THE SHOW
Katy Milkman turns dense research into usable tactics for daily life. From saving more money to losing weight, Katy’s findings and summaries in her bestselling book, How to Change, are woven into this conversation. We explore what to do when motivation wanes, when to create fresh starts for greatest effect, the best approach to building new habits, and more.
Behind Her Brilliance: Luck
Say hi to Katy on Twitter: @katy_milkman
THE GUEST
KATY MILKMAN | Professor, Author, Podcast Host
Katy Milkman is the James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, host of Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology, and the former president of the international Society for Judgment and Decision Making. She is also the co-founder and co-director of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative, a research center with the mission of advancing the science of lasting behavior change. Over the course of her career, Katy has worked with or advised dozens of organizations on how to spur positive change, including Google, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, 24 Hour Fitness, Walmart and Morningstar. An award-winning scholar and teacher, Katy writes frequently about behavioral science for major media outlets such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Economist. Her bestselling book How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be was named one of the eight best books for healthy living in 2021 by the New York Times, and Katy was also named one the world’s top 50 Management thinkers by Thinkers50 in 2021. Katy earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University (summa cum laude), where she studied Operations Research and American Studies, and her PhD from Harvard University where she studied Computer Science and Business.
TOPICS COVERED
-Katy’s path into academia and why you should consider getting a Ph.D.
-When to create a “fresh start” to form a new habit
-How to avoid the comparison trap online and IRL
-How commitment devices can support disciplined behavior
-Why overhauling your life at once doesn’t work (and what to do instead)
-And much, much more!
STUFF MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
-Katy’s book, How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
–Perfectly Confident by Don A. Moore
–Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (Katy’s book pick)


