Strip Malls & the cheers bar

Hello from Atlanta,

What do you think of when you read the words... STRIP MALL?

Firstly, there's no stripping. No pole dancing. No one dollar bills. 

Secondly, they're everywhere and form the backbone of Main Street - the small mom-and-pop businesses that underpin American capitalism.

The rows of grubby one-story shops occupy a slice of real estate along side main roads and intersections. We have a bunch littered around us. Odd places, but filled with fascinating slices of Americana. 

In just about every strip mall, even if they're near each other, there is nail salon run by a phalanx of Vietnamese, an eyelash extension shop run by an African-American woman in sequins and a Chinese dry cleaner. Fast food chains are hard to avoid but but if you trust the locals you'll find some of the best places for Ho Chin Minh City pho, Mexican burritos or Korean hotpot. 

Stores and restaurants in strip malls are not fancy. Mostly rundown. Often near a Dollar Store or charity shop. 

You have got to know where the gems are. 

Hiding in plain sight, in a nondescript plaza near us, is a legendary drinking hole.

It's modeled after Cheers, the bar in the TV series, where everybody knows your name. 

Listen to this week's episode about the variety of life and characters that exist within American strip malls - and some of the characters that I've met.

Enjoy!

Robyn

PS Have a listen on our YouTube channel too at Searching for America Podcast

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100 Year View

Hello from Atlanta,

When things get crazy who do you listen to? Your financial advisor who’s watching the stock market? Your most educated friend who works in supply chain logistics or government? My answer may shock you.

One of my favorite advisors is a 5 foot 2 octogenarian who is never short of an opinion, especially if it’s accompanied by a cup of tea and a shortbread biscuit. 

My grandmother, a formidable matriarch and astute purveyor of world events, recently turned 101 and her century-wide perspective is really helpful in complicated times. 

She's has lived through world wars that redrew the map, economic depressions that shattered lives, technological revolutions that have fundamentally altered how we connect and communicate. She’s seen empires rise and fall, social norms transform, and scientific breakthroughs once relegated to science fiction become everyday realities.

What has she taught me?

Not every fleeting headline demands our constant attention. 
Some storms will pass. 
History is littered with bad leaders, and stupid people. 
Our time is no different.

Plus...

Listen to this week's episode to hear what my grandmother's secret is to a long life. 

Thanks for supporting Searching for America. 

Robyn

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Elvis and graceland |

Hello from Atlanta,

I’m back in beautiful spring-time America after a trip to France and Monaco, where I hosted an event with His Serene Highness Prince Albert for his Foundation. You can listen to my reflections on that journey in last week's podcast - link below.

This week I have been thinking about the first trip we made as a family when we moved to America. 

We didn't go to Washington, or New York or Disney.

We went to Graceland.

Graceland, Memphis Tennessee. Elvis Presley's house.

I had been imagining traveling along the Mississippi, like Paul Simon sings in his Grammy award-winning album Graceland, since I was a little girl listening to the song on the tape deck in my dad's car. 

When we arrived at Elvis's home it was both the beginning and the end of journey. The lyrics and the music, and Elvis overlapped - and still do - to provide a soundtrack to the complexities of America, and South Africa. 

Thanks for joining me as I am Searching for America. 

Best,
Robyn

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OOh la la France |

I’m back in beautiful spring-time America after a trip to France and Monaco, where I hosted an event with His Serene Highness Prince Albert for his Foundation. You can listen to my reflections on that journey as I travelled on my new American passport for the first time.

What did the Custom’s official ask when I landed in Paris?

Have a listen as I am Searching for America.

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Fishin' with Jesus, Hell and losing religion | Drew McCoy

Hello from Atlanta,

When I moved to the American South, the thing that struck me the most as an outsider was the personification of Jesus in a way I had never quite seen anywhere else in the world. 

When I go back to South Africa, 

I often go to Catholic mass with my 100-year-old grandmother. 

The conversations are about God...

about heaven in a way that's intangible. 

And you come out of the service just feeling light and hopeful.

But here in America?? 

Jesus is in your music.

You're in the car driving together.

He's going fishing with you.

The idea is much more tangible than I had experienced before.

And I was so curious --why??

This week on Searching for America,

I dive into the religious culture of America with self-described "ex-vangelical" Drew McCoy.

Drew was home schooled in highly religious household. In his early twenties he realised that he didn't believe in God and has wrestled with his decision and the impact it made on his parents and community ever since. 

You should follow Drew on his successful You Tube channel where he's known as the Genetically Modified Skeptic. 

We talk about;

Creationism and taking the bible literally
Why evangelicals threw their support behind President Trump

Why his parents would probably think I'm going to be damned in Hell for all eternity.

The uniquely American relationship between religion and television.

Searching for America is a journey, thank for joining me as a try to understand this place that I now call home. 

Best,
Robyn

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Standup comedy, politics, and being Reasonably Happy

Hi from Atlanta,

Do you joke about American politics? Or is it all too serious to not be funny anymore?

Some comedians don't like President Trump --

John Mulaney says he's like a horse, loose in a hospital.

Some comedians love him --

Tony Hinchcliffe famously called Puerto Rico an "island of floating garbage" at Trump's rally.

No matter which side you stand on,

Politics in divided times can be lightened by jokes.   

Or not. 

Stand-up comedian Paul Ollinger thinks politics turns off audiences.

This week on Searching for America, the New Yorker explains why he prefer to joke about himself, his marriage and how his wife packs the dishwasher rather than politicians.

I watched Paul do a stand-up set at the Laughing Skull comedy club in Atlanta a few weeks ago.

He talked about that and;

Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg (he was one of Facebook's original employees)
'Retiring' in his forties to be a comic
His searching for meaning via his Reasonably Happy podcast. 

So, what is funny, and what isn't in America right now?

Enjoy this week's episode

Best,
Robyn

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Hamas tunnels, Ukraine and city warfare

Hello from Atlanta,

If your city were attacked by military force, would you know how to protect it? If the answer is no, you've got to listen to John Spencer's story on the podcast this week. John is the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point. He's also a combat veteran. 

When Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, John started a thread on X/Twitter which was
“what my advice would be to civilian resistors in Ukraine, especially Kyiv. Someone with no military training but wanting to resist. Here are a few things…”

He covered
→ casualty and fighter care
→ protecting civilians
→ attacking aircraft and drones
... and it went viral with over 20 million views and over 23,000 retweets.

It's now been organized into a manual and published in 17 languages. His basic military advice for civilians trying to defend their street or block saved lives and slowed the Russian advance. 

Now he's turned his attention to Hamas tunnels. Since the October 7 massacre John has been into Gaza four times with the Israeli Defence Force. He's gone into the tunnels and watched how the IDF changed it's tactics and strategy towards Hamas.

It's a fascinating conversation about war in modern times and what he's seen in Ukraine and Gaza. 

Oh, and we chat a bit about DOGE and why Elon Musk's chainsaw economics might actually see the budget for the Department of Defence increase. 

Listen in. John is a world expert in urban warfare and he's teaching the next generation of US soldiers and officers how to confront the enemy in cities, villages and towns. 

Enjoy,

Robyn

P.S. Sign up friends or family to the newsletter on www.searchingforamericapod.com

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No DiggIty, Michael Jackson and I

Hello from Atlanta,

What was it like working with Michael Jackson? 

“Remember the Time” writer and producer Teddy Riley tells me that working with Michael was like working with your best friend.

He said, ‘you're sleeping at the studio? 

I'm sleeping at the studio.’ 

I said, ‘but you don't sleep at studios….

you can go home.’ 

He said, ‘no, you're on this project 24 —

I’m on it 24.’” 

Teddy Riley has worked with some of the greatest American musicians in history.  

Michael Jackson

Patti LaBelle

New Kids on the Block

MC Hammer

Whitney Houston

Blackstreet 
Pharrell Williams and so many more.

'Michael Jackson will work on a song until we got it down to a science. And, he always say, the more time you spend on a song, the longer it will last.'

I am interested in what all Americans have to say about politics and the presidency. 

No judgement. 

Just curiosity. 

So listening to Teddy explain why he doesn't vote is fascinating. He is grateful to Donald Trump for pardoning his brother from prison. But is suspicious of all the parties and politicians in Washington, which he calls a "S**& show." 

As always, I am Searching for America with my outsider perspective. 

Robyn

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The USA Chaos Myth and Second Acts

Hello from Atlanta,

I’ve had friends from abroad reach out to say they’re worried about “the chaos” in America right now, and I tell each of them the same thing. 

Let's not get one's knickers in a knot. Don't fall into a hand-wringing state of terror or depression. Pour yourself a whisky and watch. I’m patiently waiting to see what happens. 

Between 

→ The firing of federal employees. 

→ The slashing of government funding. 

→ The constant signing of executive orders. 

…it’s easy to see how it looks like absolute chaos. 

But when it comes to everyday life?

The waters are calmer than they appear. 

Justin Farmer is a former news anchor turned CEO of a private investment firm. 

He has decades of experience covering news and following money. 

And he joins me this week on Searching for America. 

How does he feel about the “chaos” in the U.S.?

"Robyn, I take my kid to baseball. I have a job with my wealth advisory firm. I'm around all walks of life. Every day, you know, from a Publix to a baseball game to going down to the UPS store to ship something or whatever it is. I don't think America is in disarray. I don't. There's 2% of the country or 5%, whatever it is, that's enraged and furious, it's sort of like a screaming toddler. I'm gonna ignore that."

Also, on the pod. Second acts. Perhaps you can spot a trend here?

Justin Farmer is like some of my other guests who left their successful careers to start something new. 

It's what I did when I left CNN and started this podcast. Perhaps, maybe... I might just be using Searching for America to indulge in some group therapy? 

I know what's it's like to take a leap after doing the same thing for 20 years. That's why I really enjoy talking to the brave, audacious Americans who've done the same thing. 

Take a listen to Justin explain why he left as the face of WSBTV to chase a new passion in finance and wealth management. 

I was so excited to have this conversation with Justin. 

And now, I’m excited to share it with you. 

All my best,

Robyn

P.S. 

Leave a comment or a rating on the podcast after you've listened to it. 
OR

Tell me in the comments section of Linkedin, 

have you gone through a career pivot? 

And how did you handle it?

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Deviants and true crime

Hello from Atlanta,

Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy, The Zodiac Killer. Whether or not you know what their crimes, most Americans know their names. I want to know… why?

Why is it that America loves true crime stories so much?

Perhaps people are just drawn to stories of other people who stray from the path of “normalcy.”

In this week's podcast I speak to Andrew Iden who hosts a podcast called Deviant. We chat about the crime stories we have both covered and why so many people are obsessed with the True Crime genre.

I think it's because Americans just don’t realize how safe they are in this country. Try living in South Africa, where I'm from originally, where True Crime is a daily reality. 

Andrew has made a career covering true crime stories. So I wanted to know, out of all of the crazy stories — which one stayed with him? He quickly said…

BTK. The nickname given to the murderer who would Bind. Torture. Kill. 

BTK. 

“He was a killer in the 70s and 80s and went dark for a long time. 

He came back in the early 2000s. 

He taunted the media. 

He taunted the victims' families. 

And he was living a very normal life as a postman and a guy in the community that everybody knew…

but he was literally living two separate lives.”

What else makes True Crime such a fan favorite?

I was a correspondent in England and South Africa for many years. And I can confidently say the court system in America is unlike any other I’ve seen because of the drama that surrounds big cases. 

We live in a world where a lot of stuff gets leaked. 

→ National security

→ Entertainment 

→ Business

You name the industry, there’s probably something big that’s been leaked at one point or another. But not in the courtroom. 

Interestingly Andrew Iden says the jury decision is one of just a few processes where the result remains a mystery until the moment it’s announced. 

And that’s what keeps people hooked. 

Thanks for listening,

Robyn

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Sick care, Dr America?

Hello from Atlanta,

I’ve heard so many doctors in America voice the same complaint — the medical system doesn’t focus on healthcare, it focuses on sick care. 

Dr. LaSonya Lopez, host of the ShyftU podcast, is one of them. 

She says the human part of medicine is fading away 

as processes become more automated… 

and it’s becoming harder to look at a patient in a holistic way. 

And it’s contributing to a problem where people just stay sick.

LaSonya and I have known each other since I moved to America ten years ago. Our daughters were in the same class in Pre-Kindergarten and are now together in Ninth Grade. LaSonya and I both realised we were burnt out and unhappy in our careers at the same time. We had long conversations about where we were going, being stuck and what to do. 

Well, we both landed up leaving our professions (she no longer practices as a doctor, and I no longer work in main stream media) but we've both started podcasts and found our second acts. 

LaSonya has also helped me navigate the complexities of the last election. She didn't vote for Donald Trump but she does support some of the questions his nominee for Health Secretary RFK is asking about America's Sick Care Model. 

The latest episode of “Searching for America” is out now  — it's worth listening to LaSonya's perspective on leaving medicine, resilience and being a black woman in America. 

And you can find Dr LaSonya Lopez on her podcast ShyftU and her facebook group called Syp Tea. 

Best,
Robyn

PS. Please leave a comment on the podcast or follow us on instagram and X at @searchingforamericapod

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Dive bars, happy places and bad dudes with a CIA legend

It's Holocaust Remembrance week. 6 million Jews were murdered. Their descendants still carry the trauma.

Recently there's a been a barrage of accusations that various leaders or people in America are 'Nazis,' or 'Hitler' or 'Fascists.'

It's such a weak, misguided argument to label political opponents as 'Hitler' because it's been used by both Democrats and Republicans are various times. Remember when Obama was called Fuhrer for taking on gun control? Chose a different history, or better yet, label opponents with current-day names.

In this week's podcast I lament this false equivalency.

American business leaders are not capitulating like in Vichy France. It's not 1939. Trump is a flawed character, but he's not a 'king,' or 'autocrat' and nor is his presidency 'imperial.' Wrong labels, wrong time, wrong analogies. 

Whether you like Donald Trump or not, or agree with his policies, he has a mandate from a majority after massive democratic election. Cherrypicking Holocaust history to pigeonhole this moment in American history is foolish, short-sighted and a hugely disrespectful to the memory of the Jews who died at the hands of the real Nazis in a systematic genocide. 

The Use and Abuse of History was a pamphlet written by Nietzsche and it's so relevant now. Use history to understand trends and critically assess the moment. Don't use history to specifically re-engineer, revision the arguments of now.

Let's be smart about politics and discourse, and keep the Holocaust out of it. 

May their memories be a blessing.
Robyn

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Use and abuse of the words Nazi and Hitler

It's Holocaust Remembrance week. 6 million Jews were murdered. Their descendants still carry the trauma.

Recently there's a been a barrage of accusations that various leaders or people in America are 'Nazis,' or 'Hitler' or 'Fascists.'

It's such a weak, misguided argument to label political opponents as 'Hitler' because it's been used by both Democrats and Republicans are various times. Remember when Obama was called Fuhrer for taking on gun control? Chose a different history, or better yet, label opponents with current-day names.

In this week's podcast I lament this false equivalency.

American business leaders are not capitulating like in Vichy France. It's not 1939. Trump is a flawed character, but he's not a 'king,' or 'autocrat' and nor is his presidency 'imperial.' Wrong labels, wrong time, wrong analogies. 

Whether you like Donald Trump or not, or agree with his policies, he has a mandate from a majority after massive democratic election. Cherrypicking Holocaust history to pigeonhole this moment in American history is foolish, short-sighted and a hugely disrespectful to the memory of the Jews who died at the hands of the real Nazis in a systematic genocide. 

The Use and Abuse of History was a pamphlet written by Nietzsche and it's so relevant now. Use history to understand trends and critically assess the moment. Don't use history to specifically re-engineer, revision the arguments of now.

Let's be smart about politics and discourse, and keep the Holocaust out of it. 

May their memories be a blessing.
Robyn

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Buckle-up, buttercup

Greetings from Atlanta.

What a fascinating week. Welcome to the future! The Trump presidency kicked off with the promise of big change. The majority of Americans (+60%) are positive about the next four years. Even those who didn't vote for Trump are optimistic.

Why? 

1. When the Democrats even lose the Village People, then you know Pres Trump has a bunch of political capital. (Go watch Trump dancing to YMCA this past weekend.) In addition to his base, moderates, centrists and minorities gave Trump the White House. They're willing to give him the chance to modernize government.

2. Young people want to embrace AI and crypto. They're excited that Elon Musk and company are going all Founder Mode on D.C. After I recorded my riff, Trump announced a $500 billion AI plan called Stargate. 

3. Identity politics has alienated the very people it was supposed to protect. Common sense is/back. 

4. Energy security and immigration reform are bipartisan touch points. The differences come in the methods used to secure both.

This week we're on YOUTUBE with my thoughts about why you should view this Trump Presidency with an open mind (for now.) 

Best,
Robyn

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Goat rodeos and space nukes

Hello from a snowy Atlanta,

We’ve had rare snow falls here in the South over the weekend. Our snowman has half-melted but it still looks like a winter wonderland outside.

Nothing seems wrong with the world when it’s dusted with snow and ice does it? 

I spoke to Jeffery Lewis, pre-eminent American nuclear expert, State Department advisor and a self-described ‘arms control wonk’ when he was bundled up inside his home in a much colder Vermont. 

I’ve known Jeffery ever since he tweeted during President Trump’s first term that the administration’s nuclear plans were a ‘goat rodeo.’ Since then, I have found the term to be extremely useful and all-encompassing for all analysis involving U.S. politics.

January is the time of year when you look ahead and plan for the year ahead. It’s the perfect time to scare the bejeezus out of oneself too. Jeffery is perfectly poised to make you want to decamp to a nuclear bunker with a decade’s supply of canned food and a crate of bourbon. 

I asked him what crazy weapons countries were building and testing and where he thought nuclear proliferation was a problem for 2025.

Boom! Tune in to listen to Jeffery explain why he’s worried about the Russians going all sci-fi with a  space nuke which can take out satellites and a long-range nuclear-armed underwater drone, which the North Koreans copied. He’s also concerned that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon (highly likely) then the Saudis, the Turks and the UAE will want to pony up too. And there’s the worry that Burma (Myanmar) is looking to build up its nuclear capability, alongside Taiwan and South Korea. 

Good times ahead!

Hope you enjoy our snowy exchange on mutually-assured self-destruction and other fun topics. 

Robyn

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China, baby, it's all about China

Hello from a wintery Atlanta,

For years, China was handled with kid gloves by the Americans. Xi Jin Ping played Washington well and good. CNN's National Security analyst and author of The Return of Great Powers; Russia, China and the Next World War, Jim Sciutto agree on this basic point.

As the former Chief of Staff for the U.S. Ambassador to China, he tells me there was 100% naiveté from the US government about Beijing's deception. 

Now - thanks to Donald Trump, Jim says - the blinkers are off and the threat of China is front and centre for DC's national security worriers. 

There's a lot to game-out for 2025, but the competition between China and America is going to be the main global tension point this year, and beyond. 

Thanks for listening to this podcast while the rest of the world watches cat videos on Tiktok (and gets their data and movements analyzed by Beijing.)

Cheers,

Robyn

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New Year, New World

Happy New Year from Atlanta,

Hello 2025 and welcome back to the 19th Century. 

Great Power rivalry is the topic of my conversation with Jim Sciutto who is CNN's National Security analyst, an anchor and the author of a book called The Return to Great Powers: Russia, China and the New World War.

Across the world we are seeing hybrid overlaps of old and new. We've got trenches and drones in Ukraine. A transactional, mercantilist new American President and a weak states in Europe. A breakdown of global institutions and aggressive players like China, Russia, Iran and N.Korea prodding and pushing at the weak spots. The outcome could mean more more proxy hotspots, amplified possibilities of nuclear proliferation and a realigning balance of power. 

A forward-looking conversation about the realities of the state of play. 

Tally-ho,

Robyn

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Xmas cheer for the New Year

Hello from a wintery Atlanta,

The Chattahoochee River nearby is cold and the sky is clear blue. Winter in the South is thankfully crisp and mostly sunny. We've only ever had a handfull of snowfalls in the decade we've lived here

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for the support you've given to this podcast. Searching for America is a never-ending endeavor and it's going to be even more interesting during another Trump Presidency in a fast changing world. 

Take a listen to a few thoughts I have about his early cabinet and team picks and the choices he's making. 

See you in the New Year with some predictions.

Best,
Robyn

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But you don’t look arab

Hello from Atlanta,

One of the reasons I started this podcast was so I could have longer, back-story conversations with all of the interesting Americans I call friends, colleagues or Twitter/X DM buddies. 

Hala Gorani and I have known each other since we sat next to each other in CNN's London's bureau in the early 2000's. Hala and I overlapped as correspondents and anchors for the next twenty years. Both of us left the network in the same week.  Our husbands are still hired at CNN (they're better behaved than Hala and I.) In fact, Kim and Christian have worked together in every war zone since Archduke Ferdinand was shot. Basically, the four of us have seen a few things together. 

Hala wrote a great memoir called But You Don't Look Arab which details her family history in Aleppo, Syria and in the Ottoman Empire. I wanted to talk to her about events in Syria and the personal and political implications of a post-Assad country. 

Take a listen to her geopolitical assessment (WITHOUT a prediction because she says she always gets things wrong) and the extraordinary story of her great-great grandmother who was kidnapped by a one-eyed man and taken to the Sultan's harem in Constantinople as a child. 

And do buy her book - it will make a great Christmas present!

Enjoy,

Robyn

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Trumps Road to Damascus

Hello from Atlanta,

President Trump is already acting like he is already President and world leaders don't seem to mind. You only had to look at his interactions in Paris at the Notre Dame with Macron, Zelensky and Prince William to know that The Donald is well and truly back.

Trump's statement that America shouldn't get involved in Syria was not surprising but even for an isolationist and non-interventionist he might find it hard to step back. Don't forget US troops, special forces and intelligence operatives have been there for years fighting ISIS and supporting the Kurds.

Syria's future impacts America national security because of what it means for the regimes in Moscow and Tehran (losers) and allies in Jerusalem, Istanbul and Riyadh (winners.)

Will there be a fragmentation in Syria? A hard Balkanization? Or a soft decoupling like in Libya? What does that mean for the geopolitical puzzle pieces that make up the post-Ottoman empire? 

Trump may want to steer clear but, ever the real estate mogul, he just find it in America's interests to play some sort of role in the potential remodeling of Syria's future entity. Ally Israel is already taking the initiative, pushing forward and redecorating. 

2025 is going to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants year and Syria is just a little taste of what's to come. 

Best,
Robyn

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