What makes a society fragile? Fragile states expert Dr. Seth Kaplan shares the story of why he started researching the relational underpinnings of societies and how they contribute to societies’ fragility and flourishing. He also discusses what a beautiful neighborhood looks like and why they’re so important.

In this clip of Beauty At Work episode, hosted by Brandon Vaidyanathan, Dr. Kaplan reflects on his intellectual journey—from global exploration and entrepreneurship to the study of fragile states and American communities. Drawing from his book Fragile Neighborhoods, he emphasizes the foundational role of social relationships in national stability and personal well-being, and explores how neighborhood-level vitality holds the key to reversing societal decline.

For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2043099/episodes/13769256
For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast

#SethKaplan #PoliticalScience #FragileStates #BeautyAtWork #PodcastEpisode #BeautyAtWork #BrandonVaidyanathan #NeighborhoodsMatter #ThrivingCommunities #BeautifulNeighborhoods

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In this inspiring episode of Beauty At Work, host Brandon Vaidyanathan sits down with Sean Vigue, a renowned online yoga and Pilates instructor, to explore his journey from musical theater and opera to becoming a global fitness educator.

What motivates a musical theater professional to become a personal trainer and Pilates instructor? From dancing on stage to teaching at Disney and building a massive online following, Sean reveals what it means to find harmony between art, fitness, and personal growth.

For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13682599
For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast

#BeautyAtWork #SeanVigue #YogaLife #PilatesInstructor #FromStageToStudio #MovementAsArt #FitnessJourney #TheaterToWellness #MindBodyConnection #PilatesLife #YogaForEveryone #ArtAndDiscipline #WellnessWisdom

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Is there beauty in imperfection? Award-winning Dubai-based architect Pallavi Dean thinks that imperfection, along with homeyness, is a central aspect of beauty. Here, she shares the story of what first inspired her career in architecture and what aesthetic values continue to drive her work. In this episode of Beauty At Work, hosted by Brandon Vaidyanathan, Dean explores how empathy, sensory design, and collaborative problem-solving inform her creative process.

For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13587754
For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast

#BeautyAtWork #PallaviDean #RoarDesign #DesignWithEmpathy #ArchitectureAndBeauty #ImperfectionInDesign #WomenInArchitecture #CreativeLeadership #HumanCenteredDesign #BuiltEnvironment #Dubai

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Why is the mockingbird’s song so beautiful and yet so challenging to understand? Biologist and integrative scientist Dr. Dave Gammon discusses his research on the “career-killer” animal, sharing where he finds beauty in his research as well as his teaching.

From the musical complexity of mockingbird songs to evolutionary insights about human monogamy to interdisciplinary teaching bridging disciplines, Dr. Gammon reveals how beauty shapes both his research and his classroom.

For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13501443
For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast

#BeautyAtWork #ScienceAndBeauty #DaveGammon #BrandonVaidyanathan #MockingbirdMindscapes #BeautyInTheWild #VariationOnATheme #SongsOfScience #ScientificStorytelling #InterdisciplinaryImprov #FromBigBangToUs #FearTheMockingbird #ChorusOfCuriosity #BiologyInHarmony

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In this compelling episode of Beauty at Work, host Brandon Vaidyanathan sits down with cultural scholar Sheri Parks to explore how aesthetics—often dismissed as trivial—carry profound power.

How is aesthetics a tool for social justice? Public intellectual Dr. Sheri Parks shares how her projects harness the powerful beauty of dance, art therapy, indigo dye, and more to transform communities.

From healing trauma through art and movement, to restoring economic and cultural dignity through the Indigo Dye Initiative, Parks reveals how beauty functions as a force for resilience, justice, and joy. Learn how aesthetics can reconnect communities, empower Black farmers, and provide meaningful labor for returning citizens.

For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13387670
For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast

#BeautyAtWork #SheriParks #IndigoDyeInitiative #AestheticHealing #CulturalRevival #BlackFarming #ArtTherapy #SocialImpact #BeautyAndJustice #CreativeEconomy #HealingThroughArt #AestheticsMatter #BaltimoreInitiatives #ReturnToRoots #BeautyForChange

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What does it mean to be a “romantic” in business? Tim Leberecht, entrepreneur and co-founder of the House of Beautiful Business, shares the story of how he came to recognize the Romantic ideals behind beautiful business. In this clip, he explains what Romantic business principles are and the impact they have on workplace experience.

In conversation with Brandon Vaidyanathan, Tim reflects on his early influences, the cultural disillusionment he experienced in Silicon Valley, and the emergence of a countercultural movement rooted in beauty, emotion, and imagination. He introduces the concept of a “life-centered” economy—one that honors all life within and around us—and shares how the House of Beautiful Business is building spaces for meaningful change across the corporate world.

For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13304558
For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast

#BeautyAtWork #PodcastEpisode #NewEpisode #TimLeberecht #BrandonVaidyanathan #BeautifulBusiness #RomanticBusiness #LifeCenteredEconomy #WorkplaceWellbeing #BusinessWithSoul #FutureOfWork #HumanizingWork #EmotionalIntelligence #BusinessPhilosophy #MeaningfulWork #LeadershipWithHeart #WorkplaceCulture

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How does a nomadic lifestyle inspire beauty in architecture? Architect, TEDx speaker, and Forbes-featured entrepreneur Adi Cohen shares how she became a global citizen who travels the world creating beautiful spaces.

In this episode of Beauty At Work, Adi joins sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan to reflect on her deeply personal journey through architecture, travel, and human connection. From hitchhiking in India to reimagining a hotel in Japan, she explores how spaces shape our emotions, behavior, and sense of belonging. Drawing from universal patterns of human comfort—like refuge, beauty, and interaction—Cohen invites us to see architecture not as static form, but as a living dialogue with place, culture, and the human spirit.

For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/episodes/13220549
For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast

Hashtags:
#BeautyAtWork #ArchitectureAndTravel #AdiCohen #DesignForBelonging #NomadicArchitect #HumanCenteredDesign #GlobalArchitecture #CreativeJourneys #SpacesThatInspire #ArchitectureOfConnection #DesigningBeauty #BrandonVaidyanathan #TedxSpeaker #WomenInDesign #ArchitecturePodcast

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How can science speak to our deepest spiritual yearnings? In this captivating panel discussion held at NeueHouse Manhattan, five prominent scientists and thinkers explore how different ways of knowing—from physics to medicine, from spirituality to ethics—can build meaningful bridges between worlds often seen as separate.

The panelists are:
Dr. Alan Lightman (physicist and Professor of the Practice of the humanities at MIT, and author of numerous books including most recently, the The Miraculous from the Material) - he was a guest on Season 3

Dr. Neil Theise (professor of pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, pioneer of adult stem stell plasticity and the interstitium, and author of "Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being,”)

Dr. Scarlet Soriano, Executive Director at Duke Health & Well-Being, whose work focuses on the development of equity-based and community-grounded health and well-being interventions;

and Dr. Katy Hinman is the Director of Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion (DoSER) program at the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),

The panel was moderated by Dr. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, who is the creator, writer, host and executive producer of Closer To Truth, the long-running public television series and leading global resource on Cosmos, Life, Mind, and Meaning.

Together, they discuss: Can spirituality coexist with scientific rationality? How do love, consciousness, and our connection to the universe shape our understanding of life's purpose?

This event, sponsored by The John Templeton Foundation and produced by Rohan Routroy and Thirty Eight, explores and debates diverse approaches to consciousness and spirituality in an age of science.

Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iaUV4QWbZcI

#ScienceAndSpirituality #ScienceAndReligion #MeaningOfLife #CloserToTruth #Consciousness #AlanLightman #NeilTheise

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