Shonda Rhimes on saying yes to what scares you
ReThinking
TED
4.7 • 626 Ratings
🗓️ 22 April 2025
⏱️ 54 minutes
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Summary
Shonda Rhimes is the revolutionary creator, writer, and executive producer behind so many groundbreaking TV shows—from Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal to Bridgerton and How To Get Away With Murder. Her work has changed the way stories are told on TV and the lives of viewers who see themselves represented on the screen for the first time. Shonda and Adam sit down for a live conversation at BetterUp’s Uplift Summit to discuss the moments that shaped Shonda’s success, what it takes to make bold moves, and the lessons from Shonda’s memoir Year of Yes. They also compare notes on the shared traits of great leaders and storytellers, and Shonda weighs in on what makes a pitch compelling.
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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)
Guest: Shonda Rhimes (Instagram: @shondarhimes | TikTok: @shonarhimes)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode is sponsored by London Business School. You know that feeling of racing between meetings, |
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| 0:45.5 | Gina's a muncher. |
| 0:47.6 | Jackson Nibbler. |
| 0:49.9 | Lucy likes to linger. |
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| 0:55.5 | And Harry? |
| 0:57.3 | Thank you, Harry. |
| 0:58.8 | Mikado is the crunchy biscuit stick |
| 1:00.7 | dipped in smooth milk chocolate |
| 1:02.6 | and makes other biscuits look so ordinary. |
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| 1:15.6 | Grab a pack in your local store today. Find Macardo in the Biscuit Isle. Michael Lewis here. My best-selling book The Big Short tells the story of the build-up and burst of the US housing market back in 2008. |
| 1:25.6 | A decade ago, the Big Short was made into an Academy Award-winning movie. |
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