Home Podcasts The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant
The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

Vox Media Podcast Network 98 Episodes Sep 17, 2026

Research professor Brené Brown and organizational psychologist Adam Grant partner on a new weekly podcast grounded in an unflinching commitment to learning and unlearning. At a time when public discourse rewards certainty over inquiry, The Curiosity Shop features two of the world's most sought-after experts on connection, change, and leadership making the case for slowing down, asking better questions, and embracing informed complexity over easy answers. Bringing together their left and right brain sensibilities — she’s a qualitative researcher; he’s a quantitative researcher — they explore some of the defining questions of our time, unpack the research reshaping how we live, lead, and love, and dive deep into the ideas, evidence, and cultural moments intriguing them the most. New episodes drop every Thursday. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Episodes

Rethinking Leadership, Work, and Human Connection in the Age of AI
Rethinking Leadership, Work, and Human Connection in the Age of AI Sep 17, 2026 2243 In this solo episode of The Curiosity Shop, Adam Grant answers questions about leadership, rethinking, careers, AI, and the future of work. He explores how leaders can make people feel heard without adopting every idea, why seeking feedback early can shape a transformational leader, and how to speak up in ways that actually create change. Adam also reflects on a hiring mistake that challenged his
Can Conflict Actually Make Our Relationships Stronger? with Priya Parker
Can Conflict Actually Make Our Relationships Stronger? with Priya Parker Sep 10, 2026 4129 Does conflict really have the power to bring us closer together? In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, facilitator and author Priya Parker joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant to rethink how we approach conflict. Drawing from her new book, The Art of Fighting, Priya explores why avoiding conflict can create distance in our relationships, how “healthy heat” differs from destructive conflict, and why p
What Chimpanzees Reveal About How We Connect and Divide with Aaron Sandel
What Chimpanzees Reveal About How We Connect and Divide with Aaron Sandel Sep 3, 2026 5140 Primatologist Aaron Sandel has spent over a decade studying the Ngogo chimpanzees, witnessing one of the largest known chimp communities split into two factions. In this episode, Aaron joins Brené and Adam to explore what chimpanzees can teach us about friendship, conflict, belonging, and human nature. He shares what he learned from watching these chimps show affection, navigate dominance hierarch
Building Integrity in the Age of Normalized Cheating
Building Integrity in the Age of Normalized Cheating Aug 27, 2026 3763 What happens to integrity when cheating becomes easier and the world seems to reward people for cutting corners? In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, Adam shares what happened when he discovered that students were planning to use AI to cheat on an exam. Brené and Adam move into a much larger conversation about honesty, character, and moral identity. Together, they explore when using AI is inhere
Brené Brown on Protecting our Attention, Time, and Humanity in a World that Won’t Slow Down
Brené Brown on Protecting our Attention, Time, and Humanity in a World that Won’t Slow Down Aug 20, 2026 2442 In this solo episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown turns to questions and comments from her LinkedIn community to explore what it means to protect our humanity and attention in a world moving faster than ever. She digs into where AI can support our work without replacing human discernment, why "work slop" costs leaders real cognitive bandwidth, and how leaders can tell the difference between
Can We Build an “Us” Without a “Them”? with John Green
Can We Build an “Us” Without a “Them”? with John Green Aug 13, 2026 3439 Is it possible to build a community without a 'them'? Author, YouTuber, and podcaster John Green joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant for a wide-ranging conversation on belonging, friendship, and the systems that shape our lives. Together, they explore why sports can create such powerful communities, whether it’s possible to build an “us” without needing a “them,” and why shared projects can help rela
Leading Under Pressure with Rebecca Lowe
Leading Under Pressure with Rebecca Lowe Aug 6, 2026 5094 What does it take to stay calm when millions are watching? Rebecca Lowe, the host of NBC’s Premier League coverage and Fox’s record-breaking 2026 World Cup broadcast, joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant to explore why preparation—not confidence—is her real superpower; the weight of being one of the only women in the room; and what it really means to lead when things get chaotic. Together, they unpack
Why Sports Matter Even When the Game Doesn’t with Roger Bennett
Why Sports Matter Even When the Game Doesn’t with Roger Bennett Jul 30, 2026 4376 Why do sports make us cry, unite strangers, and create memories that last a lifetime? In this episode, Men in Blazers founder and CEO Roger Bennett joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant fresh off a 39-day World Cup marathon to explore what the tournament revealed about identity, belonging, and the power of collective effervescence. Together, they unpack the difference between hero players and hero team
The Framework for Leading With Both Care and Accountability
The Framework for Leading With Both Care and Accountability Jul 23, 2026 3833 This episode is a master class in coaching as Aiko Bethea, one of the most respected senior leadership coaches in the country, takes Brené through a current leadership conflict in real time, showing just how hard it is to slow down and lead from your values instead of your urgency. The coaching session is underpinned by Aiko's new "Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable" framework that focuses on why
You Don't Get an A for Effort
You Don't Get an A for Effort Jul 16, 2026 2314 Previously released on Dare to Lead, this is part of a special six-part series with Adam Grant on Brené's book, Strong Ground. Brené and Adam unpack the difference between effort and excellence, why coaching matters more than judgment, and how unclear priorities can quietly derail even the hardest-working teams. From there the conversation moves further into prioritization, a consequential 2x2 dec
Time Scarcity and Pocket Presence
Time Scarcity and Pocket Presence Jul 9, 2026 2257 Previously released on Dare to Lead, this is part of a special six-part series with Adam Grant on Brené's book, Strong Ground. The conversation opens on time scarcity, the devaluation of future time, and whether hope is actually a strategy. From there they discuss how great leaders don't need all the right answers (just the right questions) and the difference between executive presence and pocket
Sports as Leadership Theater and Recognizing Near Enemies
Sports as Leadership Theater and Recognizing Near Enemies Jul 2, 2026 2558 Previously released on Dare to Lead, this is part of a special six-part series with Adam Grant on Brené's book, Strong Ground. They dig into the Buddhist concept of near and far enemies- and why the biggest threat to your values isn't the opposite of them, it's what masquerades as them. From there they move into discussion around the value of paradoxical thinking, why some tensions aren't meant to

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