エピソード

  • You’ve Had a Long Week. But Is the Wine Actually Helping?

    You’ve Had a Long Week. But Is the Wine Actually Helping?
    2026/08/28

    What if the glass of wine you pour every night isn't a reward, it's a signal?


    I sat down with Keelie Louise, a Sober Curious Mentor and Psychology-Based Coach who rebuilt her life after decades of using alcohol to quiet a mind that never felt like enough. This conversation isn't about sobriety in the all-or-nothing sense — it's about getting curious about why you reach for that drink in the first place.


    Keelie breaks down the real science behind what alcohol does to your dopamine baseline, your cortisol levels, and your ability to show up as the high performer you know you can be. We talk about how to navigate the social pressure of 'just have one,' how to figure out who actually fills your cup, and why falling down on this journey might be the very thing that gets you to the life you've always known was possible.


    Key Takeaways:


    If you say you need a drink, that’s worth paying attention to.


    Alcohol gives you a dopamine spike, but it’s also dragging your baseline happiness down.


    You don’t owe anyone an explanation for not drinking.


    Getting sober curious isn’t just about removing alcohol, it’s about figuring out who actually fills your cup.


    Falling down is part of the process, the difference is whether you ask yourself why.


    Timestamps:


    00:00 Introduction

    03:03 Why ‘I need a drink’ is a red flag

    06:14 What even one glass of wine does to your body

    08:06 How to handle social challenges without owing an explanation

    10:40 Why falling off the wagon might be the thing that saves you

    12:19 Who fills your cup when alcohol leaves the room?

    Resources:


    SAMHSA’s National Helpline

    NIAAA


    Connect with Keelie:


    Website: https://keelielouise.com.au/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keelie-louise/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_keelie_louise/


    Connect with Me:


    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/

    Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf


    More About Building Thinkers:


    I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.


    And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.


    If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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    16 分
  • Is This Your Life or Someone Else’s? | Building a Flourishing Life Retreat

    Is This Your Life or Someone Else’s? | Building a Flourishing Life Retreat
    2026/08/14
    You've gone to the conference, read the book, felt inspired for exactly four days, and then life swallowed you whole again.My friend of over 20 years, Katie Conley, luxury travel advisor and founder of the Adventurous Women's Travel Club, joins me to talk about why we built something different — a women's retreat rooted in genuine intentional living and life design, not just another agenda-packed with content. Together we unpack the wheel-of-life framework, the mid-career identity shift nobody warns you about, and what it really means to re-evaluate your life without blowing it up entirely.This conversation is for the woman who's capable and driven and still quietly wondering if she's chasing the right things. If personal growth and reflection have ever felt too theoretical to actually stick, this is the episode that makes it practical. We talk about what real connection looks like when women are given space to show up fully, why flourishing is less about having it all figured out and more about asking better questions, and how women's empowerment starts with making room for yourself first.Key Takeaways:“Is this my life or someone else’s?” - the first question worth asking.You’re not short on time. You’re short on room.Solo reflection only gets you so far. Community accelerates clarity.The wheel of life: a simple tool for seeing where you’re actually at.Gratitude and presence aren’t soft skills; they’re rooted in neuroscience.Good learning design makes the difference between inspiration and implementation.The mid-career shift: from doing everything to orchestrating everything.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction03:17 Using the Wheel of Life for self-assessment05:27 The mid-career identity shift07:41 Why build this women’s retreat vs. a travel trip?08:39 What ‘re-evaluating your life’ actually means10:22 What you’ll leave this retreat with12:08 Who is this retreat for?13:59 The benefits of getting away to reflect15:49 How we plan to help women realize their own dreams and goals17:27 Addressing the skepticism 18:06 Why in-person community still matters20:54 Outro Resources Mentioned:Build a Flourishing Life RetreatHarvard Global Flourishing StudyTracy's Goal GuideConnect with Katie:Website: https://culturedconcierge.travel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culturedconcierge/ The Adventurous Women’s Travel Club: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/vERNcpM Connect with Me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf More About Building Thinkers: I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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    22 分
  • How to Have Hard Conversations (With Someone You Love)

    How to Have Hard Conversations (With Someone You Love)
    2026/07/31
    You know that conversation you keep rehearsing in the shower and rescheduling in real life? The one with someone you love that's started to feel more like a standoff than a way back to each other? That's exactly what I dig into in this episode with Sara Blanchard. She’s the co-host of the What Do You Mean By That? podcast, author of Dear White Women, and a life coach rooted in positive psychology who's spent years studying what it actually takes for people to thrive. Sara shares why our closest relationships are a bigger predictor of long-term health than cholesterol. Yes, really. There's 80 years of Harvard research behind it. She gives us practical tools for staying in the room when the topic is hard and the stakes are personal. We talk about the two-minute rule that changed how she greets her family, why every action makes sense from the perspective of the person doing it, and how to get curious instead of furious when someone says the thing that makes your whole body tense up. If there's a hard conversation you've been avoiding, this episode might be the nudge and the roadmap you've been waiting for.Key Takeaways:Relationships are the cornerstone of long-term health and happiness.Asking 'What do you mean by that?' deepens understanding and connection.Slowing down and building time affluence improves relationships.Physical and emotional regulation are key to responding, not reacting.Curiosity about others' perspectives fosters compassion and reduces conflict.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction03:25 What does it mean to live a “flourishing life”?06:21 Time affluence vs. productivity10:11 How to have hard conversations with people you love16:07 Connecting before correcting20:22 Curiosity over judgment & understanding behavior28:31 Why hard conversations deepen relationships32:21 Different doesn’t mean deficient34:09 Preparing for hard conversations: know your triggers Resources Mentioned:The Happier Hour by Cassie HolmesSupercommunicators by Charles DuhiggThe Science Behind Dramatically Better Conversations by Charles Duhigg | TEDxManchesterIt’s Not About the NailNonviolent Communication by Marshall B. RosenbergDear White Women by Sara Blanchard and Misasha Suzuki GrahamUnscripting ParentingConnect with Sara:Website: https://www.sarablanchard.com/ What Do You Mean By That Podcast: https://www.whatdoyoumeanbythat.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeanbythatpodcast/ , https://www.instagram.com/sarablanchardauthor Connect with Me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf More About Building Thinkers: I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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    38 分
  • Your Labs Are Normal, But You Feel Awful - Now What?

    Your Labs Are Normal, But You Feel Awful - Now What?
    2026/07/17

    If a doctor has ever told you "everything looks normal" while you felt anything but, this one's for you.


    I sat down with Elise Clark, a functional medicine nurse practitioner with over 15 years of experience in family practice, endocrinology, and hormone health, who has made it her mission to help women understand what's actually happening in their bodies. We talked about why hormone shifts start 10 to 15 years before menopause, what "normal but not optimal" really means, and how to know when it's time to dig deeper than a standard lab panel.


    Elise also took me on a learning journey through one of the most persistent myths in women's health — the supposed link between hormones and cancer — and unpacked what the research actually says now. What struck me most is how much of this comes back to a theme we return to again and again on Building Thinkers: you don't have to accept feeling "off" as just part of this stage of life. There are things you can learn, questions you can ask, and choices you can design around — and it starts with trusting what your body is telling you.


    Key Takeaways:


    Why your 30s is when the hormone conversation should actually start.


    What birth control might be quietly masking and the questions to ask before starting or stopping.


    What a functional medicine appointment actually looks like.


    Why “your labs are normal” might be the most incomplete sentence in women’s health.


    Timestamps:


    00:00 Introduction

    01:26 Hormonal health care at any age

    04:01 When you know something’s wrong but your labs come back normal

    06:41 The difference between functional medicine vs. traditional medicine

    10:29 What does “flourishing” look like in health?

    12:10 The risks of over-optimization

    15:42 Common health concerns and next steps

    20:45 Debunking hormones and cancer myths

    29:45 Oura rings: helpful or not?

    32:34 Finding what’s right for you

    35:30 Wellness influencer red flags

    36:16 Peptides: should you do them?

    37:04 If only women knew this one thing

    39:56 Outro


    Resources Mentioned:


    Estrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris


    Connect with Elise:


    Website: https://www.eliseclarkhealth.com/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliseclarkfnp/


    Connect with Me:


    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/

    Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf


    More About Building Thinkers:


    Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential impact in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors to resumes and meal plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex.


    In the Building Thinkers podcast, we explore how to build a flourishing life across different life domains: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, relationships, finance, career, play, and growth. Flourishing is something you can design, domain by domain, through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play.


    Every episode turns a conversation with an expert into something you can build with: a single, completable blueprint you can put to use right away, so the insight leaves with you instead of staying on the page.


    This podcast is for those who are actively designing a more intentional life, the multi-potentialites and high achievers who want real success and a life that feels good to live.


    Harness curiosity. Win your future.
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    40 分
  • How to Upskill and Make Yourself Irreplaceable in the Age of AI

    How to Upskill and Make Yourself Irreplaceable in the Age of AI
    2026/07/03
    If you've been avoiding AI because it feels too technical, too risky, or just not for someone like you, this episode is your permission slip to start. My guest, Gigi Karmous-Edwards, is a water technology consultant and researcher who has spent the last three years focused on how generative AI is reshaping an entire global industry. What struck me most about Gigi is where her thinking has landed, not on the fear side, not on the hype side, but on something much more grounding: the idea that AI, done right, should make us more human, not less. We get into the real difference between generative AI and traditional AI in a way that actually makes sense, how to start experimenting without needing a technical background, and where to pump the brakes on privacy and trust. But the conversation I didn't expect was the one about what we do with the time AI gives us back, and why most of us will just fill it with more work unless we're intentional about it. If you're AI curious, AI avoidant, or somewhere in between, Gigi will leave you with a clearer picture of what's possible and why now is the time to start.Key Takeaways:Generative AI and traditional AI are not the same thing, and understanding the difference changes how you approach it.The most powerful prompt isn't a perfect formula, it's a ramble.AI works best when you bring the ideas and use it as a thought partner, not when you ask it to think for you.When AI saves you time, what you choose to do with that time is the real question.Women are using AI 25 to 30 percent less than men, and that gap matters.Flourishing in an AI world might actually mean doing less, not more.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction05:30 Generative AI vs. Traditional AI10:01 Why experimenting beats perfecting13:22 How far should you let AI in16:58 Having AI push back on your work18:17 What AI’s rise means for society21:20 The risks people aren’t talking about23:55 Is AI actually bad for the environment?26:53 Envisioning a flourishing future36:39 The mindset shifts that changes everything39:06 OutroResources Mentioned:OpenAI: https://openai.com/ Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app Claude: https://claude.ai/new Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/ Karmous Edwards Consulting AI Breakdown Connect with Gigi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigi-karmous-edwards-6539245/⁠ Connect with Me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf More About Building Thinkers: Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential impact in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors to resumes and meal plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex.In the Building Thinkers podcast, we explore how to build a flourishing life across different life domains: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, relationships, finance, career, play, and growth. Flourishing is something you can design, domain by domain, through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play.Every episode turns a conversation with an expert into something you can build with: a single, completable blueprint you can put to use right away, so the insight leaves with you instead of staying on the page.This podcast is for those who are actively designing a more intentional life, the multi-potentialites and high achievers who want real success and a life that feels good to live.Harness curiosity. Win your future.
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    41 分
  • The Skill That Makes Uncertainty Feel Less Scary

    The Skill That Makes Uncertainty Feel Less Scary
    2026/06/19

    If you've ever felt paralyzed by uncertainty or like the world is shifting too fast to keep up, this episode is going to reframe how you think about that feeling entirely.


    I sat down with Mathias Behn Bjørnhof, a futurist and founder of Anticipate, a strategic foresight consultancy based in Copenhagen, who has done this work with organizations like the United Nations, and he completely changed how I think about navigating the unknown. A futurist isn't someone who predicts the future, it's someone who helps you build the mental skills to move through many possible futures with more confidence and creativity.


    We talk about how to fight the algorithm, how to find a balanced news diet, and why imagination is actually one of the most practical and underrated professional skills you can develop right now. We also go deep on something I don't think we talk about enough in the context of work — love, empathy, and what it actually means to become a whole person.


    If you're a leader, a builder, or just someone trying to find your footing in a noisy world, I think this one will stick with you.


    Key Takeaways:


    The future is not predetermined, and you have more agency over it than you think.


    Fighting the algorithm is a skill, and your news diet shapes how clearly you can think.


    Imagination is not fluffy; it is one of the most practical professional tools you are not using enough.


    Scenarios and strategic foresight are not just for big organizations; they are tools any individual can apply to their own work and life.


    Love and empathy are not soft skills to leave at the door at work; they might actually be the most critical ones we have.


    Timestamps:


    00:00 Introduction

    03:03 What “futures thinking” actually is

    04:17 How to deal with information overload

    7:39 How to intentionally break out of your echo chamber

    11:37 Why we are wired for doom & how to fight it

    15:11 Strategic foresight in action

    21:36 Imagination is your most underrated professional skill

    28:22 The skill anyone can learn regardless of their background

    30:03 Why love belongs at work more than you think

    35:18 Where to find Mathias & his hopes for the future

    Resources Mentioned:


    Anticipate - Strategic Foresight Consultancy

    The Futurists Guide to Foresight

    Harvard Human Flourishing Program

    Building Thinkers Newsletter


    Connect with Mathias:


    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathiasbehnbjoernhof/

    Website: https://www.anticipate.dk/


    Connect with Me:


    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/

    Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf


    More About Building Thinkers:


    I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.


    And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.


    If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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    39 分
  • What Your Employees Are Carrying That You Can’t See

    What Your Employees Are Carrying That You Can’t See
    2026/06/05
    ***Content Warning***Before we begin, this episode contains discussion of mental health and suicide. If you're struggling, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.Some losses split your life into a before and an after, and this conversation is about what it actually looks like to keep living anyway.This week, I sit down with Cristie North, a longtime mortgage industry leader and founder of the Taylor Hagan Memorial Foundation, who lost her son, Taylor, to suicide in 2017. She speaks from nearly a decade of turning unimaginable pain into meaningful work at the intersection of grief, leadership, and healing. Together, we explore how prevention often begins with something much simpler and more human than people realize: creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be honest, vulnerable, and truly heard before their pain becomes isolation.We also talk about leadership in a way I think many people need right now, in a season when we're rethinking what good leadership even looks like. Cristie shares how losing Taylor changed the way she leads, teaching her that empathy, vulnerability, and connection are not "soft skills,” they are essential to trust, innovation, and lasting impact. One of the most meaningful parts of our conversation is around the idea of "collateral beauty," the unexpected depth, perspective, and compassion that can emerge through suffering without minimizing the loss itself.Key Takeaways:Prevention starts long before a crisis; it starts with the kind of presence you build every day.Results are the output, and the heart is what actually drives them.When a leader admits they’re not at their best, it doesn’t erode trust; it builds it.The goal isn’t to get over what you’re carrying, it’s to learn to carry it in a way that doesn’t break you.Being truly seen by people who understand your loss is what transforms grief.There’s a difference between being hopeful and being intentional about hope. One is passive, the other is a choice.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:37 Cristie’s story and the foundation03:15 What prevention actually looks like05:37 Leadership with heart10:47 Supporting employees through grief15:30 The role of vulnerability in leadership18:30 What to do with the parts of life we never asked to carry21:32 How to ask for help and find hope again24:34 Collateral beauty in loss28:07 Living your best life after loss31:32 If you’re struggling, here are resources to helpResources Mentioned:Taylor Hagen Memorial FoundationNAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)American Foundation for Suicide PreventionAll There Is Podcast by Anderson CooperCompanioning the Bereaved by Alan WolfeltOption B by Sheryl SandbergThe Wisdom of the Bullfrog by Admiral William McCravenTurn the Ship Around by L. David MarquetConnect with Cristie:Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation: https://thmemorialfoundation.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristie-north-59a3419/ Connect with Me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ Blueprint for Thought: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf More About Building Thinkers: I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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    34 分
  • Why AI Feels Fast But Doesn't Feel Easier

    Why AI Feels Fast But Doesn't Feel Easier
    2026/05/22
    If you've been using AI tools and quietly wondering whether they're actually saving you time, or whether you're just doing the same work in a different order, this conversation is for you. I sat down with Max Kirchoff, a principal technologist and product-focused engineer who writes about the intersection of humans and machines on his Substack, Human of the Loop. What I love about Max is that he's not afraid to say most of us have been getting AI wrong, not because the tools aren't powerful, but because we keep bolting them onto the way we already work instead of pausing to rethink the work itself. We get into the four layers of work and where AI actually pays off, why "building trust with AI" is the wrong frame, and what leaders are missing when they chase efficiency instead of growth. If you've been feeling the dissonance between how fast AI lets you start things and how the work itself doesn't always feel easier, you're going to find a lot here.Key Takeaways:AI doesn’t fail because the tools are weak; it fails when you bolt it onto workflows you haven’t rethought.Most people apply AI at the task level; the real leverage is at the workflow layer and above.You can’t build trust with an LLM the way you build it with a person.The shift that’s making everyone anxious isn’t AI itself.Leaders who chase AI for efficiency miss the bigger opportunity: growth.Adoption follows the leader. If you want your team to learn AI, demonstrate that you’re learning it too.The most underrated skill in the AI era is curiosity.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:46 Who is Max Kirchoff?03:00 What “human in the loop” actually means05:15 How to navigate AI tools effectively10:37 Why you can’t trust AI the way you trust a person15:48 The 4 layers of work19:22 How to spot assumptions running your workflow22:40 The evolution of programming languages and abstraction layers28:31 The shift that’s making everyone anxious29:36 What leaders keep getting wrong about AI adoption31:39 Investing in human skills for AI integration33:28 Why “let them fail” is an AI strategy37:36 Curiosity as the self-starter skill41:21 If only people knew…42:35 Where to find MaxResources Mentioned:AI Broke the Rhythm of WorkHigh Output Management by Andrew GroveClaude AI ModelChatGPT by OpenAIPerplexity Search EngineConnect with Max:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxkirchoff/ Human of the Loop Substack: https://www.humanoftheloop.com/Connect with Me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/ Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf More About Building Thinkers: I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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    44 分