Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
As work becomes the place we look for identity, stability, and meaning, the stakes feel higher than ever. Esther invites you in for a live conversation between friends, New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor and facilitator and author Priya Parker. A question echoes through the room: how do you start when you don’t know where you’re going? This is a conversation about uncertainty, ambition, and finding the courage to begin anyway.
For Jodi Kantor's new book How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work visit hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jodi-kantor/how-to-start/9780316609555
To pre-order Priya Parker's upcoming book The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict visit priyaparker.com/priya-parker-books
Chapters
00:00 Why Does Starting Feel So Hard?
00:52 What Kind of Space Are We Stepping Into?
03:39 What Do We All Have in Common About Work?
07:30 When Does Risk Become Worth It?
09:33 What Made Jodi Write How to Start?
11:24 Why Is Work Anxiety So High Right Now?
13:56 What Keeps People From Giving Up Too Soon?
15:38 How Did Esther Actually Begin?
19:31 How Did Priya’s Identity Shape Her Path?
22:42 What Happens When Your First Plan Falls Apart?
24:31 Why Does Craft Matter More Than We Think?
28:07 Should You Follow Passion or Build Craft?
29:11 How Do You Actually Practice and Get Better?
30:41 Why Do All Beginnings Feel Awkward?
34:19 How Do You Pair Your Skills With What the World Needs?
36:50 How Do You Stop Waiting and Start Acting?
41:45 How Do You Balance Security and Freedom in Your Career?
45:57 What Should You Take With You as You Begin?
About Where Should We Begin?:
Every Monday morning, step into the office of iconic psychotherapist Esther Perel and listen in as real people in search of insight bare the raw, intimate, and profound details of their stories. From breakups and open relationships to workplace conflicts and fractures in the family, it’s a place to hear our own stories reflected in the lives of others.
About Esther Perel:
Psychotherapist, relationship expert, and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Fluent in nine languages, she helms a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED Talks have garnered more than 40 million views and her bestselling books, Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs, are global phenomena translated into more than 30 languages. Esther is also the host of the hit podcast Where Should We Begin? which is available on Apple Podcasts. Learn more on her website (here: bit.ly/4cPOyl4) or join her Substack (here: bit.ly/3P0eAK2) for exclusive bonus content.
As work becomes the place we look for identity, stability, and meaning, the stakes feel higher than ever. Esther invites you in for a live conversation between friends, New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor and facilitator and author Priya Parker. A question echoes through the room: how do you start when you don’t know where you’re going? This is a conversation about uncertainty, ambition, and finding the courage to begin anyway.
For Jodi Kantor's new book How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work visit hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jodi-kantor/how-to-start/9780316609555
To pre-order Priya Parker's upcoming book The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict visit priyaparker.com/priya-parker-books
Chapters
00:00 Why Does Starting Feel So Hard?
00:52 What Kind of Space Are We Stepping Into?
03:39 What Do We All Have in Common About Work?
07:30 When Does Risk Become Worth It?
09:33 What Made Jodi Write How to Start?
11:24 Why Is Work Anxiety So High Right Now?
13:56 What Keeps People From Giving Up Too Soon?
15:38 How Did Esther Actually Begin?
19:31 How Did Priya’s Identity Shape Her Path?
22:42 What Happens When Your First Plan Falls Apart?
24:31 Why Does Craft Matter More Than We Think?
28:07 Should You Follow Passion or Build Craft?
29:11 How Do You Actually Practice and Get Better?
30:41 Why Do All Beginnings Feel Awkward?
34:19 How Do You Pair Your Skills With What the World Needs?
36:50 How Do You Stop Waiting and Start Acting?
41:45 How Do You Balance Security and Freedom in Your Career?
45:57 What Should You Take With You as You Begin?
About Where Should We Begin?:
Every Monday morning, step into the office of iconic psychotherapist Esther Perel and listen in as real people in search of insight bare the raw, intimate, and profound details of their stories. From breakups and open relationships to workplace conflicts and fractures in the family, it’s a place to hear our own stories reflected in the lives of others.
About Esther Perel:
Psychotherapist, relationship expert, and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Fluent in nine languages, she helms a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED Talks have garnered more than 40 million views and her bestselling books, Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs, are global phenomena translated into more than 30 languages. Esther is also the host of the hit podcast Where Should We Begin? which is available on Apple Podcasts. Learn more on her website (here: bit.ly/4cPOyl4) or join her Substack (here: bit.ly/3P0eAK2) for exclusive bonus content.
