Piece Talks

Hannah Doyle really didn’t think about jigsaw puzzles much until a fateful night where she was looking for something to do. Suddenly she was obsessed, and within a year she was finishing second in the California state competition, live streaming puzzles on Twitch, and gearing up for US Nationals and Worlds.

If you think that being a competition judge is primarily about taking down times, well…you’re right.
But international judges Daphne Harmsen and William Shandling show us that it’s also about innovation, empathy, and a deep sense of fairness.

What happens when you combine the analytical mind of a physics educator with the precision of a world-class violinist?

You get a partnership that shares a single competitive brain to deconstruct jigsaw puzzles at a cellular level. In this episode, Jim and Mari break down their unique roles: Mari provides the world-class "hands" while Jim serves as the analytical "eye in the sky," spotting patterns and pieces from a distance that you just can't see when your hands are on the board.

We dive into Mari’s "Type A Plus" competitive spirit and their shared pedagogical approach to mastering the table. Whether you're a casual fan or a hardcore sprinter, this episode is a deep dive into the thoughtful puzzling that defines elite play.

Lauren Kautz's first puzzle memory is also the story of her first cuss word. And honestly, that tells you everything you need to know about her. In this episode, we trace her journey from a kid doing puzzles upside down just to make them harder, to a three-time state champion and member of the legendary Betches. Along the way: an arch-rival turned best friend, an undefeated streak that had to end somewhere, tears at Nationals, and a hype man who just happens to be her husband.

Brand Experience Director for Cobble Hill, LINDA MAXWELL joins me to talk about how a self-described “California girl” ended up working for a Canadian jigsaw brand and how they came to sponsor teams like the Golden State Puzzlers and events like the US Nationals.

I learned so much from Linda, and we only had time to talk about a small amount of the topics we could have explored!