6 episodes

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.

Change Agent The New York Times

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

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.

    Self-Control

    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
    Telling the Truth

    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
    The Talk

    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
    Showing Up

    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. 

    • 20 min
    Boy Problem

    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
    Introducing: Change Agent

    Introducing: Change Agent

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

    • 1 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
1.4K Ratings

1.4K Ratings

KHASL ,

We need more!

Wish there was more of this excellent series.

mazzy00 ,

Interesting. Clean. Real

I am always looking for a new interesting podcast and from the 1st to the last I was fascinated! Absolutely love the questions and how they connect other people to help find a solution. Please please continue to produce!!

Sugar Smacks ,

Fascinating topics and useful tools

This podcast is incredible! The topics and participants are incredibly interesting, and each episode provides really valuable tools for interpersonal communication.

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