Brené Brown Joins Vox Media in Podcast Partnership

Vox Media, the leading modern media company, today announced a strategic partnership with research professor and New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown that will bring her award-winning podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Since launching Unlocking Us (which explores both the magic and the messiness of being human) and Dare to Lead (which features conversations with change-catalysts, culture-shifters, and as many troublemakers as possible), Brown has cultivated a devoted podcast audience of millions of listeners. In this wide-ranging partnership, Vox Media will lead sales, marketing, and distribution for Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead, which will be widely available on all podcast platforms together with all library episodes. Both shows will also return with new seasons; Unlocking Us beginning Wednesday, February 28th and Dare to Lead beginning Wednesday, March 20th. Brown is also scheduled to host a live recording on Sunday, March 10th as part of the company’s official podcast stage at SXSW, The Vox Media Podcast Stage.

“This is going to be so much fun! Vox Media is the perfect creative podcast partner for the relaunch of Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead,” says Brown. “I’ve missed the learning, the unlearning, and the laughter – I think we need more of all three right now!”

Brown has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She’s a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She’s the author of six #1 New York Times bestselling books, which have been translated into more than 30 languages. Her TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability is one of the top five most-viewed TED talks in the world, with over 60 million views. She is also the first researcher to have a filmed lecture on Netflix, and in March 2022, she launched a new show on HBO Max that focuses on her latest book, Atlas of the Heart.

“Brené has a transcendent voice. She has helped so many of us live wholehearted lives through courage, connection, vulnerability, and authenticity,” says Ray Chao, Vox Media’s SVP and general manager for audio and digital video. “We’re so proud to bring Brené to the Vox Media Podcast Network and be the new audio home for her research, insights, and powerful storytelling.”

One of the top 10 podcast publishers according to leading industry tracker, Podtrac, Vox Media is home to the most influential thought leaders and audio creators, including journalist Kara Swisher (Pivot, On with Kara Swisher), NYU Stern Marketing professor Scott Galloway (Pivot, The Prof G Podcast), former Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara (Stay Tuned), technology reviewer Marques Brownlee (Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast), acclaimed psychotherapist Esther Perel (Where Should We Begin?), former NBA stars Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, and more.

About the Vox Media Podcast Network:

Home to award-winning shows like Today, Explained, Criminal, Pivot, and Stay Tuned with Preet, the Vox Media Podcast Network features industry-leading voices and storytellers from Vox Media’s editorial networks and beyond. From daily news and tech to culture and sports, and talk and interview shows to news and rich narrative storytelling, the Vox Media Podcast Network is one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most topically diverse collections of premium podcasts. Learn more about the Vox Media Podcast Network here.

About Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

I’ve spent over 20 years studying the emotions and experiences that bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: We are hardwired for connection, and connecting requires courage, vulnerability, and conversation. I want this to be a podcast that’s real, unpolished, honest, and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human. Episodes will include conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, or maybe even ticking me off a little. I’ll also have direct conversations with you about what I’m learning from new research, and we’ll do some episodes dedicated to answering your questions. We don’t have to do life alone. We were never meant to.

About Dare to Lead with Brené Brown

Brené’s newest podcast is based on her book, Dare to Lead, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists, and has become the ultimate courage-building playbook for leaders at every level. Brené writes, “The Dare to Lead podcast will be a mix of solo episodes and conversations with change-catalysts, culture-shifters, and as many troublemakers as possible. Innovating, creating, and building a better, more just world, requires daring leadership in every part of our daily lives – from work to home to community. Together, we’ll have conversations that help us show up, step up, and dare to lead.”