Welcome to The Lonely Office, an podcast about making sense of the increasingly blurry line between work and life, brought to you by Glassdoor. We tackle real workplace stories from anonymous firsthand accounts—job ghosting, the truth behind unlimited PTO, nightmare bosses—and share insider advice on layoffs, severance, negotiations, and career moves. From candidates vaping in interviews to employees fired over free speech, we cover the wild reality of modern jobs. Whether you’re growing your career or simply a jobseeker hunting for an edge, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
TLO is hosted by Matt Sunbulli (serial tech entrepreneur, Founder @ Fishbowl and First Draft AI), Aaron Calafato (Storyteller, Narrative Designer & Content Strategist), and Leah Ova (content creator and advertising executive), with special appearances from industry thought leaders and economists.
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Are you embarrassed to work for your company?
In this episode of The Lonely Office, we revisit a story about loud quitting, corporate misalignment, and the tension between survival and integrity in today’s workplace. As ESG debates, layoffs, and corporate reputation shape the 2026 work landscape, we explore how employees decide where their moral line is — and what it means when a job starts to feel like a liability.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato
Why Workplace Satire Hurts So Good
Saturday, January 31, 2026 • Duration 25:34
Why does workplace satire hit so hard? And why does corporate language feel… strangely terrifying?
In this episode of The Lonely Office, we talk with Henry Marken, Director of Social Media/Content Creator at Wunderfan and viral creator known for blending sports fandom, comedy, and office culture.
We unpack how corporate culture trains people to wear masks, and why comedy becomes a kind of survival mechanism. Along the way, we explore what sports pain teaches us about work, how AI is reshaping careers, and why authenticity feels harder inside big organizations.
Special Guest:
Henry Marken
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato
Why Online Job Applications Feel Broken
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 • Duration 26:58
Why does applying online feel so frustrating even when the data says it works? The TLO team team talk with career strategist Madeline Mann again. This time about why most applications get buried, how referrals and sourcing really drive hiring, and what job seekers can do to cut the line and get noticed.
Special Guest:
Madeline Mann
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato
How Hiring Decisions Really Get Made with Deepali Vyas | Ask a Recruiter
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 • Duration 26:02
In this episode of Ask a Recruiter, Leah Ova sits down with executive recruiter Deepali Vyas to unpack what really happens behind closed doors after an interview ends. From why highly qualified candidates get rejected to how power dynamics, executive presence, and unspoken bias influence hiring decisions, this conversation reveals the real factors that determine who gets the offer—and who doesn’t.
Connect with Deepali
How to Job Hunt in a Burnout Job Market with Bryan Creely | Ask a Recruiter
Monday, January 12, 2026 • Duration 24:23
January job searches are colliding with historic burnout. In this Ask a Recruiter episode of The Lonely Office, Leah Ova is joined by Bryan Creely, founder of Life After Layoff, to break down what’s really happening in the 2026 job market and how candidates can regain momentum. Drawing on Glassdoor data showing 77% of job seekers feel pessimistic heading into the new year, Bryan shares practical strategies for standing out, avoiding “spray and pray” burnout, and building a job search that actually works when competition is at its highest.
*Follow Bryan's A Life After Layoff Channel on YouTube
Employees Pretending to Be at Work: Quiet Vacationing and the New PTO Reality
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 • Duration 23:22
Jared's answering Slack messages from a cabana in Tulum, mouse jiggler running, calendar blocked just enough to avoid suspicion. This episode of The Lonely Office explores the rise of “quiet vacationing,” why nearly half of workers admit to doing it, and what it reveals about trust, PTO, and modern workplace culture. Is this a clever workaround—or a sign something deeper is broken at work?
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato
How Entry-Level Candidates Can Get Hired Right Now (with Emily the Recruiter) | Ask a Recruiter
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 • Duration 24:53
Breaking into the job market has changed — but so have the ways candidates can stand out. In this Ask a Recruiter bonus episode, Emily Durham talks with TLO's Leah Ova about practical strategies Gen Z job seekers can use to improve their chances, from getting applications opened to building real connections and showing confidence in interviews. A clear, encouraging guide for navigating entry-level hiring right now.
Job Seeker Resource: The Lonely Office Best of 2025
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 • Duration 35:56
In this Best of 2025 special, The Lonely Office revisits the conversations that helped job seekers make sense of a new normal—where old career rules broke down and new ones quietly took shape. From power versus status, to remote work as negotiation, to AI’s real impact on hiring, these moments cut through the hype and name what’s actually happening beneath the headlines. Not shortcuts or silver bullets—just sharper language, better frameworks, and a little more agency for navigating work when certainty is gone. This is a great episode to recap 2025 and get ready for 2026!
*Guests Featured
Alison Fragale — Organizational Psychologist, Author & Professor of Management
Daryl Fairweather — Chief Economist, Redfin
Jeremy Schifeling — Founder and CEO, The Job Insiders
Madeline Mann — Career Coach and Founder, Self Made Millennial
Nick Bloom — Professor of Economics, Stanford University
Phyl Terry — CEO and Co-Founder, Never Search Alone
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato
TOMS Chief People Officer Amy Lentz on Senior Hiring, Doing to Leading, and Breaking Into Executive Roles | Ask a Recruiter
Monday, December 8, 2025 • Duration 24:39
In this special TLO Ask a Recruiter episode, Leah Ova dives into the realities of senior-level hiring with Amy Lentz, Chief People Officer at Toms and the HR strategist behind Hack Your HR. Amy breaks down why the path to director, VP, and C-suite roles feels so different and how seasoned candidates can successfully position themselves for leadership roles. From networking that actually moves the needle to navigating salary expectations and switching industries later in your career, this conversation delivers practical, grounded guidance for anyone aiming for their next big step.
Nepotism vs. Networking: What Job Seekers Are Really Up Against
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 • Duration 24:45
Job seekers today are told to “network harder,” but what happens when networking fails to nepo hires? Also is networking just nepotism with better branding? In this episode, we break down why the line between the two and why in the current job market that line is blurrier than ever.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato
The Lonely Office, a podcast by The Lonely Office - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data