

Beauty At Work
Brandon Vaidyanathan
Beauty at Work expands our understanding of beauty: what it is, how it works, and why it matters. Sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan interviews scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders across diverse fields to reveal new insights into how beauty shapes our brains, behaviors, organizations, and societies--for good and for ill. Learn how to harness the power of beauty in your life and work, while avoiding its pitfalls.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 5, 2025 • 18min
From Beauty to Biophilia: Jennifer Walsh’s Journey from Finance to Wellness Walks™ - Clip From S2E14
Why would someone in the finance industry start an independent makeup line then, years later, begin leading nature walks? Jennifer Walsh, biophilia expert and founder of Wellness Walks™, tells the story of the birth of Beauty Bar and why she founded Wellness Walks.In this clip from the Beauty At Work podcast, host Brandon Vaidyanathan welcomes Jennifer to explore her remarkable journey—from working at Merrill Lynch to becoming a beauty industry pioneer and nature wellness advocate. She shares how early TV appearances and entrepreneurial grit helped launch one of the first apothecary-style beauty boutiques in the U.S., and how her personal healing in Central Park sparked a mission to reconnect people with the natural world.Together, they unpack the science of biophilia, how design impacts well-being, and why walking slowly through nature may be one of the most profound forms of self-care today.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2043099/episodes/14144885For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast #JenniferWalsh #Biophilia #NatureHeals #WellnessWalks #BeautyBar #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #MindfulLiving #BeautyIndustry #BiophilicDesign #HealingWithNature #WalkWithWalsh #BrainOnNature #BeautyAndWellness #PodcastInterview #NatureTherapySupport the show

Jul 29, 2025 • 17min
How Fashion Changed My Life: Ean Williams on Identity, Rejection, and Founding DC Fashion Week - Clip From S2E13
In this clip from the Beauty At Work podcast, host Brandon Vaidyanathan talks with fashion designer and DC Fashion Week founder Ean Williams about his unexpected journey from shy, style-conscious teen to fashion model, Air Force intelligence specialist, and eventually a leading force in the fashion world. Ean shares candid reflections on how fashion shaped his identity, the challenges of modeling, his father's lessons on hard work, and how a problem-solving mindset led him to build a platform for emerging designers. He also talks about the dynamics of personal rejection in a modeling career and shares the story of how his fashion career came to be.This conversation explores the deeper power of fashion—not just as an industry, but as a transformative, expressive force in our lives.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/14060070For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#BeautyAtWork #DCFashionWeek #EanWilliams #CreativeJourneys #FashionJourney #ModelLife #FromRejectionToSuccess #EngineeringMeetsFashion #FashionAndIdentity #ConfidenceThroughStyle #BehindTheScenes #DesignWithPurposeSupport the show

Jul 22, 2025 • 13min
Reweaving Community Through Beauty: Chris Everett on Art, Healing, and Sacred Space - Clip From S2E12
How did a barn on a Minnesota farm turn into a space where people from diverse backgrounds could experience beauty? Musician, designer, and arts non-profit co-founder Chris Everett recounts how the artist retreat was born and shares the story of a particularly beautiful moment there.In this clip from the Beauty At Work podcast, host Brandon Vaidyanathan talks with Chris Everett about how he and his husband transformed an old farm into Everwood, an artist retreat rooted in nature, creativity, and community. Chris reflects on the healing power of the arts, his mission to support artists, and how beauty can open hearts—even across ideological divides.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13967102For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#BeautyAtWork #ChrisEverett #ArtsRetreat #CreativeHealing #EverwoodFarm #ArtAndCommunity #BeautyInDiversity #ArtistSupport #MusicForHealing #PodcastClips #TransformThroughArt #BrandonVaidyanathan #SacredSpaces #ArtsNonprofitSupport the show

Jul 15, 2025 • 16min
Building a Beautiful Workplace Culture (Esther Blázquez Blanco) - Clip From S2E11
What does it mean for a business to have a beautiful culture? Leadership coach and consultant Esther Blázquez Blanco offers some advice for leaders.In this clip from the Beauty At Work podcast, host Brandon Vaidyanathan is joined by Esther Blásquez Blanco for a profound conversation on what it truly means to create a "beautiful" culture within an organization. Esther challenges the idea of perfection, emphasizing that beauty in culture lies in commitment, honesty, and human connection. From resisting copy-paste culture fixes to nurturing safe mental spaces, she shares real-life insights, practical advice, and a refreshing approach to leadership. A must-listen for leaders, consultants, and anyone passionate about workplace transformation.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2043099/episodes/13877333For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast #CompanyCulture #BeautifulLeadership #OrganizationalChange #WorkplaceWellbeing #EstherBlazquezBlanco #BeautyAtWork #LeadershipDevelopment #HumanCenteredWork #CultureConsulting #BrandonVaidyanathan #SafeSpacesAtWork #ConsciousLeadership #WorkplaceTransformationSupport the show

Jul 8, 2025 • 21min
From Fragility to Flourishing: Social Cohesion and Joyful Communities (Dr. Seth Kaplan) - Clip From S2E10
What makes a society fragile? Fragile states expert Dr. Seth Kaplan shares the story of why he started researching the relational underpinnings of societies and how they contribute to societies’ fragility and flourishing. He also discusses what a beautiful neighborhood looks like and why they’re so important.In this clip of Beauty At Work episode, hosted by Brandon Vaidyanathan, Dr. Kaplan reflects on his intellectual journey—from global exploration and entrepreneurship to the study of fragile states and American communities. Drawing from his book Fragile Neighborhoods, he emphasizes the foundational role of social relationships in national stability and personal well-being, and explores how neighborhood-level vitality holds the key to reversing societal decline.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13769256For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#SethKaplan #PoliticalScience #FragileStates #BeautyAtWork #PodcastEpisode #BeautyAtWork #BrandonVaidyanathan #NeighborhoodsMatter #ThrivingCommunities #BeautifulNeighborhoodsSupport the show

Jul 1, 2025 • 15min
From Opera to Asanas: Sean Vigue on the Beauty of Movement (Sean Vigue) - Clip Fro S2E9
In this inspiring episode of Beauty At Work, host Brandon Vaidyanathan sits down with Sean Vigue, a renowned online yoga and Pilates instructor, to explore his journey from musical theater and opera to becoming a global fitness educator. What motivates a musical theater professional to become a personal trainer and Pilates instructor? From dancing on stage to teaching at Disney and building a massive online following, Sean reveals what it means to find harmony between art, fitness, and personal growth.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13682599For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#BeautyAtWork #SeanVigue #YogaLife #PilatesInstructor #FromStageToStudio #MovementAsArt #FitnessJourney #TheaterToWellness #MindBodyConnection #PilatesLife #YogaForEveryone #ArtAndDiscipline #WellnessWisdomSupport the show

Jun 24, 2025 • 17min
Beauty, Imperfection, and Belonging (Pallavi Dean) - Clip From S2E8
Is there beauty in imperfection? Award-winning Dubai-based architect Pallavi Dean thinks that imperfection, along with homeyness, is a central aspect of beauty. Here, she shares the story of what first inspired her career in architecture and what aesthetic values continue to drive her work. In this episode of Beauty At Work, hosted by Brandon Vaidyanathan, Dean explores how empathy, sensory design, and collaborative problem-solving inform her creative process.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13587754For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#BeautyAtWork #PallaviDean #RoarDesign #DesignWithEmpathy #ArchitectureAndBeauty #ImperfectionInDesign #WomenInArchitecture #CreativeLeadership #HumanCenteredDesign #BuiltEnvironment #DubaiSupport the show

Jun 17, 2025 • 16min
From Birdsong to Big Bang: A Scientist’s Journey Through Beauty (Dr. Dave Gammon) - Clip From S2E7
Why is the mockingbird’s song so beautiful and yet so challenging to understand? Biologist and integrative scientist Dr. Dave Gammon discusses his research on the “career-killer” animal, sharing where he finds beauty in his research as well as his teaching. From the musical complexity of mockingbird songs to evolutionary insights about human monogamy to interdisciplinary teaching bridging disciplines, Dr. Gammon reveals how beauty shapes both his research and his classroom.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13501443For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#BeautyAtWork #ScienceAndBeauty #DaveGammon #BrandonVaidyanathan #MockingbirdMindscapes #BeautyInTheWild #VariationOnATheme #SongsOfScience #ScientificStorytelling #InterdisciplinaryImprov #FromBigBangToUs #FearTheMockingbird #ChorusOfCuriosity #BiologyInHarmonySupport the show

Jun 10, 2025 • 19min
The Healing Power of Beauty: Aesthetics as a Tool for Justice (Sheri Parks) - Clips from S2E6
In this compelling episode of Beauty at Work, host Brandon Vaidyanathan sits down with cultural scholar Sheri Parks to explore how aesthetics—often dismissed as trivial—carry profound power.How is aesthetics a tool for social justice? Public intellectual Dr. Sheri Parks shares how her projects harness the powerful beauty of dance, art therapy, indigo dye, and more to transform communities.From healing trauma through art and movement, to restoring economic and cultural dignity through the Indigo Dye Initiative, Parks reveals how beauty functions as a force for resilience, justice, and joy. Learn how aesthetics can reconnect communities, empower Black farmers, and provide meaningful labor for returning citizens.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13387670For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#BeautyAtWork #SheriParks #IndigoDyeInitiative #AestheticHealing #CulturalRevival #BlackFarming #ArtTherapy #SocialImpact #BeautyAndJustice #CreativeEconomy #HealingThroughArt #AestheticsMatter #BaltimoreInitiatives #ReturnToRoots #BeautyForChangeSupport the show

May 27, 2025 • 21min
Beautiful Business: Romance, Resistance, and the Life-Centered Future (Tim Leberecht) - Clip From S2E5
What does it mean to be a “romantic” in business? Tim Leberecht, entrepreneur and co-founder of the House of Beautiful Business, shares the story of how he came to recognize the Romantic ideals behind beautiful business. In this clip, he explains what Romantic business principles are and the impact they have on workplace experience.In conversation with Brandon Vaidyanathan, Tim reflects on his early influences, the cultural disillusionment he experienced in Silicon Valley, and the emergence of a countercultural movement rooted in beauty, emotion, and imagination. He introduces the concept of a “life-centered” economy—one that honors all life within and around us—and shares how the House of Beautiful Business is building spaces for meaningful change across the corporate world.For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13304558For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.netSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#BeautyAtWork #PodcastEpisode #NewEpisode #TimLeberecht #BrandonVaidyanathan #BeautifulBusiness #RomanticBusiness #LifeCenteredEconomy #WorkplaceWellbeing #BusinessWithSoul #FutureOfWork #HumanizingWork #EmotionalIntelligence #BusinessPhilosophy #MeaningfulWork #LeadershipWithHeart #WorkplaceCultureSupport the show