Best Great Minds Advising Podcasts (2024)

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[Re-Release] Practicing Courage #32: Choosing courage over comfort 8:59

24h ago8:59

8:59

At the end of each day we do a mental scan, reviewing our experiences from that day. When people do this, they often find: The moments where they moved outside of their comfort zone The moments where they pushed themselves And the moments where they were courageous Are often the moments that they end up being most proud of. Additionally, leading co…

1
[Best of] To Feel Is To Be Human | Dr. Marc Brackett 56:39

2d ago56:39

56:39

Today we are re-releasing one of our most popular episodes ever on the show, a powerful conversation with Dr. Marc Brackett. In this episode, we'll explore themes from his book Permission to Feel as well as his broader work as a leader in the field of emotional intelligence. Marc, is on a mission to educate the world about the value of emotions and…

1
Episode 8 — School List Mistakes & Myths 1:05:49

3d ago1:05:49

1:05:49

In this episode, we cover many factors—including costly mistakes, myths, and traps—related to students’ school selection. In particular, we address the following: School Visits Why it doesn’t make sense to visit highly selective colleges before mid-11th grade Prioritization of best and best-fit colleges for visits, especially schools that offer bin…

1
Heroes and Helpers #3 - Becoming your own inner ally with Alfreda McCray 24:54

7d ago24:54

24:54

In the hero's journey, the hero or heroine is called to adventure. Often in the form of a quest, a challenge, or an adversity. And often that adventure arrives unexpectedly. One of the things that’s interesting about the hero's journey is that shortly after the call a helper enters the picture. A mentor, a sage, a guide, or a coach of some sort. Th…

1
Practicing Courage #31: The space between stimulus and response 9:23

8d ago9:23

9:23

As part of a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion on The Courageous Life, yesterday we released a beautiful conversation with Roshi Joan Halifax and Rhonda Magee. Together they explored a variety of themes related to meeting the most pressing challenges of our time with backbone and heart. To complement the conversations in this series I have b…

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The Power of Compassion Pt 4 | Roshi Joan Halifax and Rhonda Magee 1:01:05

9d ago1:01:05

1:01:05

This is the finale in our 4-part series on the power of compassion, which has featured leading researchers and practitioners in illuminating conversations about how to live with a more kind, and open hearted stance toward the world. Today's conversation could not be a more fitting end as Roshi Joan Halifax and Rhonda V. Magee, two extraordinary pio…

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Episode 7 — Building An Admissions “Hook” 1:37:15

10d ago1:37:15

1:37:15

In prior episodes, we’ve determined that top colleges seek not only students with excellent grades, course rigor, and test scores but also students with compelling admissions “stories” or “hooks” related to their academic/intellectual passions and how they will contribute to their future college—and hopefully, the world—in some specific, unique way…

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Heroes and Helpers #2 - Curiosity, trust, and inner wisdom with Shandra Lamotte 31:40

14d ago31:40

31:40

In the hero's journey, the hero or heroine is called to adventure. Often in the form of a quest, a challenge, or adversity. And often that adventure arrives unexpectedly. One of the things that’s interesting about the hero's journey is that shortly after the call a helper enters the picture. A mentor, a sage, a guide, or a coach of some sort. They …

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[Re-release] Practicing Courage #30: Listening deeply - letting go of fixing, saving, and advising 10:24

15d ago10:24

10:24

As part of a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion yesterday we released a moving conversation with Jerry Colonna and Leah Weiss. Together they explored the future of work: Love, Safety, and Belonging. To complement these conversations on compassion I am sharing some of the most potent practices I’ve come across for opening the heart, and access…

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The Power of Compassion Pt 3 | Jerry Colonna and Leah Weiss 1:20:58

16d ago1:20:58

1:20:58

There is a metaphor that comes out of ancient wisdom traditions of a bird. One wing of the bird represents wisdom and the other represents compassion. In order to fly the bird needs both wings. Like the bird, as people and leaders, cultivating wisdom and compassion in our lives, and in our organizations may help us to realize our potential. This me…

1
Episode 6 — Rejected Valedictorian Essay Analysis 36:37

16d ago36:37

36:37

She was the Valedictorian of her high school. Perfect GPA in over twenty advanced classes, taking Calculus BC by 10th grade and college math courses by 11th grade. All perfect or near-perfect test scores, tennis captain, multiple leadership positions, a scholarship to a prestigious math program, and state math champion. To boot, as a female applyin…

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Heroes and Helpers #1 - Faith, Hope, and Love with Eddie Garcia 36:43

21d ago36:43

36:43

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Everyday Heroes and Helpers. A new series on the Courageous Life Podcast that has been a dream since we first launched back in 2018. Part of the mission of the show has always been to share inspiring stories of everyday heroes. Ordinary people like our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and members of our communitie…

1
Practicing Courage #29: The art of building great relationships 6:46

22d ago6:46

6:46

As part of a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion which we are re-releasing on The Courageous Life, yesterday we released a beautiful conversation with Dr. James Doty and Dr. Jacinta Jiménez. Together they explored a variety of themes related to cultivating greater compassion and empathy, including the possibility of fostering cultures of care …

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The Power of Compassion Pt 2 | James Doty and Jacinta Jiménez 51:26

23d ago51:26

51:26

Today we're continuing our four-part series on the power of compassion with a deep, insightful, and moving conversation between Dr. Jacinta Jiménez and Dr. James Doty. Each episode in this series showcases a powerful duo made up of a leading researcher and practitioner who will explore themes related to compassion, courage, and living with a more o…

1
Episode 5 — The Biggest College Essay Mistake 56:32

24d ago56:32

56:32

Summer is upon us, and many rising seniors—if they haven’t already—are turning their attention to college applications. Among the most important components they will be tackling is the Common Application “Personal Essay”, often simply called “the college essay.” For almost all students, this will be the most important essay colleges read, and for s…

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Practicing Courage #28: A powerful way to find common ground 11:00

28d ago11:00

11:00

Over the next four weeks on the Courageous Life podcast we will be re releasing a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion. Yesterday we began with Part One, a powerful and moving conversation with Positive Psychology Pioneer Dr. Barbara Fredrickson and world renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg. To complement these conversations over the co…

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The Power of Compassion Pt 1 | Barbara Fredrickson & Sharon Salzberg 1:00:29

1M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

Today we’re relaunching a 4-part series on the power of compassion. We originally released this series of conversations last season as we brought together some of the world's leading researchers and practitioners to take a deep dive into compassion, courage, and living with a more open and loving stance toward the world. Throughout this series you'…

1
Episode 4 — What Top Colleges Look For & How To Build It 45:35

1M ago45:35

45:35

College admissions has never been more competitive: high GPAs, strong test scores, and a well-rounded resume—once sufficient for an acceptance—are now common features of most applications to highly selective colleges. In this episode, we reveal what top colleges nowadays seek: students with compelling admissions stories centered around a focused ac…

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[Re-Release] Practicing Courage #27: Overcoming fear of public speaking 7:30

1M ago7:30

7:30

Whether it’s presenting, facilitating, sharing in a large meeting, hosting, or some other form of being in the spotlight, Speaking in public is one of people's greatest fears which may show up in various forms: Doubt Feeling anxious or nervous Over-focusing on oneself The list goes on. So today, we are re-releasing one of the most popular practices…

1
Realizing Your Creative Potential | Rukmini Poddar 44:51

1M ago44:51

44:51

How do we find the courage to create? The courage to listen to, and follow our heart? Particularly when that means living a life that may not follow the beaten path? And how might we expand our capacity to hold more than one emotion at a time, accepting and embracing the messy experience of being human, and the inevitable ups and downs of the creat…

1
Episode 3 — Why College Outcomes Vary 26:26

1M ago26:26

26:26

When many parents applied to college around three decades ago, college lists and outcomes assumed a fairly predictable, linear order. You had your “safeties,” schools to which you were almost certain to be admitted, your “targets,” schools to which you could reasonably expect to be admitted, and “reaches,” schools to which you would most likely not…

1
Practicing Courage #26: A simple practice for manifesting your dreams 5:30

1M ago5:30

5:30

Yesterday we released a Courageous Life conversation with Dr. James Doty. Together we explored themes from his new book: Mind Magic The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How it Changes Everything. In both the book and our conversation Dr. Doty challenges the popular narrative around manifestation, A narrative that has narrowly emphasized outward su…

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Using Neuroscience to Manifest a Kinder, Better World | Dr. James Doty 51:23

1M ago51:23

51:23

For decades the practice of manifestation has been widely dismissed as self-involved, materialistic pseudoscience. Today, neuroscientist and founder of the Center for Compassion at Stanford, Dr. James Doty is back on the podcast for the 3rd time. This time to discuss what he calls an antithesis to this popular narrative around manifestation, which …

1
Episode 2 — Breaking Down Single-Choice & Restrictive Early Action 21:07

1M ago21:07

21:07

You’ve probably heard of Early Action, but do you know what Single-Choice and Restrictive Early Action are? Seven of the top colleges (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, CalTech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) offer one of these unique sub-types of Early Action that place significant restrictions on the other colleges to which students under these pl…

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Practicing Courage #25: How to connect (when it's difficult) 11:30

2M ago11:30

11:30

Yesterday we released a moving Courageous Life conversation with Juliana Tafur. Juliana is a journalist, award winning documentary filmmaker, and bridge builder. She serves as the Program Director for the Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences initiative. During our time together she shared shared some of her story, and insights from he…

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Building Bridges Back to Each Other | Juliana Tafur 50:01

2M ago50:01

50:01

How does it feel to be seen? What is it like to be listened to in a way that you feel deeply understood? How often have you listened to others in this way? And, how often have you been listened to like this? In his book, Caring Enough to Confront, David Augsberger writes: "Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are …

1
Episode 1 — One Thing Every Junior Must Do Now 40:04

2M ago40:04

40:04

While many students and parents are caught up with AP exams, senior course selection, college visits, college essays, requesting teacher letters of recommendation, in this episode, we reveal the one thing that absolutely every high school junior must do right now if they want to ensure they are on the path to admissions success at top colleges. And…

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Practicing Courage #24: Increasing the capacity to be with discomfort 8:02

2M ago8:02

8:02

In yesterday’s Courageous Life episode with Dr. Todd Kashdan, the author ofThe Art of Insubordination, we unpacked the recipe for what he calls, principled rebellion: A courageous practice of going against the stream, Challenging conformity and questioning conventional ideas. But doing so from a place of heart. Rebelling in ways that are generative…

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Practicing the Art of Principled Rebellion | Dr. Todd Kashdan 1:05:21

2M ago1:05:21

1:05:21

For ideas to evolve and societies to progress, Dr. Todd Kashdan argues it's vital to cultivate principled rebels. Those who who are willing to go against the stream, to challenge conformity and question conventional ideas, But to do so from a place of heart - to practice rebellion in ways that are generative (vs. destructive). This type of authenti…

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Twits in Peril, Chapter 5 - My Short but Brilliant Acting Career 26:29

2M ago26:29

26:29

When we last saw Cyril he was being carried on the shoulders of a mob bent on confronting the evil tycoon Cyril Chippington-Smythe. They little suspect that the heroic “Johny” who is leading their little uprising is, in fact, the very Chippington-Smythe they despise. Quite a sticky wicket for our hero, but every step is bringing him closer to the r…

1
Twits in Peril, Chapter 4 - I Get a Job 23:47

2M ago23:47

23:47

We left Cyril and Binky packed like sardines on a creaky old mattress. Binky has put his foot in it by passing himself off as a leader of the Welsh Underground in order to impress Judy. A new day has dawned, however, bringing with it the promise of new adventures... and pancakes! Judy has arranged jobs for them and they happily head off to experien…

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Twits in Peril, Chapter 3 - Wales is a Mysterious Place 24:23

2M ago24:23

24:23

We left Cyril horrified by the arrival of his Aunt Hypatia, Uncle Hugo, Cousin Binky and C. Langford Cheeseworth, who have come to join him in the amusing game they call, “Slumming”. Will they scuttle Cyril's chance to win his wager? Will he be forced to slink back to the Club in disgrace? The relatives retire to Cheeseworth's camouflaged land yach…

1
Twits in Peril, Chapter 2 - I Eat a Cherry 23:45

2M ago23:45

23:45

We left our hero in shorts and flip-flops, preparing to infiltrate a world without privilege. Can he survive for a week without cheesy eggs? without a girdle? Without Bentley? Ernie leads him into the topsy-turvey world inhabited by the working poor and Cyril's eyes slowly begin to open. A cherry causes him to re-evaluate his beliefs. NOW AVAILABLE…

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Twits in Peril, Chapter 1 - An Ill-Advised Wager 22:44

2M ago22:44

22:44

Cyril is happily swilling down a Brandy and Prozac at the Club Bar when his old friends, Ford and Lincoln join him. The conversation turns to the gulf between the privileged class and the masses and Cyril is goaded into betting that he can pass for a member of the working class for a week. His cousin Binky arrives and places his bet on Cyril. Alas,…

1
Practicing Courage #23: Choosing learning over knowing 4:23

2M ago4:23

4:23

When I was first learning to be a coach we had a saying before stepping into a coaching conversation: Leave your assumptions at the door and embrace curiosity. In reality we often know SO little about someone’s experience, and about their story. And when we recognize that, what seems to make the most sense is to get curious. To ask questions, And t…

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Awe, Wonder, and Everyday Miracles | Dr. Jonah Paquette 47:39

2M ago47:39

47:39

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, take in a beautiful sunset, stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high, or witness an extraordinary act of courage, kindness, or love? Often, it's a profound sense of awe - the overwhelming feeling we experience when we encounter something vast that transcends our understanding. In his boo…

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[Re-Release] Practicing Courage #22: Letting go of what doesn't serve you 11:58

2M ago11:58

11:58

On the heels of a powerful conversation with Dr. Emma Seppala we are re-releasing this Practicing Courage episode (originally #4) as it aligns intimately with the themes Emma and I explored together. Perhaps none more important than Sovereignty, which is the topic of Emma's beautiful new book: Sovereign. She defines Sovereignty as: Our innate human…

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Reclaiming Our Freedom, Energy, and Power | Dr. Emma Seppälä 55:42

2M ago55:42

55:42

There is an internal freedom and a relationship with yourself so profoundly life-supportive and energizing that you access your fullest potential. This is sovereignty. Our innate human capacity for being resilient regardless of the chaos that life brings and for staying true to oneself and intentional regardless of outside influences. In her beauti…

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Practicing Courage #21: Learning to fail better 7:36

3M ago7:36

7:36

To fail is human. It’s built into our experience from childhood. We begin to walk and we fall. We begin a project, we work toward a goal, or we start a business and we may fail. We experience these moments - When we are engaged in learning, When we are moving toward something we care about And we come up short. And in these moments there is an oppo…

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Meeting Failure with Curiosity and Compassion | Dr. Amy Edmondson 54:35

3M ago54:35

54:35

Failure is an experience that is deeply embedded into our lives. As we learn to walk we fall. As we learn to ride a bike we (usually) fall again. And yet even though it is so familiar, so intertwined with our journey through life, not all failure is created equal. Which brings up important questions: How do we fail well? What are the crucial distin…

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Twits in Peril, Trailer (Season 2) 0:52

3M ago0:52

0:52

Cyril Chippington-Smythe (Michael Urie) never met a wager he didn't like. When his old friends, Ford (Nik Walker) and Lincoln (James Rana), bet him that he can't survive living like an average citizen named “Johny” for a week he jumps in with both feet and his cousin Binky (Christian Borle) jumps with him. Alas, Bentley (Dakin Matthews) must stay a…

1
Practicing Courage #20: Finding peace in an expansive mind 14:25

3M ago14:25

14:25

In my most recent interview with Dr. Nate Klemp, who is author of the new book Open: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World, we got the opportunity to talk deeply about opening more to life. Are you familiar with this feeling of openness? Perhaps for you it’s a sense of curiosity? Or a feeling of expansion in the mind, or in the body? …

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Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World | Dr. Nate Klemp 53:34

3M ago53:34

53:34

With the avalanche of information we get every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. We close to ourselves by compulsively checking our devices. We close to each other by getting caught in echo chambers of outrage. But what if there’s another way? In this climate of distraction and division, what if there’s a p…

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Practicing Courage #19: The Art of Saying No Effectively 12:35

3M ago12:35

12:35

Yesterday I released a conversation with Dr. Vanessa Patrick. Vanessa is a professor of marketing and the associate dean for research at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Among other things, Vanessa researches what she calls the empowered refusal - A way of saying no that stems from your identity. This empowered form of sa…

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The Life-Changing Power of Saying No | Dr. Vanessa Patrick 52:18

3M ago52:18

52:18

Have you ever said yes when you really wanted to say no? Has saying no ever been a challenge for you? These are such common experiences that today’s guest, Dr. Vanessa Patrick has written a powerful new book that addresses them head on: The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life. Dr. Patrick resear…

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Practicing Courage #18 - Finding Balance Through Life's Storms 11:51

3M ago11:51

11:51

How can we meet the storms in our lives (both big and small) with greater balance, courage, wisdom, and love? It’s a huge question, I know. And the list of practices and answers is long, varied, and personal. I certainly don’t have "the answer" for you. What I do have are some observations and practices I’ve found to be particularly useful. Today I…

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Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity | Mark Nepo 1:10:38

3M ago1:10:38

1:10:38

Today’s conversation has been 5 years in the making. In 2018 I sat down with Mark Nepo, one of the great spiritual teachers, authors, and poets of our time. During our conversation he posed a question to walk with. Inviting me (and those tuning in) to live into the answers over time. When my heart begins to close, how do I open it again? For 5 year…

1
Growing Our Window of Tolerance | David Treleaven 1:15:04

5M ago1:15:04

1:15:04

Dr. David Treleaven is a a writer, educator, and trauma professional whose work lies at the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. At the heart of David’s work is the notion that mindfulness is more powerful when combined with an understanding of trauma. Part of what’s behind this is the growing realization over the years that mindfulness meditati…

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How Recognition Can Help Heal a Divided World | Michèle Lamont 44:57

5M ago44:57

44:57

In her new book, Seeing Others: How Recognition Works, and How it Can Heal a Divided World, author and acclaimed Harvard sociologist, Michèle Lamont, makes the case for reexamining what we value to prioritize recognition—the quest for respect and dignity—in an age that has been defined by growing inequality and the obsolescence of the American drea…

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Finding Our Way Home to Belonging | Jerry Colonna 58:21

6M ago58:21

58:21

We all want to belong. But to do so, we must first face our own need for belonging and how that need is often thwarted. In his new book Reunion, Leadership and the Longing to Belong, today's guest Jerry Colonna argues that only through radical self-inquiry can we come home to ourselves and others and, in doing so, create systemic belonging—homes—fo…

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