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Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy is where behavioral science, tech, and design converge to inspire personal growth and drive innovation. Join Michelle Handy, Ph.D. and her expert guests as they unpack candid stories, share practical insights, and explore cutting-edge strategies to help you thrive personally and professionally. Perfect for mid-to-senior professionals navigating leadership, creativity, and career transitions.
29 Episodes
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Send us a text In this episode, we explore how behavioral science, empathy, and relationship-centered leadership come together to shape modern insights work — with Rachel Ousley, behavioral scientist and B2B Marketing Research Lead at Canva. Rachel has worked with brands including Google, Chanel, Vans, and Adidas, and her path from communication strategy to behavioral science has given her a rare blend of academic rigor and practical storytelling skill. We talk about how relationships can be ...
Send us a text In this episode, we explore career transitions, building something from scratch, and embracing ambiguity with Dr. Christine May — founder of Evolve Consulting and former Head of Behavioral Science at Noom. Christine’s story is a blueprint for moving beyond traditional paths — from a nearly tenured academic career to leading behavioral science in tech, and now to running her own consulting business. We unpack how she’s built teams and companies without a roadmap, what she’s lear...
Send us a text In this episode, we explore career pivots, real-world behavior change, and navigating life’s curveballs with Val Silfee: exercise physiologist, behavioral scientist, and principal consultant helping digital health teams build interventions that actually work. Val shares how a single keynote at SBM cracked open her sense of what was possible beyond academia, the culture shock of moving to industry, and the six-month ramp it took to feel fluent. We also go deep on resilienc...
Send us a text In this episode, we dig into the gap between intentions and impact in workplace well-being with Jasper Buys, organizational psychologist, workplace well-being leader, and former director at Alberta Innovates. Jasper challenges the quick-fix playbook and makes the case for designing work itself (not just perks) if we want healthier people and more innovative companies. We unpack the Oxford research showing little measurable effect from many corporate well-being programs, why lea...
Send us a text In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, we sit down with Dr. Allison Grupski, a clinical health psychologist and former VP of Behavioral Science at WeightWatchers, to explore what it really takes to support healthy behavior change at scale. Allison shares her journey from providing direct care to over 3,000 clients to leading digital and coach-led interventions that have impacted millions. With deep empathy and scientific precision, she unpacks the messy realities...
Send us a text In this episode, we dive into the intersection of behavioral science, business transformation, and AI adoption with Sharon McCarthy—Wharton MBA, award-winning marketing executive, and behavioral science practitioner trained by Dr. Robert Cialdini. Sharon brings decades of experience leading major brand turnarounds and integrating behavioral design into technology strategy. From reviving a mall-based photo studio chain acquired by Hallmark to designing an Edison Award–winning ap...
Send us a text In this episode, I sit down with my lifelong best friend Julia Fisher to explore behavioral science and startup investing. Julia transitioned from Senior Investment Analyst at Village Capital to pursuing her MBA at INSEAD. We discuss founder psychology, gender bias in VC funding (connecting to regulatory focus theory), and practical fundraising advice based on her experience with hundreds of early-stage startups. Guest Bio Julia Fisher is an INSEAD MBA with over 7 years of expe...
Send us a text In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, we dive into the messy, fascinating world of human behavior in product design with behavioral product manager Yael Mark. From military intelligence to tech consulting, Yael brings a rare lens to how we build digital experiences that truly work for real people. Yael shares how her time building internal platforms in the Israeli military shaped her understanding of friction, user resistance, and behavior change—even in highly ...
Send us a text In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, we explore the future of branding, identity, and influence with Kai D. Wright—brand strategist, Columbia lecturer, and author of Follow the Feeling. Kai shares insights from his research into 1,500 fast-growing brands and introduces the LAVEC framework (Lexicon, Audio, Visuals, Experience, Culture)—a systems-thinking approach to building emotionally resonant brands that thrive in noisy, complex markets. We also explore the A...
Send us a text In this episode, we explore the intersection of behavioral science, habit formation, and AI with Samuel Salzer—behavioral strategist, founder of Habit Weekly, and co-host of The Behavioral Design Podcast. Sam shares how he went from studying finance in Australia to becoming a leader in digital behavior change, impacting over 350 million users worldwide. We talk about the science behind habit formation, the story behind Habit Weekly, and practical ways behavioral scientists and ...
Send us a text Teams are shrinking, AI tools are multiplying, and suddenly, it feels like anyone can call themselves a researcher. But what gets lost when businesses over-automate the human side of insight? And how do real researchers stay valuable in a world that’s moving this fast? In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, I sit down with Adam Paton Stanley-Smith, CEO and co-founder of an AI research startup, to unpack the real risks and opportunities of this moment. Adam’s jour...
Send us a text In this episode, I’m joined by Thomas Stokes, UX research thought leader and co-founder of Drillbit Labs consultancy. Together, we explore the state of AI adoption in UX research today—from the hype in job postings to the real, uneven use on teams—and how practitioners and leaders can take a more principled, intentional approach. We also dig into quantifying UX impact (even when metrics are elusive), evolving career paths in a changing market, and practical, mindset-shifting wa...
Send us a text What happens when you've spent over two decades in UX research—witnessing everything from eye-tracking rigs strapped to foreheads to today’s AI-powered research tools? In this episode, I’m joined by Nick Cawthon, founder of Gauge and a true OG of the UX world. Nick has worked with some of the most innovative companies on earth, taught data narratives at the California College of the Arts, and spoken at Google, Stanford, and NYU. His vantage point is rare: he’s lived the transfo...
Send us a text What makes a space feel right? Why do certain environments help us thrive while others drain our energy? And how does our intuition—not just logic—guide us in career transitions? In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Beams, founder of Highstone & Co., to explore the psychology of home design, career decision-making, and the courage to take the leap into entrepreneurship. Stephanie started her career in New York’s fashion industry before following her intuition into int...
Send us a text What does it mean to stay human in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence? In this episode, I’m joined by Nick Smallman, founder and CEO of Working Voices, whose decades of work with global organizations (JP Morgan, Sony, Barclays, Goldman Sachs) has focused on improving leadership, communication, and engagement in times of profound change. Now, he’s turning his attention to the individual. His forthcoming project, The Sustainable Human, is a training program de...
Send us a text Gamification isn’t just about badges and points—it’s about designing systems that make difficult behaviors feel doable, even fun. In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, we’re joined by Dr. Jacqui Nortje, a behavioral scientist and gamification expert based in Johannesburg, South Africa. With over a decade of experience in South Africa’s wellness and financial services industries, Jacqui blends academic rigor and real-world product design to explore how we can bui...
Send us a text In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, we explore what it means to build truly intergenerational workplaces with Dr. Daniel Jolles, a Workplace Behavioral Psychologist and Postdoctoral Researcher at The Inclusion Initiative at the London School of Economics. Daniel’s research focuses on workplace aging, generational collaboration, and how to rethink career longevity in an era of rapid technological and societal change. Together, we dive into how age diversity can...
Send us a text Social health is just as essential as physical and mental health—so why do we often neglect it? In this episode, Dr. Iain Smith joins Michelle Handy to explore the science of social connection and its impact on well-being, longevity, and workplace culture. As the Head of Behavioral Science at Sunny, Dr. Smith has spent years studying how relationships shape our lives and how we can create healthier, more connected workplaces and communities. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ...
Send us a text In this episode, we explore what it means to leave academia and build a fulfilling career outside the ivory tower. Ashley Ruba, PhD, shares her journey from developmental psychology to UX research at Meta and entrepreneurship, founding After Academia to help PhDs navigate their own transitions. From overcoming identity challenges to discovering exciting opportunities in industry, Ashley’s insights are invaluable for anyone considering life beyond tenure. Episode Highlights The...
Send us a text In this episode, we delve into the intersection of behavioral science, leadership, and workplace well-being with Dr. Mandy Varley, a behavioral scientist and executive coach. She shares her insights on building healthier, more effective workplaces and rethinking traditional metrics of success. Highlights How the rise of AI is forcing us to rethink what we expect from humans at workWhy treating workplace burnout as an individual problem misses the bigger pictureWhat happens when...
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