How to Make Your Holiday Gatherings Memorable episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 23, 2025 · 42 MIN

How to Make Your Holiday Gatherings Memorable

from The Next Big Idea · host Next Big Idea Club

This is one of our favorite episodes — a conversation with Priya Parker, a conflict resolution specialist who’s worked on peace processes around the world, about her book The Art of Gathering. What she told him changed how we think about every dinner party, every work meeting, every family get-together we host. Priya’s argument is simple but radical. She says most of our gatherings fail because we focus on the wrong things. We obsess over the menu, the playlist. And we ignore the one question we should be asking: Why are we bringing these people together? With the right answer to that question, she says, you can turn any gathering into something meaningful — maybe even transformative. (This episode first aired in January 2020.) Supported By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com  GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Take 20% off a subscription or gift with code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com

This is one of our favorite episodes — a conversation with Priya Parker, a conflict resolution specialist who’s worked on peace processes around the world, about her book The Art of Gathering. What she told him changed how we think about every dinner party, every work meeting, every family get-together we host. Priya’s argument is simple but radical. She says most of our gatherings fail because we focus on the wrong things. We obsess over the menu, the playlist. And we ignore the one question we should be asking: Why are we bringing these people together? With the right answer to that question, she says, you can turn any gathering into something meaningful — maybe even transformative. (This episode first aired in January 2020.) Supported By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com  GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Take 20% off a subscription or gift with code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com

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How to Make Your Holiday Gatherings Memorable

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This episode was published on December 23, 2025.

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This is one of our favorite episodes — a conversation with Priya Parker, a conflict resolution specialist who’s worked on peace processes around the world, about her book The Art of Gathering. What she told him changed how we think about every...

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