What It's Like To Be...
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© 2024 What It's Like To Be...
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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. What does a couples therapist think when a friend asks for relationship advice? What happens if a welder fails to wear safety glasses? What can get a stadium beer vendor fired? If you’ve ever met someone whose work you were curious about, and you had 100 nosy questions but were too polite to ask … well, this is the show for you.
30 Episodes
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Overcoming "soft objections," hustling to line up meetings, and navigating the line between business and friendship with David Johnson, a third-generation life insurance salesman. What is the mistake that "ruins careers" for salespeople? And what is a "feed list"?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your j...
Framing a scene to draw in the audience, dealing with screaming directors, and getting lost in an actor's performance with Pauline Edwards, a camera operator. What's it like filming a reality TV show? And what's a "swingle"?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?...
Hauling 32,000 lbs of dead rats, strategically planning every turn and pit stop, and soaking up the highway sunrises and sunsets with Kathy and Gene Lednicky, team truck drivers. What's the chatter like on the CB radio? And what's a "lumper”?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like and what is...
Conjuring a world where kids can reinvent themselves, running a small town in the woods, and witnessing camp counselors falling in love with Eric Sasson, a summer camp director. What happens on the last night of camp? And why does the question "Do you have a minute?" spark anxiety?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do p...
Transforming school buses into ice cream trucks, watching kids grow up (one popsicle at a time), and struggling to keep the freezers running with Erin Bailey, an ice cream truck driver in New Jersey. What’s her best selling treat? And does she ever get sick of the ice cream truck song?Music credit:"The Entertainer" by Scott JoplinCourtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 LicenseGot a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email ...
1Learning to read the ocean, performing CPR on a dolphin, and leading daring (and sometimes foolish) rescues with Ed Vodrazka, an ocean lifeguard in California. What are the signs that someone is in trouble in the water? And how do you stay vigilant after many hours in the tower?Ed is the author of a couple of books about ocean lifeguards, including Stories from Sea Level: The Heroic and Humorous Adventures of California’s Ocean Lifeguards.Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us v...
Scanning crowds for suspicious behavior, learning how to leap from moving vehicles, and investigating every threat to the president with Cindy Marble, a retired Secret Service agent. What's it like to witness history up close? And what is "left of boom"?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like...
Scouting for signs of greatness, bolstering players after heartbreaking losses, and fighting the "yips" with Vesa Ponkka, a veteran tennis coach. Why are tennis matches played in silence? And what's a "lucky loser”?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like? What’s a...
Taking late-night phone calls from panicked clients, dueling with company lawyers over what to disclose, and rushing to preempt unfavorable stories with Chris Thomas, a PR crisis manager. What was it like to manage the media frenzy surrounding the Elizabeth Smart case? And what's the worst possible answer to a journalist's question?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-045...
Churning out creative possibilities on tight timelines, crafting bespoke stock images with help from AI, and pitching unique ideas to risk-averse clients with Jo Skillman, a creative director in Texas. Why do a lot of creative directors grind their teeth at night? And what is a "swoop and poop"?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questio...
Reading canine body language, boarding dogs to teach them manners, and training the dogs' owners with Keely Korbel, a dog trainer. Is it a good idea to clone your dog? And what is a "marker word"?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like? What’s a word or phrase tha...
Unearthing ancient wine cellars, finding the right places to dig, and tracing the arc of lost civilizations with Eric Cline, an archaeologist. What's the difference between a shard and a sherd? And what will archaeologists of the future make of us?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like and w...
Building cases against MS-13 gang members, flipping a suspect in an interrogation, and writing countless subpoenas for phone records with Dan Brunner, a retired FBI Special Agent. What's the significance of the "1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle"? And what does it take to get a fugitive on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to ...
Raising cattle in the high desert, hauling calves to auction, and protecting the herd from mountain lions with Chachi Hawkins, a cattle rancher in southwest Texas. How did she go from selling clothes to selling cattle? And does she ever get attached to particular calves?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think...
We've got a special bonus episode for you this week! Our friends over at Choiceology, the podcast hosted by Katy Milkman, explores the lessons that can be gleaned from behavioral economics. They tell true stories with high-stakes, sharing what the latest research tells us about making better decisions. In this episode, called “The Superforecasters”, they examine President Barack Obama’s decision to move forward with the raid on what was thought to be Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan bac...
Diagnosing what ails struggling companies, choosing the "least crappy option", and managing constant stress with Jeff Vogelsang, a turnaround consultant. What kind of personality do you need to lead turnarounds? And what does it mean to make someone "available to industry”?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people th...
Caring for patients with serious burns, making sure the correct leg gets operated on, and working 24 hours straight with Teresa Shuster, a nurse in Florida. How did a patient change the trajectory of her career? And what's a "Code Brown"?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like and what is it ...
Crafting jokes that kill, hustling to find gigs, and improvising based on the audience's reaction with Chris Grace, a stand-up comedian. What's the worst he's ever bombed? And what is a "bringer" show?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like? What’s a word or phras...
Cutting to accentuate the client's eyes and ears, plotting to tame Einstein's hair, and riding the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with Ona Diaz-Santin, a hair stylist and owner of 5 Salon & Spa in New Jersey. What's the most irritating way a client can respond to a haircut? And why was she christened "The Hair Saint"?Our show takes a lot of inspiration from Studs Terkel's classic book Working. It features interviews Terkel did with more than 100 different people from different jobs: po...
Pushing perfectionism to its limits, suffering third degree burns from slag, and having your welds “shot” by X-rays with Matt "Lucky" Reed, a welder in Florida. What happens to welders' eyes if they don't wear protective hoods? And what's a time-tested way of trolling a fellow welder?Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.comWant to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: What d...
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I would love you to interview a number of different job in the educational system: admin. ,bus driver, maintaince person, campus monitor, English second language teacher, of course teacher and special education teacher. Please!
4-month-old rescue lab now 11mos lab/hound 4ft inside leash trained on my fanny pack, appropriate kennel. 50ftleash frisbee. Oral great. you helped me figure out the only problem..nails. Dawned on me hivalu treats only excited. prongs work. From 1st day home must calm with professionally trained prong obey before walk, gets 3 tries to sit open door. Redirect, no disappointment. Chill play, pet. Again tomorrow. Now, prongs equal calm still nails, belly rub, run hills after. Thanks.
I really enjoyed this interview. Every so often there is an interviewee who sounds so self-congratulatory and a bit arrogant. This nice woman is anything but, and it was a pleasure to listen to.
In 1995 or 1996, I fainted in the lazy river at Hurricane Harbor in Texas. Thank you to the lifeguard who pulled me out of the water unconscious that day and quite possibly saved my life.
What a great concept! I'm looking forward to listening to them all.
Awesome Podcast! 🌹
I love your show! could you interview a sign language interpreter and or a Braillist ( a person who translate English math, music into Braille for blind people/children?
best wishes for you
what's it like to be a professor at university?
Great podcast. Very interesting to peek behind the curtain of a wide range of careers.
I just found this podcast and it’s very interesting and entertaining at same time. I guestt it helps to know what a person in any given profession feels and thinks about you , his/her job and the perks and problems that comes with it. Keep up the good job!