Dr. Maya Shankar: Cognitive Scientist and Host of A Slight Change of Plans

I am back with a brand new episode featuring a fascinating interview with cognitive scientist and host of A Slight Change of Plans, Dr. Maya Shankar.  I loved this conversation, as we started the talk about Maya’s being accepted to Juilliard as a 9 year-old violinist and how and injury changed her life forever.  We talked about what it’s like to be a UTTL (Unwilling traveler through life) as well as challenges Maya had to overcome that led to her launching her successful podcast, which blends  storytelling with with neuroscience, to help us understand who we are and who we become in the face of big change.   Maya also shares some really cool stories about her time working in the Obama administration,  her sometimes painful journey with her husband Jimmy as they try so desperately to have a baby, we chat about the power of initiative and what role that has played in her life and so much more.   Dr. Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and the creator, executive producer, and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, which Apple recently awarded as the Best Show of the Year 2021. Maya was a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House Behavioral Science Team. She also served as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations under Ban Ki-moon, and as a core member of Pete Buttigieg’s debate preparation team during his 2020 presidential run. Maya has a postdoctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience from Stanford, a Ph.D. from Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and a B.A. from Yale. She"s been profiled by The New Yorker and been the featured guest on NPR"s “All Things Considered,” “Freakonomics,” and “Hidden Brain.” She"s a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music"s pre-college program, where she was a private violin student of Itzhak Perlman. Tap the link in bio to listen to the full episode. For more information on Dr. Maya Shankar: Instagram: @drmayashankar https://mayashankar.com/ To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media: Website: https://www.betterplaceproject.org/ Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj To follow Steve on Instagram @SteveNorrisOfficial Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj Email: BetterPlaceProjectPodcast@gmail.com