WorkLife: Shonda Rhimes on saying yes to what scares you
Worklife with Adam Grant
TED
4.8 • 9.4K Ratings
🗓️ 22 April 2025
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
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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| 0:22.2 | Head to the episode description to find the link. |
| 0:25.4 | Thank you again for listening and for taking the time to help our shows. |
| 0:32.1 | Breaking up is never easy, but saying goodbye to your old clunky work tools, well, that's easy. Just repeat after me. |
| 0:39.7 | It's not me. It's definitely you, you rigid, unfriendly software. It's time to freshen things up |
| 0:47.2 | with Monday.com. The first work platform you'll love to use, with stunning dashboards, |
| 0:53.1 | customizable templates, and built-in AI that actually works, switching to a new work platform has never felt this good. So move on to Monday.com. Hi, I'm Delwyn, colleague at Asa Hayes. And there are a few things that are always on my family's shopping list. Luckily, loads of them are now on rollback. That's right, Delwyn. We're rolling back a 900-mill carton of Tropicana orange juice from £3.7 to £2.36. And a 48 pack of Purcell non-bio washing capsules from £10.98 to £8.8. Now that's good on its value. That's ASDA price. Select stores, subject to availability. Tropicana ends 23 July, |
| 1:29.2 | may exclude Asda Express and small stores. See asda.com slash small stores. |
| 1:35.7 | This episode is sponsored by Greenhouse, the leading hiring platform helping companies get |
| 1:40.1 | measurably better at hiring. In today's world of work, time is precious, and talent is |
| 1:45.4 | everything. But too often, hiring gets bogged down in administrative tasks that slow teams down. |
| 1:51.2 | That's where Greenhouse AI comes in. Greenhouse AI automates the tedious parts of the hiring process, |
| 1:56.7 | so recruiters and hiring managers can spend more time doing what they do best, finding the right people for the right roles. |
| 2:02.8 | With Greenhouse, you can pinpoint and engage top talent with precision, |
| 2:06.4 | streamline interviews using AI tools that handle the busy work, |
| 2:09.6 | and make faster, more confident hiring decisions. |
| 2:12.6 | In a competitive talent landscape, |
| 2:14.2 | having the right tech isn't just helpful. |
| 2:16.3 | It's essential for building teams that |
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