Unlocking Us with Brené Brown (Vox Media Podcast Network)

Khaled Elgindy is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute where he also directs MEI’s Program on Palestine and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs. He is the author of the book, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump. In this episode we talk about the internal political struggles among Palestinian leadership and the US’s involvement in the failed peace agreements between Israel and Palestine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the second episode in our series on the possibilities and costs of living beyond human scale. In this episode, Brené and William discuss group behavior on social media and how we show up with each other online versus offline. We’ll also learn about the specific types of content that fuel algorithms to amplify moral outrage and how they tie to our search for belonging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Brené and Craig discuss what is known in the AI community as the “alignment problem” — who needs to be at the table in order to build systems that are aligned with our values as a democratic society? And, when we start unleashing these systems in high stakes environments like education, healthcare, and criminal justice, what guardrails, policies, and ethical principles do we need to make sure that we’re not scaling injustice? This is the third episode in our series on the possibilities and costs of living beyond human scale, and it is a must-listen!  Please note: In this podcast, Dr. Watkins and Brené talk about how AI is being used across healthcare. One topic discussed is how AI is being used to identify suicidal ideation. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, please call or text the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (24/7 in the US). If calling 911 or the police in your area, it is important to notify the operator that it is a psychiatric emergency and ask for police officers trained in crisis intervention or trained to assist people experiencing a psychiatric emergency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brené interviews New York Times journalists Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller, who talk about their investigation into girl influencers and what's driving the larger influencer culture across social media. This is the fourth episode in our series on the possibilities and costs of living beyond human scale. Please note: As part of this conversation, we talk about the pervasive sexualization of young girl influencers (and girls in general) and the predatory nature of the comments they receive online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Part 2 of our two-part series with Karen Walrond, writer, activist, and longtime friend. We are talking about her new book, The Lightmaker’s Manifesto: How to Work for Change without Losing Your Joy. In Part 1, we talked about activism and how it shows up in our daily lives. And in this episode, we talk about the connection between activism and spirituality. We talk about listening to the whispers that are calling us and the self-inquiry strategies that help us know what we’re supposed to be doing. We also dig in on performative activism and outrage, as well as the realities of burnout and how joy helps curb some of that. It’s an important conversation — and one we need to be having right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back with Part 2 of my conversation with Bono, recorded live at the historic Paramount Theatre and presented by Austin City Limits Festival’s Bonus Tracks. In this episode, we take it back to Bono’s early days in Ireland — most notably the school where he’d meet his future bandmates, his future wife, and a headmaster who modeled what it was to live in the radical center, in a space forged by complication and contradiction. “How casually our destiny arrives,” Bono writes of this formative era. From there, our conversation rolls through matters of faith, creativity, and what it means to truly surrender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this “On My Mind” episode, we talk about shame and accountability. We discussed this a bit last summer, but I’m going deeper today in light of the insurrection at the US Capitol and the resulting calls to unity without accountability. Dehumanization is the most significant driver of insurrection, and it always starts with language. We are all responsible for recognizing it, stopping it, and holding people accountable for dehumanizing language and actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I talk with philanthropist and global advocate for women and girls, Melinda French Gates. We talk about empathy, the power of story, and her book, The Moment of Lift — a clear and powerful call to action for gender equity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Brené and Barrett discuss their learnings on AI and social media and some of their favorite nuggets from each of the guests in the series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this first of a two-parter with Ashley, I tell a story from Rising Strong that kicked off our Living BIG strategy. Spoiler alert: I am very, very, very pissed-off in this story. But I eventually come around to finding and seeing the connection between boundaries, integrity, and generosity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back with Part 2 of my conversation with Chris Germer, a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and we’re talking about fierce compassion, which is something so many of us are trying to figure out right now. When there’s so much pain and hurt in the world, we want to be a voice. We want to speak up and speak out. We want to take action, and we want to do so from a place where we are healing pain. In this episode, Chris and I talk about what’s actually possible for us as humans and how we can respond to pain and hurt without causing more of it and without self-protecting and distancing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m smiling from ear to ear about this conversation with Domee Shi, a Chinese-born, Academy Award–winning Canadian animator, storyboard artist, and director for Pixar. With Bao, Domee became the first woman to direct a short film for Pixar, and with Turning Red — which was released on Disney+ in March 2022 — Domee became the first woman to direct a feature-length project for the animation studio. It was so fun to connect with her about creativity, learning, curiosity, and her incredible, groundbreaking work. Also, she may have inspired my new life motto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re at the halfway mark of our six-episode Summer Sister Series on The Gifts of Imperfection, and this week, we dig into Guideposts #3 and #4 (Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness and Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: Letting Go of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark). Ashley, Barrett, and I look at our lives post-COVID and talk candidly about the ways we’ve numbed over the past year — and how we’ve lost some of our gratitude practices. These two things may be related. Moving forward, we (re)commit to making wholeheartedness a family affair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This might just be the toughest, most personal episode yet in the Summer Sister Series on The Gifts of Imperfection. As Ashley, Barrett, and I tackle Guideposts #5 and #6 (Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith: Letting Go of the Need for Certainty and Cultivating Creativity: Letting Go of Comparison), we reflect on our upbringing, which was marked with uncertainty, unpredictability, and plenty of eggshell living. It’s no surprise then that letting go of certainty is one of my greatest challenges. We talk about that and how we try to show up differently in the families we are raising now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this second-to-last episode of the Summer Sister Series on The Gifts of Imperfection, I have a couple of in-real-time revelations: namely that I suck at cultivating quality rest and play (a.k.a. Guidepost #7). Thankfully, on the flip side, I’ve gotten pretty good over the years at cultivating calm and stillness (thank you, 5-mile-long daily walks) and letting go of anxiety as a lifestyle (Guidepost #8). We dig in and ask the existential question: What does your ideal restful vacation look like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the final episode of our six-part Summer Sister Series on The Gifts of Imperfection with my sisters, Ashley and Barrett, and we finish strong with the last of the Guideposts, #9 and #10 (Cultivating Meaningful Work: Letting Go of Self-Doubt and “Supposed To” and Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance: Letting Go of Being Cool and “Always in Control”). We talk about how doing meaningful work connects us and how being cool is honestly very lonely. And we finally reach the moment Ashley and Barrett have been waiting for all along — and possibly the only reason they agreed to do this series — they finally get to share their top five songs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back, and we are starting the year with a deep dive into values. I’m not a fan of resolutions, but I absolutely believe in the power of resetting. I can’t think of a more powerful way to double down on ourselves than getting clear on our values and the behaviors that support them — and the shit that gets in the way. Join us as Barrett and I talk through a values exercise PDF that we made for you to do your own values work. Of all the work we do with leaders and teams, this is probably the biggest game changer. Let’s go! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking to my dear friend Tarana Burke about her new memoir, Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement. Her book is beautiful, hard, and breathtaking. Tarana is unflinching in her storytelling. As she takes us on the journey that transformed her life and the world, we can feel our own transformation happening. The person who starts this book is not the person who finishes this book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Reverend Michael Curry is presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and in this episode, we talk about love. Messy, hard, complicated love. I ask him how we can transcend fear in a scarcity-based culture and what we can learn from those who came before us. We also talk about the church, how to develop beloved community, and the scrappy, gritty work of love that is my definition of faith. Plus, Bishop Curry shares his playlist, with one song that I really didn’t expect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the self-appointed president of the TLFC (Ted Lasso Fan Club), it was a blast to talk to Jason Sudeikis, the co-creator, writer, and executive producer who plays Ted Lasso, and Brendan Hunt, the co-creator and writer who plays Coach Beard on the Apple TV+ hit series. The show follows the adventures of a small-time college football coach from Kansas hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer. We talk about the show’s interesting origin story, writers’ room inspirations, and why intention is critical to the creative process. It’s a fun conversation about a show that is unapologetically awkward, brave, and kind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Burnout. We’re all experiencing it and we’re all desperate for a way through it. In this episode, I talk to Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski about what causes burnout, what it does to our bodies, and how we can move through the emotional exhaustion. This has been a game changer for me and for my family! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My thoughts on power and leadership and a conversation on empathy, unity, and courage with Vice President Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I speak with Elizabeth Lesser, bestselling author and co-founder of Omega Institute, about her newest book, Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this solo episode recorded on Election Day 2020, I talk directly to our wholehearted community about the practice that helps me when I’m feeling fearful, worried, or wobbly and why this work is the foundation for true belonging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I talk with writer, storyteller, and joy advocate Gabby Rivera, the first Latina to write for Marvel Comics. Gabby penned the solo series America about America Chavez, a portal-punching queer Latina powerhouse. We also talk about her debut novel, Juliet Takes a Breath; how important it is to see ourselves in stories about the hero’s journey; and how joy is a form of resistance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is proof that dreams do come true! I get to talk to Dolly Parton about love, empathy, and the power of truth-telling. We talk about everything from her new book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, and songwriting to the challenges of leading organizations and Burt Reynolds. It’s amazing to me how Dolly’s songwriting and storytelling seem to be driven by a deep calling to turn toward pain and heartbreak so she can shine a light for all of us to find our way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Priya Parker is a master facilitator, strategic adviser, and the author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters. We dig into what it means to come together, why connection requires intention, and the often-invisible structures inside our most meaningful gatherings. Priya even helps me deconstruct my wedding and why, decades later, people still tell me how different and fun it was! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist, New York Times bestselling author, TED speaker, and Guggenheim Fellow, and in this episode, we talk all about the brain and how it works. It’s mysterious, malleable, constantly changing, and up for new challenges. We dig deeper into the research in his book Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain on the power of being uncomfortable and trying new things and how important new experiences are for continued brain development and health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this “On My Mind” episode, we revisit FFTs and talk about tired brains and new strategies for recovering from too many hard first times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a podcasters’ roundtable! Tim Ferriss, Dax Shepard, and I talk about everything from preparing for podcasts, parenting, and Ping-Pong to addiction, trauma, and the long, winding road to healing and wholeness. It’s fun and hard and messy. Everything you’d expect from three people who consider curiosity a way of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Civil rights leader Valarie Kaur is building a movement to reclaim love as a force for justice, healing, and transformation in America. In this episode, we talk about what led Valarie to courageously explore Sikh ancestral wisdom, how her ancestors’ truths parallel what I’ve learned from the research, and how we need both the eyes of a sage and the heart of a warrior to live a fully meaningful life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Lewis joins me again to talk about her new book, The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America. With examples from her historical research, she walks me through the power of visual culture in generating equity and justice. We talk about how what we see and what’s left unseen shapes everything we believe about ourselves and other people — and how we can start changing the narrative about who counts and who belongs in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I talk with one of my favorite cultural critics, Roxane Gay, about her long-form essay on Black gun ownership. We discuss how the gun industry frames women as victims in waiting and the importance of dismantling the trope of the “good man with a gun." We also delve into the societal cost of our resisting, rejecting, and resenting nuance and the importance of holding the tension of competing ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified OB/GYN who has helped thousands of women through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. In this conversation, we discuss the power of unlearning and relearning and her ongoing fight for women’s health in every decade of their lives. We also talk about the growing “menoposse” — a group of thought leaders and clinicians who are using their platforms to change the outdated narrative around menopause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 1 of my conversation with historian Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, we talk about the current threats to American democracy, what's at stake in November, and how we can strengthen our country if we can find the political will. They say don’t meet your heroes, but I’m so glad I did — this is one of my all time favorite conversations. I love how Heather doesn’t just look at history as a sequence of failures — she also finds the possibilities, creativity, and hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 2 of my conversation with historian Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, we unpack the history and mythology that's driving some of the biggest issues in our country. Leaning into the power of narrative and story, she explains how democracies die more often through the ballot box than with guns and tanks. It’s a hard and hopeful conversation and absolutely critical listening at this point in our history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The sisters are back and we're talking about loss, dementia, grief, and how we try to choose laughter and therapy over a fist fight when things get really tough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this second of a two-parter on Living BIG, Ashley and I take on the topics of generosity, resentment, boundaries and grief. And we explore this critical question: What boundaries need to be in place for me to be in my integrity and to be generous in my assumptions about others? I’m grateful to rumble on this — and so many other questions — with this awkward, brave, and kind community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author Brené Brown as she unpacks and explores the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human, from the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted.  Subscribe now for updates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sonya Renee Taylor and I talk about body shame, radical self-love, and social justice. This conversation was a big unlocking for me — especially when it comes to understanding the connection between how we think about our bodies and oppression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Scott Sonenshein — a researcher and professor — and I talk about the art and science of being scrappy, why outsiders are sometimes better than experts, and why comparison is truly the thief of joy. This book turned things upside down for me — in the best way. I hope the conversation does the same for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So glad to be back! Launching our second season with a conversation on one of my favorite subjects (and least favorite experiences): Day 2! It sounds easy enough, but Day 2 is no joke. It’s the messy middle — the point of no return. Join us as we talk about navigating what’s next and why it’s always best to stumble through the darkness together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the power of dissent, what happens when we max out our surge capacity during a crisis, and how time spent without purpose can refuel and reconnect us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I said, “Ask Me Anything,” and the Unlocking Us community came through with the tough questions. To be honest, I thought I’d get some easy, fun ones — but no, all deep-end questions. In fact, we received so many thoughtful and tough AMA questions from listeners that it took us two episodes to cover the most popular topics, including “fake news,” disappointment versus self-pity, religion and shame, when something is shame-worthy, and how parents can build shame resilience in children. I also discuss what TV series and films I think do a great job of accurately capturing emotions and the human experience, and I answer my own 10 rapid-fire questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s solo episode, I share my thoughts about why accountability is a prerequisite for change and why we need to get our heads and hearts around the difference between being held accountable for racism and feeling shame and being shamed. I share my personal stories of being held accountable and holding myself accountable, as well as my strategies for pulling my “thinking brain” back online when I’m experiencing the flight and fight energy fueled by shame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet Carrie Rodriguez and Gina Chavez, the musicians who created and perform the music you hear every week on Unlocking Us. Artists and activists, Gina and Carrie integrate stories, culture, and the heart of past generations into their music to create artful and hopeful futures. You can hear it in their music, and you can see it in their lives. I’m so grateful that our weekly Unlocking Us conversations begin and end with their soulful sounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I talk to artist, advocate, executive producer, and all-around amazing woman and friend Laverne Cox about her new, groundbreaking documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen; the importance of policy protection for the trans community; and the seismic shifts in the world today. We also discuss the complexities of intersectionality and accountability, the difference between discomfort and safety, and the ultimate power of seeking love and living in the light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Austin Channing Brown’s anti-racism work is critical to changing our world, and her ability to talk about what is good and true about love, about our faith, and about loving each other is transformative. She is a writer, a speaker, and a media producer providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. In this episode, we connect on her book, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, and talk about her online television show, The Next Question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My conversation with Celeste Ng is the first of two episodes on Little Fires Everywhere, where I’ll cover the book and the series. We talk about the writing process, the stories that we tell, and the stories that define us. We also cover how our hometowns shape us, how parenting is a shame minefield, and how we all have the power to mourn moments even while we’re in them. Celeste also fills us in on what she thinks about the series and what it felt like watching Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington create a show from her novel. I love this episode as a reader, as a writer, and as an observer of what it means to be human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the first episode of two-part special based on a course that Dr. Harriet Lerner and I did together on her groundbreaking book Why Won’t You Apologize?: Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts. It’s an authentic, hard conversation about making mistakes, healing hurts, and being brave. Harriet is a friend, mentor, and teacher. Her work has shaped my career and made my life better. During a time of deep uncertainty and anxiety — when many of us have struggled to be our best selves all of the time — apologizing has never been more important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever struggled with feeling lonely — even when you’re surrounded by people you love? I have. It’s painful and confusing. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Vivek Murthy, a physician and the 19th surgeon general of the United States, about loneliness and the physical and emotional toll that social disconnection takes on us. We talk about his new book, Together, and what it takes for each of us to tilt the world toward love and connection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grief expert David Kessler takes us by the hand and walks us into what he’s learned about love, loss, and finding meaning. As someone who has a lot of fear about grief and grieving, this conversation is not what I expected. The only word I can use to describe what I learned from David is beautiful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have collectively hit weary. This is especially true for the brave folks on the front lines of this pandemic and for the people who love and support them. And it’s also true for all of us. In this episode, I talk about strategies for falling apart, staying connected and kind, and giving ourselves permission to feel hard things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Strap yourselves in! In this episode, I talk to my dear friend and sister Cheetah, Glennon Doyle — author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Untamed and the founder of Together Rising, an all-women-led nonprofit organization that has revolutionized grassroots philanthropy, raising over $25 million for women, families, and children in crisis. This is an honest conversation about walking away from the lifelong training that keeps us small, quiet, and afraid and embracing our wild, brave hearts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Marc Brackett has dedicated his life to studying emotions and to teaching us what he’s learning. In this episode, we talk about how emotional literacy — being able to recognize, name, and understand our feelings — affects everything from learning, decision-making, and creativity to relationships, health, and performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all have patterned ways of managing our day-to-day anxiety, and these patterns often reflect the roles and expectations of our first families. In this episode, we’ll talk about over- and under-functioning in anxious times, why anxiety is contagious, and how we can cultivate a calm practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We received so many thoughtful and tough AMA questions from listeners that it took us two episodes to cover the most popular topics. In Part 2, I unpack one of the most-asked questions: How do parents build shame resilience in our children? I’m also answering another popular question: Are there TV series and/or films that I think do a great job of accurately capturing emotions and the human experience? While there are SO many that do that well, I share a few of my current favorites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking with Judd Apatow, who has directed, produced, and written many of the biggest comedy films and hit TV shows of the past two decades. We look at what’s funny, why it’s funny, and why laughter creates connection. We also uncover that thin line between humor and grief and what it means to tell the stories of our lives in a way that we recognize ourselves and our shared humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking with professor Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and the director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. We talk about racial disparities, policy, and equality, but we really focus on How to Be an Antiracist, which is a groundbreaking approach to understanding uprooting racism and inequality in our society and in ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are true creatives and storytellers, working to make timely art that is honest and vulnerable and truth-telling. Here’s Part 2 of my conversation on Little Fires Everywhere. This episode covers how Reese and Kerry worked with a team of other creatives to bring Celeste’s words to life. We talk about the challenges and responsibilities of creating authentic, living, breathing characters with complex internal thoughts. We talk about motherhood and how it connects us, changes us, and changes as it goes. And we talk about creating art that honors ordinary, complicated people from completely different backgrounds, while connecting us all together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jay and Mark Duplass are two of my favorite humans. They are filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, actors, and activists. They’re also partners, fathers, and brothers who believe in connection, love, and the importance of small moments. In this episode, we talk about their memoir, Like Brothers, and how so much of what we crave in life comes from straddling the paradoxes inherent in love, creativity, and relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Harriet Lerner’s work has transformed my work and my life. She’s a renowned psychologist and bestselling author who has been studying apologies — and why some people won’t give them — for more than two decades. In Part 2 of our two-part series, we share from a course together on her groundbreaking book Why Won’t You Apologize?: Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts. We dig into the “mischief of defensiveness,” the power of listening, and the secret life of the non-apologizer. We also take on one helluva role play where you get to hear me get schooled and learn a lot and get schooled again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I talk to two women who provide wise counsel for those of us who have struggled with belonging and faith (and still do on occasion). Sue Monk Kidd and Jen Hatmaker are dissident daughters, brave leaders, and the very best companions for a contemplative journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alicia’s book, More Myself: A Journey, is a master class in authenticity and vulnerability. In this episode, Alicia and I talk about the quiet, subtle experiences that fuel our need to armor up and self-protect and the courage behind owning our worth, listening to our own voice, and living with our own “girl on fire” energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tarana is a good friend and one of my favorite people on earth. She has been working at the intersection of racial justice and gender equity for nearly three decades, and she started the ‘me too.’ Movement in 2006. In 2017, when the #metoo hashtag went viral, Tarana emerged as a global leader in the evolving conversation around sexual violence. In this episode, we talk about how her theory of “empowerment through empathy” is changing the way the world thinks and talks about sexual violence, consent, and social justice. AND we also talk/cry/laugh about falling in love, running as fast as we can from love, and the perils of sharing a bathroom with the guys we love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first Unlocking Us podcast is here! Along with the excitement of sending this into the world, I’m feeling equal doses of fear, awkwardness, and vulnerability. In this episode, I talk about my strategy for staying in tough first times versus tapping out and shutting down. When we get to the point that we only do things that we’re already good at doing, we stop growing. And truly living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris about the strength and fragility of democracy, the power of strong coalitions and collaborations, and how a commitment to justice and fairness can both ground us and drive action.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re celebrating the audiobook release of Atlas of the Heart with a bonus Unlocking Us episode! The excerpt in this episode is from chapter 10, titled “Places We Go When the Heart Is Open.” We’re talking about love, lovelessness, and heartbreak. I’m excited to give you a first listen here, and I’m grateful that we’re learning and working to reconnect with ourselves and with each other, together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Part 2 of the three-part Sisters Book Club series, where Ashley and Barrett turn the tables and interview me about Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. We dive into the specific findings on some of the 87 emotions and experiences covered in the book. And they ask me the podcast rapid-fire questions — including my top five songs. Plus, they include some brand-new rapid-fire questions that I didn’t expect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking with Attica and Tembi Locke, writers, showrunners, executive producers, and the creative sister duo behind the Netflix series From Scratch, based on Tembi’s 2019 memoir of the same name, about love, Sicily, and finding home. We started talking about the series and their story, and then we really went everywhere from there — this turned into a full-blown LIFE conversation. Which, if you’ve seen the series, will not surprise you at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to spend the day with Father Richard Rohr. We laughed, I cried a little, we laughed some more, and I told him why his work pisses me off sometimes. He thoroughly delighted in that last part. In Part 1 of this special two-part series recorded at the Center for Action and Contemplation, we focus on his writing in Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps and just a few of the quotes — on spirituality, suffering, gratitude, and grace — that have changed and rearranged me over the years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I talk with President Barack Obama about his life, his work, and his new book, A Promised Land. We dive into the power of leaning into uncertainty and why the rare skill of holding the tension of opposites makes us better leaders, partners, and parents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We asked for your Atlas of the Heart questions and, man, did you deliver. More than 1,500 questions poured in. So, in this final episode of our Sisters Book Club, Ashley, Barrett, and I answer as many questions as we can, tackling how emotional literacy affects self-awareness, how family patterns affect emotions, and how emotionally intense moments affect our decision-making. We also discuss the powerful connections between art and emotions, as well as how parents can bring this work to their teenagers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this first episode of a three-part Sisters Book Club series, Ashley and Barrett turn the tables on Brené and interview her about her new book, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of the Human Experience. They ask all the questions we want to know, and they pull no punches—starting with stories about childhood superpowers, to matters of biology, biography, behavior, and backstory in the context of emotions and the book itself. They also talk about how Atlas is broken up into three sections, how the data was collected and analyzed to present the 87 emotions covered, and how powerful it is to have vocabulary that's as expansive as our experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Part 1 of my conversation with Bono, recorded live at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. I have been a U2 fan since the very beginning, and this event, presented by Austin City Limits Festival’s Bonus Tracks, was sheer magic. I don’t know what happened, but we got mentally in sync, spiritually locked in together, and we talked about everything from rock and roll to love and faith. His new memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, is the ultimate love story — to his wife, Ali; to his family; and to all of us who’ve found all kinds of peace and challenges in the music and the lyrics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking again with my friend Emmanuel Acho about his new book, Illogical: Saying Yes to a Life Without Limits. True to form, Emmanuel shows up with pure energy and thought-provoking opinions — which may seem illogical but actually make so much sense. He also shares some real wisdom around how to handle naysayers and critics while also staying open, being receptive, and taking care of ourselves in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the past, maybe, 50 years, but specifically, research-wise, over the past 25, it’s that every time we think we’re completely alone in struggle, that is exactly when we need to remember that the human experience is never a singular experience. I’m sharing this reflection in the hopes that it resonates with some and to remind myself that I’m not alone. I’m glad you’re here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, I’m talking to Karen Walrond, writer, activist, and longtime friend of mine about her new book, The Lightmaker’s Manifesto: How to Work for Change without Losing Your Joy. This is the right book for the right time. Activism is such a big and often intimidating concept, and Karen breaks it down into small, intentional, and integrated acts that create a joyful life. We talk about how we met and how we define activism, and we share some really personal experiences we each had after Hurricane Harvey that shaped how we see the intersection of activism and joy. So, enjoy this first of two episodes on life, light, and activism and how those three things are completely interconnected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking with tech journalist Kara Swisher and NYU professor Scott Galloway, co-hosts of the podcast Pivot, a weekly discussion on the latest news as it relates to the worlds of business and tech. I start to do some word association with them, but we quickly go deep and take a hard, illuminating look at Big Tech. This is a great conversation for those of us who regularly engage with tech platforms but maybe who don’t understand their motivations, what they’re up to next, and the myriad ways they shape our lives and democracies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I wanted to share with you a talk that I did at UCLA’s Royce Hall for Oprah’s Super Soul sessions where I uncovered the fundamentals of trust. What is trust? The data says there are seven parts of trust, and we organize these into the acronym BRAVING. Breaking down the anatomy of trust into specific behaviors allows us to more clearly identify and address breaches of trust. I love the BRAVING checklist because it reminds me that trusting myself or other people is a vulnerable and courageous process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Part 2 of our two-part series with Anand Giridharadas, author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy. I’m still thinking about Anand’s story and how his experiences informed this concept of persuasion as being the heart of democracy. In this episode, we talk more specifically about the real stories included in the book — some scary, some incredibly inspiring — and he shares more about the individuals behind this meaningful work, which is built on meeting people where they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Part 2 of our two-part episode crossover from our other podcast, Dare to Lead with James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. In Part 1 of our series, we talked about building systems to create habits, and in this episode, we talk about how and why habits are atomic and how to build a habit or break a habit. We also look at our environments and how we can tweak them to support the habits we want to have, and then dive in and talk about organization habits and how we create habits in teams and in organizations. I took multiple pages of notes on this memorable conversation on forming habits that last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this first episode of a three-part Sisters Book Club series, Ashley and Barrett turn the tables and interview me about Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. They ask all the questions everyone wants to know, and they pull no punches — starting with stories about childhood superpowers, to matters of biology, biography, behavior, and backstory in the context of emotions and the book itself. We also talk about how Atlas is broken up into three sections, how the data was collected and analyzed to present the 87 emotions covered, and how powerful it is to have vocabulary that’s as expansive as our experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’ve been waiting my whole life to talk to Chris Germer. He is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and he co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion program with Kristin Neff, which has been taught to 200,000 people worldwide. I recently read an article written by Chris called “The Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion,” and as soon as I read it, I said, “Put him on the podcast list. I’ve gotta talk to him.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Part 2 of my conversation with Attica and Tembi Locke, writers, showrunners, executive producers, and the creative sister duo behind the Netflix series From Scratch, based on Tembi’s 2019 memoir of the same name, about love, Sicily, and finding home. In Part 1, we talked about the series and their story, and as we jump back into our conversation, we are talking about the success of this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with Part 2 of our reader and audience Q&A on Atlas of the Heart, with questions from both the book and the HBO Max series. If you listened to Part 1, oh wow, these questions are hard — and I don’t have all the answers, which I love. Because that means I get to learn more, and I’m learning right along with my sisters, Ashley and Barrett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're coming back with new episodes starting February 28th. Get episodes as soon as they're published by following Unlocking Us on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anyone who knows me or my work knows the immeasurable influence Father Richard Rohr has had on my life. Rohr is a Franciscan friar and ecumenical teacher, and his words live on Post-it notes all around my house; his numerous books are tattered and torn, as I’ve returned to them time and again, especially in the past couple years. In this magical two-part conversation, Father Richard graciously expands on just a few of the quotes that have turned my world upside down, sharing his thoughts on what it means to be humbled by the mysteries of faith; how we often misinterpret God as a dictator, not a lover; and how we’re ill-equipped to grasp the infinite nature of God and his love. This truly unforgettable conversation left me speechless — and filled me to the brim with love and connection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmanuel Acho is a creator, host, and producer of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, a web series about racism to drive open and uncomfortable dialogue. His book with the same name is a thoughtful manifesto, a mandate, and a playbook that’s both generous and full of love. We get personal, and we talk about what these important questions mean in the context of history and for culture today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Drs. Julie and John Gottman have taken more than 40 years of breakthrough research and written or co-written more than 40 books on marital stability, divorce prediction, and how science can help people have successful, loving relationships. We talk about the toll the pandemic has taken on couples, their work in the context of current events, and practical shifts that can help us take care of each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A conversation with two unforgettable creators: Debbie Millman and Roxane Gay. Debbie is a designer, an author, an educator, and the host of the award-winning podcast Design Matters, and Roxane is a writer, an editor, a cultural critic, and the co-host of the podcast Hear to Slay. Roxane and Debbie are newlyweds, and we talk about their love story, creativity, and the power of a dinner party. Their words and art have been very influential in my life — talking to them about the ins and outs of ordinary life is, in itself, extraordinary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I’m talking with Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Ashley C. Ford about their work, their lives, and the new anthology Hungry Hearts, a collection of intimate stories and essays on courage, desire, and belonging. I just love talking to the storytellers and magic-makers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking to clinical psychologist and author Dr. Edith Eger about her books, The Choice and The Gift. Dr. Eger is a Holocaust survivor who has dedicated her career to helping us understand trauma, anger, resilience, and the power of choosing how we see ourselves and how we resist the labels that people put on us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Yaba Blay about her new book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. It’s an honest and raw conversation about identity, grief, transformation, history, colorism, and taking responsibility for change. I continue to reflect on this quote from Dr. Blay: “Identity is nuanced. It’s complicated. I think it’s hard to define. Sometimes I think it’s dangerous to define, depending upon who’s doing the defining.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m talking to Dr. Angus Fletcher, professor and author of Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature, about the science behind the great writings of authors across time — from Greek tragedies to Maya Angelou to Tina Fey. We look at how the technology of literature can nurture democracy, power personal growth, and improve our mental health and well-being. Weaving together library and laboratory research, we discuss how literature actually changes who we are, helps us understand who we are, and teaches us how to think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Unlocking Us is going to Dare to Lead! Olympian, activist, and author Abby Wambach and I connect on the new rules of leadership. Her book, WOLFPACK, I kid you not, is on my top five must-read leadership books. I buy this book for everyone. It’s leadership gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unlocking Us is here to Dare to Lead on inclusivity. Aiko Bethea is a friend, colleague, and diversity, equity, and inclusion expert. We discuss empathy, accountability, and the power of listening and believing (including a very real role play). We also dissect the differences between transactional leadership and transformational leadership and why courage is a prerequisite to lasting, meaningful change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hanif Abdurraqib is a beautiful person and an incredible writer, poet, essayist, and cultural critic. His new book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, took my breath away. Hanif’s ability to straddle the tension of grief and gratitude, beauty and horror, mourning and jubilation is where the miracle and the genius happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brandi Carlile is a singer, songwriter, performer, producer, activist, and author of a new memoir, Broken Horses. We talk about everything from the politics of middle school lunch tables, to the pursuit of complicated faith, to the tyranny of fitted sheets. This is a conversation between two people, meeting for the first time, and yet, somehow, it feels like we’ve been friends forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get ready for a delicious conversation. I am talking to Samin Nosrat, author, cook, teacher, podcaster, and the force of nature behind the revolutionary cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and its Netflix documentary. We connect on her work and the struggles and realities of creating connections in a period of great disconnection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices