Everyday Better with Leah Smart

Since 2019, Everyday Better has released nearly 300 episodes to guide you in creating positive change in how you think, feel and act in the important areas of your life: at home, at work, in relationships and beyond. LinkedIn's Senior Editor in self-improvement and certified coach, Leah Smart has explored how to make your life better through expert conversations and research-backed strategies, every week. Now, the show is pressing pause on new episodes of Everyday Better, while Leah refocuses her time on her growing family. But before we go on hiatus, we want to share a big thank-you to the community that has grown alongside the show. Stay connected to Leah through her Substack where she’ll be personally writing about the very same topics you’ve heard on this show. You can also follow her on LinkedIn for practical career tools and interviews with some of the most inspiring people in the professional world. Finally, check her out on Instagram for everyday moments with her growing family. Make sure to follow this feed for updates on how and when the show will come back. In the meantime, while Everyday Better is on hiatus, dive into the close to 300 episodes, full of inspiring conversations with trusted voices, and curated research-backed strategies to help you navigate transitions, challenges, and uncertainties with clarity and intention. Thank you for listening, for growing, and for being part of this community. This chapter of Everyday Better is closing, but the journey continues. See you soon!

In this special curated episode, you’ll hear the most impactful conversations from eight years of Everyday Better. If you’re looking for a practical starting point for personal growth, this episode is your starter kit. You’ll explore how to get to know yourself better through tools like the Enneagram and astrology, how to discover your purpose and passion, how to use breathwork and mental skills training to regulate stress, how to deepen your friendships and relationships, and through these practices, make meaningful change in your own life and your own corner of the world. Whenever you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or in transition, this collection is a roadmap that brings together the essential ideas, practices, and insights that define Everyday Better. For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better is on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram. And if you loved the snippets in this compilation, you can find the full episodes here (in order of appearance): Carole Hopson: Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’ Dr. Jennifer Freed: Astrology + Psychology = A Map to Your Soul Beatrice Chestnut: The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up Dr. Michael Gervais: Rising Above Fear of Other People's Opinions JP Crimi: Can’t Meditate? Try This with JP Crimi Tal Ben-Shahar: Engineering A Happier Life Michelle Thaller: Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday Awe Shasta Nelson:The Anatomy of Friendship Julie and John Gottman: Making a Relationship Last

In the final episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with bestselling author and mindfulness teacher Dan Harris for a practical conversation about how to work with your mind when everything feels overwhelming. In this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize and loosen the grip of your inner critic, respond instead of react under stress, and build hope and resilience through simple, science-backed mindfulness practices. Whether you’re skeptical, overwhelmed, or just looking for tools that actually help, Dan breaks down meditation and mindfulness in a grounded, no-nonsense way, showing how mental training can help you feel calmer, more compassionate, and more in control, even amid uncertainty. Follow Dan Harris on LinkedIn and find his books 10% Happier here. For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

In the third episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with spiritual teacher and bestselling author Gabby Bernstein for a conversation about fear, faith, and why changing your mindset and the energy you bring to the world is how to real change. From navigating uncertainty with irrational hope to making small daily choices that shift your energy, this episode offers a practical path to creating a life that feels aligned, meaningful, and resilient, even when the world feels anything but. Follow Gabby Bernstein on LinkedIn and find her books here. For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

In the second episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with legendary designer, author, educator, and podcast host Debbie Millman to explore the power of the 10-year plan. Originally taught to Debbie by her mentor Milton Glaser, this visioning exercise is about suspending limiting beliefs and imagining an ideal day ten years from now without worrying about how it will happen. Debbie shares how it shaped her career, creativity, and personal life, and why declaring hope can quietly set real change in motion. This conversation invites you to think bigger, let go of outdated identities, and make room for who you’re becoming. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one where Leah walks through exactly how you can do this visioning exercise: The 10-Year Plan: A Roadmap to Designing Your Dream Life Follow Debbie Millman on LinkedIn. For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

In the first episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with bestselling author Bruce Feiler about lifequakes – the major transitions that upend our lives, whether we choose them or not. From career changes and relationships to loss, parenthood, and global uncertainty, Bruce explains why expecting a linear life creates so much stress, and why most of us are actually in transition far more often than we realize. They explore the three equally nonlinear phases of change: the long goodbye, the messy middle, and the new beginning, and why hope isn’t blind optimism, but a learnable skill. Bruce also shares how rituals, the focus of his upcoming book, can help us reconnect and heal collectively during uncertain times. This conversation offers a clear reframe for anyone feeling lost, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. Follow Bruce Feiler on LinkedIn and find his book “Life is in the Transitions” here. For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram.

As we approach the new year, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes of Everyday Better, where Leah sits down with Katherine May, author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. Each winter, life slows down. It’s dark and cold, yet the season offers an opportunity for rest. In Wintering, Katherine shares the story of navigating a personal ‘winter’ – a challenging period of time during which she retreated into herself in order to cope with everything happening around her. Drawing on research about how Northern cultures weather their own harsh winters, Wintering is a balm for weary souls everywhere. In this episode, Leah and Katherine discuss the art of slowing down and how to embrace the metaphorical seasons we all go through in life. Find Katherine’s book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times here. Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn. Follow Katherine May on Instagram.

In this episode, Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road, speaks openly about the challenges of building her businesses, and what it felt like when a major change turned her world upside down. She shares how she navigated the shock, the anger—and the unexpected freedom—of starting over. She and Leah explore what it takes to navigate sudden change, trust your gut, and start over in a way that feels true. If you’re facing a “now what?” moment, this episode is for you. Bobbi’s journey began as a young makeup artist breaking the rules, creating natural, authentic looks in an industry dominated by heavy trends. What started with testing lipsticks on nannies at the playground grew into a global brand she built from scratch and ultimately sold to Estée Lauder. But after decades at the helm of her namesake brand, Bobbi suddenly found herself facing a moment she never planned for: her work contract was canceled. Suddenly, life went quiet. No overflowing calendar. No endless demands. No clear next step. Just… herself. You can find her book ”Still Bobbi: A Master Class in Resilience and Reinvention” here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: On the Clock: A Working Mothers’ Roundtable on Parenthood and Ambition. Follow Leah Smart and Bobbi Brown on LinkedIn.

Are you feeling stuck in a career you find meaningless, wondering if you’ll ever find your true calling? This week on Everyday Better, Leah Smart sits down with Sister Monica Clare — an Episcopal nun, spiritual counselor, and the creator behind the TikTok account @nunsenseforthepeople. Her path to the convent was anything but direct. For decades, she chased one career after another in Hollywood — acting, advertising, comedy, PR — all while ignoring the quiet truth she’d known since childhood: her true calling was to become a nun. In this powerful conversation, Sister Monica shares how she learned to stop listening to the world around her and finally start listening to herself. She opens up about the values exercise that changed everything, the somatic signals that told her she was on the wrong path, and why “plan A” doesn’t have to mean certainty — just courage. Together, she and Leah explore how any of us can uncover our calling, navigate fear, build self-esteem, and make meaningful changes one small step at a time. If you’ve ever wondered whether you're on the right path — or worried that you’re not — this episode will help you reframe failure, tune into what moves your heart, and get clearer on the life you’re truly meant to live. You can find her book ”A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband, Career, and Everything I Owned to Become a Nun” here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday AweFollow Leah Smart and Sister Monica Clare on LinkedIn.

Today, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes of Everyday Better, where Leah walks us through one of her essential personal growth exercises: defining your core values. When you're facing a tough decision and unsure which path to take, a clearly defined set of values can equip you with the clarity and confidence you need to move forward. After explaining her own approach to uncovering what truly matters, Leah revisits some powerful moments from her previous conversation with personal growth educator Amanda Hilton. Together, they discuss prompts for identifying which values resonate most deeply with you and how to apply those values to make better decisions in your life. Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Amanda Hilton here. Download Brené Brown’s List of Values here. Follow Leah Smart and Amanda Hilton on LinkedIn.

Have you ever been in a high-stakes conversation where you tried to communicate clearly only to have the other person talk past you? Or maybe you’ve noticed yourself zoning out when others speak because you’re doing mental math on how you’ll respond. When it comes to difficult or sensitive conversations, so many of our grievances could be solved with deep listening. It’s a way of listening that encourages each person to hear what’s underneath the surface level conversation. It enables people to be curious, empathetic and respectful so that they can engage more meaningfully and truly understand each other. Emily Kasriel, an accomplished journalist, editor and media executive formerly of the BBC, has developed a clear approach for how to listen deeply. In her conversation with Leah, Emily guides us through how to use each of the eight deep listening steps, where deep listening is most useful, and how it can help us improve all of our relationships. You can find her book, Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Are You Abandoning Yourself to Avoid Conflict? Follow Leah Smart and Emily Kasriel on LinkedIn.

Nicholas Thompson is a writer, a father, a CEO, and a champion long-distance runner. Nick says that running has taught him how to navigate the hardest things in life. This conversation is about running, but it’s really about what changes when we commit to doing hard things. Running has been a part of Nick’s life since his childhood, but it wasn’t until his forties that his running career skyrocketed. Even as he took on the demanding role as CEO of The Atlantic, Nick continued to break records as an elite runner. Together, Leah and Nick discuss the cumulative effects of discipline, why you should challenge yourself outside of work, and how developing strong habits will impact every area of your life. You can find Nick’s new book ‘The Running Ground’ here. If you liked this episode, check out our conversation with Michael Gervais, one of the world’s top high performance psychologists.Follow Leah Smart and Nicholas Thompson on LinkedIn.

Before she became a TikTok star, Eli Rallo had a clear vision for what her post-grad years would look like: she’d have a fulfilling career, fabulous friends, and would finally "feel like an adult." Instead, she found herself struggling with social anxiety, a directionless career, and a nagging fear that she’d never figure it all out: enter the 'quarter-life crisis.' Eli started sharing her unfiltered experiences online, building a community by being open about the highs and lows of her twenties. And now, in her new book of essays, she’s unpacking the lessons learned and unexpected moments of joy she discovered through embracing life’s uncertainties. Eli and Leah sat down to explore how Gen Z is coping with “adulting” and what you can learn from the other side of a big life transition. Plus, Eli talks about the unique challenges Gen Z faces and together, they unpack how cultivating real human connection offline confronts the strains and pressures of living in a digital world. You can find Eli’s new book ‘Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?’ here. If you liked this episode, check out our conversation with professor Erin Cech on the problem with passion. Follow Leah Smart and Eli Rallo on LinkedIn.

We all want to be happier. But how do we get there? Former professor of the most popular course at Harvard, Tal Ben-Shahar is a world-renowned positive psychology expert and author who has dedicated his life to understanding how we can become happier, both individually and collectively. Research reveals something surprising: chasing happiness directly is the wrong strategy. This week on Everyday Better, Tal shares the science-backed tools and mindsets that actually lead to higher overall levels of happiness. He explains how we can build sustainable motivation instead of relying on willpower and why difficult periods in our lives aren't as damaging to our well-being as we might fear. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief With Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan Follow Leah Smart and Tal Ben-Shahar on LinkedIn.

We’ve all heard of “fight, flight, freeze,” but there’s a fourth survival instinct that’s harder to spot. “Fawning” can look like people-pleasing, and it’s often applauded in society. But over time, it can wear down your ability to feel safe when someone close to you feels unhappy, disappointed or upset. And it can lead to overly focusing on what other people think, instead of being in-tune with yourself. So how do you know when you’re fawning? Today’s guest, psychotherapist Meg Josephson suggests asking yourself, “Am I abandoning myself to keep the peace?” In her conversation with Leah, Meg explains where the fawn response comes from, how it can impact your relationships and day-to-day life, and solutions for how to deal with it in different contexts. Order Meg’s book Are You Mad at Me? How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You here. Follow Leah Smart and Meg Josephson on LinkedIn.

Oliver Burkeman is a journalist, author and former “productivity geek.” His bestselling book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals outlines a saner approach to managing your time in a world of never-ending demands and distractions. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Oliver explains why all of the tools and techniques meant to save us time and maximize our productivity ultimately make us feel more stressed and short on time. Oliver argues that the only time management technique that works involves recognizing that you’ll never feel on top of things. But once you accept that, you can actually start crossing things off of your to-do list—and he has strategies for how to do that as well. If you liked this episode, check out Leah’s exercise for taking control of your calendar through “time crafting.”Follow Leah Smart and Oliver Burkeman on LinkedIn.

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school… but should have. This week on the show, Gretchen Rubin—best-selling author of The Happiness Project—lets us into one of her secrets of adulthood: how to make decisions. We’re all constantly making decisions, big and small. As we get older and become the “adults” in the room, we’re more often the ones who have to choose one way or another on some big life decisions. So when the stakes feel high, how are we supposed to pick the right thing? Is there even a “right” and a “wrong?” And how do we make sure we have no regrets and make a decision that will make us happy? Spoiler alert: we can’t. But! There are things we can do to make better decisions. In this episode, Gretchen shares some of her hard-won wisdom and helpful tips on how to make decisions that are right for us. If you’ve ever wondered how all the other adults are choosing their paths, and whether or not you’re on track, this conversation is for you. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Case Kenny: How to Become an Optimist. Follow Leah Smart and Gretchen Rubin on LinkedIn.

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, mindfulness educator Case Kenny explains how we can change our mindsets and find a more optimistic outlook. If you watch the news, you won’t find much to be optimistic about. To realists, optimism might seem like denying reality. But in this conversation, you’ll hear why optimism isn’t about burying our heads in the sand; instead, it’s a learnable skill you can use to find more agency amidst chaos and build trust in yourself, your community, and the world. In this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Case shares what optimism really is and how we can authentically cultivate it in ourselves. He explains why changing our mindsets starts with addressing our self-talk and how we can learn to challenge negative beliefs. You can find Case’s new book The Opposite of Settling here. If you liked this episode, check out our conversation with cognitive scientist Maya Shankar on navigating life’s biggest transitions. Follow Leah Smart and Case Kenny on LinkedIn.

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, Maya Shankar, reveals what happens to us when we encounter unexpected and unwanted changes in our lives. Finding a way to deal with disappointment, shock and unwanted change is one of the most quintessential skills of adulthood. So why do so few of us know how to do it? Even Maya—who studies change—found herself at a loss when she realized that her lifelong dream of becoming a mother might never be realized. In her conversation with Leah, Maya shares the psychological reasons why we all resist change and how we can learn to navigate events that stir up grief, shake our identities and change our realities. Pre-order May’s forthcoming book The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans here. Follow Leah Smart and Maya Shankar on LinkedIn.

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, world-renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel diagnoses our cultural obsession with work and offers a path forward. As children, we’re taught to measure ourselves by gold stars and report cards, and many of us carry those lessons into adulthood. For countless Americans, work has become the center of our identities, communities, and our source of meaning and belonging. In a time of uncertainty and shifting priorities, Leah and Esther sat down to explore how, in a culture that worships our careers, we can cultivate a healthier relationship to our work. Esther shares how major life transitions like becoming a parent can reshape our ambitions and offers practical tools for navigating conflict at work and building stronger human connections in an increasingly contactless world. If you’ve ever felt like your worth is tied to your work performance, or if you’re struggling to balance career ambitions with other life priorities, this conversation will help you rethink what success truly means. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: How to Stop Fighting About Work With Dr. Alexandra Solomon. Follow Leah Smart and Esther Perel on LinkedIn.