Your Working Life

Do you cringe at your own "ums," "uhs," or when you drop a slang word drop at work? Valerie Fridland, a linguist with two decades of research and author of Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English, joins Caroline to make the case that the speech habits we love to criticize are actually powerful social tools. Valerie explains why filled pauses help both speakers and listeners, how a word like "dude" can build connection across social divides, and why language change is natural rather than a sign of decline. More from Valerie Fridland: See more of Valeries work and order her books at her website. You can also follow her on LinkedIn. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Are you constantly tempted by the next new phone, app, or trend, and wondering why it never delivers the satisfaction it promises? Eric Athas, an editor at The New York Times and author of Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness—And How to Take Back Your Life, joins Caroline to explore why we're wired to chase newness and what it costs us. Drawing on brain science, persuasion research, and interviews with scientists, philosophers, and decision-making experts, Eric explains how retailers, influencers, and technology exploit our impulses for quick dopamine hits. He shares a practical framework for deciding what deserves a place in your life and what to deflect. More from Eric Athas: Learn more about Eric, his work and subscribe to his newsletter at ericathas.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.  

Andrea Gash, a speaker, trainer, and career coach, joins Caroline to talk about how to move through grief and loss in both our personal and professional lives. Andrea explains why moving through loss, overwhelm, or an unexpected pivot isn't about bouncing back, but about rebuilding piece by piece. She shares her Momentum Method, a step-by-step framework for discovering who you are now and building a life that feels like your own. If you're standing in the "after" of a major life change and wondering what comes next, this conversation offers practical tools and encouragement to help you move forward with clarity and courage. More from Andrea Gash: Learn more about Andrea's work here, and order her book, Don't Bounce Back, Rebuild Forward: How to Reclaim Your Power When Life Breaks the Script. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

How to Harness AI-Human Collaboration with Paula Goldman Paula Goldman, the first-ever chief ethical and humane use officer at Salesforce, joins Caroline to talk about her new book, [Manage the Machine: How to Harness Human-AI Collaboration at Work](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/paula-goldman/manage-the-machine/9781541608207/#:~:text=Manage the Machine is a,to corporate strategy to HR.). A trained anthropologist who has advised the U.S. government on AI policy, Paula argues that the real competitive advantage will belong to companies that know where to preserve the human touch. She shares a practical framework for deciding which tasks to delegate to AI and where people should stay in charge. More from Paula Goldman: Follow Paula on LinkedIn and [buy her book here](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/paula-goldman/manage-the-machine/9781541608207/#:~:text=Manage the Machine is a,to corporate strategy to HR.). More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch. Music in this episode: Minimal Brain Activity by Unheard Music Concepts. Free Music Archive. CC BY.  

Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington are Harvard-trained economists and leading researchers on remote and in-person work, whose data-driven studies have tracked millions of work hours across Fortune 500 companies, startups, and call centers. In their new book In Person, they bring hard evidence to the contentious return-to-office debate, revealing that while remote work is fine for checking off tasks, being physically together dramatically boosts creativity, mentorship, and innovation. In this episode, they explain the science behind why in-person collaboration works—and offer practical, research-backed strategies for calculating the right amount of office time, preserving flexibility, and avoiding the RTO mandates that backfire. More from Emma and Natalia: You can learn more about Emma and Natalia (and order the book) at inpersonbook.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.