

ZigZag
TED and Stable Genius Productions
ZigZag, the business show about being human, returns as a member of the TED Audio Collective. Join this zig-zagging quest with Manoush Zomorodi (Host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour; Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business) to discover new ways we can align our professional ambitions with our personal values.Find @ZigZagPod on Twitter and Instagram. Get recommended readings to go with each episode and more with the newsletter. Share your zig or zag with Manoush by emailing a voice memo to ZigZag@StableG.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 28, 2019 • 26min
Bonus: “The Surveillance Economy” from IRL
This week, we’re featuring an episode from the IRL podcast called “The Surveillance Economy.” Learn about the rise of surveillance capitalism, and hear from guests like Harvard Business School’s Shoshana Zuboff. She says that Big Tech uses our personal data to not only track, but also predict and even control our behavior. The culture of work and business has changed significantly due to surveillance capitalism. What have we gotten right, and where have we gone wrong? IRL: Online Life is Real life is an original podcast from Firefox about online issues that affect us all. It’s hosted by ZigZag’s Manoush Zomorodi. Listen and subscribe to IRL on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about the series at [irlpodcast.org] (hyperlink to: https://irlpodcast.org/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 24, 2019 • 37min
EP16: Ari Weinzweig is Prototyping a New Kind of Delicious Capitalism
If you live in Michigan or run your company with a bit of an anarchist bent, you've likely heard of the Zingerman's Community of Businesses, including a coffee roaster, creamery, and candy factory, all co-owned and operated. On this episode, co-founder Ari Weinzweig shares the story behind his alternative business empire, starting with a single deli in 1982 that grew into a collective making $60m a year in revenue. Plus, Manoush and Jen reveal their own attempts at business visioning as they try to take community, cash flow, and personal sanity into equal consideration at Stable Genius Productions.**Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), Ari Weinzweig, cofounder of @zingermans Community of BusinessesZigZag is the business show about being human.Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies. If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1. Thank you for supporting us by using special offer codes from our sponsors, signing up for our free newsletter, and subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 10, 2019 • 25min
S4 EP15: The Secret Ex-Rock Star at The Ford Foundation
With her band Tsunami and record label Simple Machines, Jenny Toomey was a fixture on the '90s Washington, D.C. indie music scene. On this episode, Toomey shares her evolution from rocker to founder of the Future of Music Coalition to director at the Ford Foundation, one of the world's wealthiest philanthropies. Be prepared to hear a lot of amazing music...and an inspiring ideas about how youthful ideals can mature into pragmatic and powerful careers.**Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions) @jennytoomey (Jenny Toomey, Director of the Internet Freedom Unit at the Ford Foundation)ZigZag is the business show about being human.Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies. If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1. Thank you for supporting us by using special offer codes from our sponsors, signing up for our free newsletter, and subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 26, 2019 • 38min
S4 EP14: When Women Don't Support Other Women at Work
In 2015, Katharine Zaleski wrote an op-ed for Fortune that went viral called I’m Sorry to All the Mothers I Worked With. In it, the former media exec apologized for “a long list of infractions against mothers,” whom she’d assumed couldn’t handle long hours or weren’t committed to their career because of parenting duties. One of those mothers was ZigZag host Manoush Zomorodi. On this episode, she and Katharine make amends and track Katharine’s metamorphosis from a childless boss at the Huffington Post to a mother-of-two and gender-equity advocate as co-founder of the recruiting platform Power to Fly. Katharine also shares her company’s surprising research on why highly-skilled women decide to quit jobs they love or don’t apply for positions in the first place. It’s NOT, she says, because women lack confidence.**Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions) @kzaleski (Katharine Zaleski, cofounder of Power to Fly.)ZigZag is the business show about being human.Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies.If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1.Thank you for supporting us by using special offer codes from our sponsors, signing up for our free newsletter, and subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker.CREDITS:Matt Boynton, Audio Engineer and Sound DesignerAnia Grzesik, Audio EngineerDavid Herman, ComposerMarcy Thompson, ProducerMaria Wurttele, Production Coordinator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 20, 2019 • 17min
Bonus: Manoush Guest Hosts the TED Radio Hour!
We're excited that Manoush is guest hosting the Ted Radio Hour! To celebrate, we're bringing you her 2017 TED Talk. It's all about our relationship to technology, and how it sometimes helps us to avoid some very human states of mind, like boredom. It’s an inspiring 14 minutes, meant to help you recharge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 19, 2019 • 51min
S4 EP 13: The CEO Who Paid Everyone the $ame $alary. Including Himself.
Dan Price, the founder of Gravity Payments, became a media darling in 2015 after announcing that every employee would be paid a minimum of $70k. (Those salaries have consistently risen since then.) For most of his staff, the increase was dramatic (the median income in the U.S. is about $60k.) Now, four years later, Dan tells Manoush how an ex-girlfriend woke him up to Seattle’s high cost of living, what equal pay has done to his company’s bottom line, and what he thinks could rehabilitate other corporations and *their *overpaid CEOs. Plus, Manoush and Jen debate whether Dan’s pay strategy is replicable for their company.ZigZag is the business show about being human.Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies. If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1. **Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @DanPriceSeattle (Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments)Thank you for supporting us by using special offer codes from our sponsors, signing up for our free newsletter, and subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker.CREDITS:Matt Boynton, Audio Engineer and Sound DesignerAnia Grzesik, Audio EngineerDavid Herman, ComposerMarcy Thompson, ProducerMaria Wurttele, Production Coordinator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 12, 2019 • 37min
S4 EP12: We're Rethinking What Success Looks Like
ZigZag is back after a brief hiatus and kicking off a series of shows investigating how people are rethinking the notion of “success.”On this episode, listeners share their frustrations with an economy structured to thrive at the cost of the planet, communities, and their mental health. Plus, an analysis of their responses to the question: how do you measure and define success in your life and work? The data reveal 5 main goals listeners are striving for…and some intriguing tactics they’re using to align work and values.Manoush and Jen discuss how the ZigZag community may be at the forefront of a culture shift. They also have a frank conversation about the future of their company, Stable Genius Productions, in light of Manoush’s tough summer.ZigZag is the business show about being human.Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies. If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1. **Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), ZigZag Listeners!Thank you for supporting us by using special offer codes from our sponsors, signing up for our free newsletter, and subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker.Here are this week's special offer codesfrom our sponsors. We're grateful when you use them and try to vet the products as best we can. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 25, 2019 • 43min
S4 EP11: Pacing Yourself After Burnout
Two years ago, Helen Zaltzman and her husband, Martin Austwick, gave up their London apartment to travel the world. She paid the bills by continuing to produce her two podcasts, The Allusionist and Answer Me This, from the road. Things were going well until a visit to Tasmania, when Helen got a serious infection in her neck and had to be hospitalized. After nearly a month in intensive care, she was finally released. Helen was, of course, relieved to be alive. But she soon discovered that her brain no longer functioned the same way…and her work habits needed to change.ZigZag is the business show about being human.Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies. If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1. **Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @HelenZaltzman (Helen Zaltzman, Host and Creator of the Answer Me This and The Allusionist Podcasts)Thank you for supporting us by using special offer codes from our sponsors, signing up for our free newsletter, and subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 18, 2019 • 50min
S4 EP10: This is What a Male Identity Crisis Sounds Like
Khe Hy, a former finance executive and the creator of RadReads, shared his transformative journey after leaving a high-paying job to redefine success. He candidly discusses the anxiety that accompanied his departure from Wall Street and the impact of his immigrant upbringing on his views about money and success. With support from his wife, Khe embarked on an 18-month exploration of work-life balance, confronting fears of irrelevance, and finding fulfillment through writing and personal growth. He also shares practical exercises to help others redefine their relationship with money.

Jul 11, 2019 • 32min
S4 EP09: Is Your Career Veering Off Course...Or Just Doing a Zigzag?
It can be hard to know if you're on the right track for building your career or business. Manoush and Jen consider crucial lessons from entrepreneurs whom they've reported on over the past five years, including a CEO who changed his business model after the U.S. 2016 presidential election and a software engineer who built an app ahead of its time. Plus, help for a listener worried she's addicted to "zigzagging"...and Valerie Jarrett explains what accepting professional sharp turns did for her career.ZigZag is the business show about being human.Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies. If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1. **Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions) Tim Kendall, CEO of Moment App, @kevinholesh (Kevin Holesh, Founder and Designer of Moment App, @DrewDAgostino (Drew DAgostino, founder of @CrystalKnowsMe)Sign up for our newsletter and subscribe to the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker.CREDITS:Matt Boynton, Audio Engineer and Sound DesignerAnia Grzesik, Audio EngineerDavid Herman, ComposerMaria Wurttele, Production Coordinator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


