Building Thinkers: Accessible Blueprints for Learning & Life

What if you’ve hit every goal you set and something still feels like it’s missing?

That’s the question I took to Steven French, founder of LX Partners and host of the annual Flourishing at Work Summit at Harvard, where he brings leaders together with Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program to put the research into practice. He spends his days helping leaders work on the personal side of leadership, because that’s often where real effectiveness starts. We explore what the global flourishing research says about faith, community, and close relationships, and why Steven believes our spiritual lives may be part of how we’re designed rather than an afterthought. We also get practical, talking about how to bring kindness and love into the workplace in ways you can measure, and why no leader or entrepreneur should be doing this alone.

Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or somewhere in between, this conversation makes space for the bigger questions without any pressure.

Key Takeaways:

Close relationships may be the biggest gap in how the West thinks about flourishing.

Great leadership starts with working on your own personal “junk.”

Love at work sounds fluffy, but you can define it and measure it.

You don’t have to believe to be curious about faith.

People close to you often see your blind spots better than you do.

Leaders and entrepreneurs shouldn’t do life or leadership alone.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction 

02:49 Interpreting reality and your personal struggles in leadership

05:11 How Steven got involved with the Harvard Flourishing Study

06:43 What the research says about faith

07:41 The 6 domains of flourishing 

09:22 Where to start to live a flourishing life

12:00 Can love really belong in the workplace?

13:37 Why curiosity about faith matters

20:15 What companies are doing in practice

23:01 Community of practice and accountability in leadership

25:30 Being honest in community (and why entrepreneurs shouldn’t do it alone)

31:01 Measure flourishing and your personal growth

31:42 Resources and next steps for leaders

33:06 Final thoughts 

Resources Mentioned:

Wisdom at Work by Chip Conley

Harvard’s Global Flourishing Study

Love Works by Joel Manby

Connect with Steven:

Website: https://lxpartners.org/ 

Resources: https://lxpartners.org/resources/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-french-9b093913/ 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

What if the next step in your career isn’t more money, more responsibility, or more projects, but more meaning?

That’s a question I explore with Kathy Lawless, whose own transition from a 20-year corporate career to entrepreneurship forced her to rethink what a successful life and business could look like. Kathy is a life story curator who creates heirloom-quality photo books for families and businesses, helping people preserve the milestones, people, and stories they don’t want to leave sitting in a shoebox. 

We talk about the “shoulds” that can keep us playing small, the courage to act on an idea before you have all the answers, and why celebrating milestones can help people feel seen and deepen the connection between the people behind the work. As someone who never thought she’d be an entrepreneur, Kathy also shares how she built a business around the kind of life she actually wanted.

Key Takeaways:

Stop waiting for permission to pursue an idea you believe in.

Success doesn’t have to mean more money, responsibility, and projects.

An idea doesn’t have to start as a business to become one.

Pay attention to the interests and instincts that have followed you throughout your career. 

Build a business around the life you actually want, not the life you think a successful entrepreneur is supposed to have.

Outsource what you don’t need to do yourself so you can focus on the work that matters.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Introduction

03:10 Where Kathy’s storytelling instincts came from

05:13 How a corporate idea became a business

08:38 From corporate career to entrepreneurship

13:47 How to know when an idea is worth pursuing

16:59 Rethinking what success looks like

21:52 Inside Kathy’s life story curation business

24:00 If only people knew…

Resources Mentioned:

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Soundtracks by Jon Acuff

Connect with Kathy:

Website: https://lifestorycurator.com/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathylawless/ 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

Summary:

What if the thing you've been chasing your whole career is actually working against the very happiness you're trying to achieve? 

My guest Ashish Kothari is the founder of Happiness Squad and bestselling author of Hardwired for Happiness, and he left a high-powered corporate career behind because he realized something most high achievers never stop long enough to see. Ashish bridges the science of positive psychology with the realities of the modern workplace in a way that is both deeply human and grounded in data.

This conversation goes deep on where love is quietly being lost in our work and our lives, and more importantly, how to get it back. Ashish shows us that flourishing isn't a destination, it's a practice you can start today in five minutes or less.

Key Takeaways:

Why happiness and achievement aren’t the same thing.

The science behind why small habits create lasting change.

The gap between looking successful and actually flourishing.

Where love and connection go to die in the modern workplace.

Practical habits for daily flourishing.

How presence and gratitude literally rewire your brain.

Why resilience isn’t about toughness, it’s about how you recover.

The hidden cost of building a life without real connection.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

04:11 Why high achievers often feel empty despite their success

09:02 The dangerous myth that suffering is the price of success

13:47 Why fear dominates the news, and how to see through it

15:35 How to stop letting your emotions run the show

17:44 What it means to be rooted and resilient 

18:51 The practice of knowing yourself beyond what you do

23:44 Three free habits anyone can start tomorrow

29:45 Why choosing happiness first is actually the smarter strategy

Resources Mentioned:

Building Thinkers Newsletter

Emotional Agility by Susan David

Connect with Ashish:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/ 

Website: https://happinesssquad.com/ 

Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari

The Flourishing Edge Podcast

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

What if the food on your plate is either slowly breaking you down or building you up? 

In an effort to continue the ongoing theme of living a flourishing life here at Building Thinkers, I sat down with Brad Fuster. He’s a university provost, former world-touring percussionist, and someone who went from 245 pounds, smoking a pack-a-day, and a chronic arthritis diagnosis to being 53, medication-free, and in the best health of his life. 

Brad has been whole food plant-based since 2013, and in this conversation he explains the difference between veganism and actually eating well, he shares the practice that put his psoriatic arthritis into full remission, and he breaks down why protein is probably the last thing you need to worry about. 

Key Takeaways:

There’s a meaningful difference between being vegan and eating a whole food plant-based diet.

The medical system is built around symptom management, not true wellness.

Water fasting can reset your microbiome and improve health.

Inflammatory conditions can potentially be addressed through diet and fasting.

You don’t have to go fully plant-based to see benefits in your health.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:49 Brad’s transition to a plant-based diet

5:24 Myths about protein in vegan diets

8:17 The new food pyramid and nutrition education

12:35 Difference between veganism and whole food plant-based diet

15:38 Brad’s experience with water fasting

19:39 Practical tips for increasing whole food plant intake

21:10 Environmental impact of animal agriculture

22:15 Final thoughts 

Resources Mentioned:

Leading with Change When the System is Stacked Against You with Brad Fuster

Thrive Fitness by Brendan Brazier

Check out Rich Roll on Instagram

The Game Changers (Documentary) by James Cameron

EdUp Innovation with Dr. Neal Barnard

Your Labs Are Normal, But You Feel Awful - Now What? (Feat. Elise Clark)

Connect with Brad:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-fuster-3540a350/ 

Podcast: https://www.edupexperience.com/edupinnovation/ 

SFBU: https://www.sfbu.edu/about/our-leadership 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

Building Thinkers has had a front-row seat to the work happening at SFBU, and this episode is a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to reimagine how people learn.

My guest, Brad Fuster, is the Provost of San Francisco Bay University and host of the EdUp Innovation Podcast, and he's spent more than two decades in higher education. We go deep on what it really takes to challenge the status quo, lead through resistance, and build something new when the structures around you are designed to stay the same. 

We also get into the MBA program launching at SFBU this September, a fully AI-integrated, flexibly paced degree designed around the way humans want to learn, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional program. 

Whether you're building a company, leading a team, or just trying to grow in a world that keeps changing, the lessons in this conversation go beyond the university.

Key Takeaways:

What it really takes to lead change when the system is designed to resist it

Why wrapping full support around learners changes everything (99.7% retention proves it)

The curriculum innovation that Google, Apple, and Tesla are taking notice of

Why bolting AI onto old systems is the wrong move and what to do instead

How a $10K MBA is redefining what accessible, human-centered learning looks like

What higher ed’s crisis means for anyone building something new

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:57 How a disillusioned provost ended up rebuilding from the inside

04:33 Why "reimagining" is just a buzzword for most institutions

08:35 The bold leadership move that's actually saving struggling schools

08:44 What entrepreneurs need to understand about leading change

10:00 The nuclear option that stops bold leaders in their tracks

13:27 Why faculty resistance is more complicated than you think

14:43 What it actually looks like to put students first

18:07 The retention stat that changes the conversation

19:14 The curriculum Google, Apple and Tesla are paying attention to

25:26 Why AI in education is being done wrong and what right looks like

31:37 How to build pro-social skills in an online program

33:36 What happens when learning meets the real world

35:24 If only people knew this about higher ed

37:52 Closing thoughts

Resources Mentioned:

Leadership: Key Competencies for Whole-system Change by Lyle Kirtman & Michael Fullan

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It by Brian Rosenberg

MBA Pro+ SFBU

Connect with Brad:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-fuster-3540a350/ 

Podcast: https://www.edupexperience.com/edupinnovation/ 

SFBU: https://www.sfbu.edu/about/our-leadership 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

What if the glass of wine you pour every night isn't a reward, it's a signal? 

I sat down with Keelie Louise, a Sober Curious Mentor and Psychology-Based Coach who rebuilt her life after decades of using alcohol to quiet a mind that never felt like enough. This conversation isn't about sobriety in the all-or-nothing sense — it's about getting curious about why you reach for that drink in the first place. 

Keelie breaks down the real science behind what alcohol does to your dopamine baseline, your cortisol levels, and your ability to show up as the high performer you know you can be. We talk about how to navigate the social pressure of 'just have one,' how to figure out who actually fills your cup, and why falling down on this journey might be the very thing that gets you to the life you've always known was possible. 

Key Takeaways:

If you say you need a drink, that’s worth paying attention to.

Alcohol gives you a dopamine spike, but it’s also dragging your baseline happiness down.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for not drinking.

Getting sober curious isn’t just about removing alcohol, it’s about figuring out who actually fills your cup.

Falling down is part of the process, the difference is whether you ask yourself why.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:03 Why ‘I need a drink’ is a red flag

06:14 What even one glass of wine does to your body

08:06 How to handle social challenges without owing an explanation

10:40 Why falling off the wagon might be the thing that saves you

12:19 Who fills your cup when alcohol leaves the room?

Resources:

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

NIAAA

Connect with Keelie:

Website: https://keelielouise.com.au/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keelie-louise/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_keelie_louise/ 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

You've gone to the conference, read the book, felt inspired for exactly four days, and then life swallowed you whole again.

My friend of over 20 years, Katie Conley, luxury travel advisor and founder of the Adventurous Women's Travel Club, joins me to talk about why we built something different — a women's retreat rooted in genuine intentional living and life design, not just another agenda-packed with content. Together we unpack the wheel-of-life framework, the mid-career identity shift nobody warns you about, and what it really means to re-evaluate your life without blowing it up entirely.

This conversation is for the woman who's capable and driven and still quietly wondering if she's chasing the right things. If personal growth and reflection have ever felt too theoretical to actually stick, this is the episode that makes it practical. We talk about what real connection looks like when women are given space to show up fully, why flourishing is less about having it all figured out and more about asking better questions, and how women's empowerment starts with making room for yourself first.

Key Takeaways:

“Is this my life or someone else’s?” - the first question worth asking.

You’re not short on time. You’re short on room.

Solo reflection only gets you so far. Community accelerates clarity.

The wheel of life: a simple tool for seeing where you’re actually at.

Gratitude and presence aren’t soft skills; they’re rooted in neuroscience.

Good learning design makes the difference between inspiration and implementation.

The mid-career shift: from doing everything to orchestrating everything.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:17 Using the Wheel of Life for self-assessment

05:27 The mid-career identity shift

07:41 Why build this women’s retreat vs. a travel trip?

08:39 What ‘re-evaluating your life’ actually means

10:22 What you’ll leave this retreat with

12:08 Who is this retreat for?

13:59 The benefits of getting away to reflect

15:49 How we plan to help women realize their own dreams and goals

17:27 Addressing the skepticism 

18:06 Why in-person community still matters

20:54 Outro

Resources Mentioned:

Build a Flourishing Life Retreat

Harvard Global Flourishing Study

Tracy's Goal Guide

Connect with Katie:

Website: https://culturedconcierge.travel/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culturedconcierge/ 

The Adventurous Women’s Travel Club: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/vERNcpM 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

You know that conversation you keep rehearsing in the shower and rescheduling in real life? The one with someone you love that's started to feel more like a standoff than a way back to each other? 

That's exactly what I dig into in this episode with Sara Blanchard. She’s the co-host of the What Do You Mean By That? podcast, author of Dear White Women, and a life coach rooted in positive psychology who's spent years studying what it actually takes for people to thrive. 

Sara shares why our closest relationships are a bigger predictor of long-term health than cholesterol. Yes, really. There's 80 years of Harvard research behind it. She gives us practical tools for staying in the room when the topic is hard and the stakes are personal. We talk about the two-minute rule that changed how she greets her family, why every action makes sense from the perspective of the person doing it, and how to get curious instead of furious when someone says the thing that makes your whole body tense up. 

If there's a hard conversation you've been avoiding, this episode might be the nudge and the roadmap you've been waiting for.

Key Takeaways:

Relationships are the cornerstone of long-term health and happiness.

Asking 'What do you mean by that?' deepens understanding and connection.

Slowing down and building time affluence improves relationships.

Physical and emotional regulation are key to responding, not reacting.

Curiosity about others' perspectives fosters compassion and reduces conflict.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:25 What does it mean to live a “flourishing life”?

06:21 Time affluence vs. productivity

10:11 How to have hard conversations with people you love

16:07 Connecting before correcting

20:22 Curiosity over judgment & understanding behavior

28:31 Why hard conversations deepen relationships

32:21 Different doesn’t mean deficient

34:09 Preparing for hard conversations: know your triggers 

Resources Mentioned:

The Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

The Science Behind Dramatically Better Conversations by Charles Duhigg | TEDxManchester

It’s Not About the Nail

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Dear White Women by Sara Blanchard and Misasha Suzuki Graham

Unscripting Parenting

Connect with Sara:

Website: https://www.sarablanchard.com/ 

What Do You Mean By That Podcast: https://www.whatdoyoumeanbythat.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeanbythatpodcast/ , https://www.instagram.com/sarablanchardauthor 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.

If a doctor has ever told you "everything looks normal" while you felt anything but, this one's for you.

I sat down with Elise Clark, a functional medicine nurse practitioner with over 15 years of experience in family practice, endocrinology, and hormone health, who has made it her mission to help women understand what's actually happening in their bodies. We talked about why hormone shifts start 10 to 15 years before menopause, what "normal but not optimal" really means, and how to know when it's time to dig deeper than a standard lab panel. 

Elise also took me on a learning journey through one of the most persistent myths in women's health — the supposed link between hormones and cancer — and unpacked what the research actually says now. What struck me most is how much of this comes back to a theme we return to again and again on Building Thinkers: you don't have to accept feeling "off" as just part of this stage of life. There are things you can learn, questions you can ask, and choices you can design around — and it starts with trusting what your body is telling you.

Key Takeaways:

Why your 30s is when the hormone conversation should actually start.

What birth control might be quietly masking and the questions to ask before starting or stopping.

What a functional medicine appointment actually looks like.

Why “your labs are normal” might be the most incomplete sentence in women’s health.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:26 Hormonal health care at any age

04:01 When you know something’s wrong but your labs come back normal

06:41 The difference between functional medicine vs. traditional medicine

10:29 What does “flourishing” look like in health?

12:10 The risks of over-optimization

15:42 Common health concerns and next steps

20:45 Debunking hormones and cancer myths

29:45 Oura rings: helpful or not?

32:34 Finding what’s right for you

35:30 Wellness influencer red flags

36:16 Peptides: should you do them?

37:04 If only women knew this one thing

39:56 Outro

Resources Mentioned:

Estrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris

Connect with Elise:

Website: https://www.eliseclarkhealth.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliseclarkfnp/ 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential impact in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors to resumes and meal plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex.

In the Building Thinkers podcast, we explore how to build a flourishing life across different life domains: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, relationships, finance, career, play, and growth. Flourishing is something you can design, domain by domain, through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play.

Every episode turns a conversation with an expert into something you can build with: a single, completable blueprint you can put to use right away, so the insight leaves with you instead of staying on the page.

This podcast is for those who are actively designing a more intentional life, the multi-potentialites and high achievers who want real success and a life that feels good to live.

Harness curiosity. Win your future.

If you've been avoiding AI because it feels too technical, too risky, or just not for someone like you, this episode is your permission slip to start. 

My guest, Gigi Karmous-Edwards, is a water technology consultant and researcher who has spent the last three years focused on how generative AI is reshaping an entire global industry. What struck me most about Gigi is where her thinking has landed, not on the fear side, not on the hype side, but on something much more grounding: the idea that AI, done right, should make us more human, not less. 

We get into the real difference between generative AI and traditional AI in a way that actually makes sense, how to start experimenting without needing a technical background, and where to pump the brakes on privacy and trust. But the conversation I didn't expect was the one about what we do with the time AI gives us back, and why most of us will just fill it with more work unless we're intentional about it. 

If you're AI curious, AI avoidant, or somewhere in between, Gigi will leave you with a clearer picture of what's possible and why now is the time to start.

Key Takeaways:

Generative AI and traditional AI are not the same thing, and understanding the difference changes how you approach it.

The most powerful prompt isn't a perfect formula, it's a ramble.

AI works best when you bring the ideas and use it as a thought partner, not when you ask it to think for you.

When AI saves you time, what you choose to do with that time is the real question.

Women are using AI 25 to 30 percent less than men, and that gap matters.

Flourishing in an AI world might actually mean doing less, not more.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

05:30 Generative AI vs. Traditional AI

10:01 Why experimenting beats perfecting

13:22 How far should you let AI in

16:58 Having AI push back on your work

18:17 What AI’s rise means for society

21:20 The risks people aren’t talking about

23:55 Is AI actually bad for the environment?

26:53 Envisioning a flourishing future

36:39 The mindset shifts that changes everything

39:06 Outro

Resources Mentioned:

OpenAI: https://openai.com/ 

Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app 

Claude: https://claude.ai/new 

Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/  

Karmous Edwards Consulting AI Breakdown 

Connect with Gigi:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigi-karmous-edwards-6539245/⁠ 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ 

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf 

More About Building Thinkers: 

Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential impact in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors to resumes and meal plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex.

In the Building Thinkers podcast, we explore how to build a flourishing life across different life domains: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, relationships, finance, career, play, and growth. Flourishing is something you can design, domain by domain, through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play.

Every episode turns a conversation with an expert into something you can build with: a single, completable blueprint you can put to use right away, so the insight leaves with you instead of staying on the page.

This podcast is for those who are actively designing a more intentional life, the multi-potentialites and high achievers who want real success and a life that feels good to live.

Harness curiosity. Win your future.