The Next Big Idea Daily

Colette Jane Fehr is a psychologist who specializes in couples therapy, and she argues that the conversations we avoid are often the ones that matter most. Her new book is called The Cost of Quiet. Then later in the show, we'll hear from psychologist Ashley Pallathra, whose 2021 book Missing Each Other explores what it really takes to connect. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

The science showing how music, dance, and creativity improve mental health, physical health, and longevity. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

It's a Daniel Coyle doubleheader! First up, Daniel shares five big ideas from his brand new book, Flourish. And later in the show, we revisit The Culture Playbook. Sponsored by: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Great ideas aren’t invented from scratch—they’re discovered through small, often overlooked adjustments. How Great Ideas Happen by George Newman Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution by Uri Levine Today's episode is sponsored by Shopify. Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Think bookstores are an anachronism? Think again. Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop, says they remain a cornerstone of American cultural life and are just as vibrant as ever. And later in the show, David Damrosch, a comparative literature professor at Harvard, takes us on a journey through 80 books from around the world—and shows us why we're lost without our storytellers. Did you know we have a daily newsletter? Sign up here. Love the show? The single best way to let us know is by joining the Next Big Idea Club. You can learn more at nextbigideaclub.com, and when you join, use code DAILY for a super secret discount (spoiler: it's 20% off). Today's show is sponsored by Shopify. Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Shadé Zahrai is a peak performance educator who has spent a decade training leaders at Microsoft, Deloitte, and JPMorgan. She argues that self-doubt plagues even the smartest people, and she offers a way out. Her new book is called Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success. And later in the show, we hear from Kelli Thompson, author of the 2022 book Closing the Confidence Gap, on how your insecurities can bring you down in the workplace, and what you can do about it. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Today, Jennifer Wallace shares a blueprint for living a meaningful life and creating a world we so urgently need. Her new book is Mattering. And later in the show, you'll hear from Zach Mercurio. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Kate Murphy explores how and why our bodies, brains, and emotions fall into rhythm with others. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Brad Stulberg is a bestselling author and performance coach whose new book, The Way of Excellence, offers a practical guide to achieving mastery in whatever personal or professional domains you care to focus on. And later in the show, we hear from Karen Doll. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily The Next Big Idea Club - Learn more at nextbigideaclub.com

1️⃣ Both/And Thinking by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis 2️⃣ Black-and-White Thinking by Kevin Dutton Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

James Traub is a journalist and educator who spent a year visiting public schools across the country to understand what’s going wrong and what’s going right. His new book is The Cradle of Citizenship: How Schools Can Help Save Our Democracy. And in the second half of the show, you'll hear from Alexandra Robbins, whose book The Teachers goes behind the scenes of America's most vulnerable profession to show why supporting educators is the key to fixing everything else. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Ashely Alker MD is an emergency medicine doctor and medical consultant who has seen it all — from freak accidents to horror-movie-worthy diseases. Her new book is 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them, and she joins us below with her potentially life-saving tips. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First up, Maya Shankar (The Other Side of Change) on uncertainty, resilience, and becoming someone new on the other side of disruption. Then John Kaag shares five key insights from Robert Richardson's 2023 book Three Roads Back. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Chances are, you work five days a week. Monday through Friday. And you probably don’t think much about it, because that’s just how work works, right? But who decided that five days was the right number in the first place? As it turns out, the modern workweek wasn’t thoughtfully designed for focus, creativity, or even productivity. It was inherited from the Industrial Age, built for factory floors and time clocks, not knowledge workers and digital tools. So maybe it’s time for a rethink. In Do More in Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek, researcher and work redesign strategist Joe O’Connor and journalist Jared Lindzon make the case that working less can actually help us do better work. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First, Dan Heath reveals how the most effective leaders don't just solve problems — they prevent them from happening in the first place. Then Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg shares research that shows reframing problems is the real key to breakthrough solutions. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Productivity expert Chris Bailey explains why follow-through fails — and how aligning your values, intentions, and friction levels makes action feel natural. And later in the show, we hear from Becky Blades, author of Start More Than You Can Finish. Sponsors: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Most of us think of humor as something that happens at comedy clubs or in group texts with friends. But what if laughter could actually make you better at your job, more creative, and more connected to the people around you? Chris Duffy is a comedian, TV writer, and host of TED’s award-winning How to Be a Better Human podcast. In the first half of today's show, he shares five big ideas from his new book Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy. Later, we hear from Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas about their book Humor, Seriously. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First up, Philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues that the mattering instinct is the hidden engine behind nearly everything we do. Then we hear from rabbi Sharon Brous, author of the 2022 book The Amen Effect. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First up, Ezekiel ("Zeke") Emanuel, one of America's leading physicians, makes the case that enjoying life — cheesecake included — might be the healthiest choice of all. His new book is Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. He's here to make the case that enjoying life, cheesecake included, might be the healthiest choice of all. Then, in the second half of the show, journalist Cole Kazdin shares some big ideas from her 2023 book What's Eating Us: Women, Food, and the Epidemic of Body Anxiety.

Whether you're plotting a job change or just trying to survive another uncertain year at work, the truth is most of us spend 90,000 hours of our lives working. That's too much time to spend feeling stuck, stressed, or unfulfilled. Journalists Lisa Leong and Monique Ross are here to help. Their 2023 book This Working Life: How to Navigate Your Career in Uncertain Times is packed with practical wisdom for building a career that actually brings you joy. We’ll hear from them in just a moment. And in the second half of the show, we’ll tackle one of the most challenging experiences in anyone’s career — losing a job. Jessica Bacal spent years collecting rejection stories from powerful women and gathered them in the 2021 book The Rejection That Changed My Life. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily The Next Big Idea Club - use code DAILY for 20% off a membership at nextbigideaclub.com