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. We’ve been thrilled to see that across podcasts, articles, and interviews, Make Believe Works is often discussed as an example of effective team building — creative, playful experiences that build trust, break down silos, and help teams collaborate more effectively. 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.
TED Presents: How To Be A Better Human
Show home: TED Presents: How To Be A Better Human
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins TED’s How To Be A Better Human with host Chris Duffy to explore the ideas behind Make Believe Works and Safe Danger to understand what it looks like to build trust through small, intentional risks. The conversation connects psychological safety, courage, and human connection, showing why comfort alone can quietly stall growth at work, at home, and in relationships.
Swire and Duffy dig into how people can practice “safe danger” in everyday moments, how team-building workshops can build real trust without forcing vulnerability, and why creativity is often the bridge between fear and honest connection. It’s a practical, human conversation about becoming braver, kinder, and more fully yourself, without the big dramatic leaps.
🎧 Listen to Ben Swire on How To Be A Better Human on iHeartRadio.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
IDEO U: Creative Confidence
Show home: IDEO U: Creative Confidence Podcast
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins IDEO U’s Creative Confidence Podcast for a conversation with Mina Seetharaman about why most team-building experiences fail to create lasting change. Drawing from his book Safe Danger, Swire explores the difference between psychological safety and comfort, and explains how leaders can create environments where teams feel safe enough to take meaningful risks, share honest ideas, and collaborate more creatively.
Together, they unpack why innovation often stalls even when teams want change, why “forced fun” rarely builds real trust, and how thoughtfully designed experiences can help teams move beyond surface-level connection toward genuine collaboration, creativity, and growth.
Ben later returned to the Creative Confidence Podcast for a follow-up Q&A conversation exploring practical applications of Safe Danger and answering listener questions about psychological safety, trust, creativity, and meaningful team building.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Leader Shop with Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan
Show home: LeaderSHOP with Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Roger Dean Duncan’s LeaderSHOP Podcast for a conversation about the tension between safety and growth, and why the strongest cultures aren’t built by eliminating discomfort, but by creating environments where people feel safe enough to take meaningful risks.
Drawing from his book Safe Danger, Swire explores the difference between psychological safety and comfort, why innovation stalls in fear-driven cultures, and how leaders can build trust by rewarding curiosity, vulnerability, and honest conversation instead of perfection and conformity.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Daily Creative with Todd Henry
Show home: The Daily Creative Podcast with Todd Henry
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 to Ben Swire on The Daily Creative Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Mentally Stronger with Amy Morin
Show home: 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 effective team-building can help colleagues 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 to Ben Swire on Mentally Stronger on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Amazon Music.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
The Strategy Skills Podcast
Show home: Strategy Skills by Firmsconsulting
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 to Ben on Strategy Skills on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Amazon Music.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Design Better Podcast
Show home: Design Better Podcast
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 team building for trust and collaboration can 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 to Safe Danger with Ben Swire (Design Better) on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen to Safe Danger with Ben Swire (Design Better) on YouTube.
🎧 Listen to Safe Danger with Ben Swire (Design Better) on Spotify.
Next Big Idea Daily: Book Of The Day
Show home: The Next Big Idea Daily
In this Next Big Idea Club Book of the Day feature, Safe Danger author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire shares five core ideas on why small, smart risks can strengthen creativity and connection at work and at home. The piece introduces Safe Danger as the sweet spot between psychological safety and meaningful risk, where trust grows through manageable acts of courage rather than big, performative confessions.
Swire explains why “fun” isn’t enough for team building, why comfort can flatten collaboration, and how creative play can make honesty feel safer, like an “oven mitt” for difficult conversations. It’s a compact, high-signal overview of the Safe Danger framework, designed to help leaders and teams build trust, candor, and innovation step by step.
🎧 Listen to Ben Swire on the Next Big Idea Club on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Show home: The Kevin Miller Podcast
The Kevin Miller Podcast
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Kevin Miller for a conversation about risk, vulnerability, and why so many people settle for safety at the expense of growth, connection, and meaning. Drawing from his book Safe Danger and his work helping teams build trust through creative experiences, Swire explores how fear of judgment and identity protection can keep people stuck in patterns that no longer serve them.
Together, they discuss the hidden emotional risks behind authentic living, why modern culture often rewards caution over curiosity, and how small acts of vulnerability can help people build deeper relationships, discover purpose, and move toward more creative and fulfilling lives.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Negotiate Anything with Kwame Christian
Show home: Negotiate Anything with Kwame Christian
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Kwame Christian’s podcast for a conversation about why so much workplace “connection” remains surface-level, and what it actually takes to build trust between people. Drawing from his book Safe Danger and his work with Fortune 500 teams, law firms, and schools, Swire explores how meaningful connection grows through small, intentional acts of vulnerability, curiosity, and emotional risk.
Together, they unpack the difference between politeness and real trust, why most teams avoid the conversations that matter most, and how psychological safety can help people move beyond performance and into genuine collaboration, honesty, and belonging.
🎧 Listen to Ben Swire on Negotiate Anything with Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on iHeartRadio.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
The Mentors Radio with Tom Loarie
Show home: The Mentors Radio
Author and Make Believe Works co-founder Ben Swire joins Tom Loarie on The Mentors Radio for a conversation about creativity, purpose, and the emotional risks required to live a meaningful life. Drawing from his book Safe Danger and his experience as a former Design Lead at IDEO, Swire explores how creativity can help people move beyond fear, conformity, and “forced achievement” toward deeper connection, authenticity, and inspiration.
Together, they discuss why meaningful growth requires vulnerability, how leaders can create environments that encourage creative risk-taking, and why staying inspired may be one of the most important responsibilities of leadership. They also explore the role of creativity in helping people process pain, build trust, and remain fully human in an increasingly AI-driven world.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast with Ginny Yurich
Show home: The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
Ben Swire, co-founder of Make Believe Works and author of Safe Danger, joins Ginny Yurich on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast to explore how play, curiosity, and courage fuel creativity and connection. They discuss what happens when families, teachers, and teams embrace “safe danger” — enough challenge to stretch, but never so much that it shuts people down.
Swire and Yurich connect lessons from outdoor exploration to the emotional landscapes of workplaces and classrooms, showing how trust and small risks spark growth at every age. It’s a conversation about rediscovering wonder, building confidence, and creating spaces where people thrive together.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on iHeartRadio.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Something You Should Know with Mike Carruthers
On Something You Should Know, Mike Carruthers welcomes Ben Swire, author of Safe Danger: The Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation, and co-founder of Make Believe Works. They explore how balancing psychological safety with small, intentional risks transforms collaboration, communication, and creativity at work.
Together, Swire and Carruthers dig into why teams plateau when they chase comfort, and how curiosity and vulnerability can re-ignite purpose. The conversation blends science, storytelling, and practical insight—offering a refreshingly human guide to building trust and innovation in modern workplaces.
IVY Masterclass Podcast
Episode page: How to Cultivate “Safe Danger” in Teams — IVY
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
Inside Personal Growth with Greg Voisen
Show Home: Inside Personal Growth
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.
🎧 Listen to Safe Danger with Ben Swire on Inside Personal Growth with Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on SoundCloud.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Magical Moments with Jill Lindsey
Show Home: Magical Moments Podcast
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 to Safe Danger with Ben Swire (Magical Moments) on Spotify.
Thrive Time Show with Clay Clark
Show Home: Thrive Time Show with Clay Clark
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.
🎧 Listen to Safe Danger with Ben Swire (Thrive Time) on Apple Podcasts
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.
Idaho Matters Hosted by Gemma Gaudette
Gemma Gaudette sits down with Ben Swire, author of Safe Danger and co-founder of Make Believe Works, for a conversation about psychological safety, creativity, and the future of work. They explore how thoughtful risk-taking helps teams move beyond surface-level collaboration toward real connection and purpose.
Swire and Gaudette unpack the cultural shifts redefining leadership—why belonging and courage are now business imperatives—and how small acts of trust rebuild workplaces from the inside out. It’s a grounded, hopeful discussion about what it really takes to make work more human.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Spotify.
Ben Swire speaks and writes about: psychological safety, effective team building, workplace trust, creativity, innovation, meaningful connection, emotionally intelligent leadership, vulnerability, collaboration, and company culture. For speaking, interviews, or workshop inquiries, click here or contact hello@makebelieveworks.com.
Press
Ben Swire and Make Believe Works’ insights on creativity, psychological safety, and “safe danger” have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, the Next Big Idea Club, IDEO, Investor’s Business Daily, and leadership publications including Leader to Leader Magazine and the Association for Talent Development.
Swire is the author of Safe Danger and co-founder of Make Believe Works, a creative team-building company that designs team-building workshops and leadership experiences to help organizations build trust, connection, and innovation.
Ben Swire, author of Safe Danger and co-founder of Make Believe Works, is featured in this Forbes article by leadership strategist Alexander Puutio examining why psychological safety alone is not enough to unlock creativity at work. Swire argues that while safety allows teams to speak honestly, innovation emerges when teams embrace what he calls “safe danger”—small, shared risks that stretch thinking without breaking trust. The article also highlights how organizations like Jack in the Box, Amplitude, and Contentful create environments where curiosity, experimentation, and productive tension drive growth.
“Teams don’t need less risk. They need the kind of risk that stretches thinking without snapping connection.” - Ben Swire
In this Fast Company feature, Ben Swire, co-founder of Make Believe Works, explains how teams thrive when psychological safety is paired with small, intentional risks. Drawing from Safe Danger and his work designing team-building experiences, Swire shares why comfort alone stalls creativity—and how leaders can create environments where trust and courage unlock innovation and engagement.
Related: Harvard Business Review — What Is Psychological Safety?
In this Forbes interview, leadership columnist Rodger Dean Duncan speaks with Ben Swire, author of Safe Danger and co-founder of Make Believe Works, about how leaders can create cultures where trust and courage coexist. Swire explains why psychological safety and risk are not opposites but partners—“dance partners,” as he describes them—and how small, intentional risks help teams build deeper connection, challenge assumptions, and discover new possibilities together.
“Safety gives us solid footing and balance, but danger gives us motion and movement and purpose.” - Ben Swire
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. The selection highlights how Swire’s ideas—and the applied work of Make Believe Works—redefine how teams build trust and courage at work.
Related: Google’s Project Aristotle on Team Effectiveness (Psychological Safety)
Drawing on his experience at IDEO and leading Make Believe Works, Ben Swire introduces the idea of “safe danger”—the emotional space where people feel secure enough to take meaningful risks together. The piece argues that innovation rarely emerges from consensus or comfort, but from the productive friction that occurs when teams trust one another enough to challenge assumptions and share unfinished ideas.
“Comfort isn’t safety—it’s stagnation with good manners.” - Ben Swire
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.
In this in-depth interview with Authority Magazine, Ben Swire shares how leaders can create cultures where courage is supported—not demanded. He discusses psychological safety, creative risk, and why trust is the foundation for honest communication and meaningful collaboration.
Related: TED Talk — Amy Edmondson: How to Turn a Group of Strangers Into a Team
In this issue of Leader to Leader, the award-winning journal published by the University of Pittsburgh, Ben Swire’s work is cited in research exploring leadership, learning, and organizational change. His ideas on psychological safety and productive risk are referenced as part of a broader examination of how teams build trust, adapt, and grow over time.
“While Safe Danger is written primarily for teams, I found it equally powerful for personal growth. What struck me most is how different these exercises are from the usual team-building cringe. They’re creative, engaging, and genuinely fun — and just as effective to do on your own as they are with a group.
Swire’s ideas come from years of running real-world workshops and events, so there’s an authenticity behind every page. I tried several of the exercises myself and found them surprisingly insightful for deepening self-awareness and growth.
The book itself is a delight to read: smart, professional, and refreshingly human. Safe Danger invites you to step just far enough outside your comfort zone to rediscover joy and connection — in work, in life, and in yourself.”
— Amazon Business & Growth Book Club
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.
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.
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 Leaders & Success column for Investor’s Business Daily, Ben Swire is quoted on how leaders can elicit honest feedback from remote teams. Drawing from Safe Danger, he explains why modeling vulnerability and curiosity builds trust—and why psychological safety is essential for open, productive dialogue at a distance.
Related: Stanford GSB — Creating a Culture of Healthy Debate
Safe Danger was selected as a Next Big Idea Club Book of the Day, highlighting its relevance for leaders seeking better ways to build trust, purpose, and innovation at work through psychological safety and thoughtful risk-taking.
Related:Harvard Business Review — High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety
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.
Related: APA — What Is Psychological Safety 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.
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.
Fuzzy Wobble — A Creative Exercise to Let Go of Perfection
Creator and community-builder Victoria Taylor spotlights Safe Danger in her #BiteSizedBusinessBooks series, highlighting its message of balancing courage and comfort in leadership.
Safe Danger is featured in Business NH Magazine’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide, recognized as a standout leadership book for navigating trust, creativity, and connection in modern workplaces. The review highlights Swire’s practical approach to helping teams balance safety with growth.
In this Boston Herald feature, Ben Swire shares insights from Safe Danger on how small, intentional risks strengthen trust, resilience, and creativity at work—ideas that directly inform the team-building philosophy behind Make Believe Works.
Related: MIT Sloan — Tactics for Improving Psychological Safety
Next Big Idea Club spotlights Safe Danger in this Book Bite exploring how small, low-stakes risks help teams build trust, spark creativity, and do more meaningful work. The piece highlights how small, low-stakes risks—central to Make Believe Works’ team building approach—help teams build trust, spark creativity, and do more meaningful work together.
Related: Google’s Project Aristotle on Team Effectiveness (Psychological Safety)
Make Believe Works is featured in the SHRM Vendor Directory, with client reviews highlighting its distinctive approach to team building. Reviewers consistently point to the company’s ability to create psychologically safe, creatively challenging experiences that help teams build trust, connection, and real collaboration.
Julie Anixter (New Scenario / Orchid Black) profiles Ben Swire, author of Safe Danger and co-founder of Make Believe Works, exploring how small, intentional risks build psychological safety and trust at work. Drawing on Swire’s experience at IDEO and his team-building practice, the conversation frames Safe Danger as a practical approach to cultivating creativity, courage, and authentic collaboration.
Ben Swire helps IDEO U explore what it really takes to build trust in real-world team environments, especially when it’s slow, imperfect, and shaped by power dynamics. Below are highlights from the conversation. Listen to the full episode for more.
Ben Swire shares some of the key insights from his book, Safe Danger, with IDEO U, including:
These articles and talks deepen the research behind Safe Danger—exploring how psychological safety, creative risk, and trust fuel connection and innovation at work:
- Harvard Business Review – High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety (Here’s How to Create It)
- TED Talk (video) – Amy Edmondson: How to Turn a Group of Strangers Into a Team
- Next Big Idea Club – October 2025 Must-Read Books
- Fast Company – Forget Icebreakers: This 5-Step Process Builds Real Team Trust
- McKinsey & Company – Psychological Safety and the Critical Role of Leadership Development
- The Washington Post – For Mental Health at Work, Bosses Can Make It Better
- Center for Creative Leadership – What Is Psychological Safety at Work?
- Slack Blog – Psychological Safety First: Building Trust Among Teams
- Harvard Business Review – What Is Psychological Safety?
- Harvard Business Review – What Makes Some Teams High-Performing?
Ben Swire speaks and writes about: creativity, innovation, psychological safety, effective team building, workplace trust, meaningful connection, emotionally intelligent leadership, vulnerability, collaboration, and company culture. For speaking, interviews, or workshop inquiries, click here or contact hello@makebelieveworks.com.