What Makes a Good Day?

Heather Goldstone, a scientist turned storyteller, makes it her life’s mission to motivate people to act on climate. She joins host Eric Benson to dig into what actually makes a good day: the kind of curiosity and meaningful work that gives you more spiritual energy than it takes. For Heather, that means pushing climate action forward and building the communities that back political movements. She...

Mary Clavieres, a transformation guide specializing in mind-body connection and human design, joins host Eric Benson to explore what it really means to have a good day, and how your body is often the first to know when you're not. For Mary, a good day is built from small moments of alignment: a breath of gratitude before getting out of bed, a walk, or a meal appreciated before eating it. She's tra...

Veena Harbaugh, a sustainability strategist, author, and change-maker, joins host Eric Benson to talk about what a good day actually feels like, and how you know when you're in one. For Veena, it comes down to two things: creativity and connection. Whether she's writing, arranging flowers, or having an unplanned two-hour lunch with a fellow author, she feels what she calls her "life force." She ra...

Retire, but don't stop. For Steven McCarthy, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota and lifelong designer, a good day is less about structure and more about staying curious, being aware, and having discipline. For Steven, a good day starts with sleep you didn't have to set an alarm for. He's shaped a quiet retirement ritual (coffee, sunlight, pancakes, and the morning news) that leads t...

Win the morning, win the day. It sounds like a bumper sticker, but for Shivam Patel, a University of Illinois senior studying information science, it's a philosophy backed by Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita, and a growing obsession with neuroscience. He joins host Eric Benson to walk through what a genuinely intentional day looks like. For Shivam, a good day starts the night before. He has a detailed...

What does it actually mean to have a good day — and can you design one? Host Eric Benson, a graphic design professor and climate advocate, has been wrestling with that question since the pandemic turned every day into Groundhog Day. For his first guest, he turns to Elizabeth Azide, marketer, writer, and the mind behind The Philosophy of Everything . Elizabeth brings a Stoic lens to the question —...

What Makes a Good Day is a podcast for anyone who creates, hosted by design professor Eric Benson (of the award-winning Climify podcast). Each episode tackles the ancient question that feels urgently contemporary: what constitutes a life worth living? What Makes a Good Day skips the productivity hacks and morning routine worship. Instead, I ask: are you living by your own values, or reacting to ev...