From Fame to Grey’s Anatomy, there’s no presence in the entertainment business quite like Debbie Allen — a talent who has tackled just about every conceivable position both in front of and behind the camera. And she knows how to play the long game. Allen reveals that it took her 18 years to get the slave ship epic Amistad made as a producer. “Steven Spielberg was my Obi-Wan Kenobi,” she says. 

2. Breathe In, Breathe Out

Talk about a cure for 2020. One day eight years ago, Oge Egbuonu walked into a Los Angeles yoga studio and walked out a changed woman. She became “addicted to restorative yoga,” and started teaching others. The practice helped her become the powerful filmmaker she is today, as the director of (In)Visible Portraits, a documentary spotlighting Black women. 

What on earth is going on in America right now? It’s a question the rest of the world is asking — and one that those of us who are here wish we could better answer. Enter the BBC’s Katty Kay and OZY’s Carlos Watson, two people uniquely positioned to give listeners across the world fresh insight into these 50 states. They dissect American identity, racial bias, politics, recession and public health in a groundbreaking new podcast from OZY and the BBC: When Katty Met Carlos. Episode three is being released today — subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, the iHeart Radio app or wherever else you get your podcasts.

As the families of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and so many other Black men and women killed by the police face the the ravenous press and public scrutiny, it’s Rev. Al Sharpton — the longtime civil rights activist and media figure — who acts as their shield. “Let them come beat up on me,” he tells these grieving families, “so they don't beat up on you all.”  

2. Global Guide

The vice presidential debate earlier this week was Kamala Harris’ show, but it had almost been Susan Rice’s stage. The former national security adviser to Barack Obama — and running mate finalist for Joe Biden — points out that “I haven’t yet gotten into politics.” But in a deep discussion on foreign policy, she has no qualms laying into the current commander in chief, pointing to overlooked overseas fiascos and asking: Where’s the fury over Trump’s Benghazis?  

It’s time to make work suck less. Simon Sinek, a motivational speaker and author of five books, strives to teach leaders how to inspire people. Patience, a maternal instinct and an ability to put another human being first are chief among his hallmarks of good leadership. “Loving our work is a right and not a privilege,” he says. “And so we can demand that we work in places that make us feel like we matter.” 

The past decade has minted a new type of celebrity: the TED Talk master. Adam Grant is in the top tier, as the author and organizational psychologist has become the culture-defining coach for the likes of Google. His killer advice for dealing with the pandemic comes via an astronaut (who knows a thing or two about remote work): Finish this period with “the same energy and enthusiasm” as when it began.