Building Thinkers: Accessible Blueprints for Learning & Life

If you've been avoiding AI because it feels too technical, too risky, or just not for someone like you, this episode is your permission slip to start.  My guest, Gigi Karmous-Edwards, is a water technology consultant and researcher who has spent the last three years focused on how generative AI is reshaping an entire global industry. What struck me most about Gigi is where her thinking has lan...

If you've ever felt paralyzed by uncertainty or like the world is shifting too fast to keep up, this episode is going to reframe how you think about that feeling entirely.  I sat down with Mathias Behn Bjørnhof, a futurist and founder of Anticipate, a strategic foresight consultancy based in Copenhagen, who has done this work with organizations like the United Nations, and he completely change...

***Content Warning*** Before we begin, this episode contains discussion of mental health and suicide. If you're struggling, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Some losses split your life into a before and an after, and this conversation is about what it actually looks like to keep living anyway. This week, I sit down with Cristie North, a longtim...

If you've been using AI tools and quietly wondering whether they're actually saving you time, or whether you're just doing the same work in a different order, this conversation is for you.  I sat down with Max Kirchoff, a principal technologist and product-focused engineer who writes about the intersection of humans and machines on his Substack, Human of the Loop . What I love about Ma...

The world doesn't need more information. It needs more conscious humans, and this conversation with Mentor Dida might be the most important one I've had on this show.  Mentor is a Kosovo war survivor turned global changemaker who co-founded three nonprofits, led movements at Arizona State University, and now works with Ashoka, the world's pioneer network of social entrepreneurs, to hel...

If you've ever felt like slowing down is somehow dangerous, this episode is for you.  I sat down with Tati Garcia, therapist, anxiety specialist, and the voice behind the Coping Calmly with Tati podcast, to talk about something I think a lot of high-achieving women are quietly dealing with but rarely name out loud: high-functioning anxiety. We get into why perfectionism and that constant sense...

What does it mean for humans to flourish? Not just to be happy, not just to check the boxes of a good life, but to genuinely thrive across every dimension of what it means to be a person? That's the question Harvard researchers and their collaborators have been rigorously pursuing, and the early findings are challenging some of our deepest assumptions. When the Global Flourishing Study, a land...

What if the hardest season of your life is actually your launchpad? I’m so excited to share today’s episode with you because we’re unpacking what it really means to handle hard better. My guest, Eileen Suarez, is a transformation and mindset coach who works with high-achieving women navigating big life and career transitions. She helps women go from stuck to unstoppable using brain-based strategie...

If money feels heavier than it should, this conversation will change how you carry it. I’m sitting down with Priya Malani, founder of Stash Wealth, a financial advisor who works with high-earning millennials and helps them build real systems (not just budgets) that actually support the life they want. She’s seen behind the curtain of how smart, ambitious people handle money… and where they quietly...

What if feeling stuck isn’t a personal failure… but a signal that the system you’re operating in no longer fits who you’re becoming? I’m joined by Laura Peterson, a leader who lives at the intersection of strategy, culture, and human behavior. Her work centers on designing systems that actually function in the real world. Not theory. Not buzzwords. Real frameworks that grow leaders, strengthen cul...

Middle school doesn’t have to be a war zone, and your kid’s big feelings don’t have to derail your life. Megan Saxelby of Wild Feelings has seen it all. From navigating her own adolescence with learning differences to helping middle schoolers (and their parents) thrive instead of just survive. She shares real stories from her classroom and coaching work that show how small shifts in mindset and la...

Learning the “right way” isn’t about trying harder, it’s about learning smarter. Lauren Waldman, a learning scientist and self-proclaimed “learning pirate,” spent over a decade in teaching and corporate learning, but it wasn’t until she dove into the neuroscience of the brain that everything clicked. We unpack how to learn in alignment with how your brain actually works, and in a way you can put i...

Ever feel that quiet tug that it’s time for a change, but you’re not sure where to start?  I sit down with Anzar Khaliq, a physicist turned educator and Chief Learning Officer at San Francisco Bay University, to unpack what it really means to reinvent yourself. Anzar shares the three signals that it’s time for growth and how curiosity, humility, and self-awareness can help you move toward somethin...

Already set goals at the end of last year or still figuring things out now? Either way, this is your reminder that it’s not too late to do this well.  I’m sharing the three biggest things I’ve learned about goals over the years, pulled straight from the process I use myself and the goal guide I created, because the how matters just as much as the what . We start with reflection (yes, even if the y...

Ever feel like your days could be more intentional and full of meaning?  As we wrap up the end of 2025, I’m reflecting on the top three episodes of season three that resonated with you most and why they matter. From Bruce Stanley’s The Art of Daycrafting , we explore designing your day with autonomy and experimenting with routines to boost energy and well-being. Megan Stevenson’s How to Land a Boo...

If you think HR is just about hiring and firing, think again, this episode flips that whole idea on its head.  I sit down with Bobby Conley, a seasoned HR leader, to talk about the shift from traditional “old HR” to a strategic, proactive “new HR.” Bobby explains that HR transformation can take many forms, like updating processes, technology, and talent, depending on an organization’s size and mat...

Design isn’t just how something looks, it’s how it makes you think. I’m joined by the incredibly talented Lucie Agolini, a designer who’s all about creating visual experiences that actually make people feel something. We talk about her journey to finding her niche in user experience design, and how asking the right questions can completely change the outcome of a project. Lucie shares some of the...

Ever wonder why the best leaders are also the most self-aware? In this episode, I sit down with Dain Dunston to unpack what it really means to lead consciously. We talk about the kind of leadership that starts from the inside out, the kind that asks you to look at yourself honestly, stay open to feedback, and be willing to grow, even when it’s uncomfortable. Dain shares his own path and how it tau...

If you’re running a business, conflict isn’t a sign that something’s wrong. It’s proof that you’re growing. That’s one of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Borja Cuan, a digital marketing strategist who’s worked across industries and knows firsthand what it takes to build strong teams and sustainable growth. We dive into why conflict at work is inevitable, and how learning to navigat...

Ever struggled to get your message across with someone from a different culture? On this episode of Building Thinkers, I’m sitting down with Anita Anthonj, the founder of Talaera, a platform that helps professionals communicate confidently and effectively across languages and cultures. We dive into why active listening is one of the most underrated skills, how language learning and cultural nuance...

What if design isn’t just about making things look good, but about holding everything together? I’m joined by Nick Cawthon in this week’s episode of Building Thinkers to talk about something that impacts all of us whether we realize it or not.. design. Nick has such a unique way of framing design as the glue that holds organizations together, and we dig into what that really looks like in practice...

What if your business could actually help save the planet instead of just chasing profits? In this episode, I sit down with Josh Dorfman, a seasoned entrepreneur focused on sustainability and real climate impact. We get into why integrating sustainability into business isn’t just good for the planet, it’s smart business, too. Josh shares his journey from his early career in China to founding compa...

What if the secret to a happier, more productive life isn’t doing more, but designing your day differently? I chat with Bruce Stanley about day crafting , the art of intentionally shaping your daily routines to support personal growth and well-being. Bruce takes us through his journey from graphic design to adult education and coaching, and why he believes that chasing big goals isn’t the way to c...

What if you didn’t have to start from scratch to spark real innovation? In this episode, I talk with Natasha Munshi, a former cancer researcher turned strategist and business school dean, now driving impact through executive education. With roots in science and strategic leadership, she’s reshaping how leaders learn and innovate by blending social impact with smart business thinking. From her earl...

If you’re doing all the things in your business and still feel stuck, this one’s for you. I sat down with Andrea Liebross, a powerhouse business coach who helps women entrepreneurs build businesses and lives they love. We went deep on what it really takes to delegate well, not just the systems and processes (though we talk about those too), but the mindset shift that has to happen first. Andrea br...