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PODCAST

What It"s Like To Be...

Curious what it would be like to walk in someone else’s (work) shoes? Join New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath as he explores the world of work, one profession at a time, and interviews people who love what they do.

business careers

All Episodes

31:52

A Conductor

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/11/18

Reinterpreting centuries-old classical music, marking up symphonies with notes on phrasing, and turning mid-performance disasters into unforgettable moments with Carlos Miguel Prieto, a music director and conductor. How do you get an orchestra to pick up the tempo? (Spoiler: Not by waving your hands faster.) And how does a performance of Beethoven's Fifth sound different today from a century ago? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Sp...

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32:50

A Master Electrician

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/11/04

Calculating electrical loads, getting zapped by 277 volts, and savoring the freedom of the skilled trades with Doug Powell, a master electrician. Why are blue-collar professions growing increasingly more attractive? And what are the telltale signs of a hack electrician? Doug runs Lumen Brothers Electric Company with his business partner, Josh. WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our b...

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31:09

A Baseball Player

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/10/21

Scaling outfield walls to pick off home runs, bouncing between La Quinta hotels and sleeper buses, and chasing the dream of the majors with Trayvon Robinson, a professional baseball player. What superstitions did he live by? And what did he do to make SportsCenter in his major league debut? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue. GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us ...

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33:21

A Seismologist

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/10/07

Monitoring global networks of seismometers, evangelizing for stronger buildings instead of better predictions, and measuring LA's slow crawl toward Alaska with Lucy Jones, a seismologist in Southern California. Why does she begin counting when she feels the earth start to shake? And how did a nuclear test ban treaty end up boosting the science of earthquakes? Lucy is author of the book The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them). She also founded the Dr....

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33:53

An Executive Chef

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/09/23

Butchering whole alligators, costing out every plate down to the garnish, and perfecting grilled sweetbreads with Cindy Wolf, an executive chef. What was it like to cook for Julia Child? And what popular item does she wish she could purge from the menu? Dan's latest book is Reset: How to Change What's Not Working. It's out in hard cover and as an audiobook. WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episo...

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32:18

A Speechwriter

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/09/09

Writing for the ear rather than the eye, racing to meet teleprompter deadlines, and recasting lost memories as timeless advice with Stephen Krupin, a speechwriter. What was it like to write speeches for President Obama? And when can a speaker's desire for "authenticity" go too far? WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue. GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@w...

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33:58

A Floral Decorator

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/08/26

Crafting floral masterpieces that disappear within hours, dealing with the eccentricities of wealthy clients, and making 3am runs to the flower market with Paul Hawkins, a floral decorator in England. Why is it a no-no to mix red and white flowers? And what's it like to design floral decorations for royalty? You can see some of Paul's work on his Instagram page. WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential ...

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33:02

A Car Mechanic

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/08/12

Cracking automotive mysteries one diagnostic code at a time, mastering the art of quoting complicated repairs, and playing the "what kind of noise is it?" guessing game with Justin Snodgrass, a car mechanic who owns his own shop. Why should $19.99 oil changes make you suspicious? And why might your local car mechanic decline to work on new cars? IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be a forensic accountant, a welder, or a software engineer. WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS...

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37:24

A Pharmacy Tech

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/07/29

Counting out pills in fives, working with million-dollar drugs, and ensuring the right medication in the right dose gets delivered at the right moment with Rose Davin, a pharmacy technician in Rochester, New York. What are the layers of protection that prevent pharmacy employees from absconding with opioids? And what happens if a technician accidentally drops a pill on the floor? IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be a nurse, a veterinarian, or a hospice nurse. WANT MORE EP...

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37:19

A Chief Financial Officer

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/07/15

Forecasting what a business will earn and spend, allocating resources among teams clamoring for more, and practicing professional skepticism without killing the vibe with Steve Love, a chief financial officer. What does it feel like to confess to a board of directors that you've made a potentially catastrophic error? And what happens when business leaders accidentally release non-public information? IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be a turnaround consultant, a fore...

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30:15

A Deli Owner

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/07/01

Boiling briskets for five hours, escorting obnoxious customers to the door, and preserving the ritual of saying "hello" with Steven Peljovich, who runs Michael's Deli in Boston. What makes a deli different from a sandwich shop? And, until recently, why did he resist taking orders online? Read The Boston Globe story that Steven mentioned about longtime customer Rita Manor. IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be a stadium beer vendor, a barman, or an ice cream truck driver. GO...

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34:26

A Massage Therapist

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/06/17

Choreographing massages to Mozart, enforcing cancellation policies with beloved clients, and shutting down callers seeking "undraped sessions" with Allissa Haines, a massage therapist. What made her cry in her car after one particular house call? And what is "effleurage”? In this episode, Dan recommended The Work of Art by Adam Moss, a book about how artists make their work. Check it out here. IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be a couples therapist, a hair stylist, or a p...

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37:30

A Harbor Pilot

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/06/03

Scaling three-story rope ladders up the sides of ships, memorizing every rock and current in a harbor, and narrowly avoiding catastrophic collisions with Captain Grant Livingstone, a retired harbor pilot. What do you do when your engine and anchors fail in heavy fog? And how do you dock a ship the size of the Empire State Building? Grant and his twin brother Captain George Livingstone co-authored the recent book Shiphandling, The Beautiful Game. IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's l...

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38:14

A Hospice Nurse

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/05/20

Comforting patients as they prepare to transition, navigating end-of-life regrets and frayed relationships, and providing support and advice for fearful families with Heather Meyerend, a retired hospice nurse. How does she know when the end is imminent? And what has the work taught her about the different ways we deal with death? Heather is a contributing author to the book Resilient Faith: Dare To Believe. She was also profiled in The New Yorker in 2016: "A Tender Hand in the Presence of Dea...

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36:52

A Veterinarian

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/05/06

Calming scared cats with pheromone sprays, advising families how to balance their pet's well-being with budget realities, and diagnosing mysterious animal maladies with Dr. Hindatu Mohammed, a veterinarian in Austin, TX. What breed of dog, when having its nails clipped, responds as though it's being murdered? And how did an injured ant shape her career choice? BOOK ALERT! You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’...

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30:33

A Software Engineer

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/04/22

Tracing mysterious errors to their source, jousting with product managers, and rolling out new features (without breaking the old ones) with Taylor Hughes, a software engineer. How did one failed software fix ruin Christmas for kids around the country? And what is "spaghetti code"? Taylor is currently a co-founder and the CTO at Hypernatural.ai. NEW BOOK ALERT! You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a si...

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35:08

A City Manager

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/04/08

Mediating pickleball noise disputes, shepherding communities through thorny decisions, and practicing radical pragmatism with Martha Bennett, city manager of Lake Oswego, Oregon. What is it that makes public hearings so noxious? And what's the difference between "Big P" and "Little P" politics? NEW BOOK ALERT! You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a sixth book out now called RESET: How to Change W...

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35:40

A Barman

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/03/25

Pouring pints for thirsty tourists, defusing situations with drunk patrons, and finding flow in the Friday night rush with Brian Wynne, a barman in Dublin. What caused one customer to throw a dog at Brian? And what is "craic"? If you'd like to reach-out to Brian, we'll pass along your note. Just email dan@whatitslike.com NEW BOOK ALERT! You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a sixth book out now called R...

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40:30

A Brain Surgeon

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/03/11

Zapping parts of the brain to know where to cut, operating a mouth-controlled microscope that's worth more than a house, and carrying the weight of life-or-death decisions with Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, a brain surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. How do you preserve a mathematician's expertise when removing tumors? And how did he go from picking tomatoes to performing brain surgery? Dr. Q wrote about his remarkable journey to the operating room in the book, Becoming Dr. Q: My Journey from Migran...

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35:03

An Aircraft Carrier Commander

What It"s Like To Be... ·

2025/02/25

Commanding a floating city of 5,000 sailors, intercepting Houthi missiles in the Red Sea, and stripping rank from sailors who cross the line with Captain Chris "Chowdah" Hill, commanding officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. How do you stop a fighter jet in 2-seconds? And what are “midrats”? NEW BOOK ALERT! You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a sixth book out now called RESET: How ...

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61 results

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