Podcasts
The Non-Obvious Podcast
Asking the Big Questions
Explore some of the world's most perplexing questions.
The answers to these questions are not so obvious…and that’s the point.
Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world. As a 3-time WSJ bestselling author of ten books, founder of the Non-Obvious Company, and “non-obvious” keynote speaker, he is recognized as one of the most entertaining and original speakers on trends, innovation, and marketing in the world. The Non-Obvious Show is his new venture where he shares books that can help expand your way of thinking.
Each week Rohit will interview an author whose book offers an inspiring form of non-obvious thinking on topics such as afrofuturism, technoableism, and existential hope. The featured books include those selected from the annual Non-Obvious Book Awards, and other books that he has recently found captivating.
How “Workarounds” Can Solve Big Problems
(Featuring Paulo Savaget) |35
Original Release Date: April 30, 2024
Could a workaround solve your problem? Paulo Savaget is an award-winning researcher and professor of engineering entrepreneurship who went on a three year journey to study how people invent workarounds to solve problems. In his book,The Four Workarounds: Strategies from the World's Scrappiest Organizations for Tackling Complex Problems, he shares his experience and findings in hopes of inspiring others to value workarounds and the possible big changes they enable.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Paulo Savaget discuss topics inspired by the book, including the four types of workarounds with case examples, the ethics of loopholes, and the innovations of smaller organizations that large corporations can learn from.
Why Social Media Makes Us Angry
(Featuring Tobias Rose-Stockwell) |34
Original Release Date: April 16, 2024
Do you know how social media really works? Tobias Rose-Stockwell’s research on how tech amplifies discontent and disrupts democracy has inspired leading tech companies to adopt key interventions to reduce toxicity and polarization. In his book, Outrage Machine, he combines this research with personal anecdotes to create a guide to understanding how the internet has broken our brains and how we can fix it.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Tobias Rose-Stockwell discuss topics inspired by the book, including why we become emotionally arrested by content, content that flirts with the extreme to gain engagement, and the process of changing minds when we live in a period of constant news and opinions.
How To Work With (Almost) Anyone
(Featuring Michael Bungay Stanier) |33
Original Release Date: April 2, 2024
How To Work With (Almost) Anyone: featuring Michael Bungay Stanier, the award-winning author of The Coaching Habits, as well as teacher and speaker who has sold over 1.5 million books, shares solutions to this question in his book How to Work With (Almosn) Anyone.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Michael Bungay Stanier discuss topics inspired by the book, including keystone conversations, how to stay human when working with people, and his mission to infect everyone with the “possibility virus.”
Why Most Big Projects Fail and How To Fix Them
(Featuring Bent Flyvbjerg & Dan Gardner) | Ep 32
Original Release Date: March 19, 2024
How do big things get done? Bent Flyvberg and Dan Gardner explore this question and the pattern of failed megaprojects in their book How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between. Bent Flyvbjerg is the first BT Professor and inaugural Chair of Major Programme Management at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, Villum Kann Rasmussen Professor and Chair at the IT University of Copenhagen. Dan Gardner is the New York Times best-selling author of books about psychology and decision-making.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava, Bent Flyvbjerg, and Dan Gardner discuss topics inspired by the book, including fat-tailed risks, stories of success, why many projects start wrong, mastering project leadership, and how to focus on people rather than technology.
Everything You Never Knew About Pockets
(Featuring Hannah Carlson) | Ep 31
Original Release Date: March 5, 2024
How often do you think about your pockets? Hannah Carlson, an author and lecturer in dress history and material culture at the Rhode Island School of Design, explores this question and the history of pockets in her book Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Hannah Carlson discuss topics inspired by the book, including the evolution of pockets, pocket-sized inventions, pocket sexism in the fashion industry, and the history of pockets in literature.
How To Write Your Own Obituary
(Featuring James Hagerty) | Ep 30
Original Release Date: February 13, 2024
How will you tell your life story and are you thinking about it right now? James R. Hagerty, an obituary writer, author, and previous reporter, editor, and bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal and the International Herald Tribune, explores these questions and shares tips for writing obituaries in his book Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and James R. Hagerty discuss topics inspired by the book, including why to start writing your obituary when you’re young, how to start writing an obituary plus things not to include, and tips for recording family history while managing the accuracy of memories.
Why Afrofuturism Matters
(Featuring Dr. Kevin Strait) | Ep 29
Original Release Date: February 13, 2024
What is afrofuturism and how can we develop a powerful view of the future for African Americans through a cultural lens? Dr. Kevin Strait, the Museum Curator of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, explores these questions and the exhibition in DC as one of the editors for the book Afrofuturism.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Dr. Kevin Strait discuss topics inspired by the book, including afrofuturistic literature, rewriting the historical narrative of afrofuturism to reconsider how African Americans are viewed and view themselves, the driver of African American culture, and reviving the platform for free thinking.
How Culture Influences Our Behavior
(Featuring Dr. Marcus Collins) | Ep 28
Original Release Date: January 30, 2024
How do we bring more culture into the work that we do? Marcus Collins, an award-winning marketer, cultural translator, professor, and author, explores this question and how culture is the most powerful vehicle for influencing behavior in his book For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Dr. Marcus Collins discuss topics inspired by the book, including the types and risks of cultural appropriation, the anemia of cultural connection, byproducts of our cultural subscription, and how we can better practice cultural appreciation as a society.
Being More Coachable and Accepting Good Advice
(Featuring Jacquelyn Lane and Scott Osman) | Ep 26
Originally aired: November 11, 2023
"How do you become coachable in order to transform your life and career? Jacquelyn Lane and Scott Osman are two renowned coaching experts who co-authored the book “Becoming Coachable: Unleashing the Power of Executive Coaching to Transform Your Leadership and Life” with the world’s top executive coach - Marshall Goldsmith. Jacquelyn Lane is the president of the 100 Coaches Agency, with her work and studies focusing on conscious capitalism and entrepreneurship as a means to create sustainable solutions globally. Scott Osman is the founding CEO of the 100 Coaches Agency, and is well known as a thought leader in the area of purpose strategy. “Becoming Coachable” invites readers to tap into their fullest potential and become better leaders, collaborators, and members of society.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava, Jacquelyn Lane, and Scott Osman discuss topics inspired by the book, including what it means to be coachable, non-obvious misconceptions about the field, and the benefits of learning from someone who has walked in similar - but not the exact same - shoes. "
Dealing with Difficult People
(Featuring Amy Gallo) | Ep 25
Originally aired: October 15, 2023
"How do you deal with difficult people to create better harmony at work? Amy Gallo is a workplace expert, speaker, and contributing editor at Harvard Business Review. Her work specializes in effective communication, interpersonal dynamics, gender, difficult conversations, and feedback. Her bestselling book, “Getting Along,” delves into the challenges of working with difficult people and gives insight on how to communicate empathetically in order to create a positive working environment.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Amy Gallo discuss topics inspired by the book, including the eight archetypes of difficult people, developing interpersonal resilience, and how we need to be open-minded in order to find common ground and collaborate to work together. "
How To Be More Persuasive
(Featuring Zoe Chance) | Ep 24
Originally aired: September 15, 2023
"How do you make influence your superpower and make more good things happen? Zoe Chance teaches the most popular course at the Yale School of Management, “Mastering Influence and Persuasion,” and has a new book out called, “Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen” where she delves into the realms of persuasion and decision-making.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Zoe Chance discuss topics inspired by the book, including influence techniques and strategies that are both comfortable for you and those you speak to, why it’s harder to negotiate as women, and why the secret to being influential is being influenceable."
Why Employees Leave and Why They Stay
(Featuring Joey Coleman) | Ep 23
Originally aired: August 15, 2023
"How do you deal with difficult people to create better harmony at work? Amy Gallo is a workplace expert, speaker, and contributing editor at Harvard Business Review. Her work specializes in effective communication, interpersonal dynamics, gender, difficult conversations, and feedback. Her bestselling book, “Getting Along,” delves into the challenges of working with difficult people and gives insight on how to communicate empathetically in order to create a positive working environment.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Amy Gallo discuss topics inspired by the book, including the eight archetypes of difficult people, developing interpersonal resilience, and how we need to be open-minded in order to find common ground and collaborate to work together. "
How To Be A “Good-ish” Person
(Featuring Dolly Chugh) | Ep 22
Originally aired: July 15, 2023
What does it take to unlearn history in order to build a more just future for everyone? Dolly Chugh is an award-winning psychologist and professor of social psychology and management at the New York University Stern School of Business
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Dolly Chugh explore why we need to focus on being good-ish people rather than just good, the importance of understanding, noticing, and doing better than our country’s mistakes, and how incorporating more storytelling into history education could be the stepping stone to filling the gaps within our history for future generations. Here is Dolly Chugh sharing what it takes to unlearn history on this week’s episode of the Non-Obvious Show.
Understanding Data Even If You Hate Numbers
(Featuring Neil Hoyne) | Ep 21
Originally aired: June 15, 2023
"How do we demystify data and measurement? Neil Hoyne has centered his career around championing the universal accessibility of data-driven actionable insights. As Google’s Chief Measurement Strategy and Global Head of Customer Analytics, he pioneers strategies for customer lifetime value, marketing attribution, dynamic pricing, content personalization, and truly democratized data. His bestselling book, Converted, aims to make data science more approachable for anyone in the form of a field guide for business growth.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Neil Hoyne discuss topics inspired by the book, including what it takes to better understand data, focus on what really matters, and get better at using the data that is now available at your fingertips to improve your marketing, as well as increase your overall understanding of how data and measurement actually works and what the numbers are really telling you."
How To Create a More Inclusive Workplace
(Featuring "The Band of Sisters") | Ep 20
Originally aired: May 15, 2023
How do you fight workplace gender bias? What happens when a "band" of top female executives gather together to share their hard earned knowledge about how to succeed in the boardroom (or any other room) by conquering the gender biases that are so often faced by executives from minority groups. Angelique Bellmer Krembs, Katie Lacey, Lori Marcus, Cie Nicholson, & Mitzi Short wrote You Should Smile More to empower women and men to unlock a culture of greatness in the workforce, offering a new lens through which to talk about and tackle the stubborn remnants of gender bias at work.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and The Band of Sisters discuss topics inspired by the book, including teaching you some of the best coping strategies, what really works and what doesn't, how to lead a team no matter who's on it and how to deal with conflict if and when it happens.
Why An Analog World Is More Human
(Featuring David Sax) | Ep 19
Originally aired: May 1, 2023
Is the future analog? David Sax is an award-winning journalist and keynote speaker, specializing in dissecting the intersection of business and culture. His latest book, The Future Is Analog, is a manifesto for a more human future. One in which we innovate for the good of social and cultural lives, and build a future that first and foremost serves us as humans.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and David Sax dive into the timely cost of going digital, the way in which the evolution of our communication skills is altered by social media, and how to create a more human world. .
Getting Unstuck and Embracing Change
(Featuring Barry J. Moltz) | Ep 18
Originally aired: April 15, 2023
How do you make changes your business needs? Popular small business marketing expert and radio show host Barry J. Moltz has discovered the formula to get business owners unstuck. He focuses on marketing and sales, leadership and management, cash flow and money, the customer experience and productivity. His award-winning book Changemasters exposes the true reasons why so many small business owners pay for expensive advice, agree to take action ... and then never follow through.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Barry J. Moltz explain the confusion between intention versus action, how to get unstuck in your business, and why starting with small changes can lead to long-term sustainable changes.
Everything Professional Designers Should Know
(featuring Ellen Lupton, Kaleena Sales, & Valentine Vergara)
| Ep 17
Originally aired: March 15, 2023
How do we create a more inclusive world? Ellen Lupton, Kaleena Sales, and Valentine Vergara are part of a diverse group of creators who wrote Extra Bold – a Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers. This groundbreaking design guide for anyone who works in (or loves) design about how to rethink the assumptions and traditional mindsets that sometimes hold designers and the organizations who employ them back.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava, Ellen Lupton, Kaleena Sales, and Valentine Vergara talk about how designers can shift their thinking, how the rest of us can elevate and promote more diversity in design, and what a world that has more inclusive design might look like.
How To Think Like a Cartoonist
(featuring "Marketoonist" Tom Fishburne)| Ep 16
Originally aired: February 15, 2023
Can humor help you find better ideas? “Marketoonist” Tom Fishburne is an international keynote speaker and marketer specializing in cartoons, digital transformation, and the future of work. His book, Your Ad Ignored Here, depicts the modern marketing life, capturing 15 years of marketing, business, and doodling, while giving voice to the challenges and opportunities faced by people working in business everywhere.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Tom Fishburne explore what role humor should play in your marketing, the revolutionary potential of cartoons, and finding the humor in deep topics to strengthen impact.
How Women's Fitness Shaped the World
(featuring Danielle Friedman) | Ep 15
Originally aired: January 15, 2023
How have women shaped the exercise industry? Danielle Friedman is an award-winning journalist and the author of. Her book Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World explores the untold history of women’s exercise culture while debunking myths and reveals how this physical strength has transformed into other forms of power.
In this episode, Rohit Bhargava and Danielle Friedman explore the history of women’s fitness, discrimination in the industry, and the groundbreaking women who changed it for generations.
Getting People Talking About Race
(Featuring Priya Vulchi & Winona Guo) | Ep 14
Originally aired: December 15, 2022
How do you get people talking about race? Imagine taking a year off to travel to every state in America, sleep on the couches of strangers and tap random people on the shoulder to start a dialog about race. If that’s hard enough to picture, now consider doing it while you’re still a teenager. This unique journey inspired my next guests Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo to create a new curriculum for racial literacy and a book inspired by the experience called Tell Me Who You Are.
In our time together, squeezed between two classes, we talk about the original inspiration for their trip, what answers surprised them and what they both plan to do next now that they are graduating.
How To Talk To A Racist
(Featuring Dr. David W. Campt) | Ep 13
Originally aired: November 15, 2022
How do you talk to a racist? Dr. David Wiley Campt, aka The Dialogue Guy, is a renowned speaker, master facilitator, and author. He has over 25 years of experience working as an anti-racism trainer and founded The Dialogue Company and the White Ally Toolkit. His latest book How to Talk to Racists educates anti-racism allies on engaging in transformative discourse about race and other polarizing conversations.
In this episode, Dr. David W. Campt the science behind rage as an instinctive reaction, how the race method can help with difficult conversations, and managing your image for speaking opportunities.
The Truth About College Admissions
(Featuring Jeff Selingo) | Ep 12
Originally aired: October 15, 2022
What is the truth behind college admissions? New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo has written about higher education for over two years, including regular contributions to The Atlantic, New York Times, and the Washington Post. When not writing, he is a special advisor to the president and professor of practice at Arizona State University, and co-hosts the Future U podcast.
In this episode, Jeff Selingo takes you inside the college admissions process, and offers an unusual look at how to really get into college and what mistakes to avoid.
How To Transform Your Brand
(Featuring Emmanuel Probst) | Ep 11
Originally aired: September 15, 2022
What are the secrets to brand transformation? Brand guru Emmanuel Probst is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Assemblage, the Global Lead of Brand Growth & Thought Leadership at Ipsos, and teaches Consumer Market Research at UCLA.
In this episode, Emmanuel Probst reveals the secrets of building an enduring brand, what mistakes marketers often make when trying to grow their brand loyalty, and how the world's most successful brands thrive by connecting deeply with their audiences.
What Female Leaders Really Need
(Featuring Deepa Purushothaman) | Ep 10
Originally aired: August 15, 2022
How do you support female leaders? Corporate inclusion visionary, Deepa Purushothaman encourages companies and individuals to challenge the status quo of ambition, success and power through her seasoned advisory approach to leadership. Her internationally acclaimed book “The First, The Few, The Only” is a deeply personal call to action for women of color to redefine power in corporate America.
In this episode, Deepa Purushothaman talks about the real challenges that women of color face, and some proven ideas for how to overcome them.
The Secrets of Digital Body Language
(Featuring Erica Dhawan) | Ep 9
Originally aired: June 15, 2022
What does your digital body language convey? Erica Dhawan is an award winning keynote speaker and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Digital Body Language. As the founder and CEO of Cotential, Erica has helped leaders and teams leverage twenty-first-century collaboration skills globally, helping them innovate faster and further, together.
In this episode, Erica Dhawan digs into how gender affects communication, bringing empathy into digital body language, and how understanding body language could de-escalate violent situations.
How To Get People To Support You
(Featuring Suneel Gupta) | Ep 8
Originally aired: May 15, 2022
How do you get people to support you? Suneel Gupta is a bestselling author, renowned speaker, Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, and host of a global documentary series called Business Class on Amazon Prime. Once seen as the “face of failure” in the New York Times, Suneel understands that the road to success is not always smooth, has learned from his mistakes, and went on to become a founding CEO of wellness app RISE.
In this episode, Suneel Gupta defines exhibition matches, the importance of backable people, and the positive domino effect of women in the workforce.
How To Be An Epic Gift Giver
(Featuring John Ruhlin) | Ep 7
Originally aired: April 15, 2022
How do you become an epic gift-giver? John Ruhlin is a gifting expert, keynote speaker, and author of Giftology. He has been called "the world's greatest gift giver" and helped people and organizations around the world to rethink how they use gifts to retain customers, win hearts, and cut through the noise.
In this episode, John Ruhlin explains how gifts can bring in referrals for businesses, lists examples of bad gifts, and shares the recipe of what he calls “giftology.”
How Ownership Really Works
(Featuring Michael Heller & Jim Salzman) | Ep 6
Originally aired: March 15, 2022
How does ownership really work? Michael Heller and James Salzman explore the six simple rules that everyone uses to claim everything in their new book Mine!. Michael Heller is a Professor of Real Estate Law at Columbia Law School, and is the author and co-author of multiple books. James Salzman is a Professor of Environmental Law at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara, and is the author and co-author of numerous bestselling books.
In this episode, Michael Heller and James Salazman discuss possession versus ownership, the growing complications of digital ownership, and how ownership of original resources is claimed.
The Death of Common Sense
(Featuring Martin Lindstrom) | Ep 5
Originally aired: January 15, 2022
What has caused the death of common sense? Martin Lindstrom is a bestselling author, consumer branding expert, and named one of TIME Magazine’s “World’s 100 Most Influential People.” He’s the founder and chairman of Lindstrom Company, the world’s leading brand & culture transformation group, with clients such as Seth Godin and Tyra Banks. His latest book, The Ministry of Common Sense, is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller and a humorous yet practical guide to ridding ourselves — and our companies — of bureaucratic red tape.
In this episode, Martin Lindstrom discusses how empathy is dying, the benefits of consumer insight, and why he feels the best solution is for more organizations and governments around the world should create a ministry of common sense.
Why Collaboration Is Overrated
(Featuring Safi Bahcall) | Ep 4
Originally aired: December 15, 2021
Why is collaboration overrated? Safi Bahcall is a former public company CEO, second-generation physicist, biotech entrepreneur, and the author of international bestseller Loonshots. Today Safi advises CEOs and leadership teams on strategy and innovation, and has delivered keynote presentations at industry conferences, investor events, leadership retreats, medical meetings, and leading academic institutions around the world.
In this episode, Safi Bahcall goes behind the mindsets required to see the world a little differently, explores why a focus on collaboration might counterintuitively hold us back from innovating in some situations and why thinking like a physicist just might offer a path to solving some of the world's biggest problems.
The Power of Outsider Thinking
(Featuring Beth Comstock) | Ep 3
Originally aired: November 15, 2021
What is the power of outsider thinking? Beth Comstock is an American business executive, advisor, nature conservationist, and the author of Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity and the Power of Change. She has spent more than three decades leading communications at GE and has been named to both the Fortune and Forbes lists of the world's most powerful women.
In this episode, Beth Comstock talks about embracing change, finding courage, conquering your fears and imagining a better future.
How To Develop Your Big Ideas
(Featuring Daniel H. Pink) | Ep 2
Originally aired: September 15, 2021
How do you develop big ideas? Daniel H. Pink is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author whose seven books have won numerous awards and sold millions of copies around the world in over 40 languages. Prior to this, he was the chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore and the host and co-executive producer of “Crowd Control” on the National Geographic Channel.
In this episode, we discuss Pink’s insights about business, culture, and his latest initiative researching human regrets and how we feel about them.
What Makes Someone Remarkable?
(Featuring Guy Kawasaki) | Ep 1
Originally aired: October 15, 2021
What makes someone remarkable? Guy Kawasaki is the Chief Evangelist of Canva and the creator of the Remarkable People podcast. He was one of the original marketing voices at Apple working under Steve Jobs and is a trustee of the Wikipedia Foundation.
In this episode, we talk about Guy's criteria for finding great podcast guests, how he decides what products to evangelize, and the responsibility we all have toward thinking for ourselves when it comes to running the world, running businesses or voting.
