Welcome to the very first episode of the Leaders' Playground -- a podcast for people who wish their work could feel more like play. In this episode, you’ll hear the origin story of how this podcast came to be and why it's called the Leader’s Playground. I’m your host Irene Salter, a PhD neuroscientist and science educator with a passion for helping people thrive, not just survive. Consider me a story-telling scientist. In this and every episode you will find:

1) A story: Being challenged to create a podcast initially felt heavy and overwhelming, but an excellent question by my friend and coach turned work into something playful and creative. You’ll also hear about a hike up “Death Hill”, and a Dungeons and Dragons game involving cats and Ferris Bueller.

2) Some science: We’ll explore dopamine systems; brain areas like the amygdala and the ventral anterior cingulate cortex; and the research of play scientist, Stuart Brown.

3) A strategy: To start making work feel more like play, begin by identifying what play looks like for you.

Resources:

• Stuart Brown's TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_play_is_more_than_just_fun
• Stuart Brown's book: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/4997659
• David Vox’s website: https://www.davidvox.com/
• Christina Howard’s website: https://www.intentlyco.com/post/meet-christina

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast