Some of the most important listening happens in the most emotionally demanding spaces. This episode launches a new subseries within our “How to Listen” chapter: Hard Jobs, conversations with people working in some of society’s most demanding roles. In this episode, AWP Creative Director Amy McCampbell sits down with Anthony, a healthcare complaints specialist responsible for handling hundreds of patient concerns across a large hospital network, to explore what it means to listen when emotions are high and solutions are not always possible. Through stories from the front lines of healthcare, Anthony shares how empathy, honesty, and emotional discipline can transform even the most difficult conversations. His reflections reveal why people often need to feel heard before they can move forward. More than a discussion about customer service, this episode examines listening as an act of compassion and asks what changes when we treat every request for help as a sign of trust.

Host : Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.

Host 2: Amy McCampbell, Creative Director of the America’s Why Project

Guest: Anthony, healthcare complaints specialist

Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.com

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.

What actually changes when people stop talking at each other and start truly listening? In Part 2 of this two-part series, host Matt Levinger continues his conversation with Merissa Khurma, Founder and President of the AMENA Foundation and a strategic communications expert, to move from breaking down the idea of listening to understanding what makes it effective in practice. Through real-world examples—from a funding negotiation to a FIFA policy debate—Khurma shows how listening shifts conversations from assumptions to trust, and from conflict to problem-solving. The discussion highlights how reframing, cultural context, and attention to personal narratives can turn stalled or polarized interactions into meaningful progress. This episode closes the series by showing how listening, when practiced intentionally, becomes a tool for building outcomes that last.

Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.

Guest: Merissa Khurma – Founder and President of AMENA Foundation.

Explore more of Merissa Khurma’s work at AMENA Strategies:
https://www.amenastrategies.com/

Follow AMENA Foundation and AMENA Strategies for more insights and updates:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-foundation-inc/posts/?feedView=all
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-strategies/posts/?feedView=all

Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.com

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.

In a world where everyone is talking, why does it feel like no one is truly being heard? In Part 1 of this two-part series, host Matt Levinger sits down with Merissa Khurma, Founder and President of the AMENA Foundation and a strategic communications expert, to explore a critical question: why do people stop listening in the first place? Drawing on experiences from global diplomacy to deeply personal moments, Khurma unpacks how emotion, identity, and narrative can distort understanding, fuel division, and even dehumanize those on the other side. From high-stakes geopolitical conflicts to everyday conversations, this episode reveals the hidden barriers that prevent us from truly hearing one another, and sets the stage for what it might take to overcome them.

Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.

Guest: Merissa Khurma – Founder and President of AMENA Foundation.

Explore more of Merissa Khurma’s work at AMENA Strategies:
https://www.amenastrategies.com/

Follow AMENA Foundation and AMENA Strategies for more insights and updates:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-foundation-inc/posts/?feedView=all
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-strategies/posts/?feedView=all

Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.com

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.