• A Health Inspector
    Feb 24 2026

    Suspending the licenses of unsafe restaurant operators, hunting down the origins of foodborne illness outbreaks, and eliciting truthful answers from anxious managers with Justin Dwyer, a health inspector in Peoria, Illinois. What happens when a restaurant locks the door on an inspector? And why should you never wash your Thanksgiving turkey?

    LINKS & REFERENCES

    • Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath. You can find the audiobook at Audible, Spotify, and Apple Books.
    • The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum
    • The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
    • USDA: To Wash Or Not to Wash Your Turkey

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

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    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    31 mins
  • An Olympic Bobsledder (Replay)
    Feb 17 2026

    Hurtling down an ice track at nearly 100mph, perfecting the practice of visualization, and shaving off hundredths of a second with Kaillie Humphries, an Olympic bobsledder. What's the most feared track in the world? And how do athletes practice when there's no ice in the summer?

    This episode originally aired on December 17th, 2024.

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

    2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.

    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    38 mins
  • A London Divorce Lawyer
    Feb 10 2026

    Negotiating cases in which neither spouse wants custody of the cat, setting clients' expectations about what's legally possible (versus what feels "right"), and finding hope in people's ability to bounce back from dark times with Lucy Stewart-Gould, a divorce lawyer in London. What simple question can break open a deadlocked settlement? And what's a "jurisdiction race"?

    IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE: Check out what it's like to be a criminal defense attorney, a forensic accountant, or a couples therapist.

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

    2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.

    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    36 mins
  • A Baker
    Jan 27 2026

    Tinkering with the recipe for gingerbread cake until it's right, adjusting to the variability of local grains, and cherishing the quiet mornings when the sun fills the bakery windows with Sophie Williams, a baker in Bellingham, Washington. What happens when you bake all your sourdough starter by accident? And what's a "starch attack"?

    Links & References:

    • Sophie owns and operates Raven Bakery in Bellingham, Washington.
    • The Economics of Everyday Things
    • Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

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    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    35 mins
  • A Dog Groomer
    Jan 13 2026

    Sculpting mullets on Havanese, enduring countless bites, and surviving level-five furnadoes with Aaron Williams, a dog groomer in Alabama. Why is the grooming table his most powerful psychological tool? And which part of the grooming process is most dreaded by dogs?

    You can see Aaron in action at his YouTube channel.

    Want more episodes featuring professions who work with animals? We've spoken with a veterinarian, a cattle rancher, and a dog trainer.

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

    2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.

    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    33 mins
  • A Marine Corps JAG
    Dec 30 2025

    Judging the permissibility of real-time battle decisions, advising commanders how to handle soldier misconduct, and assessing "hostile acts" and "hostile intent" with Lieutenant Colonel Susan Upward, a Marine Corps JAG. What does "dispo" mean in military justice? And how do you tell a commander his idea is colossally stupid -- while keeping your job?

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

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    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    34 mins
  • An Elementary School Teacher
    Dec 16 2025

    Weaving songs and dances into classroom lessons, having difficult conversations with parents, and navigating the second-day meltdowns of kindergarten students with Yaronda Kilgo, an elementary school teacher. What did a backpack full of snacks teach her about empathy? And what makes her "extra"?

    We're teaming up this month with GiveDirectly to collect money that will go directly to Rwandan families. Dan will match every dollar raised from What It's Like To Be... listeners. Donate now: givedirectly.org/whatitslike

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

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    2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.

    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    35 mins
  • A Humanitarian Worker
    Dec 2 2025

    Managing Ebola treatment centers in Sierra Leone, coordinating with government officials and local leaders, and advocating for the radical simplicity of cash aid with Grace Jackson, a humanitarian worker. When low-income families are given money, what's the first thing they often buy? And what is “CMCoord”?

    This episode is part of a fundraising effort called Pods Fight Poverty. We're teaming up with GiveDirectly to collect money that will go directly to Rwandan families. Dan will match every dollar raised from What It's Like To Be... listeners. Donate now!

    WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.

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    WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

    2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.

    We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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    35 mins