Join multi-ethnic co-hosts Sara + Misasha - two wickedly smart, heart-led, long-distance best friends - as they help folks talk smarter and think deeper about the world around us. Whether it’s about science, history, current events, social justice, or more, their community consists of people who want to be better humans, to benefit all of us. We won't let the fire hose of information overwhelm us. Whether you're a seasoned expert or new to the work, you'll find yourself listening, learning, ...
…
continue reading
Sara And Mishasha Podcasts

1
08: How to Be a Better Human: What WE Really Think
31:05
31:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
31:05We had a very insightful superfan make a brilliant suggestion that we’re acting on, starting with this episode. David Gaines, author of Radical Business, CEO of La Terza Coffee, and kind human being, sent in a message cheering us on for the podcast rebrand, and then pushed us to do just a bit more. Specifically, he said, “The guests you have on cle…
…
continue reading
In our last episode of our series on how to be a better human, we’re talking about rest. Specifically, what do we mean by rest, and why is it so important? How do we grapple with its significance in our individual and collective lives, and for real, how do we DO LESS? This conversation has become increasingly frequent in our lives, and we wanted to…
…
continue reading

1
06: How To Be a Better Democrat, with Megan Imperial
46:48
46:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
46:48Maybe these are some questions you’ve asked yourself, as we’ve moved from the election of 2024 to the present: Where the heck are the Democrats? What’s happening with the dysfunctional American two-party political system, and if we don’t support what the Trump administration is doing to our people and our rule of law, how do we find any hope we mig…
…
continue reading

1
05: How We Can Build Trust In Times of Division, with Jan-Emmanuel de Neve
36:34
36:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:34It’s not controversial to say that we are living in times of deep division, where there are so many forces keeping us apart, politics being a big part of that. But did you know that there’s a link between how satisfied you think you are with your life, how much you trust others, and how you vote? It’s a mind-blowing, less-discussed topic, despite b…
…
continue reading

1
04: How to improve your critical thinking skills, with Colin Seale
40:22
40:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
40:22Depending on who you are and where you get your news from, you may be seeing a completely separate version of the news from your neighbor down the street, your aunt in another state, or your coworker who only gets his news from a specific social media platform. Maybe everyone around you gets the same news you do. But you also know that there is a v…
…
continue reading

1
03: How to be Kinder (not Nicer), with Dr. Kelli Harding
39:45
39:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:45This is Sara, and I remember the time 20 years ago when I got schooled by a psychoanalyst. It must have been the fall, because I was supremely agitated that I was having to write, design, and send holiday cards out to a huge list of people all by myself, without the help of my fiancé. If you know me, you know that cards were a staple of my winter g…
…
continue reading

1
02: How to Become a Radical Listener, with Robert Biswas-Diener and Christian van Nieuwerburgh
38:07
38:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:07One of the ways that we believe we can be better humans is to actually listen to each other - not just nod along when we watch people’s mouths move, or wait impatiently for someone to finish their thought before we can jump in and say what we’ve been dying to say - but actually listen to what they’re saying, take a moment to reflect on that, and re…
…
continue reading
We have a big announcement! We have rebranded and are now known as the podcast, What Do You Mean By That? If you’ve listened to our former show, Dear White Women, you know that What do you mean by that? has been one of our favorite questions to use to interrupt people in a healthy way, spur on conversation, and cue ourselves to listen. Our purpose …
…
continue reading

1
272: What Do We Mean by Therapy, and Culturally Responsive Care? with The Yellow Chair Collective
32:11
32:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:11Raise your hand if you’ve been to therapy before. My first time, if I’m remembering correctly, is a few months after my Dad died when I was in my mid-twenties, and my college roommate set me up with her aunt, who was a renowned psychoanalyst. She also happened to be Asian. Now that it’s been decades and I’ve had so many more experiences with so man…
…
continue reading

1
271: Having Unforgettable Presence, with Lorraine K. Lee
21:12
21:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:12Picture a successful business leader, and experience says you’re most likely to be picturing a white male right now. Similarly, the realm of business books has been dominated by white males for so, so long - which is why we find it incredibly refreshing to talk with someone who does NOT fit that mold and has an unforgettable presence all the same. …
…
continue reading

1
270: Six Years Later, And (No Surprise Here) We’re Still Talking
18:38
18:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:38By the time a human is six years old, they’re usually in formal schooling with wide-open minds, ready to learn. You’re learning that you can’t bring peanut butter in because some classmates might be allergic to peanuts (which shows you how to be a considerate citizen); you’re learning that you can’t call Suzie an idiot (because words have power); t…
…
continue reading

1
269: In Support of the Rule of Law, with Debbie Hines
49:27
49:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
49:27Even if you’re not a lawyer, the challenge that this administration is mounting to the rule of law affects you, too. When the president challenges the judiciary, when we as a country go after lawyers simply for doing their actual jobs, it hurts all of us. What’s happening now is weakening our judicial branch and centering power in the executive bra…
…
continue reading
Between the time when we recorded this episode and this introduction, so many of our learning institutions, including the Department of Education and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, are being systematically or haphazardly dismantled at the whim of our current President(s). This may send us into a spiral of despair - or, may even freez…
…
continue reading

1
267: Don’t Let Yourself Be Gaslit By Our Two Presidents
29:44
29:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:44Gaslighting. Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse that involves manipulating someone into questioning their sanity, memories, or perception of reality. Sounds horrible right? An example of this: a person or institution may say that an activist campaigning for change is irrational or “crazy,” or they may deny biases if someone confronts them…
…
continue reading

1
266: In Support of Transgender Lives with Schuyler Bailar
47:23
47:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:23In the United States, there are an estimated 1.6 million people who identify as transgender, which is about 0.6% of the population ages 13 and older. It’s about the equivalent of the population of Phoenix, Arizona; it’s just about how many people said on the US Census in 2021 that they are Japanese. Of course this population matters – AND, it’s not…
…
continue reading

1
265: The United States Should Focus On Equality, with Steve Phillips
51:48
51:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:48We need to be honest about our nation’s history - that we’ve always been a divided nation - if we’re going to be able to strengthen and maximize the full power and potential of our nation. What’s that nation we want to move towards? One dedicated to the proposition of equality. That’s the clear, fresh vision that our guest today, Steve Phillips, wr…
…
continue reading

1
264: Trump 2.0: What This Might Mean For Women, Parents, And All of Us
37:29
37:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:29Since every day since Trump’s second inauguration has likely brought a fresh onslaught of possibilities that range from the incomprehensibly absurd to those that actively promote authoritarianism and slash away at our fundamental rights, it’s also important to cut through the noise and figure out: what does this mean for us? Today, we’re touching o…
…
continue reading