In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with disability advocate and workplace equity champion Greer Procich to talk about what it really means to build inclusive, accessible workplaces—from the inside out. Greer shares her personal journey navigating chronic illness, invisible disability, and burnout in spaces that often expect 100% from employees without offering the support to make that possible.
Together, they dig into what managers should be doing to support their teams, why performance reviews often fail, and how accessibility benefits everyone—not just people with disabilities. If you’ve ever felt unsupported, unseen, or exhausted by the grind of work culture, this one’s for you.

What do you do when your boss has no idea what you actually do—and still piles on unrealistic expectations? And what if a coworker tells you to smile more in meetings? In this episode, we tackle two real workplace dilemmas: how to manage up when leadership lacks strategy, and how to push back against subtle (but damaging) workplace sexism. Featuring listener-submitted questions, real-world scripts, and boundary-setting advice to keep you from burning out.

What if the systems meant to help people are actually making things worse? In this episode, Dr. Crystal Hall, co-author of Anti-Racist by Design, breaks down how behavioral science often ignores systemic racism—and how we can fix it. We talk about what workplaces, policymakers, and everyday people can do differently to avoid performative equity and actually make change stick.

If your workplace is disrespecting your time and energy, it’s not just annoying — it’s unsustainable. In this solo episode, Ellen answers a listener’s question about what to do when your coworker isn’t doing their job and your boss won’t intervene. Then, she dives into the burnout culture that makes boundary-setting feel impossible, and gives you the tools to start doing it anyway. From spacing out meetings to turning off notifications, this is your permission slip to protect your time, your energy, and yourself.

What does it really mean to lead in a trauma-informed way? In this episode, Ellen talks with Dr. Kyle Elliott about how trauma shows up at work, how most workplaces could be better at supporting people through it, and what ethical, compassionate leadership can look like instead. We dive into emotional labor, boundaries at work, and the quiet harm caused by overworking culture — and why it’s time to lead like everyone’s been through something (because they have).

Welcome to the Hard at Work podcast — where we say the quiet part out loud about today's workplaces. I'm your host, Ellen Whitlock Baker, a leadership coach, speaker, and 20-year survivor of everything from toxic jobs to leadership burnout. In this very first episode, I share why I created Hard at Work: to challenge outdated workplace norms, explore how the system fails so many of us, and help you advocate for yourself without guilt or burnout. You'll hear a bit of my story, why work nearly broke me, and how we can start making change — for ourselves and each other. If you’ve ever been called "too much" or felt like the problem is you (spoiler: it’s not), you're in the right place.

Learn more about the upcoming Hard at Work podcast, where your host Ellen Whitlock Baker and her guests discuss how to manage in a workplace that wasn't made for most of us. In this podcast, we say the quiet part out loud with the aim to make it feel more normal to recognize outdated norms that are truly holding us back, and how we can set boundaries to avoid getting burned out...and avoid burning out our teams.

How burnout shows up when success is fueled by old wounds

What if the hardest part of being “hard at work” isn’t your workload — it’s everything underneath it? In this episode, Dr. Merary Simeon joins Ellen Whitlock Baker to talk about the invisible drivers that fuel ambition: old messages, past pain, and the pressure to prove you’re “enough.” Merary shares the moment she realized her success was being powered by survival mode — and why burnout often shows up when your body finally refuses to keep carrying what your mind has normalized.

Merary walks us through H.E.R.A.C.T., her framework for doing the work beneath the work: Healing, Elevating your mindset, Respect, Achieving confidence, and Transformation. Together, Ellen and Merary unpack why so many of us want to skip the healing step (because it’s personal, messy, and confronting) — and why it’s also the most freeing. They talk about grief, guilt, perfectionism, microaggressions, and the way “constant availability” gets confused with effectiveness… until it becomes burnout in disguise.

They also zoom out to what needs to change inside workplaces — not just inside individuals — including the power of sponsorship, sharing power, and building real relationships across difference. If you’ve ever felt trapped by a job, haunted by what work has taken from you, or stuck in a loop of trying harder while feeling worse, this conversation offers a grounded path forward — and one unforgettable reframe: forgiveness is the hidden reset button.

Tags: Dr. Merary Simeon, Hard at Work Podcast, The Work Beneath the Work, HER ACT Framework, Multicultural Women in Power, Executive Leadership, Inner Work, Burnout Recovery, Healing at Work, Leadership Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Career Transformation, Sponsorship vs Mentorship, Professional Growth, Overcoming Adversity, Work-Life Integration, Women of Color in Leadership, Code AM, Forgiveness as a Reset, Holistic Leadership, Ending Constant Availability, Sharing Power

Chapters:

00:00 – The Work Beneath the Work Dr. Merary introduces the concept of inner healing and doing the "invisible" work required to show up strong in the professional world.

04:00 – Recognizing and Resetting from Burnout A candid discussion on how burnout manifests physically and the importance of being intentional about resetting over and over again.

06:05 – The HER ACT Framework Breaking down the five pillars of Dr. Merary’s research-based framework: Healing, Elevating, Respect, Achieving confidence, and Transformation.

08:10 – Why You Can’t Skip the Healing Step Exploring why healing is the most difficult but freeing stage, and how it provides the clarity needed to regain personal integrity.

17:05 – Reclaiming Power and Prioritizing Family Dr. Merary shares her personal journey of choosing her family over the trap of "constant availability".

22:11 – Building Multicultural Women in Leadership Strategies for closing the pay gap and moving more women of color into executive positions through the "Code AM" framework.

29:30 – The Power of Connection and Community The importance of finding "truth-tellers," mentors, and good friends to ensure you don't isolate yourself during hard times.

35:45 – Sponsorship: Sharing Your Power How leaders can proactively expand their networks and use their influence to create seats at the table for others

Show Notes:

• Book: H.E.R.A.C.T. by Dr. Merary Simeon.

• Podcast: What Rules!? (Co-hosted by Dr. Merary Simeon, Alisa Manjarrez, and Courtney Copelin).

• Website: Merarysimeon.com

• LinkedIn: Dr. Merary Simeon

• Instagram: @MerarySimeon

How people-pleasers stop outsourcing their decisions and reconnect with their inner knowing

For anyone who has ever hit every goal and received all the praise yet still felt profoundly miserable, this episode offers a roadmap out of the "A-student" trap. Host Ellen Whitlock Baker is joined by Lauree Ostrofsky—coach, business and marketing consultant, and two-time author—to explore what happens when high achievers realize their current career no longer fits. Ellen and Lauree dig into the classic people-pleaser trap: being valued for one set of skills while the work that lights you up gets sidelined—and how that disconnect can keep you stuck longer than you want to admit.

Lauree shares the reinvention lessons she’s seen in her most successful clients, including: “find the linchpin.” She and Ellen talk about the small, crucial people and moments that bolt your next chapter into place (even when you don’t have a perfect plan), how gratitude helps you notice new doors, and why change doesn’t have to be a brutal, hustle-y leap off a cliff. If you’re burned out on overthinking and constantly needing a second opinion, you’ll love Lauree’s take on building self-trust and making decisions without outsourcing your confidence.

• The "Linchpin" Strategy: Lauree breaks down how to identify the small, crucial moments and people that anchor a new chapter, just like a linchpin holds parts of a car together. By practicing gratitude for past "linchpins," listeners can open themselves up to noticing the new doors and connections appearing in their current lives.

• Building Self-Trust: A look at how to stop "outsourcing confidence" and overthinking every move. Lauree shares a challenge from her own coach that forced her to send proposals without a second opinion, highlighting how ingrained the need for permission can be.

• Fear with Compassion: Lauree explains the origin of her mantra, "I’m scared, but I’m doing it anyway." This philosophy was born from a life-altering brain tumor diagnosis at age 28, which forced her to redefine what was truly scary versus what was merely uncomfortable.

• The "First Day of School" Approach: Instead of "muscling through" fear, Lauree suggests treating your inner anxious self like a child on their first day of school—offering snacks, comfort, and kind words to move gently over the start line.

• Certainty in the Chaos: From keeping a puzzle in her office to finding "soft" ways to pivot, Lauree emphasizes that reinvention doesn't have to be a "hustle-y" leap off a cliff. It can be a series of kind, intentional shifts that prioritize personal happiness over corporate praise.

If you're looking for a smarter way to pivot without losing your sense of self in the process, this conversation provides the permission and the tools to begin.

Tags: Career Reinvention, Overcoming Burnout, Self-Trust, People Pleasing, Women in Business, Professional Coaching, Mindset Shift, Career Change, Overcoming Fear, Personal Development, A-Student Syndrome, Intuition at Work, Life Transitions, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Mental Health, Work-Life Balance, Self-Compassion, Pivot, Career Growth

Show Notes:

• Simply Leap by Lauree Ostrofsky
• I'm Scared, But I'm Doing It Anyway by Lauree Ostrofsky
• The Science of Stuck and Align Your Mind by Britt Frank
• Learn more about Lauree’s membership program

Connect with Lauree:

• Website

• Instagram

• Facebook

• LinkedIn

In this high-energy episode, host Ellen Whitlock Baker welcomes licensed neuropsychotherapist Britt Frank, author of The Science of Stuck and Align Your Mind, for a fast, practical tour of how your brain actually works—and how to get it working for you at work and at home. Britt explains that anxiety isn’t all bad; it’s the brain’s check-engine light, an alarm that asks for investigation rather than suppression.

Britt shares how we can convert overwhelm into forward motion using micro-yeses, comically tiny steps (think: shoes by the door, one sentence on the page) that slip past the brain’s change-resistance and build momentum over time.

The conversation distinguishes feelings (physiological signals like tightness or a racing heart) from emotions (feelings plus the story we add), and offers a quick self-audit to test whether your story is true before you spiral.

Britt also brings her signature parts work approach: treat your mind like a team, retrain the “inner critic” into a useful coach, and send unhelpful parts to the metaphorical green room until it’s their scene.

For leaders, Britt delivers a provocative reframe—managers aren’t therapists—and recommends replacing over-empathy (which lights up shared pain) with curiosity (which activates problem-solving), while designing conditions where humans can still be human.

Ellen and Britt also unpack why brains resist change (they’re wired for survival, not optimization), why insight alone can keep us “insightfully stuck,” and how to ask a better question: What am I willing to do today?

Listeners dealing with burnout, perimenopause shifts, career pivots, or post-pandemic malaise will leave with a brain-smart playbook for momentum: respect alarms, pick one micro-yes, use curiosity to de-charge tough moments, and align work with clear roles and lived values.

Keywords: Britt Frank, The Science of Stuck, Align Your Mind, neuropsychotherapist, micro-yeses, workplace culture, burnout recovery, anxiety tools, parts work, shadow work, leadership, curiosity vs empathy, role clarity, behavior change, emotional regulation, feelings vs emotions

In this Hard at Work episode, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with business coach Melissa Fackler of One Team Partners for a conversation about what it really takes to create a thriving, people-centric workplace. Melissa explains why most organizations don’t have a “work problem” so much as a “how we work” problem—and why band-aid solutions (like free yoga at lunch) won’t fix burnout, turnover, or disengagement.

Instead, she offers a simple but powerful cycle leaders can use immediately: Awareness → Structure → Habit.

First, awareness: surface the real issues, name tradeoffs honestly, and acknowledge that doing nothing is still a choice.

Next, structure: design lightweight, value-add systems (think: calendar blocking, simple hiring and onboarding flows, role clarity, performance rhythms) that make the right work easier to do.

Finally, habit: repeat the fundamentals until they’re automatic, then revisit awareness when something stops serving the team.

Throughout, Melissa and Ellen emphasize values as the filter for decisions and culture, not a poster on a wall. Melissa shares how One Team’s values—practice self-care, bring your whole self, be present, invest in relationships, commit to learning—keep the focus on people so the business can perform. She argues that leaders must “slow down to speed up,” accepting that metrics may dip while foundations are rebuilt, and she illustrates success with stories: a CEO who finally took a real vacation because decision rights and processes were clear; teams getting more done with fewer people after aligning roles to strengths.

The conversation also tackles AI with nuance: treat it like an assistant for drafts, notes, and summaries, not a replacement for human judgment or authentic communication.

For listeners stuck in difficult workplaces, Melissa suggests assessing value alignment, having earlier, calmer conversations, and auditing how often joy-giving work actually appears on your calendar. If you’re a leader wrestling with retention, employee experience, or scaling sustainably, you’ll leave with a practical blueprint to replace quick fixes with systems that reduce burnout, rebuild trust, and let your best work lead.

Keywords: healthy workplace culture, burnout at work, employee retention, leadership habits, values-driven management, simple systems, calendar blocking, people-first operations, organizational change, One Team Partners, Melissa Fackler, Hard at Work podcast.

In this solo episode of Hard at Work, Ellen Whitlock Baker shares three leadership mistakes she wishes she could go back and do differently — and the practical steps you can take to avoid them.

From listening less and talking too much, to modeling unhealthy work habits, to relying on vague job descriptions and biased review processes, Ellen unpacks why these common traps harm teams and what managers can do instead.

You’ll learn how to:

• Listen with curiosity instead of defensiveness
• Model boundaries and healthy work habits (instead of hustle)
• Create clear job plans and fair review processes that prevent burnout and bias

If you’ve ever wondered how to be the kind of manager people actually want to work for — start here.

Tags: leadership mistakes, management tips, healthy workplace, career clarity, burnout prevention, boundaries at work, fair reviews, leadership coaching, Hard at Work podcast, Ellen Whitlock Baker

What does it mean to actually live your values — even when it costs you something? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with executive coach, speaker, and visionary leader Lindsey T.H. Jackson to unpack the practice of unlearning, the courage it takes to align actions with values, and how mid-career women can reconnect with their authentic selves.

Lindsey shares powerful stories about walking away from VC funding to stay true to her company’s values, why anger is a signal of potential, and how leaders can move beyond fear to create people-centered workplaces. Together, Ellen and Lindsey dig into generational shifts at work, why “lazy ease” is toxic, and the everyday practices that help us return to ourselves.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between old rules and the possibility of something better, this episode will help you imagine — and build — a healthier, more authentic way forward.

Tags: Leadership, Women at Work, Workplace Culture, Unlearning, Authentic Leadership, Values-Based Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion, Anti-Racist Leadership, Boundaries at Work, Career Growth, Women in Leadership, Personal Development, Mid-Career Women, Coaching, Resilience

We’ve all done it: talked ourselves out of something we know would make life better. A walk. A tough conversation. A career change. But what’s really going on when you know you should do the thing…and you don’t?

In this solo episode of Hard at Work, Ellen Whitlock Baker breaks down the science of “blockers” — the protective part of your brain that sounds the alarm whenever something feels new, different, or risky. She explains how neuroplasticity works, why change feels so threatening, and the three simple steps you can use to prove your blockers wrong.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in the cycle of overthinking, avoidance, and regret, this episode will show you how to take tiny experiments that lead to big clarity.

Tags: career clarity, overcoming fear, burnout, blockers, start anyway, neuroscience, boundaries, clarity coaching, workplace change, stuck at work, Hard at Work podcast

What does it actually take to build something from scratch—and stay sane while doing it? Ellen talks with Jaebadiah Gardner, founder of Gardner Global, about building wealth, the importance of believing in yourself, and pushing past barriers as a Black and Latino entrepreneur. They get real about hustle culture, staying grounded, and what success looks like behind the scenes (it’s not always as pretty as it seems on the surface). If you’ve ever felt stuck, under-resourced, or underestimated, this one’s for you. A thoughtful, no-BS conversation about drive, ambition, and getting in the room where it happens—even when you don’t know anyone there.

Show Links:

• Find Jaebadiah’s book, Believe in Yourself, here

• Learn more about Jaebadiah’s company, Gardner Global, and all the cool work they are doing in Seattle.

• Connect with Jaebadiah on LinkedIn and Instagram

When life blows up, who do you become next? In this deeply honest episode, Ellen sits down with Merritt Minnemeyer — founder of Master of One Coaching, speaker, and creative powerhouse — to talk about leading through loss, finding your true self when your old story no longer fits, and why so many women keep outsourcing our wisdom to everyone but ourselves.

You’ll hear how Merritt turned unimaginable grief into a mission to help leaders come home to themselves — and what that really looks like when you’re stuck, burned out, or feeling trapped in the life you thought you wanted.

A reminder that the story you’re living now isn’t your final chapter — and you get to write what comes next.

leadership coaching, finding yourself again, rebuilding after loss, conscious leadership, women in midlife, executive coaching, nonprofit leadership, self-reflection for leaders, personal growth, conscious business, arts leadership, living with purpose, coming home to yourself, trapped by choices, how to pivot your career, Merritt Minnemeyer, Master of One Coaching, human-centric work, conscious capitalism, resilience after grief.

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with Robbin Hudson — founder and CEO of Gradient, the Human Equity Think Tank, and an executive and leadership coach. Together, they dig into what it means to truly lead with people at the center — and why so many workplaces still get it so wrong.

Robbin shares her journey from philanthropy and grassroots leadership development to founding Gradient, a consulting and coaching firm that prioritizes human equity over doing things they way they've always been done. She explains how deep listening, brave spaces, and “starting at stuck” help leaders and organizations align who they say they want to be with who they actually are.

They talk about how intergenerational workplaces, burnout, and “golden handcuffs” keep people stuck — and how clarifying your core values and building both a “stay plan” and a “go plan” can help you get unstuck. Robbin also offers real talk for managers trying to create change inside systems that resist it, plus why your story — and your unique leadership DNA — matter.

Whether you’re an executive, a middle manager, or someone trying to survive a system that doesn’t center your humanity, you’ll walk away from this episode with practical wisdom on how to start — right where you are.

Keywords: human-centric leadership, executive coaching, nonprofit leadership, DEI consulting, brave leadership, burnout at work, intergenerational workplaces, leadership DNA, coaching for leaders, storytelling at work, psychological safety, people and culture, human equity think tank, Gradient Consulting, Start at Stuck, values-based leadership, workplace culture change, philanthropic leadership, boundary setting, career clarity, stuck at work

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen is joined by Ryan Stadt—Senior Talent and Inclusion Manager at Cengage Group and executive coach—for a conversation that gets real about what it actually takes to support and grow people-centered leaders.

Ryan shares what it looks like when leadership development is fully resourced and taken seriously—and how even organizations without big budgets can design meaningful programs for new managers. From pulse surveys and coaching cohorts to the difference between protecting your team and empowering them, this episode offers both tactical tools and deep insight.

Ellen and Ryan also talk openly about the current backlash against DEI, how to keep doing the work even if you stop using the acronym, and why equity-focused change starts with small but intentional decisions.

Whether you’re a burned-out middle manager, an HR leader trying to shift workplace culture, or just someone trying to lead without losing your mind, there’s something here for you.

Oh—and you’ll definitely want Ryan’s fiction recs.

You’ll hear about: the biggest mindset traps new managers fall into, why slowing down is essential to good leadership, what to delegate (and how), the right way to check in with your team, and why designing your own leadership program might be the best move you can make.

Keywords: burnout, leadership development, delegation at work, people management, workplace equity, DEI backlash, inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence at work, HR best practices, new manager training, psychological safety, executive coaching, workplace flexibility, healthy work culture, employee engagement

This solo episode of Hard at Work is not about inspirational poster values. It's about the real ones—the ones that shape your decisions, your burnout, your boundaries, and your sense of self.
Host Ellen Whitlock Baker digs into why so many of us (especially women) are unclear on what actually matters to us—and how we often end up living by values handed to us by workplaces, families, and old identities. She shares a powerful, simple framework for getting honest about your core values, inspired by Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead values exercise, and explains how clarifying your true values can be the difference between feeling stuck and finally finding clarity.
This episode is for anyone spinning on a big life or career decision—or just feeling disconnected from themselves. You’ll learn how to spot the values that are actually guiding your behavior, and how to start naming what really matters.

🔗 Resources & Links

🧭 Download the Free Dare to Lead Values Exercise
https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/

📚 Learn more about Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead
https://brenebrown.com/book/dare-to-lead/

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Explore 1:1 and group options at
https://www.ewbcoaching.com/coaching

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Whether you’ve spent 20 years in one field and realized you’re unfulfilled, or you’re just a few years into your first job and realizing the path you were "supposed" to take doesn't fit who you are, this episode is for you. Ellen is joined by Aleenah Ansari—a writer, content creator, and strategic creative who specializes in helping people find and amplify their own stories.

Ellen and Aleenah dive deep into "Step Zero" of a career pivot: reclaiming your narrative. Aleenah shares why jealousy might actually be your most honest career coach and how to perform a skills audit that honors your humanity, not just your job titles. They also explore how to apply human-centered design to the workplace, reimagining our environments to work for us rather than feeling like something we need to escape.

This conversation is a masterclass in owning your story before someone else writes it for you. They discuss how to make networking feel authentic to the current version of you and why being honest about being in transition is the key to building a supportive community. For anyone ready to stop starting from scratch and start designing a career with agency, Aleenah’s insights provide the roadmap to get there.

In this episode, Ellen and Aleenah discuss:

• Step Zero: How to reclaim your professional narrative during a career transition.
• The Jealousy Compass: Using envy as a data point to identify what you actually value.
• Skills Auditing: Why you aren't starting at zero and how to identify your transferable "human" skills.
• Human-Centered Design: Applying design thinking to your career and your workplace.
• Authentic Networking: Building a community that supports the version of you that exists today.

Show Notes:

Aleenah’s Website: AleenahAnsari.com

Aleenah’s TEDx Talk: "How to Reclaim Your Narrative"

Book: Uncompete by Ruchika Malhotra

Book: The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

Tags: Career Pivot, Personal Branding, Transferable Skills, Human-Centered Design, Career Change, Narrative Identity, Professional Development, Networking for Introverts, Workplace Culture, Design Thinking, Mid-Career Transition, Women in Business.

In this vulnerable and wide-ranging conversation, personal branding expert Cat Coffrin joins Ellen to unpack what happens when ambitious women hit a wall—and realize they’ve lost themselves in the process. From working in global policy and green building to launching her own consulting firm, Cat’s story mirrors what so many mid-career professionals experience: success on paper, but disconnection underneath. Through honest storytelling, humor, and deep personal reflection, Cat shares how she rebuilt her identity—and how others can too.

You’ll hear why personal branding isn’t just for entrepreneurs or influencers—it’s a reclaiming tool for anyone feeling lost in a job that no longer fits. Ellen and Cat explore the pressures of perfectionism, the emotional toll of caregiving and grief, and the radical act of telling the truth in professional spaces. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m proud of what I’ve built… but I don’t recognize myself anymore,” this episode will speak to your soul.

What happens when you’ve built a successful career—and suddenly realize you don’t want it anymore?

In this solo episode, Ellen Whitlock Baker gets honest about what it feels like to want more from your work—even when you're grateful, even when you’re respected, even when you’re “winning.” From the guilt that creeps in (“Other people would kill for this job”) to the fear of disappointing your team, Ellen unpacks the internal tug-of-war so many women experience when they’re quietly burning out.

Through stories, personal reflection, and one unforgettable quote from the 90s ballet movie Center Stage, this episode is for anyone who’s felt stuck in a role that no longer fits—but doesn’t know how to walk away. You’ll also hear about the “Start Anyway” journaling prompt Ellen uses in her workshops to help people take the first step toward change (without a perfect plan).

If you’ve been hearing the quiet voice in your head saying, “I think I’m done here,” this episode is your permission to listen.

👉 Join the waitlist for the Start Anyway Workshop
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❓ Have a question about work? Submit it anonymously for a future episode!
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Empathy doesn’t mean letting people off the hook. In this honest and energizing episode, Ellen sits down with Jaime Hunt—consultant, author of Heart Over Hype, and higher ed veteran—to talk about what it means to lead with heart and hold people accountable.

They dig into the unique challenges of higher education, why so many managers are unprepared for leadership, and what it really looks like to support your team without sacrificing results. From using coaching techniques to having hard conversations with care, Jaime shares actionable strategies for leaders who want to make work better—without burning themselves (or their people) out.

Get your copy of Heart Over Hype, Jaime's book, here!

Plus: when to walk away, how AI can help you practice empathy, and why turtles might be the best coworkers of all.

🎧 You’ll hear about:

How to lead with empathy while still expecting results

Why coaching is underused but transformational in higher ed

Practical strategies for managing overwhelm and supporting struggling employees

What it takes to bust silos and actually lead change

The power of boundaries—and how to set them without guilt

In this solo episode, Ellen Whitlock Baker takes on one of the sneakiest forms of self-sabotage at work: people-pleasing. Especially when it comes wrapped in the flattery of a “you’re next for promotion” promise—with none of the pay or power to match. If you’ve ever been told you’re being “groomed” for leadership but asked to keep doing the extra work without compensation, this one’s for you.

Ellen shares real-world scripts, a spicy mindset shift ("That sounds like a you problem!"), and three actionable options for those dealing with performative promotions—especially in under-resourced workplaces. Plus, a deep dive into why people-pleasing is so common for women, public sector workers, and those socialized to avoid conflict at all costs.

You’ll hear strategies to hold your boundaries without guilt, protect your time and energy, and respond to that late-night Slack message with confidence (and maybe a little sass). Spoiler: It’s okay if not everyone likes you. Also discussed: white supremacy culture, trauma responses, and why your self-worth is not up for negotiation.

Episode Links:

• Submit an anonymous AMA question about work
  Have a tricky work situation or boundary challenge? Ask anonymously and Ellen might answer it on the show.

• Tema Okun’s White Supremacy Culture site
  A thoughtful, nuanced look at the characteristics of white supremacy culture that show up in our workplaces—and how to challenge them.

• Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab

  • Book info & purchase link

• The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban

  • Book info & purchase link

Busy is a badge we never asked for—and it’s time to put it down.

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with speaker, strategist, coach, and author Kishshana Palmer to talk about what it really means to lead without burning out—and why “busy” has become the badge no one actually wants to wear -- all topics covered in Kishshana's new book, Busy Is a Four Letter Word.

Kishshana shares stories from building her own boutique firm and managing 40-person teams across time zones, showing us how you can create humane, high-performing work cultures—even inside giant bureaucracies. They talk about the power of micro-cultures, why middle managers carry the heaviest loads, and how to build trust on a team without losing yourself in the process.

From pop culture references to practical delegation tips to a love letter to The Golden Girls, this episode is full of perspective-shifting ideas that challenge what leadership is supposed to look like—and what’s possible when we center people, not performance optics.

🎧 You’ll hear about:

• Why “collegial” is more powerful than “corporate”
• How to build a culture of care in rigid systems
• What middle managers really need to thrive (hint: it’s not a productivity tool)
• What The Golden Girls can teach us about leadership, loss, and starting over
• The courage it takes to begin again after failure—and why we need to talk about it more

📥 Plus: Why every team should do a quarterly step-back, how to let go of busywork, and why showing up with empathy is a strategy, not a soft skill.

Buy Busy is a Four Letter Word here

Visit Kishshana's website

Ellen reflects on a truth many of us avoid: rest isn’t easy. In fact, for a lot of us, rest feels wrong—like we're breaking an unspoken rule. In this solo episode of Hard at Work, Ellen unpacks the layers of grind culture, internalized productivity pressure, and the self-sabotage that shows up when we finally try to slow down.

She kicks off the episode by answering an AMA question from a listener who's struggling to maintain boundaries on a leadership team that never stops working. What do you do when the people around you treat 2 a.m. emails like a badge of honor, and you’re trying not to burn out? Ellen offers practical scripts, reframes, and real talk about what's actually in your control—and what's not.

From the influence of capitalism and white supremacy on our inability to rest (with learning from Tricia Hersey and her book, Rest is Resistance), to simple tools to shift out of survival mode (thank you, Britt Frank and the “DEFUSE” method), Ellen invites listeners to look honestly at what keeps them busy and what they might be avoiding when they resist stillness.

Whether your weekends feel like a second shift or your rest comes with a side of guilt, this episode will help you name what’s happening and offer ideas for doing things differently—without shame, and without apology.

What if designing the life you want wasn’t about hustle or luck—but about asking? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with educator, consultant, and unapologetic life-designer Anita Verna Crofts for a conversation that spans continents, careers, and hard-earned wisdom.
Anita shares how she negotiated a cross-country, flexible faculty role at a time when remote work was almost unheard of—and why she always shows up to the table with a list. They talk salary transparency, the systems still holding women back (even when we do ask), and what leaders can do today to create equity inside their organizations.
This episode is packed with perspective-shifting insights—from how to craft a vision for your life that actually honors your needs, to why sharing salary data is radical (and necessary), to how those in power can stop perpetuating inequality at work.
It’s a call to clarity, to courage, and to community—and a reminder that rest, purpose, and power can coexist.
🎧 You’ll hear about:
How Anita negotiated a bi-coastal faculty role in 2009
The myth that women don’t ask—and what’s actually broken
Why salary transparency should be a leadership priority
How to start imagining a different kind of life, even when you're overwhelmed
Using your privilege to challenge inequity and build community
📥 Plus: Shoutouts to Women Don’t Ask, Financial Feminist, and the queen of repurposed chairs.

The workplace is changing fast—and not everyone’s on the same page about what should be happening at work anymore. In this solo episode, Ellen Whitlock Baker unpacks one of today’s biggest workplace tensions: generational friction. Whether you're a Xillennial caught between Gen X and Millennials (like Ellen), a seasoned leader, or a new professional navigating unspoken norms, chances are you’ve felt the friction when someone does or says something at work that makes you think, “Wait, what?”
From navigating different ideas of professionalism (yes, we’re talking dress codes) to understanding why younger colleagues might prioritize mental health or speak up more freely, this episode challenges us to stop labeling those differences as “wrong” and start getting curious about our own reactions.
Ellen shares personal stories from her early career, insights on generational identity, and a powerful five-step framework adapted from the Immunity to Change model to help you move from resistance to reflection—and maybe even growth. Spoiler: change is hard. But staying stuck is harder.
🎧 You’ll learn:
Why generational clashes aren’t just about age—they’re about identity, values, and lived experience
How to identify your own subconscious resistance to change
The surprising rewards we get from holding onto outdated beliefs
Why “professionalism” is often a coded (and sexist) concept
How to start experimenting with small shifts in mindset and behavior
💡 Plus: A downloadable free guide to walk you through the 5 steps and help you stay grounded when generational culture shock hits your inbox.
Whether you’ve ever said, “That’s not how we did it when I was starting out,” or “Why are we still doing it like this?”—this episode is for you.

📝 Download the guide: ewbcoaching.com/hardatworkpodcast/change
📬 Got thoughts or stories? Email ellen@ewbcoaching.com
🎙️ Subscribe, rate, and share if this resonated with you!

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with powerhouse leader, mentor, and friend Montique “Mo” Cotton Kelly, Chief People and Culture Officer at the UConn Foundation. With decades of experience leading teams in higher education and advancement, Mo brings a refreshingly honest perspective to what it really takes to lead well in today’s workplace.
Mo shares the lessons she learned as a first-time manager, what keeps her up at night in her current executive role, and how she's actively reshaping workplace culture in the wake of widespread burnout, turnover, and disconnection. With warmth, clarity, and humor, Mo challenges outdated norms about professionalism, vulnerability, and leadership—and offers practical tools for anyone navigating work from the middle or the top.
Whether you’re a new manager, seasoned leader, or just trying to survive a dysfunctional team, Mo’s perspective will make you feel seen, supported, and inspired to lead a little differently.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Why first-time managers often struggle—and how organizations can do better
• The power of vulnerability in leadership (and how to build it over time)
• Mo’s “Gumby Principle” for navigating change with flexibility and care
• What it looks like to operationalize core values beyond motivational posters
• Practical tips for giving and receiving feedback—even when it’s uncomfortable
• Why some people just aren’t meant to be managers (and that’s okay!)
• How to find allies at work when the system doesn’t support you
• What’s really keeping today’s people leaders up at night

In this episode, Ellen gets real about what it means to show up at work when life outside of it is falling apart. From grief and caregiving to the dishwasher breaking again, she unpacks what happens when stress becomes your default state—and how to interrupt the cycle before burnout takes over. You’ll learn the basics of the stress response, how to complete the stress cycle, and three small but powerful steps to take when you’re overwhelmed and still expected to perform. This one’s honest, human, and for anyone who's ever had to keep going when they really needed to stop.

Keywords: burnout symptoms, stress cycle, parasympathetic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, how to recover from burnout, workplace overwhelm, emotional exhaustion, boundary setting at work, nervous system regulation, how to cope with stress at work, honest leadership, trauma-informed work, stress management, self-regulation at work, women and burnout, compassionate leadership

What if the nonprofit sector isn’t broken because people don’t care—but because we’ve been taught a whole lot of nonsense about how work, funding, and leadership are “supposed” to function? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen is joined by writer, activist, and nonprofit truth-teller Vu Le, author of Unicorns Unite and the mind behind the long-running blog Nonprofit AF, for a wide-ranging, funny, and deeply honest conversation about why nonprofit work is exhausting—and how it could be radically better.

Vu breaks down the biggest myths holding the sector back: risk aversion driven by short-term funding, performative accountability obsessed with metrics instead of impact, and workplace structures borrowed from corporate culture that burn people out instead of supporting them. Together, they explore alternatives like four-day workweeks, co-director leadership models, advice-based decision making, and community-centric fundraising—approaches that prioritize trust, expertise, and shared power rather than hierarchy and control. Vu also names how philanthropy’s refusal to fund operations, salaries, and long-term work keeps nonprofits stuck in survival mode while pretending that’s “responsible.”

This episode is especially for fundraisers, nonprofit leaders, and mission-driven professionals who feel tired, disillusioned, or trapped in systems that don’t align with their values. It’s also a reminder that hope doesn’t only live inside institutions. Vu shares powerful examples of community-led action, mutual aid, and collective care that exist beyond nonprofit status—and why reconnecting to community is often the antidote to burnout. Expect laughter, righteous frustration, praise of the Oxford comma, and a new way of thinking about the future of work.

Show Notes

• Get Vu's book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy, here
• Check out Vu's blog, Nonprofit AF

Keywords: workplace culture, burnout, nonprofit leadership, toxic work culture, equity at work, systems change, moral injury, emotional labor, mission-driven work, nonprofit burnout, values-driven leadership, women at work, humane workplaces

What if disaster psychology could teach us how to survive the modern workplace? In this powerful episode, Dr. Kira Mauseth—disaster psychologist, clinical expert, and resilience educator—joins Ellen to unpack the real meaning of behavioral health at work. From the difference between mental health and behavioral health to why traditional leadership tactics often fall short, they dive deep into the habits that create burnout, and the small shifts that can foster recovery, purpose, and hope.

Kira introduces her four-part resilience model (connection, adaptability, purpose, and hope), explains how emotional adaptability makes for better leaders, and reveals why we must stop glorifying the “always on” culture. They also tackle how to create space for boundaries, validate your team without micromanaging, and use problem-solving mindsets—even when you’re in a disaster cascade.

This episode is equal parts science, soul, and seriously useful advice for anyone leading or living through chronic workplace stress.

Don’t forget to grab the free PDF: Boundaries at Work Toolkit

Keywords: burnout recovery, behavioral health at work, emotional adaptability, workplace resilience, disaster psychology, boundaries at work, burnout signs, women leaders, transparency in leadership, active listening, healthy work culture, stress management, resilience at work

What do burnout, bias, and boundaries have in common? They’re not just buzzwords—they’re the building blocks of what’s broken (and what’s possible) at work.

In this episode, host Ellen Whitlock Baker reflects on the first six episodes of Hard at Work and unpacks the biggest themes that keep surfacing—from navigating systemic bias and invisible labor to learning how to say no before you collapse.

Whether you’ve been with the show since day one or you’re just tuning in, this is a powerful moment to pause, connect the dots, and figure out what it all means for you.

Ellen also shares a free resource you can use right now: the Boundaries at Work Toolkit—a downloadable PDF packed with scripts, email templates, and a two-week energy tracker to help you set and sustain boundaries that protect your time and your well-being.

This is your permission slip to stop blaming yourself, start listening to your body, and take one small step toward a better way of working.
Keywords: burnout recovery, workplace boundaries, emotional labor, toxic workplace culture, invisible labor at work, boundary scripts, women in leadership, work-life balance, burnout prevention, emotional intelligence at work, inclusive workplace, professional development for women, resilience at work

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen is joined by critic, speaker, and author Jodi-Ann Burey (Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work) for an honest conversation about why “bring your whole self to work” has become one of the most misleading—and dangerous—ideas in modern workplace culture.

Jodi-Ann shares that she wrote the book because she wanted to have a conversation about authenticity that she could recognize. She explains the concept of "ops," or the "agents of the status quo," who she describes are the people in the workplace who help to keep things the same when they really need to change. Ellen and Jodi-Ann get into how the fear of losing power keeps these agents of the status quo working against the best interests of employees, and leads them instead to practices like employee monitoring (checking badge swipes, whether you're active on teams), which, instead of creating productivity, create an environment of unease and distrust.

Jodi-Ann explains that when we ask people to "bring their whole self to work" we are pushing off the work of creating a protective environment to the individuals who are most vulnerable to the workplace's harms. Ellen and Jodi-Ann also discuss how toxic and corrosive the nonprofit sector can be, particularly for people of color, whose individual stories Jodi-Ann shares in the book.

How do you avoid being an op? Jodi-Ann suggests building community connections and performing an audit of your personal and professional life -- asking yourself what communities are you connected with? Who are you getting feedback from? Who might be missing? And answering honestly.

If you're in the workplace in 2026, especially if you're a leader, this is an episode not to miss. It may be uncomfortable to investigate your own history with asking team members to bring their whole self to work, or encourage authenticity for everyone, but Jodi-Ann's thought leadership helps us all more deeply understand why it's time for change in the workplace.

Show Notes

• Buy Jodi-Ann's book here
• Jodi-Ann's website, LinkedIn, and Instagram
• Watch Jodi-Ann's TED Talk, The Myth of Bringing Your Full, Authentic Self to Work
• Read Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome, an HBR article by Jodi-Ann and Ruchika Malhotra, and their follow up, End Imposter Syndrome In Your Workplace.

Sarah Jaffe on capitalism’s “labor of love,” grief, and why you can’t meditate your way out of a rigged system

What if the heaviness you feel at work isn’t a personal failing — but capitalism doing what capitalism does? Labor journalist and author Sarah Jaffe (Work Won’t Love You Back and From the Ashes) joins Ellen for a wide-ranging, deeply grounding conversation about why so many of us feel exhausted, disillusioned, and even heartbroken by our jobs. Together, they explore how “do what you love” culture, hustle narratives, and nonprofit martyrdom have trained us to expect meaning, identity, and emotional fulfillment from work — and how devastating it can be when those promises inevitably fall apart.
Sarah breaks down why burnout is not an individual resilience problem but a structural feature of capitalism, especially in nonprofit, public-sector, care, and mission-driven work. Ellen and Sarah dig into how love-based narratives are used to justify low pay, chronic overwork, and understaffing; why crises like the 2008 financial collapse and COVID made these systems suddenly visible; and how gender, race, and class shape who is expected to sacrifice the most. If you’re a leader who feels trapped by money, healthcare, responsibility to your team, or a lack of alternatives, this episode names that reality without judgment — and without pretending there’s a simple solution.
This conversation also offers a different way forward. Instead of self-care checklists or meditation apps that ask you to adapt to a broken system, Sarah and Ellen talk about grieving what we thought work would be, reclaiming agency inside imperfect conditions, and thinking collectively rather than individually. You’ll hear practical ideas like power-mapping your workplace, building community instead of self-blame, and understanding why “it’s not your fault” is both emotionally freeing and politically important.

Show Notes

Find Sarah on her website and Twitter.

Books by Sarah Jaffe:
• Work Won’t Love You Back
• From the Ashes: The Remaking of the World

Listen to Sarah narrate both books on Audible.

Resources mentioned during the episode:

• Mia Tokumitsu’s book Do What You Love

• Kathi Weeks’ book The Problem With Work

• Karl Marx’s book Das Capital (where he compares capitalism to a Gothic monster as discussed)

• Molly Crapapple’s website

• Joshua Clover’s many books

• Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s works (she coined “capitalism saves capitalism from capitalism”)

• Your nonprofit boss Instagram (by Nicole Olive, follow her, she’s amazing)

• Melinda Cooper’s books

• Samhita Mukhopadhyay’s The Myth of Making it: a Workplace Reckoning

  
  

  Tags: burnout, work culture, labor, capitalism, workplace systems, productivity myths, hustle culture, emotional labor, grief at work, exploitation, management, leadership, toxic workplaces, women at work, gender and labor, class and work, workplace power, work and identity, modern work, organizing, collective care, boundaries at work, work isn’t broken—it’s working

  
  

A practical conversation about leadership and how trust (not control) drives retention, productivity, and healthier workplaces.

In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Minda Harts—author of Talk to Me Nice and a leading voice on workplace trust and leadership—to explore why trust is the missing foundation in so many modern workplaces. Drawing on Minda’s concept of the seven trust languages, the conversation breaks down how trust is built, eroded, and repaired at work—and why its absence fuels burnout, disengagement, turnover, and loneliness.

Minda explains that trust failures are often mistaken for performance issues, attitude problems, or resistance to change. In reality, mistrust grows through ambiguity, lack of transparency, inconsistent follow-through, poor feedback practices, and leadership behaviors rooted in control rather than care. The episode examines how these patterns show up in real workplace challenges, including return-to-office mandates, rigid policies, micromanagement, and fear-based leadership.

Listeners will learn how trust impacts productivity, retention, and workplace health—and why rebuilding it is both a human and a business imperative. Minda offers practical tools for leaders, managers, and individual contributors alike, including how to ask “What does trust look like to you?” in one-on-ones, how to repair trust after harm, and how to communicate difficult information without stripping people of dignity.

This episode is ideal for leaders seeking to create healthier workplace cultures, managers caught between pressure from above and responsibility to their teams, and employees navigating environments where trust feels fragile or broken. Rather than offering vague advice or toxic positivity, the conversation provides clear language, real examples, and actionable ways to rebuild trust one interaction at a time.

Show Notes

Get Minda's Book, Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace here

Minda's website

Follow Minda on LinkedIn

Minda's LinkedIn Learning course on trust
Minda as a Trust Coach on Google Labs’ Portraits

And if you're interested in learning more about the Momentum Sessions, the three-session coaching package I mentioned during the episode, you can find out more on my website.

Tags: trust at work, workplace trust, rebuilding trust, trust languages, Minda Harts, Talk to Me Nice, leadership trust, manager employee relationship, psychological safety, workplace communication, feedback culture, employee retention, workplace culture, healthy workplace, leadership development, modern leadership, HR and trust, burnout and boundaries, workplace burnout, toxic workplace recovery, return to office, remote work culture, hybrid work, change management, belonging at work, employee engagement, difficult conversations at work, boundary setting at work, equity at work, women at work, women leaders, women of color at work, inclusive leadership, humane leadership, workplace well-being, Hard at Work podcast, Ellen Whitlock Baker

A systems-level look at why “do more with less” is collapsing nonprofit leadership—and what sustainable organizations do instead.

What happens when passion-driven missions collide with unrealistic growth goals, broken governance, and chronic underfunding? In this episode of Hard at Work, I’m joined by nonprofit strategist and systems thinker Ariel Glassman Barwick for a powerful, honest conversation about what she calls the nonprofit death spiral—the cycle of overextension, undercapitalization, burnout, turnover, and declining impact that’s quietly unraveling organizations across the sector. We unpack how aggressive revenue targets, pressure to “do more with less,” and misaligned board dynamics create downstream harm for staff, fundraisers, and the communities nonprofits exist to serve.

We take a deep dive into fundraising burnout, moral injury, and governance failures, including why development roles are some of the most misunderstood and overloaded jobs in the nonprofit world. Ariel breaks down the constant “whiplash” fundraisers experience as they juggle wildly different skill sets, shifting expectations, and impossible goals—often without adequate training, staffing, or protection from inappropriate donor behavior. We explore how outdated donor-centric models, lack of management training, and inequitable power structures create ethical stress that drives talented professionals out of the sector altogether.

This conversation is also a roadmap forward. We talk about community-centered fundraising, human-centered leadership, contraction as a strategic choice (not a failure), and the real skills nonprofit leaders need right now—including patience, systems thinking, and the ability to truly receive feedback from their teams. If you’re an executive director, fundraiser, board member, or nonprofit professional feeling the strain of an unsustainable system, this episode will help you name what’s actually happening—and imagine what a healthier, more resilient nonprofit future could look like.

Show Notes:

Find Ariel on the Common Great website and LinkedIn.

Vu Le's book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector

Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy study

Keywords: burnout in nonprofits, nonprofit leadership, nonprofit fundraising burnout, nonprofit governance, community-centric fundraising, moral injury at work, nonprofit death spiral, nonprofit executive director support, leadership coaching for EDs, sustainable fundraising strategy, toxic workplace culture, capacity building in nonprofits, nonprofit staff burnout, managing nonprofit boards, nonprofit sector challenges

After 30 episodes of saying the quiet part out loud, host Ellen Whitlock Baker closes out Season 1 of Hard at Work with a reflective and forward-looking finale. From people-pleasing and perfectionism to systemic burnout and the stubborn pace of change since the movie "9 to 5" came out 45 years ago, Ellen unpacks what she’s learned about why work still isn’t working — and what it will take to change it.

She looks back on the guests, the lessons, and the quiet revolutions happening in real workplaces, while issuing a challenge for the hiatus: take one step, however small, toward building the future of work we actually deserve. Because as the great Dolly Parton says: "the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way."

Tags: burnout, workplace culture, women at work, leadership, boundaries, equity, systemic change, perfectionism, people pleasing, feminist workplace, future of work, Hard at Work podcast, season finale

In this episode of Hard at Work, host Ellen Whitlock Baker welcomes author, two-time founder, and Hype Women CEO Erin Gallagher for a candid conversation about women, work, and the shift from competition to collective power.

Erin shares the origin of the Hype Women movement—including that now-famous photo of Jamie Lee Curtis celebrating Michelle Yeoh—and explains why hype is a verb: it’s the choice to convert admiration into action by promoting, buying from, hiring, referring, and amplifying other women.

Together, Ellen and Erin name the conditioning that teaches women to compete for scarce recognition, how “mean-girl” behavior gets rewarded in professional settings, and why empathy without boundaries leads to chronic self-abandonment and burnout.

Erin offers a practical reframe for jealousy as a signal of desire—when someone else lands a keynote or book deal, ask how they did it, celebrate them publicly, and let your body learn the feeling of abundance.

The two dig into resentment, invisible unpaid labor, and the constant interruptions that drain women’s energy—connecting it to the $10.9 trillion of unpaid work women shoulder globally—and explore how anger can be a healthy messenger when it’s moved through the body: writing, running, singing at top volume in the car, painting, or simply letting yourself feel it.

They also discusses Erin's forthcoming book, Hype Women: Breaking Free from Mean Girls, Patriarchy, and Systems Silencing You (out October 14, 2025), which blends narrative with practical tools to help women stop equating worth with service.

Erin shares the line that changed her life: “I will no longer abandon myself in service to others.”

Listen for honest stories, tangible mindset shifts, and next steps you can take today to hype other women, reclaim your time, and build work that actually supports your life.

(Keywords: hype women, women at work, workplace culture, mean girls, patriarchy, boundaries, burnout recovery, abundance mindset, leadership, Jamie Lee Curtis Michelle Yeoh)

Is your "experience" actually creating rigidity? In her first solo episode of Season 2, Ellen Whitlock Baker dives deep into the essential leadership skill of modeling. While many leaders espouse the importance of work-life balance and behavioral health, Ellen challenges us to look in the mirror: Are you actually living the values you’re teaching, or are you a "do as I say, not as I do" leader?

Drawing on insights from past guests like Kira Mauseth, Trystan Reese, and Britt Frank, Ellen breaks down why the "old school" management books from 20 years ago don’t cut it in today’s reality—especially when it comes to managing Gen Z and rejecting toxic, "always-on" work cultures.

• The Hidden Cost of After-Hours Communication: Why sending that "quick" 2:00 AM email ruins your team's ability to disconnect, and how to use delayed send or notes apps to protect your boundaries.
• The Science of the Nervous System: How true out-of-office time (no lurking on Slack!) is clinically necessary to move from "fight or flight" into a restorative parasympathetic state.
• The "Meeting Overload" Trap: Why a schedule with no breathing room makes you unavailable to your team and leads to systemic burnout.
• Micro Yeses for Leaders: Using Britt Frank’s philosophy to reclaim your calendar one hour at a time—without the world falling apart.

This episode offers you the ability to find one tiny, actionable thing you can do tomorrow to make your workplace healthier for everyone.

Tags: Leadership Development, Empathetic Leadership, Modern Management, Servant Leadership, Executive Coaching, Healthy Workplace, Toxic Productivity, Burnout Prevention, Work-Life Balance , Behavioral Health , Modeling Behavior , Micro Yeses , Time Management , Reducing Meetings , Out of Office Best Practices , Gen Z in the Workplace , Managing Younger Generations , Kira Mauseth , Trystan Reese , Britt Frank

In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with award-winning author, facilitator, and coach Trystan Reese to explore the transformative power of "adaptation skills" in the modern workplace.

Reese challenges the prevailing "throwaway culture" by arguing that no employee is truly disposable, particularly when harm is caused unwillingly due to a lack of awareness or a steep learning curve. By moving away from shame-based reactions and toward restorative coaching, organizations can help leaders transition from causing harm to becoming genuine accomplices in building more inclusive environments.

Reese introduces the "farming for dissent" framework—a strategy used by leaders like Barack Obama—to proactively seek out and reward disagreement as a means of building trust and improving project outcomes. Listeners will learn how to implement "pre-mortems" to identify risks before they become failures, turning potential workplace disasters into opportunities for collective growth.

For people who struggle with receiving feedback, Reese provides a masterclass on navigating rejection sensitivity and the physiological "tunnel" of emotional triggers. He shares practical "nervous system hacks," such as the power of starting a difficult conversation with a simple "thank you" to signal safety to both the speaker and the receiver.

The episode also highlights the importance of modeling self-awareness by allowing leaders to "tap out" of conversations when they are too emotionally activated to respond productively.

Finally, the discussion reframes the goal of workplace culture from "psychological safety" to "brave leadership". Reese explains that while safety can be misconstrued as mere comfort, bravery allows for the discomfort necessary to dismantle systemic biases and foster real change. By centering dignity and curiosity over defense mechanisms, teams can create higher-trust environments.

#BraveLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ConflictResolution #TrystanReese #InclusionAndBelonging #FeedbackSkills #PsychologicalSafety #HardAtWorkPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #FarmingForDissent

The hidden costs of workplace intimacy and how to navigate systemic betrayal.

Episode Summary

We are often told that trust is the foundation of a healthy workplace, but what happens when that trust is used to mask deep-seated inequity? In this episode, sociologist and author Sarah Mosseri joins host Ellen Whitlock Baker to discuss her book, Trust Fall: How Workplace Relationships Fail Us. Sarah shares the "weird puzzle" that sparked her research: while institutional trust in America is at an all-time low, over 80% of workers still claim to trust their managers and peers. Through over 1,200 hours of ethnographic observation across tech startups, restaurants, and the gig economy, Sarah reveals why we cling to these bonds even when the underlying systems are increasingly insecure.

The conversation dives deep into the phenomenon of "trust overload," where personal relationships are forced to do the work that fair rules and structural protections should be doing. Sarah explains how "Maverick Managers"—often white, cis-gender men who use plain talk or "endearing incompetence"—can build intense loyalty while women and people of color are often denied that same latitude (think Michael Scott from The Office). Ellen and Sarah explore how these dynamics shift risk onto the most vulnerable employees, making workplace betrayal not just personal, but systemic.

Finally, Sarah offers a way forward using her MAP framework: naming the Moment, Analyzing the pattern, and finding your People. Ellen and Sarah discuss the power of collective action, the lessons learned from ride-hail drivers who fought back against platform invisibility, and the importance of building community outside of our primary job. Whether you are a leader looking to build genuine accountability or a worker trying to "unlearn" toxic norms, this episode provides a necessary reality check on what it really means to trust at work.

Keywords

trust in workplace, organizational culture, workplace inequality, management practices, employee relationships, ethnography, workplace trust, systemic bias, leadership, workplace research

Key Topics

The paradox of trust in workplaces with low institutional trust

Ethnographic research across diverse workplaces

How managerial practices influence trust and betrayal

The role of systemic inequality in workplace trust

Strategies for building genuine trust and community

Resources

Trust Fall by Sarah Mosseri - https://www.smosseri.com/trust-fall

Sarah Mosseri's Website - https://www.sarahmosseri.com

Work Fails (Substack) - https://workfails.substack.com

In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Dr. Laura Suttin, a family physician, consultant, coach, and author of The Purposeful MD, to tackle the crisis of healthcare burnout.

While the medical field often treats self-sacrifice as a "badge of honor," Dr. Suttin argues that the current level of clinician fatigue is a solvable systemic issue rather than an individual failure. They dive into the reality of modern medicine, from the burdens of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) designed for billing rather than care, to the staggering statistic that a typical family physician would need 27 hours in a day just to manage their patient panel effectively.

Dr. Suttin shares practical, high-impact solutions for healthcare leadership, emphasizing that the "system" is ultimately made of people who have the collective power to demand change. The conversation explores the promise of AI in healthcare to reduce charting burdens and the importance of "practicing at the top of your license" through team-based care.

Whether you are a clinician looking to lead without guilt or a leader striving to build a sustainable workplace culture, this episode offers a hopeful roadmap for moving beyond survival mode and reclaiming purpose in the medical profession.

What’s Inside the Episode:

Have you ever sat down to rest, only to find your brain spinning with a mile-long to-do list and a heavy dose of guilt? You aren’t alone. In this episode, Ellen dives deep into the "insidious inability to rest" and why our brains view healthy changes—like setting boundaries or recovering from surgery—as a threat to our comfort zones. Even as a coach who teaches burnout prevention, Ellen reveals her recent struggle with the "itch" of productivity and why choosing yourself can often feel countercultural.

It’s time to unlearn the belief that rest is a reward you have to earn. Ellen shares a practical, three-step process to navigate uncomfortable feelings: naming the emotion, locating it in the body, and using Susan David’s "what the func?" method to understand what your brain is trying to tell you. Whether you’re recovering from a setback or just trying to survive a Tuesday without a meltdown, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for unravelling yourself from toxic productivity—one color-by-number page at a time.

Key Takeaways & Links:

The Science of Naming: Why labeling your emotions makes them easier to manage.

What the func?: Understanding the function and purpose behind your emotions.

Practical Mindfulness: How simple acts (like coloring) can quiet a spinning mind.

Show Notes:

• Tricia Hersey's Rest is Resistance and The Nap Ministry
• Tricia Hersey's Rest Deck
• Listen to Episode 13 of Hard at Work, "When Rest Feels Wrong"
• Susan David's book Emotional Agility (creator of "what the func?")