The Speak Good Podcast

Can you apply the rules of debate to your next dinner conversation? Author and champion debater Bo Seo sees parallels between formal verbal sparring and informal chatter around the table. In this episode, we talk about his book, Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard. Bo makes the case that anyone can relay the skills needed for successful competitive debate into real-life conversations. He says one of the mos...

As the former editor-in-chief of the lifestyle blog Lifehacker, Alan Henry was well aware of the power of actionable advice in helping others maximize their potential. Little did he know he’d need some of that same advice to knock down professional obstacles that he faced after becoming the editor of the Smarter Living section of The New York Times.

In this episode, Alan talks about his new book, Seen, Heard, and Paid: Th...

A Republican and a Democrat walk into a bar. They see a liberal buying a conservative a drink, while a priest chats with a rabbi and minister. A CEO is talking with a union leader. A grandmother is there with her granddaughter, while an environmentalist is speaking to an oil company exec. “Is this a joke?” one of them asks. The bartender points to a sign above the bar. It reads: “No talking about religion or politics. It’s how we s...

For centuries, America has put its collective faith in democracy and capitalism, social and economic systems that have been tried and tested during numerous cultural, economic, political, and civil shifts. Our guest, Jonathan Levy, has identified four distinct ages that have shaped America’s economy and led us to where we are today.

In a previous episode, Levy talked about how America rose from its agrarian beginnings to ...

How did America become the world’s largest economy? By constantly evolving and responding to economic disruptions, says our guest Jonathan Levy.

Across four distinct ages, the United States moved from an agrarian past to a capitalistic future, fueled by an economic system in which investors and consumers bank on future profits, while the government directs and sustains that growth through fiscal and legislative policy.

It’s easy to mock those spouting outlandish and off-base claims on social media networks, but are there more effective ways to counter the spread of misinformation? Our guest Rick Hasen believes there are other solutions to tackling false information – whether it’s spread unintentionally or intentionally – which could pave the way for more lasting change.

Is it a matter of personal responsibility? Legislative fixes? Media...

When you think of models of clear writing and easy communication, do you think of the Federal Government? It turns out one of the leading perpetrators of the bureaucratic lingo and dense legalese that most people detest has been quietly cleaning up its act for the past 10 years.

Guests, Katherine Spivey and Katina Rae Stapleton, are federal employees who volunteer their time and expertise to help their colleagues across m...

As former vice president of corporate communications for Netflix, our guest Steve Swasey had a front-row seat to Netflix’s near-disastrous decision in 2011 to split its video streaming and DVD services. The backlash was swift and threatened to sink what, to that point, had been a highly successful company. In this episode, we talk about the missteps and miscalculations that led to that decision, the subsequent reversal of that deci...

Our words are what often help us to frame whether we see the world as a set of problems or opportunities. Communications experts Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres believe that anyone can create meaningful and productive conversations that can be catalysts for change.

It comes down to asking the right questions and approaching challenging conversations with creativity. Longtime friends and colleagues, they are co-authors of ...

When we look at the world through numbers, our brains can’t always compute the full picture, says Chip Heath, co-author of Making Numbers Count. On this episode, this New York Times bestselling author (Made to Stick, Switch) shares how the right numbers told the right way can be absolutely illuminating.

The trick is translating those raw numbers and stats into a language that is more transparent and meaningful, and, ultim...

At 29, as a newly minted physician in the psychiatry residency program at Columbia University, Dr. Carl Erik Fisher had much to look forward to – that is until his alcohol addiction landed him in New York City’s Bellevue hospital and nearly cost him everything.

In this episode, we talk with him about that experience and how it inspired his new book, The Urge: Our History of Addiction. In it, he shares his personal experie...

Is the popular expression “fake it till you make it” a harmless meme or bad advice for those who follow it? Our guest Sabrina Horn sees it as problematic for society and business leaders, but does she ever think “faking it” has its place in business?
What’s the difference between a healthy stretching of the truth and outright fraud?
Are there benefits to promising more than you think you can deliver and then delivering on...

Do you often say yes when you want to say F*ck no!?
Guest Sarah Knight wants you to stop doing that – and she has the tools and strategies to show you how. In this episode, we talk about her latest book F*ck No! How to Stop Saying Yes When You Can’t, You Shouldn’t, or You Just Don’t Want To and how it relates to the powerful pull of reciprocity.

In our society, social IOUs are a deeply entrenched concept. If you do s...

Chances are, at some point, you've felt the sting of not fitting in. If you're a kid, this can be a big blow to your confidence and spirit. 

What’s a parent to do? If you are Dr. Chris Yandle, you write notes – lots of them. 

In this episode, Chris shares how his notes to his daughter Addison helped her through a tough year at school. Thanks to social media, his pithy expressions of encouragement, advice...

It’s easy to discount conspiracy theories as harmless or simply bizarre. But, in recent years, they’ve bred the kind of misinformation that has given rise to dangerous calls to action and fatal violence – as well as deep rifts between relatives, friends, and colleagues.

Is there a way out of this?

In this episode, Dr. Nika Kabiri talks about why people believe these theories and how we might counter this misinfo...

Grace – it’s a virtue one doesn’t often see during divisive on-air political debates or in the caustic callouts flung casually and quickly in social media.

Our guest, Kirsten Powers, a former political commentator for Fox News and current political analyst for CNN, knows this world well and has something to say about it. She believes in the transformative power of grace when it comes to fostering more civil discourse. In ...

Peanut gallery. Master bedroom. Wheelchair bound. Birth defect.
 
 What do these terms have in common? They all have the power to offend – the first two because of their racist origins and the next two because they're often considered ableist.
 
As our guest Bella De Soriano points out, the words we use have the power to make people sick - but also to heal.

In her work with Healthline Media, De Sori...

Should U.S. colleges and universities be encouraging more international students to fill their seats? Or, should U.S. applicants be prioritized? Dr. Rajika Bhandari joins us to talk about the shifting political and public sentiments that have influenced the way we think about international students – and immigrants – and the value they bring to America’s overall success. A former international student, Bhandari’s latest book, “Amer...

With polarization and deeply entrenched ideology threatening our ability to truly listen to one another, is civil discourse dead? 

Our guest John Donvan isn’t ready to admit defeat just yet. In our latest episode, the host and moderator of the Intelligence Squared U.S. debate series shares how he’s seen firsthand how reasoned and constructive discourse can make us all smarter. 

By focusing on facts, reason, and a respect of other vie...