TruthWorks

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Are you ready to dive deep into the world of work, culture and leadership? Join Jessica Neal and Patty McCord each week as they chat with expert guests and explore the issues affecting the workplace — from AI and mental health, to making layoffs and combating toxic cultures. Featuring global industry leaders and specialists that are passionate about reshaping the way work today. Listen in as we redefine the rules to work for us, not against us. Episode 1 of TruthWorks launches March 19! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Harvard Psychologist: The #1 Hack To REVERSE Aging & Heal Your Body!

    Is it possible to reverse aging simply by changing your mind? In this episode of Truth Works, we sit down with Dr. Ellen Langer, the legendary Harvard psychologist known as the "Mother of Mindfulness." Dr. Langer challenges everything we think we know about the mind-body connection. She breaks down her groundbreaking "Counterclockwise" study, where elderly men reversed signs of aging by living as if they were in their younger years, and the famous "Chambermaid" study, which proved that simply believing your work is exercise can lead to weight loss and lower blood pressure. If you feel stressed, burned out, or stuck on autopilot, this conversation will change how you view your health, your work, and your potential. In this episode, we cover: Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness: Why "active noticing" is the key to health and vitality.The Illusion of Absolutes: Dr. Langer explains why 1+1 doesn't always equal 2 and how context changes everything.Reversing Aging: Inside the famous study where participants improved their hearing, vision, and strength just by changing their environment.The Placebo Effect in Daily Life: How hotel maids lost weight just by being told their job counted as exercise.Managing Stress: Why prediction is an illusion and how to stop creating tragedy out of inconvenience.About the Guest: Dr. Ellen Langer is a professor of psychology at Harvard University and the author of multiple best-selling books, including The Mindful Body. She has spent 45 years researching the effects of mindfulness on health, business, and competence. About Truth Works: Hosted by Jessica Neal and Patty McCord, Truth Works digs into the nitty-gritty of leadership and work. We’re here to redefine rules to work for us, not against us.

    48 min
  2. 2 DEC

    Never Ready, Never Alone: Suneel Gupta on Playing the Game of Now

    What if “I’m not ready” is the biggest lie holding you back? In this episode of Truth Works, Jessica Neal sits down with Suneel Gupta — once literally the “poster child for failure” in The New York Times — to unpack how failure, exhaustion, and uncertainty can become fuel for a more courageous, energized life. Suneel shares how going from failed founder and Groupon’s hyper-growth implosion to successful health-tech exit, Harvard faculty, and Amazon Prime host wasn’t about having a perfect plan — it was about playing what he calls the game of now instead of the game of “someday.” He breaks down why none of the extraordinary people he’s studied ever felt “ready,” how they acted anyway, and how they managed their energy (not just their time) to stay in the game. You’ll hear: Why “I’m not ready” quietly kills careers and ideasHow being the face of failure opened doors to Oscar winners, founders & leadersThe “game of now” vs. the “game of someday” — and how to start todayWhy courage is not the absence of fear (and why fear is required)Emotional runway vs. financial runway for founders and teamsRhythmic renewal: the 55:5 model for building breaks into every dayWhy vacations don’t fix burnout — and what actually does“Rest is not a reward, it’s a resource” — a new mantra for high performersThe simplest definition of happiness: never worry aloneIf you’ve ever felt behind, burned out, or paralyzed waiting for the perfect moment, this conversation will give you language, tools, and a different way to move forward — one small action at a time.

    45 min
  3. 25 NOV

    Inside Spotify’s AI Transformation - Spotify CHRO Anna Lundström

    In this episode of Truth Works, Jessica sits down with Anna Lundström, the CHRO of Spotify, for one of the most honest and forward-looking conversations on the show. Anna and Jessica share a rare parallel — both grew up inside iconic companies (Netflix and Spotify), both rose into the CHRO seat, and both had to navigate the shift from being seen as “the kid who joined early” to becoming the strategic leader responsible for how the entire company operates. Together, they unpack: The New Reality of Leadership in the AI Era Why AI is not a short-lived moment but a permanent shift every employee must prepare forSpotify’s approach to humanizing AI rather than creating fear around itHow they drove near-100% AI adoption by focusing on learning, tools, and experimentationThe cross-functional AI model Anna built with Product and Platform to lead transformationWhat “future-ready” really means for employees right nowReinventing Culture at Scale How Spotify evolved its operating rhythm with a true “Execution Team” (E-Team)Why the company’s previous values took them to this point—but new values are needed to take them forwardThe shift from startup to scale-up to global operatorThe three new cultural anchors:One TeamMake It HappenUse Human JudgmentThe Reality of Being a Modern CHRO Carrying roles that did not formally exist before: HR strategist, de facto chief medical officer, chief diversity officer, and now “chief AI officer”The pressure and responsibility of being the visible face of people, culture, and transformationWhy deep technical understanding of every HR function is now a leadership advantageHow to operate and make decisions in a world where no one has all the answersFor Employees Asking: “How Do I Influence Culture From Below?” Anna shares practical guidance for individual contributors who feel stuck beneath stagnant cliques, unclear values, or top-down programs that do not translate into real behavioral change. She explores how to use HR partners, leaders, feedback channels, and thoughtful communication to influence culture from the ground up. Why This Episode Matters Spotify touches hundreds of millions of people every day, but the real transformation is happening inside the company as it rewrites how work, leadership, and AI coexist. Anna sits at the center of that shift, and this conversation offers a rare inside view into the future of work at one of the world’s most influential tech companies. If you are a CEO, founder, HR leader, or individual contributor wondering how to move your organization forward in the era of AI and rapid change, this episode provides a clear, grounded and actionable perspective.

    38 min
  4. 18 NOV

    The Shocking Truth About Stress: Why Trying To Be ‘Fearless’ Is Ruining Your Life

    In this episode of Truth Works, Jessica Neal sits down with stress physiologist and author Dr. Rebecca Heiss to dismantle everything you’ve been taught about stress, fear, and burnout. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m stressed, this is bad, I need to make it go away,” this conversation will flip your entire mental model. Rebecca explains why stress is a feature, not a bug, and why the belief that stress is “killing you” is often more dangerous than the stress itself. She breaks down how our cave-brain still thinks every hard conversation at work is a tiger about to eat us, why helplessness isn’t learned – it’s our default setting, and how to “invite the tiger in for tea” instead of trying (and failing) to shut it out. Jessica opens up about panic attacks, stage fright in front of thousands, and the pressure to always “have it figured out,” while Rebecca shows how to turn that same fear into fuel, especially at work and in leadership. They dig into: Why the most meaningful, purpose-filled moments of your life are also the most stressfulHow to reframe anxiety as energy and excitement, not a personal failingWhy parents are often less happy but more fulfilledHow social media hijacks our need for acceptance and amplifies shameThe truth about burnout, being “tired but wired,” and Rebecca’s “disaster diary”What great leaders should actually do with their own stress so they don’t infect their teamsIf you feel guilty for resting, terrified of slowing down, or secretly convinced you’re an imposter who should “already know all the things,” this episode will hit uncomfortably close in the best possible way. You’ll walk away with a new lens: stress as your competitive advantage, not your enemy.

    49 min

About

Are you ready to dive deep into the world of work, culture and leadership? Join Jessica Neal and Patty McCord each week as they chat with expert guests and explore the issues affecting the workplace — from AI and mental health, to making layoffs and combating toxic cultures. Featuring global industry leaders and specialists that are passionate about reshaping the way work today. Listen in as we redefine the rules to work for us, not against us. Episode 1 of TruthWorks launches March 19! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

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