Working with Feeling – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I sit down with Rachel Nazhand, a seasoned ops leader who’s done the high-growth hustle, the burnout, the ER visits… and found her way back to herself. Through a deeply personal conversation, Rachel shares what it’s taken to move from hyper-productivity and depletion into a sustainable rhythm of leadership fueled by presence instead of pressure.

Rachel proves that it is possible to lead in high-intensity environments without losing yourself. She’s worked across Fortune 100s, scrappy startups, and pre-IPO orgs, yet what makes her stand out to me goes beyond her resume: she integrates her somatic practice into how she leads, builds teams, and sustains her own well-being.

We talk about:

* The fallacy of control (and why “just take action” is a trap)

* What the nervous system actually needs to reset at work

* How she stopped equating worth with output

* Tiny, subversive ways to rehumanize fast-paced work cultures

* The weirdly transferable wisdom of toddler parenting

And maybe most importantly, Rachel gives language to what so many high-achieving professionals feel: It might not be the job itself that’s unsustainable. It’s the way we’ve been taught to push through it.

“Nobody’s thinking about you as much as you’re thinking about you—so you might as well use that to your advantage.”

🎧 Listen for real talk about success that doesn’t require self-sacrifice.

Follow Rachel on LinkedIn

Follow Oren on LinkedIn

Learn more about somatic work for leaders at Feeling School.

Learning something from the podcast? Leave a review, hit subscribe, and share this episode with one person who keep trying to optimize their way out of overwhelm. (We all know one.)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

What if resilience wasn’t something you build alone, but something we practice together? If you’ve ever noticed the way some well-intentioned leadership skills fall flat in high-stakes moments, this conversation is for you.

In this conversation, I sit down with Tamás Hovanyecz — a leadership guide, facilitator, and highliner (yep, he willingly walks across ropes suspended hundreds of meters in the air) — to talk about how our nervous systems and relational patterns shape our capacity to lead, respond, and connect when it matters most.

We explore:

* Why most leadership development quietly collapses the moment pressure hits

* What “relational intelligence” looks like in a room full of Type-A world-changers

* The cost of staying in protection mode — for you, your team, and your nervous system

* How systems mirror survival states (yes, your org chart might be dissociating)

* What actually helps teams innovate during crisis (spoiler: it’s not grit)

* How a slackline can expose your fear and your healing in 10 seconds flat

Tamás also shares a story about what happens when you ask ambitious humans to slow down and just relate. (Spoiler: some tried to form a rebellion. Others had a breakthrough.)

💬 “Shifting how we interact and relate with each other is inherently changing the system.” — Tamás Hovanyecz

The real shift doesn’t happen in your head. It happens in the space between us. As always, this show is about coming back into relationship — with your body, your people, your work. Not in theory. In practice.

Mentioned in the episode:

* Inner Mastery Lab: innermasterylab.co

* WHO Cards: whocards.cc

* Find Tamas on LinkedIn

Find Oren on LinkedIn for the neuroscience of impact from the inside out

Access the Working with Feeling newsletter and show notes

Enjoy this episode? Leave a review, subscribe, and share the episode with one person you kinda like and want to have groundedness amidst the chaos of life.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

Have you ever wondered why truly inclusive work environments are so hard to come by? I mean, how many teams have you been a part of that you'd describe as inclusive? *chirp chirp*

Today's conversation delves into the heart of leadership itself, exploring how self-awareness and inclusivity can drive change and innovation in any field. Despite the growing attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion, work culture is still stuck in incremental change mode. This is a call to action for leaders at all levels to challenge that, starting within themselves.

(0:11:17) - What is boldly inclusive leadership?

(0:21:15) - The role of embracing the unknown

(0:26:32) - Being a leader is being real

(0:40:12) - The essential step of taking care of your inner state

Today's Guest

Minette Norman is an author, speaker, and leadership consultant who previously spent decades leading global technical teams in the software industry. Minette has extensive experience leading internationally distributed teams and believes that when groups embrace diversity in all its forms, breakthroughs emerge, and innovation accelerates.

Minette is a keynote speaker on topics of inclusive leadership, psychological safety, collaborative teams, and empathy and the co-author of The Psychological Safety Playbook: Lead More Powerfully by Being More Human. Her second book, The Boldly Inclusive Leader was released this month.

Connect with Minette: https://www.minettenorman.com/

Read Minette's excellent new book, The Boldly Inclusive Leader: boldlyinclusiveleader.com

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If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.Connect with Oren on LinkedInAccess resources on Whole-Human leadership

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

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Episode keywords: Inclusive Leadership, Self-Awareness, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Neuroscience, People Management, Adaptation, Resilience, Change and Innovation, Representation of Women, Marginalized Groups, Tech Leadership, Creativity, Leadership Style

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

Imagine facing challenges with a knowing that you've got what it takes – that's self-efficacy.

In this Somatic Side we delve into how rituals help you tap into your self-efficacy so you can move toward your goals with relaxed presence instead of autopilot-driven pressure.

Whether it's a pause and prayer as you hold your morning coffee or a moment of gratitude for your body before your workout, find you intentional moment to help you ground into your capacity.

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Please get in touch to share your experiences, ask questions, and offer suggestions for future episodes!

Connect with Oren on LinkedInAccess resources on Whole-Human leadership

If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if more of us knew how to intentionally connect with what's truly most important to us? On this episode we'll learn about the power of ritual for embodying our values individually, organizationally, and collectively.

Our guest today is Ezra Bookman, a nationally recognized ritual designer, artist, and facilitator, with work featured in the NYTimes, The Atlantic, VICE, and ABC News. Ezra is founder of Ritualist, a creative studio helping leaders cultivate more conscious companies and connected communities.

“The right rituals in the right places will help you build your culture, cohere your team, and achieve your goals. Building your own rituals is as important as building your product.” ⏤ Reid Hoffman, Co-founder LinkedIn

Timestamps

00:03:29 Designing intentional, symbolic rituals. 

00:06:28 How rituals help us break out of autopilot.

00:15:02 The value of rituals in organizations. 

00:31:40 Rituals that help embody and reinforce values. 

00:35:49 Rituals that reflect values and identity. 

00:47:04 The power of ritualizing life.

Connect with Ezra

Ritualist

LinkedIn

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If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.Connect with Oren on LinkedInAccess resources on Whole-Human leadership

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

In this Somatic Side of Whole-Human Work, we explore the profound impact of somatic awareness on our social connections.

By tuning into the sensations within our bodies during interactions, we can create deeper, more meaningful relationships.

In this episode we'll cover two helpful practices: inserting space into conversations to notice sensation, and yoga nidra (NSDR / non-sleep deep rest) to help us get better at creating that space.

Please get in touch to share your experiences, ask questions, and offer suggestions for future episodes!

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If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.Connect with Oren on LinkedInAccess resources on Whole-Human leadership

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

Have you ever wondered why belonging is so elusive in the modern workplace?

In this episode, entrepreneur, researcher, and strategist Laure Cast shares about the role of community in work and life, and the paradigm shift needed to create spaces which facilitate true belonging. This conversation will challenge your view of community and inspire you to experiment with creating real connection at work.

Timestamps

[00:01:14] Community 101

[00:04:07] Individualism vs community

[00:09:41] Is community building at odds with business goals?

[00:16:22] Community-oriented business models

[00:25:49] The responsibility of getting uncomfortable

[00:42:58] Possible future directions for community

Find Laure on LinkedIn

Visit fractals.community

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If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.Connect with Oren on LinkedInAccess resources on Whole-Human leadership

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.
Keywords: community, emergence, organizational structures, self-awareness, complexity

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

For this Somatic Side inspired by our last guest conversation, we cover an embodied perspective on meditation.

Contrary to popular belief, relaxation isn't only an outcome of meditation. It's actually something we need to practice in order to cultivate a consistent meditation practice.

But in a work culture that values being busy and stressed few of us know how to truly relax. To experience the benefits of meditation, we need to recognize and release tension in our bodies and experience our inner sensations more fully.

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If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.Connect with Oren on LinkedInAccess resources on Whole-Human leadership

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

Have you ever wondered what's motivating our over-identification with work (and how to break it)?

In this episode we explore:

• the challenge of caring deeply about work without identifying with it
• being authentic and setting boundaries in order to attract people who share the same values
• practices for connecting with your whole self so you can show up in a thoughtful and centered way
• the crucial role of a supportive community along our personal journeys

Sara is the Founder of Impactury, which offers eco-luxury wellness retreats to women executives seeking more purpose and less stress. Prior to Impactury, Sara worked with mission-based organizations globally as a consultant for Accenture and COO. She also co-founded a clean water social enterprise in Ethiopia and is a guest lecturer on social entrepreneurship for executive MBAs and undergraduates.

Applications are open for the next Impactury retreat! Learn more at Impactury.com and find Sara on LinkedIn.

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If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.

Connect with Oren on LinkedIn

Access resources on Whole-Human leadership

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com

Welcome to the Whole-Human Work Podcast where we're challenging our inherited culture of confined humanity in business and learning science-backed practices to shift towards a fully human way of being.

• What does it mean to embrace our full range of humanity at work?
• How do we challenge mechanistic ways of being and working that are culturally reinforced?
• What practices can support us in bringing more humanness into every moment, as leaders and as teammates?

That’s what we’ll be exploring together.

This podcast will alternate between guest interviews with inspiring leaders creating real change in our culture of work and solo episodes where Oren will give the somatics lens on the topic of the most recent guest interview. In those Somatic Circle episodes you'll learn about the role your nervous system plays in your leadership and how you can best work with it.

If you want to contribute to making work more human, please subscribe, share an episode with a friend, and join us at whole-human.work so you can attend Somatic Circle events live and connect with others committed to modeling a new way of leading and teaming.

Connect with Oren on LinkedIn
Join the Humaning Community
Get access to resources on Whole-Human leadership

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingwithfeeling.com