Everyday Better with Leah Smart

Welcome to Everyday Better!

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:01:00 -0000

Since 2019, Everyday Better has released nearly 300 episodes to guide you in creating positive change in how you think, feel and act in the important areas of your life: at home, at work, in relationships and beyond. LinkedIn's Senior Editor in self-improvement and certified coach, Leah Smart has explored how to make your life better through expert conversations and research-backed strategies, every week. Now, the show is pressing pause on new episodes of Everyday Better, while Leah refocuses her time on her growing family.

But before we go on hiatus, we want to share a big thank-you to the community that has grown alongside the show.

Stay connected to Leah through her Substack where she’ll be personally writing about the very same topics you’ve heard on this show. You can also follow her on LinkedIn for practical career tools and interviews with some of the most inspiring people in the professional world. Finally, check her out on Instagram for everyday moments with her growing family.

Make sure to follow this feed for updates on how and when the show will come back. In the meantime, while Everyday Better is on hiatus, dive into the close to 300 episodes, full of inspiring conversations with trusted voices, and curated research-backed strategies to help you navigate transitions, challenges, and uncertainties with clarity and intention.

Thank you for listening, for growing, and for being part of this community. This chapter of Everyday Better is closing, but the journey continues. See you soon!

The Best of Everyday Better: Your Starter Kit for Creating Positive Change

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 08:01:00 -0000

In this special curated episode, you’ll hear the most impactful conversations from eight years of Everyday Better. If you’re looking for a practical starting point for personal growth, this episode is your starter kit.

You’ll explore how to get to know yourself better through tools like the Enneagram and astrology, how to discover your purpose and passion, how to use breathwork and mental skills training to regulate stress, how to deepen your friendships and relationships, and through these practices, make meaningful change in your own life and your own corner of the world.

Whenever you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or in transition, this collection is a roadmap that brings together the essential ideas, practices, and insights that define Everyday Better.

For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better is on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

And if you loved the snippets in this compilation, you can find the full episodes here (in order of appearance):

Carole Hopson: Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’
Dr. Jennifer Freed: Astrology + Psychology = A Map to Your Soul
Beatrice Chestnut: The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up
Dr. Michael Gervais: Rising Above Fear of Other People's Opinions
JP Crimi: Can’t Meditate? Try This with JP Crimi
Tal Ben-Shahar: Engineering A Happier Life
Michelle Thaller: Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday Awe
Shasta Nelson:The Anatomy of Friendship
Julie and John Gottman: Making a Relationship Last

The Year for Irrational Hope: Dan Harris on Training the Mind Through Meditation

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:01:00 -0000

In the final episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with bestselling author and mindfulness teacher Dan Harris for a practical conversation about how to work with your mind when everything feels overwhelming.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize and loosen the grip of your inner critic, respond instead of react under stress, and build hope and resilience through simple, science-backed mindfulness practices.

Whether you’re skeptical, overwhelmed, or just looking for tools that actually help, Dan breaks down meditation and mindfulness in a grounded, no-nonsense way, showing how mental training can help you feel calmer, more compassionate, and more in control, even amid uncertainty.

Follow Dan Harris on LinkedIn and find his books 10% Happier here.

For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

The Year for Irrational Hope: Gabby Bernstein on Accessing Unshakable Faith

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:01:00 -0000

In the third episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with spiritual teacher and bestselling author Gabby Bernstein for a conversation about fear, faith, and why changing your mindset and the energy you bring to the world is how to real change. From navigating uncertainty with irrational hope to making small daily choices that shift your energy, this episode offers a practical path to creating a life that feels aligned, meaningful, and resilient, even when the world feels anything but.

Follow Gabby Bernstein on LinkedIn and find her books here.

For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

The Year for Irrational Hope: Debbie Millman on the 10-Year Plan

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:01:00 -0000

In the second episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with legendary designer, author, educator, and podcast host Debbie Millman to explore the power of the 10-year plan.

Originally taught to Debbie by her mentor Milton Glaser, this visioning exercise is about suspending limiting beliefs and imagining an ideal day ten years from now without worrying about how it will happen. Debbie shares how it shaped her career, creativity, and personal life, and why declaring hope can quietly set real change in motion.

This conversation invites you to think bigger, let go of outdated identities, and make room for who you’re becoming.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one where Leah walks through exactly how you can do this visioning exercise: The 10-Year Plan: A Roadmap to Designing Your Dream Life

Follow Debbie Millman on LinkedIn.

For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

The Year for Irrational Hope: Bruce Feiler on Navigating a “Lifequake”

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:01:00 -0000

In the first episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with bestselling author Bruce Feiler about lifequakes – the major transitions that upend our lives, whether we choose them or not. From career changes and relationships to loss, parenthood, and global uncertainty, Bruce explains why expecting a linear life creates so much stress, and why most of us are actually in transition far more often than we realize.

They explore the three equally nonlinear phases of change: the long goodbye, the messy middle, and the new beginning, and why hope isn’t blind optimism, but a learnable skill. Bruce also shares how rituals, the focus of his upcoming book, can help us reconnect and heal collectively during uncertain times. This conversation offers a clear reframe for anyone feeling lost, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone.

Follow Bruce Feiler on LinkedIn and find his book “Life is in the Transitions” here.

For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Wintering: How to Weather Difficult Times

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:01:00 -0000

As we approach the new year, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes of Everyday Better, where Leah sits down with Katherine May, author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times.

Each winter, life slows down. It’s dark and cold, yet the season offers an opportunity for rest.

In Wintering, Katherine shares the story of navigating a personal ‘winter’ – a challenging period of time during which she retreated into herself in order to cope with everything happening around her. Drawing on research about how Northern cultures weather their own harsh winters, Wintering is a balm for weary souls everywhere.

In this episode, Leah and Katherine discuss the art of slowing down and how to embrace the metaphorical seasons we all go through in life.

Find Katherine’s book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times here.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Katherine May on Instagram.

Forget Trends, Follow Your Gut: Bobbi Brown’s Life and Work Philosophy

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:01:00 -0000

In this episode, Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road, speaks openly about the challenges of building her businesses, and what it felt like when a major change turned her world upside down. She shares how she navigated the shock, the anger—and the unexpected freedom—of starting over.

She and Leah explore what it takes to navigate sudden change, trust your gut, and start over in a way that feels true. If you’re facing a “now what?” moment, this episode is for you.

Bobbi’s journey began as a young makeup artist breaking the rules, creating natural, authentic looks in an industry dominated by heavy trends. What started with testing lipsticks on nannies at the playground grew into a global brand she built from scratch and ultimately sold to Estée Lauder.

But after decades at the helm of her namesake brand, Bobbi suddenly found herself facing a moment she never planned for: her work contract was canceled. Suddenly, life went quiet. No overflowing calendar. No endless demands. No clear next step. Just… herself.

You can find her book ”Still Bobbi: A Master Class in Resilience and Reinvention” here.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: On the Clock: A Working Mothers’ Roundtable on Parenthood and Ambition.

Follow Leah Smart and Bobbi Brown on LinkedIn.

The Courage to Choose Plan A: How Sister Monica Clare Embraced Her Calling

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:01:00 -0000

Are you feeling stuck in a career you find meaningless, wondering if you’ll ever find your true calling?

This week on Everyday Better, Leah Smart sits down with Sister Monica Clare — an Episcopal nun, spiritual counselor, and the creator behind the TikTok account @nunsenseforthepeople. Her path to the convent was anything but direct. For decades, she chased one career after another in Hollywood — acting, advertising, comedy, PR — all while ignoring the quiet truth she’d known since childhood: her true calling was to become a nun.

In this powerful conversation, Sister Monica shares how she learned to stop listening to the world around her and finally start listening to herself. She opens up about the values exercise that changed everything, the somatic signals that told her she was on the wrong path, and why “plan A” doesn’t have to mean certainty — just courage. Together, she and Leah explore how any of us can uncover our calling, navigate fear, build self-esteem, and make meaningful changes one small step at a time.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you're on the right path — or worried that you’re not — this episode will help you reframe failure, tune into what moves your heart, and get clearer on the life you’re truly meant to live.

You can find her book ”A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband, Career, and Everything I Owned to Become a Nun” here.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday Awe
Follow Leah Smart and Sister Monica Clare on LinkedIn.

Core Values 101: A Step-by-Step Guide for Finding Your Inner Compass

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Today, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes of Everyday Better, where Leah walks us through one of her essential personal growth exercises: defining your core values. When you're facing a tough decision and unsure which path to take, a clearly defined set of values can equip you with the clarity and confidence you need to move forward.

After explaining her own approach to uncovering what truly matters, Leah revisits some powerful moments from her previous conversation with personal growth educator Amanda Hilton. Together, they discuss prompts for identifying which values resonate most deeply with you and how to apply those values to make better decisions in your life.

Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Amanda Hilton here.

Download Brené Brown’s List of Values here.

Follow Leah Smart and Amanda Hilton on LinkedIn.

Former BBC Journalist Shares the One Communication Habit That Builds Trust

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Have you ever been in a high-stakes conversation where you tried to communicate clearly only to have the other person talk past you? Or maybe you’ve noticed yourself zoning out when others speak because you’re doing mental math on how you’ll respond.

When it comes to difficult or sensitive conversations, so many of our grievances could be solved with deep listening. It’s a way of listening that encourages each person to hear what’s underneath the surface level conversation. It enables people to be curious, empathetic and respectful so that they can engage more meaningfully and truly understand each other.

Emily Kasriel, an accomplished journalist, editor and media executive formerly of the BBC, has developed a clear approach for how to listen deeply. In her conversation with Leah, Emily guides us through how to use each of the eight deep listening steps, where deep listening is most useful, and how it can help us improve all of our relationships.

You can find her book, Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes here.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Are You Abandoning Yourself to Avoid Conflict?

Follow Leah Smart and Emily Kasriel on LinkedIn.

The Atlantic’s CEO on the Power of Doing Hard Things

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Nicholas Thompson is a writer, a father, a CEO, and a champion long-distance runner. Nick says that running has taught him how to navigate the hardest things in life. This conversation is about running, but it’s really about what changes when we commit to doing hard things.

Running has been a part of Nick’s life since his childhood, but it wasn’t until his forties that his running career skyrocketed. Even as he took on the demanding role as CEO of The Atlantic, Nick continued to break records as an elite runner.

Together, Leah and Nick discuss the cumulative effects of discipline, why you should challenge yourself outside of work, and how developing strong habits will impact every area of your life.

You can find Nick’s new book ‘The Running Ground’ here.

If you liked this episode, check out our conversation with Michael Gervais, one of the world’s top high performance psychologists.
Follow Leah Smart and Nicholas Thompson on LinkedIn.

Eli Rallo on Surviving Gen Z’s Quarter-Life Crisis

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Before she became a TikTok star, Eli Rallo had a clear vision for what her post-grad years would look like: she’d have a fulfilling career, fabulous friends, and would finally "feel like an adult." Instead, she found herself struggling with social anxiety, a directionless career, and a nagging fear that she’d never figure it all out: enter the 'quarter-life crisis.'

Eli started sharing her unfiltered experiences online, building a community by being open about the highs and lows of her twenties. And now, in her new book of essays, she’s unpacking the lessons learned and unexpected moments of joy she discovered through embracing life’s uncertainties.

Eli and Leah sat down to explore how Gen Z is coping with “adulting” and what you can learn from the other side of a big life transition. Plus, Eli talks about the unique challenges Gen Z faces and together, they unpack how cultivating real human connection offline confronts the strains and pressures of living in a digital world.

You can find Eli’s new book ‘Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?’ here.

If you liked this episode, check out our conversation with professor Erin Cech on the problem with passion.

Follow Leah Smart and Eli Rallo on LinkedIn.

Engineering A Happier Life with Tal Ben-Shahar

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We all want to be happier. But how do we get there?

Former professor of the most popular course at Harvard, Tal Ben-Shahar is a world-renowned positive psychology expert and author who has dedicated his life to understanding how we can become happier, both individually and collectively. Research reveals something surprising: chasing happiness directly is the wrong strategy.

This week on Everyday Better, Tal shares the science-backed tools and mindsets that actually lead to higher overall levels of happiness. He explains how we can build sustainable motivation instead of relying on willpower and why difficult periods in our lives aren't as damaging to our well-being as we might fear.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief With Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan

Follow Leah Smart and Tal Ben-Shahar on LinkedIn.

Are You Abandoning Yourself to Avoid Conflict? This Survival Instinct Might Be the Culprit

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We’ve all heard of “fight, flight, freeze,” but there’s a fourth survival instinct that’s harder to spot. “Fawning” can look like people-pleasing, and it’s often applauded in society. But over time, it can wear down your ability to feel safe when someone close to you feels unhappy, disappointed or upset. And it can lead to overly focusing on what other people think, instead of being in-tune with yourself.

So how do you know when you’re fawning? Today’s guest, psychotherapist Meg Josephson suggests asking yourself, “Am I abandoning myself to keep the peace?” In her conversation with Leah, Meg explains where the fawn response comes from, how it can impact your relationships and day-to-day life, and solutions for how to deal with it in different contexts.

Order Meg’s book Are You Mad at Me? How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You here.

Follow Leah Smart and Meg Josephson on LinkedIn.

The Only Time Management Technique That Works With Author Oliver Burkeman

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Oliver Burkeman is a journalist, author and former “productivity geek.” His bestselling book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals outlines a saner approach to managing your time in a world of never-ending demands and distractions.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Oliver explains why all of the tools and techniques meant to save us time and maximize our productivity ultimately make us feel more stressed and short on time. Oliver argues that the only time management technique that works involves recognizing that you’ll never feel on top of things. But once you accept that, you can actually start crossing things off of your to-do list—and he has strategies for how to do that as well.

If you liked this episode, check out Leah’s exercise for taking control of your calendar through “time crafting.”
Follow Leah Smart and Oliver Burkeman on LinkedIn.

Gretchen Rubin: How to Make Hard Decisions

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school… but should have. This week on the show, Gretchen Rubin—best-selling author of The Happiness Project—lets us into one of her secrets of adulthood: how to make decisions.

We’re all constantly making decisions, big and small. As we get older and become the “adults” in the room, we’re more often the ones who have to choose one way or another on some big life decisions.

So when the stakes feel high, how are we supposed to pick the right thing? Is there even a “right” and a “wrong?” And how do we make sure we have no regrets and make a decision that will make us happy?

Spoiler alert: we can’t.

But! There are things we can do to make better decisions. In this episode, Gretchen shares some of her hard-won wisdom and helpful tips on how to make decisions that are right for us. If you’ve ever wondered how all the other adults are choosing their paths, and whether or not you’re on track, this conversation is for you.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Case Kenny: How to Become an Optimist.

Follow Leah Smart and Gretchen Rubin on LinkedIn.

Case Kenny: How to Become an Optimist

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, mindfulness educator Case Kenny explains how we can change our mindsets and find a more optimistic outlook.

If you watch the news, you won’t find much to be optimistic about. To realists, optimism might seem like denying reality. But in this conversation, you’ll hear why optimism isn’t about burying our heads in the sand; instead, it’s a learnable skill you can use to find more agency amidst chaos and build trust in yourself, your community, and the world.

In this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Case shares what optimism really is and how we can authentically cultivate it in ourselves. He explains why changing our mindsets starts with addressing our self-talk and how we can learn to challenge negative beliefs.

You can find Case’s new book The Opposite of Settling here.

If you liked this episode, check out our conversation with cognitive scientist Maya Shankar on navigating life’s biggest transitions.

Follow Leah Smart and Case Kenny on LinkedIn.

Maya Shankar: How to Navigate Life’s Biggest Transitions

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, Maya Shankar, reveals what happens to us when we encounter unexpected and unwanted changes in our lives.

Finding a way to deal with disappointment, shock and unwanted change is one of the most quintessential skills of adulthood. So why do so few of us know how to do it? Even Maya—who studies change—found herself at a loss when she realized that her lifelong dream of becoming a mother might never be realized.

In her conversation with Leah, Maya shares the psychological reasons why we all resist change and how we can learn to navigate events that stir up grief, shake our identities and change our realities.

Pre-order May’s forthcoming book The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans here.

Follow Leah Smart and Maya Shankar on LinkedIn.

Esther Perel: How to Balance Work, Family, and Fulfillment

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, world-renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel diagnoses our cultural obsession with work and offers a path forward.

As children, we’re taught to measure ourselves by gold stars and report cards, and many of us carry those lessons into adulthood. For countless Americans, work has become the center of our identities, communities, and our source of meaning and belonging.

In a time of uncertainty and shifting priorities, Leah and Esther sat down to explore how, in a culture that worships our careers, we can cultivate a healthier relationship to our work. Esther shares how major life transitions like becoming a parent can reshape our ambitions and offers practical tools for navigating conflict at work and building stronger human connections in an increasingly contactless world.

If you’ve ever felt like your worth is tied to your work performance, or if you’re struggling to balance career ambitions with other life priorities, this conversation will help you rethink what success truly means.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: How to Stop Fighting About Work With Dr. Alexandra Solomon.

Follow Leah Smart and Esther Perel on LinkedIn.

The Enneagram: A Path to Discovering Who You Really Are

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Bea Chestnut is a psychotherapist, consultant and globally-recognized expert on the enneagram, a personality typing system based on ancient spiritual traditions. For the past 27 years, Bea has studied, written about and taught the enneagram in both therapeutic and business settings. She uses it as a map for guiding her clients towards a deeper understanding of themselves and others.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, we are bringing back one of our favorites: Leah and Bea’s deep dive into the enneagram – what it is, where it comes from and how it can be used to raise your level of awareness. Bea describes each of the nine enneagram types, including each type’s growth path for reaching a higher level of consciousness. She also shares how she discovered the enneagram and explains why she thinks it’s one of the most powerful personal development tools in the world.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: The Enneagram at Work: Leveling Up Your Leadership Skills.

For more on the enneagram, check out Bea’s book The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up: Find Your Path, Face Your Shadow, Discover Your True Self.

Follow Leah Smart and Bea Chestnut on LinkedIn.

Why Learning To Disappoint People Is the Key to an Authentic Life

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

On paper, Amber Rae had a dream life: she lived in Mexico with her husband and business partner. She was a budding memoirist and a speaker, teaching people how to be true to themselves and find emotional clarity. But beneath the surface, Amber felt disconnected and unfulfilled.

Then one day she woke up. She realized she had built her entire life around the expectations of others and she set out to do something different.

This week on Everyday Better, Amber shares her story of dismantling her old life in the pursuit of authenticity, breaking free from people-pleasing and learning to disappoint others along the way. She explains why disappointing others isn’t selfish, but instead a learnable skill we can use to live in alignment with our true selves.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Warning: This Podcast Will Remind You of Your Mortality with Jodi Wellman.

Get Amber’s book Loveable: One Woman’s Path from Good to Free here.

Follow Leah Smart and Amber Rae on LinkedIn.

What Your Self-Talk Says About You, and How To Change It

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Have you ever made a mistake and immediately thought, “I’m so stupid, what’s wrong with me?” Suddenly, you’re not just seeing a mistake, you’re facing a wall of shame, anxiety, distress and procrastination.

Today, Leah and therapist Kimberley Quinlan discuss why being hard on yourself won’t actually make you perform any better, and how we can use self-compassion as a tool for recovering from a failure and moving faster towards our goals.

Kimberley guides Leah through a test developed by Dr. Kristin Neff to measure how much self-compassion Leah actually has in challenging moments. Follow along with them, and write down your own answers to the questions to see where you fall on the self-compassion scale.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Everything You Think You Know About Happiness Is Wrong.

Follow Leah Smart and Kimberley Quinlan ⁠on LinkedIn.

You Are the Author: How to Rewrite Your Most Difficult Chapters

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

As humans, we’re natural storytellers. The stories we tell shape how we see ourselves, others and the world around us. But not all of our stories are helpful — some keep us trapped in cycles of fear, blame or regret.

In this week’s episode, Leah shares a simple exercise from grief expert David Kessler to help you investigate how you tell your stories and rewrite the ones keeping you stuck. Using three examples from her own life, Leah breaks down her narratives, separating fact from fiction and discovering more empowering versions of her stories.

To go deeper, check out David Kessler’s Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief Workbook, which includes this and other tools for healing and reflection.

Listen to Leah’s full conversation with David ⁠here⁠.

The Science-Backed Tool for Reducing Stress You’ve Probably Never Tried

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000

When author and entrepreneur Nick Ortner first discovered tapping, he had no idea the impact it would have on his life. Nearly two decades later, he’s helped millions manage stress, anxiety, chronic pain and other physical and mental health challenges using the research-backed practice also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

This week, Nick joins Leah to break down the science behind tapping, how it targets the brain’s stress response and why naming the negative emotions we carry with us is the first step to letting those emotions go. He also guides Leah through a short tapping exercise you can follow along with, and explains how tapping can be used in conjunction with other tools like meditation, therapy and mindfulness to support your mental and emotional well-being.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Can't Meditate? Just Breathe with JP Crimi

Follow ⁠Leah Smart⁠ and ⁠Nick Ortner⁠ on LinkedIn.

How to Get Better at Being Wrong

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Every single day, we’re confronted with more information than we could possibly verify. So how do we ever know we’re right? And what do we do when we find out we’re wrong?

This week on Everyday Better, professor Alex Edmans shares why you’re probably less open-minded than you think—and what you can do about it. As a researcher, Alex loves data. But after witnessing firsthand our tendency to cherry-pick the data we want to be true, he began searching for a better way to find truth in an era of information overload.

In this conversation, Alex breaks down our most common mental biases and shares the steps you can take to confront them. He also explains why challenging our beliefs is the key to living a freer, more self-led life.

Get Alex’s book May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases – And What We Can Do About It here.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Demystifying Wellness Trends with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha

Follow Leah Smart and Alex Edmans on LinkedIn.

A Guide for Living Fully and Dying Well (From a Hospice Nurse)

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Most of us avoid thinking about death until it hits close to home – but what if facing it head-on could actually help you live more peacefully and joyfully?

This week, Leah sits down with Julie McFadden, better known as Hospice Nurse Julie. After working as an ICU nurse for many years, Julie transitioned to hospice care, where she now helps patients and families navigate the end of life with honesty, compassion and even a little humor. In their conversation, Julie reflects on her personal philosophy: that contemplating death daily has helped her live with more intention and contentment. She also breaks down the biology of how we die and explains end-of-life phenomena.

Whether you’ve faced loss yourself or want to live more fully today, this episode will shift the way you think about life, death and everything that happens in between.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: How a Career in Hospice Care Made Nurse Hadley “Death Positive”

How to Take Control of Your Calendar with Time Crafting

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Do you ever wish you had more time for what matters most to you?

Today, Leah shares a simple time management exercise designed to bring more clarity and joy to your schedule. Developed by researcher Cassie Holmes — a fan-favorite guest on the show — this technique, known as Time Crafting, helps you understand how you’re really spending your time and how to build your calendar around what energizes you.

Using her own schedule as a guide, Leah walks through the Time Crafting method step-by-step. She shares which activities left her feeling fulfilled, which ones drained her energy and what changed after just one week of mindfully tracking her time.

If you’ve ever reached the end of a packed day and wondered where your time went — or questioned if you spent it on what truly matters — this exercise is for you.

Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Cassie Holmes here.

Download Cassie’s templates for Time Crafting here.

Leah's Pick: Why “Following Your Passion” Is Bad Career Advice

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000

“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” We’ve all heard it, maybe even lived by it. But what if turning your passion into a career is doing more harm than good?

In this episode, sociologist Erin Cech challenges our cultural obsession with finding fulfillment at work. Drawing from her book “The Trouble with Passion”, Erin explains how the “passion principle” can exacerbate societal inequalities as well as burnout. She also shares practical questions to ask yourself about the relationship you want to have with paid work, and offers ways to find meaning in a variety of places.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Redefine Your Relationship to Work with Former Top Magazine Editor Jennifer Romolini

Understanding Neurodivergence, Introversion & Leadership

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Morra Aarons-Mele, host of the podcast "The Anxious Achiever," long understood her challenges at work as byproducts of anxiety and depression. She had a hard time working for other people and often found herself saying the wrong thing in meetings. But a recent discovery changed everything: Morra learned she’s neurodivergent. That realization helped her reframe not only her struggles, but also her strengths, and paved the way towards a more authentic, empowered way of working.

In this week's episode of Everyday Better, Morra shares how embracing her neurodivergence helps her tap into her full potential. She and Leah discuss what neurodivergence encompasses, the hidden power of introversion and how our workplaces need to evolve to support a broader range of minds. Morra also explains why difference isn’t a liability but a competitive advantage, and how to leverage your own unique strengths to show up stronger at work.

If you liked this episode, check out Morra’s podcast “The Anxious Achiever” here.

Listen to my conversation with Dr. Barry Kudrowitz on why play and humor belong at work here.

Return to Office: Leah Reflects on Motherhood, Anxiety & the Power of Letting Go

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Leah is back from maternity leave! In her first episode back, she and her producers talk about her birth story, the tools she used to manage anxiety during pregnancy and how she’s learning to let go of control and live in the moment.

How to Survive Uncertainty with Suleika Jaouad

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000

After nearly a decade in remission, bestselling author, speaker and cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad learned that her leukemia had returned. Confronted with profound uncertainty about her future, she turned to journaling as both a creative practice and means of survival. And through writing, Suleika discovered a powerful shift in perspective: to live each day as if it were her first, not her last.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Suleika joins guest host Jessi Hempel to share insights from her latest book “The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life.” She reflects on what illness taught her about productivity, identity and success, and how creativity can help anyone metabolize grief, reclaim joy and reimagine what’s possible in uncertain times.
If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief With Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan

The Science of Feeling Safe: A New Guide to Healing Anxiety

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000

For years, Dr. Russell Kennedy tried everything to treat his crippling anxiety – therapy, medication – nothing worked. It wasn’t until he stopped searching in his head and started looking to his body that everything changed. Today, Russell helps others heal by targeting what he calls “background alarm,” a residue of unresolved childhood trauma stored in the body.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Leah sits down with Russell to explore why traditional treatments for anxiety often fall short, and what it really takes to heal from the inside out. Russell shares the somatic tools and mindset shifts that have helped him and his patients regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their inner child and break free from the anxiety loop. He also explains why healing starts not with fixing your thoughts but by feeling what’s been buried in your body all along.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Why We Panic: The Evolutionary Roots of Anxiety and How to Copy Today

How I Learned to Work with My Anxiety

Tue, 27 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah shares her story of living with and learning to manage her anxiety.

Additional Resources:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
Anxiety Rx by Dr. Russell Kennedy
Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Dr. Martin Seif and Dr. Sally Winston
The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner

Why We Panic: The Evolutionary Roots of Anxiety and How to Cope Today

Tue, 20 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Everyday Better is spotlighting some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges.

This week, ABC News’ Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman joins Leah to share his personal journey with anxiety and panic attacks – struggles he hid for nearly two decades, even while reporting live on national television. But in 2020, after a career-altering on-air mistake, Matt was forced to confront his panic head-on, or walk away from the job he loved.

In his book “No Time to Panic,” Matt explores the science behind anxiety and panic attacks. He explains why humans have panic attacks and how evolution has made anxiety a surprisingly adaptive trait. He also shares the practical tools and mindset shifts that helped him regain control, from breathwork and mindfulness to self-compassion and daily gratitude rituals.

Get Matt’s book No Time to Panic here.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Conquer Everyday Anxiety with Dr. Wendy Suzuki

Why Willpower Isn’t Enough (And What Actually Works Instead) with Dr. Anna Lembke

Tue, 13 May 2025 14:46:00 -0000

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges.

This week, Leah speaks with Dr. Anna Lembke, author of “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.” Anna shares the science behind compulsive overconsumption and explains how the brain’s pleasure-pain balance can lead us into addictive loops — even when it comes to seemingly harmless behaviors.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: The Number One Predictor of a Long and Happy Life with Dr. Robert Waldinger

Jewel on Fame, Addiction and the Path to True Happiness

Tue, 06 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Here at Everyday Better, we’re always striving to improve our mental health. This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges.

This week, Leah’s joined by four-time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and mental health advocate Jewel. Before she got famous, Jewel was a homeless teenager battling an addiction to shoplifting – who, despite her circumstances, committed to finding happiness for herself. Today, Jewel shares how that commitment has kept her grounded in the face of fame, protected her from burnout and equipped her with the tools to heal her self-worth.

Find information on Jewel’s upcoming Mental Health Awareness Month events here.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Annie Grace’s Guide to Conscious Behavior Change

How to Stop Wasting Your Potential with Historian Rutger Bregman

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

When it comes time to choose a career, we’re often told to follow our passions and optimize for things like title and salary. But rarely do we pause to consider the impact of our work and whether or not it actually matters. In a world where preventable tragedies occur every day, failing to consider the social impact of our careers is a missed opportunity – and perhaps a moral failing, too.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, guest host Jessi Hempel talks with historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman about his new book “Moral Ambition: How to Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference.” Rutger introduces his concept of “moral ambition,” which challenges readers to rethink what it means to success. Rutger makes the case that talented, privileged professionals must move beyond aiming for status, wealth and personal achievement and use their skills to address the world’s most pressing problems.

Preorder Rutger’s book here.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Finding Your Purpose Through Ikigai with Tim Tamashiro

Warning: This Podcast Will Remind You of Your Mortality

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

After Jodi Wellman’s mother passed away at just 58-years-old, Jodi was left to clean out her apartment. Everywhere she looked, she found remnants of her mother’s unfulfilled dreams: business cards from enterprises that never took off, book manuscripts that were never submitted. The experience forced Jodi to realize that life is painfully short, and it’s up to us to make the most of it.

A speaker, author and executive coach, Jodi wants you to think more about death. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, she shares the essential things we all need to know about death and dying and how we can use our mortality as a motivator to live our lives more fully.

Follow Jodi Wellman on LinkedIn and follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn and Instagram.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: How to Make the Most of Your 24 Hours with Researcher Cassie Holmes

Core Values 101: A Step-by-Step Guide for Finding Your Inner Compass

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

In this special episode of Everyday Better, Leah walks through one of her favorite personal growth exercises: defining your core values. When you're facing a tough decision and unsure which path to take, a clearly defined set of values can equip you with the clarity and confidence you need to move forward.

After explaining her own approach to uncovering what truly matters, Leah revisits some powerful moments from a previous conversation with personal growth educator Amanda Hilton. Together, they discuss prompts for identifying the values that resonate most deeply with you and how to apply them in your own life to make better decisions.

Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Amanda Hilton here.

Download Brené Brown’s List of Values here.

From Starting Out to Starting Over: Mentorship in Action

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We often imagine mentorship as a formal relationship between an experienced professional and someone who’s just starting out. But sometimes the most valuable guidance doesn’t emerge from something structured, but from candid conversations with colleagues.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, we’re bringing you one of those conversations. Leah is joined by two of her LinkedIn colleagues, Jessi Hempel and Gianna Prudente, for an honest discussion about their biggest career challenges. In their conversation, they discuss imposter syndrome, work-life balance and what happens when Plan A—and maybe Plans B, C, and D—don’t work out.

For more advice on mentorship, subscribe to the Everyday Better newsletter.

Follow Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn.

Follow Gianna Prudente on LinkedIn.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Escaping Perfectionism with Professor Thomas Curran

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Thomas Curran is a Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics and the author of The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough. In it, he charts the recent rise in perfectionism among young people, exposes the paradoxical effects of perfectionism on everything from work performance to relationships and argues for a “good enough” approach to work that prioritizes sustainability over achievement.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Thomas joins Leah to discuss the harms of perfectionism and how to break free from both internal and external pressures to be perfect. Leah and Thomas also take a critical look at the concept of the “growth mindset” and reflect on their own journeys toward overcoming perfectionism.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: The Art of Feel Good Productivity with Ali Abdaal

How the "Real Olivia Pope" Handles a Crisis

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Judy Smith built a career handling some of the most high-profile scandals of our time. As the founder of crisis management firm Smith & Co., she’s advised many notable clients including Monica Lewinsky, Michael Vick and Wesley Snipes. But Judy is perhaps better known for what she inspired: ‘Scandal,’ the hit television series created by Shonda Rhymes.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Judy joins Leah to discuss the core principles of crisis management. Judy reveals how she decides which cases to take on, why telling the truth is always the best move and what it takes to rebuild a damaged reputation. She also discusses how she’s working to change the perception of Black women in Hollywood – both in front of and behind the camera.

Follow Judy Smith on LinkedIn.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: How to Forgive Better with Philosopher Myisha Cherry

The 10-Year Plan: A Roadmap to Designing Your Dream Life

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Imagine your life ten years from now. Where are you, who are you with and how do you feel?

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Leah introduces the 10-Year Plan, a powerful visualization exercise for making your dreams a reality. After sharing how this tool helped her clarify her own career goals, Leah explains how to create your own 10-Year Plan. So grab a pen, a piece of paper and start shaping the life you want.

Listen to Debbie Millman on Hello Monday here.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief with Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan

How to ‘Do Your Own Research’ with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha (Part 2)

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Medical journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha is back this week for part two of our deep dive into the latest health and wellness trends. In this episode, Trisha pulls back the curtain on her research process, revealing how she tracks down reliable health information and how fact-checking works at The Washington Post. Later, she shares practical tips for reading academic studies and evaluating health claims made on social media. Trisha and Leah also discuss the role wellness influencers play in spreading health misinformation.

Listen to the first part of our conversation here: Demystifying Wellness Trends with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha (Part 1)

Demystifying Wellness Trends with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha (Part 1)

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Full-body MRIs. Red light therapy. Vitamin B12 supplements. Seemingly every day, there’s a new wellness fad taking over the internet. But how do we know which health claims are backed by science – and which are just hype?

In this episode of Everyday Better, we’re demystifying the latest health and wellness trends with medical journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha. Trisha discusses the pros and cons of magnesium supplements, breaks down the science behind ‘leaky gut syndrome’ and sets the record straight on seed oils. She also answers listener questions about cortisol, glucose monitoring and more.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: The Number One Predictor of a Long and Happy Life with Dr. Robert Waldinger.

Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Carole Hopson is a Boeing 737 captain for United Airlines and the author of ‘A Pair of Wings,’ a historical fiction novel about Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to get her pilot license. After a successful twenty-year career working for iconic brands like the National Football League, Foot Locker and L’Oréal, Carole quit her job to pursue her lifelong dream of flying planes.

On today’s episode, Carole tells the story of how she turned her childhood dream into a second-act career. She outlines the five-step plan she created for making a major career pivot, and shares tips on how to balance work with family responsibilities. She also discusses her next big dream – to send 100 Black women to flight school by 2035 – and how she’s going to make it happen.

Follow Carole Hopson on LinkedIn and follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: Redefine Your Relationship to Work with Writer Jennifer Romolini

Understanding the Racial Health Gap with Dr. Uché Blackstock

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0000

When Dr. Uché Blackstock was a student at Harvard Medical School, she didn’t learn about racial health disparities or the history of racial violence that mark the field of medicine. It wasn’t until years later, while working in an urgent care in Brooklyn, that Dr. Blackstock was moved to investigate the history of healthcare in America. Now, as a health equity advocate and author of the New York Times bestseller ‘LEGACY: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine,’ Dr. Blackstock is on a mission to dismantle racism in healthcare.

On this week’s episode, Dr. Blackstock speaks to the alarming racial disparities in the American healthcare system and the historic roots of these inequities. Together, Dr. Blackstock and Leah reckon with the past and discuss how we can work towards a more equitable future. She also tips on advocating for yourself as a patient the next time you’re at the doctor.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: How to Forgive Better with Philosopher Myisha Cherry

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn and follow Dr. Uché Blackstock on LinkedIn.

How Peloton Yoga Instructor Chelsea Jackson Roberts Stays Sane in a Chaotic World

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0000

When Chelsea Jackson Roberts was 24, she lost her best friend to gun violence. That’s when Chelsea’s yoga practice became about something much more than exercise; it became a tool for coping with grief and, eventually, rediscovering joy. Today, as a Peloton yoga and meditation instructor, Chelsea teaches others how to tap into a deeper, more emotionally supportive yoga practice.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Chelsea shares how yoga and meditation keep her grounded in an unpredictable world. She reflects on how, as a teacher, she creates a supportive class environment where everyone feels welcome, no matter their skill level. Later, Chelsea opens up about her pregnancy journey, sharing how yoga helped her navigate loss and become the parent she strives to be.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: Can’t Meditate? Just Breathe with JP Crimi

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

On the Clock: A Working Mothers’ Roundtable on Parenthood and Ambition

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0000

When Leah and her husband decided to start a family, she found herself facing a daunting question: could she balance the career she’d worked so hard to build with the life she dreamed of creating at home? Would becoming a parent mean sacrificing her professional goals, or could she find a way to thrive in both worlds?

In this special episode of Everyday Better, Leah brings her most pressing questions about balancing kids and career to three of her LinkedIn colleagues and fellow mothers: Jessi Hempel, host of the Hello Monday podcast, Courtney Coupe, Head of Original Programming and Alyssa Merwin, Vice President of Global Sales Solutions. In their conversation, the women get honest about the joys and challenges of being a working mother. They each share how becoming a parent changed their relationship to and definition of ambition, as well as reflect on how companies can better support working parents.

This episode is for anyone who has both caretaking and career ambitions, anyone who feels curious about the existential questions embedded in the choice to become a parent and everyone who wants to show up as a more empathetic and supportive colleague to the working parents in their life.

Your 2025 Relationship Reset: How to Stop Fighting About Work With Dr. Alexandra Solomon

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

The research is clear: how satisfied you feel at work impacts the quality of your relationships at home, and the quality of your relationships at home impacts the way you show up at work.

That’s why Dr. Alexandra Solomon wants you to think more deeply about the work-related arguments you have with your partner. Are you really fighting about how many hours you or your partner work, or are you feeling shortchanged for quality time?

Dr. Alexandra is a professor, podcast host and psychologist. She teaches the internationally-renowned undergraduate course ‘Marriage 101’ at Northwestern University, a class about the fundamentals of thriving relationships.

In this week’s episode, Alexandra explains why, as a couples therapist, she has turned her focus towards the intersection between work and relationships. She explores how burnout or stress at work can harm our relationships and how conflict at home or our emotional baggage can impact our productivity at work. Along with Leah and a special guest, they examine what happens when people with different orientations towards ambition become partners.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: Navigating Conflict: The Gottman's Roadmap to Better Connections

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn and follow Alexandra Solomon on LinkedIn.

Your 2025 Work Reset: Redefine Your Relationship to Work With Writer Jennifer Romolini

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

What does 'success' mean to you?

Jennifer Romolini is a writer, author and podcaster. Her second book is ‘Ambition Monster,’ a memoir about the connection between workaholism and childhood trauma. In it, she traces the evolution of her voracious ambition and reckons with the price she paid to obtain career success.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Jennifer joins Leah to discuss how her relationship to work has evolved since she entered the workforce as a teenager. A self-described ‘workaholic,’ Jennifer also reflects on how she learned to redefine success and ambition for herself. Later, she shares strategies for how to manage your time so you can prioritize what matters most.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Jennifer Romolini on LinkedIn.

Your 2025 Physical Reset: Setting the Record Straight on Sleep With Dr. Rebecca Robbins

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Everyday Better is kicking off 2025 with a month’s worth of conversations designed to help you reset for the year ahead. Each week, you’ll learn about research-backed techniques to improve your mental, physical, work and relational well-being. No matter what your goals are this year, our 2025 Reset Series will equip you with the tools you need to make measurable, lasting changes in your life.

In our productivity-obsessed world, getting a good night’s rest is probably low on your to-do list. But what would change if you made sleep a priority this year?

Today’s guest Dr. Rebecca Robbins has a clear answer: prioritizing sleep will help you achieve your goals because sleep and performance are linked. Dr. Robbins is a sleep scientist and Assistant Professor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

In this conversation, Dr. Robbins debunks some of the most pervasive myths about sleep, including the belief that eight hours is the magic number, that we can catch up on sleep over the weekend and that falling asleep should only take you a few minutes. She also explains the science behind sleep and shares actionable tips for getting a better night’s rest that you can try out yourself tonight.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Dr. Rebecca Robbins on LinkedIn.

Your 2025 Mental Reset: How to Conquer Stress and Burnout With Dr. Aditi Nerurkar

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Happy New Year! To kick off 2025, Everyday Better is bringing you a month’s worth of conversations designed to help you reset for the year ahead. Each week, you’ll learn about research-backed techniques to improve your mental, physical, work and relational well-being. No matter what your goals are this year, our 2025 Reset Series will equip you with the tools you need to make measurable, lasting change in your life.

Today’s guest is here to help you reset your relationship to stress. Dr. Aditi Nerurkar is a Harvard physician and expert in stress and burnout. Her first book is The Five Resets: Rewire Your Brain For Less Stress and More Resilience.

In this conversation, Dr. Nerurkar walks through five powerful strategies for resetting your baseline stress level and preventing burnout. She explains the difference between stress and anxiety, as well as what happens in the brain and body when we experience stress. She also addresses why it’s so hard to build new habits and shares tips for creating boundaries with your phone.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Dr. Aditi Nerurkar on LinkedIn.

Hygge: Conscious Coziness as a Survival Strategy

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Meik Wiking is the founder and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. He’s also the author of several books including The Little Book of Hygge and My Hygge Home.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Meik joins Leah to discuss ‘hygge’ – a Danish word that loosely translates to “coziness.” Meik shares how he and other Danes prepare for winter each year by creating ultra-cozy indoor environments to support well-being. He also explains why hygge and happiness are interconnected and why simple pleasures are the key to happiness.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Meik Wiking on LinkedIn.

Wintering: How to Weather Difficult Times

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Each winter, life slows down. It’s dark and cold, yet the season offers an opportunity for rest. This week’s episode of Everyday Better honors the beginning of winter with Katherine May, author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times.

In this episode, Leah and Katherine discuss the art of slowing down and how to embrace the metaphorical seasons we all go through in life.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Katherine May on Instagram.

Thinking About Going to Therapy? Start Here.

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Andrew Adams, co-founder and CEO of Headway, is making access to therapy easier. Headway is a mental health care marketplace that matches patients with providers who accept insurance. Earlier this year, Headway was named a LinkedIn top 50 startup.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Andrew joins Leah to discuss the barriers to accessing mental health care. He shares his experience with finding a therapist and going to therapy, as well as his personal motivation for building a national network of mental health care providers. Andrew also reflects on how his mental health hygiene routine has changed as his company and responsibilities as a CEO have grown.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Andrew Adams on LinkedIn.

To learn more about Headway, check out their website.

Why Cooperation Is Key to Humanity’s Survival With Psychologist Athena Aktipis

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Athena Aktipis is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Human Generosity Project. She studies how people work together, especially during crises, through the lenses of evolutionary biology and psychology. Her latest book, “A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times”, digs into the history and science of cooperation.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Athena joins Leah to discuss the history of human survival during times of crisis. Drawing from her research with the Maasai tribe, Athena explains why cooperation is key to surviving both natural and human-caused disasters. She also shares how game theory can be used to build more cooperative communities.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Athena Aktipis on LinkedIn.

A Behavioral Scientist’s Guide to Buying the Perfect Holiday Gift

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Scott Rick is a behavioral scientist and marketing professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He holds a PhD in Behavioral Decision Research from Carnegie Mellon, where he was a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Scott joins Leah to explore the complicated role of money in relationships. He shares advice for couples who have different views on spending money, including strategies for those who hate spending and those who enjoy it too much. He also discusses the importance of gift-giving in relationships and how to use psychology to find the perfect gift this holiday season.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Scott Rick on LinkedIn.

To learn more about how money messes with relationships – and how you can keep it from messing with yours – check out Scott’s book Tightwads and Spendthrifts: Navigating the Money Minefield in Real Relationships.

The Anatomy of Friendship With Intimacy Expert Shasta Nelson

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Shasta Nelson is a leading expert in healthy relationships and intimacy. For over 15 years, she’s been translating the science of human connection into actionable practices for enhancing belonging and well-being.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Shasta joins Leah to discuss the key components of healthy relationships. Shasta shares strategies for developing new friendships and nurturing existing ones, as well as advice for ending a friendship. She also draws on data about loneliness and happiness to explain why working on our relationships is the most important thing we can do to improve our overall health.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Shasta Nelson on LinkedIn.

To learn more about how to foster healthy relationships, check out Shasta’s book Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness.

How to Reset Your Inner Clock With Science Journalist Lynne Peeples

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Lynne Peeples is a journalist and author of The Inner Clock: Living in Sync With Our Circadian Rhythms. She covers science, health and the environment and holds master’s degrees in biostatistics and science journalism.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Lynne joins Leah to discuss the science behind our circadian rhythms. Lynne explains why our inner clocks are out of sync and what that means for our physical and mental health. She also offers strategies for resetting our clocks, including limiting the hours during which we eat and following a consistent sleep/wake schedule.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Lynne Peeples on LinkedIn.

To learn more about circadian rhythms, check out Lynne’s book The Inner Clock.

Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Carole tells the story of how she turned that childhood dream into a second-act career. She shares wisdom on balancing your career alongside the responsibilities of being a parent, demonstrating why moms make for some of the best employees. She also discusses her novel and her next big dream: sending 100 Black women to flight school by 2035.

Follow Carole Hopson on LinkedIn.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

To learn more about the life of Bessie Coleman, check out Carole’s novel A Pair of Wings.

How to Make the Most of Your 24 Hours with Researcher Cassie Holmes

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 13:18:00 -0000

Cassie Holmes is a Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Decision Making at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Her first book Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most is a practical guide for how to think about and spend time in order to experience joy every day.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Cassie joins Leah to discuss her research on time and happiness. After dispelling the notion that more free time equals more happiness, Cassie offers tips for making the things you have to do every day – commuting, house chores, etc. – more enjoyable. She also explains the concept of ‘time crafting’ and why it’s so important to account for how we spend the hours in our days.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Cassie Holmes on LinkedIn.

Are Our Phones Making Us Lonelier?

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Jeffrey Hall is a Professor of Communication Studies and the Director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at the University of Kansas. He studies the way technology influences relationships, including the impact of social media on feelings of belonging, connectedness and loneliness.

The harms of social platforms have been well documented over the past decade – political polarization, misinformation – but is social media also to blame for the rise in loneliness? On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Jeffrey joins Leah to discuss the role of social media in the loneliness epidemic. Jeffrey argues that when used more intentionally, social media can fulfill its original promise: help us stay connected and deepen our connections with the people we care about most.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Jeffrey Hall on LinkedIn.

Keep an eye out for Jeffrey’s forthcoming book The Social Biome: How Everyday Communication Connects and Shape Us.

How a Tibetan Buddhist Nun Works With Her Anger

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Thubten Chodron is an American Tibetan Buddhist Nun and the founder of Sravasti Abbey, the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery in the United States. In her recently re-released book Working With Anger, Thubten describes different practices for dealing with our anger that don't involve expression or suppression.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Thubten and Leah explore the Buddhist perspective on some of the toughest emotions we experience, including anger. While many of us believe that anger is useful or even righteous, Thubten argues that anger distorts our perception of reality. She encourages us to reframe our anger using techniques such as meditation, self-reflection and humor.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Thubten Chodron on LinkedIn.

To learn more about the Buddhist perspective on anger, check out Thubten’s book Working with Anger: Buddhist Teachings on Patience, Acceptance, and Transforming Negativity.

After Acceptance: The Sixth Stage of Grief With Author David Kessler

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We’d love to hear from you! Take our audience survey here.

David Kessler is a grief and loss expert and the author of several bestselling books, including two he co-authored with Elizabeth Kubler Ross. He’s worked with thousands of people on the edge of life and death, helping them to find happiness and fulfillment after experiencing life’s gravest tragedies.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, David joins Leah to discuss the role of meaning and how we make it after experiencing a loss and the grief that accompanies it. He describes the process of ‘excavating’ one’s pain – a crucial step in the grieving process that must precede meaning-making. He also offers advice for talking to your coworkers about grief, stressing the importance of simply being present for those who are in the midst of grieving as opposed to offering solutions.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow David Kessler on LinkedIn.

To learn more about the meaning-making process, check out David’s new workbook, The Sixth Stage of Grief: Tools for Releasing Pain and Remembering with Love.

How I Learned to Work With My Anxiety

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We’d love to hear from you! Take our audience survey here.

This week, in honor of World Mental Health Day, Everyday Better host Leah Smart is sharing her story of living with anxiety – and how she’s learned to manage it.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Additional Resources:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson

Anxiety Rx by Dr. Russell Kennedy

Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Dr. Martin Seif and Dr. Sally Winston

The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner

No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief With Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We’d love to hear from you! Take our quick audience survey here.

Bonnie Wan is a brand strategist and author of The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living. She’s passionate about helping people uncover their true desires and believes deeply in the power of intention to propel personal and professional growth.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Bonnie joins Leah to explain the concept of a life brief, which is a tool for getting clear on what you want and how you’re going to get it. Bonnie highlights the importance of wanting when it comes to personal growth, as well as the role privilege plays in shaping our desires.

Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn.

Follow Bonnie Wan on LinkedIn.

To learn more about Bonnie’s work, check out her book The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living.

How to Practice Mental Health Hygiene With Sociologist Corey Keyes

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

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Corey Keyes is a sociologist and professor emeritus at Emory University. He studies how people find satisfaction in their lives, and why achieving a sense of well-being is no easy feat.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Corey joins Leah to discuss his research on languishing, flourishing and how to move from one to the other. Corey argues that good mental health isn’t just the absence of mental illness but the presence of well-being. He also explains the concept of “functioning well” and why working towards that is more important than chasing happiness.

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For more tips on how to move out of languishing and into flourishing, check out Corey’s book, Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down.

Turning Career Uncertainty into Clarity With ‘Death, Sex & Money’ Host Anna Sale

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

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Anna Sale is a journalist, author and host of the award-winning podcast Death, Sex & Money. On her show, Anna has intimate conversations with people about life’s toughest yet often under-discussed moments – infidelity, bankruptcy, aging and illness to name just a few.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Anna joins Leah to discuss what it was like when her podcast was unexpectedly canceled after nearly ten years on the air. Anna talks about how she transformed a moment of major career uncertainty into an opportunity to clarify her purpose. Anna and Leah also explore the evolution of ambition and what happens when we mine deep meaning from our work.

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To hear more from Anna, listen to Death, Sex & Money wherever you find your podcasts.

Everyday Better Presents: Let’s Talk Offline

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Everyday Better, we’re featuring the first episode of Let’s Talk Offline, a new podcast from LinkedIn and iHeartPodcasts. Each week on the show, co-hosts Gianna Prudente, LinkedIn’s early career development editor, and Jamé Jackson Gadsden, a LinkedIn community manager, will answer your questions about what it takes to thrive in the early years of your career – without sacrificing your values, sanity or sleep.

Listen to Let’s Talk Offline wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Tuesday.

The Only Time Management Technique That Works With Author Oliver Burkeman

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

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On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Oliver explains why all of the tools and techniques meant to save us time and maximize our productivity ultimately make us feel more stressed and short on time. Oliver argues that the only time management technique that works involves recognizing that you’ll never feel on top of things. Once you accept that, you can actually start crossing things off of your to-do list – and he has strategies for how to do that as well.

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To learn more about how to actually get stuff done, pre-order Oliver’s new book Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.

The Number One Predictor of a Long and Happy Life With Dr. Robert Waldinger

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

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Dr. Robert Waldinger is a psychiatrist, Zen master and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running longitudinal studies on human happiness ever conducted. His TED Talk on the major takeaways from the study has received over 43 million views since 2015 and is one of the most-watched TED Talks of all time.

Today, Robert joins Leah to discuss the most significant – and surprising – findings from the study, as well as how we can use these insights to build a healthy and happy life.

To learn more about the Harvard Study of Adult Development, check out Robert’s latest book The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

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Finding Your Purpose Through Ikigai With Tim Tamashiro

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Tim Tamashiro is a jazz singer, radio broadcaster and the author of How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Tim joins Leah to explore the concept of Ikigai, an ancient Japanese philosophy that encourages us to live our “life’s worth.” After explaining what his Ikigai is and how he discovered it, Tim guides Leah through the process of uncovering her own. He also shares his perspective on how to achieve lasting happiness, and offers tips for when you get stuck in the process of identifying your own Ikigai.

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To learn more about Ikigai, check out Tim’s book, How to Ikigai.

And, don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

Conquer Everyday Anxiety with Dr. Wendy Suzuki

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University and the author of Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion. In 2022, she was appointed Dean of NYU's College of Arts & Science.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Wendy joins Leah to discuss strategies for turning our anxiety from a weakness into a superpower. She digs into the evolutionary purpose of anxiety and explains why the feelings of anxiousness we all experience don’t have to hold us back from achieving success.

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For more anxiety-transforming techniques, check out Wendy’s book, Good Anxiety.

And, don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

Navigating Conflict: The Gottman's Roadmap to Better Connections

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

John and Julie Gottman are world-renowned relationship researchers and psychologists who have been happily married for the past 37 years. They’ve authored more than 40 books together, including Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, the Gottmans join Leah to share their perspectives on conflict resolution in relationships. They explain how disagreements, whether at home or in the office, present opportunities to strengthen bonds and deepen connections. They also discuss the three main styles of conflict management in couple relationships and propose a new method for voicing dissatisfaction that moves from criticizing to complaint-making.

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For more on conflict resolution in relationships, check out the Gottmans’ latest book, Fight Right.

And, don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

Dr. Michael Gervais on Rising Above Fear of Other People's Opinions

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Dr. Michael Gervais is one of the world's top high performance psychologists. He’s worked with professional athletes, sports teams and executives, helping them to thrive in the most high-pressure of situations.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Michael joins Leah to unravel what he calls “FOPO” (Fear of Other People's Opinions), and to teach practical strategies for reducing our fear of external judgment. He also discusses the principles of high performance and the importance of developing your own personal philosophy.

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For more on Michael’s work, check out his book The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What People Think of You.

And, don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

Ditch the Pro/Con List and Embrace Your Core Values with Amanda Hilton

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Personal growth educator Amanda Hilton says that when it comes to decision-making at work and in your personal life, there is never one ‘right’ answer. Instead of fretting over a list of pros and cons, Amanda offers a clearer path — one that uses our core values to center what matters most.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Amanda and Leah demystify the concept of core values. Amanda gives practical tips and offers provoking questions to help us define our core values and apply them to the decision-making process.

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For more on Amanda’s work, visit The Simply Well’s website.

And, don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

The Enneagram at Work: Leveling Up Your Leadership Skills

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In part two of our conversation with psychotherapist and Enneagram expert Bea Chestnut, we explore how the Enneagram can be used at work. As an Enneagram coach, Bea has more than two decades of experience helping organizations strengthen their teams and workplace cultures.

With attention to each Enneagram type’s particular strengths and blind spots, Bea describes how each of the nine types shows up at work as a colleague and as a leader. She also explains how the Enneagram can be used to help us develop our communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, and gain a deeper understanding of the people we work with.

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For more on the enneagram at work, check out Bea’s book The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace

And, don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

The Enneagram: A Path to Discovering Who You Really Are

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Bea and Leah dive deep into the enneagram – what it is, where it comes from and how it can be used to raise your level of awareness. Bea describes each of the nine enneagram types, including each type’s growth path for reaching a higher level of consciousness. She also shares how she discovered the enneagram and explains why she thinks it’s one of the most powerful personal development tools in the world.

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For more on the enneagram, check out Bea’s book The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up: Find Your Path, Face Your Shadow, Discover Your True Self.

And, don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

The Pitfalls of Pursuing Your Passion at Work with Sociologist Erin Cech

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Erin Cech is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan and the author of The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality. She studies societal inequality and cultural forces which reproduce inequality.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Erin and Leah discuss what can happen when we turn our passion into a career. While many people believe this is the key to that feeling of never working a day in your life, the “passion principle,” as Erin calls it, doesn’t necessarily pave the way to personal fulfillment or financial stability. Instead, she argues, this advice can perpetuate socioeconomic inequality and unfair working conditions. She poses a question everyone should ask themselves when considering their career: what kind of relationship do you want to paid employment?

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For more on the passion principle and its pitfalls, check out Erin’s book The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality.

And don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

The Art of Feel Good Productivity with Ali Abdaal

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Ali Abdaal is an author, YouTube star and productivity expert. In his book Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You and on his YouTube channel, he shares research-backed strategies for improving focus, building habits and meeting goals.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Ali breaks down the three main blockers to productivity: uncertainty, fear, and inertia. He shares tips for overcoming each one of these blockers, as well as the fear of judgment from others. He also discusses science-based approaches to building self-confidence and the importance of finding joy in your work.

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For more tips on sustainable productivity, check out Ali’s YouTube channel.

And don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

Taking A Sabbatical from Personal Development with Marc Champagne

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Marc Champagne is a philosopher, podcaster and the bestselling author of Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World-Class Performers. An expert in what he calls “mental fitness,” Marc teaches daily practices designed to enhance creativity, clarity and focus.

On today’s episode of Everyday Better, Marc and Leah ask each other a challenging question: when it comes to the work of personal development, can you ever reach a stopping point? Through sharing their personal stories of growth, Marc and Leah discuss the challenges that brought them to this work – and then, years later, what sparked their curiosity around taking a sabbatical from personal development. They also share their favorite tools and non-negotiable self-care practices for whatever season of life they find themselves in.

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To learn more about mental fitness, listen to Marc’s podcast Behind the Human with Marc Champagne.

And don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

Charles Duhigg on How to Have More Meaningful Conversations

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author. In his third book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, he explores the science behind good communication and offers strategies for connecting more deeply with others.

On this episode of Everyday Better, Charles joins Leah to explain why communicating effectively is the key to deepening our interpersonal connections, whether at home or in the workplace. Charles discusses strategies for asking more thoughtful questions, being a better listener and discussing controversial topics. He also explains the science behind effective communication and why it’s so important for our mental and physical well-being to connect with the people around us.

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To learn more about improving your communication skills, check out Charles’s book Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.

Don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

How a Career in Hospice Care Made Nurse Hadley “Death Positive”

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Known as “Nurse Hadley” to her nearly 2 million followers on TikTok, Hadley Vlahos is a hospice nurse, content creator and New York Times bestselling author. Her first book, The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments, is a collection of stories and lessons she’s learned from 12 patients she cared for in their final months on earth.

On today’s episode of Everyday Better, Hadley reflects on how an unexpected life pivot led her to her dream career as a hospice care nurse. While hospice care nursing is viewed as a tough job by many outside of the profession, Hadley shares lighthearted, poignant, humorous and mystical experiences she’s had caring for patients in hospice. She discusses the importance of getting comfortable talking about death, and offers advice for how to get better at having those conversations. She also shares what she’s learned about what it means to live a meaningful life, and how work can play such an essential role in making life meaningful, no matter what kind of work you do.

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To learn more, check out Hadley’s book The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments.

And don’t forget to sign up for Leah’s weekly newsletter to get practical tips on how to level up with small steps every day.

Everyday Better Presents: Hello Monday Master Class

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0000

This week on Everyday Better, we’re featuring an episode from a new bonus series from our sister podcast Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel. “Hello Monday Master Class” is a distillation of hundreds of Hello Monday conversations, broken down into five essential rules for navigating and thriving in an ever-changing professional landscape. The first episode in the series is all about defining your values.

Tune in each Thursday through the end of June for more actionable insights and collaborative exercises to elevate your career. And for more from Jessi, join the Hello Monday Group on LinkedIn by clicking here.

Escaping Perfectionism with Thomas Curran

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Thomas Curran is a Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics. His first book, The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough, charts the recent rise in perfectionism among young people, exposes the paradoxical effects of perfectionism on everything from work performance to relationships and argues for a “good enough” approach to work that prioritizes sustainability over growth.

On this episode of Everyday Better, Thomas joins Leah to talk about where perfectionism comes from, why it’s so harmful and how to break free from the internal and external pressures we feel to be perfect. They also take a critical look at the “growth mindset” and reflect on their own journeys towards overcoming perfectionism in their professional and personal lives.

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For more on perfectionism, check out Thomas’s book The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough.

How to Forgive Better with Philosopher Myisha Cherry

Tue, 28 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Myisha Cherry is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside and a self-proclaimed “public defender of anger and proud withholder of forgiveness.” In her second book, Failures of Forgiveness: What We Get Wrong and How to Do Better, she argues that forgiveness – a much-lauded moral good in American culture – rarely achieves what we think it does, and that in reality, forgiveness often does more harm than good. She puts forth her own, broader definition of forgiveness that holds space for anger, repair and accountability for the wrongdoer.

On today’s show, Myisha and Leah dive deep into forgiveness to understand its role at work and in society, as well as how race and gender complicate the act of forgiving. Myisha explains why withholding forgiveness can actually be a moral good, both for the wronged and for the wrongdoer. She also shares her revised definition of forgiveness and explains how to get better at asking for and receiving it.

For more on forgiveness, check out Myisha’s book Failures of Forgiveness: What We Get Wrong and How to Do Better.

Understanding the Brain-Body Connection with Neuroscientist Tara Swart

Tue, 21 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Dr Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, leadership adviser and best selling author. She works with executives and leaders all over the world to help them achieve mental resilience and peak brain performance, helping them to manage stress, regulate emotions and retain information. Her scientific knowledge and expertise helps people optimize their brain health and achieve their full potential.

Tara joins Leah to discuss the brain-body connection and the importance of emotional well-being. She explains how chronic stress can impact the brain and body, leading to physical and mental health issues, and emphasizes the power of intention and visualization in shaping our brain's interpretation of reality.

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Harnessing the Power of Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means

Tue, 14 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Dr. Casey Means is a physician, tech entrepreneur and the author of Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health. She is passionate about metabolic health and dedicated to helping people better understand their bodies.

Casey joins Leah to highlight the interconnectedness of various symptoms and diseases, all of which she sees as stemming from metabolic dysfunction. She discusses the impact of the modern environment on our metabolic health and offers practical strategies for optimizing our metabolism through sleep, movement, stress management techniques, toxin reduction and light exposure. By adopting a metabolic framework and focusing on cellular health, we all can cultivate good energy and live happier, healthier lives.

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For more on how to improve your metabolic health, check out Casey’s book, Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health.

Everything You Think You Know About Happiness Is Wrong (Part II)

Tue, 07 May 2024 12:06:01 -0000

In part II of our conversation with Stephanie Harrison, author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, we explore what it looks like to apply Stephanie’s New Happy philosophy to personal and work areas of our lives. We discuss strategies for setting and achieving your big goals, what the research suggests about the role of helping others in the context of happiness and how privilege and oppression shift our approach to and experience of happiness. We also contemplate the notion of the “best self” and take a hard look at wellness culture to better understand how mainstream ideas of happiness and well-being hold us back from achieving true contentment.

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To learn more about Stephanie’s philosophy on happiness, check out her book, New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong.

Everything You Think You Know About Happiness Is Wrong (Part I)

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Stephanie Harrison is an expert on the science of happiness. Her first book, New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, explores the structural forces that prevent us from achieving true happiness and teaches us how to find it by looking outside ourselves.

Stephanie joins Leah to discuss why so many of us are unhappy (despite trying our very best to be), and what we can do to experience more joy and contentment in our everyday lives. Helping others, Stephanie argues, is the key to improving our mental and emotional well-being. She also shares research-backed strategies for connecting with our true selves and quieting down the voice in our heads that tells us we’re not good enough.

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To learn more about Stephanie’s philosophy on happiness, check out her book, New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong.

From ‘Haha’ to ‘Aha!': Why Play and Humor Belong at Work with Dr. Barry Kudrowitz

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Dr. Barry Kudrowitz is a Professor of Product Design and Head of the Department of Graphic Design at the University of Minnesota. He studies the connection between what he calls “haha” and “aha”, and argues that humor and play are powerful tools for boosting creativity and idea generation at work.

Dr. Kudrowitz joins Leah Smart to discuss the science behind the causal relationship between humor, play and creativity. He lays out his argument for why these often trivialized domains actually belong at work, and shares strategies for integrating play and humor into our everyday lives.

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Check out Barry’s book, Sparking Creativity: How Play and Humor Fuel Innovation and Design.

Mindful Thinking for Chronic Health with Ellen Langer

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Ellen Langer is a renowned Harvard professor and psychologist who has been studying mindfulness for over 40 years. She is the first woman to be tenured in psychology at Harvard and has conducted extensive research in her lab. She is also known as the “Mother of Positive Psychology.” Langer is the author of numerous books, including The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health.

Langer joins Leah Smart to discuss the power of mindfulness for improving our health and well-being. By being mindful, we can enliven our brains, improve our physical health, and live longer. Langer's research has shown that simply noticing and being present can reverse signs of aging, enhance healing, and improve our overall well-being. She also encourages us to embrace uncertainty, as it opens us up to new and interesting possibilities.

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Can’t Meditate? Just Breathe with JP Crimi

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Breathwork might just become your favorite meditation practice once you understand its benefits. Led by renowned breathwork teacher JP Crimi, Leah Smart and Michele O’Brien experiment with conscious connected breathing, and explore its transformative effects. Think of it as personal training for your breath, promising to reduce stress, boost energy, and enhance mental well-being. Join them as they experience the blissful effects of this practice.

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Awakening Awe: Finding Beauty in the Everyday with Dacher Keltner

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Dacher Keltner, founding director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and author of "Awe: The Nature of Awe and the Power to Transform Your Life”, joins Leah Smart to discuss the transformative power of awe and its impact on our minds and bodies. They explore the profound effects of awe on personal growth, well-being, and social connection, and offer practical strategies for cultivating awe in everyday life to lead a more fulfilling and meaningful existence.

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Discovering Sufficiency: Redefining Wealth and Abundance in Life

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Lynne Twist is a renowned writer, speaker, and global activist who has worked with influential figures such as Buckminster Fuller, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama over the course of her career. She’s also the author of the groundbreaking book "The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life", which encourages readers to adopt a new philosophy on money that’s rooted in sufficiency and purpose.

Lynne joins Leah Smart to explore the toxic myths of scarcity and discuss how to adopt a new money philosophy. She shares her personal journey of untangling from a mindset of affluence and discovering the power of sufficiency, and emphasizes the importance of connecting our financial resources to the deepest commitments of our souls in order to live a life of purpose and service.

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Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday Awe

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Michelle Thaller serves as the Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she has dedicated over two decades to sharing the wonders of science with audiences worldwide.

Michelle’s journey is marked by resilience, as she shares stories of grief after losing her husband. As a scientist, she goes beyond facts and theories, seeking connections that infuse our existence with deeper meaning. Michelle joins Leah Smart to emphasize the importance of intentionality in our lives, and why being in awe is the key to everyday life. According to her, the universe grants us just one chance to see the world through our own eyes, urging us to live purposefully and consciously.

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No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief with Bonnie Wan

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Bonnie Wan is a globally-renowned career brand strategist and the author of "The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living." She is passionate about helping people uncover their true desires and show up authentically, and believes deeply in the power of intention to propel personal and professional growth.

Bonnie joins Leah Smart to explain the concept of a life brief, which is a tool for getting clear on what you want and how you want to show up in various areas of your life. She highlights the importance of wanting in driving personal growth and creativity, the value of self-reflection, and the role privilege plays in shaping our desires.

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How to Manage Stress and Change Habits by Activating Your Heart’s Intelligence

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

It’s Women’s History Month, so we’re featuring exceptional women who are introducing refreshing perspectives on mental, physical and emotional thriving in this series, Women Making Waves.

If someone asked you to point to who you are, where does your finger naturally point? Your heart. It turns out your heart stores its own perceptions and memories that influence cognitive and emotional functions. Deborah Rozman Ph.D., is the Founding Executive Director of HeartMath Institute. She joins Leah to share the real, and often undiscussed, function of the heart, how it has more power over the brain than you think, and ways to become more aware of its intelligence for practical decision-making.

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Learn more about HeartMath Institute

Break the Cycle: How to Heal Intergenerational Trauma and Restoring Well-Being

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

We’re dedicating Black History Month to Black voices who inspire excellence in all of us. You're going to hear honest stories and guidance from four women who advocate for chasing your own version of excellence.This is our final episode of our four-part series.

Dr. Mariel Buqué is a trauma psychologist and author of the book "Break the Cycle." With over a decade of experience in the field, Dr. Buqué specializes in healing intergenerational trauma and helping people rewrite their narratives. She is dedicated to making trauma healing accessible to all and empowering individuals to create positive change in their lives. Dr. Buqué joins Leah Smart to discuss the impact of trauma and how it is passed down through generations. She explains that trauma is not limited to major events but can also result from everyday traumatic experiences. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing and acknowledging trauma in order to begin the healing process, and also provides practical tools and practices for healing, which can help regulate the nervous system and promote better stress responses

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Learn More on Break The Cycle

How Instinct, Preparation, and Synchronicity Can Lead to Meaningful Work

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

February is Black History Month so we’re dedicating it to Black voices who inspire excellence. In this four-part series, you'll hear women who advocate for chasing your own version of excellence.

This week Hello Monday’s Jessi Hempel hosts Everyday Better podcast host Leah Smart, to reflect on her career journey and the roadblocks she has overcome to reach her current position at LinkedIn. She shares her experiences of navigating through different roles, making difficult decisions, and trusting her gut instincts. Leah discusses the importance of finding purpose in work, managing anxiety, and embracing personal growth. She also highlights the power of synchronicity and the role it has played in her career. Through her story, Leah encourages listeners to trust themselves, be open to new opportunities, and set conditions for personal and professional success.

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Tunde Oyeneyin Is Living on Purpose

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

February is Black History Month. We're dedicating it to Black voices who inspire excellence. In this four-part series, you're going to hear honest stories and guidance from four women who advocate for chasing your own version of excellence.

This week Leah Smart sits down to talk with beloved Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin about trusting that everything that’s for you will come exactly when it’s supposed to, how to keep showing up when life doesn’t go your way, and the internal “drumbeat” we can all follow.

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Stories That Shape Us: Insights from Slate's Dear Prudence

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The series kicks off with Jenee Desmond-Harris, the current Prudie and writer behind Slate's beloved Dear Prudence advice column. She joins Leah Smart to share her story and insights on the importance of self-discovery, navigating obstacles, and the significance of taking risks. From her initial doubts about her role to becoming a prominent advice columnist, Jenee's journey exemplifies the power of surrounding oneself with the right people and making choices aligned with personal fulfillment, defining your desires and pursuing your passions.

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Deepak Chopra Decodes Quantum Science for Overall Well-being

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

This is the final episode of our series, “The Better Blueprint for Your 2024,” focused on spiritual health. Dr. Deepak Chopra, a pioneer in blending Eastern wisdom with Western medicine, joins Leah Smart to talk about his 94th book, 'The Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life.' In it, Dr. Chopra, along with physicist Jack Tuszynski and endocrinologist Brian Furtig, explores the world of quantum science and its potential to transform well-being, potentially eradicating disease and helping us live healthier for longer. In this conversation, Dr. Chopra shares innovative research and prescriptive exercises aimed at enhancing our understanding of how to improve spiritual well-being.

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Navigating Conflict: The Gottman's Roadmap to Better Connections

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

John and Julie Gottman are top relationship researchers, psychologists, and the power couple behind the new book, “Fight Right." They joined Leah Smart to share eye-opening perspectives on conflict management and resolution. We’re all familiar with those tense moments at home or office disagreements. The Gottmans reveal that these aren't just hurdles to overcome; they're valuable opportunities to strengthen bonds with family, colleagues, and even yourself. The Gottmans highlight the transformative power of the simple shift from criticizing to making complaints, give their take on and reveal the three styles of handling conflict that can change your perspective on disagreements.

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Listen to the previous conversation with The Gottmans

The Art of Feel Good Productivity with Ali Abdaal

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Ali Abdaal is an author and one of the world's most followed productivity experts. He is known for his YouTube channel, where he shares research-backed content on productivity, study techniques, and personal development. His book, "Feel Good Productivity," explores how to do more of what matters to you. Ali explains the three main blockers to productivity: uncertainty, fear, and inertia, and provides practical strategies for overcoming them, including removing judgment and thinking of ourselves as a system. Ultimately, Ali emphasizes the importance of finding joy in the process of work to make it sustainable for long-term success.

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Beyond Resolutions: Annie Grace's Guide to Conscious Behavior Change

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Annie Grace is the author of "This Naked Mind" and an educator on changing your relationship with alcohol, and offers a unique approach to understanding and transforming our subconscious beliefs and habits. Annie joins Leah Smart to discuss the concept of liminal thinking and how it can be applied to change our relationship with any behavior we want to transform. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity and self-compassion in this process. By examining our beliefs and experimenting with new behaviors, we can make informed choices that align with our well-being goals.

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Dr. Michael Gervais on Rising Above Fear of Other People's Opinions

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

This is the first episode of our four-part series, The Better Blueprint for Your 2024, focused on training your mind by building stronger internal resources. Dr. Michael Gervais is a high-performance psychologist who has worked with top athletes, sports teams, Olympians, and executives and is the author of Finding Mastery. He joins Leah Smart to unravel the concept of FOPO (Fear of Other People's Opinions), teaching practical strategies to stop worrying about external judgments. Michael shares the principles of high performance and shows listeners how to define a personal philosophy they can live by every day.

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Daron K. Roberts on Waging War Against Your Status Quo

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Daron K. Roberts is a former NFL & college coach and the founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation at the University of Texas. In this conversation Leah and Daron talk about the abundant opportunity in the emerging creator economy and embracing discomfort as a professional growth tactic.

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Hygge: Conscious Coziness as a Survival Strategy

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The Danish prepare for their cold, dark winters by leaning into hygge, which loosely translates to “coziness.” To understand how hygge and happiness are linked, Leah sits down with Meik Wiking, founder and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen – and author of the books The Little Book of Hygge and the new My Hygge Home. They dive into the art of hygge and how connection – and simple pleasures – are key to happiness.

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The Burnout Cure

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Almost everyone has experienced burnout in the past few years – and if you didn’t personally, you probably know someone who did. Many of us have been conditioned to believe that results and hyperproductivity define our value. But what if resting is actually the key to maintaining an ambitious life? Author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith joins Leah to dig in to the 7 (yes, 7!) different types of rest, and why we need to reframe how we think about taking a break and taking care of ourselves.

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Rising to Success: Panera Bread Founder Ron Shaich’s Recipe for Life's Pre-mortem

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Ron Shaich is the former CEO of Panera Bread, Au Bon Pain, and recently author of the book "Know What Matters: Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformations," which combines his personal philosophies with professional guidance from his years of work and prioritizing what has meant the most to him.

Ron joins Leah Smart to introduce the concept of a "pre-mortem," which involves defining what matters most to us and how to get there. Ron emphasizes the importance of being rigid in our vision but flexible in our execution. He breaks down the pre-mortem into four areas of life to focus on and shares personal stories and insights on how to create a meaningful life and a successful business.

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Calm Your Nerves: A Neuroscientist’s Approach to Tackling Everyday Social Anxiety

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Dr. Wendy Suzuki, dean at New York University, neuroscientist and professor of neural science and psychology returns to talk about everyday anxiety as it relates to social experiences. She emphasizes the importance of putting in effort to build social connections despite your nerves and offers tips for overcoming everyday social anxiety from her book “Good Anxiety.” Instead of fearing imperfections and awkward moments in social interactions, Dr. Suzuki encourages us to expect them.Ultimately, she says anxiety is a tool for learning and growth that helps us appreciate the contrast between negative and positive experiences.

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The Anatomy of Friendship

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Shasta Nelson, an expert on friendship and healthy relationships and Author of Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness, sits down with Leah Smart to dive into the three components every relationship needs to be healthy and how to nurture connections that truly last.

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The Millennial Therapist's Roadmap to Self-Discovery

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Sara Kuburic aka “The Millennial Therapist” and author of the book 'It's On Me', joins Leah Smart to discuss the experience of navigating from self-loss to self-discovery. Sara reflects on the shared human experience of living non-linear paths filled with surprises and discoveries. As someone whose self-loss was instigated by living through the trauma of multiple wars, she emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for our own lives. Sara gives practical insights and tools for making genuine choices and finding meaning along the way.

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Learn more about “It’s On Me” here

Transforming Your Relationship with Money

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Paco de Leon is the founder of the Hell Yeah Group and the author of "Finance for the People." With a background in finance and personal financial planning, Paco is on a mission to help people improve their relationship with money and find their own power.

Paco joins Leah Smart to discuss how to make progress with money, and why we need to confront our own beliefs and behaviors around it. She emphasizes that knowledge alone is not enough and that we must challenge our limiting beliefs and recognize our own power.

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Learn more about the Hell Yeah Group

Navigating Uncertainty and Embracing Optimism with Futurist April Rinne

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

April Rinne is a futurist, author, and change navigator. She is a world economic correspondent, a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, and was ranked one of the top 50 leading female futurists in the world by Forbes. April helps individuals and organizations navigate change and uncertainty, and she is the author of the book "Flux."

April joins Leah Smart live from Linkedin’s Talent Connect to discuss how to navigate uncertainty and live with more ease. She shares how her personal story of loss, and love for language and culture shaped her work in helping others handle the unknown. April encourages us to see ourselves and the world differently by embracing uncertainty and choosing optimism.

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Get April's Book "Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change."

Mindful Thinking for Chronic Health with Ellen Langer

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Ellen Langer is a renowned Harvard professor and psychologist who has been studying mindfulness for over 40 years. She is the first woman to be tenured in psychology at Harvard and has conducted extensive research in her lab. She is also known as the “The Mother of Positive Psychology.” Langer is the author of numerous books, including her recent work, The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health.

Langer joins Leah Smart to discuss the power of mindfulness in improving our health and well-being. By being mindful, we can enliven our brains, improve our physical health, and live longer. Langer's research has shown that simply noticing and being present can reverse signs of aging, enhance healing, and improve our overall well-being. She encourages us to embrace uncertainty, as it opens us up to new and interesting possibilities. Langer believes that our ills can be cured by practicing mindfulness and recognizing that everything is constantly changing.

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Kat Cole on Using Practical Intuition at Life’s Crossroads

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Kat Cole, President and COO of Athletic Greens, joins Leah Smart to share her personal journey and insights on how she has navigated major decisions in her life. She emphasizes the importance of following your intuition while staying honest and optimistic. She also talks about the significance of tough moments in relationships and how they can strengthen the bond. Kat encourages regular check-ins and open communication to maintain a strong partnership.

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Nedra Tawwab Wants You to Find Peace Through Boundaries

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Nedra Tawwab, New York Times bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace, and relationship therapist joins Leah Smart to talk about why boundary expectations and needs help you feel safe and comfortable in your relationship. Nedra’s philosophy is that a lack of boundaries and assertiveness underlies most relationship issues. You'll hear how freedom is on the other side of healthy boundaries, what might be stopping you from setting them, and the practical steps to doing so in all of your relationships.

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Conquer Everyday Anxiety: How to Understand and Manage Your Stress

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Step into the world of neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki, the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at NYU and author of Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion. She sits down with Leah Smart to help us understand the impact of what she calls, everyday anxiety, on our lives. Dr. Suzuki emphasizes that we can leverage this often misunderstood emotion to our advantage with practical tools. Her emphasis on the evolutionary purpose of anxiety will clarify how it actually guides you to see what you truly value.

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Designing a Home that Recharges You with Bobby Berk

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Bobby Berk, design guru from 'Queer Eye' and author of 'Right at Home: How Good Design is Good for the Mind,' sits down with Leah Smart to explore the intricate relationship between home design and well-being. In this enlightening conversation, they delve into the must-haves for more functional living spaces, the art of embedding joy into your home, and why your living environment acts as an emotional barometer for your overall wellness. Discover how to curate spaces that fuel positivity and foster support.

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Bobby Berk’s new book Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good for the Mind is available at bobbyberk.com/book/.

Introducing Everyday Better

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Everyday Better is your essential podcast for leveling up in personal development, life, and career success. Hosted by Leah Smart, an educator in self-improvement and positive psychology, this podcast offers transformative conversations with influential experts, real-life success stories, actionable insights, and research-backed tips.

Elevate your mindset, gain clarity, and unlock your potential as you journey toward becoming 'Everyday Better.' Whether you're at a crossroads or simply seeking more daily clarity, every episode leaves you inspired, empowered, and ready for more.

Find new episodes of Everyday Better, right here, every Tuesday.

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When Heartbreak is a Gift

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah sits down with Amy Chan, author of Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart and creator of the first weekend retreat for working through heartbreak. They dig into why we get our hearts broken, and the science behind cultivating a healthier relationship with our circumstances, ourselves and other people.

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Finding Our Purpose Through Ikigai with Tim Tamashiro

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Leah Smart talks to Tim Tamashiro, author of “How to Ikigai” about finding your purpose. As an ongoing student and teacher, Tim shares the tools to find your ikigai, where most people get stuck, and how we tend to go wrong with purpose.

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Engineering A Happier Life with Tal Ben-Shahar

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

World-renowned teacher and student in the field of happiness studies, Tal Ben-Shahar, taught the largest course at Harvard on "Positive Psychology", and authored Happier, No Matter What: Cultivating Hope, Resilience, and Purpose in Hard Times. He joins Leah Smart to examine how we can stay motivated, what to know about growing after trauma, and how his SPIRE method can help us achieve happiness in our day to day life.

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Finding Fulfillment Through Your Human Design Type

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Alexandra Cole, Human Design Coach, Author, and Co-Founder of Purpose Generation, joins Leah Smart to unravel the intricacies of human design types and their impact on our lives. Cole, known for her in-depth understanding of this system, guides listeners through the fundamental concepts of human design, shedding light on how it can provide valuable insights into our personalities, relationships, and lives.

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Finding Our Identity Through Food

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Anya Von Bremzen, triple James Beard Award winner, renowned food writer, and author of the latest book National Dish, joins Leah Smart to explore the intersection of food, culture, and identity. They delve into her research and personal experiences that remind us of the power of food to evoke emotions, challenge our assumptions, and build bridges between cultures; by embracing the complexities of food and identity, we can foster a more inclusive and understanding world.

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Rediscovering Enchantment Everyday

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Katherine May, internationally bestselling author of Wintering and Enchantment, joins Leah Smart to talk about awakening wonder, rediscovering joy and experiencing awe in our everyday lives. Katherine emphasizes that enchantment can be found when we reconnect with our childhood fascinations and let ourselves be drawn to what restores us.

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Coming To Our Senses: Touch

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Tammy Lung, ASMR expert, and founder of Tingles Bar joins Leah Smart to discuss the health benefits of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). They dive into the feelings of relaxation brought on by different experiences, such as visual, auditory, or tactile triggers, and how physical touch can make you feel better day to day.

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Bonus: Sound Bath with Sara Auster

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Sara Auster, world-renowned sound therapist, meditation teacher and author, leads us in a sound bath experience to deepen the connection between sound, mind and the body.

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Coming To Our Senses: Sound

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Sara Auster, world-renowned sound therapist, meditation teacher and author, joins Leah Smart to share her journey into the world of sound healing and the transformative power of sound baths. They discuss the connection between sound, mind and the body, the role of stillness and slowness in a fast-paced world, and why sound baths enhance well-being and deepen your connection to yourself, and the world around you.

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Coming To Our Senses: Laughter

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Francine Shore, Certified Laughter Yoga Instructor, co-founder and Creative Director of NYCs first Laughter Club promoting health and wellness, joins Leah Smart to discuss how laughter can be a healing tool, especially during challenging times. They dive into the health benefits of laughter yoga and how through laughter, we can find connection, joy, and a way to cope with trauma.

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Coming To Our Senses: Smell

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Dr. Rachel Herz, neuroscientist and a world-leading expert on the psychological science of smell, joins Leah Smart to discuss the importance of our sense of smell, and its impact on our identity, relationships, and emotions. They explore the connection between smell and memory and how consciously engaging with it can enhance our overall well-being and quality of life.

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Grubhub’s Founder on How We Redefine Success

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Mike Evans couldn’t have predicted his success: he founded Grubhub because he wanted a snack and to pay off his student loans, and stayed with the company through a wildly successful IPO. But it’s what he’s done since that’s differentiated him from other startup founders: first, leaving Grubhub to take a transcontinental bike trip, and also his new company, Fixer, which aims to do social good even as it turns a profit. Leah and Mike get into all of that - and the story told in Mike’s new memoir, Hangry: A Startup Journey - in this rousing conversation in the arena.

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Just Like Me: A Guided Meditation

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Leah Smart guides you through a meditation practice meant to help you tap into radical empathy.

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The Nature Prescription

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Ackerman, award-winning science writer and New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds and What an Owl Knows joins Leah Smart to talk about why finding solace in nature can help us reset, reduce stress, and they explore ways we can incorporate nature into our day-to-day lives.

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The Anatomy of Friendship

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

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Rainn Wilson on Navigating Your Path to Spirituality

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Rainn Wilson is most known for his role in The Office as Dwight Schrute, but away from the screen, he’s the co-founder of SoulPancake and the recent author of Soul Boom. Today he joins Leah Smart to share his mission to explore the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a “Soul Boom,” to find a healing transformation on both a personal and global level. Rainn emphasizes the importance of connecting to yourself, each other, and something greater than us.

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Finding Fulfillment on Your Terms

Tue, 30 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Madeleine Dore, author of I Didn’t Do The Thing Today, joins Leah Smart to help us broaden our definitions of a day well spent. They dive into ways we can drop our “shoulds” by analyzing, interpreting, and defining borrowed wants and expired wants to reveal our real wants.

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Sparking Joy Daily with Catherine Price

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Catherine Price, award-winning science journalist Author of The Power of Fun and How to Break Up With Your Phone joins Leah Smart to talk about how her work can take you from mindless scrolling to being more intentional with your time. She’s now introducing the often elusive qualities of fun, so we can incorporate it into our work and everyday activities.

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Activating Your Heart's Intelligence

Tue, 16 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Deborah Rozman, Founding Executive Director of HeartMath Institute joins Leah Smart to talk about the importance of harnessing your heart power, and how your heart sends signals and information to your brain, influencing what you do. Deborah’s here to teach us the tools to get in tune with our heart's intelligence and how to be more practically intuitive in our day-to-day life.

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How Your Values Can Shape Your Financial Future

Tue, 09 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Financial Educator and New York Times Best Selling Author of Get Good with Money, Tiffany Aliche joins Leah Smart to talk about how to repair your relationship with money, why letting go of financial shame can be healing, and why learning your core values can help you better choose how to intentionally use it.

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The Wheel of Life: A Tool for Getting What You Want

Tue, 02 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In the chaos of everyday life, we sometimes forget to stop and take stock of how we’re doing in all facets of our life. Listen in to a real coaching session, as Leah uses the Wheel of Life to help producer Michele O’Brien get clarity on how and where to make a change.

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Coming to Our Senses with Ed Yong

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week, Pulitzer Prize winning science writer and Author of An Immense World, Ed Yong, brings the experiences of other animals to life by showing how their senses differ from ours and guide them through the world. In this conversation, he challenges us to build more reverence for all the living beings on this planet by going beyond our own perceptions and immersing ourselves in the richness of life through their eyes.

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Exploring the Universe: A Conversation with NASA’s Michelle Thaller

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Michelle Thaller, Astronomer, Research Scientist, and Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, joins Leah Smart to talk about science and spirituality, how you are a bit of the universe made conscious briefly, and why being grateful and in awe is the key to everyday life.

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Cheryl Strayed on The Courage to Be Vulnerable

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Cheryl Strayed, the bestselling author of Wild, Tiny Beautiful Things and host of the Dear Sugars podcast, joins Leah Smart to open up about how vulnerability allows us to tap into universal themes and emotions, how it has played a crucial role in her writing journey, and why it’s powerful to embrace your vulnerability and tell your story with courage and authenticity.

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Engineering A Happier Life with Tal Ben-Shahar

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

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Yung Pueblo on the Power of Self-Awareness

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Leah Smart sits down with Yung Pueblo—author, meditator, and one of social media’s leading voices on the topics of healthy relationships and knowing ourselves. They discuss his new book Lighter, and explore self-awareness practices that can help us experience the world around us in crisp and vibrant ways.

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Navigating the Complexities of Our Emotions

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Leah sits down with Marc Brackett, founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Author of Permission to Feel, to talk about what emotional intelligence really is, how to become an Emotion Scientist versus an Emotion Judge, and why it matters that we use words like trauma, gaslighting and narcissist accurately.

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The World Unfolding Ahead with Krista Tippett

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Krista Tippett, the host of “On Being” an adventure in the mystery and the art of living, joins Leah Smart to examine and talk about life after the pandemic, economic challenges, events that have changed us and more. They dive into the importance of finding our meaning and how to manage the matter of our inner lives.

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Understanding Yourself Using the Enneagram

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah chats with Ashton Whitmoyer-Ober, writer, community psychologist and certified Enneagram coach as they dive into the Enneagram, one of the most powerful personality typing system that helps you understand your core motivations, your biggest fears, your biggest desires, and the best ways to improve.

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Shawn Achor on Optimizing Happiness

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In today’s episode, Leah sits down with Shawn Achor, author and happiness researcher who is best known for his book, The Happiness Advantage, as they discuss how happiness is a choice we can make each day. They explore ways we can focus on the positive aspects of our lives, why being mindful of our circumstances matters, and how to change the way you think to be content in your day to day.

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Dr. Mark Hyman on Exploring Longevity

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In today’s episode, Leah sits down with New York Times bestselling author and international leader in the field of Functional Medicine Dr. Mark Hyman as they discuss how we can live a lifestyle that makes us feel 20 years younger than our chronological age. They dive into the four main pillars of longevity: diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep and how to make this a part of your everyday life.

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John and Julie Gottman on Making a Relationship Last

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In today’s episode, Leah sits down with world-renowned relationship researchers and authors Drs. John and Julie Gottman as they discuss what they have observed in 40 years of research on couples and the small strategies you can use to improve the quality of your partnership or prepare for what’s around the corner.

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Finding Our Purpose Through Ikigai with Tim Tamashiro

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Leah talks to Tim Tamashiro, author of “How to Ikigai” about finding your purpose. As an ongoing student and teacher, Tim shares the tools to find your ikigai, where most people get stuck, and how we tend to go wrong with purpose.

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Dr. Myron Rolle on The 2% Way

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of In the Arena, Leah speaks with neurosurgeon, author & former NFL Player, Dr. Myron Rolle about his 2% methodology. Myron’s philosophy of incremental improvement has taken him from Oxford to a Rhodes Scholarship, and the NFL to a residency at Harvard.

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Can’t Meditate? Try This with JP Crimi

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0000

If you think you've found your favorite kind of meditation, maybe you haven't considered breath work yet. It can help reduce stress, restore your energy and improve your mental health. In this episode Leah and In the Arena’s former producer, Michele O’Brien, experimented with conscious connected breathing. Celebrity trainer and sober coach turned breathwork teacher, JP Crimi, has created a class where everyone gets an experience like personal training (for your breath) and leaves blissful.

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Negotiating Better Relationships with Kwame Christian

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of In The Arena Leah talks with Kwame Christian, CEO of The American Negotiation institute, about how having tough conversations enhances the quality of our relationships. Leah and Kwame share past discomforts and anxieties with conflict and Kwame reflects on the what he’s learned over the years of teaching people to communicate better.

Great News! Before the holidays we told you that In the Arena had been nominated for Signal Listener’s Choice Award, for Most Inspirational Podcast and we asked for your vote. We received a gold award for most inspirational podcast. Thank you for voting and sharing with your friends. Thank you, thank you for helping us grow the show! We couldn’t do it without you.

Grow Your Own Joy

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Maria Failla, the author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover’s Guide to Cultivating Happiness, wasn’t always a plant lady: in fact, she was a self-proclaimed plant killer. But after some time, trust, and patience, she discovered that plants have a lot to teach us about growth, dormancy, and well-being – and she explores all that and more on her podcast, also called Growing Joy. She joined Leah in studio last year to dig into why our green friends are unexpected metaphors for meaningful life lessons.

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Creating the Life You Want This Year

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Vision boards can get a bad rap, but there’s definitely something to the idea of writing down & saying what you want, loud and proud; it can help you recognize which opportunities are for you, and what to say no to. To that end, Leah walks through two different exercises – the Wheel of Life (which we’ve covered before on the show!), and a simple pie chart organizing how you’d like to be spending your time. Because you’re the only one who can decide what is important to you and make room for it to happen.

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Reflecting on 2022: The Lifeline Tool

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Even though our personal growth depends on it, we don’t always prioritize reflecting back on where we’ve been in order to move forward. But we can’t make a change unless we know where we’ve started. So today Leah offers a tool, the Lifeline, that can help you take stock of the positive, negative, and neutral events of your year, and focus in on how you can change the narrative you have around the negative emotions, and start moving beyond the negatives – because that’s where all the good stuff happens.

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The Courage to Create with Morgan Harper Nichols [Best of In the Arena]

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0000

As the old year winds down, we’re sharing a favorite episode from the archives: influencer, artist, poet, and author Morgan Harper Nichols. Morgan shares how she got comfortable being creative, why your dream matters and the ways her community and curiosity drive her work.

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🚨 Great News! 🚨 In the Arena has been nominated for a Signal Listener’s Choice Award, for Most Inspirational Podcast. And we need your help! If you’ve gotten something out of In the Arena this year, please vote and share with your friends! Click the link above, or go to vote.signalaward.com and search for “In the Arena.” The deadline to vote is Thurs. December 22. Thank you, thank you for helping us grow the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

Wintering: How to Weather Difficult Times

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Katherine May’s moving memoir Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times resonated deeply with the audience who found it when it was published in 2020. It’s about her own journey through a personal “winter”: a period of time when she had to retreat into herself in order to cope with the world. Drawing on research about how Northern cultures have weathered the inevitable cold season, and interspersed with wisdom about moving through your own winter, Wintering is a balm. Leah and Katherine sit down to talk about how to make a better self-help genre, slowing down, and embracing the seasons of your life.

🚨 Great News! 🚨 In the Arena has been nominated for a Signal Listener’s Choice Award, for Most Inspirational Podcast. And we need your help! If you’ve gotten something out of In the Arena this year, please vote and share with your friends! Click the link above, or go to vote.signalaward.com and search for “In the Arena.” Thank you, thank you for helping us grow the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

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Hygge: Conscious Coziness as a Survival Strategy

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0000

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Make Happiness Work for You [Best of In the Arena]

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0000

In a favorite episode from the archives, Leah talks with bestselling author and podcast host Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project to get to the bottom of happiness – and why who you truly are may be your most important clue to how to be happier.

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Create a Personal Manifesto to Guide Your Path

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Manifesto can be a charged word, but Charlotte Burgess-Auburn, Stanford d.school professor and author of the new book You Need a Manifesto: How to Craft Your Convictions and Put Them to Work, says it’s time to reclaim it. In this interview, she walks Leah through what putting your own values and priorities on paper can do to clarify your path, and the 5 C’s of manifesto creation.

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Huma Abedin on Living in Both/And

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Huma Abedin’s incredible career – as advisor to former Senator, Secretary of State, and Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton – and challenging personal life – her ex-husband, former Representative Anthony Weiner, was caught sending suggestive photos to women online – can’t be separated from one another. And Huma doesn’t want them to be. Her memoir Both/And tells both stories, along with many others, and allows space for the complexity we all carry. She joined Leah in studio for a rousing and inspiring conversation on mental health, family, and doing the thing that scares you.

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Ball of Golden Light: A Guided Meditation

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Let Leah guide you through a meditation meant to renew your connection with your self and your breath.

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Grubhub’s Founder on How We Redefine Success

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Mike Evans couldn’t have predicted his success: he founded Grubhub because he wanted a snack and to pay off his student loans, and stayed with the company through a wildly successful IPO. But it’s what he’s done since that’s differentiated him from other startup founders: first, leaving Grubhub to take a transcontinental bike trip, and also his new company, Fixer, which aims to do social good even as it turns a profit. Leah and Mike get into all of that - and the story told in Mike’s new memoir, Hangry: A Startup Journey - in this rousing conversation in the arena.

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How Your Brain Health Affects... Everything

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0000

We spend a lot of time going inward on In the Arena… but we rarely actually talk about internal organs like the brain or the heart. Today, that changes, with guest Dr. Marc Milstein, author of The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia. Marc and Leah get into what you can do now to keep your brain younger and healthier to increase longevity. One of the key tricks? Start now, no matter your age.

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The Burnout Cure

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0000

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Astrology + Psychology = A Map to Your Soul

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week In the Arena: Dr. Jennifer Freed, psychological astrologer and author of the new book A Map to Your Soul: Using the Astrology of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water to Live Deeply and Fully. Dr. Freed joins Leah to dig into the birth chart, and how using the “mystery art” of astrology combined with psychological analysis can help you define your purpose and your goals. (And then, of course, that’s when your own choices and actions come into play to get you to the good stuff.)

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Jessi Hempel on Coming Out of Our Closets

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week: a very special episode from our friends and colleagues at our LinkedIn sister podcast, Hello Monday. Leah takes the host chair to interview Jessi Hempel, the show’s usual host, about Jessi’s beautiful new memoir, The Family Outing, how she and her family made the authentic choices to come out of their closets, why we are all unreliable narrators of our stories and what it means to live the truest expression of yourself.

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How to Make Your Home a Place of Wellbeing

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung are the co-founders of accessible, whimsical design company Poketo, but when it comes to their own home, they want a clean canvas. Although they focus more on home goods than home design, they’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how people arrange their living spaces to bring the most joy and productivity: they co-authored the book Creative Spaces, featuring beautiful photographs and interviews with artists about how they’ve designed their homes and workspaces. They joined Leah to dig into the idea of home, and why having a place that expresses who you are – and leaves room for who you will become – is so important.

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Lori Gottlieb on Why Therapy is For You

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Kicking off Season 5 of In the Arena: Leah’s conversation with bestselling author and columnist Lori Gottlieb, whose 2019 memoir Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed was on just about every best-of list that year. She and Leah dig in to why it’s as important to focus on mental health as physical health, and what “setting boundaries” actually means.

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Tamara Levitt on Calm and Consciousness [Best of In the Arena]

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, we’re re-airing a favorite episode from the archives: Leah’s conversation with Calm's Head of Mindfulness, Tamara Levitt, about how meditation and mindfulness can change your life. In the United States, meditation has historically lived on the fringes of the mainstream. But with anxiety and burnout at all-time highs, many people are looking for tools to feel better, calm down, get more sleep and clear their heads. Tamara has narrated the Calm App's guided meditations that have supported millions of people in improving their lives and she wants you to know why you should give it a try.

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Daron K. Roberts on Waging War Against Your Status Quo [Best of In the Arena]

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, we’re re-airing a favorite episode from the archives: Leah’s conversation with Daron K. Roberts, LinkedIn's #1 Top Voice in Sports in 2020. He's a former NFL & college coach and the founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation at the University of Texas. In this conversation Leah and Daron talk about the abundant opportunity in the emerging creator economy and embracing discomfort as a professional growth tactic.

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The Simple Act of Breathing

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week In the Arena: Journalist James Nestor, author of the bestselling book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Leah and James dig into how breathing better can help us in all areas of our health and wellbeing, and how following curiosity can lead us to more interesting places than problem-solving alone.

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Let's Talk About Money

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Be honest: when you saw the topic of this episode, did you cringe a little? It makes sense — money is often a taboo topic. But this week, Leah invites her own accountant, Karen Bahn, into the arena to get to the bottom of why our relationships with the green stuff can be so fraught, and how we can re-write our money stories.

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Finding Friendship in the Age of Loneliness with Adam Smiley Poswolsky

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0000

The last two and a half years saw all of us navigating connections and alone time in different ways. Adam Smiley Poswolsky, author of Friendship in the Age of Loneliness, joins Leah to talk about how to make friends and the difference between “alone” and “lonely.”

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The Wheel of Life: a Tool for Getting What You Want

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0000

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Your Body Is Trying to Tell You Something

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0000

We live in a head-based world, where we prioritize the information our brains get – sometimes at the expense of listening to our bodies. So how can we start getting more into all the goodness our bodies have to give us? Join Leah as she talks to Alexander Technique and Somatic Experiencing practitioner Ariel Carson. They dig in to the mind-body connection and work through some simple exercises you can do at home.

Check out Ariel’s work at Wave Somatics

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Possibility through Uncertainty

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah sits down with Nathan and Susannah Furr, co-authors of The Upside of Uncertainty. They discuss what uncertainty is really about, uncover the possibilities that come from embracing it, and how we can better equip ourselves to be resilient in the face of the unknown using their four-armed framework.

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Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman [Best of In the Arena]

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, we’re re-airing a favorite episode from the archives: Leah’s LinkedIn Speaker Series interview with Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn founder and author of Masters of Scale and The Startup of You. They dig into the “why” of starting something that matters and how to know when an idea is a good one.

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When Heartbreak Is a Gift

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah sits down with Amy Chan, author of Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart and creator of the first weekend retreat for working through heartbreak. They dig into why we get our hearts broken, and the science behind cultivating a healthier relationship with our circumstances, ourselves and other people.

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How to Belong in a World of "Fitting in" with Jonathan Fields

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week in the arena: author, speaker, and founder of Good Life Project, Jonathan Fields. Jonathan and Leah have a wide-ranging conversation about the differences between beliefs and values, the versions of ourselves we present to the world, and their own experiences sharing stories.

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Just Like Me: A Guided Meditation

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Let Leah guide you through a meditation practice meant to help you tap into radical empathy.

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Finding Flow in the Kitchen with Julia Turshen

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, acclaimed cookbook author, podcaster, and cooking teacher Julia Turshen joins Leah to talk about how embodied experiences like cooking soothe anxiety, and how food can be a form of caretaking.

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Five Principles to Live By with Reggie Fils-Aimé

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0000

In the Arena this week: Reggie Fils-Aimé, former COO of Nintendo and author of the book Disrupting the Game: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo. Reggie gets into his five life principles – originally delivered as part of a commencement address – and how being methodical helped him in his storied career.

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The Non-Meditator’s Guide to Meditation

Tue, 31 May 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week In the Arena: Meditation coach and founder of The Big Quiet, Jesse Israel. He joins Leah to talk about how his highest career high came crashing down, and how meditation has helped him be the person he wants to be in the world.

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Facing Imposter Syndrome with Lisa Orbé-Austin

Tue, 24 May 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re re-releasing an old favorite: Leah’s conversation with Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin on how to confront impostor syndrome head-on.

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Exploring Men’s Mental Health with Sean Harvey

Tue, 17 May 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week in the arena: men’s healing advocate Sean Harvey, leadership coach and founder of Warrior Compassion. He and Leah talk about his focus on men’s healing in particular and why getting into community is always the answer.

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Tunde Oyeneyin Is Living on Purpose

Tue, 10 May 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Leah sits down to talk with beloved Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin about trusting that everything that’s for you will come exactly when it’s supposed to, how to keep showing up when life doesn’t go you way, and the internal “drumbeat” we can all follow.

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Rethinking Digital Ghosting with Erica Dhawan

Tue, 03 May 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week In the Arena: author of Digital Body Language, Erica Dhawan. Leah and Erica talk about rethinking communication (and how we care for each other) in this new hybrid age, and an astonishing statistic about how often we just misinterpret each other.

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The Courage to Create with Morgan Harper Nichols

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week In the Arena: influencer, artist, poet, and author Morgan Harper Nichols. Morgan shares how she got comfortable being creative, why your dream matters and the ways her community and curiosity drive her work.

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Finding Your Unicorn Space with Eve Rodsky

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah sits down with Eve Rodsky, speaker and author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space. They get into the delicious possibilities that can present themselves when we’re able to set aside our roles as someone else’s parent, colleague or partner and step into our own passions.

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Deepak Chopra Wants You to Wake Up

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Leah sat down in the studio with global spiritual leader Deepak Chopra to talk about his new book Abundance and how peace and joy can come out of tough times.

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Finding the Love in Work with Marcus Buckingham

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Leah sits down with world-renowned speaker and bestselling author Marcus Buckingham to talk about harnessing the power of your own uniqueness and making sure that you can find the moments of flow in your work.

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Time Traveling Well with Dr. Sherry Walling

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah talks with clinical psychologist, podcast host, and author Sherry Walling about mental health, grief, and how entrepreneurs in particular can go all-out towards pursuing their passions while also avoiding burnout.

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Marc Champagne on Asking the Right Questions

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah dives deep with mental fitness expert Marc Champagne, author of Personal Socrates. Marc explains how a well-timed question can get to the heart of what you need, and why we should be aiming to be just 1% better every day.

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Reshma Saujani on Finding Your Purpose

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah talks with Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms. They dive into why it’s so important for people – particularly women – to find their purpose, and how to empower yourself even as you fight for systemic change.

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Dr. Jim Doty on the Science of Compassion and Manifestation

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah talks with neurosurgeon andbestselling author Jim Doty, author of Into the Magic Shop and founder of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, CCARE. Dr. Doty’s work proves that compassion is more than just good to talk about, it can actually improve your health and lengthen your life.

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Gretchen Rubin on Making Happiness Work for You

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0000

This week, Leah talks with bestselling author and podcast host Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project to get to the bottom of happiness – and why who you truly are may be your most important clue to how to be happier.

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Liz Fosslien on Big Feelings

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0000

This week in the arena, illustrator and bestselling coauthor Liz Fosslien joins Leah to talk about some of our Big Feelings, the subject of the book she co-authored with Mollie West Duffy. Liz and Leah get into the feelings we're not “supposed” to show – Uncertainty, Anger, Comparison, and Regret – and dig into why it’s important to work through, rather than ignore them, so you can show up better for yourself and those who matter.

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Jessi Hempel Jumps In with Amelia and Emily Nagoski

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0000

In an episode from the Hello Monday archives, Jessi Hempel talks with Amelia and Emily Nagoski, authors of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle about emotional exhaustion and how to fix burnout.

Jessi Hempel Jumps In with Morra Aarons-Mele

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 05:01:00 -0000

While we focus on a revamp of sorts at In the Arena, we're sharing a few episodes from the Hello Monday archives. Today, Jessi Hempel talks with Morra Aarons-Mele, host of the HBR podcast The Anxious Achiever about (what else?!) anxiety.

Michael Bungay Stanier on How to Begin

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:52:00 -0000

This week in the arena, bestselling author of The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanier is sharing how to start doing something that matters to you. In his new book, How To Begin, Michael blends coaching, motivation, and accountability to help you align with a goal that has the 3 characteristics he calls essential- important, daunting, and thrilling. No matter your vision, this formula will get you there.

Tamara Levitt on Calm & Consciousness

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 10:00:00 -0000

Join Leah Smart in the arena with Calm's Head of Mindfulness, Tamara Levitt to talk about how meditation and mindfulness can change your life. In the United States, meditation has historically lived on the fringes of the mainstream. But with anxiety and burnout at all-time highs, many people are looking for tools to feel better, calm down, get more sleep and clear their heads. Tamara has narrated the Calm App's guided meditations that have supported millions of people in improving their lives and she wants you to know why you should give it a try.

In the Arena is OOO This Month

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 14:05:57 -0000

In the Arena is taking a break in December and will be back in January. Tune in to listen to a simple way to reflect on the year you've had and get ready for 2022.

The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up with Beatrice Chestnut & Uranio Paes

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 05:01:00 -0000

Are you curious about The Enneagram? This week in the arena, global Enneagram thought leaders Beatrice Chestnut and Uranio Paes join Leah Smart and Head of Learning & Culture at Airtable, Jess Amortergui. The Enneagram system has recently been regaining popularity at work and in the human development space. But a lot of what's out there doesn't scratch the surface of this life-changing roadmap to self-development. Listen in to hear more about each type 1-9, get hints on your personality pitfalls, and find out how to use this system to become a better version of yourself.

Going Deep on Impostor Syndrome with Lisa Orbe-Austin

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Join psychologist and author Lisa Orbe-Austin and Leah Smart in the arena to talk about Lisa's area of expertise- impostor syndrome. You'll hear not only what it is, but what research shows about where it comes from. And most important, how to become aware and conscious of your impostor syndrome triggers, so you can overcome it.

The Great Reshuffle Explored with Karin Kimbrough

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 04:01:00 -0000

LinkedIn's Chief Economist, Karin Kimbrough gets in the arena this week to talk all about The Great Reshuffle. This period of unprecedented professional change and upheaval is being driven by people everywhere asking simple but meaningful questions about not just where they want to work and how they want to work, but why they work. The Great Reshuffle marks a moment in time where we all get to rethink how to spend our 40+ hours every week.

The Power of Being an Outsider with Olga Khazan

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 04:01:00 -0000

Award-winning staff writer at the Atlantic and author, Olga Khazan gets in the arena this week to talk about her research on the experience of being "weird". Through dozens of interviews and research she set out to learn and share what it means to be an outsider and what the upsides are. From building your resilience to true self-acceptance, being a bit different in a society that praises conformity can and often does win.

Fearlessly Embracing The Nonlinear Life with Bruce Feiler

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week in the arena, author of seven New York Times bestsellers and thought leader on contemporary life, Bruce Feiler joins to talk about his most recent book, Life is In the Transitions. Based on thousands of hours of research, this book reveals that most people's lives are inconsistent with the expected linear path of success at work, in relationships, at home, and everywhere else. In fact, adults experience life disruptors every 12-18 months. And the big ones are called lifequakes. Bruce's work both reevaluates expectations of contemporary life and shares how to make meaning and magic after a lifequake.

Michelle MiJung Kim on The Wake Up

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week, CEO, author, speaker, and activist Michelle Kim gets in the arena to talk about her recent book. It's called, The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change. And in it, Michelle clarifies what she's come to understand in her lifelong social justice activism while giving us all the tools to show up for societal liberation. Her work is beyond the basics, she digs deep, and she spares no truth. Most of all, she promises discomfort, which she assures means real change.

Reid Hoffman on Masters of Scale

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week, entrepreneur and author Reid Hoffman joins for a conversation on his podcast and new book, both titled Masters of Scale. Hear Reid’s story and learn the counterintuitive principles that some of the world's foremost leaders use to guide themselves and their companies. Even if you’re not planning to start the "next big thing", these lessons will help you design your life, masterfully. This episode was recorded as part of LinkedIn's Speaker Series.

Daron K. Roberts on Waging War Against Your Status Quo

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week, get in the arena with Daron K. Roberts. Daron was named LinkedIn's #1 Top Voice in Sports in 2020. He's a former NFL & college coach and the founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation at the University of Texas. His work is about changing our limiting narratives, embracing discomfort for the sake of what you want, and creating a game plan for winning at life.

Nedra Tawwab Wants You to Find Peace Through Boundaries

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week, Leah Smart gets in the arena with New York Times bestselling author and relationship therapist Nedra Tawwab on her book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace. Boundaries are expectations and needs that help you feel safe and comfortable in your relationship. Nedra’s philosophy is that a lack of boundaries and assertiveness underlies most relationship issues. You'll hear how freedom is on the other side of healthy boundaries, what might be stopping you from setting them, and the practical steps to doing so in all of your relationships.

Ryan Roslansky on Finding Our Way

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week, Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, talks about his journey: what it’s like to be over a year into his role as a CEO, the challenges he’s experienced in his transition and what keeps him grounded. He also talks about LinkedIn’s inspiring future and why he’s personally invested in transforming the future of opportunity through skills.

In the Arena Program Note

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 02:00:00 -0000

Jackie and Leah share an update about their show and what’s next.

Jessi Hempel Jumps in with Lisa Orbe-Austin on Impostor Syndrome

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 14:44:00 -0000

Is Impostor Syndrome weighing you down? In our final post from the Hello Monday series on overcoming career challenges, Jessi Hempel talks with Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin about proactively managing careers as well as understanding impostor syndrome and how to combat it.

Jessi Hempel Jumps in with Angela Duckworth on Getting Grittier

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week, we're featuring researcher Angela Duckworth and Hello Monday’s Jessi Hempel as they chat about grit. Grit's not just about talent. Angela outlines her philosophy on grit, explains why grit isn’t the only trait that matters and shows how each of us can move the needle forward in our own professional and personal lives. This conversation was recorded as part of Yext’s “Answer Me This” series.

Jessi Hempel Jumps In with Dorie Clark on Starting Fresh

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 13:33:00 -0000

This week, executive coach, author, and self-reinvention expert, Dorie Clark and Hello Monday’s Jessi Hempel chat about taking a chance and starting fresh in your career. They talk about how everyone can make a Plan B, the importance of having a growth mindset, and what keeps us from having the courage to do it. This interview originally aired as Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel.

Listen More and Talk Less: The Power of Coaching

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 04:01:00 -0000

With so much curiosity and misunderstanding around coaching, we're diving into how influential our training as coaches has been in our own transformation. We're laying out some of the core skills anyone can use to change the way they connect and support others. After hearing our unscripted coaching, you'll walk away with a better sense of how talking less and listening more works.

Jumping in With Rosanna Durruthy on Self-Acceptance for Global Change

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 14:24:53 -0000

The week we're jumping in with Rosanna Durruthy, Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at LinkedIn. She’s a well-known leader in D&I, grounded in her personal power and candor. You'll hear how the importance she places on her relationship with herself and accepting herself has allowed her to transform those around her, and what it means for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging globally.

Jumping In with Marc Brackett on Permission to Feel

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 11:42:33 -0000

We live in a world where it has become critical to be aware of our emotions for self-development and interpersonal interactions, yet most of us were never taught these skills. In this week’s episode, we’re jumping in the arena with Marc Brackett, Ph.D., founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, on his 2019 book Permission to Feel. Through his personal stories, you’ll hear how the framework he’s introducing globally is redesigning how people, from students to corporate leaders, become more curious, open, and understanding of their emotions.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Mon, 24 May 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week we're talking about one of the oldest human languages. Inspired by the book Humor, Seriously by Dr. Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, we share ways you can be intentional about creating moments of laughter in your life. From a stronger immune system to greater personal satisfaction, who wouldn’t want to reap the benefits of humor?

Jumping In with Yung Pueblo on Clarity & Connection

Mon, 10 May 2021 04:01:00 -0000

This week we jump back in with one of our favorite guests, Yung Pueblo (Diego Perez). His second book, Clarity & Connection, poetically delves into what it means to move through a personal transformational process. In our conversation, Diego clarifies the variety of ways to heal yourself, the value of learning how patterns and conditioning affect your perception, and why we all benefit from staying present in our relationships while we grow.

Jumping In with Scott Shute on The Full Body Yes

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 15:20:49 -0000

This week we're talking to Scott Shute, Head of Mindfulness and Compassion at LinkedIn, about his new book The Full Body Yes. While it's categorized as a business book, its focus is on the deeply human experience of knowing oneself, loving oneself, mastering oneself, and compassion in action. Scott brings 4 engaging stories from the book to life, followed by us connecting the dots with him on how they each apply as powerful lessons in life and at work. Together, we can change work from the inside out.

The Words of Others

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 12:19:09 -0000

Leaning on the words of others during hard times has a powerful way of helping us get to the other side of our struggles. In this week’s episode, join us as we share the most memorable quotes we’ve collected throughout our lives. No matter what you’re facing right now, meaningful words can help you meet this moment.

Pt. 2: On Race in America and Earning Allyship

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 12:05:00 -0000

This week we’re re-releasing two episodes from last June recorded at the height of racial violence. We kick off with personal stories from our Asian colleagues at LinkedIn who were brave enough to share them. With the violence and hate targeting Asian Americans, we’re all reminded that we each still have a role to play in shifting our beliefs, narratives, and systems.

Pt.1: On Race in America and Earning Allyship

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Real Talk on Impostor Syndrome

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 04:11:00 -0000

Impostor Syndrome is something many of us have felt yet do not often talk about. This week, we're navigating the ambiguous waters of this “syndrome” by sharing real experiences from listeners. Combining experiences, stories and research we're shedding light on the deeper experiences that could lead to feelings of self-doubt and the antidotes that exist for both individuals and groups.

Jumping In with Dan Shapero on The Inner Game of a Strong Leader

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 04:11:00 -0000

This week, we jump in the arena with Dan Shapero, COO at LinkedIn, for an open conversation around his professional journey. By weaving in stories from his life, Dan shares what he believes makes a strong leader, the 3 questions he asks to determine if someone is leading in a transformational way, and the most important lessons he’s learned over time.

Change Your Habits, Change Your Life

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 04:11:00 -0000

This week we're sitting down together to talk about the book that kicked off our year, Atomic Habits by James Clear. With over 1 million copies sold, this powerful book shares simple tactics around how to create better habits and get rid of bad ones. Together, we're sharing the most important points to know and how to apply them immediately to transform your life.

Jumping in with Jon Haidt on The Happiness Hypothesis

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 04:11:00 -0000

What is the formula for happiness? We connected with author and social psychologist Jon Haidt to talk about his first book, The Happiness Hypothesis. In this conversation, Jon shares how we get in our own way of achieving the happiness we desire, where happiness truly comes from, and strategies for creating it.

Jumping In with Valorie Burton on Letting Go of Guilt and Cultivating Joy

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 04:11:00 -0000

This week, we're sitting down with life strategist, bestselling author and positive psychology expert, Valorie Burton, to talk about her recent book Let Go of the Guilt. In her work, Valorie stumbled upon the emotion of guilt after noticing how it kept so many from living joyfully. Valorie shares the truth about guilt, how to release it, and proven strategies to cultivate the joy we all want.

Infinite Possibility:The 3-Step Framework to Get What You Want

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 14:55:42 -0000

Join us In the Arena as we share a framework to create anything you want in your life. We’re discussing moving from unconscious reactions to cultivating a clear mindset and discovering what's most important to you. Anything is possible!

You at Your Best: Designing The Life You Truly Want

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 18:54:29 -0000

Join Jackie Goldberg and Leah Smart in the arena as they share the different ways you can connect to your mind, body, and spirit to be the best version of yourself. Explore the key things that might be keeping you from being fully connected and ways you can truly improve your wellness every day.

Jumping in with Yung Pueblo on Going Inward

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 15:39:15 -0000

Leah Smart and Jackie Goldberg sit down with Diego Perez (Yung Pueblo). Diego is a meditator, speaker, and author of the best-selling book Inward. They discuss ways we can bring more clarity and peace to our lives. When we achieve peace and clarity, we can transform ourselves and help transform the world.

Jumping In with Hoby Darling on Humanity 2.0

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 04:11:00 -0000

Leah and Jackie sit down with Hoby Darling, Senior Executive at Logitech and Co-Founder of Liminal Collective- a community with the desire to enable humanity's greatest endeavors. Hoby's experience working with elite performers across diverse disciplines is revealing the path for each of us to go from great to legendary. In this episode, he shares the 7 commonalities he's seen from peak performers, why intentional regeneration is essential, and how he's democratizing human potential.

Jumping In with Kevin Delaney on Leading an Extraordinary Life

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:00:00 -0000

If life is a container, what are you going to put in it? Jackie Goldberg and Leah Smart sit down with Kevin Delaney, VP of Learning and Development at LinkedIn to discuss his new book, A Life Worth Living. This inspiring and action-oriented read focuses on helping anyone create meaning and purpose in their everyday life. Tune into this episode to hear more about the monumental experiences that shaped Kevin and gave life to his book.

Listen More and Talk Less: The Power of Coaching

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 17:41:34 -0000

With so much curiosity and misunderstanding around coaching, Jackie and Leah dive into how influential their training as coaches have been in their transformation. They lay out some of the core skills anyone can utilize in personal and professional relationships to completely change the way they connect and support others. And, you'll hear a live demo of Leah coaching Jackie on a topic she's challenged with.

Channel Your Inner RBG

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:04:37 -0000

In the Jewish culture, it is believed that the most righteous people die on the New Year- Rosh Hashanah- because the world needed them until the very last moment. This holiday ushers in a time for anyone to reflect, express gratitude and decide who they want to be in this world. On the heels of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing, Jackie and Leah talk about her steadfast commitment to what was right and just, reflect on the value of standing for something and share what the holiday means for them. In this uncertain time, the world needs each of us to show up, stand up, and channel our inner RBG.

Coffee with Hello Monday's Jessi Hempel

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 12:31:53 -0000

Jessi Hempel, Senior Editor at Large and Host of LinkedIn's podcast, Hello Monday joins Leah and Jackie for a virtual coffee. For more than 20 years Jessi has interviewed people all of us would want to have coffee with; from CEOs, celebrities and Pulitzer-Prize winners to explorers, corporate refugees and disruptors. In this episode, the spotlight is on Jessi as she shares the big lessons she's learned, the emerging role of technology and business, and how continually choosing your true north can transform the world.

Who's on Your 1x1 Square?

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 11:54:26 -0000

How are you consciously connecting to those who matter most? Leah and Jackie use Brené Brown’s 1x1 square to help you identify the high-value relationships in your life. Through shared stories and techniques, they talk about ways you can be more intentional in growing these relationships.

Jumping In with Brad Lawrence and Jess Amortegui on the Enneagram

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 03:11:00 -0000

What have you heard about the Enneagram? Jackie and Leah sit down with two LinkedIn leaders who are certified in the Enneagram to understand more about this ancient personality assessment. Brad and Jess give an overview of the 9 personality types that will help us understand ourselves, others, and the world in a more holistic and powerful way. If you haven’t taken it, you’ll definitely want to dive into it after listening.

When Life Throws You a Curveball

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 03:11:00 -0000

Curveballs in life are inevitable, yet we often find ourselves surprised when they are thrown our way. Even after the initial shock, it’s hard to see the way forward. Leah and Jackie share a 3-step practice – Stay, Shift, Signify – to work through the disruptive events in our lives. Not only will this practice change the way you experience the next curveball, it will also leave you stronger than you were before it got thrown your way.

Letting Go

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 11:01:17 -0000

When we looked back on the last 6 months in our country and the world, the one theme we couldn’t ignore was letting go. So many of us ended 2019 with inspiring visions of what this year would bring. And for most of us, it has been entirely different than we imagined. But that doesn’t mean we can’t release our expectations to accept our new realities. Join us to talk about what we've had to let go of, why it's so hard to do so and how to chart a new, optimistic path forward.

Pt. 2: On Race in America and Earning Allyship

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 10:52:39 -0000

Join Leah Smart and Jackie Goldberg as they reflect on their last episode - Pt. 1: On Race in America and Earning Allyship– and share the progress they’ve made over the past several weeks. Discover how you can do your part with three guiding principles: Learn about racism in America, Explore the role you play, and Commit to taking action.

Pt. 1: On Race in America and Earning Allyship

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:32:57 -0000

In the latest episode of “In the Arena,” Jackie Goldberg, a white Jewish American, checks in with her best friend and colleague, Leah Smart, a Black American, on how she is doing during this unsettling time. This vulnerable conversation aims to open the doors for others to challenge their perspectives and beliefs about race and privilege in America. When we all show up honestly and ready to do better, we can move forward together.

Jumping In with Scott Barry Kaufman on The New Science of Self-Actualization

Fri, 22 May 2020 04:00:20 -0000

Join Jackie and Leah in the arena with humanistic psychologist, Scott Barry Kaufman to discuss his latest book, Transcend: The New Science of Self Actualization. In his book, Scott explores the research and stories behind Abraham Maslow's work, and reveals surprises about the human experience. He shares the development of personal meaning, how you can find purpose anywhere and why each person deserves have the opportunity to reach the peak of their potential.

Jumping In with Mike Robbins on Being in it Together

Fri, 08 May 2020 03:11:00 -0000

Join Leah and Jackie as they jump in the arena with motivational speaker and author, Mike Robbins. Just off the heels of launching his most recent book, We’re All in This Together, we discuss how showing up for our colleagues, teams and organizations is pivotal now more than ever. Mike shares some of the most powerful insights he brings to individuals and organizations such as the value of authenticity, listening to our instincts and the role empathy plays in fostering connection.

Jumping In with Dorie Clark on Self-Reinvention

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 03:11:00 -0000

Join Leah and Jackie as they jump in the arena with Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing You, Stand Out and Entrepreneurial You. Named an expert in self-reinvention by the New York Times, Dorie shares her transformative journey. Her work to support others in reinventing themselves personally and professionally will inspire listeners to move closer to the lives they want.

Jumping In with Alyssa Merwin on the Journey of a Leader

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 11:17:59 -0000

Join Jackie and Leah for an in-depth conversation with Vice President at LinkedIn, Alyssa Merwin. She shares her unexpected & inspiring story about optimizing for what's most important to you, taking risks, making mistakes and self-development. You'll hear advice from her on how she's leaning into her leadership now and how reframing any situation can refresh your mindset.

Thriving in Crisis

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 03:12:49 -0000

Join Jackie and Leah in the arena at home. They look at how Coronavirus has impacted them, their communities and the world. But then they turn to the choice to thrive in this time, wherever you are.

Owning Your Career Story

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:44:46 -0000

Join Leah and Jackie as they candidly share their career stories. From failures to moments of clarity, following their hearts and finding meaning. Their discussion will inspire you to be proud of your own journey and propel yourself forward.

Jumping In with Mike Romoff on Spiritual Transformation

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:22:32 -0000

Jackie Goldberg and Leah Smart jump in the arena with Mike Romoff, VP of Agency and Channel Sales, to hear his colorful and inspiring journey of spiritual transformation. From Tai Chi wannabe, to certified yogi and Buddhist practitioner, Mike hasn’t had a straightforward journey. He’s an inspiration to all of us to be more of who we truly are no matter where we go.

The Books that Changed Us

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 09:00:00 -0000

What books have had an impact on your life?

Join LinkedIn employees Jackie Goldberg and Leah Smart as they discuss four different books that have impacted each of their lives today. Learn about their key takeaways and find lessons of your own as they share their reflections.

Jumping In with Scott Shute on Mindfulness and Compassion

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:00:00 -0000

We’re kicking off Season 2 of In the Arena with Scott Shute, LinkedIn's Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs. Get to know Scott’s unique and kismet journey that brought him to the work he’s doing today, the impact he envisions having and why mindfulness and compassion are crucial in our world right now. You won’t want to miss this one!

What's The Deal with New Year's Resolutions?

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Why do some people gravitate towards new year's resolutions and others dread them? Join Jackie and Leah in the arena as they explore some of the challenges with setting resolutions, why people don't follow through and what techniques you can use to set and achieve your goals anytime of year.

Looking Back on A Year In the Arena

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Join Jackie and Leah as they reflect on year one of “In the Arena.” Together they share their learnings from launching a podcast and other "in the arena" moments. They'll offer advice for approaching what you envision in your life.

Transform Yourself, Transform the World

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 19:06:57 -0000

Join us in the arena as we put a microscope on transformation. We're looking at why and how humans transform, what makes it so admirable and how micro moments contribute to us making lasting shifts in our lives.

Let's Talk Family!

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 20:30:28 -0000

Join us in the arena as we look at families of all kinds (related and otherwise) and some of the biggest learnings we get from those closest to us.

The Path to Mindfulness

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:28:27 -0000

Join Jackie and Leah in the arena to learn more about mindfulness, its impact on our lives and how to practice it anytime, anywhere. Become more mindful, become more you!

What Can You Learn?

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 13:11:55 -0000

Join Leah and Jackie in the arena as they discuss the many forms of learning, what happens when we grow and the power of learning through experience.

Jumping in with Sumo Sleep Co-Founder Azka Malik

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 11:33:59 -0000

Join us in the arena as we sit down for an open conversation with entrepreneur and LinkedIn employee, Azka Malik. In 2018, her own persistent challenges with sleep caused Azka and her husband to build Sumo Sleep, a weighted blanket company based out of Europe. Hear about the peaks and valleys of starting a business, why sleep should be a top priority for all of us and how Sumo Sleep is changing lives.

You at Your Best

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Join us in the arena as we share the different ways we connect to our mind, body and spirit to be the best version of ourselves. Explore what might be keeping you from being fully connected and ways we can truly improve our wellness everyday.

A Walk Into The Magic Shop

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Join us in the arena, as we discuss Dr. James Doty's 2016 New York Times bestseller: Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart. This book takes us on a life-changing journey of heart based living, mindfulness, manifesting your dreams and coming back from major setbacks. You'll hear our takeaways and a recent appearance Dr. Doty had at LinkedIn.

Jumping In with Rosanna Durruthy

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Join us In the Arena as we sit down with Rosanna Durruthy, Head of Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging to talk about the power of our authentic stories, self-acceptance and what role relationships play in all our lives.

Infinite Possibility

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Join us In the Arena as we share a framework to create anything you want in your life. We’ll discuss moving from unconscious reactions to cultivating a clear mindset and discovering what's most important to you. Anything is possible!

Jumping In with Nawal Fakhoury

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 10:00:00 -0000

Join us in the arena as we chat with Nawal Fakhoury, Senior Manager of Employee Experience at LinkedIn about why every organization should put their culture first.

Leggo Your Ego

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 12:00:00 -0000

Join us In the Arena to find out what stories you're making up and how they might be running your experiences and actions. Hear about 2 practices that Jackie and Leah use to keep their egos in check.

Play Without Purpose

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 12:00:00 -0000

Join us for some play time In the Arena! We'll explore research on the importance of play in our adult lives. Then we'll spend some time playing and reflecting on it. What could more play do for you?

Lessons in Self-Compassion

Thu, 30 May 2019 12:14:00 -0000

Join us In the Arena as we share stories and lessons on self-compassion along with a tool to help you cultivate more of it. Learn what it means to go easy on yourself for more inner peace.

The Many Sides of Giving

Fri, 17 May 2019 12:00:00 -0000

Join us In the Arena as we look at deeply at the act of giving. We'll reflect on large and small acts of giving, how privilege is connected to giving and what random acts of kindness do for all of us.

Jumping In with Jeff Becker

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 12:30:00 -0000

Jump in The Arena with us as we sit down with Jeff Becker, a LinkedIn employee who is also a founder of 2 businesses. Hear how you can find your hustle, pursue it with joy and where its helped him in is role at LinkedIn.

The Environments You Can Transform

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 13:00:00 -0000

Join us In the Arena as we take a look at our internal and external environments; how they shape our experience and the way we impact others

Step Into Your Power

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 21:55:10 -0000

Join us In the Arena with a twist as we discuss stepping into your power and share very real examples of what we as people do to keep ourselves boxed in.

Your Inner Creator

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 19:52:23 -0000

Join us In the Arena as Jackie and Leah discuss the results of a LinkedIn employee poll on creativity. They'll look at the experience of creativity - how people tap into their creative side and what prevents them from doing so.

Reflect on this: What can you do bring creativity into your day-to-day life?

Community + Connection

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:43:22 -0000

Join us In the Arena as Jackie and Leah explore the history of communities; how community plays a pivotal role in our lives; and the power of human connection.

Reflect on this: What communities in your life do you feel most yourself? And how can you create more of that experience?

Vision Through Values

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:07:57 -0000

Join us In the Arena: A LinkedIn Wisdom Podcast as we discuss the concept of vision and how to intentionally create your future. We'll look at what gets in the way of creating a vision and share resources to help you get clear.

If you're sitting in a rocking chair at 85 years old, what would make you know you had a full life?

Saying Yes to You

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:06:08 -0000

Join us In the Arena as Jackie and Leah reflect on Scott Shute's interview with David Bruner, Senior Minister and Spiritual Director at the Center for Spiritual Living in San Jose, California. They'll share their takeaways from the interview including: saying YES to life; keeping your word; and discovering your core values.

Reflect on this: What's one thing you can say 'yes' to that's outside of your comfort zone?