Everyday Better with Leah Smart

Leah sits down with Marc Brackett, founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Author of Permission to Feel, to talk about what emotional intelligence really is, how to become an Emotion Scientist versus an Emotion Judge, and why it matters that we use words like trauma, gaslighting and narcissist accurately. Follow Leah on Linkedin Follow Marc on Linkedin

Krista Tippett, the host of “On Being” an adventure in the mystery and the art of living, joins Leah Smart to examine and talk about life after the pandemic, economic challenges, events that have changed us and more. They dive into the importance of finding our meaning and how to manage the matter of our inner lives. Follow Leah on Linkedin Follow Krista on Twitter Learn more about On Being

This week, Leah chats with Ashton Whitmoyer-Ober, writer, community psychologist and certified Enneagram coach as they dive into the Enneagram, one of the most powerful personality typing system that helps you understand your core motivations, your biggest fears, your biggest desires, and the best ways to improve. Follow Leah on Linkedin Follow Ashton on Instagram Get Ashton's Newsletter Book a call with Ashton

In today’s episode, Leah sits down with Shawn Achor, author and happiness researcher who is best known for his book, The Happiness Advantage, as they discuss how happiness is a choice we can make each day. They explore ways we can focus on the positive aspects of our lives, why being mindful of our circumstances matters, and how to change the way you think to be content in your day to day. Follow Leah on Linkedin Follow Shawn Achor on Linkedin

In today’s episode, Leah sits down with New York Times bestselling author and international leader in the field of Functional Medicine Dr. Mark Hyman as they discuss how we can live a lifestyle that makes us feel 20 years younger than our chronological age. They dive into the four main pillars of longevity: diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep and how to make this a part of your everyday life. Follow Leah on Linkedin Follow Dr. Mark Hyman on Linkedin

In today’s episode, Leah sits down with world-renowned relationship researchers and authors Drs. John and Julie Gottman as they discuss what they have observed in 40 years of research on couples and the small strategies you can use to improve the quality of your partnership or prepare for what’s around the corner. Follow Leah on Linkedin The Gottman Institute on Linkedin

Leah talks to Tim Tamashiro, author of “How to Ikigai” about finding your purpose. As an ongoing student and teacher, Tim shares the tools to find your ikigai, where most people get stuck, and how we tend to go wrong with purpose. Follow Leah on Linkedin Follow Tim on Linkedin Attend Tim Tamashiro's Class on Skill Share

In this episode of In the Arena, Leah speaks with neurosurgeon, author & former NFL Player, Dr. Myron Rolle about his 2% methodology. Myron’s philosophy of incremental improvement has taken him from Oxford to a Rhodes Scholarship, and the NFL to a residency at Harvard. Follow Leah On Linkedin Follow Dr. Rolle on Linkedin

If you think you've found your favorite kind of meditation, maybe you haven't considered breath work yet. It can help reduce stress, restore your energy and improve your mental health. In this episode Leah and In the Arena’s former producer, Michele O’Brien, experimented with conscious connected breathing. Celebrity trainer and sober coach turned breathwork teacher, JP Crimi, has created a class where everyone gets an experience like personal training (for your breath) and leaves blissful. Follow Leah Smart of Linkedin Follow J.P Crimi on Linkedin

In this episode of In The Arena Leah talks with Kwame Christian, CEO of The American Negotiation institute, about how having tough conversations enhances the quality of our relationships. Leah and Kwame share past discomforts and anxieties with conflict and Kwame reflects on the what he’s learned over the years of teaching people to communicate better. Great News! Before the holidays we told you that In the Arena had been nominated for Signal Listener’s Choice Award, for Most Inspirational Podcast and we asked for your vote. We received a gold award for most inspirational podcast. Thank you for voting and sharing with your friends. Thank you, thank you for helping us grow the show! We couldn’t do it without you.

Maria Failla, the author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover’s Guide to Cultivating Happiness, wasn’t always a plant lady: in fact, she was a self-proclaimed plant killer. But after some time, trust, and patience, she discovered that plants have a lot to teach us about growth, dormancy, and well-being – and she explores all that and more on her podcast, also called Growing Joy. She joined Leah in studio last year to dig into why our green friends are unexpected metaphors for meaningful life lessons. Follow Maria on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Vision boards can get a bad rap, but there’s definitely something to the idea of writing down & saying what you want, loud and proud; it can help you recognize which opportunities are for you, and what to say no to. To that end, Leah walks through two different exercises – the Wheel of Life (which we’ve covered before on the show!), and a simple pie chart organizing how you’d like to be spending your time. Because you’re the only one who can decide what is important to you and make room for it to happen. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Even though our personal growth depends on it, we don’t always prioritize reflecting back on where we’ve been in order to move forward. But we can’t make a change unless we know where we’ve started. So today Leah offers a tool, the Lifeline, that can help you take stock of the positive, negative, and neutral events of your year, and focus in on how you can change the narrative you have around the negative emotions, and start moving beyond the negatives – because that’s where all the good stuff happens. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

As the old year winds down, we’re sharing a favorite episode from the archives: influencer, artist, poet, and author Morgan Harper Nichols. Morgan shares how she got comfortable being creative, why your dream matters and the ways her community and curiosity drive her work. Follow Morgan on LinkedIn and check out her beautiful art on Instagram. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn 🚨 Great News! 🚨 In the Arena has been nominated for a Signal Listener’s Choice Award, for Most Inspirational Podcast. And we need your help! If you’ve gotten something out of In the Arena this year, please vote and share with your friends! Click the link above, or go to vote.signalaward.com and search for “In the Arena.” The deadline to vote is Thurs. December 22. Thank you, thank you for helping us grow the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

Katherine May’s moving memoir Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times resonated deeply with the audience who found it when it was published in 2020. It’s about her own journey through a personal “winter”: a period of time when she had to retreat into herself in order to cope with the world. Drawing on research about how Northern cultures have weathered the inevitable cold season, and interspersed with wisdom about moving through your own winter, Wintering is a balm. Leah and Katherine sit down to talk about how to make a better self-help genre, slowing down, and embracing the seasons of your life. 🚨 Great News! 🚨 In the Arena has been nominated for a Signal Listener’s Choice Award, for Most Inspirational Podcast. And we need your help! If you’ve gotten something out of In the Arena this year, please vote and share with your friends! Click the link above, or go to vote.signalaward.com and search for “In the Arena.” Thank you, thank you for helping us grow the show. We couldn’t do it without you. Follow Katherine on Instagram Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

The Danish prepare for their cold, dark winters by leaning into hygge, which loosely translates to “coziness.” To understand how hygge and happiness are linked, Leah sits down with Meik Wiking, founder and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen – and author of the books The Little Book of Hygge and the new My Hygge Home. They dive into the art of hygge and how connection – and simple pleasures – are key to happiness. Follow Meik on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

In a favorite episode from the archives, Leah talks with bestselling author and podcast host Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project to get to the bottom of happiness – and why who you truly are may be your most important clue to how to be happier. Follow Gretchen on LinkedIn and check out her work at https://gretchenrubin.com/ Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Manifesto can be a charged word, but Charlotte Burgess-Auburn, Stanford d.school professor and author of the new book You Need a Manifesto: How to Craft Your Convictions and Put Them to Work, says it’s time to reclaim it. In this interview, she walks Leah through what putting your own values and priorities on paper can do to clarify your path, and the 5 C’s of manifesto creation. Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Huma Abedin’s incredible career – as advisor to former Senator, Secretary of State, and Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton – and challenging personal life – her ex-husband, former Representative Anthony Weiner, was caught sending suggestive photos to women online – can’t be separated from one another. And Huma doesn’t want them to be. Her memoir Both/And tells both stories, along with many others, and allows space for the complexity we all carry. She joined Leah in studio for a rousing and inspiring conversation on mental health, family, and doing the thing that scares you. Follow Huma on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Let Leah guide you through a meditation meant to renew your connection with your self and your breath. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Mike Evans couldn’t have predicted his success: he founded Grubhub because he wanted a snack and to pay off his student loans, and stayed with the company through a wildly successful IPO. But it’s what he’s done since that’s differentiated him from other startup founders: first, leaving Grubhub to take a transcontinental bike trip, and also his new company, Fixer, which aims to do social good even as it turns a profit. Leah and Mike get into all of that - and the story told in Mike’s new memoir, Hangry: A Startup Journey - in this rousing conversation in the arena. Follow Mike on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

We spend a lot of time going inward on In the Arena… but we rarely actually talk about internal organs like the brain or the heart. Today, that changes, with guest Dr. Marc Milstein, author of The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia. Marc and Leah get into what you can do now to keep your brain younger and healthier to increase longevity. One of the key tricks? Start now, no matter your age. Follow Marc on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Almost everyone has experienced burnout in the past few years – and if you didn’t personally, you probably know someone who did. Many of us have been conditioned to believe that results and hyperproductivity define our value. But what if resting is actually the key to maintaining an ambitious life? Author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith joins Leah to dig in to the 7 (yes, 7!) different types of rest, and why we need to reframe how we think about taking a break and taking care of ourselves. Follow Dr. Saundra on LinkedIn and check out her work online. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week In the Arena: Dr. Jennifer Freed, psychological astrologer and author of the new book A Map to Your Soul: Using the Astrology of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water to Live Deeply and Fully. Dr. Freed joins Leah to dig into the birth chart, and how using the “mystery art” of astrology combined with psychological analysis can help you define your purpose and your goals. (And then, of course, that’s when your own choices and actions come into play to get you to the good stuff.) Follow Jennifer on Instagram Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week: a very special episode from our friends and colleagues at our LinkedIn sister podcast, Hello Monday. Leah takes the host chair to interview Jessi Hempel, the show’s usual host, about Jessi’s beautiful new memoir, The Family Outing, how she and her family made the authentic choices to come out of their closets, why we are all unreliable narrators of our stories and what it means to live the truest expression of yourself. Follow Jessi and Hello Monday on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung are the co-founders of accessible, whimsical design company Poketo, but when it comes to their own home, they want a clean canvas. Although they focus more on home goods than home design, they’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how people arrange their living spaces to bring the most joy and productivity: they co-authored the book Creative Spaces, featuring beautiful photographs and interviews with artists about how they’ve designed their homes and workspaces. They joined Leah to dig into the idea of home, and why having a place that expresses who you are – and leaves room for who you will become – is so important. Follow Ted and Angie on Instagram Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Kicking off Season 5 of In the Arena: Leah’s conversation with bestselling author and columnist Lori Gottlieb, whose 2019 memoir Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed was on just about every best-of list that year. She and Leah dig in to why it’s as important to focus on mental health as physical health, and what “setting boundaries” actually means. Follow Lori on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, we’re re-airing a favorite episode from the archives: Leah’s conversation with Calm's Head of Mindfulness, Tamara Levitt, about how meditation and mindfulness can change your life. In the United States, meditation has historically lived on the fringes of the mainstream. But with anxiety and burnout at all-time highs, many people are looking for tools to feel better, calm down, get more sleep and clear their heads. Tamara has narrated the Calm App's guided meditations that have supported millions of people in improving their lives and she wants you to know why you should give it a try. Follow Tamara on Linkedin Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, we’re re-airing a favorite episode from the archives: Leah’s conversation with Daron K. Roberts, LinkedIn's #1 Top Voice in Sports in 2020. He's a former NFL & college coach and the founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation at the University of Texas. In this conversation Leah and Daron talk about the abundant opportunity in the emerging creator economy and embracing discomfort as a professional growth tactic. Follow Daron on Linkedin Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week In the Arena: Journalist James Nestor, author of the bestselling book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Leah and James dig into how breathing better can help us in all areas of our health and wellbeing, and how following curiosity can lead us to more interesting places than problem-solving alone. Follow James on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Be honest: when you saw the topic of this episode, did you cringe a little? It makes sense — money is often a taboo topic. But this week, Leah invites her own accountant, Karen Bahn, into the arena to get to the bottom of why our relationships with the green stuff can be so fraught, and how we can re-write our money stories. Follow Karen on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

The last two and a half years saw all of us navigating connections and alone time in different ways. Adam Smiley Poswolsky, author of Friendship in the Age of Loneliness, joins Leah to talk about how to make friends and the difference between “alone” and “lonely.” Follow Smiley on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

In the chaos of everyday life, we sometimes forget to stop and take stock of how we’re doing in all facets of our life. Listen in to a real coaching session, as Leah uses the Wheel of Life to help producer Michele O’Brien get clarity on how and where to make a change. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn Check out the Wheel of Life HERE

We live in a head-based world, where we prioritize the information our brains get – sometimes at the expense of listening to our bodies. So how can we start getting more into all the goodness our bodies have to give us? Join Leah as she talks to Alexander Technique and Somatic Experiencing practitioner Ariel Carson. They dig in to the mind-body connection and work through some simple exercises you can do at home. Check out Ariel’s work at Wave Somatics Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, Leah sits down with Nathan and Susannah Furr, co-authors of The Upside of Uncertainty. They discuss what uncertainty is really about, uncover the possibilities that come from embracing it, and how we can better equip ourselves to be resilient in the face of the unknown using their four-armed framework. Follow Nathan on Linkedin and check out Nathan and Susannah’s work at www.uncertaintypossibility.com Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, we’re re-airing a favorite episode from the archives: Leah’s LinkedIn Speaker Series interview with Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn founder and author of Masters of Scale and The Startup of You. They dig into the “why” of starting something that matters and how to know when an idea is a good one. Follow Reid on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, Leah sits down with Amy Chan, author of Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart and creator of the first weekend retreat for working through heartbreak. They dig into why we get our hearts broken, and the science behind cultivating a healthier relationship with our circumstances, ourselves and other people. Follow Amy on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week in the arena: author, speaker, and founder of Good Life Project, Jonathan Fields. Jonathan and Leah have a wide-ranging conversation about the differences between beliefs and values, the versions of ourselves we present to the world, and their own experiences sharing stories. Follow Jonathan on LinkedIn, and check out his show Sparked on the LinkedIn Podcast Network Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Let Leah guide you through a meditation practice meant to help you tap into radical empathy. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, acclaimed cookbook author, podcaster, and cooking teacher Julia Turshen joins Leah to talk about how embodied experiences like cooking soothe anxiety, and how food can be a form of caretaking. Follow Julia on Instagram Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

In the Arena this week: Reggie Fils-Aimé, former COO of Nintendo and author of the book Disrupting the Game: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo. Reggie gets into his five life principles – originally delivered as part of a commencement address – and how being methodical helped him in his storied career. Follow Reggie on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week In the Arena: Meditation coach and founder of The Big Quiet, Jesse Israel. He joins Leah to talk about how his highest career high came crashing down, and how meditation has helped him be the person he wants to be in the world. Follow Jesse on LinkedIn and check out The Big Quiet Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re re-releasing an old favorite: Leah’s conversation with Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin on how to confront impostor syndrome head-on. Follow Lisa on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week in the arena: men’s healing advocate Sean Harvey, leadership coach and founder of Warrior Compassion. He and Leah talk about his focus on men’s healing in particular and why getting into community is always the answer. Follow Sean on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Leah sits down to talk with beloved Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin about trusting that everything that’s for you will come exactly when it’s supposed to, how to keep showing up when life doesn’t go you way, and the internal “drumbeat” we can all follow. Follow Tunde on Instagram Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week In the Arena: author of Digital Body Language, Erica Dhawan. Leah and Erica talk about rethinking communication (and how we care for each other) in this new hybrid age, and an astonishing statistic about how often we just misinterpret each other. Follow Erica on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week In the Arena: influencer, artist, poet, and author Morgan Harper Nichols. Morgan shares how she got comfortable being creative, why your dream matters and the ways her community and curiosity drive her work. Follow Morgan on LinkedIn and check out her beautiful art on Instagram. Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

This week, Leah sits down with Eve Rodsky, speaker and author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space. They get into the delicious possibilities that can present themselves when we’re able to set aside our roles as someone else’s parent, colleague or partner and step into our own passions. Follow Eve on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Leah sat down in the studio with global spiritual leader Deepak Chopra to talk about his new book Abundance and how peace and joy can come out of tough times. Follow Deepak on LinkedIn Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn

Leah sits down with world-renowned speaker and bestselling author Marcus Buckingham to talk about harnessing the power of your own uniqueness and making sure that you can find the moments of flow in your work. Follow Marcus Buckingham on Linkedin Follow Leah and In The Arena on LinkedIn