What It's Like To Be...

Dan Heath

Curious what it would be like to walk in someone else’s (work) shoes? Join New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath as he explores the world of work, one profession at a time, and interviews people who love what they do. What does a couples therapist think when a friend asks for relationship advice? What happens if a welder fails to wear safety glasses? What can get a stadium beer vendor fired? If you’ve ever met someone whose work you were curious about, and you had 100 nosy questions but were too polite to ask ... well, this is the show for you.

#2 in the Top 100 human interest All time chart

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Top 10 What It's Like To Be... Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best What It's Like To Be... episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to What It's Like To Be... for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite What It's Like To Be... episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

A Mystery Novelist

What It's Like To Be...

11/28/23 • 30 min

Scouting body disposal sites, investigating obscure poisons, and computing royalty payments with Donna Andrews, the mystery novelist behind the Meg Langslow series. How do you make a living as a mystery novelist? And could Tylenol be a murder weapon?
Know someone who is a great storyteller that we should talk to about their job? Email us at [email protected]

NEW BOOK ALERT!
You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a sixth book out now called RESET: How to Change What’s Not Working. It’s a book intended to help you and your team get unstuck, to overcome the gravity of the way things have always worked. Learn more about the book and order it here. You can also listen to it on Audible and at Apple Books.
Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at [email protected]
Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

1 Listener

A Turnaround Consultant

What It's Like To Be...

03/12/24 • 30 min

Diagnosing what ails struggling companies, choosing the "least crappy option", and managing constant stress with Jeff Vogelsang, a turnaround consultant. What kind of personality do you need to lead turnarounds? And what does it mean to make someone "available to industry”?

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

1 Listener

A Stand-Up Comedian

What It's Like To Be...

02/13/24 • 30 min

Crafting jokes that kill, hustling to find gigs, and improvising based on the audience's reaction with Chris Grace, a stand-up comedian. What's the worst he's ever bombed? And what is a "bringer" show?

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

1 Listener

A Stadium Beer Vendor

What It's Like To Be...

10/15/23 • 27 min

Meeting Muhammad Ali, handling fans who are alcoholics, pouring with no foam, and dreaming about one last game with Howard Hart, who spent three decades as a stadium beer vendor.
If you want to see Howard in action, The Washington Post put together a great video feature on him in 2014.

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

A Nurse

What It's Like To Be...

02/27/24 • 29 min

Caring for patients with serious burns, making sure the correct leg gets operated on, and working 24 hours straight with Teresa Shuster, a nurse in Florida. How did a patient change the trajectory of her career? And what's a "Code Brown"?

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

A Cattle Rancher

What It's Like To Be...

03/26/24 • 29 min

Raising cattle in the high desert, hauling calves to auction, and protecting the herd from mountain lions with Chachi Hawkins, a cattle rancher in southwest Texas. How did she go from selling clothes to selling cattle? And does she ever get attached to particular calves?

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

A Homicide Detective

What It's Like To Be...

01/14/25 • 33 min

Cracking decades-old murder cases, delivering unthinkable news to victims' families, and tracking suspects across borders with John Lamberti, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. Why are cold cases harder to solve these days? And what's a "415"?

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

An Archaeologist

What It's Like To Be...

04/23/24 • 30 min

Unearthing ancient wine cellars, finding the right places to dig, and tracing the arc of lost civilizations with Eric Cline, an archaeologist. What's the difference between a shard and a sherd? And what will archaeologists of the future make of us?

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

An FBI Special Agent

What It's Like To Be...

04/09/24 • 29 min

Building cases against MS-13 gang members, flipping a suspect in an interrogation, and writing countless subpoenas for phone records with Dan Brunner, a retired FBI Special Agent. What's the significance of the "1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle"? And what does it take to get a fugitive on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list?

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?

A TV Meteorologist

What It's Like To Be...

10/31/23 • 30 min

Tracking a 2.5-mile-wide tornado, fretting over forecasts, and waking up at 2:30am with Lacey Swope, a TV meteorologist for News 9 in Oklahoma City. How does she deal with fans and stalkers? And what is the “deformation zone”?
You can see Lacey's daily forecasts on the News 9 website. She's also on Instagram.
Got thoughts on the show? Reach out to [email protected]

What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
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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FAQ

How many episodes does What It's Like To Be... have?

What It's Like To Be... currently has 47 episodes available.

What topics does What It's Like To Be... cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Curiosity, Human Interest, Storytelling, Podcasts, Jobs, Business and Careers.

What is the most popular episode on What It's Like To Be...?

The episode title 'A Mystery Novelist' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on What It's Like To Be...?

The average episode length on What It's Like To Be... is 30 minutes.

How often are episodes of What It's Like To Be... released?

Episodes of What It's Like To Be... are typically released every 14 days.

When was the first episode of What It's Like To Be...?

The first episode of What It's Like To Be... was released on Sep 18, 2023.

Show more FAQ

What It's Like To Be...

Dan Heath

Top 10 What It's Like To Be... Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does What It's Like To Be... have?

What topics does What It's Like To Be... cover?

What is the most popular episode on What It's Like To Be...?

What is the average episode length on What It's Like To Be...?

How often are episodes of What It's Like To Be... released?

When was the first episode of What It's Like To Be...?

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