What It's Like To Be... with Dan Heath

Managing Ebola treatment centers in Sierra Leone, coordinating with government officials and local leaders, and advocating for the radical simplicity of cash aid with Grace Jackson, a humanitarian worker. When low-income families are given money, what's the first thing they often buy? And what is “CMCoord”? This episode is part of a fundraising effort called Pods Fight Poverty. We're tea...

Reinterpreting centuries-old classical music, marking up symphonies with notes on phrasing, and turning mid-performance disasters into unforgettable moments with Carlos Miguel Prieto , a music director and conductor. How do you get an orchestra to pick up the tempo? (Spoiler: Not by waving your hands faster.) And how does a performance of Beethoven's Fifth sound different today from a century...

Calculating electrical loads, getting zapped by 277 volts, and savoring the freedom of the skilled trades with Doug Powell , a master electrician. Why are blue-collar professions growing increasingly more attractive? And what are the telltale signs of a hack electrician? Doug runs Lumen Brothers Electric Company with his business partner, Josh. WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It'...

Scaling outfield walls to pick off home runs, bouncing between La Quinta hotels and sleeper buses, and chasing the dream of the majors with Trayvon Robinson , a professional baseball player. What superstitions did he live by? And what did he do to make SportsCenter in his major league debut? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be...  "starter pack" . It's...

Monitoring global networks of seismometers, evangelizing for stronger buildings instead of better predictions, and measuring LA's slow crawl toward Alaska with Lucy Jones, a seismologist in Southern California. Why does she begin counting when she feels the earth start to shake? And how did a nuclear test ban treaty end up boosting the science of earthquakes? Lucy is author of the book The Bi...

Butchering whole alligators, costing out every plate down to the garnish, and perfecting grilled sweetbreads with Cindy Wolf , an executive chef. What was it like to cook for Julia Child? And what popular item does she wish she could purge from the menu? Dan's latest book is Reset: How to Change What's Not Working . It's out in hard cover and as an audiobook . WANT MORE EPISODE SUGG...

Writing for the ear rather than the eye, racing to meet teleprompter deadlines, and recasting lost memories as timeless advice with Stephen Krupin , a speechwriter. What was it like to write speeches for President Obama? And when can a speaker's desire for "authenticity" go too far? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be...  "starter pack" . It&a...

Crafting floral masterpieces that disappear within hours, dealing with the eccentricities of wealthy clients, and making 3am runs to the flower market with Paul Hawkins, a floral decorator in England. Why is it a no-no to mix red and white flowers? And what's it like to design floral decorations for royalty? You can see some of Paul's work on his Instagram page . WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGES...

Cracking automotive mysteries one diagnostic code at a time, mastering the art of quoting complicated repairs, and playing the "what kind of noise is it?" guessing game with Justin Snodgrass, a car mechanic who owns his own shop . Why should $19.99 oil changes make you suspicious? And why might your local car mechanic decline to work on new cars? IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what...

Counting out pills in fives, working with million-dollar drugs, and ensuring the right medication in the right dose gets delivered at the right moment with Rose Davin, a pharmacy technician in Rochester, New York. What are the layers of protection that prevent pharmacy employees from absconding with opioids? And what happens if a technician accidentally drops a pill on the floor? IF YOU LIKE THIS...

Forecasting what a business will earn and spend, allocating resources among teams clamoring for more, and practicing professional skepticism without killing the vibe with Steve Love, a chief financial officer. What does it feel like to confess to a board of directors that you've made a potentially catastrophic error? And what happens when business leaders accidentally release non-public infor...

Boiling briskets for five hours, escorting obnoxious customers to the door, and preserving the ritual of saying "hello" with Steven Peljovich, who runs Michael's Deli in Boston. What makes a deli different from a sandwich shop? And, until recently, why did he resist taking orders online? Read The Boston Globe story that Steven mentioned about longtime customer Rita Manor. IF YOU LIK...

Choreographing massages to Mozart, enforcing cancellation policies with beloved clients, and shutting down callers seeking "undraped sessions" with Allissa Haines , a massage therapist. What made her cry in her car after one particular house call? And what is "effleurage”? In this episode, Dan recommended The Work of Art by Adam Moss, a book about how artists make their work. Check...

Scaling three-story rope ladders up the sides of ships, memorizing every rock and current in a harbor, and narrowly avoiding catastrophic collisions with Captain Grant Livingstone, a retired harbor pilot. What do you do when your engine and anchors fail in heavy fog? And how do you dock a ship the size of the Empire State Building? Grant and his twin brother Captain George Livingstone co-authored...

Comforting patients as they prepare to transition, navigating end-of-life regrets and frayed relationships, and providing support and advice for fearful families with Heather Meyerend, a retired hospice nurse. How does she know when the end is imminent? And what has the work taught her about the different ways we deal with death? Heather is a contributing author to the book Resilient Faith: Dare T...

Calming scared cats with pheromone sprays, advising families how to balance their pet's well-being with budget realities, and diagnosing mysterious animal maladies with Dr. Hindatu Mohammed, a veterinarian in Austin, TX . What breed of dog, when having its nails clipped, responds as though it's being murdered? And how did an injured ant shape her career choice? IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE:...

Tracing mysterious errors to their source, jousting with product managers, and rolling out new features (without breaking the old ones) with Taylor Hughes, a software engineer. How did one failed software fix ruin Christmas for kids around the country? And what is "spaghetti code"? Taylor is currently a co-founder and the CTO at Hypernatural.ai . IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what...

Mediating pickleball noise disputes, shepherding communities through thorny decisions, and practicing radical pragmatism with Martha Bennett , city manager of Lake Oswego, Oregon. What is it that makes public hearings so noxious? And what's the difference between "Big P" and "Little P" politics? IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be a high school pr...

Pouring pints for thirsty tourists, defusing situations with drunk patrons, and finding flow in the Friday night rush with Brian Wynne, a barman in Dublin. What caused one customer to throw a dog at Brian? And what is "craic"? If you'd like to reach out to Brian, email Dan at dan@whatitslike.com IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be an ice cream truck driver...

Zapping parts of the brain to know where to cut, operating a mouth-controlled microscope that's worth more than a house, and carrying the weight of life-or-death decisions with Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa , a brain surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. How do you preserve a mathematician's expertise when removing tumors? And how did he go from picking tomatoes to performing brain surgery? Dr. Q...

Commanding a floating city of 5,000 sailors, intercepting Houthi missiles in the Red Sea, and stripping rank from sailors who cross the line with Captain Chris "Chowdah" Hill, commanding officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. How do you stop a fighter jet in 2-seconds? And what are “midrats”? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be...  "s...

Singing cleanup songs, tiring out kids before naptime, and battling the "babysitter" stereotype with Brenda Hawkins, a daycare owner in Maryland. How has childcare changed over the years? And what is a "dope and drop"? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be...  "starter pack" . It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episode...

Fine-tuning the perfect accent for a character, recording for hours in a sound-insulated booth, and tracking down obscure pronunciations with Sean Pratt, an audiobook narrator. What is "punch and roll"? And what kind of voice do you need to be a great narrator? EXTRA We spoke with Sean about his work narrating the David Foster Wallace literary behemoth Infinite Jest . That part of the in...

We've got something a little different and special for you this week! The day this is dropping, January 21st, is the launch day for my new book, called RESET: How to Change What’s Not Working. We’re running an excerpt (a whole chapter!) from the audiobook on this podcast. You can buy the full audiobook, hardcover, or Kindle version here ! We’ll be back next week with a new episode of the show...

Cracking decades-old murder cases, delivering unthinkable news to victims' families, and tracking suspects across borders with John Lamberti , a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. Why are cold cases harder to solve these days? And what's a "415"? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be...  "starter pack" . It's a...