Explore every episode of the podcast Hardly Working

In a competitive job market, you need to nail every. single. interview. The problem? Even the most experienced among us can fall prey to interview anxiety. And when that happens, even confident candidates can transform into super second-guessers, questioning every response.  That fear of the unknown, says Viewpoint Leadership’s Joel and Elyce Arcieri, Cisco’s Service Delivery Executive, can cause just about anyone to bomb an interview. In this episode of Hardly Working, these interview experts share their strategies for finding your “mantra” and, with it, being better positioned to show your authentic, dynamic self – someone who’s ready to dive in and make a difference. 

We hear you – networking can be (very) awkward. But the reality? The people who overcome that short-term discomfort are the people getting the interviews – and the jobs.  Granted, that’s easier said than done. That’s where career coach Laurisa Milici comes in. On this episode of Hardly Working our resident job search guru shares simple strategies for optimizing your resume so it resonates, creating powerhouse connections, and overcoming networking hurdles to help get you not just in the door but into the corner office. 

How many times have you lamented the seemingly-endless meetings – that probably could have been an email? We get it. But the reality, says Charlie Gilkey, author, and founder of Productive Flourishing, is that meetings get a bad rap. Because, done right, they can be powerful. Transformative, even.  In this episode of Hardly Working, Gilkey shares simple, actionable strategies for taking meetings from “Why do I need to be here?” to dynamic conversations that promote performance, belonging, and retention. AKA all the things you need to succeed in the modern workplace. 

While being glued to your device has become par for the professional course, the constant distractions and (failed) efforts to multi-task are causing serious stress. And that’s keeping us from feeling, doing, and being our best.  In this episode of Hardly Working UC Irvine professor and Attention Span author Dr. Gloria Mark shares her expert POV on digital distractions, including tips and tricks for breaking the cycle. Because when we do lean into peak attention periods – and, yes, even detach from work for meaningful periods – we can do more, achieve more, and get. it. done. 

When it comes to supporting women at work, many companies talk big – but they don’t have the receipts to back it up. So why keep sprinkling your magic around a company that isn’t giving back as much as you’re giving? It’s a big question and in this episode of Hardly Working Career Navigation & Executive Leadership Development Coach Ronnie Dickerson dives right in. From helping you find your zen and make better decisions from a place of peace to bouncing back when career – and life – veers off track, Dickerson’s advice is simple, actionable, and designed to help you make the most of your magic. 

True or false: in the workplace, showing your emotions is always a no-no. If you said “true,” we hear you – because for too long we’ve been conditioned to believe even the slightest hint of emotion was a sign of weakness.  But the reality, says El Experience CEO Carolyn Stern, is not so cut-and-dry. In her book The Emotionally Strong Leader – and in this episode of Hardly Working – Carolyn shares strategies for harnessing the power of your emotional intelligence to enhance your career and your relationships. Because at the end of the day we’re all human and by learning to recognize, understand, label, and manage our emotions, we can better connect, lead, and excel. 

Thought algorithms were relegated to high school math class? Think again. As a bonafide grown-up and proactive professional, you’re no doubt focused on building your reach – and that means understanding how to beat the algorithm so you can rapidly expand your network and your influence.  In this episode of Hardly Working, Do The WeRQ’s Arya Davachi and content creator Cuauhtemoc Martinez share simple strategies for doing just that. By engaging people who already know (and love) you, you’ll have a captive audience for your unique genius. And from there? You’ll have the reach and messaging might to beat the algorithm, grow your empire, and jumpstart your career journey. 

We’ve been trained to build careers from a place of fear – to choose the next steps that feel safe, secure, and ensure we can pay the bills. But the safest career path isn’t (usually) the best career path.  In this episode of Hardly Working, Alignment Academy founder Nadia Khaled shares her strategies for shifting your mindset so you can have a career you love. Because, when you step into your power, the easier it is to attract abundance in purpose, success, and wealth. Win, win, win.

Waiting is the ultimate creative poison – but, let’s face it, we’re all guilty of stalling out on a big idea or two. Author Becky Blades gets it. Her book, Start More Than You Can Finish, offers simple strategies for moving from idea to action – and she’s sharing those recs with Hardly Working. Tune in and learn what it takes to make things happen at work and in life.

When it comes to love, follow your heart. But when it comes to career, money, and education, use your head…right?  Not so, says this week’s guest, social innovation leader, and author Abby Davisson. Your biggest decisions, she explains, have an element of head and heart. Ignore one side and you could wind up making a lob-sided (and less-than-stellar) decision. Tune in and learn how to strike a balance, with an easy-to-use 5-step framework you can apply to any decision, big or small. 

Learn from pros who have sat on both side of the negotiation table and know what it takes to seal the deal. Capgemini’s Lynn Hodak and Katrina Grant. Hint: consider your education, experience, and location – and how that translates to competitive compensation. Then take a breath, be humble, and make the ask. At the end of the day, your current (or future) boss wants you to succeed. And salary is a big piece of that performance puzzle.

Each month the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its monthly jobs report. And the big question: what does it mean to you, as a job seeker?  The reality: behind the inflation chatter and unemployment highs and lows, there are tons of tidbits that can help inform your search – and in this episode of Hardly Working, our own Chief Economist Aaron Terrazas breaks it all down. Because more than ever, the labor market’s “defying gravity.” We’re seeing knowledge workers clocking even more time, Wall Street’s erring on the “this isn’t so bad” side, and remote work is here to stay – at least for about one-third of us.  Aaron’s biggest takeaway, though? You can’t time your life to the economy – so get out there, do your homework, and be prepared to take (mitigated) risks. With that mindset, you’ll be well on your way to a bigger, better career in 2023. 

New Year, new career, and job search expert Laurisa Milici is here to help. In this hands-on episode of Hardly Working, she’ll share her secret sauce – the exact process Laurisa used (literally) hundreds of times to find her next great consulting gig. From making your CV stand out, to working your existing relationships, to being your own professional hype machine and, ultimately, finding your Career Clarity, Laurisa lays it all out. Because, let’s face it, you’re spending one-third of your life at work. And you deserve a career that works for you.

New year, new career, right? Right! An award-winning leadership coach Ronnie Dickerson-Stewart is here to help hit the ground running with a simple, powerful framework for success. From assessing your inner circle, to understanding the changes that brought your career to this exact point in time, to committing to learning, gratitude, and networking like a pro, Ronnie’s laid it all out in this actionable deep dive. Because 2023 is going to be your career year…starting now. 

The reality? Every office is dysfunctional. Yes, even yours. Your (real) job, then, should be figuring out that unique flavor of dysfunction and what it actually takes to succeed. Because we’re betting it isn’t time, talent, and a get-it-done attitude.  In this installment of Hardly Working, author Ken Kupchik doles out hilariously spot-on workplace insights from his latest book, I Hope This Email Finds You Never. From landing your dream job to navigating the proverbial water cooler to getting promoted – and having to boss around your coworkers for the first time – Ken puts a real, relatable spin on workplace culture, preparing you for whatever comes next. 

When it comes to data analytics, there are no dumb questions – and everyone has a seat at the table, explains General Assembly Data Engineer & GA Data Analytics Instructor Candace Pereira-Roberts. If you’re a curious problem-solver and creative thinker ready to step out of your comfort zone and into a fast-growing industry, a data-related career could be in the cards – and Candace has plenty of tips and tricks for diving in like a pro.

At 34, chef and restaurant owner Mark Taylor found himself with $600 in the bank – and the need to immediately pivot professions. Fast forward to today and Mark’s an influential force in entertainment, renowned for leading Nickelodeon Animation, negotiating billion-dollar Netflix orders, and always carrying his trusty Nerf gun (he’ll explain).  In this dynamic back-and-forth, leadership author and former direct-report Paul Falcone digs into Mark’s powerful POV on everything from the (delightful) challenge of managing creatives to value-based relationship-building, and why he’ll never stop asking, “are you feeling valued, appreciated, and respected today?

Rebecca Minkoff is one of the most dynamic voices in fashion. But in the beginning, launching her now-coveted handbag collections meant shuttering her apparel brand. It was painful, she admits, but in the end, that powerful pivot set the stage for her massive success.  In this episode, Rebecca shares her hard-won rules for success, plus strategies for rejecting fear, tuning out social expectations, and designing your own unique path forward.

Networking is key to building a powerhouse career. But just thinking about mingling with could-be contacts is enough to send us into full anxiety mode. So how do you quiet the overwhelm, indecision, and fear of rejection standing between you and the robust professional network you deserve? In this Fishbowl Live, career coach, speaker, and trainer Phoebe Gavin unpacks common hurdles and hang-ups, offering clear, sustainable next steps to simplify – and amplify – all things networking. 

Religion is a sensitive topic, but it’s a big part of many people’s identity. As our societies move towards cultivating inclusion, will religious minorities be included too? Simran Jeet Singh, the Executive Director for the Aspen Institute’s religion and society program opens up the conversation with Elisa Domingo the Chief Inclusion Diversity and Equity Officer at Allstate, sharing their perspectives around religious diversity in the workplace and how we as leaders can be more supportive of the people we work with.

Even as a busy working professional, you can make money on the side through real estate. Antoine Martel started investing in real estate in college — which has since scaled to a company where he helps people acquire rental properties and make passive income. We learned property basics in Part 1 and in this Part 2 episode, Antoine shares key wisdom on buying your first rental property, including why you should look out of state, how to find a market, what to look for in a rental property, and more.

Jesse Blount III is your finance dad here to talk about money — namely, the psychology of it. With over 36 years as a Senior Vice President and wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley, and experience teaching financial literacy at many companies, he knows the ins and outs of managing your wealth. In this episode, he shares his wisdom on getting to the core of your relationship with money: how to set financial goals, make good investment choices, and make your money work for you.

Leaders are supposed to make good decisions. But how do you navigate the inevitable analysis paralysis in moments of crisis? David Siegel, the CEO of Meetup shares the counter-intuitive decision making framework he used when Meetup was acquired by WeWork during a global pandemic. He also shares nuggets of wisdom from his experiences, from what you need to do before you start a new job, how to organize your own community, advice for growing into a leader, and for leaders — the best way to build the trust of your team(s).

Loneliness at work carries a stigma, but everyone experiences it. 72% of workers feel lonely on a weekly basis according to Steven Van Cohen and Ryan Jenkins (co-authors of Connectable) who studied loneliness for the last two years. In this conversation, they answer a breadth of questions — Is there a way to feel less lonely? How do you pull someone else out of loneliness? What can leaders do to encourage connection between isolated teams?

Achieving your dreams seems like a far off ideal, but the truth is you’re just one decision away from changing your life. In this episode, Rory Vaden (NYT bestselling Author) and Ed Mylett (bestselling Author of "The Of One More: The Ultimate Guide To Happiness and Success") share tools to find success in both his career and life; how to develop self confidence, keep promises to yourself, and find out why linking goals with standards is the key to changing our lives.

Getting what you want in life is more than manifesting — it’s negotiating. But how do you confidently prepare yourself for tough conversations? In this episode, Moshe Cohen (Boston University) and Diana Chiang (Suffolk University Law School) who teach negotiation to college students and working professionals, share exactly this — how you can negotiate confidently, with emotional intelligence, and the skills you already have. 

With so much external noise in our daily lives, it’s easy to lose focus on your goals. ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia discovered a unique method of goal setting, the LifePass method, that changed her approach to business and her life. In this interview, Kadakia shares how she built ClassPass into a billion-dollar business by letting go of traditional metrics of success and tuning into her calling.

Between the Great Resignation, quiet quitting and late stage capitalism - many of us are rethinking our life choices from our jobs to where we live. If you’re unsure about the next step to take, join Jason Tartick (entrepreneur, host of top business podcast “Trading Secrets” and former contestant of ‘The Bachelorette’) in creating a blueprint of your life and addressing: how to find your passion, imposter syndrome, your relationship to money and more.

Owning rental property can feel like a far fetched dream exclusively for the super rich. And while there are several variables when purchasing your first investment property, it’s more possible than you might think. In this episode, Antoine Martel (Founder of MartelTurnkey) shares insights from selling 500+ US rental properties in the past 5 years and discusses rental investment 101: where to begin, what economical factors to consider, how to elevate a good deal and more.

Meetings in our sweatpants, five second commutes from bed to desk, and the ability to work anywhere with Wi-Fi — WFH is now the norm. But is it here to stay? In this episode, Nick Bunker (North America Economic Research Director, Indeed Hiring Lab) dives into his extensive research on trends in remote work: what employers think about it, if it will sustain, and what it means for the job market.

Leadership is about influencing others to collectively achieve a vision. But uncertainty as a leader is inevitable — how do you make solid decisions under those circumstances? In this episode, Kevin Black (ex-Army Caption and advisor to Corporate America leaders) and Christoph Lohr (youngest VP of strategic initiatives at IAPMO) break down the four parts of leadership, what you need to do to be an effective leader, and what to prioritize to drive your team to success.

Today, tech is a modern-day Wild West operating under little regulation. Considering the grip they have over our day-to-day lives, their oversight shouldn't be left to its creators alone. In this episode, Steve Levine (Editor of the Electric newsletter) and Ben Pring (Co-Author of the book Monster) have a conversation about regulation in the tech space—from banning political advertising, anonymity, data sovereignty, and safeguarding kids on social media. 

Everyone knows, change is hard. And your responsibility as a leader is to not only direct change but lead others through it. In this episode, business psychologists Charlene Li and Sharon Melnick discuss how leaders can equip themselves to navigate those moments in life when things get rough— whether it’s by examining yourself internally, or evaluating your outlook.

Can you really be honest at work if you want to succeed? Learn why bringing your authentic self to work will get you ahead. Sabrina Horn (CEO, Horn Strategy LLC) and Fadi Baaklini (Director of Product Management, NLX) discuss how to be refreshingly honest at work, and how to use that to your advantage.

Finding the perfect fit can be like dating in a major city - really challenging. How do you find someone kind enough to commit their time to you? And once you’ve found one, do you have to stick with them over the course of your career? In this episode, Teresa Rand and Al Smith (Boss Lady Podcast) discuss mentorship: six tips on finding the perfect mentor, building trust within that relationship, and when it’s time to move on.

Creating career momentum in a hybrid world is a new career game to play. 4 out of 7 working professionals want out of where they’re working, but don’t know where to start. Learn how a career coach can help create momentum, set boundaries and magnify your skills with Nicole Trick Steinbach (BRAVE Coaching) and Eva Beasley (Fishbowl Community Leader).

Social media has created an endless identity crisis of our internet selves. Is building an “authentic” personal brand the only way to achieve success? Learn how to be yourself (or not) on the internet and other tips gleaned from Gary Vee with marketing experts Joanna Soricelli (JS Marketing & Management), Alex De Simone (StarTalk Media / Neil deGrasse Tyson) and host Rachel Dwyer from Fishbowl.

We all want a job we actually like. This could mean different things: great people to work with, satisfying work, great benefits, higher pay, all of the above. But how do you find a unicorn in a complex market? Join headhunter and author Rob Barnett on networking, interviewing and standing out in the job search.

Making mistakes is part of the journey required to build safe spaces at work. With bravery and an open mind, let's ask ourselves what rules of respect we like to set for allies and for those within our communities in order to build sustainable safe spaces. Arya Davachi, Programming Director at Do The WeRQ, leads a discussion with queer thought leaders NiK Kacy, Briana Mendez and Brian Tran about how to best support your peers, show up as an ally, and work together to create safe spaces.

Everyone’s having existential questions: “Do I matter? Does the work I’m doing matter? Why am I even doing this?” If you’re hitting a crossroad in your career, join the Co-Founders of the Purpose Company, Gabrielle Bosché & Brian Bosché for a discussion on mistakes to avoid when deciding to leave your job, and questions to consider before you do.