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A Slight Change of Plans: Daily Summaries Delivered
by 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, Bren 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.
Latest Episodes
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- 3 days ago51 min
The Cost of Standing Your Ground
Bestselling author Michael Lewis is back with a brand new audiobook, “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State.” In early 2025, when the Department of Government Efficiency arrived in D.C., a “blocker” became the label for federal employees who were seen as standing in the way. As these civil servants were being ousted from their roles, Michael was inspired to tell their stories. This book raises the very human question at the heart of A Slight Change of Plans: Who are you when the thing you’ve given your life to decides it doesn’t want you anymore? Get “Blockers” by Michael Lewis now at blockers.fm or wherever you get audiobooks. And for more from Michael, revisit his live conversation with Maya about her book, “The Other Side of Change.” Also, A Slight Change of Plans wants to hear from you! What helps you navigate moments of uncertainty? Maybe it was advice someone gave you, a mantra you now repeat, or something surprising you discovered in your own moment of transition. Share your reflections with us in a voice memo and tell us why those lessons have stayed with you. You can email your voice memo to slightchange@pushkin.fm or leave us a voicemail at (646) 397-8557. You may be featured in an upcoming episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 1 weeks ago40 min
Adam Grant on How to Vibe with Just About Anyone
Ever unexpectedly hit it off with someone you thought you had nothing in common with? Or met someone who seemed perfect on paper, only to discover you had no chemistry? In this episode, psychologist and author Adam Grant talks with Maya about what makes us click with some people and not others. It turns out that good vibes can be cultivated – and there are things we can do to create and sustain them in our relationships. Check out Adam’s new book, “Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World.” And if you enjoyed this conversation, listen to his previous visits to A Slight Change of Plans, where he and Maya discuss changing minds and unlocking our hidden potential. Also, A Slight Change of Plans wants to hear from you! What helps you navigate moments of uncertainty? Maybe it was advice someone gave you, a mantra you now repeat, or something surprising you discovered in your own moment of transition. Share your reflections with us in a voice memo and tell us why those lessons have stayed with you. You can email your voice memo to slightchange@pushkin.fm or leave us a voicemail at (646) 397-8557. You may be featured in an upcoming episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 2 weeks ago47 min
A Theranos Whistleblower (Who Really Could See Everything)
Erika Cheung’s first job out of college was as a scientist at the now infamous biotech company, Theranos. Erika realized early on that the company’s proprietary technology, marketed to the world by its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, was not delivering accurate blood results to patients. And even though she had everything to lose by speaking up – and nothing to gain – she felt she had no other option.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 3 weeks ago43 min
Letting Go of Control Through Tiny Experiments
Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff was climbing the ranks at a big tech company, and had ambitious plans for her future—when a health scare made her rethink her relationship with control. In this episode, Anne-Laure explains why we cling to plans, scripts, and to-do lists when life gets uncertain, and how we can learn to meet these moments with curiosity instead. She talks to Maya about how to develop a more experimental mindset and embrace new possibilities within the unknown. Check out Anne-Laure’s latest book, “Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World.” And if this episode resonated with you, check out a previous Slight Change episode, “When Productivity Becomes Pathological,” with Judith Joseph. Also, A Slight Change of Plans wants to hear from you! What helps you navigate moments of uncertainty? Maybe it was advice someone gave you, a mantra you now repeat, or something surprising you discovered in your own moment of transition. Share your reflections with us in a voice memo and tell us why those lessons have stayed with you. You can email your voice memo to slightchange@pushkin.fm or leave us a voicemail at (646) 397-8557. You may be featured in an upcoming episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Oct 13, 202647 min
Reckoning with the Empty Nest
Writer Kelly Corrigan always knew her daughters would grow up and eventually move out. But knowing this chapter of parenthood would end didn’t make it any less heartbreaking when the time came. In today’s episode, we’re revisiting Maya’s conversation with Kelly about learning to let go, and how our relationships can evolve when the people we love no longer need us in quite the same way. For more on Kelly, check out her podcast, “Kelly Corrigan Wonders” and her PBS show, “Tell Me More.” Also, A Slight Change of Plans wants to hear from you! What helps you navigate moments of uncertainty? Maybe it was advice someone gave you, a mantra you now repeat, or something surprising you discovered in your own moment of transition. Share your reflections with us in a voice memo and tell us why those lessons have stayed with you. You can email your voice memo to slightchange@pushkin.fm or leave us a voicemail at (646) 397-8557. You may be featured in an upcoming episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Oct 6, 202640 min
Why We Crave Closeness — and Run From It
Neuroscientist Amir Levine studies attachment styles – how comfortable we feel with emotional intimacy and how sensitive we are to disruptions in our relationships. For decades, scientists have believed that this wiring is fixed and largely determined by our early childhood experiences. But research by Amir and others in the field has upended this view. This week Amir shares with Maya how we can learn to shift our attachment orientation no matter our starting point and bring out our most secure selves. Check out Amir’s latest book, “Secure: The Revolutionary Guide to Creating a Secure Life,” and take this quiz on attachment styles to learn more about your own. Also, A Slight Change of Plans wants to hear from you! What helps you navigate moments of uncertainty? Maybe it was advice someone gave you, a mantra you now repeat, or something surprising you discovered in your own moment of transition. Share your reflections with us in a voice memo and tell us why those lessons have stayed with you. You can email your voice memo to slightchange@pushkin.fm or leave us a voicemail at (646)397-8557. You may be featured in an upcoming episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Sep 24, 202646 min
Leaving the Life You Trained For
Professional violinist Vijay Gupta grew up performing on the world’s biggest stages in order to fulfill his parents' dreams for him. But the pressure to play perfectly became too much, and over time he lost his love of the violin. Then Vijay started performing in homeless shelters and mental health clinics, where audiences wanted something very different from him: not perfection, but connection. This week, Vijay joins Maya to share how those experiences rekindled his passion for music, and gave him the courage to walk away from his parents’ dreams towards his own. Check out Vijay’s new book, “Restrung: A Memoir of Music and Transformation,” and learn more about his work with Street Symphony at StreetSymphony.org. For Fun: Watch young violinists Vijay and Maya on PBS’s Reading Rainbow in 1996, “Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin.” For more episodes like this, we recommend our conversation with Shira Gabriel, “Why Experiencing Awe With Others Feels So Magical.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Sep 15, 202640 min
Petra Mathers and Her Michael | From Death of an Artist
Here’s a preview of another Pushkin podcast, one that explores many of the topics we cover here on A Slight Change of Plans: grief, jealousy, anger, and awe. It’s called Death of an Artist. In February 2024, celebrated children’s book author and illustrator Petra Mathers and her husband, photographer Michael Mathers, mailed letters to dozens of friends and family members to let them know they had died by suicide. Petra and Michael were by all accounts healthy, happy, and deeply in love. As much a love story as one about death, it begs the question: what did that decision do to the people left to mourn them? Journalists Leon Neyfakh and Alice Gregory set out to interview everyone who got one of Petra and Michael’s letters—as one married couple trying to understand another. Told through intimate conversations with Petra and Michael’s friends and family about their own relationships to aging, grief, death, and the friends they thought they knew, Death of an Artist weaves together a portrait of a community grappling with the Mathers’ deaths and the final words they left behind. Search for Death of an Artist wherever you get podcasts. And get early, ad-free access to the entire season now by subscribing to Pushkin+ on the Apple Podcasts show page or at pushkin.fm/plus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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About A Slight Change of Plans
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, Bren 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.
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