Everyday Better with Leah Smart
Episodes
Forget Trends, Follow Your Gut: Bobbi Brown’s Life and Work Philosophy
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road, speaks openly about the challenges of building her businesses, and what...
The Courage to Choose Plan A: How Sister Monica Clare Embraced Her Calling
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you feeling stuck in a career you find meaningless, wondering if you’ll ever find your true calling? This week on Everyday Better, Leah Smart s...
Core Values 101: A Step-by-Step Guide for Finding Your Inner Compass
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes of Everyday Better, where Leah walks us through one of her essential personal growth exercis...
Former BBC Journalist Shares the One Communication Habit That Builds Trust
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been in a high-stakes conversation where you tried to communicate clearly only to have the other person talk past you? Or maybe you’ve...
The Atlantic’s CEO on the Power of Doing Hard Things
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nicholas Thompson is a writer, a father, a CEO, and a champion long-distance runner. Nick says that running has taught him how to navigate the hardest...
Eli Rallo on Surviving Gen Z’s Quarter-Life Crisis
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before she became a TikTok star, Eli Rallo had a clear vision for what her post-grad years would look like: she’d have a fulfilling career, fabulous...
Engineering A Happier Life with Tal Ben-Shahar
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all want to be happier. But how do we get there? Former professor of the most popular course at Harvard, Tal Ben-Shahar is a world-renowned posi...
Are You Abandoning Yourself to Avoid Conflict? This Survival Instinct Might Be the Culprit
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all heard of “fight, flight, freeze,” but there’s a fourth survival instinct that’s harder to spot. “Fawning” can look like peopl...
The Only Time Management Technique That Works With Author Oliver Burkeman
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist, author and former “productivity geek.” His bestselling book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals outl...
Gretchen Rubin: How to Make Hard Decisions
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t le...
Case Kenny: How to Become an Optimist
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t le...
Maya Shankar: How to Navigate Life’s Biggest Transitions
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t le...
Esther Perel: How to Balance Work, Family, and Fulfillment
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t le...
The Enneagram: A Path to Discovering Who You Really Are
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bea Chestnut is a psychotherapist, consultant and globally-recognized expert on the enneagram, a personality typing system based on ancient spiritual ...
Why Learning To Disappoint People Is the Key to an Authentic Life
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On paper, Amber Rae had a dream life: she lived in Mexico with her husband and business partner. She was a budding memoirist and a speaker, teaching p...
What Your Self-Talk Says About You, and How To Change It
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever made a mistake and immediately thought, “I’m so stupid, what’s wrong with me?” Suddenly, you’re not just seeing a mistake, you...
You Are the Author: How to Rewrite Your Most Difficult Chapters
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As humans, we’re natural storytellers. The stories we tell shape how we see ourselves, others and the world around us. But not all of our stories ar...
The Science-Backed Tool for Reducing Stress You’ve Probably Never Tried
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When author and entrepreneur Nick Ortner first discovered tapping, he had no idea the impact it would have on his life. Nearly two decades later, he’...
How to Get Better at Being Wrong
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every single day, we’re confronted with more information than we could possibly verify. So how do we ever know we’re right? And what do we do when...
A Guide for Living Fully and Dying Well (From a Hospice Nurse)
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us avoid thinking about death until it hits close to home – but what if facing it head-on could actually help you live more peacefully and j...
How to Take Control of Your Calendar with Time Crafting
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever wish you had more time for what matters most to you? Today, Leah shares a simple time management exercise designed to bring more clarity ...
Leah's Pick: Why “Following Your Passion” Is Bad Career Advice
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” We’ve all heard it, maybe even lived by it. But what if turning your passion into...
Understanding Neurodivergence, Introversion & Leadership
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Morra Aarons-Mele, host of the podcast "The Anxious Achiever," long understood her challenges at work as byproducts of anxiety and depression. She had...
Return to Office: Leah Reflects on Motherhood, Anxiety & the Power of Letting Go
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leah is back from maternity leave! In her first episode back, she and her producers talk about her birth story, the tools she used to manage anxiety d...
How to Survive Uncertainty with Suleika Jaouad
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After nearly a decade in remission, bestselling author, speaker and cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad learned that her leukemia had returned. Confronted ...
The Science of Feeling Safe: A New Guide to Healing Anxiety
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, Dr. Russell Kennedy tried everything to treat his crippling anxiety – therapy, medication – nothing worked. It wasn’t until he stoppe...
How I Learned to Work with My Anxiety
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Leah shares her story of living with and learning to manage her anxiety. Additional Resources: Anxiety and Depression Association of...
Why We Panic: The Evolutionary Roots of Anxiety and How to Cope Today
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Everyday Better is spotlighting some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges. ...
Why Willpower Isn’t Enough (And What Actually Works Instead) with Dr. Anna Lembke
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges. This week, Leah...
Jewel on Fame, Addiction and the Path to True Happiness
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here at Everyday Better, we’re always striving to improve our mental health. This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring ...
How to Stop Wasting Your Potential with Historian Rutger Bregman
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes time to choose a career, we’re often told to follow our passions and optimize for things like title and salary. But rarely do we pause...
Warning: This Podcast Will Remind You of Your Mortality
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After Jodi Wellman’s mother passed away at just 58-years-old, Jodi was left to clean out her apartment. Everywhere she looked, she found remnants of...
Core Values 101: A Step-by-Step Guide for Finding Your Inner Compass
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of Everyday Better, Leah walks through one of her favorite personal growth exercises: defining your core values. When you're f...
From Starting Out to Starting Over: Mentorship in Action
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We often imagine mentorship as a formal relationship between an experienced professional and someone who’s just starting out. But sometimes the most...
Escaping Perfectionism with Professor Thomas Curran
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Curran is a Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics and the author of The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough...
How the "Real Olivia Pope" Handles a Crisis
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Judy Smith built a career handling some of the most high-profile scandals of our time. As the founder of crisis management firm Smith & Co., she’s a...
The 10-Year Plan: A Roadmap to Designing Your Dream Life
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine your life ten years from now. Where are you, who are you with and how do you feel? On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Leah introduce...
How to ‘Do Your Own Research’ with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha (Part 2)
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medical journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha is back this week for part two of our deep dive into the latest health and wellness trends. In this episode, Tr...
Demystifying Wellness Trends with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha (Part 1)
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Full-body MRIs. Red light therapy. Vitamin B12 supplements. Seemingly every day, there’s a new wellness fad taking over the internet. But how do we ...
Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Carole Hopson is a Boeing 737 captain for United Airlines and the author of ‘A Pair of Wings,’ a historical fiction novel about Bessie Coleman, th...
Understanding the Racial Health Gap with Dr. Uché Blackstock
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Dr. Uché Blackstock was a student at Harvard Medical School, she didn’t learn about racial health disparities or the history of racial violenc...
How Peloton Yoga Instructor Chelsea Jackson Roberts Stays Sane in a Chaotic World
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Chelsea Jackson Roberts was 24, she lost her best friend to gun violence. That’s when Chelsea’s yoga practice became about something much mor...
On the Clock: A Working Mothers’ Roundtable on Parenthood and Ambition
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Leah and her husband decided to start a family, she found herself facing a daunting question: could she balance the career she’d worked so hard...
Your 2025 Relationship Reset: How to Stop Fighting About Work With Dr. Alexandra Solomon
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The research is clear: how satisfied you feel at work impacts the quality of your relationships at home, and the quality of your relationships at home...
Your 2025 Work Reset: Redefine Your Relationship to Work With Writer Jennifer Romolini
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does 'success' mean to you? Jennifer Romolini is a writer, author and podcaster. Her second book is ‘Ambition Monster,’ a memoir about the co...
Your 2025 Physical Reset: Setting the Record Straight on Sleep With Dr. Rebecca Robbins
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyday Better is kicking off 2025 with a month’s worth of conversations designed to help you reset for the year ahead. Each week, you’ll learn a...
Your 2025 Mental Reset: How to Conquer Stress and Burnout With Dr. Aditi Nerurkar
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year! To kick off 2025, Everyday Better is bringing you a month’s worth of conversations designed to help you reset for the year ahead. Ea...
Hygge: Conscious Coziness as a Survival Strategy
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meik Wiking is the founder and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. He’s also the author of several books including The Little Boo...
Wintering: How to Weather Difficult Times
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Each winter, life slows down. It’s dark and cold, yet the season offers an opportunity for rest. This week’s episode of Everyday Better honors the...
Thinking About Going to Therapy? Start Here.
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Adams, co-founder and CEO of Headway, is making access to therapy easier. Headway is a mental health care marketplace that matches patients wit...
Why Cooperation Is Key to Humanity’s Survival With Psychologist Athena Aktipis
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Athena Aktipis is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Human Generosity Project. She studies how people work toge...
A Behavioral Scientist’s Guide to Buying the Perfect Holiday Gift
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Rick is a behavioral scientist and marketing professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He holds a PhD in Behavioral D...
The Anatomy of Friendship With Intimacy Expert Shasta Nelson
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shasta Nelson is a leading expert in healthy relationships and intimacy. For over 15 years, she’s been translating the science of human connection i...
How to Reset Your Inner Clock With Science Journalist Lynne Peeples
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lynne Peeples is a journalist and author of The Inner Clock: Living in Sync With Our Circadian Rhythms. She covers science, health and the environment...
Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Carole Hopson is a Boeing 737 captain for United Airlines and the author of ‘A Pair of Wings,’ a historical fiction novel about Bessie Coleman, th...
How to Make the Most of Your 24 Hours with Researcher Cassie Holmes
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cassie Holmes is a Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Decision Making at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Her first book Happier Hour: How t...
Are Our Phones Making Us Lonelier?
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jeffrey Hall is a Professor of Communication Studies and the Director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at the University of Kansas. He studies ...
How a Tibetan Buddhist Nun Works With Her Anger
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thubten Chodron is an American Tibetan Buddhist Nun and the founder of Sravasti Abbey, the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery in the United Stat...
After Acceptance: The Sixth Stage of Grief With Author David Kessler
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’d love to hear from you! Take our audience survey here. David Kessler is a grief and loss expert and the author of several bestselling books, inc...
How I Learned to Work With My Anxiety
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’d love to hear from you! Take our audience survey here. This week, in honor of World Mental Health Day, Everyday Better host Leah Smart is sharin...
No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief With Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’d love to hear from you! Take our quick audience survey here. Bonnie Wan is a brand strategist and author of The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Re...
How to Practice Mental Health Hygiene With Sociologist Corey Keyes
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’d love to hear from you! Take our quick audience survey here. Corey Keyes is a sociologist and professor emeritus at Emory University. He studies...
Turning Career Uncertainty into Clarity With ‘Death, Sex & Money’ Host Anna Sale
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’d love to hear from you! Take our audience survey here. Anna Sale is a journalist, author and host of the award-winning podcast Death, Sex & Mone...
Everyday Better Presents: Let’s Talk Offline
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Everyday Better, we’re featuring the first episode of Let’s Talk Offline, a new podcast from LinkedIn and iHeartPodcasts. Each week o...
The Only Time Management Technique That Works With Author Oliver Burkeman
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’d love to hear from you! Take our audience survey here. Oliver Burkeman is a journalist, author and former “productivity geek.” His bestselli...
The Number One Predictor of a Long and Happy Life With Dr. Robert Waldinger
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’d love to hear from you! Take our listener survey here. Dr. Robert Waldinger is a psychiatrist, Zen master and director of the Harvard Study of A...
Finding Your Purpose Through Ikigai With Tim Tamashiro
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Tamashiro is a jazz singer, radio broadcaster and the author of How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose. On th...
Conquer Everyday Anxiety with Dr. Wendy Suzuki
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University and the author of Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Mo...
Navigating Conflict: The Gottman's Roadmap to Better Connections
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John and Julie Gottman are world-renowned relationship researchers and psychologists who have been happily married for the past 37 years. They’ve au...
Dr. Michael Gervais on Rising Above Fear of Other People's Opinions
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Michael Gervais is one of the world's top high performance psychologists. He’s worked with professional athletes, sports teams and executives, h...
Ditch the Pro/Con List and Embrace Your Core Values with Amanda Hilton
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Personal growth educator Amanda Hilton says that when it comes to decision-making at work and in your personal life, there is never one ‘right’ an...
The Enneagram at Work: Leveling Up Your Leadership Skills
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of our conversation with psychotherapist and Enneagram expert Bea Chestnut, we explore how the Enneagram can be used at work. As an Enneag...
The Enneagram: A Path to Discovering Who You Really Are
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bea Chestnut is a psychotherapist, consultant and globally-recognized expert on the enneagram, a personality typing system based on ancient spiritual ...
The Pitfalls of Pursuing Your Passion at Work with Sociologist Erin Cech
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Erin Cech is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan and the author of The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillme...
The Art of Feel Good Productivity with Ali Abdaal
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Abdaal is an author, YouTube star and productivity expert. In his book Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You and on his Yo...
Taking A Sabbatical from Personal Development with Marc Champagne
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marc Champagne is a philosopher, podcaster and the bestselling author of Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World...
Charles Duhigg on How to Have More Meaningful Conversations
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author. In his third book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language...
How a Career in Hospice Care Made Nurse Hadley “Death Positive”
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Known as “Nurse Hadley” to her nearly 2 million followers on TikTok, Hadley Vlahos is a hospice nurse, content creator and New York Times bestsell...
Everyday Better Presents: Hello Monday Master Class
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Everyday Better, we’re featuring an episode from a new bonus series from our sister podcast Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel. “Hello Mo...
Escaping Perfectionism with Thomas Curran
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Curran is a Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics. His first book, The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough,...
How to Forgive Better with Philosopher Myisha Cherry
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Myisha Cherry is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside and a self-proclaimed “public defender of anger and proud withholder of forgiv...
Understanding the Brain-Body Connection with Neuroscientist Tara Swart
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, leadership adviser and best selling author. She works with executives and leaders all over the world to help them a...
Harnessing the Power of Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Casey Means is a physician, tech entrepreneur and the author of Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health. Sh...
Everything You Think You Know About Happiness Is Wrong (Part II)
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part II of our conversation with Stephanie Harrison, author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, we explore what i...
Everything You Think You Know About Happiness Is Wrong (Part I)
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie Harrison is an expert on the science of happiness. Her first book, New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, explor...
From ‘Haha’ to ‘Aha!': Why Play and Humor Belong at Work with Dr. Barry Kudrowitz
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Barry Kudrowitz is a Professor of Product Design and Head of the Department of Graphic Design at the University of Minnesota. He studies the conne...
Mindful Thinking for Chronic Health with Ellen Langer
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Langer is a renowned Harvard professor and psychologist who has been studying mindfulness for over 40 years. She is the first woman to be tenure...
Can’t Meditate? Just Breathe with JP Crimi
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Breathwork might just become your favorite meditation practice once you understand its benefits. Led by renowned breathwork teacher JP Crimi, Leah Sma...
Awakening Awe: Finding Beauty in the Everyday with Dacher Keltner
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dacher Keltner, founding director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and author of "Awe: The Nature of Awe and the Power to Transform ...
Discovering Sufficiency: Redefining Wealth and Abundance in Life
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lynne Twist is a renowned writer, speaker, and global activist who has worked with influential figures such as Buckminster Fuller, Mother Teresa, and ...
Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday Awe
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Thaller serves as the Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she has dedicated over two ...
No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief with Bonnie Wan
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bonnie Wan is a globally-renowned career brand strategist and the author of "The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living." She is passionate abou...
How to Manage Stress and Change Habits by Activating Your Heart’s Intelligence
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Women’s History Month, so we’re featuring exceptional women who are introducing refreshing perspectives on mental, physical and emotional t...
Break the Cycle: How to Heal Intergenerational Trauma and Restoring Well-Being
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re dedicating Black History Month to Black voices who inspire excellence in all of us. You're going to hear honest stories and guidance from four...
How Instinct, Preparation, and Synchronicity Can Lead to Meaningful Work
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
February is Black History Month so we’re dedicating it to Black voices who inspire excellence. In this four-part series, you'll hear women who advoc...
Tunde Oyeneyin Is Living on Purpose
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
February is Black History Month. We're dedicating it to Black voices who inspire excellence. In this four-part series, you're going to hear honest sto...
Stories That Shape Us: Insights from Slate's Dear Prudence
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
February is Black History Month. We're dedicating it to Black voices who inspire excellence. In this four-part series, you're going to hear honest sto...
Deepak Chopra Decodes Quantum Science for Overall Well-being
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the final episode of our series, “The Better Blueprint for Your 2024,” focused on spiritual health. Dr. Deepak Chopra, a pioneer in blendi...
Navigating Conflict: The Gottman's Roadmap to Better Connections
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John and Julie Gottman are top relationship researchers, psychologists, and the power couple behind the new book, “Fight Right." They joined Leah Sm...
The Art of Feel Good Productivity with Ali Abdaal
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Abdaal is an author and one of the world's most followed productivity experts. He is known for his YouTube channel, where he shares research-backe...