What's in a name? Turns out a lot! Whether you are naming a company, a project, a meeting room, a team, or a baby, names are deeply meaningful.  In fact, some businesses may have failed because their name is so confusing that no one can figure out how to say it, how to spell it, or what they do.  Of course, we can all think of some exceptions to that rule—sure, there are companies that have done well despite having a bad name. But wouldn't it be better to start off on the right foot and stack...

Expectation Effect Shownotes Do our expectations affect outcomes? Are there things we can do to increase the likelihood of getting outcomes we want? Are there thoughts that may interfere with these positive outcomes as well?There has been a lot of non-scientific information circulating about these questions. Fortunately, there are people like David Robson (https://davidrobson.me/), sorting the science from the non-science. David is a science writer, a graduate of Cambridge University, and he...

It wasn’t long ago that the notion of the mind-body connection was considered New Agey. It was as if the mind and the body were two totally separate systems that had very little to do with each other. Now, with contributions from scientific research, wisdom-based traditions, and modern psychotherapy, the mind-body connection isn’t even questioned. Still, there’s a lot to learn about how our bodies and minds connect and I’m so glad I got to have this conversation with psychotherapist and...

Autism has been rightfully getting lots of media airtime lately. Indeed, it is a deeply misunderstood condition and, sadly, 85% of autistic adults are unemployed. As you’ll hear in this episode and in my 2020 episode with Dr. Temple Grandin, neurodiversity can help teams thrive and people on the autism spectrum often have a lot to bring to the table at the workplace. In fact, they may bring super strengths that could be akin to what my guest refers to as the Autistic Advantage.   My guest,...

Parents overwhelmingly want to raise kind children. Yet many concerning trends are on the rise including narcissism and bullying, leaving many parents to worry: how can I improve the likelihood of raising a kind child? And that’s why I was delighted to meet with author and journalist, Melinda Wenner Moyer (https://www.melindawennermoyer.com/). Melinda is a prolific science journalist and blogger and the author of a book addressing our fears with the hilariously titled, How to Raise Children...

Remember when work was a place we went? And, remember when zoom only meant going fast or, if you are from my generation, a goofy PBS children's TV show? For many of us, working virtually is the new normal. For others, it's back to the office or a hybrid of virtual and real life. What are the implications of working from home? How does it affect the employee? How does it affect the company? What are some ways to create win-win scenarios for corporations and employee well-being as it relates to...

Since you've seen the title of this episode, I'm guessing that you have experienced some level a phenomenon called imposterism. It is usually referred to as imposter syndrome and, as you'll hear in this episode, my guest will be defining and challenging that term. Why do we feel it? And why do we hear that voice that says, “You're not good enough to do this!” or, another classic hit, “Just wait till they'll find out I'm a fraud!” It turns out, we’re in good company. Albert Einstein, Meryl...

What is civility? What are the consequences of its absence? And why is it so important? Many people may inadvertently believe the words “polite” and “civil” are interchangeable. But as you hear and think about these words, you're probably recognizing just how different they are. I am so glad my guest, Alexandra Hudson (https://alexandraohudson.com/), has dedicated years of her life to write a fantastic book about this topic and it is hot off the press. The book is called The Soul of...

Improv isn’t just for comedy. If there are superfoods like blueberries that are good for your health, improv may just be a super-skill that has implications and applications that are also good for your health. No joke. And the skills are highly learnable and can measurably help you become a better person. They can make you a better collaborator in marriage, parenthood, business, and just about everywhere in life. Many Fortune 500 companies, including Clorox, have been able to boost their...

We humans tend to be empathic, and our brains reward us with hits of dopamine when we help our fellow beings. So, it is no surprise that when we do good by providing charity or means for our fellow humans to improve their lives, we feel good.  And because of that, I am so excited to speak with the guest on this episode, Mark Gerson. Mark is an incredible human being. He has a JD from Yale Law School, he married a rabbi, is the author of a brilliant book, the host of a great podcast, and he...

The Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has recently warned of a loneliness epidemic in the United States and has cited research suggesting that loneliness can be as toxic to our health as 15 cigarettes per day. Unfortunately, societal trends do not support people getting together in real life. Attendance at virtually all community gatherings is on the decline, whether we are referring to social groups, religious organizations, or even picnics.Sadly, our 35,000-year-old brains are not wired...

On Labor Day, Steve Harwell, the front man of Smash Mouth, died at the age of 56. Like many people, I’m a big fan of the band and I’m really sad about this. Smash Mouth’s lead guitarist and songwriter was Greg Camp (https://gregcampmusic.com/) and, yes, he wrote all the songs you love including All Star. Fortunately, I’ve known Greg for many years, and he gave a great interview in episode #35 a few years ago. He was kind enough to meet up again to share some intimate, behind-the-scenes...

These days there is understandably a lot of talk and a lot of fear about the future of jobs. Speculations are plentiful and some are downright grim.  The questions abound: what will the future bring as it relates to employment? How will my children's work-life look? You may even be thinking, damn, what will my own work look like in a few years? The truth is nobody really knows. But a good place to form hypotheses about the future may exist in thoughtful analysis of current research as well...

I’ve covered many important topics on this podcast, but this one is arguably the most important: it’s about ramen.   OK, I jest. But if you are a listener of this podcast, you have likely noticed I cover lots of important psychological issues that we face… I also cover huge pleasures. Among those pleasures, some episode topics have included coffee, barbecue, and ice cream. I’m going to add one more: I am utterly in love with ramen. It is my go-to comfort food, and I am not alone. It has...

Many of you know that I’m kind of in love with Japan. I lived there in my 20’s for nearly three years, I studied the language intensely, and because it offered such a different point of view from what I grew up with, it informed how I think.  This episode is dedicated to Japanese psychology and—procrastinators, listen up—it is also dedicated to taking action. As you’ll hear from my guest, we have, on average, around 30,000 days of life. To deal with this reality, there have been some great...

Like most of us, I have wished many things were taught to me at school that were not on the curriculum. While so much of what we need to learn can only be taught through experience, many skills that could be taught in school aren't. Please know I am not faulting teachers or even the education system. There is so much to be taught and the laundry list of items could be endless!   Yet, what are some of the things that we needed to learn but didn't? My new friend, Mark Herschberg answers that...

Comedians use their genius to give us joy, laughter, and even to help us think about things differently. And yet, those same people who bring so much pleasure often are people who experience deep levels of depression, anxiety, and histories of trauma.  I have taken great interest in the way comedians think and their lives. And that is why I am so happy to have had the opportunity to speak with a psychologist who specializes in working with comedians. Dr. Ildiko Tabori...

It’s summer as I write this and, for many of us, it’s high season for leisure reading.It causes me to think of my all-time favorite novel… the one I couldn’t put down and the one I keep re-reading over the years. That book is none other than Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s brilliant first of the brilliant Cemetery of Forgotten Books series and its alluring title is The Shadow of the Wind. In addition to it being my favorite book, there’s a story—personal in nature—that I’ve decided to share. It’s one...

With the Ted Lasso series finale in our rearview mirrors, I felt the need to record a solo episode tribute to the brilliant creator, Bill Lawrence, and to this incredible show. As a psychologist, I have seen a few shows that have illustrated what humanity could look like at its finest. For me, Ted Lasso is one of the list-toppers of shows that have. I decided to name a few things that this show has done so well and to give a shout-out to its creator, Bill Lawrence, for giving us this...

Without sex, pretty much none of us would be here. And yet, merely talking about the thing that brought us here makes many of us squirm with discomfort. We’re told it’s not polite to talk about it. It’s taboo. And we can even feel shame about it and not even let ourselves know who we are when it comes to our identities and preferences. As a result, that thing we don’t talk about becomes kind of a secret black box that is unknown. Yet, if we’re willing to open that black box, look at its...

We all know that when we invest a dollar well, over time with compounding interest, the dollar blossoms in value. Yet, the same can be said for our habits and behaviors. When we cultivate good habits and behaviors, over time they can pay us back with compounding interest as well. And this idea relates perfectly to what my guest is working on with children—fostering skills that may pay dividends for the rest of their lives by helping them develop better relationships with their emotions and...

We all know the expression that we are what we eat. Yet few have devoted their lives to the science behind this idea more than the guest of this episode.Dr. Michael Jacobson earned a Ph.D. in microbiology from MIT and, shortly after, devoted his expertise to the budding field of nutrition science. Michael is the founder of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and he spent nearly five decades at the forefront of disseminating the best research available on food and health. He has...

Have you ever had with the belief that you were only as good as your results at work? Perhaps, if this is the case, you can identify with your work so much that if you aren’t crushing it, you believe you’re nothing. Of course, thinking about this rationally, we all can eventually come to recognize that we are more than our work. But on an emotional level, we can become so identified with our work that we forget who we are. So, here comes the big word: enmeshment. Enmeshment is an experience...

Perhaps the most magical and hypnotic words ever uttered in sequence are, “Once Upon a time.”  Don’t believe me? Let’s look at one of the most successful movies ever, Star Wars. While it’s not “once upon a time” verbatim, it’s a theme and variation: how does Star Wars begin? Say it with me, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” Turns out, those magical words don't just relate to works of fiction. Even when it comes to the truth, our brains are oriented to think in stories. Consider...

Dating is one of the most talked about topics in my office. And for good reason: Romantic love plays such a big part of happiness for so many of us and, if life were a pie chart, the love component would take up a large slice. And dating can be tricky and bring lots of vulnerability at any stage of life. But what happens when we are dating later in life? Perhaps an unexpected divorce or the tragedy of death caused us to date at a stage in life that contradicted our imagined trajectory. And if...