What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this award-winning podcast, cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar explores how we experience change and strategies we can use to better navigate moments of upheaval.
Maya’s life took a dramatic turn when an injury ended her career as a violinist and inspired her to study the science of change.
Named Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year, A Slight Change of Plans features deeply personal stories and scientific insights about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change.
Past guests include Kacey Musgraves, Brené Brown, Ruby Bridges, Amanda Knox, Adam Grant, Angela Duckworth and more.
Whether it’s a sudden pivot or a slow transformation, each episode reveals how change can give us an opportunity to reimagine who we are and unlock greater possibility.
Follow @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.
In an effort to bring an end to violence in northern Uganda in 1993, Betty Bigombe decides to engage directly with the notorious warlord, Joseph Kony. Today we hear about one woman’s approach to unlocking peace in the enemy. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Amanda Knox was just 20 years old when she was found guilty of a crime she did not commit — the murder of her roommate. Amanda spent four years in an Italian prison before she was finally exonerated and allowed to return to her life back home in the U.S. But she soon discovered that that life didn't exist anymore. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
What makes a ballerina, a world-class chef, or a civic activist great? Psychologist Angela Duckworth says the answer is GRIT — a power combo of passion and perseverance. Angela teaches us how to become the grittiest versions of ourselves, and gives us valuable advice on when to quit and when to grit. You can follow the show @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Eric Vetro is the vocal coach to stars like Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, and John Legend. He’s also the host of the exciting new Pushkin show, Backstage Pass. Maya and Eric talk about the show’s genesis and their shared appreciation of the human voice. And Eric gives Maya a quick tease of his coaching skills -- to help her recover from some vocal pain she’s been experiencing in her role as podcast host! You can hear more episodes of Backstage Pass at http://podcasts.pushkin.fm/scpbackstagepass. ...
Gabby Thomas became the second-fastest woman ever when she ran the 200m in 21.61 seconds at the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials. She then won two medals at the Tokyo Olympics. But her relationship with running isn't as straightforward as you might think, and competing interests have continually led Gabby to question whether running is the path she should be on. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com...
John Elder Robison is a gifted sound engineer whose rare ability to understand machines propelled him to work with the likes of Kiss and Diana Ross. But the one thing he always felt was lacking was his ability to understand people emotionally. In an effort to see if he could change that, he volunteered to participate in an experimental brain study. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener...
Annie Duke believes we should be quitting things more often, a skill she honed during her lucrative years as a professional poker player on the world stage. Annie talks about the science of quitting, and shows us how to get out of our own way and learn to quit when we should. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oscar-Nominated actor Riz Ahmed shares how the roles he’s played have changed not only how he sees the world, but also how he sees himself. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Maya Shankar recently experienced a heartbreaking change in her personal life, while on her way to becoming a mom. Two days after it happened, she felt the need to process it out loud, like so many of her guests have done on her show. In this episode, Maya asked her producer, Tyler, to interview her about her own “Slight Change of Plans.” You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
Susan Messing and Michael McCarthy were a beloved couple in the Chicago comedy scene. Michael passed away from cancer in 2020. As part of Susan’s grieving process, she began to sift through the 50 or so boxes of his writing that he had left behind for her. What followed was a complicated grief. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Hey Slight Changers - y'all good with this nickname? We’ve been working hard on fresh episodes for you and put together this teaser to give you a sneak peek of what we’ve been cooking up in the Slight Change kitchen... You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
New episodes of A Slight Change of Plans coming every Monday starting October 11th! Maya joins Dr. Laurie Santos (host of The Happiness Lab) to talk about how we can reframe the change in our lives and learn to fear it less; and also how we can inspire far greater changes in ourselves than we ever thought possible. Maya and Laurie also take a few listener questions. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnys...
Singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves has never been willing to change herself or her music for anyone else. But a recent psychedelic trip allowed her to change on her own terms and inspired her upcoming album. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
When Ramsey Khabbaz was 20 years old, he woke up to the sound of a blaring fire alarm. It took him a moment to realize that the sound was originating from within his own head. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Morgan Givens was initially filled with joy when he came out as transgender and began hormone therapy. But his joy was soon pierced when he confronted the reality of being a Black man in society. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Scott, a young researcher who builds cancer detection tools, has spent his entire adult life trying to avoid getting cancer. He is now facing his own stage 4 diagnosis. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the time she was a little girl, Elna Baker had dreamed of being thin. And she did become thin. She lost close to 100 pounds in five months. For a while Elna thought she was living her dream life, until she realized that she had lost herself in the process. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Psychologist and author Adam Grant talks with Maya about the science of changing peoples’ minds, including our own. Adam also takes some of his own advice and rethinks some of his ideas. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Megan Phelps-Roper was born into the Westboro Baptist Church, a religious cult called the most rabid hate groups in America. Megan was a true believer and one of the Church’s most vocal advocates...until one day, she changed her mind. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Tommy Caldwell's near-death experience unlocks a completely new state of mind that propels him to become the greatest big wall climber of all time. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Maya chats with her friend and fellow cognitive scientist Dr. Katy Milkman about science-based strategies to help you inspire change in your own life. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People have been asking Hillary to change ever since the 1970s, when she defied the stereotype of First Lady of Arkansas. And she was willing to change...just never in the way people had hoped. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After her mom's car accident throws Tiffany Haddish's childhood into chaos, a social worker gives her an ultimatum that changes her life. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Black jazz musician Daryl Davis meets a Klansman at a bar, his life takes a sudden turn. He ends up inspiring hundreds of people to leave white supremacist groups. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A sneak peak of what's to come this season on A Slight Change of Plans with Dr. Maya Shankar, in conversation with her good friend and fellow podcast host Michael Lewis. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Coming soon: A Slight Change of Plans hosted by Maya Shankar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
