In those moments when we want to disagree, why do we often stay silent? At those times when we want to opt out, why do we often just go along? A key reason is that it’s hard to defy. It’s hard to question the way something’s always been done. To challenge comments, behaviors, and systems. Yet it’s in those moments of defiance that we flex our values and craft an identity. That’s why I wanted to talk to Sunita Sah, organizational psychologist at Cornell University and author of the book, Defy: The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes. Her research reveals the importance of defiance and the skills we need to do it well. In her book – and in this conversation – she shares ways we can practice it and support others doing the same. Related Links Interview with Vanessa Patrick, author of The Power of Saying No Speak up at Thanksgiving. Your Health Demands It. America Thinks It’s a Country of Free Thinkers. But We’re Actually Compliant The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

When it comes to our health and well-being, something’s missing from the checklist. Sure, we’ve got to get enough sleep, eat healthfully, exercise, and socialize. But one thing rarely makes the list – the arts. Singing. Dancing. Drawing. Visiting a museum. Going to a concert. Researchers are finding that these activities are not only entertaining, but they impact health and longevity in incredibly positive ways. One of the most important researchers behind this work is Daisy Fancourt, author of the book, Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives. She shares powerful research findings, along with steps we can take to inject more of the arts into our lives. Daisy introduces us to a new frontier for improved health and longevity – the arts. For too long overlooked and underestimated. Episode Links Is 2026 the ‘Seatbelt Moment’ for the Arts? Art Could Save Your Life! Five Creative Ways to Make 2026 Happier, Healthier and More Hopeful Interview with Julia Hotz, author of The Connection Cure The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

Relationships that thrive have characteristics that rarely appear by accident. Instead, their design is often intentional, even if the designers are unaware of the formula. That’s where Dan Coyle comes in. Curious about how some leaders craft strong relationships and successful outcomes, he spent time studying their methods. Dan shares what he learned in his latest book, Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment. One part inspiration and one part playbook, this is a resource for flourishing in all kinds of spaces. Episode Links Why Fulfilled People Make Time for Nothing at All 11 Rules for Betting Writing The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

Most of us long to connect and, as social creatures, it makes sense that we not only want this but need human relationships to live a healthy life. With numbers on loneliness and polarization continuing to climb, I wanted to speak with someone who’s focused on the antidote, that is, connection. It led me to speak with Kate Murphy, author of the book, Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony. Kate’s done a deep dive on the importance of connection from multiple perspectives: individuals, teams, even pets. She shares behaviors that create connection, along with those that don’t. I’m seeing connection in a whole new way – thanks Kate! Episode Links You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy Interview with Zach Mercurio, author of The Power of Mattering The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

Decisions tax our brains. Whether it’s deciding which shows to watch or which products to buy, the choices are endless and can feel exhausting. That’s where status comes in. Researchers have learned that status is a mental short-cut we turn to when we’re feeling stuck. It’s an invisible force that guides decision-making and drives our choices. And it comes at a cost. Toby Stuart has written a book on status called Anointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in a Winner-Take-Most World. Given how important status is in our society and how invisible of a force it can be, I wanted to talk to him about what he’s learned and what role he thinks AI might play in dismantling it. Episode Links The Extraordinary Effects of Status on Society by Vikas Shah Where Success Really Comes From by Guy Kawasaki When Status Outranks Skills at Work by Freda L. Thomas The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

Each day, millions of doctors write prescriptions for drugs intended to help their patients. But what if many of our modern health ailments, like depression, anxiety, and chronic pain, would benefit as much, if not more, from a social prescription? What if nature, art, movement, and service could reduce our symptoms, decrease doctor visits, and improve our health? These are questions Julia Hotz set out to answer. Julia is author of the book, The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging. By sharing research findings, as well as people’s stories from around the world, we get to see a whole other side of medicine. After reading her book, I’m more convinced than ever we need to seek out and prioritize healthy social time. Episode Links New Horizons in Medicine: Why Art, Service, and Nature Might Be What the Doctor Orders What If Your Doctor Could Prescribe Fishing Trips or Art Classes? Social Prescribing on the Rise Doctor’s Orders: A Social Prescription for Health Interview with Geoffrey Cohen The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

I have a confession to make. I enjoy talking to people I don't know. I like learning about them and hearing their stories. I'm sure it explains why I started this podcast over ten years ago. Yet I know a lot of people who avoid talking to strangers. And if, for any reason, they have to, they dread it. But these feelings of dread work against us. Study after study shows that when we talk to strangers, we nearly always feel good afterwards. And in a time where people feel more isolated and lonely than ever, the good feeling that comes from talking to strangers may be just the thing we need to bring us closer together. That's why I reached out to Joe Keohane to talk to him about his incredibly entertaining and enlightening book, The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World. He explains how we got to be so suspicious of strangers and what it's cost us. And for anyone who avoids talking to strangers because they don't know what to say, he's got you covered. Joe shares things he's learned from workshops he attended while writing the book.  Episode Links Why Talking to Strangers Can Make Us Smarter 'The Assignment Made Me Gulp': Could Talking to Strangers Change My Life? The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

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In today’s hyper-connected world, when you want to communicate, you’ve got so many alternatives to talking. But before you spend another minute drafting a text or email, consider how essential it is for us to talk to others. Talking – whether self-talk, sign language, or in-person speaking – is a process we need for learning, setting goals, and managing our emotions. That’s because talking is a multi-step process, and to do it well, we can’t skip a step. Maryellen MacDonald is a Professor of Psychology and Language Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her book, More Than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World, gives us many reasons to prioritize talking in our lives. It’s a key component of a healthy life. Episode Links How Can You Get Better at Learning a Foreign Language? Good-Enough Production: Selecting Easier Words instead of More Accurate Ones Interview with Alison Wood Brooks on her book, Talk The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

How we think about toughness needs a reset. Too often, it’s been associated with brute forcing our way through things. Ignoring our feelings. Making an outward show of confidence and dominance. The problem is it just doesn't work. Performance coach and bestselling author, Steve Magness, offers another way. He’s done a deep dive on the latest research on toughness and performance. In his book, Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Surprising Science of Real Toughness, he discusses the misconceptions of our current model. Then he offers a new one informed by the latest in neuroscience and psychology research. Along the way, he translates research findings into practical steps we can take to make the shift. If you’re a performance junkie, you’ll gain a lot from this interview. You can also apply his ideas to managing your teams. If you enjoy Steve’s approach, check out my previous interview with him on finding your passion at work and in life, episode 142. Episode Links How to be More Resilient, According to an Elite Performance Coach The Secret to Developing Resilient Teams and Organizations Changing This 1 Word in Your Thoughts Can Boost Mental Toughness and Resilience, Psychologists Say Steven Callahan Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

You’re days into a work project, staring at a screen, feeling anxious about your tight deadline. Mid-afternoon your phone lights up with a call from a friend. You want to connect, but you feel like you don’t have a minute to spare. You let the call go into voicemail. On the surface, this decision may seem inconsequential. But what if you knew that a decision like this, centered on an opportunity for social connection, could make a difference in the health of your brain? Would you make time for the call? Ben Rein is author of the book, Why Brains Needs Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection. He studies the impact of social interactions on brain health and helps us understand, at a cellular level, the biological importance of human relationships. After listening to this interview, you may find yourself picking up the phone a whole lot more. Episode Links Wired for Connection, Cursed by Computers: How Social Media May Be Affecting Our Empathy The Sci-Fi Hypothesis that Explains Why You Click with Certain People Interview With Kasley Killam The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.