Archive - What Works

What Makes an Expert an Expert?

The personal growth space is riddled with self-proclaimed experts in everything from relationships to careers to wellness. Who should you trust?

Jul 25 •

"She Looks Like an Instagram" Or, How Empowerment Became A Brand

How the aesthetics of self-help shape its message and marketing

Jul 18 •

Toward a "Local" Approach to Building a Business

Or, the trouble with scaling up

Jul 16 •

How Advice Culture Turns Us Into Winners (And Losers)

"Self-help" is more than a category of books or podcasts—it's a medium through which we perceive the world and ourselves.

Jul 11 •

"Do People Know What It Is?"

The case for prioritizing recognition over attention in offer development and marketing

Jul 9 •

Evenings and Weekends

My daughter's simple question made me (eventually) remember the people we so easily forget when we talk about work.

Jul 4 •

You Get What You Pay For—Or Do You?

Thoughts on price, sustainability, and our due diligence as business owners in response to NYT's "They Spent Their Life Savings on Life Coaching"

Jul 2 •

June 2024

On Restlessness

"The urge to leave began with a cricket song."

Jun 24 •

Leaving the Cult of Never Enough

At age 50, Manisha Thakor realized that she'd sacrificed her life at the altar of work. Her new book tackles how to unwind a toxic relationship with…

Published on What Works • Jun 20

Always Be Optimizing

Mechanical nursemaids, self-imposed insomnia, maintenance as art, and the quest for a life that's full but not overflowing—not in that order.

Jun 18 •

Margins of Maneuverability

A no-win scenario reminds us we have room to experiment. I speak with former Teen Vogue executive editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay about her new book, The…

Jun 13 •

How to Give Yourself a Break with Progressive Overload & Periodization

Rest and recovery are critical to pursuing excellence in all its forms.

Jun 11 •

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