Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

I’ve spent over 20 years studying the emotions and experiences that bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: we are hardwired for connection, and connecting requires courage, vulnerability, and conversation. I want this to be a podcast that’s real, unpolished, honest, and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human. Episodes will include conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, or maybe even ticking me off a little. I'll also have direct conversations with you about what I’m learning from new research, and we'll do some episodes dedicated to answering your questions. We don’t have to do life alone. We were never meant to. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Episodes

VP Kamala Harris on Courageous Leadership and Winning in 2024

October 28, 2024 • 63 mins
A conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris about the strength and fragility of democracy, the power of strong coalitions and collaborations, and how a commitment to justice and fairness can both ground us and drive action.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Grief, Laughter, and Sisterhood: Losing Our Mom and Holding On to Each Other

October 23, 2024 • 52 mins
The sisters are back and we're talking about loss, dementia, grief, and how we try to choose laughter and therapy over a fist fight when things get really tough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Dr. Heather Cox Richardson on Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, Part 2 of 2

October 16, 2024 • 43 mins
In Part 2 of my conversation with historian Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, we unpack the history and mythology that's driving some of the biggest issues in our country. Leaning into the power of narrative and story, she explains how democracies die more often through the ballot box than with guns and tanks. It’s a hard and hopeful conversation and absolutely critical listening at this point in our history. Learn more about your ad cho...
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Dr. Heather Cox Richardson on Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, Part 1 of 2

October 9, 2024 • 66 mins
In Part 1 of my conversation with historian Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, we talk about the current threats to American democracy, what's at stake in November, and how we can strengthen our country if we can find the political will. They say don’t meet your heroes, but I’m so glad I did — this is one of my all time favorite conversations. I love how Heather doesn’t just look at history as a sequence of failures — she also finds the p...
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Dr. Mary Claire Haver on the New Menopause

October 2, 2024 • 61 mins
Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified OB/GYN who has helped thousands of women through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. In this conversation, we discuss the power of unlearning and relearning and her ongoing fight for women’s health in every decade of their lives. We also talk about the growing “menoposse” — a group of thought leaders and clinicians who are using their platforms to change the outdated narrative around men...
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Roxane Gay on “Stand Your Ground: A Black Feminist Reckoning with America’s Gun Problem”

September 25, 2024 • 71 mins
I talk with one of my favorite cultural critics, Roxane Gay, about her long-form essay on Black gun ownership. We discuss how the gun industry frames women as victims in waiting and the importance of dismantling the trope of the “good man with a gun." We also delve into the societal cost of our resisting, rejecting, and resenting nuance and the importance of holding the tension of competing ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
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Dr. Sarah Lewis on The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America

September 18, 2024 • 54 mins
In this episode, Dr. Sarah Lewis joins me again to talk about her new book, The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America. With examples from her historical research, she walks me through the power of visual culture in generating equity and justice. We talk about how what we see and what’s left unseen shapes everything we believe about ourselves and other people — and how we can start changing the narrative about who counts ...
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Valarie Kaur on Sage Warrior: Wake to Oneness, Practice Pleasure, Choose Courage, Become Victory

September 11, 2024 • 72 mins
Civil rights leader Valarie Kaur is building a movement to reclaim love as a force for justice, healing, and transformation in America. In this episode, we talk about what led Valarie to courageously explore Sikh ancestral wisdom, how her ancestors’ truths parallel what I’ve learned from the research, and how we need both the eyes of a sage and the heart of a warrior to live a fully meaningful life. Learn more about your ad choices...
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Brené and Barrett reflect on the "Living Beyond Human Scale" Podcast Series

May 15, 2024 • 44 mins
In this episode Brené and Barrett discuss their learnings on AI and social media and some of their favorite nuggets from each of the guests in the series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Futurist Amy Webb on What's Coming (and What's Here)

April 24, 2024 • 73 mins
Quantitative futurist Amy Webb talks to us about the three technologies that make up the "super cycle" that we're all living through right now: artificial intelligence, wearable devices, and biotechnology, and why, despite the unnerving change, we still need to do some serious future planning.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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New York Times Journalists Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller on "A Marketplace of Girl Influencers Managed by Moms and Stalked by Men"

April 10, 2024 • 70 mins
Brené interviews New York Times journalists Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller, who talk about their investigation into girl influencers and what's driving the larger influencer culture across social media. This is the fourth episode in our series on the possibilities and costs of living beyond human scale. Please note: As part of this conversation, we talk about the pervasive sexualization of young girl influencers ...
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Dr. S. Craig Watkins on Why AI’s Potential to Combat or Scale Systemic Injustice Still Comes Down to Humans

April 3, 2024 • 73 mins
In this episode, Brené and Craig discuss what is known in the AI community as the “alignment problem” — who needs to be at the table in order to build systems that are aligned with our values as a democratic society? And, when we start unleashing these systems in high stakes environments like education, healthcare, and criminal justice, what guardrails, policies, and ethical principles do we need to make sure that we’re not scaling...
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Dr. William Brady on Social Media, Moral Outrage and Polarization

March 27, 2024 • 65 mins
This is the second episode in our series on the possibilities and costs of living beyond human scale. In this episode, Brené and William discuss group behavior on social media and how we show up with each other online versus offline. We’ll also learn about the specific types of content that fuel algorithms to amplify moral outrage and how they tie to our search for belonging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...
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Esther Perel on New AI – Artificial Intimacy

March 20, 2024 • 65 mins
In this first episode in a series on the possibilities and costs of living beyond human scale, Brené and Esther Perel discuss how we manage the paradox of exploring the world of social media and emerging technologies while staying tethered to our humanness. How do we create IRL relationships where we see and value others and feel seen and valued in the context of constant scrolling and using digital technology as armor? Learn more ...
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Khaled Elgindy on his book: Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump

March 1, 2024 • 63 mins
Khaled Elgindy is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute where he also directs MEI’s Program on Palestine and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs. He is the author of the book, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump. In this episode we talk about the internal political struggles among Palestinian leadership and the US’s involvement in the failed peace agreements between Israel and Palestine. Learn more about ...
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Rula Daood and Alon-Lee Green on Standing Together

February 29, 2024 • 65 mins
Standing Together is a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, social, and climate justice. In this podcast, we talk to National co-director Rula Daood and Founding National co-director Alon-Lee Green on what it means to build a movement, to organize people, and what it means to build political will to end the occupation and create equity for all people. Learn more abo...
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Ali Abu Awwad and Robi Damelin on Nonviolence as The Path to Freedom for Palestinians and Israelis

February 28, 2024 • 71 mins
The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of over 600 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. In this podcast, we talk to their spokesperson and bereaved mother, Robi Damelin, and Ali Abu Awwad. Ali was imprisoned by Israel for his resistance, bereaved of his brother by a soldier’s gun, and is the founding leader of Taghyeer, a nonviolent movem...
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Unlocking Us is Back

February 14, 2024 • 1 min
We're coming back with new episodes starting February 28th. Get episodes as soon as they're published by following Unlocking Us on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Brené and Ashley on Living BIG, Part 2 of 2

January 4, 2023 • 30 mins
In this second of a two-parter on Living BIG, Ashley and I take on the topics of generosity, resentment, boundaries and grief. And we explore this critical question: What boundaries need to be in place for me to be in my integrity and to be generous in my assumptions about others? I’m grateful to rumble on this — and so many other questions — with this awkward, brave, and kind community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...
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Brené and Ashley on Living BIG, Part 1 of 2

December 28, 2022 • 48 mins
In this first of a two-parter with Ashley, I tell a story from Rising Strong that kicked off our Living BIG strategy. Spoiler alert: I am very, very, very pissed-off in this story. But I eventually come around to finding and seeing the connection between boundaries, integrity, and generosity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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