
The book 

Steven Joseph 39:16
does. 

Rich Bennett 39:16
reminds me of something that I've always 

taught my kids 

where I'm going to say this. So negativity, which is the crankiness. Look for something positive out of it because there's always something bad, always has something positive, you know about it. And I think that's the same with this, you know, your crankiness. There's a way to find the positivity. 

Steven Joseph 39:51
Yes, exactly. 

Rich Bennett 39:52
Turn it into that which is going to help people. I got it. I have to ask you this, because the illustrations. 

Steven Joseph 39:58
So. I can interrupt you with that because 

Rich Bennett 40:01
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 40:01
you mentioned that. And and one of the things they talk about is tell the story in the book, a true story where this rabbi was asking a class. What do we want to get out of life? And the kid said, pleasure and he goes, Yes, that's right. And then the rabbi says, Well, what is the opposite of pleasure? So kids right away said pain. And he goes, No, the opposite of pleasure is comfort. And he made the point like, you know, if you're comfortable, you're staying in bed. Just stay in bed all day and have nothing accomplished. So, you know, if you look at giving birth like I'm running a marathon and I'm crossing that like doing things that, oh, wow, I didn't think I could get done. I had to leave comfort. And and then that accomplishment that you get when you have that little discomfort, that challenge that then then you know, you get that is where you get your the biggest pleasure. 

Rich Bennett 41:08
I. Wow. I like that. Because. Yeah, I would if I'd say pleasure to observe, be covered. But no, that makes perfect sense. 

Steven Joseph 41:16
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 41:17
Because if you are comfortable, you're not getting anything done. 

Steven Joseph 41:20
No, I'm just sitting in front of the TV eating 

Rich Bennett 41:22
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 41:23
bonbons. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 41:25
We're with you when you run those marathons, when you cross that finish line, it's got to be the most pleasurable thing you feel, or at least at that time. 

Steven Joseph 41:33
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 41:34
You know, it's just like when you help somebody, you feel pleasure. You know, it's a reward. That's what I, you know, pleasure to me is a reward. 

You're an illustrator. You said he's an he's from England. 

Steven Joseph 41:52
He's from England and yes, he is in Nottingham, England. And every year I might go again this year because it was so much fun to fly out just to say thank you and. 

Rich Bennett 42:07
How did you guys hook up? 

Steven Joseph 42:09
So in the first grant, the last surviving dinosaur, 

I went with Mascot books as my publisher in What they do is that they send me like 75 different illustrators or stuff, and then you pick out the three you like the best and then they send you more stuff for those three. And then they picked Andy. So so that was that book. And in the second book, I have this story in my head. Students can do those foods and lots, lots of noodles. And then I guess research can maybe I could contact Andy directly. I found this email. I said, Hey, do this book for me. I have this book idea. And he said, okay. So I hired them directly. Instead of through like, you know, courses keeper you hire, you'll go through the middle person, 

Rich Bennett 43:02
Right. 

Steven Joseph 43:02
which was good and, and now he just finished the third. But we have snails in space. The fourth one that's already written that he's working on now, Escape from zero Tracks which is music themed and it's music themed that, you know, every book there's a new poodle, there's a new car, kind of like, like that introduced into the story and there's like six for the museum sort of place. So every book has that. So Zero Treasures is a place where on the planet pseudo they put where people that are like they like, you know in zero trust and and the the amazing thing about that this book and he's also a musician and. 

Rich Bennett 43:59
Wow. 

Steven Joseph 44:01
Actually, he just released an album. It's on Spotify. Leap of Faith. It's amazing. But the music inspired the story because I hear that like the guitar, like, you know, just the. 

Rich Bennett 44:13
Right. 

Steven Joseph 44:14
And he also has an incredible voice, which now like next book, like I have like in my head now to do video cartoons where, where, 

Rich Bennett 44:27
Oh. 

Steven Joseph 44:27
you know, like incorporating the music that created the stories. So like he has a song. 

Rich Bennett 44:34
Be awesome. 

Steven Joseph 44:36
He has a solid life on earth. And there's Andy Dandy, who started at the folk strudel factory. And then it has been sweaty with all the doo wop doodles. And I felt like, Oh, well, they'll be perfect. So. 

Rich Bennett 44:51
I love it. 

Steven Joseph 44:52
So yeah, it's like, well, like the possibilities now it's just like. Like even expanding. So, yeah, he's amazing. It's I just blessed to have again, it's like being in the middle of a buddy movie 

Rich Bennett 45:05
Right. 

Steven Joseph 45:05
and I love buddy movies, say like, I love buddy movie. So I mean, suck in one. 

Rich Bennett 45:11
When did you when did you actually release your first book? What year? 

Steven Joseph 45:16
I think it was 

2021 or 2022. Chuck, I don't. 

Rich Bennett 45:23
Really? 

Steven Joseph 45:24
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 45:25
So. 

Steven Joseph 45:27
2019. 2019. Excuse. 

Rich Bennett 45:29
So you haven't been writing that long? 

Steven Joseph 45:32
Not not this stuff. I have written like, legal stuff before that. 

Rich Bennett 45:36
Right. So, I mean, because your your books are amazing. I mean, the thing is, the good thing with your books, too, unlike and I see this of other books, it's the title grabs you right away. Yeah. Which is important. Which and the illustrations. I mean, the cover of Crikey super powers is just awesome, too, so it just pulls people right in. Any thoughts of the I don't know how well book sales are going. I would. And if they're not going well, we're going to get a muppet getting good. But any intentions or dreams of actually just retiring as an attorney and being an entrepreneur for the rest of your life. 

Steven Joseph 46:22
I had my dream, actually. Again, it's. It's. I told Andy like he's given me so many diagnoses would have been enough, he said, but and I want to give him back as many diagnoses too. That's why I said to him. And in the next book, how it begins, you know, the difficulty or the challenge with with writing like these new series books, is that every book you have to almost like tell what happened before, but you can't you know, you want to pick it up where it's like, let's start. They're talking about but making it fresh. And even if you didn't read the other books, you could get it. So. So in this coming this book that even hasn't been drawn yet, I already told them, you know, how that book is introduced. It's like almost like the mayor who shows up in the first book reappears with like a state of the city kind of speech. And there's a parade beforehand, almost like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And and it like so in this he's going to draw like a like the big balloons because all the kids are like all these kids are heroes. And he's going to talk about the heroes, the heroes of Noodle him. And these are going to be a big Macy's Day Parade balloons up in the air. And I said, my dream is that one day, like Andy will fly from New York and our characters will be up in the sky that he drew. 

Rich Bennett 47:57
Oh, that would be. 

Steven Joseph 47:59
And that would be and then I would just and for me, I won't be seeing the blow as even though that would be great. But just seeing the I just want to see Andy's expression. 

Rich Bennett 48:09
Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 48:09
That like he's looking up and he created that. And I can imagine the feeling of joy, like in amazement and like, Oh, my God. To see what he drew. Like, he's in a book. How many years ago? A teacher. And now, look, they're like 500 feet tall balloons over New York City. So. So that that is that that's. That's the dream. So, yes. 

Rich Bennett 48:39
That dream is going to come true. 

Steven Joseph 48:40
Well, I hope so. Because. 

Rich Bennett 48:43
Yeah, well, 

look, I have confidence. I 

Steven Joseph 48:47
Well, 

Rich Bennett 48:47
know 

Steven Joseph 48:47
thank 

Rich Bennett 48:47
it. 

Steven Joseph 48:48
you. 

Rich Bennett 48:48
I, Bill will. 

So tell everybody. Well, first of all, they're going to buy all your books. But with with cranky superpowers. Tell everybody why they. I'm going to say they need to why they need to buy this book. 

Steven Joseph 49:04
So. Yes. So I'll tell you why. There's a good reason why this work. Cranky Superpowers has won a gold medal. Pinnacle Book Awards for Inspirational Book of the Year with Feather Quill. Book Awards for the self-help category won the silver medal, and in Reader's View Literary Awards, it won the gold medal for humor. So that I mean, like I tell you, if you don't want to be inspired, you don't want any help and you hate laughing at stuff. Don't read this book. It's all for you. You don't want it? No. Then just stay away. But if any of that stuff goes. Oh, yeah. Help. Inspiration. I like the laugh. Yeah. You should read the book. 

Rich Bennett 49:52
I love it. And tell everybody your website and how they can find the book. 

Steven Joseph 49:57
Stephen. Joseph. Stephen. Joseph. Author Tor.com. You could find all my books 

and you can also like Amazon Barnes Noble's any website. Just look up my name. Stephen Justus and the other Stephen Joseph out there has other books, but but it's the cranking so. 

Rich Bennett 50:21
And I'll make sure I had the links in the show notes. So all of you listening after you purchase these books, very important. Make sure you leave a full review. I repeat, full review. Not just five stars, but leave. Why You liked it? Because we need Stevie to get as many reviews as possible. So to drive the algorithm of so more books and we can get that damn balloon. The Macy's Day Parade. Because I want to see that happen. 

Steven Joseph 50:52
Well, then I'll invite you on your invitation to join. 

Rich Bennett 50:55
Hey, I'm right down the road, so that works for me. I'm not far from it. I'm not far. So that would be awesome. Before I ask my last question, is there anything you would like to add? 

Steven Joseph 51:08
Well, it's great being here. It's great sharing this. It is. Really is. And I 

feel like I'm just so excited because, you know, you mentioned writing the reviews and people have written incredible reviews. If you go on Amazon, it's 4.5 stars up to like 209 reviews today. But, you know, people write like, is it genius or madness? I can't decide. Somebody said it's a cross between American Psycho and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

Rich Bennett 51:42
Oh, wow. 

Steven Joseph 51:43
But so many people have written used the word transformation transformative. So when I get that, it's like, oh, well, for the author, that that is that's incredible. So. 

Rich Bennett 51:58
You help somebody? Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 52:01
I could do that. And just like, you know, like the kid books and seeing the smile on the kid that like, that's that's extraordinary. 

Rich Bennett 52:09
With. You're your illustrator because it sounds like you two have a bond. I think this is something that's going to continue with all of your books. 

Have you talked to him and possibly both of you do a podcast? You know, come on, a podcast. 

Steven Joseph 52:29
We. 

Rich Bennett 52:30
Oh, you have. 

Steven Joseph 52:31
We have. Yes. So 

Rich Bennett 52:32
Oh, 

Steven Joseph 52:34
we are going to be both we have had before. And there is the book first, which is this book plus online book festival. That's April 6th. And since it's already been recorded, but it's Andy and I just talking 

Rich Bennett 52:52
okay. 

Steven Joseph 52:52
and actually was funny about that, I thought we would have like somebody asking us questions and and it said, no, no, you guys just like rap between each other. So. And Andy, basically I also I do. So Andy actually started asking questions. He was an interviewer and I was asked and then I just would start became a conversation after that. 

Rich Bennett 53:17
Okay. Okay. Well, if both of you ever want to come on this one, just let me know. I would definitely love to have you both on. Love to have you on again. I've never laughed so freaking hard, 

Steven Joseph 53:33
Andy 

Rich Bennett 53:33
though. 

Steven Joseph 53:33
is a spectacular. And he's 

Rich Bennett 53:35
Oh. 

Steven Joseph 53:36
funny, too. He's a funny guy. And and it's amazing working with him where, like, I know I almost like, know how he thinks and I almost right to like weird stuff in his head and then like, the weird stuff in my head and like, I kind of put it together and it it's it's great. Or so a lot of the scenes I'm thinking like, Oh, boy. And he's going to have so much fun with this one. So yeah, it is incredible. 

Rich Bennett 54:08
It's a great partnership. I mean, and not everybody. You're not authors find that. Yeah. 

Steven Joseph 54:15
Now. 

Rich Bennett 54:16
You guys are amazing together. And yeah, if you ever want to let me know, I'll make sure I have a pint ready. I don't 

Steven Joseph 54:23
Sounds 

Rich Bennett 54:23
know. 

Steven Joseph 54:24
good. 

Rich Bennett 54:24
I don't know. A pint of what, but I'll have a whatever you guys suggest. I'll make sure I'll find it somewhere. 

Steven Joseph 54:31
Okay, so. Looking forward to. 

Rich Bennett 54:34
Steven, thanks a lot. Thanks a lot. It's it's been a true honor. And everybody, once again, make sure you purchase these books, leave a full review and hopefully within within the next couple of years, We see these characters in the Macy's Day Parade. 

Steven Joseph 54:51
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 54:53
Thanks, Steve. 

Steven Joseph 54:54
Thank you, Rich.