Some problems seem impossible. But this week’s guests say any problem can be solved. Leadership coach Anne Morriss and Harvard Business Professor Frances Frei are the power couple behind the book, Move Fast and Fix Things, the TED podcast Fixable, and more. They join Chris to discuss why any problem can be solved — whether the issue is in your business, family, or community. Learn how simple, everyday logic, authenticity, and empathy can guide  you to the best solutions to your trickiest problems.

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts.

Zeynep Ton believes that low-wage work (in childcare, customer service, assembly lines and other essential industries) is front-line work — and that pay should be adjusted accordingly. She makes the case that fair and competitive compensation for front-line workers is a better business model, with a nearly endless list of benefits for people and society at large. Listen in to learn how higher pay leads to higher productivity, better services, and happier people everywhere.

Ronald Young Jr. is an award-winning podcaster, producer, and writer and the creator of Weight For It — a podcast about his own experience with body image. Ronald explores complex feelings and asks profound questions about how we think and talk about a sometimes taboo subject: our weight. In this episode, he joins Chris to dive into why body image culture affects us all – and shares his thoughts on how to break away from our unspoken insecurities and fears.

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts   

When it comes to a controversial topic like climate change represented in art, is the conversation its sparks more significant than the art itself? In this episode, Chris talks with David Finnigan, a playwright and climate activist who knew what he was doing when he titled his 2014 play “Kill Climate Deniers.” The result? Outrage from hundreds of climate skeptics — and new conversations sparked around the climate crisis. Listen as David shares how he used the power of theater to shift perspectives and what it really means to grasp the science behind climate change in everyday life.

Have you ever laid awake at night, cringing at something your younger self did or said? So why is it that when we hear other peoples’ memories from their own awkward phases, we’re free of judgment? Dave Nadelberg and Neil Katcher are the co-founders of Mortified — a comedy podcast and live show where people read old diary entries from their childhoods. They’re experts in turning embarrassing stories into hilarious, heartwarming ones. David and Neil tell Chris their own quirky/eccentric/teenage anecdotes, and share how you can also learn to find the irony, joy and hilariousness in your own cringe. 

When was the last time something you watched struck you? Award-winning theater director Lear deBessonet is deeply passionate about spectacle – and thinks you should be too. She shares the unexpected connections, wonder, and creativity that come from finding the unusual, notable, or entertaining; in common everyday experiences — and why you should look for more ways to create spectacle in your own life. Plus, learn why Lear has been rejected by ‘the San Diego chicken’ multiple times. 

Reggie Watts has no plan when he walks out on the TED stage — he just lets go and tries to make himself laugh. In this episode, he shares with Chris why the audience member you should pay the most attention to is yourself and how you can find more ways to improvise, laugh and find ridiculousness in your everyday life to get to a happier one.

Solving the world’s biggest problems can seem impossible. But, Angeline Murimirwa — the CEO of Camfed, a pan-African movement revolutionizing education for girls — makes the case that the best solutions are often more straightforward than we realize. When Angie was growing up, a girl receiving an education was the exception, not the rule. Today, Angie works to make sure that going to school is the norm for all children. Angie shares with Chris how the very program she runs changed her life trajectory — and how we can solve global issues by trusting people with lived experience.

How often do you know your friends’ exact salaries? For most of us, the answer is almost never. Yet, in our everyday lives and interactions, we notice the many small cues that make our class differences obvious. So why does talking about money create such an uncomfortable, cringey feeling? How can we cohabitate knowing that in class, we are unequal? And does being rich make you a bad person? Host of the podcast Classy, Jonathan Menjivar, and Chris Duffy break down the answers in this episode.

If you take away how others see you, how do you see yourself? Psychologist, author and Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Brian Lowery argues that this question is so difficult to wrap our heads around because what we think of as our individual identity is actually a social construction. In this episode, he and Chris take us on a journey exploring the objective vs the subjective self, the performance of identity and how your view of others has a stronger sway than you realize.

It’s extremely difficult to move past anger and hurt driving you towards revenge. War, violence, and suffering are driven by that cycle of emotions. Palestinian author, peacemaker, and entrepreneur Aziz Abu Sarah knows the feelings well, but from his own life experiences, he shares his belief that peace is achievable and another way forward is possible. In this episode, Aziz tells his story and explains his work to bring even the most seemingly intractable conflicts to a resolution that allows for justice, reconciliation, and safety for all.

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts