Fixable

TED

Frances Frei is a Harvard Business professor. Anne Morriss is a CEO and best-selling author. Anne and Frances are two of the top leadership coaches in the world. Oh, did we mention they're also married to each other? Together, Anne and Frances move fast and fix stuff by talking to guest callers about their workplace issues and solving their problems – in 30 minutes or less. Both listeners and guests will receive actionable insights to create meaningful change in the workplace. From CEOs to nurses, the restaurant world to Silicon Valley, Frances and Anne have a plan for anyone hoping to improve their their workplace.

Follow Anne on Instagram @annemorriss and on LinkedIn @anne-morriss. Follow Frances on Instagram @francesxfrei and on LinkedIn @francesfrei

If you want to be on Fixable, call our hotline at 234-Fixable (that's 234-349-2253) to leave Anne and Frances a voicemail with your workplace problem, or email us at fixable@ted.com.

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Monday · 42 min
How to learn from your mistakes with Robert “Cujo” Teschner
The act of reflection at work has many names—debrief, post-mortem, after-action review—but no matter what you call it, it’s a wildly powerful tool for making teams better. But are you getting the most out of it? Robert Teschner (whose call sign in the Air Force was “Cujo”) is a former fighter pilot and commander who flew some of the world's most advanced fighter jets before becoming an instructor at the Weapons School. In the Air Force, figuring out what went right and wrong can be a matter of life and death. Today, Cujo teaches business leaders how to bring the awareness, accountability, and rigor of military debriefs to their own teams. Anne and Frances sit down with Cujo to discuss how to conduct a successful debrief, where debriefs can go wrong, and how to get to the root cause of a problem. They also explore the importance of vulnerability and non-judgement when it comes to creating a psychologically safe space for reflection and learning. Featured guest Follow Robert Cujo Teschner on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://cujoteschner.com/ Buy Debrief to Win Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 17 · 44 min
How to quit (and why it matters) with Anthony Klotz
During the pandemic, Anthony Klotz predicted the “Great Resignation”: a mass exodus of unhappy workers leaving their jobs after COVID epiphanies. Now, he’s seeing a different pattern begin to emerge as people opt to hunker down in their current jobs until they can find a better option. Anthony is an organizational psychologist and professor at the London School of Management. His recent book, Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why It Matters, explores how we make decisions in our jobs and careers. In this episode, he joins Anne and Frances to weigh in on the patterns developing right now in the world of quitting, offer practical advice for how to make measured decisions in a fickle job market, and explain the phenomenon he calls “jolts,” when a person experiences something that causes them to suddenly reevaluate their position. Together, they also work through a listener’s dilemma as she navigates a relationship with collaborators who mistrust each other, and offer tips for leaders who suspect a member of their team may be considering quitting. Featured guest Follow Anthony Klotz on LinkedIn and at anthonyklotz.com/ Buy Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why it Matters Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 10 · 41 min
How play is the secret to success at work with Maxwell Pearce | from How to Be a Better Human
Why is it so fun to watch your team win in the World Cup or to be a Knicks fan as they finally get an NBA championship? There’s a collective joy in sports that can also be found in art, theater, and comedy. In this episode of How to Be a Better Human with Maxwell Pearce, Chris talks to him about his accomplishments as a mixed media artist and a Harlem Globetrotter. Maxwell integrates playfulness into his art and in sports—whether it’s using shoelaces as texture in his artwork or training his body to perform a basketball trick shot. Maxwell shares how play is the secret ingredient in his career and how changing the way he thinks about the rules and mistakes allows him to have more fun and more successes. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 3 · 38 min
How to get the most out of AI with Nick Lichtenberg
As an editor at Fortune, Nick Lichtenberg made a big stir in the world of journalism and beyond when he revealed that he used AI to help publish over 600 articles this year.His expansive use of this new tech to research, edit, and draft many of his stories has sparked fierce debate both inside and outside the media industry. In this episode, Nick joins Anne and Frances to break down his approach to AI, and make the case for why AI can’t replace your job, but it can make you better at it. He also shares his theory that AI tools benefit just as much from positive reinforcement as people do, and offers practical advice for how to make the most of them without sacrificing human judgment. Featured guest Follow Nick Lichtenberg on LinkedIn and at fortune.com/author/nick-lichtenberg/ Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 27 · 37 min
How to manage in times of uncertainty with Dara Treseder
When change is constant, strong leadership keeps teams grounded and ready for what’s next. Dara Treseder, chief marketing and commercial officer at the tech company Autodesk, has helped lead her organization through this fast-moving moment with clarity and optimism. In this episode, Anne and Frances talk with Dara about her approach to AI and the future of work, and how she helps her team embrace uncertainty with confidence. Dara also shares advice on cultivating advocates early in your career and reflects on a lesson from her mother about the power of persistence. Featured guest Follow Dara Treseder on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://daratreseder.com/ Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 20 · 44 min
How to handle big feelings at work with Ethan Kross
In this era of profound change, uncertainty creates not only strategic challenges at work, but emotional ones, too. Ethan Kross is a psychology professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business whose research explores how people can better manage their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In this episode, Ethan joins Anne and Frances to debunk common misconceptions about managing emotions and shares practical tools for navigating stress more skillfully. He also offers advice for leaders coaching their teams through emotionally charged moments, and helps Frances reframe a conflict with her mother. Featured guest Follow Ethan Kross on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://www.ethankross.com/ Buy Shift: Managing Your Emotions—So They Don't Manage You Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 13 · 33 min
The power of constraints (w/ Master Fixer David Epstein)
Constraints often feel frustrating and limiting — but they can also create the friction that sparks creative breakthroughs, reveals better solutions, and leads to more thoughtful decisionmaking. In this episode, Anne and Frances are joined by David Epstein, an investigative reporter and bestselling author of the new book Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better. They discuss why limits are powerful tools for clarity and innovation, examining case studies of companies that used constraints to accelerate their success (and others that struggled after removing them). They also explore the constraints-based strategies elite athletes use in their training routines. Featured guest Follow David Epstein on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and at davidepstein.com/ Buy Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better Subscribe to David's substack Range Widely Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 9 · 46 min
What sitting all day does to your brain and body | Keith Diaz | Your Body on Tech
Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way to boost your brain and body. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond. This is episode one of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era. To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 6 · 37 min
Friction 101: How to make the right things easier and wrong things harder (w/ Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao) (re-release)
Do you feel like you’re hitting a wall at work? This week, Anne and Frances are joined by Master Fixers Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao. Bob and Huggy are professors at Stanford University and authors of “The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder”. Together, the four discuss how anyone can eliminate the obstacles to doing their best work—and create constraints that make work even better. This episode originally aired in 2024. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 29 · 50 min
Finding Purpose: Why purpose is the answer to uncertainty and anxiety (w/ Arun Gupta)
Work today is a lot less stable than it used to be. Career paths that once seemed predictable are constantly being disrupted and reshaped, leaving many of us feeling unsteady. In this final episode of the Finding Purpose series, Anne and Frances are joined by Arun Gupta, CEO of the NobleReach Foundation, who has spent his career helping people find ways to serve causes bigger than themselves. Arun makes the case for why following your purpose can be a powerful antidote to instability and anxiety, and shares practical ways to discover your own purpose. Anne and Frances also reflect on what they’ve learned from guests throughout the series. Featured guest Arun Gupta Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 22 · 35 min
Finding Purpose: How to defend your values (w/ Yara Shahidi & Keri Salter)
In a world that won’t stop changing, knowing what matters most can make all the difference. Yara Shahidi and Keri Salter are a mother-daughter duo building a more inclusive and imaginative Hollywood through their production company, 7th Sun Productions. In this episode, Anne sits down with Yara and Keri at the TED Conference in Vancouver to dig into their “highest order” framework for aligning purpose with priorities. They also reflect on how purpose evolves over a lifetime and explore what today’s changemakers can learn from previous generations. Featured guest Follow Yara Shahidi on Instagram, TikTok, and her podcast The Optimistic Project Follow Keri Salter on Instagram and LinkedIn Learn more about 7th Sun Productions Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 15 · 43 min
Finding Purpose: How to give your work meaning (w/ the New York Times Jodi Kantor)
In uncertain times, purposeful work can feel impractical and out of reach. But award-winning investigative reporter Jodi Kantor argues that meaning is both essential and available to all of us. Anne and Frances dive into the lessons from Jodi’s latest book, “How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work,” and explore practical strategies for anyone looking to chart a more purposeful career. The three also discuss two key principles for finding work that matters and challenge the idea that economic stability and purpose are mutually exclusive. Featured guest Follow Jodi Kantor on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://jodikantor.com/ Buy How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work Read Jodi's NYT's articles Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 8 · 44 min
Finding Purpose: Why you should stop chasing your “dream job” (w/ Emily the Recruiter)
Does your “dream job” really exist? You may know Emily Durham as Emily the Recruiter on social media, where she shares practical, refreshingly honest career advice and coaches people through the biggest professional decisions of their lives. Emily doesn’t believe in the idea of a dream job. In this episode, she joins Anne to make the case for the “awake job” that actively fits into your purpose, lifestyle, and financial needs. Emily reflects on how her own purpose has evolved over time, and answers questions from listeners about how to gracefully quit a job, find a path forward when you feel stuck, and communicate your values to a potential employer. Featured guest Follow Emily Durham on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and at https://emilydurham.org/ Listen to Clock In with Emily Durham Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 1 · 37 min
Finding Purpose: How to find your purpose (w/ Master Fixer Molly Graham)
What is your true purpose—and how do you find it? This month, Anne and Frances are tackling one of life’s biggest questions in search of answers for Fixers of all ages, from fresh graduates charting their first career moves to seasoned executives craving something more. In this episode, Anne sits down with Molly Graham, a former executive at Facebook and the new host of TED’s WorkLife podcast, to explore what it means to pursue meaningful work and stay open to opportunities you never saw coming. They also answer a question from a new graduate about finding your purpose somewhere between work and life. Featured guest Follow Molly on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at glueclub.com/ Subscribe to Molly’s Substack Lessons Watch WorkLife with Molly Graham videos on YouTube at TEDAudioCollective Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 25 · 39 min
The secret to making the right career decisions with Patty Stonesifer | from WorkLife with Molly Graham
You might think the biggest, most prestigious job is always the right career move. Patty Stonesifer — founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an early Amazon board member — says that’s exactly the wrong way to decide what to do next. So what should guide your career? In this special episode from WorkLife with Molly Graham, Patty shares the nine-word personal mission statement she’s used for decades to filter opportunities, turn down what doesn’t fit, and speak up for what matters. Patty shares how you can write your own, and even coaches Molly through creating hers in real time. WorkLife is a podcast from TED where host and company builder Molly Graham and her expert guests talk through the messy feelings we all experience at work. Ambition and failure, joy and burnout, confidence and self-doubt — this show digs into it all to help you build a career without losing yourself. Listen now: https://link.mgln.ai/kEuQow For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 18 · 31 min
Unsolicited Advice: How Alex Cooper and other creators can build a psychologically safe workplace
When people don’t feel safe speaking up at work, fear spreads, trust falls apart, and good people head for the exits. That’s the story emerging from Unwell Networks, the media company led by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper and her husband, Matt Kaplan, where reports describe an alleged pattern of intimidation and retaliation inside the company. In this Unsolicited Advice segment, Anne and Frances unpack what appears to have gone wrong at Unwell Networks and break down the concept of psychological safety: why it matters so much to high-performing teams, how leaders can unknowingly undermine it, and what it takes to build a workplace where people feel safe enough to ask questions, admit mistakes, and disagree without being afraid of what will happen next. Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 11 · 27 min
How to stop checking your email, avoid burnout, and build better stress habits (w/ Master Fixer Kelly McGonigal)
You can’t avoid stress altogether, but you can choose the kind that helps instead of harms. In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances are joined once more by Master Fixer Kelly McGonigal to tackle three listener questions in under 30 minutes. One listener asks how to spot the early signs of burnout, another worries about adding the stress of a new job to their already stressful home life, and a final Fixer wants help breaking a compulsive email-checking habit. Featured guest Follow Kelly McGonigal on Instagram and at https://www.kellymcgonigal.com Buy Kelly's book Joy Is a Risk Worth Taking Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 4 · 36 min
How to strengthen your stress response (w/ Master Fixer Kelly McGonigal)
We all deal with stress in our lives, and it’s tempting to try to avoid it altogether. But the people who face stress head-on often handle it most skillfully. In this episode, Anne and Frances are joined by Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who studies different ways people respond to stress. Together, they unpack practical strategies to strengthen your stress response, examine the choices and attitudes of people who thrive under pressure, and explore the benefits of a “challenge” mindset for you and your team. Kelly also shares nine simple strategies for finding courage in high-stress moments, and makes the case that joy is a risk worth taking. Featured guest Follow Kelly McGonigal on Instagram and at https://www.kellymcgonigal.com Buy Kelly's book Joy Is a Risk Worth Taking Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 27 · 33 min
How to prevent burnout (w/ Master Fixer Guy Winch)
Do you feel like work is taking over your life? Guy Winch is a psychologist and author of the book Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life. In this episode, Anne sits down with Guy at the annual TED conference in Vancouver to discuss the insidious ways work can follow you home and how to set boundaries to avoid burnout. They dig into the harmful effects of after-hours rumination, share practical rituals to help you separate work from the rest of your life, and offer tips on how to take a truly restorative vacation. Featured guest Follow Guy Winch on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at https://www.guywinch.com/ Buy Guy's book Mind Over Grind Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 20 · 34 min
Unsolicited Advice: How Southwest Airlines lost its way
Southwest has long been a beloved, low-cost airline with free checked bags, minimal fees, and one class of seating that made flying feel simple and fair. But recent reversals of those policies, in favor of the bottom line, have left both customers and employees feeling betrayed. In this Unsolicited Advice segment, Anne and Frances take a closer look at what Southwest got so right in the beginning, the decisions that led to this moment, and what CEO Bob Jordan could still do to turn the plane around. Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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