Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

Vox Media Podcast Network

I’ve spent over 20 years studying the emotions and experiences that bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: we are hardwired for connection, and connecting requires courage, vulnerability, and conversation. I want this to be a podcast that’s real, unpolished, honest, and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human. Episodes will include conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, or maybe even ticking me off a little. I'll also have direct conversations with you about what I’m learning from new research, and we'll do some episodes dedicated to answering your questions. We don’t have to do life alone. We were never meant to.

Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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134 episodes
Updated Oct 28, 2024

Episodes134

Newest first

Dec 21, 2022 · 26 min
Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Part 2 of 2
In Part 2 of my conversation with Father Richard Rohr, we talk about facing our shadows and living and loving through the second half of life, and we laugh. A lot. What a gift to be with him at the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque. A deep and true blessing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 14, 2022 · 42 min
Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Part 1 of 2
I flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to spend the day with Father Richard Rohr. We laughed, I cried a little, we laughed some more, and I told him why his work pisses me off sometimes. He thoroughly delighted in that last part. In Part 1 of this special two-part series recorded at the Center for Action and Contemplation, we focus on his writing in Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps and just a few of the quotes — on spirituality, suffering, gratitude, and grace — that have changed and rearranged me over the years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 7, 2022 · 30 min
Brené with Chris Germer on the Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion, Part 2 of 2
We’re back with Part 2 of my conversation with Chris Germer, a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and we’re talking about fierce compassion, which is something so many of us are trying to figure out right now. When there’s so much pain and hurt in the world, we want to be a voice. We want to speak up and speak out. We want to take action, and we want to do so from a place where we are healing pain. In this episode, Chris and I talk about what’s actually possible for us as humans and how we can respond to pain and hurt without causing more of it and without self-protecting and distancing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 30, 2022 · 41 min
Brené with Chris Germer on the Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion, Part 1 of 2
I’ve been waiting my whole life to talk to Chris Germer. He is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and he co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion program with Kristin Neff, which has been taught to 200,000 people worldwide. I recently read an article written by Chris called “The Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion,” and as soon as I read it, I said, “Put him on the podcast list. I’ve gotta talk to him.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 23, 2022 · 40 min
Brené with Bono on Songs of Surrender and Carrying the Weight of Our Contradictions, Part 2 of 2
We’re back with Part 2 of my conversation with Bono, recorded live at the historic Paramount Theatre and presented by Austin City Limits Festival’s Bonus Tracks. In this episode, we take it back to Bono’s early days in Ireland — most notably the school where he’d meet his future bandmates, his future wife, and a headmaster who modeled what it was to live in the radical center, in a space forged by complication and contradiction. “How casually our destiny arrives,” Bono writes of this formative era. From there, our conversation rolls through matters of faith, creativity, and what it means to truly surrender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 16, 2022 · 52 min
Brené with Bono on Songs of Surrender and Carrying the Weight of Our Contradictions, Part 1 of 2
Welcome to Part 1 of my conversation with Bono, recorded live at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. I have been a U2 fan since the very beginning, and this event, presented by Austin City Limits Festival’s Bonus Tracks, was sheer magic. I don’t know what happened, but we got mentally in sync, spiritually locked in together, and we talked about everything from rock and roll to love and faith. His new memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, is the ultimate love story — to his wife, Ali; to his family; and to all of us who’ve found all kinds of peace and challenges in the music and the lyrics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 9, 2022 · 39 min
Brené with Attica Locke and Tembi Locke on Life, Loss, and All Kinds of Love, Part 2 of 2
It’s Part 2 of my conversation with Attica and Tembi Locke, writers, showrunners, executive producers, and the creative sister duo behind the Netflix series From Scratch, based on Tembi’s 2019 memoir of the same name, about love, Sicily, and finding home. In Part 1, we talked about the series and their story, and as we jump back into our conversation, we are talking about the success of this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 2, 2022 · 1 hr 2 min
Brené with Attica Locke and Tembi Locke on Life, Loss, and All Kinds of Love, Part 1 of 2
I’m talking with Attica and Tembi Locke, writers, showrunners, executive producers, and the creative sister duo behind the Netflix series From Scratch, based on Tembi’s 2019 memoir of the same name, about love, Sicily, and finding home. We started talking about the series and their story, and then we really went everywhere from there — this turned into a full-blown LIFE conversation. Which, if you’ve seen the series, will not surprise you at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 26, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
Brené with Anand Giridharadas on The Persuaders, Part 2 of 2
It’s Part 2 of our two-part series with Anand Giridharadas, author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy. I’m still thinking about Anand’s story and how his experiences informed this concept of persuasion as being the heart of democracy. In this episode, we talk more specifically about the real stories included in the book — some scary, some incredibly inspiring — and he shares more about the individuals behind this meaningful work, which is built on meeting people where they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 19, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
Brené with Anand Giridharadas on The Persuaders, Part 1 of 2
I love this two-part series with Anand Giridharadas, author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy. Every now and then, I come across something that makes me think in a completely new way, and this was one of those times. We talk about this concept of persuasion — the ability to reach across differences and believe that others are movable, as well as the idea that I have the capacity to be moved — as being the heart of democracy. I’m so glad you’re here for this conversation, and get ready to be persuaded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 17, 2022 · 56 min
Brené with Beto O’Rourke on Brave Leadership
I think y’all know that I’m a fifth-generation Texan, and I have another Texan with me today: Beto O’Rourke. He is running for governor of Texas, and early voting starts next week on October 24th, with Election Day coming up on November 8th. But beyond the timeliness of voting, I wanted to connect on the timeliness of brave leadership — because we really need courageous, real, authentic, empathic leaders right now. So I wanted to have him on the podcast to learn a little bit more about his approach, his vision, and what he wants for us in our state. And, you know, if you’re not in Texas, there’s a saying, “As Texas goes, so goes the nation.” I think you’ll find this interesting. Whether you agree or disagree with Beto’s position on things, I think he’s a strong leader with a different approach — and I love the authenticity. I think you’ll find his story and his vision for politics and life in general compelling. We need to be talking to more and more leaders about what their vision is, what their concerns are, who they are as people. You know, we always say on Dare to Lead, who you are is how you lead, and I think we got a really good picture of that in this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 12, 2022 · 29 min
Brené, Ashley, and Barrett on The Love Prescription, Part 3 of 3
The sisters are here for our final installment in a three-part series on The Love Prescription: Seven Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy, from Drs. John and Julie Gottman. And we’re talking about our reaction to the book and what we learned from the Gottmans in Parts 1 and 2. Their tactical, practical, get-your-vulnerability-on work calls us to action, so we commit to doing some specific things over the next weeks. It’s scary. It’s vulnerable. But we’re ready to take on this seven-day journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 5, 2022 · 50 min
Brené with Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman on The Love Prescription, Part 2 of 3
We’re back with Part 2 in our three-part series with Drs. John and Julie Gottman, respected, expert clinicians and researchers who’ve been studying couples and relationships for decades. We’re talking about their new book, The Love Prescription: Seven Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy. And I’m telling y’all, this is the real deal. To love somebody and to ask to be loved — to want to be seen and to show your inner self — this is courage and vulnerability. This is bravery. This is love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 28, 2022 · 53 min
Brené with Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman on The Love Prescription, Part 1 of 3
Think you can’t make relationship changes in a week? Drs. John and Julie Gottman say, yes, actually, you can — and they have 40 years of breakthrough research on marital stability and divorce prediction to prove it. The Gottmans are back, by popular demand, and they’re here to talk about their new book, The Love Prescription: Seven Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy. In this first of a three-part series, we talk about their work, their findings, and some huge hacks that were mind-blowing for me. This book feels so hopeful because it’s direct, it’s really honest, and it’s so actionable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 21, 2022 · 28 min
Reflection From My Summer Sabbatical
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the past, maybe, 50 years, but specifically, research-wise, over the past 25, it’s that every time we think we’re completely alone in struggle, that is exactly when we need to remember that the human experience is never a singular experience. I’m sharing this reflection in the hopes that it resonates with some and to remind myself that I’m not alone. I’m glad you’re here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 25, 2022 · 34 min
Brené, Ashley, and Barrett on Atlas of the Heart, Audience Q&A, Part 2 of 2
We are back with Part 2 of our reader and audience Q&A on Atlas of the Heart, with questions from both the book and the HBO Max series. If you listened to Part 1, oh wow, these questions are hard — and I don’t have all the answers, which I love. Because that means I get to learn more, and I’m learning right along with my sisters, Ashley and Barrett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 18, 2022 · 46 min
Brené, Ashley, and Barrett on Atlas of the Heart, Audience Q&A, Part 1 of 2
In this first episode of a three-part Sisters Book Club series, Ashley and Barrett turn the tables and interview me about Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. They ask all the questions everyone wants to know, and they pull no punches — starting with stories about childhood superpowers, to matters of biology, biography, behavior, and backstory in the context of emotions and the book itself. We also talk about how Atlas is broken up into three sections, how the data was collected and analyzed to present the 87 emotions covered, and how powerful it is to have vocabulary that’s as expansive as our experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 11, 2022 · 58 min
Brené with Viola Davis on Being Brave, Speaking Truth, and Finding Me
I’m talking with none other than the amazing, singular Viola Davis about her new memoir, Finding Me. This book, and this conversation, are gifts — deep reflections on a turbulent childhood, the journey to overcoming trauma, and how she found her voice in the often brutal entertainment industry. She shares some extraordinary experiences that have changed her, and because of who she is, they’ve in turn changed us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 4, 2022 · 52 min
Brené with Domee Shi on Creativity, Curiosity, and Turning Red
I’m smiling from ear to ear about this conversation with Domee Shi, a Chinese-born, Academy Award–winning Canadian animator, storyboard artist, and director for Pixar. With Bao, Domee became the first woman to direct a short film for Pixar, and with Turning Red — which was released on Disney+ in March 2022 — Domee became the first woman to direct a feature-length project for the animation studio. It was so fun to connect with her about creativity, learning, curiosity, and her incredible, groundbreaking work. Also, she may have inspired my new life motto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 27, 2022 · 28 min
Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Spirituality, Certitude, and Infinite Love, Part 2 of 2
In Part 2 of an unforgettable and transformative conversation with Father Richard Rohr, the Franciscan friar and I really go there — asking and answering hard questions about certainty and the ego, a cosmic God who’s bigger than what Christianity often espouses, and the spiritual yearning of today’s up-and-coming generations. It’s a deeply holy discussion that I hope will resonate with you no matter where you fall on the spiritual spectrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Part 2 of 2

Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Part 1 of 2

Brené with Chris Germer on the Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion, Part 2 of 2

Brené with Chris Germer on the Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion, Part 1 of 2

Brené with Bono on Songs of Surrender and Carrying the Weight of Our Contradictions, Part 2 of 2

Brené with Bono on Songs of Surrender and Carrying the Weight of Our Contradictions, Part 1 of 2

Brené with Attica Locke and Tembi Locke on Life, Loss, and All Kinds of Love, Part 2 of 2

Brené with Attica Locke and Tembi Locke on Life, Loss, and All Kinds of Love, Part 1 of 2

Brené with Anand Giridharadas on The Persuaders, Part 2 of 2

Brené with Anand Giridharadas on The Persuaders, Part 1 of 2

Brené with Beto O’Rourke on Brave Leadership

Brené, Ashley, and Barrett on The Love Prescription, Part 3 of 3

Brené with Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman on The Love Prescription, Part 2 of 3

Brené with Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman on The Love Prescription, Part 1 of 3

Reflection From My Summer Sabbatical

Brené, Ashley, and Barrett on Atlas of the Heart, Audience Q&A, Part 2 of 2

Brené, Ashley, and Barrett on Atlas of the Heart, Audience Q&A, Part 1 of 2

Brené with Viola Davis on Being Brave, Speaking Truth, and Finding Me

Brené with Domee Shi on Creativity, Curiosity, and Turning Red

Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Spirituality, Certitude, and Infinite Love, Part 2 of 2