Podcasts · Business

Worklife with Molly Graham

TED

295 episodes

The world of work is changing, fast. The full range of human emotion can happen on the job: ambition and failure, joy and burnout, confidence and self-doubt. Company builder Molly Graham knows all about those messy feelings – and she believes they can actually be the roadmap to a meaningful career. On WorkLife, Molly sits down with all kinds of people – founders and operators, entertainers and creatives – to explore how to build a career without losing yourself. Each week, she’ll uncover the messy stories behind the shiniest successes, and share the real lessons about work that no one ever posts on Linkedin.

More about the show

Follow Molly!

• Instagram: @molly_graham • LinkedIn: @mograham • Substack: Lessons • Website: https://glueclub.com/

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Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Why you need to fail at work with Astro Teller

    · 47 min

    When you’re tasked with a big project at work, your first instinct is probably to put your head down, be as productive as possible, and nail it on the first try. But while this approach is often rewarded, it can get in…

  2. Diagnose your team’s problems with the Waterline Model

    · 28 min

    If a team isn’t working well, everybody feels it. But when problems arise in your team, the issue usually runs deeper than the people experiencing it. In this episode, Molly breaks down the Waterline Model, a framework…

  3. Feeling stuck? Why your first job might have all the answers.

    · 47 min

    Whether you’re working on Wall Street or bussing tables, every job has something to teach you—and no job is more full of learning opportunities than your first. In this new Storytime segment, Molly invites Ashley…

  4. How to nail your story in an interview with Jamie Tilotta Green

    · 44 min

    Many people approach job searches backwards, trying to squeeze themselves into the mold of what a company is looking for in a candidate. But there are two sides to every hiring decision, and who you are and what you…

  5. The grief, loneliness, and burnout sweeping through the tech industry right now | from Lenny's Podcast

    · 1 h 35 min · Explicit

    Molly Graham is back for round two, and this one is even more powerful. Molly has spent more than 20 years helping organizations and the humans inside them navigate growth and change. She’s held leadership roles at…

  6. Can AI really teach your kids? with Leah Belsky

    · 50 min

    Technology has been promising to revolutionize education for a long time. Online learning, smartphones, and even asynchronous classes during COVID seemed for a while like they might finally transform what learning can…

  7. How to survive a life quake with Chip Conley

    · 57 min

    We all know the stereotypical story of the midlife crisis: leave your spouse, buy the red convertible, start from scratch and blow up your whole life. But for most people, the transitional period of midlife is a little…

  8. Bryce Dallas Howard on the realities of being handed a head start

    · 51 min

    The term “nepo baby” has been used in recent years to describe people who are born into successful families and industries with advantages that aren’t available to the average person. What does your success mean if you…

  9. How to say no | from WorkLife with Adam Grant

    · 37 min

    In a world filled with requests, many of us are struggling to stay afloat. Even if you’re not a people-pleaser, the desire to maintain a positive reputation can make it hard to turn others down. In this episode, Adam…

  10. How to help your people feel heard with Kaya Henderson

    · 46 min

    When you’re tasked with solving a problem that has a deep impact on a lot of people, it can feel impossible to deliver results that everyone is happy with. How do you decide whose perspective should shape your…

  11. How to find a peer group that lifts you up with Bill Gurley

    · 36 min

    When it comes to seeking wisdom or advice in your career, there’s a lot of focus on mentorship and what more senior players in your field can offer you. But the truth is that your most important and valuable…

  12. Forget the corporate ladder — winners take risks with Molly Graham | from TED Talks Daily

    · 48 min

    Success in your career looks different for everyone — but no matter your industry, you'll need to take risks. Company and community builder Molly Graham took to the TED stage two years ago to share three key skills to…

  13. Can AI make you a better manager? with Hilary Gridley

    · 46 min

    Managing people is a deeply human line of work—it requires relational skills, judgement, and deep knowledge of the people you work with. But Hilary Gridley believes that when used properly, AI can not only help you…

  14. Lessons: What to do when you get “layered” at work

    · 25 min

    If your company is growing faster than you can keep up, your manager might decide to “layer” you—that is, split your job in half or hire someone with more experience to become your boss. This is an experience a lot of…

  15. What pressure can teach you about leadership with Don Faul

    · 45 min

    A good leader is one who anchors and supports their team under pressure—and nowhere are the stakes higher than in the military. Don Faul spent five years as an officer in an elite unit in the Marine Corps. He then went…

  16. Why you should give away your most valuable assets with TED Chairman Chris Anderson

    · 41 min

    In times of change, sometimes the best way to hold onto your success is to let go of the things that got you there. Chris Anderson became the steward of TED in 2001, and transformed what was once a small, exclusive…

  17. Why faith has a place at work with Stacy Brown-Philpot

    · 40 min

    Religious faith is something that isn’t often discussed at work—in fact, speaking openly about your religious beliefs may be regarded as an unspoken taboo in some workplaces. But just like any other source of grounding…

  18. How to find your way when you feel lost with Ify Walker

    · 36 min

    If you feel like you’ve lost your way at work—you’re burnt out, you’ve stopped trusting your own instincts, and every conversation leaves you overwhelmed or confused—then you might have a case of what Ify Walker calls…

  19. Why the smartest person in the room is asking the “dumb” questions | from TED Business

    · 32 min

    One of our favorite TED talks on TED Business is from company builder Molly Graham. She’s also the new host of WorkLife with Molly Graham, another podcast from TED. Modupe sits down with Molly at TED2026 to talk about…

  20. What is your company culture (and why does it matter)? with Mike Schroepfer

    · 38 min

    Most leaders say culture matters. Far fewer can explain how it's actually built. Mike Schroepfer spent more than a decade helping build Facebook's engineering organization during some of its fastest—and messiest—years…

  21. Why success is never linear with Claire Hughes Johnson

    · 33 min

    It’s easy to look at successful companies and other people’s successful careers and assume the path was obvious. The reality is that success feels messy. Claire Hughes Johnson, former COO of Stripe, joins Molly to…

  22. FAQ: How to disagree productively, know which hills to die on, and find your mentors with Ashley Murphy

    · 42 min

    In fast-changing companies, some things move so fast that you rarely have time to consult the business books when questions arise. Welcome to Frequently Asked Questions, a segment on WorkLife where Molly answers…

  23. How to find your purpose (w/ Master Fixer Molly Graham) | from Fixable

    · 38 min

    What is your true purpose—and how do you find it? This month, Anne and Frances are tackling one of life’s biggest questions in search of answers for Fixers of all ages, from fresh graduates charting their first career…

  24. Why chasing the algorithm leads to burnout with Mark Rober

    · 29 min

    If you make content online or use social media frequently for work, it may feel like what you post and how often you post it is dictated by the elusive “algorithm.” You can spend your time chasing trends and trying to…

  25. Caroline Wanga on the Career Path No One Tells You About | from Hello Monday

    · 30 min

    Careers rarely move in a straight line, and for many people, the old roadmap no longer works. In this special feed drop from LinkedIn’s Hello Monday, host Jessi Hempel sits down with Caroline Wanga for a conversation…

  26. What to do when your industry keeps changing with Manoush Zomorodi

    · 39 min

    Uncertainty is in the air in so many industries as AI disrupts and destabilizes even the jobs that felt most secure in the past. It can be difficult to see the path forward as the ground shifts beneath your feet. But…

  27. How to make AI worth your time with Max Mullen

    · 39 min

    If you’ve tried AI and felt underwhelmed — or if the constant pressure to “just play around with it” makes you want to throw your laptop across the room — you’re not alone. But according to Max Mullen, co-founder of…

  28. Why you should take a risk every day with Julie Zhuo

    · 37 min

    When you think about risk, you probably think about big, dramatic moves: quitting your job, moving across the country, saying something controversial. But the people who are actually good at taking risks are the ones…

  29. The secret to making the right career decisions with Patty Stonesifer

    · 39 min

    You might think the biggest, most prestigious job is always the right career move. Patty Stonesifer — founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an early Amazon board member — says that’s exactly the wrong…

  30. How Adam Grant uses data and intuition to make life decisions

    · 43 min

    Most of us assume data-driven people make data-driven decisions. Not quite. Adam Grant has built a career helping others think more clearly — but when it comes to his own career, the most important calls he’s made…

  31. The right risks to take for a great career with Molly Graham (from How to Be a Better Human)

    · 42 min

    What does it take to have a great career? And how do you know what job you should take, which you should quit, and which you should try to change? In this special episode from How to Be a Better Human with host and…

  32. Trailer: WorkLife with Molly Graham

    · 1:44 · Trailer

    Coming April 28th, 2026: WorkLife with Molly Graham The world of work is changing, fast. The full range of human emotion can happen on the job: ambition and failure, joy and burnout, confidence and self-doubt. Company…

  33. A special announcement from Adam Grant

    · 1:00

    Some exciting news from Adam Grant on a change coming to WorkLife! For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  34. ReThinking: Can you trust your gut? with GI doctor Trisha Pasricha

    · 38 min

    You’ve probably experienced a “gut feeling” before—that sense of uneasiness in your stomach that tells you something is off, but your brain hasn’t quite worked out what it is yet. But can you really trust what your gut…

  35. ReThinking: David Beckham on thriving under pressure and learning from mistakes

    · 27 min

    In 1998, soccer star David Beckham made international news at his first World Cup when he lost his cool and got a critical red card. But he went on to lead his teams to numerous titles, become runner up for World…

  36. Brené and Adam on What They Will Never Agree On | from The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

    · 59 min

    Welcome to The Curiosity Shop! In the inaugural episode, Brené and Adam discuss how a public disagreement about authenticity almost ended their relationship before it began. For the first time, they discuss where they…

  37. ReThinking: Breaking leadership barriers with hockey coach Jessica Campbell

    · 37 min

    Jessica Campbell is a hockey coach with the Seattle Kraken, and the first full-time female assistant coach in NHL history to work behind the bench. In this episode, Jessica and Adam reflect on the lessons from being…

  38. ReThinking: How to spot psychopaths and narcissists, with Leanne ten Brinke

    · 35 min

    Leanne ten Brinke is a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia and an expert on narcissists, psychopaths, and liars. In this episode, Leanne and Adam debunk common myths about people with these dark…

  39. ReThinking: Esther Perel on the relationship baggage we bring to work

    · 37 min

    Esther Perel is a psychotherapist known for her innovative approach to relationships. In this episode, Adam and Esther discuss the relational baggage we all carry through our lives and into our work, and how our…

  40. ReThinking: Matt Damon on solving one of the planet’s biggest problems, in partnership with Gary White

    · 28 min

    Matt Damon is best known as the Hollywood icon from movies like Good Will Hunting and The Martian, but he has another passion offscreen: ensuring access to clean, safe water around the world. When he met social…

  41. ReThinking: Searching for life on other planets with astrophysicist Sara Seager

    · 30 min

    Sara Seager is an astrophysicist and planetary scientist whose research focuses on exoplanets—planets outside our solar system orbiting other stars. In this episode, Adam and Sara investigate the possibility of finding…

  42. ReThinking: Taking politicians out of politics with Hélène Landemore

    · 38 min

    Hélène Landemore is a political scientist at Yale who studies democracy. She has a radical idea for fixing politics: what if we replaced career politicians with citizen assemblies, filled with people chosen by lottery?…

  43. ReThinking: Following your purpose (not your passion) with comedian Zarna Garg

    · 33 min

    Zarna Garg is a stand-up comic, screenwriter, bestselling author, and one of the busiest people in comedy right now. But before she ever set foot onstage, she went to law school and tried her hand at entrepreneurship,…

  44. ReThinking: The keys to a flourishing community with Dan Coyle

    · 35 min

    What does it take to build a strong community? In his new book Flourish, journalist and bestselling author Dan Coyle unveils novel insights. He and Adam discuss the simple step that united over 700 strangers in Paris,…

  45. ReThinking: Demystifying Gen Alpha slang with Adam Aleksic

    · 35 min

    If you’ve ever wondered what “skibidi rizz” means or why kids are so obsessed with the number 67, Adam Aleksic wrote a book on it. Aleksic, better known at @etymologynerd online, is a 24-year-old linguist known for his…

  46. ReThinking: Ken Burns on love and grief (Part 2)

    · 21 min

    Ken Burns is a documentary filmmaker who has produced works about Mark Twain, Jackie Robinson, the American Buffalo, the Civil War, and now, in his latest work, the American Revolution. In this second part of their…

  47. ReThinking: The George Washington story you haven’t heard with Ken Burns (Part 1)

    · 36 min

    Ken Burns has won countless awards for his documentary films on Mark Twain, Jackie Robinson, the American buffalo, baseball, the Civil War—and his latest takes on the American Revolution. In this two-part episode, Adam…

  48. ReThinking: Overcoming status anxiety with Alain de Botton and RaQuel Hopkins

    · 35 min

    Alain de Botton is a philosopher, bestselling author, and cofounder of The School of Life, known for his fearless engagement with the complexity of human existence. In this special episode, Adam co-hosts alongside…

  49. ReThinking: Raising a new generation of readers with Shannon Hale

    · 40 min

    Shannon Hale is the author of more than 50 books for all ages, including the Princess Academy series and her graphic novel memoirs. In this episode, Adam and his daughter Joanna (a longtime fan of Shannon’s books) talk…

  50. ReThinking: Margaret Atwood on what AI can’t replace

    · 43 min

    Margaret Atwood is best known as the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, and she’s won a slew of awards for her novels, poetry collections, and children’s books. Now, at the age of 86, she’s written her first memoir, The…

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