Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Babies attach to whoever responds to them—mother, father, grandmother, or machine. Kelly shares anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's TED talk about what makes humans fundamentally different from other apes: we're "other-regarding," wired to care about what others think and feel. Through 6 million years of evolution, Sarah reveals why shared care isn't just helpful—it's how our species survived. But if babies will bond with anyone (or anything) that's reliably responsive and if AI can be programmed to respond faster and more consistently than exhausted parents, are we about to create a new species? This conversation wrestles with whether our defining human trait—empathy built through messy, imperfect relationships—might disappear before we even realize what we've lost. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Letitia Hanke, CEO of ARS Roofing and Gutters and founder of the Lime Foundation, shares her inspiring journey from a receptionist to a successful entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges of buying her roofing business with a $250,000 loan and the emotional toll it took. Letitia emphasizes hiring for character and firing with compassion. Her nonprofit, the Lime Foundation, empowers youth through trades education, showcasing the program's impact on graduates. She encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace risks, iterate, and learn along the way.

A kitchen clock stands as a symbol of timeless memories and connections over 55 years. Jerry Kinkead shares a heartfelt tribute to her brother-in-law Huck, recalling his unwavering support and humor. The clock, a gift from Huck, becomes an anchor in her life, marking important moments and conversations. As its decline reflects family loss, Jerry reminisces about Huck's character and the irreplaceable role he played as a family man and friend. Ultimately, while the clock may be replaced, Huck’s presence remains deeply cherished and missed.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Dr. Allison Darcy, a clinical psychologist and the mind behind Woebot, an AI mental health chatbot, shares her insights on the intersection of technology and mental health. She delves into why Woebot was created, highlighting the need for 24/7 support. Dr. Darcy discusses concerns around privacy, the potential for dependence, and the design boundaries Woebot maintains. The conversation explores whether AI enhances or hinders human connections, and how it can empower people to practice healthy disclosure.

Most people run from danger. Raymond Ansotegui spent a decade running toward it. In the final episode of our Great Coaches series, Kelly talks with a retired rodeo bullfighter about what happens when your job is to step between a thrown rider and an animal the size of a car. Through stories about learning to read personality in a bucking bull, finding connection in the most chaotic moments and understanding when getting closer is actually safer than staying back, Raymond reveals lessons that reach far beyond the arena. This conversation explores commitment, presence and the strange grace that emerges when you stop trying to control everything and just learn to move with what's in front of you—whether that's a 1,800-pound bull, an addiction or a father slipping away to Alzheimer's. Raymond's organization is petriCORE Compass: https://petricorecompass.com/ The aversion therapy program Raymond mentioned is the Schick Shadel Hospital which stopped providing behavioral healthcare services as of June 30, 2022. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes the people we think we're teaching end up being our greatest mentors. Kelly shares a letter from Rachel Hicks—longtime collaborator on Kelly Corrigan Wonders—written to her younger self who spent seven years coaching high school volleyball. Through reflections on tough losses, difficult conversations with parents, and players who taught her more than she ever taught them, Rachel reveals how coaching changed her understanding of success. This is about the shift from measuring wins to protecting the joy that brought young players to the game in the first place—and caring more about who they're becoming than what they're achieving. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can a machine love a child the way a parent does? Kelly introduces a special GOTO series exploring one of the most unsettling questions of our time: as AI becomes more capable, what is a parent actually for? After curating a session at TED 2025 on parenting and technology, Kelly shares an episode she hosted of TED Talks Daily featuring her own TED Talk about the unglamorous, unmeasurable bravery required in family life—the kind that happens when someone says "tell me more" instead of trying to fix everything. Then she takes us behind the scenes of her work with six speakers who helped her wrestle with whether AI could ever replace the messy, imperfect, irreplaceable work of raising a human. From technologists who insist AI could breastfeed better than humans to psychologists warning about developing intolerance for real people's limitations, this conversation looks at what we might lose if we optimize away all the friction and failure that actually shapes us. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you lead when every decision affects someone's dream? Kelly talks with Yael Averbuch West, general manager of New Jersey/New York Gotham FC, about the tricky business of managing professional athletes whose careers are both precious and finite. This conversation explores the difference between coaches who see your strengths versus those who fixate on your weaknesses, why high EQ matters more than tactical brilliance and how fairness and transparency can cut through the noise when egos are fragile and everyone's happiness seems to depend on you. To learn more about Gotham FC, visit: https://www.gothamfc.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A very special coach can change your life in a single practice. Kelly shares listener Tiffany Hogue's letter to her high school track coach—a letter written decades after one small act of kindness set everything else in motion. This is about a coach who understood that last place can still be the starting line for something remarkable and the decision to include someone can have positive repercussions throughout a lifetime. Through Tiffany's words, we're reminded that the people who believe in us when we're slowest, newest and most uncertain often end up mattering more than anyone else. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes a leader stay grounded? Kelly sat down with Maryland Governor Wes Moore at the Aspen Ideas Festival to talk about power and humility, loss and faith, and the forces that shape who we become. Moore shares stories from his childhood—losing his father at three, finding himself caught between worlds as a teenager, getting sent to military school—and reflects on how those early experiences inform the way he leads today. This conversation explores big questions about fairness and opportunity, asking what we owe each other and how much context matters when we're measuring success. Books by Governor Moore mentioned in this episode: The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-other-wes-moore-wes-moore/1101000890 Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/five-days-wes-moore/1134703904?ean=9780525512387 Special Thanks to the Aspen Ideas Festival To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices