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 Aug 20, 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

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
Courageous Leadership as a Daily Practice
Courageous Leadership as a Daily Practice Jun 25, 2026 2648 In this Re:Thinking podcast episode recorded at Authors@Wharton, Brené joined Adam to dig into her book, Strong Ground. They explore why courage now has to mean being a learner instead of a knower, and why values aren't just what you care about-- they're what you sacrifice for. The conversation moves through the four skill sets of courage, why a value that isn't operationalized into behavior is ju
The Highest Performance Strategy is Caring About People ft. Simon Sinek
The Highest Performance Strategy is Caring About People ft. Simon Sinek Jun 18, 2026 4871 In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown and Adam Grant sit down with their first-ever guest, Simon Sinek. Together, they explore the state of organizations globally, including the chaos hitting C-suites, the human cost of misaligned incentives, AI-driven layoffs, and leaders playing defense when they should be playing offense. They dig into what makes teams high-performing, why caring d
AI, Commencement Speeches, and Why Human Thinking Still Matters | The Curiosity Shop
AI, Commencement Speeches, and Why Human Thinking Still Matters | The Curiosity Shop Jun 11, 2026 4980 In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown and Adam Grant use this year’s booed commencement speeches as a launching pad to explore the role of AI in our lives. They dig into what some of those commencement addresses were missing: moral imagination, emotional honesty, and real empathy for the graduates. Brené introduces the concept of being “smitten with what’s written,” the trap of polish
Why Toughness and Kindness Need Each Other | The Curiosity Shop
Why Toughness and Kindness Need Each Other | The Curiosity Shop Jun 4, 2026 4161 In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown and Adam Grant explore what happens when trust, vulnerability, grief, and performance collide. Using insights from the San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich's leadership philosophy, they examine why caring deeply is an act of courage, how shame quietly undermines teams, families, and organizations, and how psychological safety fuels excellence. The

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