Becoming You with Suzy Welch
NYU Stern Professor Suzy Welch
Have you ever wondered, “What should I do with my life?” Or, “Should I stay or should I go?” Or, “Is there anyone out there who actually tells the freaking truth about life and work today, but also does not leave me in despair?” Wonder no more! The “Becoming You” podcast has arrived, hosted by Suzy Welch, the business journalist-turned-professor at the helm of NYU’s wildly popular self-discovery class by the same name. A three New York Times best-seller and frequent contributor to the Today Show and the Wall Street Journal, Professor Welch is considered a leading expert on decision-making, a...
Are We Ever Really Real? A Podcast About The Happiness Value, With Special Guest Liz Moody
What does it mean to find your purpose or to have an authentic life? Are either of those goals actually attainable – really? In this episode of Becoming You, Suzy sits down with bestselling author and top podcast host Liz Moody for an insightful—and at times surprising—conversation about Eudemonia, the often-misunderstood “happiness value” that can make or break your relationships, career, and sense of purpose. Liz recently took the Becoming You values assessment, and let’s just say, her results
Mar 25, • 31:12
The Danger of a B+ Life
Buckle up, friends, because today we’re tackling one of life’s sneakiest traps—the B+ life. You get what that means: Good job, decent relationships, maybe even some great days. But most of the time? It’s just… fine. And fine is the enemy of flourishing. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, "What do I do with my life?" or feeling stuck in the search for an authentic life while you live in a good-enough version of the present, you’re not alone.In this episode of Becoming You, we’re diving deep
Mar 18, • 29:07
Becoming You 101: You Were Born To Do This
This week on Becoming You, we’re diving into the heart of it all: the methodology that’s changing lives, one purpose at a time. Whether you’re a first-time listener or a longtime fan (love you, by the way), this episode is your ultimate guide to answering the question that occupies us all heart, mind, and soul: What should I do with my life?In this foundational episode, Suzy takes you on a no-holds-barred journey through the Becoming You process, a framework she’s honed at NYU Stern School of Bu
Mar 11, • 30:14
Me, My Career, and Anxiety: A Love Story, with Special Guest Chrissy Rutherford
You don't have to read the news to know that anxiety is everywhere and anywhere these days, endemic across generations and cultures. But where Suzy confronts anxiety most often is in the Becoming You classroom, where her students ask a question many of us have wondered: How can I possibly design my perfect future when my head and heart are consumed with so much worry right here and now? In other words: Can career planning and anxiety even coexist? And if so, how?In this episode of Becoming You,
Mar 4, • 25:49
If You Knew Suzy...The Swan, That Is..
In this week's deeply personal episode of Becoming You, we revisit one of the podcast's most loved stories -- about Suzy's swan named, well, "Suzy" -- and bring it up-to-date with an ending that might surprise you, because it certainly surprised Suzy herself. But don't get the idea that this episode is about bird life (although it is...a little)...it's more about human life, and the universal struggle to shed old identities and embrace the scareforia that leads to the new. In such a way, it is t
Feb 25, • 24:08
Please Stop Taking the Dumbest Advice in the World
Every day, we make decisions—big, small, and everything in between, each one shaping our careers and relationships, and sometimes even the course of our entire lives. And yet, most of us were never taught how to actually make a decision. Instead, we accept the conventional wisdom: "Just trust your gut." Too bad that advice is only right half the time. Yep, research shows that gut has a 50% hit rate. So why not just go toss a coin? Or wait -- there's a better way, and it's so easy too. All you ha
Feb 18, • 21:08
You’re Fine. You’re Good. You’re…Trapped?
The Becoming You method of purpose-discovery is based on the premise that there’s one wild and precious life that we’re each meant to live. But it also acknowledges that there’s real life out there.Real life is where we too often cede our hoped-for dreams of purpose and joy to the many seemingly inescapable demands, constraints, obstacles and challenges that come with work and family and well, everything. Real life is why so many of us end up living in “The Velvet Coffin,” a term Suzy uses to d
Feb 11, • 32:08
You Love Your Family. You Love Your Work. You Hate How That Feels.
What happens when two forces, your home life and your work life —both central to your identity—need you with equal urgency at the exact same moment? Well, chaos happens. Or guilt. Or angst. Or sheer, utter exhaustion. Or...all of the above. In this episode, Suzy gets into a heart-to-heart with Jennifer, a woman who finds herself caught in a battle between two of her deepest values: her unwavering commitment to work and her devotion to her family. It’s a struggle Suzy knows all too well—because o
Feb 4, • 28:43
Four Questions To Turn Your Firing Into the Best Day of Your Life
The demise of a job is rarely fun, whether it's by our own volition or not. Whether you've been fired or quit or somehow just eased out by mutual agreement and angst, every company separation is a little bit of a public death, and sometimes a personal one too. That's why it's OK to mourn, it's OK to rage -- for only a bit. After that, the work has to start. The inner work. In this podcast, Suzy shares the four probing questions to unearth what really happened -- and what you should do next. Tune
Jan 28, • 35:06
It’s OK To Do Scary Things in Life, Except One
You can want more in life. You can want less. You can choose to take a walk in dark and snowy woods with four crazy dogs, or you can choose to stay inside by the fire reading Jane Eyre. How edgy, wild, and exciting your life is, or how contained, chill, and peaceful it is – that choice is on you. The answer depends on your value of Scope. And the truth is, all values choices are on you. Except the choice to not live by your values at all, and just…survive. In this episode of the pod, Suzy is abd
Jan 21, • 24:58
Have You Already Found Your Purpose? There are Five Ways to Know
Because we all so ardently want to find our purpose, it's not unusual for people to enter the Becoming You process with the question, "How will I know when I've found what I'm looking for?" In this week's episode, Suzy answers that query with a list of the five stages that invariably lead up to getting there -- all the way there. To the unique place that you were meant to live and work; the territory where you will feel exquisitely alive. Have you traveled through each one yet? Take a deep breat
Jan 14, • 28:08
It's the end of the world, who cares about purpose anyway?
It's so bad out there, isn't it? There's war. Violence. Polarization. And sometimes, there's our own work too, weighing us down, because it's so much less than we want and need. So why bother even trying to find our purpose in the morass? What's the point? Hello! Here at the Becoming You pod, we're so happy you asked! Because we have an answer to that question, which is, basically, the case for hope, even and especially when times are like these, daunting, and messy, and too darn scary. Tune in
Jan 8, • 21:49
What if you had a new language to explain what’s important to you? Now you do
It has just 15 words -- simple, clear, and powerful. And the minute you're fluent in it -- which is the exact point of this episode -- suddenly the world starts to make a lot more sense, starting with how you're feeling about life, and what you need to do to make yourself feel that much better, more fulfilled, and more authentic. Essentially -- more you. Listen in, and get ready to transform your world with a new lexicon of values. To enter the Becoming You Intensive Giveaway and sign up for t
Jan 1, • 30:30
All I Want for Christmas is the Truth About Me
And that's what you'll get on Christmas, too -- if you look at your wishlist with new eyes. In this episode of Becoming You, Suzy suggests that your Christmas desires -- unwrapped -- are usually big, flashing arrows pointing directly at your values. And to demonstrate that, she takes us through the three things she is hoping to see under the tree Christmas morning, and ponders what they reveal about her heart, what it so ardently wants. What is your Christmas list telling you about your dream of
Dec 24, 2024 • 20:11
You Probably Don't Know What You're Good At. That Has To Stop
Career success, life success – you want them, but here’s the thing, they will remain ever elusive until you know your aptitudes. Don’t bolt! We know that word sounds like jargon. Or like pure academic BS. But aptitudes are real, and you have very specific ones, and knowing what they are can and will change your life. Take it from Suzy, who in this week’s gasp-worthy pod (yes, just wait and see) tells us how she learned that very lesson the hard way. To enter the Becoming You Intensive Giveaway a
Dec 18, 2024 • 21:00
What If There Was a Magical Marriage Trick? There Just Might Be
It is not uncommon for people undertaking Becoming You’s self-discovery journey to notice that the process is, well, impacting their marriage, or even making them wonder if they should get married at all. After all, isn’t there something inherently freeing about finally and fully becoming ALL YOU? It’s a big question, and here’s a shocker, Suzy has a big answer, which includes the best (and only) marriage “trick” she advises — because Becoming You is hard, but Becoming Us is even harder. Want mo
Dec 10, 2024 • 18:28
What to do When a Good Life isn't Good Enough
Sometimes, we’re happy-ish and that’s fine. After all, we tell ourselves, no one is overjoyed about everything all the time! But other times, we’re not-so-ok and sense our lives could be fuller, richer, or somehow more authentic. What then? Suzy takes on that exact question this week when she responds to two pod listeners: Barbara, a successful marketing executive who has everything a person could want in life – except a sense of purpose, and Caycee, who finds herself in daily battle with her co
Dec 3, 2024 • 22:53
Your Pivot Might Feel Like a Disaster. You Have to do it Anyway. A conversation with LinkedIn's Dan Roth
Buckle up because this week the topic is change -- big change. Specifically, we're talking about career pivots, which are not only good for your personal growth, but often necessary for your professional survival. Does that make them easy? Good freaking lordy-lord no! Are you kidding? That's why this week, Suzy talks to a person who made a brilliant and heroic pivot, only to walk through fire before (eventually) reaching his hoped-for mountaintop. Such a journey will probably happen to you too,
Nov 26, 2024 • 35:58
The Four Leadership Traits No One Tells You About, But Should, featuring Dr. Ellen Gendler
You could fill a library with all the books written about leadership, and Suzy's read most of them (and written a few herself.) But over the past several years, she has developed a new rubric which elucidates the four key "personality clusters" -- e.g. personality traits -- that she believes are the true gateway to professional success. In this podcast, Suzy reveals and explains those traits, and to make them come alive with stories and a bit of lively debate, she is joined by Dr. Ellen Gendler,
Nov 19, 2024 • 32:40
Once Upon A Time in Utopia
It's been a week, hasn't it? No matter your political affiliation, or how you felt about the election, big and raw emotions were everywhere, and, well, let's just say, not everyone was at their nicest. But here's a question to ponder. What would it look and feel like if suddenly, one day, everyone showed up and said, "Whoever you are, and whatever you believe, I love you?" Astonishingly, Suzy had just such an experience the weekend before the presidential vote went down, at a long-planned wellne
Nov 12, 2024 • 19:23
It Was Supposed to be a Business Trip
Suzy thought she was going to England for 48 rushed hours of work insanity, only to encounter four strangers — and four questions — that turned her trip the kind of self-discovery journey we all need to take sometime in our lives. In fact, you can take it right now, by traveling along with Suzy as she grapples with her unexpected queries -- and finding answers all your own. Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discovery Day: The Becoming You Experience.You are always growing and evolving and
Nov 5, 2024 • 20:33
If Suzy Welch Was Your Mother, Would You Just Automatically Become You? Let’s Find Out, Shall We
It’s said the cobbler’s kids have squeaky shoes, so could it be life coaches have confused kids with crappy careers? This week’s guest, Suzy’s daughter, Sophia, is here to answer that question once and for all, and as it turns out, she and Suzy share an intertwined story about self-discovery, self-challenge, mistakes, love, loss, and parenting that might just resonate with us all. Press play, and get ready for an illuminating — and intimate — Becoming You conversation. Want more Becoming You? L
Oct 29, 2024 • 37:01
The Always and Forever Question
Why is it, even after we grow up, we still always wonder what we should do when we grow up? It's crazy -- or maybe it's not. In this episode, Suzy tells the story of finding herself in a room full of hyper-accomplished women, and discovering, much to her surprise and then joy, that they are all asking humanity's always-and-forever question themselves. It's enough to make you feel OK about the twisty-turny journey to the answer, or maybe even better than OK. Speaking of questions, Suzy also takes
Oct 22, 2024 • 20:56
Four big hairy things get in the way of living authentically. What are they?
There are the famous Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which are not just big and hairy, but incredibly terrifying. Then, there are what Suzy calls "The Four Horsemen of Values Destruction." They are also fearsome, and, unfortunately, real enough to gallop away with your life. Listen in this week as Suzy describes and illustrates how the desire for economic security, the lure of expediency, the press of expectations, and the interruption of events might be exactly why your life is moving in the w
Oct 15, 2024 • 20:55
“I’m on My Way to Somewhere, I Swear”
We laughed. We cried. We admitted we were idiots. We counted the ways. Then we said we’d do it all over again. Actually, that was only some of us. On today’s episode, Suzy reminisces about her days at Quadio, the college music streaming company she helped run. Quadio didn’t end up making it, but guess what? This is a story with a happy ending. It is! Quadio taught everyone on the team something they needed to know about themselves — their values. Also in the episode: Invaluable wisdom from the b
Oct 8, 2024 • 30:10
Hate Is Not a Feeling. It Is a Piece of Data.
If you're human, you've hated someone. OK, maybe you're special, and you've only stooped to dislike someone, and, if so, good for you. But that's not what this episode is about. It's about the value we call "Belonging," one of the most complicated in the Becoming You lexicon because it's about friends. How we take care of them and how they take care of us, or not. In this episode, Suzy ruminates and pontificates about what Belonging means to her, and how she learned that through her me
Oct 1, 2024 • 22:19
Every Successful Person Is A Complete Failure (First) with Karissa Bodnar
Ten years ago, Suzy traveled to Seattle to film a Today Show segment about a young make-up entrepreneur who was doing business differently. For every pair of false eyelashes she sold, she gave away a set to a chemotherapy patient who was losing her hair. At the time, Thrive Causemetics was based in Karissa Bodnar’s kitchen. The company has been so successful Karissa gave away – HELLO, GAVE AWAY – $150 million dollars to cancer patients and causes. And yet, Karissa would tell you that she’s faile
Sep 24, 2024 • 33:40
Denying Your Values is Like Hiding a Secret. Bad For Your Health.
Our topic this week is the value of fame – yes, fame is a value! – but why leave it there? In this episode, we also talk about how much we can lie to ourselves about this particular value, not to mention a few others we have hiding in our hearts. Why do we do this? Because we’re human. No getting around it. Also in this episode: Suzy’s profound take on the fluffy Netflix mini-series “The Perfect Couple,” and ruminations on the desire…never to work. Hit play! Want more Becoming You? Learn about t
Sep 17, 2024 • 28:45
Land Your Next Interview, Promise
When it comes to getting a job – say, the job of your dreams – you have to get existential before you get tactical. But what’s really killer is when you’re both at the same time. And that’s what this episode of the pod is all about, with tips galore from Suzy on both. Being existential, that is, and tactical. Also this week, the Becoming You values-probing question that makes everyone cry. It’s supposed to. Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discovery Day: The Becoming You Experience.You ar
Sep 10, 2024 • 30:13
“But You Don’t Understand, She’s Special.”
There’s a little voice inside all of us telling us we were born to do something. You know it’s true. Sometimes, this voice translates into our “passion,” and as we grow up, we have to decide whether or not to admit this passion aloud and chase it, for all the world to see, or be logical, and go do “normal work.” In this episode, Suzy discusses the eternal conflict between these two routes, and then, oops, drops an epic rock & roll story on us out of the blue. Also in the pod: A new hack to get y
Sep 3, 2024 • 27:25
Change is bad.
Ok, not really! Change is good — usually. And really, these days, what choice do we have anyway? But sometimes, it’s worth the energy it takes to resist change, because you’ve built something worth keeping the same. Tune in to this episode for a story to make that point, and sorry not sorry, there will be blood, we mean “crying.” Plus down-and-dirty advice on landing your dream job, and a new secret mentor crush who can lay someone low with a velvet glove. That’s talent. Want more Becoming You?
Aug 27, 2024 • 27:02
Is it time to reinvent yourself? Ask the birds.
Worried about Suzy the Swan? Yes, you and many other listeners too! In this episode, Suzy (the human, not the swan) gives an update on her missing spirit animal, and somehow also manages to make a point about allowing yourself to change, whether you want to or not. Also on the agenda: Madonna, not knowing which path to take, and advice for working parents. Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discovery Day: The Becoming You Experience.You are always growing and evolving and so are we. Sign up
Aug 20, 2024 • 22:57
Becoming You: Survivor’s Unit
We talk about Becoming You incessantly on the pod, but how about a first-hand account of the process in action? Heck yes, we got you! In this episode, Suzy welcomes former student, restaurateur par excellence, and full-time fabulous person Michael Lopez, who recounts his Becoming You journey, and also recommends a good Rosé, which, don’t lie, you need right now. Also on the pod: Suzy and Michael confess: “The one that got away.” Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discovery Day: The Becoming
Aug 13, 2024 • 32:32
Everyone Must Get…"Pwned"
Back in the ‘60s, Bob Dylan made an anthem out of the phrase, “Everybody must get stoned,” but it’s 2024, friends, and pwned is what you must get nowadays…if you want to get over yourself and get better at life. Listen up as Suzy talks about two (count ‘em, two) pnwings in one day that reminded her what true friendship involves, and how not-easy it is to get a relationship A-plus IRL. Also on the pod: Music! Dogs! Party ideas! We’re having fun! Hurry up and join in! Want more Becoming You? Learn
Aug 6, 2024 • 35:05
Guess What? Sometimes Guilt is a Choice.
OK, not always. Sometimes we feel guilty because we should. But other times, guilt is just collateral of a war between our values and the world’s. How to tell the difference? Listen in! Also in this episode: Suzy’s secret mentor, a woman who has made her mad, embarrassed her, and otherwise brought her low, all for the good. Plus, more in-fighting about the best musician of all time. Did somebody mention Pitbull? Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discovery Day: The Becoming You Experience.Y
Jul 30, 2024 • 41:08
Thinking of Pursuing Your Passion as a Career? Please Think Again.
Doing something you love all day is the dream, right? Well, not if you’re not good at it. In this week’s episode, a cold, hard, realistic – and loving! – look at whether a passion-based career is for you, or anyone for that matter. Also, a long, sad story about a swan named Suzy…and ChatGPT. And if that wasn’t enough, another foray into Suzy’s favorite mistakes, this one involving (scary music, please) ENGINEERS. Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discovery Day: The Becoming You Experience.
Jul 23, 2024 • 37:22
The War on Kombucha, Oops, We Mean Dumb Bosses
In this week’s podcast, we recklessly make enemies with everyone who loves kombucha, but for a good cause, the routing out of bad bosses! That is, bosses who think a well-stocked snack bar can cover for a leader who doesn’t have the time or inclination to make people want to come in for…the actual work. GET OUT! Also on the pod: Rants about your personality, snakes, and slow-walking tourists. Honestly, no one is safe on Becoming You, except Pierre. Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discove
Jul 16, 2024 • 37:41
When Smart People Do Dumb Things, Or Maybe Not
In this week’s episode, Suzy takes a gander at the new essay questions for admission to Harvard Business School and reacts with a deeply flummoxed, “SAY WHAT?” Then – surprise, friends! – she attempts to answer her own question. Isn’t that just always the way around here? Also in this episode of the pod, special love for Gen Z with the introduction to an artist you should know, plus tips on how to get a raise, get help when you need it, and get a job that’s right for you. It’s all here, and so m
Jul 9, 2024 • 37:23
Everything I Learned in Life I Learned in 10th Grade English
Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night realizing a problem can be understood, and perhaps even solved, by reflecting on the last line of “The Great Gatsby?” SAME HERE! That’s why in this episode Suzy waxes poetic about the power of literature to make us better leaders, followers, parents, friends, whatever, everything. Also on the pod: A listener's question about feeling defeated that made Suzy cry so we had to re-record, thoughts on being in sales, more toxic corporate jargon, and
Jul 2, 2024 • 39:28
A Grammar Lesson You Might Just Love
In this week’s episode, we ponder, “Are we all just one long list of commas, as we reinvent and reinvent and reinvent ourselves to stay current in this crazy world of ours?” Short answer: Yes! But the longer answer may include a surprise for you, as it certainly surprised Suzy…the inventor? Also this week: two new features. “My Favorite Mistake,” about, hm, well, you know what it’s about. And “Listen Up,” a music tip sheet with a moral to the story. Turn the volume up! Want more Becoming You? Le
Jun 25, 2024 • 37:46
Don’t Ask Me How I Did It, I Just Did It, It Was Hard
In this week’s episode, we consider the annoying age-old question, “Why does everything good have to be so stinking hard?” And also, “Was Suzy actually being clueless when she told the Today Show audience that they should all go get themselves fired?” Spoiler alert: No! And that’s not all. The pod this week covers preparing for tough interviews, crabby celebrities, and Suzy’s most creative insults, which she concocts because, really, she loves everyone. Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Di
Jun 18, 2024 • 37:42
All The Stuff Your Boss Wishes You Knew, But You Don’t
What a strange and unnecessary thing it is that people enter the working world mostly clueless about the working world. For instance, school teaches you certain ways of behaving and thinking that will actually get you into a lot of trouble, and it can take the first five to ten years of your career to unlearn them. Or, you can listen to this podcast, and unlearn them in less than an hour. Also: Suzy’s final thoughts on final wishes. To enter the Becoming You Intensive Giveaway and sign up for th
Jun 11, 2024 • 42:31
The One When Suzy Says Networking Doesn't Work
There are only two things that everyone agrees on in this world. That Dolly Parton is great, and that networking is awful. In this episode, Suzy focuses on the latter, making the case that we should all deep-six stupid, boring, useless small talk in hotel conference rooms for making true friends. Which of course, leads to a long diatribe on her own personal besties. Career advice ensues. Want more Becoming You? Learn about the Discovery Day: The Becoming You Experience.You are always growing and
Jun 4, 2024 • 41:47
What’s Worth Dying For? Well, A Little Yellow Doxie Apparently.
You could jump into your pool fully clothed on a cool spring morning to save your dog from drowning, and come out saying, “Wow, that was close,” or you could do the exact same thing I did, and spend the rest of the day wondering, “What else would I die for?” This week’s ever-cheerful episode of Becoming You pod goes there! Because #values! Also on the agenda: a new who-am-I hack, Joan of Arc ruminations, and Suzy’s very un-fuzzy-wuzzy take on the man v. bear showdown. Want more Becoming You? Lea
May 28, 2024 • 37:04
Graduation Advice To Help You Get Arrested (We Mean Ahead)
It’s graduation season, so advice is in the air. But if you want graduation advice that could seriously help you get ahead in life AND possibly get you arrested at an airport, this episode's got you! Also on the agenda, less incendiary life and generally very useful career advice, a values excavation exercise inspired by Ernest Hemingway, a new installment of secret mentor crush, tough love for working moms, and Suzy’s advice to her 20-year-old self, which, it ends up, she still needs today. Wan
May 21, 2024 • 38:46
The Craziest Little Question Of All: What Should I Do With My Life?
We all have life goals, right? Right? Or sometimes we just see something – something amazing – and we think, “Oh yeah, that’s what I want. That, exactly,” and our life is never the same. Press play to enter the first-ever episode of the Becoming You podcast and hear as Suzy Welch recounts just one such moment for her in 1998, when she spotted a group of women in glorious hats walking down 5th Avenue. The rest is history – well, sort of. Hear about that too. And stick around to hear about the “Be
May 17, 2024 • 39:35
Shoulda Lost My Mind. Didn’t Happen. What the Heck?
Every now and again, often out of the blue, we realize something kind of wild about ourselves. Like, we always want to be in Italy even though we live in Chicago. Or, we truly miss work on a random Saturday. Or, we’re on a plane that’s been delayed seven hours…and we’re not mad at all. What do these aha moments tell us about? Our values. Which is why we shouldn't ignore them, but lean way in to find out more. That’s where we go in today’s podcast, with an exercise to help, along with other vario
May 17, 2024 • 36:32