Everyday Better with Leah Smart

John and Julie Gottman are world-renowned relationship researchers and psychologists who have been happily married for the past 37 years. They’ve authored more than 40 books together, including Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection.  On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, the Gottmans join Leah to share their perspectives on conflict resolution in relationships. The...

Dr. Michael Gervais is one of the world's top high performance psychologists. He’s worked with professional athletes, sports teams and executives, helping them to thrive in the most high-pressure of situations.  On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Michael joins Leah to unravel what he calls “FOPO” (Fear of Other People's Opinions), and to teach practical strategies for reducing our fear of...

Personal growth educator Amanda Hilton says that when it comes to decision-making at work and in your personal life, there is never one ‘right’ answer. Instead of fretting over a list of pros and cons, Amanda offers a clearer path — one that uses our core values to center what matters most.  On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Amanda and Leah demystify the concept of core values. Amanda giv...

In part two of our conversation with psychotherapist and Enneagram expert Bea Chestnut, we explore how the Enneagram can be used at work. As an Enneagram coach, Bea has more than two decades of experience helping organizations strengthen their teams and workplace cultures. With attention to each Enneagram type’s particular strengths and blind spots, Bea describes how each of the nine types shows u...

Bea Chestnut is a psychotherapist, consultant and globally-recognized expert on the enneagram, a personality typing system based on ancient spiritual traditions. For the past 27 years, Bea has studied, written about and taught the enneagram in both therapeutic and business settings. She uses it as a map for guiding her clients towards a deeper understanding of themselves and others. On this week’s...

Erin Cech is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan and the author of The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality. She studies societal inequality and cultural forces which reproduce inequality.  On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Erin and Leah discuss what can happen when we turn our passion into a career. While many people...

Ali Abdaal is an author, YouTube star and productivity expert. In his book Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You and on his YouTube channel, he shares research-backed strategies for improving focus, building habits and meeting goals.  On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Ali breaks down the three main blockers to productivity: uncertainty, fear, and inertia. He shares...

Marc Champagne is a philosopher, podcaster and the bestselling author of Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World-Class Performers. An expert in what he calls “mental fitness,” Marc teaches daily practices designed to enhance creativity, clarity and focus. On today’s episode of Everyday Better, Marc and Leah ask each other a challenging question: when it comes...

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author. In his third book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, he explores the science behind good communication and offers strategies for connecting more deeply with others. On this episode of Everyday Better, Charles joins Leah to explain why communicating effectively is the key to deepening ou...

Known as “Nurse Hadley” to her nearly 2 million followers on TikTok, Hadley Vlahos is a hospice nurse, content creator and New York Times bestselling author. Her first book, The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments, is a collection of stories and lessons she’s learned from 12 patients she cared for in their final months on earth. On today’s episode of Everyday Better, H...

This week on Everyday Better, we’re featuring an episode from a new bonus series from our sister podcast Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel. “Hello Monday Master Class” is a distillation of hundreds of Hello Monday conversations, broken down into five essential rules for navigating and thriving in an ever-changing professional landscape. The first episode in the series is all about defining your value...

Thomas Curran is a Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics. His first book, The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough, charts the recent rise in perfectionism among young people, exposes the paradoxical effects of perfectionism on everything from work performance to relationships and argues for a “good enough” approach to work that prioritizes sustainability over gr...

Myisha Cherry is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside and a self-proclaimed “public defender of anger and proud withholder of forgiveness.” In her second book, Failures of Forgiveness: What We Get Wrong and How to Do Better, she argues that forgiveness – a much-lauded moral good in American culture – rarely achieves what we think it does, and that in reality, forgiveness often does...

Dr Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, leadership adviser and best selling author. She works with executives and leaders all over the world to help them achieve mental resilience and peak brain performance, helping them to manage stress, regulate emotions and retain information. Her scientific knowledge and expertise helps people optimize their brain health and achieve their full potential. Tara joins...

Dr. Casey Means is a physician, tech entrepreneur and the author of Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health. She is passionate about metabolic health and dedicated to helping people better understand their bodies.  Casey joins Leah to highlight the interconnectedness of various symptoms and diseases, all of which she sees as stemming from metabolic dysfunctio...

In part II of our conversation with Stephanie Harrison, author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, we explore what it looks like to apply Stephanie’s New Happy philosophy to personal and work areas of our lives. We discuss strategies for setting and achieving your big goals, what the research suggests about the role of helping others in the context of happiness an...

Stephanie Harrison is an expert on the science of happiness. Her first book, New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, explores the structural forces that prevent us from achieving true happiness and teaches us how to find it by looking outside ourselves.  Stephanie joins Leah to discuss why so many of us are unhappy (despite trying our very best to be), and what we can do...

Dr. Barry Kudrowitz is a Professor of Product Design and Head of the Department of Graphic Design at the University of Minnesota. He studies the connection between what he calls “haha” and “aha”, and argues that humor and play are powerful tools for boosting creativity and idea generation at work.  Dr. Kudrowitz joins Leah Smart to discuss the science behind the causal relationship between humor,...

Ellen Langer is a renowned Harvard professor and psychologist who has been studying mindfulness for over 40 years. She is the first woman to be tenured in psychology at Harvard and has conducted extensive research in her lab. She is also known as the “Mother of Positive Psychology.” Langer is the author of numerous books, including The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health. Langer joins...

Breathwork might just become your favorite meditation practice once you understand its benefits. Led by renowned breathwork teacher JP Crimi, Leah Smart and Michele O’Brien experiment with conscious connected breathing, and explore its transformative effects. Think of it as personal training for your breath, promising to reduce stress, boost energy, and enhance mental well-being. Join them as they...

Dacher Keltner, founding director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and author of "Awe: The Nature of Awe and the Power to Transform Your Life”, joins Leah Smart to discuss the transformative power of awe and its impact on our minds and bodies. They explore the profound effects of awe on personal growth, well-being, and social connection, and offer practical strategies for cultiva...

Lynne Twist is a renowned writer, speaker, and global activist who has worked with influential figures such as Buckminster Fuller, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama over the course of her career. She’s also the author of the groundbreaking book "The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life", which encourages readers to adopt a new philosophy on money that’s rooted in suffi...

Michelle Thaller serves as the Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she has dedicated over two decades to sharing the wonders of science with audiences worldwide. Michelle’s journey is marked by resilience, as she shares stories of grief after losing her husband. As a scientist, she goes beyond facts and theories, seeking connections that infuse...

Bonnie Wan is a globally-renowned career brand strategist and the author of "The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living." She is passionate about helping people uncover their true desires and show up authentically, and believes deeply in the power of intention to propel personal and professional growth. Bonnie joins Leah Smart to explain the concept of a life brief, which is a tool for getti...

It’s Women’s History Month, so we’re featuring exceptional women who are introducing refreshing perspectives on mental, physical and emotional thriving in this series, Women Making Waves.  If someone asked you to point to who you are, where does your finger naturally point? Your heart. It turns out your heart stores its own perceptions and memories that influence cognitive and emotional functions....