Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And"

Kelly talks to Venezuelan-born, Chicago-based photographer Daniel Moreno about his new book of photographs of Chicago’s legendary Holiday Train.  https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7852900/7852900_2025-12-11-020100.64kmono.mp3 “To me, the Holiday Train is more than a seasonal spectacle; it’s a train of light.” “I’ve felt the collective joy of strangers momentarily united by a shared sense of awe.”  “In the end, the train doesn’t just bring light to the city, it makes winter feel a little less harsh.” Recent Posts Second City Works presents “Getting to Yes, And” Erin McGoff – ‘The Secret Language of Work’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Julia Minson: ‘How to Disagree Better’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} B. Joseph Pine – ‘Transform Your Business and Life’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Jane Marie Chen – Designing Self-Compassion .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} ‘Improv and Leadership for Girls: A New Free Program’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Bastian Bergmann, co-founder and COO of Solston and author of Press Play, explores why play matters for business. He discusses gaming as a major modern touchpoint, how brands like Burberry use virtual goods, and why companies must prototype and rethink old marketing playbooks. Short, provocative takes on gaming demographics, creative risk, and cultural impact.

Caroline Stokes, author and leadership coach who helped launch PlayStation, returns to discuss her new book on reinvention. She explores leadership nervous systems, the aftershock era demanding systemic change by 2030, AI’s promise and paradox, trauma’s workplace impact, the power of confession, and how improv practices reshape leading and following.

James Kimmel, Jr., clinical psychiatry professor and author of The Science of Revenge, explores the neuroscience of revenge and why it can become addictive. He discusses revenge-driven violence, the role of social media and manufactured grievances, and how forgiveness rewires the brain to reduce craving and pain. The conversation balances grim cases with practical hope for healing and recovery.

Margaret Andrews leads a popular class at Harvard University that she has turned into the book: “Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding.” https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7818568/7818568_2025-11-18-032408.64kmono.mp3 “Leadership is ultimately about relationships.”  “Each new level of leadership requires a new level of us.”  “Leadership is, in many ways, a creative act.” Recent Posts Second City Works presents “Getting to Yes, And” Erin McGoff – ‘The Secret Language of Work’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Julia Minson: ‘How to Disagree Better’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} B. Joseph Pine – ‘Transform Your Business and Life’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Jane Marie Chen – Designing Self-Compassion .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} ‘Improv and Leadership for Girls: A New Free Program’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Kelly has a powerful conversation with longtime friend and Second City colleague Tania Richard, whose new book “Black Girl from a White Suburb” looks at race, a life in theatre, loss and finding resilience along the way. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7808377/7808377_2025-11-11-050917.64kmono.mp3 “People think actors are good liars. We aren’t.” “We believe what we need to get by.”  “There is no other feeling like holding for applause.”  Recent Posts Second City Works presents “Getting to Yes, And” Erin McGoff – ‘The Secret Language of Work’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Julia Minson: ‘How to Disagree Better’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} B. Joseph Pine – ‘Transform Your Business and Life’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Jane Marie Chen – Designing Self-Compassion .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} ‘Improv and Leadership for Girls: A New Free Program’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Andrew Robertson, Chair of BBDO Worldwide and Advertising Hall of Famer, shares his take on making creativity a repeatable organizational practice. He discusses training creativity, engineering it into processes, balancing experimentation with reliability, using 'yes, and' to generate ideas, and how AI can accelerate—but not replace—human invention.

Kelly talks to Muriel Wilkins, host of the award-winning Harvard Business Review podcast, Coaching Real Leaders. Her latest book is called “Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential.”  https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7781617/7781617_2025-10-27-031317.64kmono.mp3 “Lasting change comes from within.”  “I want to be clear that coaching is not a substitute for therapy.”  “Our reluctance to engage in self-reflection is often also rooted in fear.” 

Anne Libera, Director of Comedy Studies at The Second City, shares insights from her new book, 'Funnier.' She emphasizes the importance of analyzing comedy for growth and the idea that comedy is a craft that can be taught. Libera defines five key components of comedy and discusses the universal appeal of character-driven humor. She also highlights the ethics of comedy and the need for comedians to develop their unique voice while considering audience sensitivity. Plus, her personal journey of humor amid family hardship adds a heartfelt touch.

Richard Thaler, Nobel-winning behavioral economist known for nudge theory, and Alex Imas, Booth professor studying negotiations and applied AI. They explore the winner’s curse in auctions and SPACs. They examine cooperation vs. self-interest in games like split-or-steal and the ultimatum game. They discuss loss aversion, endowment effects, present bias, and practical commitment devices.