First subway portrait and why he started

It takes a lot of guts to engage with a stranger on the street, ask probing questions about their struggles, and come away with a portrait and a story as a record of the human connection that was made. Now, imagine repeating this process countless times over 15 years under the moniker Humans of New York (HONY) and watching what started as a passion project take the world by storm.

In today's show, we're privileged to chat with this 21st century archivist of everyday citizens and their lived experiences. Listen in as HONY's creator, Brandon Stanton, shares how he transformed street photography into a practice of deep human connection—moving beyond candid pictures to create a unique space where strangers can reveal their most authentic selves.

Some key discussion points include: the art of active listening, the power of vulnerability, and how finding someone's struggle unlocks their genius. Brandon also reflects on building a creative practice through daily discipline and navigating the tension between social media algorithms and meaningful art. Stay to the end for a peek behind the scenes of Brandon's recent blockbuster installation that brought ordinary New Yorkers' stories into the hallowed space of Grand Central Terminal.

At its core, this is a life lesson in the evolution of authentic storytelling in an increasingly digital world, creating scarcity in an age of abundance—not through better images or words, but through genuine human interaction that can't be replicated in the digital realm.

Guest: Brandon Stanton

Episode Timeline:

• 2:38: The first portrait Brandon made of two random strangers he encountered in a Chicago subway car.
• 7:48: Absorbing rejection when asking people for a picture so to get as broad a representation of the general public as possible.
• 15:20: The art of stopping someone on the street to capture a photograph and a story, and the evolution of Brandon's creative process.
• 22:45: Capturing moments of authenticity, the profundity of a person's struggles, the granularity of lived experience, plus the evolution of finding people to approach.
• 31:57: The mindset and habits Brandon established early on that enables him to create his art.
• 36:40: Brandon's evolution in capturing people's stories—from reconstructing stories from memory to notetaking in real time to crafting a story from audio recordings.

40:22: Episode Break

• 41:46: Starting Humans of New York as an antidote to being fired from his full-time job
• 43:05: The therapeutic aspect of talking to people, and Brandon's process of listening with his entire body to become a vessel for other peoples' stories.
• 50:22: The role of philanthropy, doing good for others on a grand scale, and Brandon's determination to do the best work possible.
• 54:15: Brandon talks about the impact of social media and its effects on human behavior.
• 1:06:31: The Dear New York installation at Grand Central Terminal, and Brandon's belief that the only scarcity in art is through real life.
• 1:14:37: Focusing on Humans of New York as a solo endeavor vs working with more than 100 collaborators to pull off Dear New York at Grand Central Terminal.
• 1:20:00: Brandon talks about how he keeps grounded, plus shares his favorite question—How do you keep score with yourself?

Guest Bio:

Brandon Stanton is the writer and photographer behind Humans of New York, a storytelling platform with over 30-million followers. He's also the creator of Dear New York, an immersive art installation in NYC's Grand Central Station during November 2025 and a companion book. Over the past 15 years, Brandon has photographed and interviewed over ten thousand people in forty different countries around the world. During this time, he's helped raise over $20 million dollars in support of various causes and individuals who have been featured in his work. Brandon is also the author of four #1 New York Times bestselling books, which have sold millions of copies around the world: Humans of New York in 2013, Humans of New York: Stories in 2015, Humans in 2020, Tanqueray in 2022, and, most recently, Dear New York, in 2025. In addition to the books, Brandon has given over 100 keynote speeches on the power of connection and has facilitated executive-level workshops for some of the world's most respected companies, aimed at increasing team cohesion. He currently lives in New York City with his wife and three children.

Stay Connected: Brandon Stanton Website: https://brandonstanton.com/ Humans of New York Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansofny/ Humans of New York Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork/ Humans of New York Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humans_of_New_York Dear New York Website: https://dearnewyork.com/

Credits:

• Host: Derek Fahsbender
• Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
• Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens