

A Slight Change of Plans
Pushkin Industries
What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this award-winning podcast, cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar explores how we experience change and strategies we can use to better navigate moments of upheaval.
Maya’s life took a dramatic turn when an injury ended her career as a violinist and inspired her to study the science of change.
Named Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year, A Slight Change of Plans features deeply personal stories and scientific insights about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change.
Past guests include Kacey Musgraves, Brené Brown, Ruby Bridges, Amanda Knox, Adam Grant, Angela Duckworth and more.
Whether it’s a sudden pivot or a slow transformation, each episode reveals how change can give us an opportunity to reimagine who we are and unlock greater possibility.
You can follow Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar and read her free newsletter at changewithmaya.com.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus
Maya’s life took a dramatic turn when an injury ended her career as a violinist and inspired her to study the science of change.
Named Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year, A Slight Change of Plans features deeply personal stories and scientific insights about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change.
Past guests include Kacey Musgraves, Brené Brown, Ruby Bridges, Amanda Knox, Adam Grant, Angela Duckworth and more.
Whether it’s a sudden pivot or a slow transformation, each episode reveals how change can give us an opportunity to reimagine who we are and unlock greater possibility.
You can follow Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar and read her free newsletter at changewithmaya.com.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 15, 2021 • 34min
BONUS: Olympian Gabby Thomas Sets Her Own Pace
Gabby Thomas became the second-fastest woman ever when she ran the 200m in 21.61 seconds at the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials. She then won two medals at the Tokyo Olympics. But her relationship with running isn't as straightforward as you might think, and competing interests have continually led Gabby to question whether running is the path she should be on.You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 8, 2021 • 34min
Wired for Change
John Elder Robison is a gifted sound engineer whose rare ability to understand machines propelled him to work with the likes of Kiss and Diana Ross. But the one thing he always felt was lacking was his ability to understand people emotionally. In an effort to see if he could change that, he volunteered to participate in an experimental brain study.You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 snips
Nov 1, 2021 • 34min
The Science of Quitting
Annie Duke believes we should be quitting things more often, a skill she honed during her lucrative years as a professional poker player on the world stage. Annie talks about the science of quitting, and shows us how to get out of our own way and learn to quit when we should.You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 snips
Oct 25, 2021 • 34min
Riz Ahmed Plays Himself
Oscar-Nominated actor Riz Ahmed shares how the roles he’s played have changed not only how he sees the world, but also how he sees himself.You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 snips
Oct 18, 2021 • 38min
Maya's Slight Change of Plans
Host Maya Shankar recently experienced a heartbreaking change in her personal life, while on her way to becoming a mom. Two days after it happened, she felt the need to process it out loud, like so many of her guests have done on her show. In this episode, Maya asked her producer, Tyler, to interview her about her own “Slight Change of Plans.”You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 snips
Oct 11, 2021 • 40min
“Grieving the Man I Thought My Husband Was”
Susan Messing and Michael McCarthy were a beloved couple in the Chicago comedy scene. Michael passed away from cancer in 2020. As part of Susan’s grieving process, she began to sift through the 50 or so boxes of his writing that he had left behind for her. What followed was a complicated grief. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 4, 2021 • 2min
TEASER: New Slight Change Episodes!
Hey Slight Changers - y'all good with this nickname? We’ve been working hard on fresh episodes for you and put together this teaser to give you a sneak peek of what we’ve been cooking up in the Slight Change kitchen...You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 snips
Sep 27, 2021 • 38min
BONUS: The Science of Happiness and Change
New episodes of A Slight Change of Plans coming every Monday starting October 11th!Maya joins Dr. Laurie Santos (host of The Happiness Lab) to talk about how we can reframe the change in our lives and learn to fear it less; and also how we can inspire far greater changes in ourselves than we ever thought possible.Maya and Laurie also take a few listener questions.You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 5, 2021 • 32min
Kacey Musgraves on Psychedelics
Singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves has never been willing to change herself or her music for anyone else. But a recent psychedelic trip allowed her to change on her own terms and inspired her upcoming album.You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 29, 2021 • 26min
Getting My Silence Back
When Ramsey Khabbaz was 20 years old, he woke up to the sound of a blaring fire alarm. It took him a moment to realize that the sound was originating from within his own head.You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.