Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And"

Kelly talks with Erik LeDrew, a photojournalist and US Army veteran who transitioned from the chaos of combat to the chaos of filmmaking. He wrote and co-directed “Alex vs. ARod” for HBO, a fantastic documentary that looks at the life and career of baseball great Alex Rodriguez. 

“Once you do something like join the US military, it kind of follows you everywhere you go.”

“I architect narrative…When I transitioned to the documentary side, it was all about capturing the kinetic energy of the moment.”

“I had to adopt a ‘go through the door that opens’ mentality.”

Kelly sits down with Jake Braun, who has worked at the intersection of politics, national security, and foreign policy for over two decades and was appointed to prominent roles in the Obama and Biden administrations. He wrote the book “Democracy in Danger,” and he has a new book, “Fentanyl: Fighting the Mass Poisoning of America and the Cartel Behind It.”

Kelly connects with Dr. Khameer Kidia, a writer, physician, and anthropologist at Harvard Medical School and University of Zimbabwe. A Rhodes Scholar and 2023 New American Fellow, Dr. Kidia has worked on global mental health research practice, and advocacy for the last decade. He has a new book, “Empire of Madness: A Physician’s Case for Reimagining Global Mental Health.”

Kelly speaks with Erin McGoff, an award-winning filmmaker and content creator – known as the “internet’s big sister” through her AdviceWithErin branding. She received a Pulitzer Fellowship in 2017 and was named a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient in 2025. She has a new book: “The Secret Language of Work: Hyper-Helpful Scripts for Every Situation.”

“What holds people back from speaking up is fear.”

“Communication is at the heart of every single aspect of your career.”

“Don’t tell yourself a story that takes away your power.”

Kelly connects with Julia Minson, a professor at Harvard Kennedy School. She is a behavioral scientist with extensive research experience in conflict, communication, negotiations, and decision-making. She has a new book: “How to Disagree Better.” 

Kelly talks to Joe Pine, an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. He is a co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design new ways to add value to their economic offerings. He is the co-author of the best-seller “The Experience Economy,” and his latest book is called “The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations.”   

“What people want, in short, is to be transformed.” 

“Customization is the antidote to commoditization.” 

“Sell the end.” 

Kelly spends time with Jane Marie Chen, a globally recognized entrepreneur, inventor, speaker, and leadership coach. She is the co-founder of Embrace, which developed an infant incubator that has helped to save over a million babies. Jane has been a TED fellow and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. She has a new memoir, “Like a Wave We Break: A Memoir of Falling Apart and Finding Myself.”

“This is the story of a wipeout.” 

“True leadership, I realized, wasn’t about perfection or invincibility. It was about authenticity.”

“Surviving trauma and confronting its aftermath are two different experiences.” 

Kelly talks to Jenny Raymond from the Harnish Foundation and Julie Dumais Osborne from The Second City Training Center to talk about a new partnership that offers free improv-based leadership training for girls in grades 3 through 8 in Chicago called Funny Girls. The best part: IT’S FREE! For more information or to sign up your school, go here: https://thehf.org/funny-girls/secondcity/

“Improv is a warm hug for girls.”

 “Improv teaches girls that there’s no right or wrong, fostering a sense of confidence and belonging.”

  “By using improv, we’re helping girls discover their voices and build the confidence they need to lead.”

Kelly welcomes futurist Bob Johansen back to the podcast to discuss his book “Navigating the Age of Chaos.” Bob introduces us to the term BANI, which describes the world we live in now: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible. Spoiler alert – improvisation is a skill one needs to navigate this world.

“In the mid-2010’s, everything started to get a little crazy.” 

“Improv allows you to practice in low-risk ways for nonlinear futures and unpredictable environments.

“The best leaders will be great storytellers.” 

Kelly talks to Harvard professor Leslie John, whose research into self-disclosure provides a rich source of insights into how we can better build relationships, foster connection, and lead a more purposeful life when we are willing to be vulnerable and share details of our lives with others.

“If in doubt, transparency is the safer bet.” 

“Today, the illusion of reciprocity thrives on social media.” 

“Like most hangovers, the pain of TMI is often short-lived.”