Podcasts and Press on Team Building, Psychological Safety, and Workplace Culture
At Make Believe Works, we help teams strengthen trust, creativity, and connection through Safe Danger — the balance of psychological safety and risk that sparks innovation and belonging. Co-founder and author Ben Swire has been featured in podcasts and press exploring how authentic team building and creative risk-taking can transform workplace culture, leadership, and collaboration.
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Podcasts
From leadership and creativity to the science of psychological safety, Ben Swire joins hosts across top podcasts to explore how Safe Danger and Make Believe Works are helping teams find that sweet spot between trust and risk where innovation comes alive.
Daily Creative with Todd Henry
Episode: “How Safe Danger Fuels Creativity”
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins The Daily Creative Podcast host Todd Henry for a conversation about Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Together, they unpack the “messy middle” between psychological safety and risk — the space where creativity, trust, and team performance come alive.
Swire and Henry explore how leaders can create cultures where people feel safe enough to take bold risks, share honest ideas, and do their most meaningful work. It’s a lively discussion on courage, creativity, and the emotional dynamics that shape innovative teams.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
Mentally Stronger with Amy Morin
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin for a deep conversation about his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation.
Swire and Morin explore the balance between psychological safety and courageous risk — what Ben calls safe danger — and why that tension is the key to real creativity, trust, and growth. They discuss how teams can move beyond comfort without triggering fear, why too much safety quietly kills innovation, and how practicing safe danger builds resilience and emotional intelligence at work and in life.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
The Strategy Skills Podcast
Episode: “How to Build Trust and Connection Between Colleagues”
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Strategy Skills host Kris Safarova to explore the ideas behind his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Together, they unpack how vulnerability, optimism, and the balance between psychological safety and risk create the conditions for genuine trust, creativity, and innovation inside organizations.
Swire and Safarova dive into what it really takes to build teams that connect deeply, think boldly, and collaborate with purpose — and how leaders can practice safe danger to turn comfort into creativity.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
Design Better Podcast
Episode: “How Safe Danger Sparks Great Design”
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Design Better hosts Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter to talk about ideas from his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Together, they explore how trust, vulnerability, and genuine human connection unlock creativity and collaboration within design teams.
Swire, Woolery, and Walter discuss why too much safety can limit innovation, how courageous conversations build stronger creative cultures, and what it takes for teams to find that sweet spot between comfort and courage — the heart of safe danger.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
IVY Masterclass Podcast
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins IVY Masterclass Podcast host Beri Meric to explore ideas from his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Together, they discuss why balancing psychological safety and risk is the key to unlocking creativity, trust, and purpose in the workplace.
Swire and Meric dive into how leaders can help teams move beyond comfort zones without triggering fear, and why the most meaningful work happens in that sweet spot between safety and courage — what Ben calls safe danger.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
Inside Personal Growth with Greg Voisen
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
Episode 1254: “Why Safe Danger is the Secret to Thriving Teams and Meaningful Work.”
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Inside Personal Growth host Greg Voisen to explore ideas from his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Together, they unpack why the sweet spot between psychological safety and small, playful risk unlocks real connection, creativity, and belonging at work.
Swire and Voisen dig into Ben’s roots at IDEO, how Make Believe Works designs team-building workshops even skeptics and introverts embrace, and why small, consistent gestures of courage shift workplace culture more effectively than mission statements or slogans.
Magical Moments with Jill Lindsey
Episode: “The Magic of Make Believe Works”
Make Believe Works co-founders Ben Swire and Lara Storm join Magical Moments with Jill Lindsey for a heartfelt conversation about how thoughtfully designed creative activities help people feel comfortable stepping outside their comfort zones.
Together, they explore why balancing psychological safety with playful risk — the core idea behind Ben’s book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation — is essential for team building, trust, and creativity inside and outside the workplace. Jill, Ben, and Lara share how Make Believe Works uses artful, experiential exercises to help people move past hesitation, unlock deeper connection, and spark innovation in everyday life.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
The ThriveTime Show with Clay Clark
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
Episode: “Ben Swire | Workplace Culture Expert of Choice.”
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins The Thrive Time Show host Clay Clark to share insights from his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Swire explains how balancing psychological safety with small, playful risks fuels the outcomes leaders care most about — productivity, innovation, resilience, and retention.
Drawing on current research and real-world team examples, he reveals why traditional team-building approaches often backfire and how creativity itself can act like a pair of oven mitts — allowing teams to handle difficult conversations safely while staying open, honest, and connected. The conversation offers leaders practical tools for building high-trust, high-performance cultures.
Enterprising People with Kimberly Bailey Tureaud
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Enterprising People host Kimberly to share ideas from his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Together, they dive into how leaders can balance psychological safety and productive risk to build stronger, more creative teams.
Swire and Kimberly explore why comfort alone kills innovation, how trust fuels courage, and what it takes to create workplaces where people feel safe enough to take bold ideas seriously — the heart of what Ben calls safe danger.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
School for Startups
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins School for Startups Radio host Jim Beach to discuss lessons from his book Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation. Together, they explore how entrepreneurs and leaders can balance psychological safety and risk to drive creativity, collaboration, and meaningful growth.
Swire and Beach talk about how small, intentional risks strengthen trust and problem-solving, why vulnerability is a strategic advantage, and how the principles of safe danger apply to both startups and established organizations aiming to innovate from the inside out.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify.
Press
Safe Danger and Make Believe Works have been featured in national media and thought-leadership outlets celebrating creativity, connection, and courageous collaboration — from the Next Big Idea Club and Boston Herald to the Association for Talent Development.
Safe Danger was named one of the Next Big Idea Club’s “Must-Read” picks for October 2025, joining a select list of books that challenge how we think about leadership, creativity, and connection at work.
Fuzzy Wobble — A Creative Exercise to Let Go of Perfection
A playful collaboration celebrating the joy of imperfection, Memory Floss embodies Make Believe Works’ belief that creativity and connection thrive when we embrace the unexpected.
Creator and community-builder Victoria Taylor spotlights Safe Danger in her #BiteSizedBusinessBooks series, highlighting its message of balancing courage and comfort in leadership.
Ben Swire explores how curiosity, play, and vulnerability help people bridge divides—an early expression of the ideas that would evolve into Safe Danger and Make Believe Works.
Co-created by Ben Swire and collaborator Matthew Epler this early Make Believe Works activity uses sewing as a playful way to teach coding concepts — showing how tactile creativity builds the confidence, curiosity, and connection that now define Make Believe Works and Safe Danger.
In this feature by journalist Vicki Salemi, Ben Swire shares insights from Safe Danger on how small, intentional risks build resilience, spark creativity, and strengthen trust in teams.
Charter’s editors highlight Safe Danger as a timely guide for leaders seeking to balance psychological safety and creative risk, offering a fresh lens on innovation and belonging at work.
Drawing from his design practice, Ben Swire shares how adopting a child’s curiosity leads to more open, imaginative collaboration—echoing the creative foundations behind Safe Danger.
This early IDEO post introduces the spirit behind Make Believe Works—how low-stakes play and imaginative risk-taking can strengthen teams and fuel innovation.
The Association for Talent Development featured Safe Danger among its top new titles, recognizing its practical approach to building trust, courage, and creativity in modern workplaces.
In this Fast Company feature on workplace boundaries, Ben Swire is quoted explaining how offering a hug should always come with a graceful “out” — a practical extension of Safe Danger’s philosophy on consent, trust, and psychological safety.