What Would Love Do?
The most powerful question we aren’t asking—in medicine, leadership, or life
A TEDx talk by Jessie Mahoney, MD
This talk is an invitation to rethink how we make decisions when the stakes are high—at work, at home, and in healthcare. It’s especially resonant for physicians, leaders, and organizations navigating burnout, complexity, and change.
What if the most powerful tool for navigating crisis, burnout, and impossible decisions isn’t more logic—but more love?
Pediatrician and physician-wellness leader Dr. Jessie Mahoney shares how her life unraveled under the weight of a neurodiverse marriage she didn’t yet understand, a partner in deep depression, and a career built on solving problems through effort and control.
Everything changed when she paused, placed a hand on her heart, and asked a question she had never been taught to ask: What would love do? Dr. Jessie Mahoney is a board-certified pediatrician, physician wellness leader, and founder of Pause & Presence.
After decades in medicine and leadership, she discovered that we often struggle to find the right answers because we’re not asking the right questions. Her own turning point came when she began asking one powerful question — “What would love do?”
Through her coaching, keynotes, and the Healing Medicine Podcast, she helps healthcare professionals and leaders navigate stress, connection, and change with compassion and clarity.
What Giving a TEDx Talk Taught Me
Episode 296 of the Healing Medicine Podcast shares my journey as a TEDx speaker. In it, I offer more about What Love Would Do? and how to utilize this grounded framework for decision-making, leadership, and communication.
What others have to say about
What Love Would Do?
“Jessie, what a beautiful TEDx Talk. I'm so glad you have brought this message to a wider audience. I love how you walked the audience/us through asking ourselves what love would do as a part of your talk. We need more love in our lives, and it's so powerful to have a process to pause and choose with intention to bring love into the world around us.”
“Jessie, your talk brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for saying what so many of us
women physicians need to hear. You totally nailed it!
“This should be required viewing in med school.”