How do you build a working relationship after you’ve gotten off on the wrong foot? In this episode, Anne and Frances coach a caller who has been brought in to support a team that doesn’t want his help—and doesn’t trust his organization. Together, they brainstorm ways to reset the partnership, offer genuine support, and fix a broken system from the inside out. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 28, 2025•28 min
We all know Taylor Swift as an international pop superstar—her albums shoot to the top of the Billboard charts, and her recent Eras Tour grossed over $2 billion. But what can we learn from Taylor the businesswoman? In this episode, Anne and Frances sit down with Kevin Evers, author of There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift, to dig into the vision, entrepreneurial instincts, and bold decision-making that built Swift’s global empire. Follow Hosts: Anne Morriss ( @annemorri...
Apr 21, 2025•26 min
In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances work to solve three different callers’ tricky problems in under 30 minutes. One listener asks for tips on stepping into a first-time leadership role with confidence, the next wants to motivate her disengaged peers, and a final caller worries about navigating their company’s growth strategy when it’s not at all clear who is in charge. Follow Hosts: Anne Morriss ( @annemorriss | LinkedIn: @anne-morriss ), Frances Frei ( @francesxfrei | LinkedIn: @franc...
Apr 14, 2025•31 min
The resurrection of Barnes & Noble is one of the most remarkable turnaround stories of the modern business era. Chief revival architect and CEO James Daunt joins Anne and Frances to discuss the unconventional leadership strategies that helped him navigate through the pandemic and keep bookstores alive in the age of Amazon and e-books. They explore James’s non-hierarchical approach to team building, dive into the challenges he faced on his mission to revitalize the company, and discover the p...
Apr 07, 2025•39 min
When you spot workplace practices that seem less-than-fair, what can you do to stand up for better treatment of someone else? In this episode, Anne and Frances guide a troubled caller who wants to help fix the lopsided pay structures in her organization and advocate for higher compensation for her junior colleagues. Together, they design a plan to gather data and make a rigorous and optimistic case to the higher-ups while supporting those affected in the meantime. Follow Hosts: Anne Morriss ( @a...
Mar 31, 2025•32 min
In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances work to solve three different callers’ tricky work problems in under 20 minutes. One listener wants to prepare herself mentally to become a senior leader in her organization, the next struggles to move on from a past conflict with a coworker, and a final caller wonders if it’s time to call it quits on their small business. Follow Host: Anne Morriss ( Instagram | LinkedIn ), Frances Frei ( Instagram | LinkedIn ) Links https://anneandfrances.com/ Subsc...
Mar 24, 2025•23 min
Establishing trust with customers and constituents is the cornerstone of a healthy organization—but frontline teams must learn how to do it. In this episode, Anne and Frances help a concerned caller who worries that her team isn’t handling the public’s concerns with enough empathy. Together, they brainstorm actionable ways to improve her team’s trust-building skills by celebrating wins, leaning on each other to solve problems, and using the tried-and-true “trust triangle” framework to better u...
Mar 17, 2025•31 min
Parenthood and leadership have a shared mission to set other people up for success. Renowned “parenting whisperer” Dr. Becky Kennedy (@drbeckyatgoodinside) joins Anne and Frances to discuss the lessons that parenthood and leadership have to offer each other, from how to repair damaged relationships to the importance of embodying your authority and leading with sturdiness. They also dig into some of the advice in Dr. Becky’s bestselling book Good Inside, and reflects on how childhood experience...
Mar 10, 2025•41 min
When an organization lays people off , those who remain are often left scrambling to find their footing – and hold other people up – in an environment that no longer feels stable. In the wake of ongoing tech layoffs and the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the public sector, Anne and Frances are back with a new Unsolicited Advice segment to set the record straight about what layoffs mean for an organization — and the responsibility leaders have to own what went wrong. For Fixable transc...
Mar 03, 2025•24 min
In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances work to solve three different callers’ tricky work problems in under 20 minutes. One listener searches for the best way to level up his small business, the next plans to approach their manager about a dramatic role change, and a final caller is interviewing for a new leadership position that would require him to manage problematic colleagues. What problems are you dealing with at work? Text or call 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured ...
Feb 24, 2025•19 min
Today, we’re bringing you a special episode from Rapid Response featuring Frances in conversation with Bob Safian the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company. Frances and Bob dive into one of the biggest workplace debates today: the real impact of return-to-office mandates. Together, they challenge conventional wisdom about in-person work, reveal the unspoken motivations behind pro-RTO leadership decisions, and share practical strategies for running more efficient meetings — whether remote or in-...
Feb 20, 2025•27 min
What do the most powerful people in the world do after they've achieved success? Jared Cohen is a history buff and a presidential historian. His latest book, “ Life After Power ,” is a fascinating exploration about what seven American presidents did after leaving the most influential job in the world. In this episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective, Adam and Jared discuss the psychology of the founding fathers, debate the pros and cons of pursuing a leg...
Feb 17, 2025•35 min
What should you do when Cupid's arrow strikes at work? Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Anne and Frances are digging into the complicated dynamics of office relationships with the help of Tia Silas, HR expert and the new Chief People Officer at MrBeast, after having served in people leadership roles at some of the most influential companies in the world. Together, they discuss best practices for disclosing a new workplace relationship, how to approach your office crush respectfully, and the cha...
Feb 10, 2025•34 min
When negative feedback shakes your confidence, it can be difficult to get back to feeling like yourself at work. In this episode, Anne and Frances help a struggling listener who has spent years toning herself down in the workplace after being told that she was too assertive — now, she feels that her modest approach is holding her back. Together, they use Anne and Frances’s “trust triangle” framework to explore how empathy, authenticity, and logic can help you rebuild confidence and trust with yo...
Feb 03, 2025•41 min
Sometimes the only way to win is by finding the courage to lose. This week, Anne and Frances want you to “dare to be bad” in order to free up capacity to excel at more important things. They share insight on the power of strategic “no”s, the value of ruthless prioritization, and how Steve Jobs and Apple delivered breakthrough innovation by strategically underperforming. Frances explains why you can’t always trust your own instincts, and Anne reflects on the lessons she learned in her early days ...
Jan 27, 2025•25 min
Have you ever felt like something about your identity was getting in the way of your success? This week, a listener needs help pushing through the resistance she’s facing as a woman navigating a male-dominated workplace. Anne and Frances discuss what you can do when someone else’s bias is standing in your way. Together, the three uncover how you can find your agency in unexpected places – and why you must use it unapologetically. This episode originally aired January 29, 2024. Transcripts for Fi...
Jan 20, 2025•35 min
Kelli is a nurse at a leading teaching hospital where communication issues are not only leading to resentment – they could also be affecting patient care. After hearing from Kelli about the larger problems at play in the healthcare space, Anne and Frances discuss the link between communication and transparency and guide Kelli into taking matters into her own hands. This episode originally aired on April 3, 2023. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on A...
Jan 13, 2025•27 min
This is an episode of a podcast we think you'll love, The Anxious Achiever. Sanyin Siang is an advisor, coach, and adjunct professor at Duke University where she leads the Fuqua/Coach K Leadership and Ethics Center or COLE. She’s also someone who believes in being your own best friend, and that starts with the self-talk we have going on in our heads all day long. In this episode, she walks The Anxious Achiever host Morra Aarons-Mele through her superpowers framework, her own quest to find her st...
Dec 30, 2024•40 min
David and his brother have co-founded a non-profit helping Black youth in Miami… but David still has a full-time job. Wanting to turn his passion project into paid, full-time work, David asks Anne and Frances how he can grow his organization without losing his energy. After, Anne and Frances share strategies for fundraising and approaching non-profit work like an entrepreneur. This episode was originally released on April 17, 2023. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-tra...
Dec 23, 2024•29 min
What to do when your boss is your father-in-law, your colleague is your cousin, and your business partner is also your life partner? In the last episode of the season, Anne and Frances help a frustrated listener discover new ways to help her family business bounce back. She struggles to innovate when disagreements with her colleagues — who also happen to be her in-laws — repeatedly undermine progress. Together, they explore how to navigate personal relationships in business and how brave communi...
Dec 16, 2024•32 min
DEI efforts are focused on giving everyone in the workplace a fair shot at success – and better positioning organizations to excel at what they do. So why is DEI work under attack? And what are some practical ways to avoid setbacks and continue making progress on these goals? Anne and Frances are joined by Dr. Stephanie Creary, a professor at the Wharton School and expert in building more inclusive organizations. Anne, Frances, and Stephanie discuss how diversity strengthens teams, and share str...
Dec 09, 2024•35 min
In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances work to solve three different callers’ tricky work problems in under 20 minutes. One listener contemplates the downsides of a promotion, the next wants to learn how to REALLY identify a company’s culture, and a final caller needs help interpreting unskilled feedback from their boss. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/po...
Dec 02, 2024•32 min
From vetting resumes to screening candidates, many employers are using AI tools to identify top talent. But what happens when companies start relying on AI to help them decide who to hire or promote… and who to fire? In this episode of The TED AI Show, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective, host Bilawal Sidhu speaks with journalist Hilke Schellmann, whose research on the rapidly growing use of AI in the workplace highlights where algorithms are helping – and hurting – business. Hilke share...
Nov 25, 2024•40 min
Looking for a new job can be daunting for everyone. When you’re neurodivergent, the stakes can be even higher in your search for the right role, team, and culture. How can you make the experience less frustrating and more liberating? In part two of Anne and Frances’s conversation with psychologist and author Ludmila Praslova they are joined by a caller who is curious about what his recent autism diagnosis means for his job hunt. The four explore questions about disclosure on the job, how to tell...
Nov 18, 2024•36 min
The Democratic Party lost big in the 2024 election cycle. What are the lessons party leaders should take from what happened? In this special Unsolicited Advice episode, Anne and Frances share their thoughts on how the Democratic Party failed to understand what voters needed most. They explore how the party can identify its underlying problems, rebuild trust, and craft a rigorous and optimistic way forward – skills all leaders need in a complex, fast-moving world. For the full text transcript, vi...
Nov 14, 2024•31 min
Neurodiversity is not always visible, understood, or valued in the workplace. But systems and cultures that support neurodivergent team members can lead to increased productivity and healthier workplaces – for everyone. Psychologist Dr. Ludmila Praslova joins Anne and Frances to discuss her groundbreaking book, The Canary Code, which guides readers through the work of “neuro-inclusion.” Together, they explore ways that better communication, innovative people practices, and more flexible job desi...
Nov 11, 2024•31 min
The only thing we can guarantee will happen…is change. So how do you make transitions less painful and more empowering? This week, Anne and Frances get a call from a listener — a doctor and Senior Director of a healthcare non-profit — whose organization’s success means new ways of working for her team. Anne and Frances help her find ways to avoid burnout, recenter her team, and collectively accelerate the mission. They share clear communication tactics for managing fast-moving change and retaini...
Nov 04, 2024•34 min
Is kindness (and a little math) all it takes to save a company? James Rhee, professor of entrepreneurship, author, and impact investor, believes the answer is yes. This week he joins Anne and Frances to share lessons from his remarkable turnaround of Ashley Stewart — a retail company primarily serving Black, moderate income, plus size women — as a Korean American private equity investor who had never been a CEO before. Learn how deep respect for your employees can lead you to unprecedented succe...
Oct 28, 2024•31 min
You’ve done the hard work to turn your ambitious vision into a viable organization. Now how do you thrive and expand? Listener Nate Johnson is the founder of FreeWriters, a fast-growing organization that provides mindful writing opportunities to inmates in Minnesota county jails. This week, he asks Anne and Frances to help him position FreeWriters for an even bigger impact. The three get real about the resources you need to scale, the role of a visionary in any business model, and what to do as ...
Oct 21, 2024•32 min
Orlando Ashford is the superstar Chief People Officer for Fanatics, the fast-growing digital sports platform that does everything from sell licensed merchandise to host iGaming and special events. Orlando comes to Anne and Frances to ask how to unify his complex organization’s culture. The three break down how to craft a convincing message to freedom lovers, why putting on different hats is a mission-critical leadership skill, and the kind of alignment that drives real progress. What problems ar...
Oct 14, 2024•30 min
