Fixable

Why is it so fun to watch your team win in the World Cup or to be a Knicks fan as they finally get an NBA championship? There’s a collective joy in sports that can also be found in art, theater, and comedy. In this episode of How to Be a Better Human with Maxwell Pearce, Chris talks to him about his accomplishments as a mixed media artist and a Harlem Globetrotter. Maxwell integrates playfulness into his art and in sports—whether it’s using shoelaces as texture in his artwork or training his body to perform a basketball trick shot. Maxwell shares how play is the secret ingredient in his career and how changing the way he thinks about the rules and mistakes allows him to have more fun and more successes.
For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As an editor at Fortune, Nick Lichtenberg made a big stir in the world of journalism and beyond when he revealed that he used AI to help publish over 600 articles this year.His expansive use of this new tech to research, edit, and draft many of his stories has sparked fierce debate both inside and outside the media industry. In this episode, Nick joins Anne and Frances to break down his approach to AI, and make the case for why AI can’t replace your job, but it can make you better at it. He also shares his theory that AI tools benefit just as much from positive reinforcement as people do, and offers practical advice for how to make the most of them without sacrificing human judgment.

Featured guest
Follow Nick Lichtenberg on LinkedIn and at fortune.com/author/nick-lichtenberg/

Connect with the team
Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn
Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn
Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods
Visit Anne and Frances’ website
Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When change is constant, strong leadership keeps teams grounded and ready for what’s next. Dara Treseder, chief marketing and commercial officer at the tech company Autodesk, has helped lead her organization through this fast-moving moment with clarity and optimism. In this episode, Anne and Frances talk with Dara about her approach to AI and the future of work, and how she helps her team embrace uncertainty with confidence. Dara also shares advice on cultivating advocates early in your career and reflects on a lesson from her mother about the power of persistence.

Featured guest

Follow Dara Treseder on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://daratreseder.com/

Connect with the team

Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn
Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn
Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods
Visit Anne and Frances’ website
Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this era of profound change, uncertainty creates not only strategic challenges at work, but emotional ones, too. Ethan Kross is a psychology professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business whose research explores how people can better manage their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In this episode, Ethan joins Anne and Frances to debunk common misconceptions about managing emotions and shares practical tools for navigating stress more skillfully. He also offers advice for leaders coaching their teams through emotionally charged moments, and helps Frances reframe a conflict with her mother.

Featured guest
Follow Ethan Kross on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://www.ethankross.com/
Buy Shift: Managing Your Emotions—So They Don't Manage You

Connect with the team
Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn
Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn
Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods
Visit Anne and Frances’ website
Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Constraints often feel frustrating and limiting — but they can also create the friction that sparks creative breakthroughs, reveals better solutions, and leads to more thoughtful decisionmaking. In this episode, Anne and Frances are joined by David Epstein, an investigative reporter and bestselling author of the new book Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better. They discuss why limits are powerful tools for clarity and innovation, examining case studies of companies that used constraints to accelerate their success (and others that struggled after removing them). They also explore the constraints-based strategies elite athletes use in their training routines.

Featured guest
Follow David Epstein on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and at davidepstein.com/
Buy Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better
Subscribe to David's substack Range Widely

Connect with the team
Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn
Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn
Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods
Visit Anne and Frances’ website
Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.