Thanks For Being Here - "Mom, Can We Talk?"

Tracy Hargen shares the story of the night her son Will came to her during his junior year of high school to say he'd been struggling with depression for over a year—and she had no idea. She reflects on what teenage depression actually looks like, how different it can be from what parents expect, and the critical moment when her son asked for help. It's about creating space for the hardest conversations, learning to listen for what isn't being said, and the bravery it takes to ask: "Mom, can we talk?". Content note: This episode includes discussions of suicide and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7. David Begnaud of CBS Mornings will be airing a piece about Tracy, her son Will and the teacher who was so helpful to them on Monday, January 26th, 2026 in the 8am hour as a part of the "Beg-Knows America" segment. Tracy and Will created a poignant song based on their story - click here to listen: https://linktr.ee/TracyHargen To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's Go To is another film discussion between Kelly and Tammy, this time exploring creativity through Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. They break down what makes the film a masterclass in creative choices: the strict candy-store palette, the impeccable production design/hair/makeup and the intentional postures and snappy pacing from the actors. Kelly reflects on what it takes to hold the line on daring creative choices and why collaboration that comes too early can make something special become ordinary. It's about trusting your audience, the miracle of hundreds of people doing their jobs superbly at once, and proof that radical creativity can also be commercially successful. This Go To is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. To learn more, visit: templeton.org. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly sits down with theoretical physicist Brian Greene—who might seem like an unusual choice for a conversation about creativity until you learn he's turned the general theory of relativity into theater that makes people cry. They explore what it means to translate the mysteries of the universe into stories that move us, why Brian doesn't believe in free will, and how collections of particles governed by physical law can paint masterpieces and feel transcendent joy. Brian reflects on going from a laser-focused college student who only wanted equations to someone teaching a course called "Origins and Meaning" with no equations at all, and why his father pushed him away from music even though he was a composer. It's about cosmic communion, auditory "cheesecake", and what happens when science gets stitched into the fabric of culture. This is the third episode in our Super Traits series. This episode was made possible by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. To learn more, please visit: templeton.org Thank you to our friends at the Aspen Ideas Festival where this episode was recorded. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cassia van der Hoof Holstein writes about her cousin Chris, "captain of the cousins" in a family where cousin love means always having a place to go, advice in any time zone, and guides through every storm. She reflects on planning a Passover feast with Chris in Hawaii, their endless conversations about everything and nothing, and how the phrase "blood is thicker than water" doesn't quite capture it—it's not just blood, it's love. Love through a hundred seders, a million text messages, sharing apartments and childcare and sometimes organs. It's about what home means, what gets transmitted and transmuted across generations, and the ocean of cousin love that sustained them both. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly and Tammy continue their Friday movie tradition, this time exploring humility in The Pursuit of Happyness. They discuss the difference between humiliation—being forced down—and humility—choosing to stay grounded, and how Will Smith's character, Chris Gardener, retains his dignity while losing everything. They talk about being honest when you have every reason to lie, the fine line between owning your struggle without burdening others, and why showing your flaws almost never comes back to bite you the way we fear. This episode was made possible by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. To learn more visit: www.templeton.org. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly sits down with Father Greg Boyle, who has run Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years—the largest gang intervention program in the world. They explore humility not as the kind that makes you small, but the kind that sets you free. Father Greg reflects on burying 263 young people and why he keeps count, what happens when someone can't imagine tomorrow, and why gang membership is often a suicide mission in disguise. He talks about the difference between being other-centered and self-absorbed, why curiosity is the antidote to judgment, and how 90% of success is sheer dumb luck. It's about discovering that loving is your home, catching yourself before judgment takes over, and remembering that none of us are well until all of us are well. This is the second episode in a six-part series on super traits, supported by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation. To learn more about the John Templeton Foundation, visit: www.templeton.org. Special thanks to the team at the Aspen Ideas Festival where this episode was recorded. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Duffy—standup comedian and author of Humor Me—writes a thank you letter to Gary, a 10-year-old "food critic" who changed his life. Gary was a fifth grader who hated writing until Chris offered him a column reviewing cafeteria food, and what followed was pure genius: hilarious reviews that brought Chris so much joy he still treasures the hard copies. Chris reflects on how Gary's reviews reminded him to laugh when he was taking himself way too seriously as a young teacher. Gary's goofiness eventually inspired Chris to embrace humor in all aspects of his life, ultimately becoming a professional comedian. Fourteen years later, Gary's an educator himself—helping kids who struggle in traditional school settings...and still trying to figure out what was actually in his vegetarian Hot Pocket. Check out Chris' book: Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/744561/humor-me-by-chris-duffy/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly and producer Tammy launch a new Friday tradition for the Super Traits series—breaking down movies that put the virtues of humility, creativity and curiosity on full display. This week, they revisit The King's Speech, exploring how Colin Firth's character must submit to help he doesn't want, from a person he'd normally never acknowledge, using methods that seem absurd. They discuss the different faces of humility in the film: a body that won't cooperate, a childhood that wasn't what it seemed, asking for help in front of people who might use it against you, and the vulnerability of being taught as an adult. It's about what happens when submission becomes the only way forward, and why watching someone get smaller might be the most satisfying thing a movie can show us. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does humility look like when you're standing at the absolute top? Kelly talks with Steve Kerr—nine-time NBA champion—about the tension between winning and perspective, the culture built on values most people wouldn't associate with dominance, and the contradiction at the heart of his best player, Steph Curry. They explore why we're drawn to watching people reach their peak, what coaches taught him that had nothing to do with basketball, and how loss shaped the way he leads. Steve also reflects on using his platform when staying quiet would be easier, what he's learning from the youngest people in the room, and why beginner's mind might be the most important practice of all. This is the first episode in a six-part series on super traits including humility curiosity and creativity, supported by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation. To learn more visit: www.templeton.org. Special thanks to the team at the Aspen Ideas Festival where this episode was recorded. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beth Mason wrote this love letter to her sister Susan who, as the "in town" sibling, became their parents' default caregivers. Beth encourages us all to pass this along to anyone who's in the trenches doing the hard, essential work of caring for others. We see you - and we're so grateful. (Previously aired) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices