When you celebrate failure loudly enough, you stop fearing it.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with Dan Klein, improviser, Stanford lecturer, and master of helping people unlock creativity through play. Dan has spent two decades teaching improv at Stanford, and his work goes far beyond the stage—it's about listening, adapting, and building something together in real time.

You'll discover:

• How celebrating failure (loudly and cheerfully) can transform teams
• The "oh, good" principle: finding opportunity in whatever comes your way
• Why your job is to make your partner look like a genius
• How practicing flexibility in low-stakes moments prepares you for high-stakes life

Dan shares wisdom from improv legends Patricia Ryan Madson and Keith Johnstone, revealing how accepting offers—from others, from the world, and from yourself—creates connection and possibility. Whether it's a mistake, an unexpected curveball, or just life throwing you something new, improvisers are trained to see it all as creative fuel.

This conversation is about building resilience, reducing loneliness, and designing a life where everyone wins. If you've ever wished you could get more comfortable with the unknown, Dan shows you how practice, presence, and generosity can change everything.

Links from the show:

Two books in Dan’s improv classes syllabus

• Patricia Ryan, Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up
• Keith Johnstone, Impro Improvisation and the Theatre

More about Dan

• Dan’s Stanford profile

What if the key to leading better isn't doing more—it's getting clearer about what you can actually control?

In this first episode of How We Future with Lisa Kay Solomon, Lisa is joined by leadership coach Rae Ringel to talk about showing up authentically in “swirly” times. Rae has spent decades helping C-suite leaders and teams become their best selves, and she's sharing the tools that actually work.

You'll learn:

• Why "for now is not forever" is the mantra you need right now
• How to spot the unarticulated request behind every complaint
• Simple reframes that can change your entire day
• Why spontaneity favors the practiced mind

Rae brings warmth, wisdom, and practical strategies to help you focus on what you can control. From teaching at Georgetown to coaching leaders as president of the Ringel Group, she's mastered the art of helping people show up better. Whether you're stressed about uncertainty, leading a team, or trying to be more present in daily life, this conversation will remind you: there's so much more in your control than you think.

Links from the show:

• HBR Mastering the Art of the Request
• HBR Plan a Better Meeting with Design Thinking
• HBR Please stop using these phrases in meetings
• HBR 5 Pandemic-Era Lessons on Leadership Through Dramatic Change (co-authored with Lisa Kay Solomon)
• Rae’s new facilitation certification for professionals program is going live soon at UVA!
• More about Rae: The Ringel Group: Where Leaders Turn
• Bonus: Learn about Camp Robindel for Girls (because that’s where Lisa and Rae met and where magic happens)

What if the future doesn’t have to be something that just happens to you?

Welcome to How We Future with Lisa Kay Solomon, where we flip the script on how we think about tomorrow. Drawing on 25 years as an educator, author, and strategic designer at Stanford's d.school and beyond, Lisa makes a compelling case: we don't have to just brace for the future. We get a say in how it unfolds.

Coming up on the show:

• An NCAA-winning coach on being a good teammate off the court
• A Star Wars Jedi master on using the force to stay hopeful
• Other amazing changemakers who believe our choices today genuinely shape tomorrow

This isn't about blind optimism or ignoring reality. It's about recognizing that we're not passive bystanders- we get a say.

How We Future is for you if you're:

• Stuck between anxiety about tomorrow and excitement for what could be
• Leading a team, building a career, or simply making sense of rapid change
• Ready to think differently about what's possible

Each week, Lisa brings her signature energy to joyful, curious conversations packed with actionable insights. Ready to stop waiting for the future to arrive and start creating it instead? Let's explore how we future, together.