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New years is here, and with it brings the possibility of change.

As one behavioral scientist put it, first starts are really powerful.

So as you head into 2023, LifeKit is a great resource to help you plan your life and tackle changes, both big and small.

Listen to the LifeKit podcast from NPR.

Hey everyone, and welcome to how I built this resilience edition.

On these episodes, we're talking with entrepreneurs and business leaders about how they're adapting to these difficult economic times.

And on today's show, we're going to hear from Brian Cheskey, the CEO and co-founder of Airbnb.

Back in 2016, we spoke with Brian's co-founder, Joe Gebbia, and he told the amazing story of how they founded and built the company.

And if you haven't heard it, be sure to check it out.

Now of course, we are in a very different time.

And a few months ago, Brian wrote a letter to the entire staff of Airbnb, letting them know that 25% of the company was going to be laid off.

This has been by far for us the most difficult thing that we've experienced since we started the company a dozen years ago.

And I think Joe and I used to talk about how starting Airbnb, basically this idea that like strangers would live each other, live with each other.

Like that was the hardest thing we were ever going to do. It was like pushing a rock up a hill.

And it turned out that trying to run a company that does travel, preparing to go public in the middle of the pandemic is about as hard.

And then doing it all via Zoom, it was even more difficult.

And I think that what people want right now, just more fundamentally, is connection.

Isn't that like the thing that we've always wanted, we want connection to each other?

And now you have to fight for it.

You have to make a conscious effort for it. You know, on the one hand, I'm closer to some people and I've ever been in my life.

...