The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant
Vox Media Podcast Network
Research professor Brené Brown and organizational psychologist Adam Grant are partnering 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
Mentioned books
242 snips
Jul 9, 2026 • 38min
Time Scarcity and Pocket Presence
They unpack why people shortchange future time and how that warps decisions. They explore hope versus strategy and the psychology of choosing now over later. They contrast executive presence with a team-centered “pocket presence” borrowed from football. They describe how delegation and practice build situational awareness and make presence a collective capability.
141 snips
Jul 2, 2026 • 43min
Sports as Leadership Theater and Recognizing Near Enemies
They unpack the Buddhist idea of near enemies — virtues that masquerade as their opposites and undermine values like compassion and discipline. They explore paradoxical leadership and why some tensions should be held, not solved. Sports are used as vivid leadership theater to show strategy, teamwork, and rehearsal. They also discuss rehearsal tools like premortems and the cost of undervaluing future time.
316 snips
Jun 25, 2026 • 44min
Courageous Leadership as a Daily Practice
Brené Brown, research professor and storyteller known for studying vulnerability and courage, discusses Strong Ground. She explains why leaders should be learners not knowers. Conversation covers grounding questions, turning values into behaviors, the four courage skill sets, and the ‘story I’m making up’ tool for hard conversations.
725 snips
Jun 18, 2026 • 1h 21min
The Highest Performance Strategy is Caring About People ft. Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek, author and leadership thinker known for Start With Why, joins to talk about caring as a performance strategy. Short takes on humane capitalism, why incentives can sabotage change, AI and layoffs, and how military lessons about loyalty translate to teams. Conversations touch on nervous-system regulation, shame versus guilt in leadership, and when to fix versus hold space.
295 snips
Jun 11, 2026 • 1h 23min
AI, Commencement Speeches, and Why Human Thinking Still Matters | The Curiosity Shop
They debate why recent graduation speeches about AI felt hollow and missed moral imagination. They unpack the danger of polished AI prose that masks shallow thinking and shifts work onto others. They discuss norms for using AI, how to give feedback on AI-produced writing, and why preserving human storytelling and ethical judgment still matters.
292 snips
Jun 4, 2026 • 1h 9min
Why Toughness and Kindness Need Each Other | The Curiosity Shop
They explore how psychological safety and disciplined care drive high performance, using Gregg Popovich and the Spurs as a lens. They examine vulnerability in elite sports, public goal-setting, and how people comfort each other during miscarriage, grief, and caregiving. Conversations cover shame's hidden harms, empathy vs burnout, and why toughness paired with kindness builds lasting trust.
409 snips
May 28, 2026 • 1h 18min
Exploring the Paradoxes of Human Nature
They unpack paradoxes that shape leadership, teamwork, and decision-making. They tell the Abilene story and practical fixes for false consensus. They explore the Stockdale tension between brutal facts and enduring hope. They link aesthetic chills, spirituality, and creativity to openness. They debate grading, group dynamics, and how to build the muscle to hold opposing truths.
184 snips
May 21, 2026 • 1h 3min
Sober AF, Michael Scott Phobia, and How to Politely End a Conversation
They mark a major sobriety milestone and trace what prompted a fresh-start change. They explore why cringe makes some TV unbearable and why rule-breaking can also be funny. They break down the art and research of exiting conversations politely and share a simple shortcut for graceful goodbyes.
348 snips
May 14, 2026 • 1h 1min
Are You a Preacher, Prosecutor, Scientist, or Politician?
They unpack four mental modes — Preacher, Prosecutor, Politician, Scientist — and why threat pushes us away from inquiry. They explore how AI conversations trigger defensive thinking and bypass scientist mode. They share quick experiments like the lean startup approach and Brené’s “bounce” method for testing feelings. They discuss making it safer to change your mind and adding a Teacher stance to bridge inquiry and communication.
232 snips
May 7, 2026 • 1h 8min
BS Disclaimers, Invisible Armies, and the Importance of the Words We Choose
A lively conversation about the sneaky phrases people use to dodge ownership and manufacture fake consensus. It digs into anonymous feedback, psychological safety, and why some workplaces push people to speak through invisible crowds. It also explores hedging, bias around gender and identity, and how word choice can shape trust, conflict, and tough conversations.
