Smart People Podcast

Our guest this week is economist Kate Raworth, and in her new book, Doughnut Economics, she sets out seven key ways to fundamentally reframe our understanding of what economics is and does. Along the way, she points out how we can break our addiction to growth; redesign money, finance, and business to be in service to people; and create economies that are regenerative and distributive by design. Named after the now-iconic “doughnut” image that Raworth first drew to depict a sweet spot of human prosperity (an image that appealed to the Occupy Movement, the United Nations, eco-activists, and business leaders alike), Doughnut Economics offers a radically new compass for guiding global development, government policy, and corporate strategy, and sets new standards for what economic success looks like.

This week we are speaking with Christopher Brinton and Mung Chiang, both experts on the subject of networks. In fact, the duo recently paired up to write a book called, The Power of Networks: Six Principles That Connect Our Lives. Mung Chiang is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Princeton University. His research on networking received the 2013 Alan T. Waterman Award, the highest honor to US young scientists and engineers. He founded the Princeton EDGE Lab in 2009, which bridges the theory-practice gap in edge networking research by spanning from proofs to prototypes. Chiang is the Director of Keller Center for Innovations in Engineering Education at Princeton University and the inaugural Chairman of Princeton Entrepreneurship Council. Christopher Brinton is the Head of Advanced Research at Zoomi Inc. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University. He is also an adjunct professor in the School of Engineering at The College of New Jersey.

In this episode, one of the nation’s leading psychologists discusses why today’s corporate leaders desire but reject creative solutions. We will answer questions such as could people love but also hate creative ideas? Could the mindset we use to evaluate ideas turn this love or hate on or off—in an instant? Do experts struggle even more than novices with this bias? And more. Our guest this week is Jennifer Mueller. Jennifer is the author of the new book, Creative Change: Why We Resist It....How We Can Embrace It. She holds a doctorate in social psychology and has taught at top business schools, including Wharton, the Yale School of Management, and New York University's Stern School of Business. Her highly acclaimed paper “The Bias Against Creativity” went viral, was downloaded more than 65,000 times, and was heralded as “famous” by an article in The Atlantic. She currently serves on the faculty at the University of San Diego and lives in Solana Beach, California.

This week we are speaking with an executive coach who works with those seemingly "perfect" people and she's here to tell you that nothing is as it seems. In fact, often times people reach the societal ideal of perfection only to find out that it's not at all what it seems and the price paid to get there was too high. So instead of chasing someone else's dreams, it's time to define your own - and trust me, it's not easy. Our guest this week is Heather Gray, a therapist and coach who is a master at helping anyone repair broken relationships, rediscover passions, and heal from ignored and fractured parts of their lives. She helps her clients learn how to be present for themselves and for those they care about so that they can truly have it all. Learn more about Heather and her work at ChooseToHaveItAll.com.

Do you feel comfortable delivering bad news? Do you look forward to speaking in public? Do you enjoy networking? Is it easy for you to speak your mind and be assertive with friends and colleagues? If you answered no to any of these questions, this episode can help! In this show we speak with a true academic, Andy Molinsky as he discusses his brand new book, REACH; A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge , and Build Confidence. Andy is a Professor at Brandeis University’s International Business School with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychology. Andy received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and M.A. in Psychology from Harvard University. He also holds a Master's Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and a B.A. in International Affairs from Brown University. Andy helps people develop the insights and courage necessary to act outside their personal and cultural comfort zones when doing important, but challenging, tasks in work and life. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, Psychology Today, the Financial Times, the Boston Globe, NPR and Voice of America. Andy was awarded as a Top Voice for LinkedIn for his work in education. http://www.andymolinsky.com/

Most of us know what it feels like to chase success and money. We believe that pounding our way through our days is the only way to prosperity and success. We sacrifice time with our loved ones, our weekends, our vacations, and perhaps even our sanity, in exchange for a paycheck. We want to have it all, but don’t find satisfaction in any of our achievements. Instead, we find ourselves sitting in our offices and big houses feeling unhappy, broke, burnt out, and unfulfilled... This week, our guest Leanne Jacobs explains how to break this cycle and achieve wealth in all the right ways, including money.

With the international sensation, critical favorite, and New York Times bestseller Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari unleashed a global phenomenon. His electrifying debut resonated with notable public figures: the book was lauded by President Obama, Bill Gate, Sebastian Junger, and Mark Zuckerberg. In this episode we discuss Sapiens, as well as his newest endeavor, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.

In this episode, leading sales trainer, researcher and CEO of Hoffeld Group, David Hoffeld blends cutting-edge research in social psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics, to show you the best way to sell. He explains how to align the way you sell with how our brains naturally form buying decisions, dramatically increasing your ability to earn more sales. Hoffeld’s evidence-based approach connects the dots between science and situations salespeople and business leaders face every day to help you consistently succeed.

Our guest this week is an award winning sports journalist and Golf Digest's digital editor. So naturally, we start off the episode talking about digital content, the future of writing and publishing, and of course...golf. But the main focus of the interview is the essential life skill of "learning to lose". Sam shares with us what he uncovered in his interviews and all of the tips to being a good loser, and therefore a real winner.

Lawrence Levy is a Silicon Valley lawyer and executive hired by Steve Jobs in 1994 as CFO and member of the Office of the President of Pixar Animation Studios. He was responsible for Pixar's business strategy and IPO and guided Pixar's transformation from a money-losing graphics company into a multibillion-dollar entertainment studio. He later joined Pixar's board of directors. He then left corporate life to study Eastern philosophy and meditation and their relevance to modern life. He now writes and teaches on this topic and cofounded Juniper Foundation to pursue this work. Originally from London, England, he earned degrees from Indiana University and Harvard Law School.

Our guest this week believes capitalism is broken, and he makes a pretty good argument to support this. He explains how capitalism as a system has spawned deepening economic crisis alongside its bought-and-paid-for political establishment. Neither of these outcomes serves the needs of our society. Our guest this week believes he has the solution - a cure for capitalism. In this episode, world renowned economist, Dr. Richard Wolff, offers a fair critique of capitalism and advocates for a worker cooperative based economy. This solution requires the institution of genuine economic democracy, starting with workers directing their own workplaces, as the basis for a genuine political democracy. According to Dr. Wolff, what most people don't realize is that worker cooperatives are actually larger than conventional businesses, survive at least as long as other businesses, and have more stable employment. Tune in and get your smart people economics fix! Dr. Richard D. Wolff is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is currently a visiting professor at the New School for Social Research in New York. Wolff is the author of many books, including his newest, Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism. He is also the founder of Democracy at Work, a 501(c)3 organization that conceives, creates, and distributes content aimed at demonstrating why, and how, democratizing the workplace is a feasible solution to a new and better economic system.

This week we welcome to the podcast Jerome Hardaway, Executive Director of Vets Who Code. Jerome is an Air Force veteran, alumni/Opportunity Fund recipient of General Assembly's Web Development Immersive Program, and Panelist on the Ruby Rogues podcast. Vets Who Code is a non-profit dedicated to filling the wide chasm between technical expertise needed and available to America’s best. Vets Who Code is looking to close the digital talent gap and ease career transition for military veterans, through software development training.

In this episode we interview consultant and executive coach, Doug Hensch, and we discuss his brand new book, Positively Resilient: 5 1/2 Secrets to Beat Stress, Overcome Obstacles, and Defeat Anxiety. Doug shares with us lessons learned over 20 years of experience that can help you increase your resilience, so that you can grow in the face of change, and thrive in the midst of adversity.

This week we welcome back former guest, Jonathan Levi. Jonathan is an entrepreneur, and an expert in speed reading and advanced memorization. His online course is ranked as one of the top selling of all time on Udemy and has been personally recommended by the CEO. Jonathan appeared on Smart People Podcast nearly 2 years ago in Episode 167 where he explained how to become a super learner and a speed reader. Get a free trial of Jonathan's new course (and 10% off if you purchase) at jle.vi/spp.

Today on the show we speak with leading psychologist, Dr. Jessica Tracy. Dr. Tracy is professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where she also directs the Emotion & Self Lab and she is also the author of the brand new book, Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, in 2005. Her research focuses on emotions and emotion expressions, and, in particular, those emotions that are most intricately intertwined with our sense of self: pride, shame, and guilt.