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Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And"
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Kelly speaks with Erin McGoff, an award-winning filmmaker and content creator – known as the “internet’s big sister” through her AdviceWithErin branding. She received a Pulitzer Fellowship in 2017 and was named a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient in 2025. She has a new book: “The Secret Language of Work: Hyper-Helpful Scripts for Every Situation.” […]
Kelly connects with Julia Minson, a professor at Harvard Kennedy School. She is a behavioral scientist with extensive research experience in conflict, communication, negotiations, and decision-making. She has a new book: “How to Disagree Better.”
Kelly talks to Joe Pine, an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. He is a co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design new ways to add value to their economic offerings. He is the co-author of the best-seller “The Experience […]
Kelly spends time with Jane Marie Chen, a globally recognized entrepreneur, inventor, speaker, and leadership coach. She is the co-founder of Embrace, which developed an infant incubator that has helped to save over a million babies. Jane has been a TED fellow and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. She has a new memoir, “Like […]
Kelly talks to Jenny Raymond from the Harnish Foundation and Julie Dumais Osborne from The Second City Training Center to talk about a new partnership that offers free improv-based leadership training for girls in grades 3 through 8 in Chicago called Funny Girls. The best part: IT’S FREE! For more information or to sign up […]
Kelly welcomes futurist Bob Johansen back to the podcast to discuss his book “Navigating the Age of Chaos.” Bob introduces us to the term BANI, which describes the world we live in now: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible. Spoiler alert – improvisation is a skill one needs to navigate this world. “In the mid-2010’s, everything […]
Kelly talks to Harvard professor Leslie John, whose research into self-disclosure provides a rich source of insights into how we can better build relationships, foster connection, and lead a more purposeful life when we are willing to be vulnerable and share details of our lives with others. “If in doubt, transparency is the safer bet.” […]
In this engaging conversation, Kelly connects with Paul Eastwick to discuss his new book, ‘Bonded by Evolution,’ exploring misconceptions about love and connection. He critiques the outdated ‘Evo script’ that shapes our understanding of attraction and relationships, emphasizing the impact of modern dating practices. Eastwick highlights the fluidity of attraction, the importance of close relationships, […]
Journalist Kate Murphy has a compelling conversation with Kelly about her new book “Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony.” In this conversation, Kelly and Kate find a direct line between improvisational training and the kind of synchrony that leads to better relationships, more effective teams and the superpowers that flow from human […]
In this conversation, Kelly welcomes best-selling author Daniel Coyle back to the podcast. His new book, “Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment,” emphasizes the significance of meaningful moments in life, particularly in fostering relationships and collaboration. He discusses how these moments often occur during ritual-like pauses where individuals reflect on their purpose […]
Kelly talks to former Obama White House EPA official Judith Enck, whose new book is called “The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late.” “Don’t microwave food in plastic.” “Plastics are on track to surpass coal emissions in the United States.” “Get rid of all black plastic in your kitchen.”
In this engaging conversation, Kelly Leonard speaks with the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde about her experiences as a leader, the nature of courage, and the lessons learned through parenting, grief, and improvisation. They explore the importance of speaking truth to power, the challenges of navigating loss, and the role of risk in personal growth. Budde emphasizes […]
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Anne-Laure LaCunff discusses her book ‘Tiny Experiments’ and explores the themes of curiosity, purpose, and personal growth. She shares her own awakening experience that led her to question her life choices and emphasizes the importance of embracing imperfection and experimentation. The discussion also delves into the dangers of having a […]
In this podcast episode, Kelly interviews Juan Bendana, a speaker and author of ‘Confident by Choice.’ They discuss the impact of early experiences on self-esteem, the importance of building a relationship with fear and discomfort, and how confidence is shaped by our experiences rather than innate traits. Juan shares insights on the confidence cycle, the […]
Kelly connects with Tony Wagner, senior research fellow at the Learning Policy Institute and former codirector of Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Change Leadership Group. They discuss his latest book – co-written with Ulrik Juul Christensen: “Mastery: Why Deeper Learning is Essential in an Age of Distraction.” “Practice is an essential element of mastery learning.” […]
Kelly talks to legendary screenwriter John August (“Big Fish,” “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory,” who co-hosts the “Scriptnotes” podcast with Craig Mazin (“Chernobyl,” “The Last of Us.”). They have a new book: “Scriptnotes: A Book About Screenwriting and Things That Are interesting to Screenwriters.” “Be passionate in agreement. Be dispassionate in disagreement.” “As writers, we […]
Kelly talks to Creative Director of Character Design at Sesame Workshop, Louis Henry Mitchell who has written the book: “Qreative Evolution: The Intimate Practice of Creative Fulfillment Through Guided Self-Education.” “Creativity is not limited to one type of creation.” “You don’t decide your purpose in life; you discover it.” “Confidence can be lost if it […]
Kelly welcomes Harvard professor Ranjay Gulati back to the podcast to discuss his new book, “How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage.” “Courage is a learned behavior, not an innate one.” “Heroes seldom act alone.” “Sometimes, frankly, we take confidence too far.”
Kelly connects with longtime film critic Nick Digilio to talk about his new book “40 Years, 40 Films.” They discuss growing up in Chicago, falling in love with movies, and Nick’s start at WGN Radio on the Roy Leonard Show. Then they dig into some of Nick’s favorite movies, such as Albert Brooks’ “Lost in […]
In this engaging conversation, Goldie Chan, a brand and storytelling expert, discusses the nuances of introversion, personal branding, and the dynamics between introverts and extroverts. She shares insights from her new book, ‘Personal Branding for Introverts,’ and emphasizes the importance of networking, small talk, and setting expectations in professional environments. Goldie also draws parallels between […]




Your discussion around procrastinating and perfectionism are so true!!! Great takeaways throughout!
Interesting stuff!!