After Jodi Wellman’s mother passed away at just 58-years-old, Jodi was left to clean out her apartment. Everywhere she looked, she found remnants of her mother’s unfulfilled dreams: business cards from enterprises that never took off, book manuscripts that were never submitted. The experience forced Jodi to realize that life is painfully short, and it’s up to us to make the most of it.

A speaker, author and executive coach, Jodi wants you to think more about death. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, she shares the essential things we all need to know about death and dying and how we can use our mortality as a motivator to live our lives more fully.

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If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: How to Make the Most of Your 24 Hours with Researcher Cassie Holmes

In this special episode of Everyday Better, Leah walks through one of her favorite personal growth exercises: defining your core values. When you're facing a tough decision and unsure which path to take, a clearly defined set of values can equip you with the clarity and confidence you need to move forward. 

After explaining her own approach to uncovering what truly matters, Leah revisits some powerful moments from a previous conversation with personal growth educator Amanda Hilton. Together, they discuss prompts for identifying the values that resonate most deeply with you and how to apply them in your own life to make better decisions.

Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Amanda Hilton here.

Download Brené Brown’s List of Values here.

We often imagine mentorship as a formal relationship between an experienced professional and someone who’s just starting out. But sometimes the most valuable guidance doesn’t emerge from something structured, but from candid conversations with colleagues.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, we’re bringing you one of those conversations. Leah is joined by two of her LinkedIn colleagues, Jessi Hempel and Gianna Prudente, for an honest discussion about their biggest career challenges. In their conversation, they discuss imposter syndrome, work-life balance and what happens when Plan A—and maybe Plans B, C, and D—don’t work out.

For more advice on mentorship, subscribe to the Everyday Better newsletter.

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Thomas Curran is a Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics and the author of The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough. In it, he charts the recent rise in perfectionism among young people, exposes the paradoxical effects of perfectionism on everything from work performance to relationships and argues for a “good enough” approach to work that prioritizes sustainability over achievement.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Thomas joins Leah to discuss the harms of perfectionism and how to break free from both internal and external pressures to be perfect. Leah and Thomas also take a critical look at the concept of the “growth mindset” and reflect on their own journeys toward overcoming perfectionism.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: The Art of Feel Good Productivity with Ali Abdaal

Judy Smith built a career handling some of the most high-profile scandals of our time. As the founder of crisis management firm Smith & Co., she’s advised many notable clients including Monica Lewinsky, Michael Vick and Wesley Snipes. But Judy is perhaps better known for what she inspired: ‘Scandal,’ the hit television series created by Shonda Rhymes.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Judy joins Leah to discuss the core principles of crisis management. Judy reveals how she decides which cases to take on, why telling the truth is always the best move and what it takes to rebuild a damaged reputation. She also discusses how she’s working to change the perception of Black women in Hollywood – both in front of and behind the camera.

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If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: How to Forgive Better with Philosopher Myisha Cherry

Imagine your life ten years from now. Where are you, who are you with and how do you feel?

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Leah introduces the 10-Year Plan, a powerful visualization exercise for making your dreams a reality. After sharing how this tool helped her clarify her own career goals, Leah explains how to create your own 10-Year Plan. So grab a pen, a piece of paper and start shaping the life you want.

Listen to Debbie Millman on Hello Monday here.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief with Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan

Medical journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha is back this week for part two of our deep dive into the latest health and wellness trends. In this episode, Trisha pulls back the curtain on her research process, revealing how she tracks down reliable health information and how fact-checking works at The Washington Post. Later, she shares practical tips for reading academic studies and evaluating health claims made on social media. Trisha and Leah also discuss the role wellness influencers play in spreading health misinformation. 

Listen to the first part of our conversation here: Demystifying Wellness Trends with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha (Part 1)

Full-body MRIs. Red light therapy. Vitamin B12 supplements. Seemingly every day, there’s a new wellness fad taking over the internet. But how do we know which health claims are backed by science – and which are just hype?

In this episode of Everyday Better, we’re demystifying the latest health and wellness trends with medical journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha. Trisha discusses the pros and cons of magnesium supplements, breaks down the science behind ‘leaky gut syndrome’ and sets the record straight on seed oils. She also answers listener questions about cortisol, glucose monitoring and more.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: The Number One Predictor of a Long and Happy Life with Dr. Robert Waldinger.

Carole Hopson is a Boeing 737 captain for United Airlines and the author of ‘A Pair of Wings,’ a historical fiction novel about Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to get her pilot license. After a successful twenty-year career working for iconic brands like the National Football League, Foot Locker and L’Oréal, Carole quit her job to pursue her lifelong dream of flying planes. 

On today’s episode, Carole tells the story of how she turned her childhood dream into a second-act career. She outlines the five-step plan she created for making a major career pivot, and shares tips on how to balance work with family responsibilities. She also discusses her next big dream – to send 100 Black women to flight school by 2035 – and how she’s going to make it happen.

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If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: Redefine Your Relationship to Work with Writer Jennifer Romolini

When Dr. Uché Blackstock was a student at Harvard Medical School, she didn’t learn about racial health disparities or the history of racial violence that mark the field of medicine. It wasn’t until years later, while working in an urgent care in Brooklyn, that Dr. Blackstock was moved to investigate the history of healthcare in America. Now, as a health equity advocate and author of the New York Times bestseller ‘LEGACY: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine,’ Dr. Blackstock is on a mission to dismantle racism in healthcare.

On this week’s episode, Dr. Blackstock speaks to the alarming racial disparities in the American healthcare system and the historic roots of these inequities. Together, Dr. Blackstock and Leah reckon with the past and discuss how we can work towards a more equitable future. She also tips on advocating for yourself as a patient the next time you’re at the doctor.

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: How to Forgive Better with Philosopher Myisha Cherry

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