Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Max Bennett, AI entrepreneur and author of A Brief History of Intelligence. Max takes us on a fascinating journey through evolution of intelligence, from the first brain 600 million years ago to the artificial intelligence of today. Drawing from his experience in building AI for marketers and now as the founder of Alby—an AI startup—Max offers a unique perspective on how we think about and design intelligent systems. Max’s insights are especially timely, given the growing ethical debates around AI’s role in our lives. This episode dives into some of the most important questions we face as AI becomes increasingly embedded in our personal and professional lives. As AI continues to automate more jobs and shape new industries, Max also offers a thought-provoking perspective on how we might continue to find purpose in a world where machines take over more tasks. This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of AI, ethics, and the impact of automation on society. Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

This month marks two years since OpenAI launched its first free version of ChatGPT to the general public. In these two years, generative AI has become a transformative force across industries.  Last year, we asked listeners how they were using AI at work and in life. You answered, and Jessi sat down with LinkedIn Technology Editor, Tanya Dua to share these listener experiences and to break down how ChatGPT is changing the way we work. Today, we bring you that 2023 episode, plus a few updates from Jessi and Tanya. Together they examine what's changed, what's improved, and what challenges remain.examine what’s changed, what's improved, and what challenges remain. From storytelling and coding to philosophical debates, listeners have pushed ChatGPT to its limits and seen firsthand its potential—and its pitfalls. Tanya shares her thoughts on how tools like ChatGPT 4.0 have advanced, with improved accuracy and the ability to pick up on nuanced cues. Jessi and Tanya discuss how professionals across fields are using generative AI in creative, time-saving ways—sometimes “on the sly”—and reflect on how AI is changing day-to-day tasks, especially through fine-tuned models designed for specific applications like customer service and healthcare. Whether you’re an early adopter or just curious about AI, this episode offers an insightful look into how ChatGPT has transformed our understanding of work, creativity, and collaboration. Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

What makes a brand memorable? Why do some brands feel like home, while others remain simply functional? In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel speaks with industry experts Steven Wolfe Pereira and Marisa Thalberg, who share insights from years of leadership in branding and marketing. They break down the essentials of brand-building, explaining why it's crucial not only for businesses but also for personal career growth. Steven and Marisa reveal why defining a brand’s purpose and promise is key to making it memorable and effective, offering actionable strategies for crafting a brand that stands out in any field. Together, they explore the “four P’s” of branding—Product, Pricing, Place, and Promotion—and discuss how each element contributes to a powerful brand identity. Whether you're an entrepreneur aiming to build your business or an individual navigating your personal career journey, this episode provides an essential guide to branding as a tool for lasting impact. Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

What does it take to reinvent yourself after decades of success? Jessi Hempel sits down with the multi-talented Anna Kendrick, whose journey from acclaimed actor to first-time director offers invaluable insights for anyone considering a bold career pivot. Anna shares the story behind her directorial debut with Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, a true-crime drama. Far removed from the lighthearted films that Anna is known for, Woman of the Hour chronicles the stranger-than-fiction story of a 1970s aspiring actor and a serial killer whose lives collide when they're cast on The Dating Game. Together, Jessi and Anna dive deep into the courage it takes to step out of your comfort zone, even when the world knows you for one thing, and how to follow your intuition when making creative decisions. From her Tony-nominated start on Broadway at age 12 to her directorial debut, Anna reveals the inner workings of her creative process and her thoughts on failure, intuition, imposter syndrome, and the terrifying yet necessary act of leaping into the unknown. This episode offers not just a behind-the-scenes look at Anna's latest project but also inspiration for anyone seeking to reinvent their own career. Watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix now, and tune in to hear how Anna Kendrick is embracing the next chapter of her career. Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

In this special episode of Hello Monday, recorded live onstage at the Lesbians Who Tech Summit in New York City, Jessi sits down with Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker. As a pioneer of purpose-driven businesses, Neil shares invaluable insights on building a company that doesn’t just stand out in the marketplace but also stands for something meaningful. From Warby Parker’s innovative buy-a-pair-give-a-pair model to cultivating a strong company culture that attracts top talent, Neil reveals the steps to creating a brand with social impact at its core. Jessi and Neil dive into the early days of Warby Parker, recounting how a group of business school students identified a problem and built a solution that disrupted the eyewear industry. Neil also offers advice for founders on how to integrate purpose into their business strategy, be prepared to stand by their values during tough times, and stand out in today’s startup landscape. Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

For decades, the American middle-class dream encouraged the idea that work should be a central part of our identity and a source of meaning. But now, people are starting to question that philosophy. Burnout is rampant, wages are stagnating, and job security amidst a rapidly changing job market feels fragile. This week we’re bringing back the first of three episodes from our June 2023 Good Jobs series: Jessi’s insightful conversation with Bruce Feiler, author of The Search: Finding Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World. Bruce argues that it’s time to break away from traditional narratives around careers and work. In this illuminating conversation, Bruce debunks common lies we tell ourselves about careers and offers practical advice for finding meaning in work. Tune in to hear Bruce’s fresh perspective on work, life, and the balance between the two, as we explore the future of meaningful employment. Continue the conversation at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

Is your money mindset holding you back from achieving your dreams? In this special episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments and one of the most influential leaders in finance, recognized by TIME and Fortune for her impact on business and leadership. Together, they explore how beliefs about money—formed early in life—can influence your financial future, and how to develop healthy money habits for long-term success. Mellody shares insights from her new children's book, Priceless Facts About Money, offering practical tips for teaching kids financial literacy and setting them up for a brighter future. You’ll learn how to break free from financial anxiety, understand the true value of money, and separate your self-worth from your bank account. This unique episode was filmed live in-studio. For an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes experience, check out the extended video version on LinkedIn Premium. Tune in to learn how to master money mindsets and empower yourself—and the next generation—to achieve financial freedom. Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter to get episodes and insights delivered straight to your inbox every Monday! More financial resources from Mellody Hobson: Mellody Hobson for Barron’s: I Learned These Money Lessons Early. What Every Parent—and Kid—Needs to Know A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel Buffet: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein

Have you ever felt intimidated or overwhelmed by conversations about economics and finance? Well you are certainly not alone! This week, Jessi sits down with economist and viral content creator Kyla Scanlon to demystify the economy and show us how it shapes our lives. Kyla is the founder of the financial education company Bread, and the author of the new book In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work. Kyla explains complex topics like the housing crisis and labor shortages in simple, digestible ways, empowering us to make informed choices in our personal and professional lives. She explains why shifting from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance is key to addressing economic challenges like renewable energy shortages and the housing crisis, creating more sustainable economies. She and Jessi discuss how the economy can even be beautiful: at its core, it’s built on trust, relationships, and human-to-human interactions. Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter to get episodes and insights delivered straight to your inbox every Monday!

If you're wrestling with the fast-paced rise of AI and what it means for our future, you are not alone. In this episode, Jessi sits down with Neil Lawrence, DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge and author of The Atomic Human: What Makes Us Unique in the Age of AI. Neil shares a refreshing and optimistic perspective on artificial intelligence. While the common narrative is “adapt to AI or get left behind,” Neil challenges that urgency with a more hopeful and thoughtful outlook. He believes that while AI is changing the world rapidly, it will never replace the complexity, creativity, and humanity that make us unique. He explains why we should focus on solving meaningful problems, trusting that technology will evolve to assist us, rather than letting AI advancements dictate our reactions. We humans are not great at predicting the future, often defaulting to fear in the face of the unknown. But rather than letting our negativity bias take over, Neil suggests we remain open to possibilities and focus on our unique strengths. As AI transforms industries and our daily lives, Neil believes we should pause, take a step back, and look at the bigger picture. He encourages us to think less about the tools themselves and more about the real-world problems we care about solving. Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter to get episodes and insights delivered straight to your inbox every Monday!

How can effective communication transform your team’s performance and culture? In this episode of Hello Monday, Martin Gonzalez, Principal of Org and Leadership at Google and co-author of The Bonfire Moment, shares actionable strategies for tackling the hardest people problems that startups face. His wisdom reaches far beyond startups, and can help improve conflict resolution, culture, and performance on any team. He sits down with Jessi to discuss how to foster open communication, how to argue better, and how to cultivate a culture of growth and innovation within teams. He highlights the importance of differentiating people skills from tech skills and why cultural innovation in the workplace takes time and patience. Gonzalez also emphasizes that a happy or comfortable team isn’t always an effective one—your goal as a leader should be to cultivate a culture where team members can challenge each other, grow, and add real value. Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter to get episodes and insights delivered straight to your inbox every Monday!

Today we’re sharing a very special Thursday bonus episode! Hello Monday is a part of a whole network of podcasts here at LinkedIn–The LinkedIn Podcast Network. This week our team launched a new show in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. It’s called Let’s Talk Offline and it is packed with actionable advice and engaging insight for early career development. This episode in particular feels valuable to anyone at any stage of their career: it’s all about salary negotiation. More about Let’s Talk Offline: Each week, LinkedIn's Gianna Prudente and Jamé Jackson Gadsden answer your unfiltered questions about work life, from negotiating pay to setting boundaries to navigating office friendships. Gianna – an early career development editor and resident Gen Zer – and Jamé – a community manager, workshop host and millennial – get real about their own career experiences (spoiler: they're still figuring it out, too) and confide in expert guests who've been there, done that. Through it all, you'll learn what it takes to thrive in the early years of your career — without sacrificing your values, sanity or sleep. Listen HERE!

How does cynicism harm our workplaces and our communities? Tune in for this insightful conversation with Dr. Jamil Zaki, professor of psychology at Stanford University, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, and author of the new book Hope for Cynics.  Jamil joins Jessi to delve into the dangers of cynicism and the transformative power of hope and trust. He explores how the psychological impacts of cynicism affect individual well-being and organizational culture, and how overcoming cynicism can lead to profoundly positive changes in our workplaces, our communities, and ourselves. Jamil and Jessi discuss the contrast between hyper-competitive, cutthroat environments and collaborative, trusting communities. They examine why hope is not naive but a powerful tool for meaningful activism and collective change.  Listen to gain actionable insights into transforming workplace cultures, building trust in organizations, fostering hopeful skepticism, and driving positive change in our interconnected world throughout our lives and careers. Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter to get episodes and insights delivered straight to your inbox every Monday!

Thinking about making a change in your career? Today we’re bringing back an episode on the extraordinary career shift of Robin Arzon, Peloton's VP of Fitness Programming. Once a corporate litigator with a prestigious law degree, Robin courageously pivoted to become a leading fitness expert, proving that it's never too late to reinvent yourself. Robin, known for her energizing Peloton workouts, shares her unique journey from the courtroom to the cycling studio. She candidly discusses the challenges and triumphs of leaving a stable legal career to pursue her passion in fitness. Robin reveals how she embraced uncertainty, leveraged her inner strength, and turned setbacks into stepping stones toward success. She sits down with Jessi to discuss the power of self-belief, the role of discomfort in personal development, and the impact of finding true alignment with your career. Whether you’re contemplating a career change yourself or seeking motivation to overcome obstacles, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable strategies to help you navigate your own path. Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter to get episodes and insights delivered straight to your inbox every Monday!

What if everything we’ve been taught about perfectionism is wrong? What if instead of fixing it or overcoming it, you could learn to wield it as a superpower? This week we’re bringing back an insightful episode on the unsung advantages of perfectionism with Katherine Morgan Schafler, a distinguished psychotherapist and author of The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control. Katherine sheds light on how adaptive perfectionism can offer surprisingly valuable benefits, such as deep self-awareness. Katherine sits down with Jessi to share actionable strategies to transform perfectionistic tendencies into pathways for growth, resilience, and self-compassion. Whether you’re dealing with your own perfectionistic behavior or seeking to understand it in others, this conversation provides essential tools and perspectives for navigating the quest for perfection. Tune in to gain practical insights from Katherine Morgan Schafler on leveraging perfectionism for positive change. Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter to get episodes and insights delivered straight to your inbox every Monday!

Join Jessi as she interviews Nate Silver, renowned statistician and author of On The Edge: The Art of Risking Everything. Known for his pioneering work in political forecasting and data analysis, Nate founded the website FiveThirtyEight and gained prominence with his accurate predictions for the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. In this episode, Nate draws on his expertise to offer practical advice on evaluating major decisions and navigating uncertainty. Discover how taking calculated risks can boost your career, education, and investments, as Nate reveals the essential traits of successful risk-takers and provides insights on balancing risk and caution effectively. Join the Hello Monday community and continue the conversation with us: Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter Join us this week and every week for Hello Monday Office Hours, Wednesdays at 3p ET on the LinkedIn News page Join our free LinkedIn group for Hello Monday listeners

Join Jessi for a deep dive into the transformative power of design thinking and how it can help solve everyday life challenges with Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, Stanford d.school faculty, and co-authors of Assembling Tomorrow. Discover how embracing constraints can ignite creative spark, how exploring diverse possibilities can lead to innovation, and why being up to date on the latest technologies is vital for sculpting your future. Join the Hello Monday community and continue the conversation with us: Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter Join us this week and every week for Hello Monday Office Hours, Wednesdays at 3p ET on the LinkedIn News page  Join our free LinkedIn group for Hello Monday listeners

What are you doing this month to rest before summer comes to a close? Today we’re bringing back our 2022 conversation with Octavia Raheem. Octavia is a rest coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and author of the book Pause, Rest, Be: Stillness Practices for Courage in Times of Change. Octavia sits down with Jessi to talk about the transformative power of rest and how best to incorporate it into our lives today. She shares her own healing journey as what she calls a “type a in recovery,” as well as techniques for practicing mindfulness and optimizing your work life balance.  Join the Hello Monday community and continue the conversation with us: Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter Join us this week and every week for Hello Monday Office Hours, Wednesdays at 3p ET on the LinkedIn News page  Join our free LinkedIn group for Hello Monday listeners

If you’ve ever experienced moments of breakdown, we are right there with you. It’s hard to know where to turn when it feels like your world has been flipped upside down. Today’s guest can help. Kathleen Griffith, entrepreneur and author of the book “Build Like a Woman: The Blueprint for Creating a Business and Life You Love,” is here to encourage us to embrace these moments. She sits down with Jessi to discuss the ways in which breakdowns lead to breakthroughs, sharing strategies for architecting your vision, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable, and building a future you love.   Follow Kathleen Griffith on LinkedIn and check out her new book here. Follow Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn and order her debut memoir, now in paperback.  For Scott Olster’s book recommendation from this episode, click here.  Join the Hello Monday community and continue the conversation with us: Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter Join us this week and every week for Hello Monday Office Hours, Wednesdays at 3p ET on the LinkedIn News page  Join our free LinkedIn group for Hello Monday listeners

How do we make the most of our time here on this earth? This month we’ve discussed the minutes in our days with Laura Vanderkam, the productivity of our weeks and months with Cal Newport, and the cadence of our years with Natalie Nixon. Today, Sebene Selassie is here to talk with us about time over the course of a full life. Sebene is a writer, teacher, and lifetime student of Buddhism. She’s also a woman living with metastatic breast cancer. She sits down with Jessi to share some of what she has learned in the 20 years since her diagnosis, about control, surrender, and connection. Subscribe to Sebene Selassie’s newsletter here. Follow Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn and order her debut memoir, now in paperback. Join the Hello Monday community and continue the conversation with us: Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter Join us this week and every week for Hello Monday Office Hours, Wednesdays at 3p ET on the LinkedIn News page Join our free LinkedIn group for Hello Monday listeners

In the first episode of this month’s series on time, Laura Vanderkam taught us how to make every minute of each day count. Last week Cal Newport redefined productivity over the course of weeks. But how do you string those days and weeks together into a fulfilling career? Our guest today is helping us to examine the cadence of our years and decades. Natalie Nixon is a creativity strategist, entrepreneur, and thought leader. She’s the author of The Creativity Leap and is working on a second book introducing her “Move, Think, Rest” framework for unlocking your fullest potential. She sits down with Jessi to discuss how movement and rest fuel deep thought, how we can cultivate work differently, and how to fall in love with the process rather than obsess over the outcome.  Follow Natalie Nixon on LinkedIn and check out her recent book, The Creativity Leap Follow Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn and order her debut memoir, now in paperback.  Join the Hello Monday community and continue the conversation with us: Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter Join us this week and every week for Hello Monday Office Hours, Wednesdays at 3p ET on the LinkedIn News page  Join our free LinkedIn group for Hello Monday listeners