The Next Big Idea Daily

It’s what cult leaders, charlatans, and at least one former president have in common. Our newsletter comes out every Friday. It features commentary from Michael, links to relevant Book Bites, previews of upcoming seasons, and ways to engage with us. Sign up now!

Today, Jonah explains how adding one or two letters to the end of a word can propel you to success. Our newsletter comes out every Friday. It features commentary from Michael, links to related content, previews of upcoming seasons, and ways to engage with us. Sign up now!

Almost everything we do involves words. "Words," says Wharton professor Jonah Berger, "are how we persuade, communicate, and connect. They're how executives lead, salespeople sell, and parents parent. Even our private thoughts depend on language." But while we live in a world awash in words, we're strangely indifferent about which ones we use. We focus on the ideas we want to convey, not the best way to articulate them. And that, according to Jonah, is a big mistake because "subtle shifts in the words we use can have a big effect on our impact." This week on the show, he'll teach you how to make those subtle shifts so you can become a better communicator, a better persuader, a better friend, and a more confident, effective person. Jonah's new book is called "Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way."

In the final installment of Jessi’s five-part master class, she explains why setting boundaries is critical if you want to establish healthy relationships. • Jessi Hempel is the author of “The Family Outing: A Memoir.” She also hosts the podcast “Hello Monday.” • Have thoughts about this week’s episodes? Sign up for our LinkedIn newsletter and leave a post a comment! • Don’t forget to download the Next Big Idea app

When it comes to the people closest to you, do you ever regret not showing up? --- • This is day four of our week-long master class with Jessi Hempel, author of "The Family Outing" • Be sure to check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes • And download the Next Big Idea app to hear hundreds of authors summarize their books in 15 minutes or less

What truths emerge when we imagine life as other people experience it? --- • This is day three of our week-long master class with Jessi Hempel, author of "The Family Outing" • Be sure to check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes • And download the Next Big Idea app to hear hundreds of authors summarize their books in 15 minutes or less

First, listen. Then try "Tell me more." --- • This is day two of our week-long master class with Jessi Hempel, author of "The Family Outing." • Be sure to check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes.

This week, Michael sits down with journalist and podcaster Jessi Hempel to discuss her new memoir, "The Family Outing," which tells the remarkable story of how every member of Jessi's immediate family came out — she and her father as gay, her sister as bisexual, her brother as transgender, and her mother as a survivor of a traumatic experience with an alleged serial killer. But "The Family Outing" is more than just a coming-out story: it's a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of what it means to live authentically. In this episode, Jessi and Michael discuss how the subjectivity of memory can be the source of deep empathy.

It’s not enough for us to solve our money and love issues on an individual level. Enter the tempered radical.

Don’t let poor communication ruin your next conversation about money and love. Instead, follow Myra and Abby’s tips. Subscribe to our newsletter if you’d like to ask questions about this episode, give us feedback, or learn more about Money and Love.

In this episode, Myra and Abby share their five-step process for making good decisions. It goes like this: CLARIFY what’s most important to you. COMMUNICATE with those most affected by your decision. Generate a broad range of CHOICES. CHECK IN with friends, family, and trusted resources. And explore your decision’s possible CONSEQUENCES. --- Check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes!

Ready, set … wait a sec. Today, Myra and Abby explain why slowing down is key to making good decisions. --- • Myra Strober is a professor emerita at Stanford University and the founding director of the Stanford Center for Research on Women (now the Clayman Institute for Gender Research). Abby Davisson served as president of Gap Foundation and co-founded the clothing company's employee resource group for parents and caregivers. • Check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes. • And to hear hundreds of authors share the best ideas from their books, download the Next Big Idea app!

Diet Coke and Mentos. Suede and water. Tupac and Biggie. Money and love. What do they all have in common? They don't play well together. Especially that last dueling duo. We've all been taught to make money decisions with our heads and love decisions with our hearts. Mix them up and, well, kaboom. But a new book by Myra Strober and Abby Davisson says that's a bunch of nonsense. In "Money and Love: An Intelligent Roadmap for Life's Biggest Decisions," they make the case that by acknowledging the inextricable link between finance and romance, we can learn to make better life decisions — decisions that utilize head and heart in a balanced, fulfilling way. --- GUESTS: • Myra Strober is a professor emerita at Stanford University and the founding director of the Stanford Center for Research on Women (now the Clayman Institute for Gender Research) • Abby Davisson served as president of Gap Foundation and co-founded the clothing company's employee resource group for parents and caregivers RESOURCES: • Check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes. • Can't wait for tomorrow's episode? Download the Next Big Idea app and you can listen to all five of this week's episodes right now.

In the final installment of her master class, Gloria strikes an optimistic note. “We are not doomed to have short attention spans,” she says. “We can change our relationship with technology.” What might that new relationship look like? Tune in to find out. --- • Be sure to check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes. • And download the Next Big Idea app. Hundreds of authors are sharing the best ideas from their books!

Before checking the news, imagine what your future self will be doing at 10 p.m. Will you be relaxing reading your favorite book or still working on that deadline? --- Gloria Mark is a professor at UC Irvine and the author of the new book “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity.” Be sure to check out our newsletter where Michael takes listeners behind the scenes of these episodes.

We are as likely to interrupt ourselves as to be interrupted by others. What can we do about it? Gloria has the answer in today’s episode. --- Gloria Mark is a professor at UC Irvine and the author of the new book “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity.” Be sure to check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes.

Today, Gloria explains how you can use rote activities — like solving a puzzle or weeding your garden — to replenish your attentional reservoirs. --- Gloria Mark is a professor at UC Irvine and the author of the new book “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity.” Be sure to check out our newsletter where Michael takes listeners behind the scenes of these episodes.

Picture this. You sit down to read a book. You know the one — the book all your friends have raved about. So, okay, you read the first sentence. Maybe you make it to the end of the paragraph. But the next thing you know, your hand, as if possessed, reaches for your phone and calls up Twitter or Instagram or the New York Times, and you let the book drop to the floor before you've even finished the first page. Why does that happen? Why does your attention feel less like a steadily trained spotlight and more like a frantically blinking strobe? And will you ever find a way to get your focus back? "Yes!" says author and UC Irvine professor Gloria Mark. And lucky for you, she'll be here all week to explain why your attention wandered off and what you can do to get it back. Gloria's new book is "Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity."

In the final installment of his master class, Greg McKeown shares the three questions he asks to make life easier: 1️⃣ What is a problem that irritates me repeatedly? 2️⃣ What is the total cost of managing that over several years? 3️⃣ What is the next step I can take immediately, for a few minutes, to move towards solving it? Tune in to learn how to apply this at work and in life. --- • Check out Greg’s book “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most” • Sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. • Listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

You need to establish upper and lower bounds. “Okay, but what does that mean?” Listen to find out. --- Greg McKeown is the author of “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” He’ll be here all week to share key insights from the book. If you can’t wait until tomorrow to hear the next episode, you can get early access by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

What happens when you stop assuming the answer to every problem is to work harder and instead ask, “What if this could be easy?” That’s effortless inversion. Today, Greg explains how you can use it to tackle problems big and small. --- Greg McKeown is the author of “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” He’ll be here all week to share key insights from the book. If you can’t wait until tomorrow to hear the next episode, you can get early access by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

Forget your never-ending to-do list. Greg says you need a “done for the day” list, a rundown of tasks you can actually accomplish and that will leave you feeling satisfied. --- Greg McKeown is the author of “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” He’ll be with us all week to share key insights from the book. If you can’t wait until tomorrow to hear the next episode, you can get early access by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

If you want to accomplish great things, you must work relentlessly, right? Not so, says author and leadership strategist Greg McKeown. In his latest book, "Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most," Greg makes the counterintuitive argument that by working less, you can accomplish more. You just have to learn how to ask the right questions and use the right tools. All this week, he'll show you how.

In our final episode with Marc, he says you’re never too old to forge new relationships. --- • Marc Schulz is the co-author of “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.” • Sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. • Listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

Americans spend 11 hours a day interacting with media. From the age of 40 to the age of 80, that adds up to 18 years of waking life. What would happen if we put down our phones, turned off our TVs, and tried talking to each other? --- • Come back tomorrow for the final installment of our micro master class with Marc Schulz, co-author of “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. • Sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. • Listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

Relationships may be good for your well-being, but that doesn't mean they're always easy. In this episode, Marc shares what 85 years of research have revealed about how to overcome relationship challenges. --- Marc Schulz is a professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College and the associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. He'll be with us all week, discussing his new book, "The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness." To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

“We tend to think," says Marc Schulz, "that once we establish friendships and intimate relationships, they will take care of themselves. But like muscles, neglected relationships atrophy.” Today, Marc shares the fitness regimen to keep your relationships fit and trim. --- • Marc is a professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College and the associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. He’ll be with us all week to discuss his new book, “The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.” • To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

What makes for a good life? Over the last 85 years, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has attempted to answer that question. This week, one of the study's directors, Marc Schulz, joins us to share the surprising things they've found. --- To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

We are not the sum of our missed opportunities or the unfinished projects we decide to call failures. We are the sum of our starts. --- Today concludes our week-long master class with Becky Blades based on her book “Start More Than You Can Finish,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

Today, Becky explains how to get more done by embracing a creative process based on iteration. --- Come back tomorrow for the final installment of Becky’s master class. If you’re looking for something to do in the meantime, join us on LinkedIn and download the Next Big Idea app.

So you took Becky's advice. You imagined more, thought less, decided to decide, and acted fast. Now you're ready to get your swag bag. That's what Becky calls the mood-boosting chemicals that flood over us when we start an exciting new project. --- It's day three of our week-long master class with Becky about her new book, "Start More Than You Can Finish." To get a behind-the-scenes look at this show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

You have an idea. Great! Now what? In today’s episode, Becky shares her four-part process for getting started. --- Becky Blades will be here all week sharing tips and tricks from her new book, “Start More Than You Can Finish,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

Doing is more important than being done. That’s the provocative argument at the heart of a new book by artist and entrepreneur Becky Blades, “Start More Than You Can Finish: A Creative Permission Slip to Unleash Your Best Ideas.” Becky says you’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish when you stop worrying about the finish and just get started. --- Becky will be here all week sharing insights from her book. Tune in tomorrow to learn how to strengthen your "startist" muscles. Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter on LinkedIn where we share resources, start conversations, and take listeners behind the scenes of this show.

No one likes a know-it-all. Try becoming a learn-it-all instead. --- Today concludes our week-long master class with Daniel Coyle, based on his book “The Culture Playbook,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

Studies show groups that invest in deep fun are more profitable than those that don’t. But what exactly is deep fun? Daniel Coyle is here with the answer. --- It’s day four of our week-long master class with Dan about his new book, “The Culture Playbook.” To get a behind-the-scenes look at this show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

Does your team, family, or friend group have a cheesy catchphrase? It should. Here’s why. --- Daniel Coyle is on the show all week sharing essential lessons from his latest book, “The Culture Playbook,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at this show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

What are the four most important words a leader can say? Tune in to find out. --- Daniel Coyle is on the show all week sharing essential lessons from his latest book, “The Culture Playbook,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download the Next Big Idea app.

If you've ever been part of a team, then you know the scale of your success often depends on the strength of your culture. The mistake many of us make, however, is assuming that strong cultures happen by accident. In reality, says Daniel Coyle, a journalist who has spent years studying the world's most effective groups — from the hitmakers at Pixar to the soldiers on SEAL Team Six — there are concrete steps you can take to foster connection, trust, and a shared sense of purpose. All this week on "The Next Big Idea Daily," Dan will offer up a master class on building great cultures in the office, on Zoom, and around your family's dinner table. Grab a copy of Dan's book "The Culture Playbook" here. And tune in tomorrow to learn how to foster psychological safety at work. Oh, and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter on LinkedIn, where we're sharing resources, starting conversations, and taking listeners behind the scenes of this show.

Do your mornings ever feel a little uninspired? What if your cup of coffee came with a shot of insight? Or if walking your dog could include a hit of wisdom? Every day on “The Next Big Idea Daily,” you’ll get a quick master class in better, smarter living from thinkers like Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, Greg McKeown, Kim Scott, and lots of others you may not have heard of but who have ideas that just might make your day a little brighter. Follow “The Next Big Idea Daily” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Listen early and ad-free by downloading the Next Big Idea app. And when you’re ready to go deeper, join our community on LinkedIn, where we’ll be sharing resources, starting conversations, and helping one another live our best lives.