Brené Brown on Protecting our Attention, Time, and Humanity in a World that Won’t Slow Down

The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

Vox Media Podcast Network

August 20, 2026

Show Notes

In this solo episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown turns to questions and comments from her LinkedIn community to explore what it means to protect our humanity and attention in a world moving faster than ever. She digs into where AI can support our work without replacing human discernment, why "work slop" costs leaders real cognitive bandwidth, and how leaders can tell the difference between polished output and actual understanding. Brené also unpacks Aiko Bethea's idea that transformation requires grief, reflects on what her conversation with Rebecca Lowe revealed about preparation and presence, and explores how pausing and active listening are essential parts of meaningful conversation. Along the way, she explains why she wears two watches and shares the story of getting fired from a house-cleaning job… and the unexpected lesson it taught her about why shiny can never replace mastery.

Brené Brown — Brené Brown, LinkedIn (Profile)

Adam Grant — Adam Grant, LinkedIn (Profile)

AI, Commencement Speeches, and Why Human Thinking Still Matters — Brené Brown & Adam Grant, June 11, 2026,The Curiosity Shop (Podcast)

The Rise, Fall, and Surprising Survival of WordPerfect — Jonathan Scott, January 15, 2023,Retro Tech Reads (Post)

WhyDo Podcasters Wear Headphones While Sitting Next To Each Other? — Ray Malik, January 25, 2025,How-To Geek (Article)

AI-Generated“Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity — Kate Niederhoffer et al., September 22, 2025,Harvard Business Review

On Death and Dying — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, 1969, Macmillan (Book)

Stagesof Grief Portrayed on the Internet: A Systematic Analysis and Critical Appraisal — Kate Anne Avis et al., 2021,Frontiers in Psychology

Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit — Brené Brown, 2025,Random House (Book)

Multitasking: Switching Costs — American Psychological Association, 2006,APA

Center for Humane Technology — Center for Humane Technology, humanetech.com

Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Part 1 of 2 — Brené Brown, 2022,Unlocking Us (Podcast)