Change Agent

The New York Times
  • 0.0 (0)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • SERIES
Change Agent

How can learning the secrets of competitive breath holding help a woman fix an online shopping habit? What can a recovering alcoholic learn from a Domino's Pizza marketing campaign? Charles Duhigg, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of “The Power of Habit,” hosts this podcast that turns obstacles into opportunities. We unearth surprising stories from science and business to offer solutions to people's problems. Will the solutions work? We stick around to find out. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Season 1

  1. Self-Control

    EPISODE 1

    Self-Control

    Ashley shops online. A lot. Sends stuff to places all over the city. Hides her packages when they arrive. She wants to go a month without buying anything online. So, we turn to the world's best breath holders for answers.

    27 min
  2. Telling the Truth

    EPISODE 2

    Telling the Truth

    Beth is an alcoholic in recovery with a four and a half-year blank spot on her resume. She's sober now and ready to go on job interviews, but she's not sure how to talk about her alcoholism to potential employers. Enter Domino's Pizza. The early 2000s version of the company, when the pizza was rated among the worst in the country. We'll hear how their strategy to kickstart their business offers lessons for Beth as she goes on a mock interview.

    23 min
  3. The Talk

    EPISODE 3 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    The Talk

    M's friend says things that really bother M. Racist and homophobic things. He wants to know how to talk to his good friend about the offensive stuff he says, but he doesn't really know how. We find some lessons in the story of Steven Hassan, a former Moonies cult member, and how he developed a way to get people out of cults. We share Steven's lessons with M to see if he can get through to his friend.

    32 min
  4. Showing Up

    EPISODE 4 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Showing Up

    Every time it rains, Marisa stays up all night wondering if anyone will show up to work the next day. She runs a bike messenger company, but no one wants to ride a bike when it's pouring outside. It's bad for business. We tell her the story of a high school girl and the program that turned her from a classic no-show to a student with near-perfect attendance. But will a high school leadership program work for adults? Marisa is determined to find out.

    21 min
  5. Boy Problem

    EPISODE 5 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Boy Problem

    Allene is 80. She's been widowed for 7 years. And then she meets Larry, who makes her feel "on fire from the neck down." Things seem to be going great before he ghosts her, throwing Allene into an existential crisis. And the answers to that might lie in the story of a Home Shopping Network maverick, who figured out how to sell over 100,000 jeans a day.

    27 min
  6. Introducing: Change Agent

    SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing: Change Agent

    Problem? Solution. Well, maybe. A new limited-run series from The New York Times.

    2 min

Trailer

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

    • 3.8 (22)
    • DAILY NEWS

  • Each Tuesday and Friday, Ezra Klein invites you into a conversation on something that matters. How do we address climate change if the political system fails to act? Has the logic of markets infiltrated too many aspects of our lives? What is the future of the Republican Party? What do psychedelics teach us about consciousness? What does sci-fi understand about our present that we miss? Can our food system be just to humans and animals alike? Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

    • 4.2 (5)
    • SOCIETY & CULTURE

  • “Hard Fork” is a show about the future that’s already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

    • 5.0 (2)
    • TECHNOLOGY

  • The world's top authors and critics join host Gilbert Cruz and editors at The New York Times Book Review to talk about the week's top books, what we're reading and what's going on in the literary world. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

    • 0.0 (0)
    • BOOKS

  • In a broken world, what can we gain by looking another animal in the eye? Join the writer Sam Anderson on a six-part, round-the-world journey in search of an answer. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

    • 0.0 (0)
    • SOCIETY & CULTURE

  • For 20 years, the Modern Love column has given New York Times readers a glimpse into the complicated love lives of real people. Since its start, the column has evolved into a TV show, three books and a podcast. Each week, host Anna Martin brings you stories and conversations about love in all its glorious permutations, dumb pitfalls and life-changing moments. New episodes every Wednesday. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

    • 5.0 (3)
    • SOCIETY & CULTURE

Subscribe via The Times app for the full series.

View Subscription FAQs

About

How can learning the secrets of competitive breath holding help a woman fix an online shopping habit? What can a recovering alcoholic learn from a Domino's Pizza marketing campaign? Charles Duhigg, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of “The Power of Habit,” hosts this podcast that turns obstacles into opportunities. We unearth surprising stories from science and business to offer solutions to people's problems. Will the solutions work? We stick around to find out. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Information

  • Channel
    The New York Times
  • Creator
    The New York Times
  • Episodes
    6
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The New York Times
  • Show Website
    Change Agent
  • Provider

    The New York Times Company has identified itself as a trader for this podcast and confirmed that this product or service complies with European Union law. Address 620 8th Ave New York New York 10018-1618 United States Phone Number +1 5708072620 Email rokk-vincelli.williams@nytimes.com

More From The New York Times

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada