Fixable

We all carry insecurities and negative beliefs that can quietly hold us back—but rewriting that narrative is up to us. In this episode, Anne and Frances call on leadership expert and executive coach Muriel Wilkins, author of the new book Leadership Unblocked, to unpack the self-doubt that often stands in our way. Together, they break down Muriel’s seven most common leadership blockers, examine where these limiting beliefs come from, and answer listener questions about how to get what you want at work. Follow Hosts: Anne Morriss (Instagram: @annemorriss | LinkedIn: @anne-morriss) Frances Frei (Instagram: @francesxfrei | LinkedIn: @francesfrei) https://anneandfrances.com/ Guest: Muriel Wilkins (Instagram: @coachmurielwilkins | Website: https://www.murielwilkins.com/) https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Unblocked-Through-Beliefs-Potential/dp/1647827264/ For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. This episode originally aired on March 3, 2025. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a company extraordinary? In this episode, Anne and Frances study Zappos, the online shoe retailer that shaped the early days of e-commerce and even outperformed Amazon by delighting everyone in its ecosystem, from customers to employees to suppliers. They discuss how the company bet on exceptional service rather than traditional marketing, built a deliberately distinctive workplace culture, and the steps founder Tony Hsieh took to put happiness at the center of his business model. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances work to solve three callers’ tricky work problems in under 30 minutes. One listener struggles to collaborate with a difficult colleague, the next asks a follow-up question about a previous episode “How to get good at being bad,” and a final caller wants to empower her team while keeping important issues and decisions on track. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a new year comes new goals and new hopes and dreams. This season, Anne and Frances are introducing a new segment called Toolkit: a practical guide to ideas, tools, and frameworks that can help you reach your goals at work and beyond. In this episode, they tackle the important first step of setting those (ambitious) goals, and break down the tried-and-true Harada Method into a few easy steps. They take a closer look at Shohei Ohtani, a baseball player who put this method into wildly successful practice, and discuss how they set goals in their own lives and in their relationship. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next week we're launching a new season of Fixable, so today we're sharing an episode from the archive. Are you feeling overwhelmed, uninspired, or burned out at work? In this special Unsolicited Advice episode, Anne and Frances are getting ready for summer by tackling the importance of rest and the power of intention. They offer unexpected tips and tricks for recovering from constant stress, owning what you need to feel alive and engaged, and creating an experience of work that unleashes your ambition. This episode originally aired on June 23, 2025. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edith Zimmerman is a sketchbook cartoonist and writer of the Substack newsletter, Drawing Links. In this episode, she joins Chris to talk about honesty and self-discovery. From sharing her artwork to discussing her sobriety journey to falling in love with running, Edith and Chris explore how creativity and pursuing new activities can help you overcome personal challenges. This episode is part of the How to Be a Better Human Bonus Videos series. You can find the extended video companion on the TED YouTube Channel. Watch Edith draw and go running with Chris: https://youtu.be/1jWA3mE5o9Y Edith and Chris' interview: https://youtu.be/U_tOmuja0w8 For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timm Chiusano was having one of the worst days of his career when he found himself inexplicably fascinated by a mundane part of the world on his walk home. That moment sparked a life-changing realization: he was addicted to appreciation, and it was actually his superpower. He shares a disarmingly simple practice that will make you happier, more present and better equipped to navigate your most challenging days. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Jaffe is the author of Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keep Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone. She and Chris discuss the emotional toll of modern work culture and the importance of community. They also dive into Sarah’s newest book, From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire, and explore the idea that between pandemics, climate change, and economic inequality, many of us are feeling a huge (and often unacknowledged sense of grief. Sarah explains the concept of “disenfranchised grief” and how collective mourning can invite meaningful social connections. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a business journalist, Andrew Ross Sorkin writes for the New York Times DealBook, which he founded, and co-anchors Squawk Box on CNBC. In this episode, Adam and Andrew riff on what makes a great conversation and compare notes on their best and worst interviews—including when Elon Musk told Bob Iger to f*** off. They also investigate what Andrew has learned about the psychology of powerful people and explore surprising insights from his new book, 1929, on the infamous stock market crash. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doing the best at your job isn't just about working harder — it’s also about connecting better, says psychologist Alyssa Birnbaum. She shares practical, research-backed tips for strengthening relationships with your coworkers (whether you’re together in person or working remotely) in order to boost engagement, fight burnout and make work better for everyone. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and co-creator of Freakonomics—the cultural phenomenon that, over the past 20 years, has grown into a global franchise, changing how millions think, revealing the hidden side of everything, and challenging us to question what we know. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 experiences can affect your adult relationship with conflict. This is an episode of TED's Fixable podcast. Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://link.mgln.ai/M3ovC5 You can find transcripts for Fixable at ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts This episode originally aired on March 10, 2025. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Relationships of any kind can be tricky—but therapists are here to help. In this special episode, Anne and Frances talk to clinical psychologist Dr. Orna Guralnik, star of the hit show Couples Therapy, to translate her advice for romantic relationships to the professional world. Together, they discuss the art of deep listening, underline the importance of patience and working through differences, and reframe relationships as a constant cycle of rupture and repair. Dr. Guralnik also reflects on the making of Couples Therapy and gives Anne and Frances advice as a couple who work together. Hosts & Guests Anne Morriss (Instagram: @annemorriss | LinkedIn: @anne-morriss) Frances Frei (Instagram: @francesxfrei | LinkedIn: @francesfrei) Orna Guralnik (Instagram: @ornaguralnik) Links https://anneandfrances.com/ https://www.ornaguralnik.com/ Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this brand-new Fixations segment, Anne and Frances reveal the companies and tools they’ve been fixated on recently—and the lessons we can learn from what they’re getting right. Frances tells the story of how The Farmer’s Dog saved dinnertime for her pets and champions Blackmagic Design’s switcher device as a game-changer for remote presentations. Anne recounts her 5-star experience with Waymo’s self-driving cars and makes the case for manila folders. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Technologist Tristan Harris has an urgent question: What if the way we’re deploying the world’s most powerful technology — artificial intelligence — isn’t inevitable, but a choice? In this eye-opening talk, he calls on us to learn from the mistakes of social media’s catastrophic rollout and confront the predictable dangers of reckless AI development, offering a “narrow path” where power is matched with responsibility, foresight and wisdom. After the talk, Sherrell reflects on why it's wise to slow down AI's development and discuss about the organizations working to safeguard AI's impact. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances work to solve three callers’ tricky work problems in under 30 minutes. One listener seeks advice on stepping into a leadership role for the first time, the next struggles with feeling powerless in a middle management position, and a final caller tries to regain the support of her team after receiving some difficult feedback. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re constantly negotiating in our everyday lives—deciding where to go to dinner, haggling with sellers on Facebook Marketplace—but when it comes to higher-stakes conversations, clinching the deal can be daunting. In today’s episode, Frances calls on her colleague Deepak Malhotra for his expert advice at the negotiating table. They discuss how to balance flexibility and assertiveness, the pivotal role of empathy in conflict resolution, and the critical difference between interests and positions. Deepak also gives his take on the breakdown in talks over the WNBA's new collective bargaining agreement and shares plans for his new AI negotiation advisor. Hosts & Guests Anne Morriss (Instagram: @annemorriss | LinkedIn: @anne-morriss) Frances Frei (Instagram: @francesxfrei | LinkedIn: @francesfrei) Deepak Malhotra (LinkedIn: @prof-malhotra) Links https://anneandfrances.com/ https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=189290 Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the Minnesota Lynx were knocked out of the WNBA playoffs, star player Napheesa Collier used her exit interview to issue a scathing critique of the league’s leadership. In this installment of Unsolicited Advice, Anne and Frances coach the WNBA’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, on how to rebuild player trust, take full accountability for the league’s problems, and deliver an effective apology. They also address stalled progress in the players’ collective bargaining agreement and discuss what it will take for Engelbert to become a true champion for the organization’s most important stakeholders: the women on the floor playing world-class basketball. Follow Hosts: Anne Morriss (@annemorriss | LinkedIn: @anne-morriss), Frances Frei (@francesxfrei | LinkedIn: @francesfrei) Guest: Cathay Engelbert (Instagram: @wnbacommish) Links https://anneandfrances.com/ Subscribe to TED Instagram: @ted YouTube: @TED TikTok: @tedtoks LinkedIn: @ted-conferences Website: ted.com Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much time do you spend commuting to and from work in your car? And do you drive alone? In the US, the transportation sector emits more carbon pollution than any other sector—but in 1991, Washington State decided to take matters into their own hands. In this episode, Ryan and Anjali talk to Brian Lagerberg, who worked on the state’s commuter trip reduction plan: a policy that required employers to provide their employees with alternative ways to get to work. Together, they unpack the factors that led to the plan’s success and discuss how other cities and states can promote the same practices that make Washington the carpool state, and the kind of model that others can follow. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.