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Building Thinkers: Accessible Blueprints for Learning & Life

Building Thinkers: Accessible Blueprints for Learning & Life

By: Tracy Clark
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About this listen

 Building Thinkers is based on the realization that there is exponential potential in the things we build, from mindsets and behaviors, to resumes and meal-plans, but sometimes insights and impact seem out of reach or overly complex. In the Building Thinkers podcast we will explore a wide range of topics (business, education, organization, habits, therapy, finances, research to name a few) unpacking the design, strategy, and details behind the things we build to create accessible blueprints for you to explore and apply to your own learning and life. There is no limit to what you can learn.Tracy Clark
Episodes
  • How to Build a Flourishing Life: Insights from Harvard's Human Flourishing Project

    How to Build a Flourishing Life: Insights from Harvard's Human Flourishing Project
    Apr 10 2026
    What does it mean for humans to flourish? Not just to be happy, not just to check the boxes of a good life, but to genuinely thrive across every dimension of what it means to be a person?That's the question Harvard researchers and their collaborators have been rigorously pursuing, and the early findings are challenging some of our deepest assumptions. When the Global Flourishing Study, a landmark longitudinal project surveying over 220,000 people across 22 countries, released its first wave of data, what emerged wasn't what anyone predicted. The wealthiest, most developed nations weren't leading. Indonesia topped the composite flourishing score. Japan, a major economic power, ranked among the lowest. Young people's well-being globally has compressed from a U-curve into something closer to a J. And one of the strongest predictors of later-life flourishing? Whether a young person attended religious services, across every major religion studied.In this episode, I'm joined by Reece Brown, Associate Director of Impact at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program. Reece came to this work through an unlikely path: from investment analysis to research assistant to Arthur Brooks at the Harvard Kennedy School's Leadership and Happiness Laboratory, and now sits at the intersection of rigorous science and real-world application, working to translate what the research reveals into something that people, institutions, and policymakers can use.We get into what flourishing means across its five (and really six) domains, why the satisfaction dilemma keeps even successful people feeling stuck, how measurement shifts when you move from the individual to the population level, what the Global Flourishing Study is and how it differs from the World Happiness Report, and what the data is showing us about meaning, community, forgiveness, and love.That last one is where Reece takes us, and the research behind it is anything but soft. Across every project at the program, from forgiveness workbooks built on cognitive behavioral therapy to academic flourishing surveys to emerging work on AI and human thriving, the same thread runs through: love, connection, and community are measurable, researched, and far more within reach than most of us assume.Key Takeaways:Flourishing is defined by five domains: happiness, health, meaning, character, and relationships.Measuring flourishing involves psychometric assessments and surveys.Data signals that young people's happiness is declining globally, indicating a need for intervention.Love and connection are essential for human flourishing.The importance of community in fostering individual flourishing.Behavioral change is challenging but necessary for achieving happiness.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction05:22 What does “flourishing” mean?08:42 How to measure human flourishing19:03 Current status of the Human Flourishing Program26:51 Insights from the Global Flourishing Study29:27 The impact of childhood adversity 31:18 Exploring spiritual dimensions in flourishing36:08 Community and connection in flourishing 37:27 The science of forgiveness42:11 Bridging research and practical impact51:57 The power of love in flourishing53:45 OutroResources Mentioned:How Children Succeed by Paul ToughThe Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan HaidtMan’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. FranklThe Daily Stoic by Ryan HolidayThe Human Flourishing ProgramHarvard’s Global Forgiveness MovementConnect with Reece:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-brown/
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    55 mins
  • A Tough Season Doesn’t Mean You're Failing

    A Tough Season Doesn’t Mean You're Failing
    Mar 27 2026

    What if the hardest season of your life is actually your launchpad?


    I’m so excited to share today’s episode with you because we’re unpacking what it really means to handle hard better. My guest, Eileen Suarez, is a transformation and mindset coach who works with high-achieving women navigating big life and career transitions. She helps women go from stuck to unstoppable using brain-based strategies that rewire how you think, act, and tell your story.


    We dive into how to reframe rejection, move through fear, and embrace failure as a growth opportunity. Eileen shares actionable ways to harness your strengths, build confidence through action, and use human connection (even in a world dominated by tech) to propel yourself forward.


    If you’ve ever wondered how to take the leap during a career shift, navigate uncertainty, or make big changes without losing yourself, this episode is for you.


    Key Takeaways:


    Failure should be viewed as a growth opportunity, not a setback.


    Embracing hard experiences can lead to personal growth and resilience.


    Networking and human connection are vital in times of change.


    Understanding and utilizing one's strengths can enhance job satisfaction and engagement.


    It's important to prepare for potential career changes in advance.


    Taking small steps can help overcome fear and self-sabotage.


    Community and support are essential for navigating transitions.


    Timestamps:


    00:00 Introduction

    00:57 How to reframe rejection

    03:49 Growth in disguise

    08:33 The role of AI in careers

    11:40 Networking that actually moves you forward

    15:19 Confidence comes from action, not comfort

    17:52 Eileen’s layoff to liftoff story

    20:25 Facing fear without freezing

    23:35 Small steps that lead to big change

    24:22 Discovering what truly drives you

    25:06 Leveraging strengths to make goals reality

    26:12 Intentional moves that create momentum

    28:28 Wrapping up


    Resources Mentioned:


    Take the Gallup CliftonStrengths!

    Intelligent Failure by Amy Edmundson

    Download your Blueprint for Thought


    Connect with Eileen:


    Website: https://peakconfidencegroup.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileensuarez1/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eileensuarez.coachsulting/


    More About Building Thinkers:


    I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.


    And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.


    If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
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    29 mins
  • Why Successful People Still Feel Stressed About Money

    Why Successful People Still Feel Stressed About Money
    Mar 13 2026

    If money feels heavier than it should, this conversation will change how you carry it.


    I’m sitting down with Priya Malani, founder of Stash Wealth, a financial advisor who works with high-earning millennials and helps them build real systems (not just budgets) that actually support the life they want. She’s seen behind the curtain of how smart, ambitious people handle money… and where they quietly sabotage themselves.


    We’re unpacking the stories you’ve absorbed about money and how those narratives are shaping your financial behavior, whether you realize it or not. If you’ve ever felt financially “behind,” anxious about investing, confused about credit cards, or unsure what wealth even means for you, we go straight at it.


    You’ll walk away understanding why mindset matters just as much as math, how automation creates freedom (not restriction), and why money is a tool, not a moral scorecard. Priya breaks down how to think about credit cards strategically instead of emotionally, and what it actually means to define wealth on your own terms.


    This isn’t about hustling harder or cutting lattes. It’s about building a financial foundation that supports the life you’re designing, intentionally, confidently, and without quiet panic running the show.


    Key Takeaways:


    Automation can simplify financial management and reduce stress.


    Understanding the difference between saving and investing is crucial for wealth building.


    Emergency funds should be viewed as a first line of defense, not the only line.


    Financial planning is not just for the wealthy; it is for everyone.


    Defining what 'rich' means to you is essential for setting financial goals.


    Financial anxiety can be addressed through education and support.


    Timestamps:


    00:00 Introduction

    03:01 The stories we tell ourselves about money

    08:18 Automating your finances for freedom

    09:24 Building systems that actually stick

    11:41 Why credit cards can be your ally

    12:19 The role of emergency funds

    15:30 Budgeting is broken, here’s why

    18:14 Tackling financial anxiety head-on

    20:58 What does wealth really mean?

    21:37 Designing a life that feels rich

    22:17 Financial resources

    23:24 Outro


    Resources Mentioned:


    What Every High-Achieving Woman Should Know About Money

    I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi


    Connect with Priya:


    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itspriyamalani/

    Website: https://www.stashwealth.com/

    The F Word Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DjMQM98nj8yJobhxCJsmf?si=6f79219f95a249fa


    More About Building Thinkers:


    I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.


    And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.


    If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
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