Emmanuel Acho is a creator, host, and producer of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, a web series about racism to drive open and uncomfortable dialogue. His book with the same name is a thoughtful manifesto, a mandate, and a playbook that’s both generous and full of love. We get personal, and we talk about what these important questions mean in the context of history and for culture today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I talk with philanthropist and global advocate for women and girls, Melinda French Gates. We talk about empathy, the power of story, and her book, The Moment of Lift — a clear and powerful call to action for gender equity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this “On My Mind” episode, we talk about shame and accountability. We discussed this a bit last summer, but I’m going deeper today in light of the insurrection at the US Capitol and the resulting calls to unity without accountability. Dehumanization is the most significant driver of insurrection, and it always starts with language. We are all responsible for recognizing it, stopping it, and holding people accountable for dehumanizing language and actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Jan 13, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a podcasters’ roundtable! Tim Ferriss, Dax Shepard, and I talk about everything from preparing for podcasts, parenting, and Ping-Pong to addiction, trauma, and the long, winding road to healing and wholeness. It’s fun and hard and messy. Everything you’d expect from three people who consider curiosity a way of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 16, 2020•2 hr 42 min•Transcript available on Metacast I talk with President Barack Obama about his life, his work, and his new book, A Promised Land. We dive into the power of leaning into uncertainty and why the rare skill of holding the tension of opposites makes us better leaders, partners, and parents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 11, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this “On My Mind” episode, we revisit FFTs and talk about tired brains and new strategies for recovering from too many hard first times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 09, 2020•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast David Eagleman is a neuroscientist, New York Times bestselling author, TED speaker, and Guggenheim Fellow, and in this episode, we talk all about the brain and how it works. It’s mysterious, malleable, constantly changing, and up for new challenges. We dig deeper into the research in his book Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain on the power of being uncomfortable and trying new things and how important new experiences are for continued brain development and health. Learn more ...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Priya Parker is a master facilitator, strategic adviser, and the author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters. We dig into what it means to come together, why connection requires intention, and the often-invisible structures inside our most meaningful gatherings. Priya even helps me deconstruct my wedding and why, decades later, people still tell me how different and fun it was! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is proof that dreams do come true! I get to talk to Dolly Parton about love, empathy, and the power of truth-telling. We talk about everything from her new book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, and songwriting to the challenges of leading organizations and Burt Reynolds. It’s amazing to me how Dolly’s songwriting and storytelling seem to be driven by a deep calling to turn toward pain and heartbreak so she can shine a light for all of us to find our way. Learn more abou...
Nov 18, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast I talk with writer, storyteller, and joy advocate Gabby Rivera, the first Latina to write for Marvel Comics. Gabby penned the solo series America about America Chavez, a portal-punching queer Latina powerhouse. We also talk about her debut novel, Juliet Takes a Breath; how important it is to see ourselves in stories about the hero’s journey; and how joy is a form of resistance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this solo episode recorded on Election Day 2020, I talk directly to our wholehearted community about the practice that helps me when I’m feeling fearful, worried, or wobbly and why this work is the foundation for true belonging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 04, 2020•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast I speak with Elizabeth Lesser, bestselling author and co-founder of Omega Institute, about her newest book, Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 28, 2020•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast My thoughts on power and leadership and a conversation on empathy, unity, and courage with Vice President Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 21, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Burnout. We’re all experiencing it and we’re all desperate for a way through it. In this episode, I talk to Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski about what causes burnout, what it does to our bodies, and how we can move through the emotional exhaustion. This has been a game changer for me and for my family! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the self-appointed president of the TLFC (Ted Lasso Fan Club), it was a blast to talk to Jason Sudeikis, the co-creator, writer, and executive producer who plays Ted Lasso, and Brendan Hunt, the co-creator and writer who plays Coach Beard on the Apple TV+ hit series. The show follows the adventures of a small-time college football coach from Kansas hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer. We talk about the show’s interesting origin st...
Oct 07, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Most Reverend Michael Curry is presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and in this episode, we talk about love. Messy, hard, complicated love. I ask him how we can transcend fear in a scarcity-based culture and what we can learn from those who came before us. We also talk about the church, how to develop beloved community, and the scrappy, gritty work of love that is my definition of faith. Plus, Bishop Curry shares his playlist, with one song that I really didn’t expect. Learn more about ...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I share my thoughts on the power of dissent, what happens when we max out our surge capacity during a crisis, and how time spent without purpose can refuel and reconnect us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 23, 2020•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sonya Renee Taylor and I talk about body shame, radical self-love, and social justice. This conversation was a big unlocking for me — especially when it comes to understanding the connection between how we think about our bodies and oppression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Scott Sonenshein — a researcher and professor — and I talk about the art and science of being scrappy, why outsiders are sometimes better than experts, and why comparison is truly the thief of joy. This book turned things upside down for me — in the best way. I hope the conversation does the same for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast So glad to be back! Launching our second season with a conversation on one of my favorite subjects (and least favorite experiences): Day 2! It sounds easy enough, but Day 2 is no joke. It’s the messy middle — the point of no return. Join us as we talk about navigating what’s next and why it’s always best to stumble through the darkness together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 02, 2020•32 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast We received so many thoughtful and tough AMA questions from listeners that it took us two episodes to cover the most popular topics. In Part 2, I unpack one of the most-asked questions: How do parents build shame resilience in our children? I’m also answering another popular question: Are there TV series and/or films that I think do a great job of accurately capturing emotions and the human experience? While there are SO many that do that well, I share a few of my current favorites. Learn more a...
Jul 15, 2020•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast I said, “Ask Me Anything,” and the Unlocking Us community came through with the tough questions. To be honest, I thought I’d get some easy, fun ones — but no, all deep-end questions. In fact, we received so many thoughtful and tough AMA questions from listeners that it took us two episodes to cover the most popular topics, including “fake news,” disappointment versus self-pity, religion and shame, when something is shame-worthy, and how parents can build shame resilience in children. I also disc...
Jul 08, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s solo episode, I share my thoughts about why accountability is a prerequisite for change and why we need to get our heads and hearts around the difference between being held accountable for racism and feeling shame and being shamed. I share my personal stories of being held accountable and holding myself accountable, as well as my strategies for pulling my “thinking brain” back online when I’m experiencing the flight and fight energy fueled by shame. Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Jul 01, 2020•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast I’m talking with Judd Apatow, who has directed, produced, and written many of the biggest comedy films and hit TV shows of the past two decades. We look at what’s funny, why it’s funny, and why laughter creates connection. We also uncover that thin line between humor and grief and what it means to tell the stories of our lives in a way that we recognize ourselves and our shared humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 26, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Meet Carrie Rodriguez and Gina Chavez, the musicians who created and perform the music you hear every week on Unlocking Us. Artists and activists, Gina and Carrie integrate stories, culture, and the heart of past generations into their music to create artful and hopeful futures. You can hear it in their music, and you can see it in their lives. I’m so grateful that our weekly Unlocking Us conversations begin and end with their soulful sounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...
Jun 24, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast I talk to artist, advocate, executive producer, and all-around amazing woman and friend Laverne Cox about her new, groundbreaking documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen; the importance of policy protection for the trans community; and the seismic shifts in the world today. We also discuss the complexities of intersectionality and accountability, the difference between discomfort and safety, and the ultimate power of seeking love and living in the light. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Austin Channing Brown’s anti-racism work is critical to changing our world, and her ability to talk about what is good and true about love, about our faith, and about loving each other is transformative. She is a writer, a speaker, and a media producer providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. In this episode, we connect on her book, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, and talk about her online television show, The Next Question. Learn more about your a...
Jun 10, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast I’m talking with professor Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and the director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. We talk about racial disparities, policy, and equality, but we really focus on How to Be an Antiracist, which is a groundbreaking approach to understanding uprooting racism and inequality in our society and in ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are true creatives and storytellers, working to make timely art that is honest and vulnerable and truth-telling. Here’s Part 2 of my conversation on Little Fires Everywhere. This episode covers how Reese and Kerry worked with a team of other creatives to bring Celeste’s words to life. We talk about the challenges and responsibilities of creating authentic, living, breathing characters with complex internal thoughts. We talk about motherhood and how it conne...
May 29, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast My conversation with Celeste Ng is the first of two episodes on Little Fires Everywhere, where I’ll cover the book and the series. We talk about the writing process, the stories that we tell, and the stories that define us. We also cover how our hometowns shape us, how parenting is a shame minefield, and how we all have the power to mourn moments even while we’re in them. Celeste also fills us in on what she thinks about the series and what it felt like watching Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washi...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
