What It's Like To Be... with Dan Heath

Hosted by Dan Heath

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Curious what it would be like to walk in someone else’s (work) shoes? Join New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath as he explores the world of work, one profession at a time, and interviews people who love what they do.

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60 recent

August 11, 2026Episode 7929 min

A Mail Carrier

Loading the mail truck before the day begins, dealing with aggressive dogs and bad weather, and keeping a neighborhood connected by showing up every day with John Ayala, a retired mail carrier in Los Angeles. How did a golf club help him deliver packages? And what does a mail carrier learn about us from our mail?Thanks to Mike, one of our listeners, who reached out to suggest we talk with John after reading a profile of him in the LA Times.GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

July 28, 2026Episode 7834 min

A Hotshot

Digging line to redirect the country's fiercest wildland fires, sleeping in the dirt after a 16-hour day, and turning physical endurance into a public service with Ben Strahan, a hotshot crew superintendent in California. What does a wildfire sound like up close? And where does a crew go when the fire threatens to overrun them?GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

July 14, 2026Episode 7735 min

An Airport CEO

Pitching airline executives during route-planning speed dates, opening a $1.7 billion new terminal, and making space for emotional airport reunions with Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport. Why does she have a beekeeper on contract? And what did a missing freight elevator teach her about leadership?GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

July 7, 2026Episode 7630 min

A Civil Aviation Engineer

Designing runways for hot air and heavy planes, inspecting pavement cracks with measuring wheels, and protecting vicious little owls from construction crews with Eileen Vélez-Vega, a civil aviation engineer in Puerto Rico. What does the color of runway lights reveal to a pilot? And what's a "spall"?GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

June 30, 2026Episode 7531 min

An Air Traffic Controller

Sequencing departures like a moving puzzle, scrambling when a jet takes off without clearance, and catching what radar misses with a glance out the window with Michael Rejent, an air traffic controller. What does "tally ho" mean to a pilot? What phrase makes every controller in the cab look up?GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

June 23, 2026Episode 7429 min

A Flight Attendant

Hugging a mother through an anxiety attack, bidding for the best routes, and absorbing strangers' confessions at 35,000 feet with Linda Beall, a flight attendant. What does it mean when the cabin bells ring three or four times? And what makes a trip a “dog”?GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

June 16, 2026Episode 7338 min

An Airline Pilot

Shooting cat-three landings in the fog, using the “voice of God” on unruly passengers, and declaring Mayday after an engine fire with Paul Drusch, a commercial airline pilot. Why does the pilot’s paycheck start with the parking brake? And what does “sterile cockpit” mean? (Spoiler: it doesn’t mean “clean.”)GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

June 9, 202617 min

(Bonus) From StoryCorps: "Sideliners"

Athletes get all the glory, but there are countless people around them making the games happen - from referees making judgments, to vendors in the stands hawking snacks and beer. In this episode from The StoryCorps Podcast, drawn from our archive of the largest single collection of human voices ever recorded, you’ll hear from the people on the sidelines.GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

June 2, 2026Episode 7240 min

A Clinical Ethicist

Untangling who gets to speak for a dying patient, weighing a treatment's benefits against its burdens, and searching for clarity in the grayest corners of healthcare with Esther Berkowitz, a clinical ethicist. What is the "dignity of risk"? And how do you know which "version" of a person to trust?GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

May 19, 2026Episode 7135 min

A Correctional Officer

Grinding through 16-hour shifts, standing behind inmates (never in front), and trying to stay human in an inhuman environment with Bill Farrell, a correctional officer in Massachusetts. What happens when an officer gets "frozen"? And why does the sound of scuffling sneakers stop him in his tracks?LINKS & REFERENCESBill was the co-creator of a short documentary about the physical and mental toll of being a correctional officer. It's called "Behind The Wall".GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

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What It&#39;s Like To Be... with Dan Heath