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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/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

A Slight Change of Plans

When Dr. Vivek Murthy first appeared on the show a few years back, he and Maya discussed the science of loneliness and its impact on our long term health. Now, the former U.S. Surgeon General is back to share simple, practical steps we can take to nurture more meaningful relationships—and why making even small changes can help us feel more connected.
 
To hear Maya’s first conversation with Vivek Murthy, go to www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/a-slight-change-of-plans/the-science-of-loneliness.
 
To watch the full video version of this interview, go to www.pushkin.fm/slightchange.
 
For more from Vivek on how to create meaningful relationships in our lives, check out bit.ly/recipes4connection.
 
Sign up for Maya's free newsletter here: changewithmaya.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What If Finding Community Wasn't So Hard?

In the run up to the release of her book, The Other Side of Change, Maya is starting an Ambassadors Program! 
 
Ambassadors will get access to all sorts of exclusive content – like a companion journal, an invitation to an intimate conversation with Maya, sneak peaks of the book, and more. Join a community of people who are passionate about change and want to help bring the book's message into the world. 
 
Sign up to be a Launch Ambassador at changewithmaya.com/join.
 
Pre-order The Other Side of Change at changewithmaya.com/book.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maya’s Launching Something New This Fall!

Felicia Hsu grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor. Years of relentless dedication brought that dream within reach, but the toll it took left her wondering whether it was finally time to let it go.
 
Have you had a slight change of plans you think we should know about? Send us a voice memo or an email at slightchange@pushkin.fm.
 
Sign up for Maya's free newsletter here: changewithmaya.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Dream, Revisited

Anna Sale is what you might call a professional “haver of hard conversations”. As the creator of the podcast “Death, Sex, & Money,” she’s spent years exploring the big questions and taboo topics people tend to shy away from. In this episode, Anna reflects on what she’s learned from all of those conversations – what’s helped, what hasn’t, and what she’s still figuring out.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How To Talk About Hard Things

It’s not every day that Maya gets to coach a literal superhero…but tomorrow is that day! Tune in Friday, August 15, to see Maya featured as a neuroscience expert on Chris Hemsworth’s TV show, “Limitless: Live Better Now”. The series streams on Disney+ and Hulu.
 
Curious to hear what it was like to film with Chris? Want to hear more about brain-boosting techniques? Join Maya for a behind-the-scenes Q&A on Instagram, this Friday, August 15 at 10:30am PST / 1:30 pm ET: www.instagram.com/drmayashankar.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maya Is Chris Hemsworth’s Brain Coach!

Jessica Slice spent years working towards the day when she might actually like herself. If she just tried a little harder, achieved a little more, ate a little healthier, she thought she could earn her own self-respect. But after experiencing a sudden health crisis, Jessica was forced to put all that work on indefinite pause, and to remake her relationship with herself. On today’s show: who we can become when we let go of society’s standards of goodness.
 
If you’re interested in learning more about the books that shaped Jessica’s thinking on difference, disability and mental health, check out the list below:
 
 • “The Minority Body: A Theory of Disability” by Elizabeth Barnes
 • “Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure” by Eli Clare
 • “Exile and Pride” by Eli Clare
 “ • Feminist, Queer, Crip
” • by Alison Kafer
 “ • The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability” by Nancy Eiesland
 • “Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick” Maya Dusenbery
 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I Feel So Wildly Lucky To Like Myself”

A few weeks ago, Maya joined former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for a deeply reflective, intimate conversation in front of a live audience in San Francisco. The event was hosted by City Arts & Lectures, which hosts longform conversations with everyone from Bruce Springsteen, to Yuval Noah Harari —— onstage, and on their podcast. 
 
For more on City Arts & Lectures in person programming, visit www.cityarts.net.
 
For more episodes of the City Arts & Lectures podcast, visit www.cityarts.net/audio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Jacinda Ardern Turned Self-Doubt into a Strength

These days, psychiatrist Judith Joseph knows joy. It’s the feeling she has after eating a delicious meal, celebrating the completion of a successful study in her lab, or watching her children play happily together. But just a few years ago, things looked different. Or rather, felt different. On the outside, everything looked as it should, and that was the problem. On today’s episode: the masks we wear to hide how we feel inside.
 
If you or someone you love is struggling with depression, help is available. Call 1-800-950-6264 for free, confidential support and resources. More information available at nami.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Productivity Becomes Pathological

Sahil Bloom spent years working in the financial industry, putting in long hours and cashing big paychecks. But even though he’d found career success, he started to question whether the life he was building was actually what he wanted. On today’s show: hitting pause on the rat race and defining success on your own terms.
 
 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sahil Bloom: Building A (Truly) Happy Life

Tommy Caldwell’s experience being held captive in Kyrgyzstan unlocks a new state of mind that propels him to become the greatest big wall climber of all time.
 
This conversation first aired in 2021. It is a companion episode to the one we ran last week about Beth Rodden’s experience of the same trip: “A Climber Loses Her Grip.” Same “Slight Change of Plans”, but wildly different reactions. 
 
You can check out Tommy’s memoir here, and Beth’s memoir here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Trauma, Two Different Paths

Welcome back, Slight Changers! 2025 has already been quite the year. Whew. Because so many of us are feeling overwhelmed, we in the Slight Change family produced a compilation episode with wisdom from our past guests about how we can rethink our inner voice and the sometimes negative things it tells us. This episode tackles topics like rumination, stress, and self-compassion. We each found this episode to be a helpful resource on a personal level as we navigate hard times and we hope it helps you too :)
 
If you liked the format of this episode, let us know! You can find me on instagram at @DrMayaShankar.
 
If you want to hear more from the guests featured here, listen to their full-length episodes at the links below.
 
Ethan Kross: The Science of Our Inner Voice
 
Modupe Akinola: The Upside of Stress
 
Kristin Neff: The Science of Self-Compassion

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BONUS: Make Your Inner Voice Work For You

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