The Next Big Idea Daily

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What if engaging with great ideas could become one of your daily habits? What if some of the best tips for living better and working smarter were served up with your morning coffee, a hit of motivation guaranteed to start your day right? That’s the idea behind “The Next Big Idea Daily.” We work with hundreds of non-fiction authors — experts in productivity, creativity, leadership, communication, and other fields — boil down their big ideas into bite-sized chunks, and then offer you one each morning.

Next Big Idea Club


    • Aug 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 13m AVG DURATION
    • 660 EPISODES

    Ivy Insights

    The Next Big Idea Daily podcast is a captivating and informative show that tackles essential aspects of life today. Hosted by Michael Kovnat, this podcast offers engaging conversations and covers a wide range of topics aimed at providing listeners with valuable insights and ideas. One of the best aspects of this podcast is the host's ability to anticipate the listener's questions, making it feel like a personalized experience. Every episode is packed with useful information, making it something to look forward to each Monday.

    The format of this podcast is truly innovative and enjoyable. Each episode is short and concise, usually taking only about ten minutes or less to listen to. This makes it ideal for those who are busy or prefer shorter podcasts. Despite its brevity, each episode manages to deliver impactful lessons that can be applied to one's life. Kovnat's interviewing style is playful yet insightful, creating an upbeat and engaging atmosphere throughout.

    One downside of The Next Big Idea Daily podcast is its short duration. While the concise format works well for many listeners, some may find themselves craving more in-depth discussions on certain topics. However, considering its aim to provide quick and actionable ideas, the length ultimately aligns with the podcast's goals.

    In conclusion, The Next Big Idea Daily podcast is highly recommended for anyone seeking inspiration and knowledge in a bite-sized format. With an engaging host like Michael Kovnat and a variety of perspectives offered in each episode, this show has become a go-to for many listeners looking for a jolt of creativity and motivation every morning. Regardless of your interests or background, this podcast offers something valuable for everyone to start their day off right.



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    Latest episodes from The Next Big Idea Daily

    Have a Head? Then You Should Understand Headaches.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025 11:43


    Despite affecting more people than diabetes or depression, headaches are still under-researched, underfunded, and often dismissed. But science is finally starting to catch up, and what it's revealing might change the way you think about pain, the brain, and how we treat illness.

    Your Job Is Making You Sick

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2025 7:46


    Leadership expert and serial entrepreneur Meghan French Dunbar says the way we work isn't just outdated — it's dangerous. In her powerful new book, This Isn't Working, she offers a new blueprint for building lives and workplaces that prioritize well-being over burnout, and meaning over metrics.

    spotify leadership sick meghan french dunbar
    Why Your Teen Thinks You're an Idiot

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2025 13:09


    If you've raised an adolescent (or been one), you already know it's a life stage that can feel like an emotional rollercoaster—full of drama, defiance, and slammed doors. But what if all that chaos wasn't a bug but a feature? Today we're hearing from Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist Matt Richtel, who says adolescence is a brilliant, necessary phase of human development. In his new book How We Grow Up, Matt explains how teenage brains are wired to question, rebel, and innovate—and how that friction might just be the thing that helps our species survive.

    You Are More Powerful Than You Think

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2025 14:14


    We all know what it looks like to use power badly. But how much do we really know about how to use power well?

    Want to Get Rich? Stop Taking Advice Meant for Millionaires.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025 11:17


    Nicholas Maggiulli is here to flip your concept of wealth on its head. In his new book The Wealth Ladder, he argues that building financial freedom isn't about budgeting harder or dreaming bigger — it's about recognizing where you are on the wealth spectrum, and then following the right strategy for that level. Whether you've got ten bucks in the bank or ten million, Nick has a plan to help you enjoy what you've got without risking your future.

    Want Better Relationships and More Focus? Try This Two-Minute Practice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2025 11:48


    Today, we hear from Julian Treasure, a sound expert whose TED talks have racked up more than 160 million views. In his new book, Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing, and Our Planet, he delivers a kind of public service announcement for your ears. Because sound isn't just background noise — it's shaping your health, your focus, your mood, even your spending habits. The good news? By becoming better listeners, we can improve almost every area of our lives.

    Why Your Team Sucks — And How to Fix It

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2025 13:27


    Organizational psychologist and University of New Hampshire professor Vanessa Urch Druskat has spent decades studying what separates the best teams from the rest. Spoiler: It's not hiring superstars. It's about creating emotionally intelligent norms.

    Take a Nap

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2025 14:01


    Neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli explains how doing nothing might be the best thing you do all day. His new book is The Brain at Rest: How the Art and Science of Doing Nothing Can Improve Your Life.

    Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Great Kids

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025 17:11


    In When You Wonder, You're Learning, Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski bring the lessons of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood into the digital age, helping parents raise more creative, curious, and caring kids.

    Are You a Bad Listener?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025 16:24


    You know that feeling when someone's really listening to you, not just nodding while waiting to talk, but actually tuning in? It's rare. In our noisy, fast-talking world, real listening has become a lost art. Emily Kasriel, a former BBC journalist and executive coach, wants to change that. In her new book Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes, she explores how we can tune out the noise and truly tune into each other at work, at home, and across divides.

    How We Evolved to Compete in a Cooperative World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 9:51


    In Invisible Rivals, Jonathan Goodman argues that the real story of human nature isn't about picking sides: it's about understanding how our ancient instincts for cooperation and competition are still playing out today.

    The Radical Power of Enjoying Your Job

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 15:03


    Bree Groff argues that fun isn't frivolous. It's the secret to better teams, better lives, and better business.

    Your Doctor Might Be Ignoring What's Making You Sick

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2025 11:18


    According to Wendy Johnson, real wellness starts with community, nature, and rethinking everything we've been told.

    The Elements of Meaningful Communication

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2025 12:15


    Fred Dust, former senior partner and global managing director at the legendary design firm IDEO, is here to teach you how to design conversations and meetings that are creative and impactful.

    The Surprising Truth About Shamans

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2025 12:10


    In his new book, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, anthropologist Manvir Singh travels from Indonesian rainforests to Burning Man in search of what makes shamanic traditions so enduring — and so human. It turns out that when life feels uncertain, people everywhere still seek out ritual, healing, and a little magic.

    Reclaim Your Physical Power. Transform Your Life.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 11:44


    Anne Marie Chaker went from journalist to competitive bodybuilder at 50. Now, with her book Lift, she wants to change how we think about aging, power, and what our bodies are capable of.

    Like, Get Over It Already

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 8:11


    The most hated word in English might just be a storytelling superpower—and a tool for empathy, nuance, and emotional truth.

    Human History on Drugs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2025 9:32


    When we talk about the forces that shape history, we usually hear about wars, revolutions, inventions… maybe the occasional love affair. But there's one powerful force that's rarely acknowledged—because, well, it makes people uncomfortable. That force is drugs. In his new book ⁠Human History on Drugs⁠, writer and historian Sam Kelly uncovers the surprising, often scandalous ways that everything from opium to cocaine has shaped leaders, inspired art, fueled some bad decisions—and some good ones. It's a provocative and oddly humanizing look at the past, and it just might change the way you think about both history and substance use.

    The Pleasures of Suffering

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2025 15:23


    Celebrated psychologist Paul Bloom shares five key insights from his book The Sweet Spot.

    Who Designed Design?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 6:43


    Once just a word, now a worldview — how a 20th-century invention came to shape everything from your phone to your future. Support the show!

    Ambition is a Trap. Here's How to Get Out.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025 12:24


    Ambition. We celebrate it, chase it, and reward it. But for many of us, ambition has become a double-edged sword—fueling overwork, perfectionism, and self-neglect. What if the problem isn't having ambition, but where it's coming from? Executive coach Amina AlTai has worked with everyone from Olympians to entrepreneurs, and in her new book The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Chasing and Start Living, she argues that we don't need to give up ambition; we just need to reclaim it on our own terms.

    Magic Is Real—And It's Living in Your Computer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2025 10:41


    How code became the most powerful spell humans have ever cast.

    Your Life Plan Fell Apart. Now What?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2025 13:43


    Life changes can sneak up on all of us, and sometimes they hit pretty hard. Cassidy Krug spent 20 years training to be one of the best divers in the world. She made it to the Olympics. And then, in a single moment, her lifelong dream ended—with no medal, no encore, just the quiet shock of “What now?” Cassidy's new book, Resurface, is a guide for anyone navigating life's big transitions—grief, identity shifts, career changes, reinventions. In the book, she gathers wisdom from Olympians, veterans, new parents, and more. Below, she shares what she's learned about letting go, asking for help, and redefining success.

    Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2025 14:36


    Listening can be improved. Ximena Vengoechea is here to tell you how.

    Lean Learning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2025 11:18


    We live in a golden age of learning. Want to learn Mandarin? There's an app for that. Want to write some code? There's an AI chatbot that can help. Want to start a business, write a novel, fix your posture, or master the didgeridoo? Go to YouTube and you could start today. And that's the problem. When you can learn anything, the temptation is to try learning everything. Entrepreneur and podcaster Pat Flynn says that's the fast track to burnout and stagnation. In his new book, Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less, he lays out a better way.

    Your Brain Is Broken. So Why Can't Anyone Fix It?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2025 11:03


    Antidepressants we don't understand. Cures that never arrive. One neuroscientist blows the whistle on a mental health system that's stuck—and she's got a radical new plan to fix your brain.

    Ideas Are Easy. Now Comes the Hard Part.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2025 11:16


    Let's face it: ideas are a dime a dozen. Just about anyone can come up with a clever app, a market opportunity, or a product pitch over coffee. But building a real company? That's the hard part. In her new book After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup, Harvard Business School faculty member Julia Austin offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to turn inspiration into a functioning business—and stay sane along the way.

    Your Brain on Revenge

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2025 10:14


    Let's talk about revenge. Not the juicy, action-movie kind with flaming cars and dramatic showdowns, but the kind that quietly simmers in your brain long after someone cuts you off in traffic or sends a snarky email. According to Yale psychiatry lecturer and lawyer James Kimmel, Jr., revenge isn't just an emotion. It's an addiction. A hit of dopamine here, a rumination there, and suddenly we're hooked on the fantasy of payback. But what if we could quit cold turkey? In his new book, The Science of Revenge, James explains how to rewire our minds, embrace forgiveness, and break free from the cycles of grievance that keep us stuck.

    No One Succeeds Alone

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 10:39


    Robert Reffkin, co-founder and CEO of the real estate company Compass, says his success story is really the story of his great relationships.

    You're Not Too Old. You're Just Getting Started.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2025 16:15


    A formula for reigniting your purpose at any age, from the founder of Moms Demand Action.

    Your Brain Is Lying to You—And That's Actually Amazing

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2025 9:26


    Pria Anand reveals how our minds create elaborate stories to fill the gaps we don't understand.

    Ever Feel Like You Just Don't Fit In?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 17:01


    In a world where fitting in can seem critical to your survival, it's worth asking: What if your power lies in not belonging? Psychiatrist Rami Kaminski thinks that sense of being an outsider isn't a bug — it's a feature.

    How to Raise Great Kids in a Messed-Up World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2025 12:55


    Science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer, shares research-backed strategies for parenting with compassion, curiosity, and resilience from her new book, Hello, Cruel World!: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.

    Nobody's Normal

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 16:58


    To close out the week, here are five key insights from Roy Richard Grinker's book Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness.

    Work Less, Accomplish More

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2025 12:48


    Juliet Schor shares the data behind a shorter workweek—and why it's better for your health, your boss, and the bottom line. Her new book is Four Days a Week.

    Six Minutes to End Civilization

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2025 15:11


    In a world armed to the teeth and governed by split-second decisions, Six Minutes to Winter by Mark Lynas makes a chilling argument for total nuclear disarmament — before it's too late.

    Stop Being Bland. Start Being Memorable.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 15:17


    Want to be more persuasive, inspiring, or just less forgettable? Today's episode has the tools to help you stand out.

    Sure, You're Smart — But What Kind of Smart?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 11:37


    Today, Travis Bradberry, author of The New Emotional Intelligence, argues that understanding and managing your emotions — and the emotions of others — is even more important than IQ when it comes to success at work and in life.

    Let's Get Touchy-Feely

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 16:20


    Think about the best relationships in your life, the ones where you can be completely yourself, speak honestly, and know the other person truly gets you. What if you could build more relationships like that — at home, at work, anywhere. That's the promise of Connect, a book by Stanford professors Carole Robin and David Bradford, based on their legendary course in emotional intelligence. Turns out deeper connection isn't some mysterious talent. It's a learnable skill.

    Where'd My Money Go?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2025 15:07


    In their new book, Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers, Brown University economists Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli explain who wins, who loses, and—most importantly—how you can land on the right side of that equation.

    Unlock Your Inner Athlete

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2025 15:53


    In his new book, Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance, journalist Henry Abbott explores how cutting-edge sports science is rewriting what we know about movement, injury, and staying active — for life.

    The Ultimate Brain Hack? Talking.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2025 16:57


    Turns out that speaking isn't just a way of communicating important information and ideas. Psycholinguist Maryellen MacDonald says it's also good for you. Her new book is More Than Words.

    Where Were You During the AI Revolution?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2025 12:37


    If you want your organization to succeed in the future, you need to take advantage of AI now. Lucky for you, Adam Brotman and Andy Sack have written AI First, a playbook that can help you future-proof your business.

    The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 17:46


    How do we decide what we want? By imitating other people, says Luke Burgis. His new book is Wanting. • If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us by subscribing to our daily newsletter. You'll get transcripts, quizzies, bonus features, and more. Learn more at bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com

    No New Things

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2025 9:39


    Want to save money, the planet, and your sanity? Sustainability expert Ashlee Piper says the answer is simple: stop buying things.

    How Noise Took Over the World — and How We Can Take It Back

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 13:45


    Chris Berdik reports on how our increasingly noisy world affects our health, well-being, and the planet. His new book is Clamor.

    How Women Revolutionized Modern Friendship

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 13:44


    Cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith shares five key insights from her new book, Bad Friend. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter. You'll get transcripts, quizzes, bonus features, and access to our archives

    The Five Mindsets Every Leader Needs to Master

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 15:03


    The old rules of management don't work anymore. Today, Paula Davis, founder of the Stress & Resilience Institute, shares what smart leaders are doing instead. Her new book is ⁠Lead Well⁠. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter. You'll get access to transcripts, quizzes, bonus content, and our archive of book bites.

    How to Get a Good Night's Sleep

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 16:06


    Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, shares the new science of catching z's. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter

    The One Leadership Skill That Matters Most

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 15:22


    Zach Mercurio shares insights from his new book, The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance.

    Is AI a Con?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 12:34


    Linguist Emily M. Bender and sociologist Alex Hanna aren't feeling the AGI. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter

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