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Building Thinkers: Accessible Blueprints for Learning & LifeAuthor: Tracy Clark
Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential potential 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 will explore a wide range of topics (business, education, organization, habits, therapy, finances, research to name a few) unpacking the design, strategy, and details behind the things we build to create accessible blueprints for you to explore and apply to your own learning and life. There is no limit to what you can learn. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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How to Have Hard Conversations (With Someone You Love)
Episode 16
Friday, 31 July, 2026
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.
