Gina Merchant on humanizing change around self-efficacy (podcast episode #6)

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In the sixth episode of Humanizing Change, host Ari Abraham talks with Gina Merchant, Director of Design Research at Tandem Diabetes Care, about how self-efficacy — not just self-esteem — plays a critical role in helping people adapt to change. Gina shares how her early life experiences shaped her compassionate, research-driven approach to understanding human behavior and creating environments where people can thrive.

Lessons from the episode:

• Prioritize self-efficacy over self-esteem: I focus on helping people believe they can succeed, not just feel good about themselves.
• Support competency, autonomy, and relatedness: I build environments that meet the core drivers of human motivation.
• Create spaces for self-determination: I design systems that allow people to make choices and own their growth.
• Lead with compassion, not judgment: I approach behavior change by understanding, not criticizing.
• Recognize the complexity of identity: I see how global connections — like social media — shape agency and self-perception.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to Humanizing Change to hear more real, thoughtful stories about how people are navigating change and complexity. New episodes drop regularly — and we’d love to have you along for the journey.