Even though it’s extremely personal, it's a story many of you will recognize. Because some version of it has happened to almost every manager who ever tried to tell the truth inside a corporation.

This is the season finale, the closing argument, and the most personal thing I've ever shared on this podcast.

As I release this episode, I realize it’s Employee Survey time. And while what I’m sharing in this episode about my particular experience with a particular survey is my own story - I know that, sadly, many in Corporate America will be able to relate.

But my story isn’t about employee surveys. Not really. It’s about what’s happening all across Corporate America: record profits alongside mass layoffs, collapsing trust, and a quiet exodus of the people who care most. I’m calling it the Crisis of Conscience. And I want every manager still inside to know: you are not alone.

You’re also not without options, and I share four reframes for anyone who isn’t ready to exit. Remember: you’re making a difference every day, whether you know it or not.

In this episode:

1. The story behind why I really left my corporate career
2. The data behind the Crisis of Conscience
3. What this season's guests taught me about who leaves — and why
4. Four reframes for managers still inside who aren't ready to give up

Resources mentioned:

1. NSFW: Not Safe for Work by me— get the book
2. Connect with me on LinkedIn

Season 4 is coming. Meet you here again soon.

In this episode, I sit down with Johanna Danaher, a life and leadership coach who helps professionals navigate not just the logistics of change, but the deeply personal question of who you become after you leave. Johanna brings a rare mix of corporate experience and coaching expertise, and she is refreshingly honest about her own journey.

We start with her three anchor points — the framework she uses to help clients move through change with intention rather than reaction. The first is getting honest about what you're actually leaving behind. Not just the job title or the paycheck, but the status, the structure, the sense of being needed. Johanna encourages us to grieve that, not skip it. The second anchor point is identifying what you want to carry forward into your next chapter — the values, the skills, the rhythms that are you, not just your job. And the third is creating intentional space for the things you've been putting off until "someday."

We also dig into her Energy Leadership framework, which reframes energy not as something we either have or don't — but as something we can actively cultivate. Johanna explains the seven levels of energy, from catabolic states where everything feels like it's happening to you, all the way up to a place of total consciousness where every challenge becomes an opportunity.

And we get real about burnout — not just the dramatic crash version, but the slow-bleed kind that sneaks up on high achievers. Johanna breaks down why the very traits that make us excellent at our jobs — the drive, the high standards, the need to be in every room — are the same traits that can quietly run us into the ground. From glorifying busyness to the 3:00 am self-criticism spiral, she names the signs we tend to miss and offers practical strategies to course correct before we hit the wall.

For leaders still in the thick of corporate life, this episode is full of practical, doable tools: using color-coded calendar blocking to protect renewal time, learning to ask whether you actually need to be in that meeting, and understanding that one intentional breath between back-to-back meetings can genuinely reset your nervous system.

And for anyone sitting with the question of whether a major transition is right for you — Johanna's message is clear: you don't have to blow everything up at once. Start with the 10% move. One conversation, one connection, one small step in the direction you're curious about. The messy middle is where the real magic happens.

Resources:

1. Johanna Danaher on LinkedIn: Johanna Danaher
2. Book a complimentary intro call: via her LinkedIn bio
3. Johanna’s website: https://www.anchortoaspire.com/
4. Energy Leadership Index from iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching)

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

But this isn’t a “bootstraps” story. It’s actually one about systems, and it shapes everything Maximos believes about leadership: we're not managing people, we're expressing systems that either unlock or suppress what people are capable of becoming. In this conversation, Maximos introduces a powerful framework that challenges conventional leadership thinking—the difference between being a "hero" manager and being a "host" manager.

Hero managers, like characters in Western movies, swoop in to solve problems and then leave. They're constantly firefighting, looking for crises to resolve so they can move on to the next emergency. But host managers make space—they create conditions where hidden potential can emerge. As Maximos explains, his grandfather didn't pull himself up by his bootstraps; someone made the decision to teach him to read, and a manager had to approve giving that person time during their duties to invest in his development.

The conversation reveals how first-line managers hold extraordinary power to unlock potential through seemingly small decisions. Maximos shares a compelling example from Google, where a "net neutral" mandate for data centers (originally about dollars in, dollars out) led to carbon-neutral innovations, wind and solar contracts, and data centers built near natural cooling sources—all because host-oriented leaders created space for people to imagine beyond the original parameters.

We explore why management has become exponentially more complex, requiring leaders to be therapists, culture builders, hiring strategists, and AI implementers while managing P&L and navigating unexpected layoffs. Maximos, who has worked across 600 companies, offers both philosophical frameworks and practical strategies for managers trying to build something lasting while caring for their people in increasingly challenging systems.

Connect with Maximos on LinkedIn

Book your free 60-minute strategy session and mention Manager on a Mission

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this conversation, Michael shares his journey from film and television pitching to building a business that transforms founders, nonprofit owners, and creatives into pitch masters. His transformation began when he realized that not building relationships was costing him deals. Working with Hollywood mentors, he learned that pitching isn't about performing—it's about owning the room and presenting yourself as a valuable opportunity.

Michael introduces the "two Cs" that separate successful pitches from failed ones: Confidence and Clarity. Founders often get lost in technical details when investors care about vision and execution, and shifting from a performance mindset to an ownership mindset changes everything. Michael teaches introverts to "turn on the switch" when needed, then return to their natural state afterward.

This episode includes powerful success stories, from a founder who went from a 0-11 pitching record to raising $20 million with the same idea—just a different presence. Michael also shares why the same principles apply whether you're seeking investment or donations for your nonprofit.

We explore Michael’s comprehensive 90-day program that covers everything from initial pitch development to role-playing tough questions, creating FAQs in advance, and developing multiple pitch formats (elevator pitch, formal presentation, one-pagers). Michael's insight that successful companies like Facebook, Uber, and Airbnb started with humble pitch decks serves as encouragement for founders who see themselves as "little old startups" when they should be owning the room like the million-dollar companies they envision becoming.

Resources & Links Mentioned

1. Michael’s site: PersonalityPitching.com
2. Book a complimentary Strategy Session with Michael here (mention Manager on a Mission and receive bonus services!)
3. Michael on LinkedIn

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this conversation, Chris shares her journey from corporate creative to full-time watercolor teacher and coach who transforms students from feeling "unworthy and not good enough" to confident, clear artists who understand their unique style. Her path began unexpectedly when Skillshare reached out through her jewelry brand website, asking her to teach. 10 years later,, she's built a thriving business helping others reconnect with their suppressed creativity.

Chris addresses a crucial societal problem: we've been conditioned to say "I'm not creative" or "there's not a creative bone in my body," despite scientific proof that all humans are inherently creative. She explains how this conditioning particularly affects corporate professionals who've spent decades believing creativity is frivolous or separate from "real work."

The conversation offers practical pathways for rekindling creativity, from her free online community where her members provide kind, supportive encouragement, to her tiered programs that help students progress from basic techniques to discovering their unique artistic style to potentially teaching others. Chris also explores the exploding opportunities in creative business, from surface design (art on products) to licensing artwork, showing that creative careers are being invented "right and left."

For anyone who's stuffed down their creative dreams so long they're not sure they're real anymore, Chris offers both permission and a roadmap. Her message is clear: that creative yearning isn't random—it's coming from somewhere important, and there's never been a better time to answer its call.

Resources & Links Mentioned

1. The Watercolor Journey free group in Skool
2. The Membership Community
3. The Art Style Clarity Formula course/group coaching
4. The Creative Online Teaching Mentorship 12-week 1-On-1 Program
5. Chris on Instagram
6. Chris on YouTube
7. You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this conversation, Kevin introduces the concept of "Laughter as a Service" (LaaS) and makes a crucial distinction that changes everything: there's a stark difference between trying to be funny and using comedy skills to create moments of laughter. While the former leads to awkward jokes in meetings, the latter builds psychological safety, enhances emotional intelligence, and creates genuine human connection.

During the pandemic, when comedy clubs shut down, Kevin pivoted to bringing comedians to corporate Zoom audiences. But what started as simple entertainment evolved into something deeper—custom professional development programs that use improv and comedy techniques to address specific business challenges. From healthcare workers to lawyers, sales teams to C-suites, his team develops targeted curricula based on what organizations actually need: better listening, going off script gracefully, creating psychological safety, or simply having each other's backs.

The conversation reveals surprising insights about why improv training works so well in corporate settings. It's not about performance or making people laugh—it's about presence. As Kevin notes, many of our favorite moments from movies and TV shows were improvised, created by people being fully present rather than following a script. The same principle transforms workplace interactions.

We also explore Kevin's concept of the "after-work comic"—professionals who use comedy as a training tool for growth without quitting their day jobs. His advice for bringing humor to work is counterintuitive: forget the jokes, focus on presence, and connection will follow.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Kevin's Work

1. Laugh.events - Corporate comedy skills training and professional development
2. LaughRx Newsletter
3. LinkedIn: Kevin Hubschmann

Books Mentioned

1. Sick in the Head by Judd Apatow
2. Sicker in the Head by Judd Apatow

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this conversation, Christy reveals a crucial insight: while AI might excel at tasks, our survival depends on our humanity—except we're terrible at being human. We struggle with vulnerability, curiosity, and empathy—the very skills that make us irreplaceable. This paradox sits at the heart of the workplace crisis facing younger generations who crave authenticity but lack the tools to practice it professionally.

Christy shares her observations about Gen Z's relationship with work: they want genuine connection, refuse to leave their emotions at home, and are opting out of traditional management roles after watching their elders get "chewed up and spit out." But notably, they're not opting out of leadership—they just can't reconcile being themselves with the management models they've witnessed.

The conversation takes a personal turn when Christy discusses her COVID-era leadership challenges, including having to lay off a third of her company while navigating her own tendency to err too far on the empathy side. Her vulnerability about not being able to do any of the jobs in her company anymore, despite having done them all, offers a refreshing take on what authentic leadership really looks like.

We explore practical approaches to bringing appropriate emotion into professional settings, the difference between kindness and weakness, and why the leader's primary job is to remove barriers to their team's success. Christy's framework for helping people practice their humanity in small cohorts offers a tangible path forward for organizations struggling to bridge generational divides while maintaining professional standards.

For anyone wondering how to create environments where people can be both human and high-performing, or leaders trying to model authenticity without sacrificing effectiveness, this conversation provides both philosophical grounding and practical guidance.

Resources & Links Mentioned

1. Your Cultural Balance Sheet by Christy Pretzinger
2. The Better Leader Project - Movement to help Gen Z develop human skills for work
3. ChristyPretzinger.com
4. LinkedIn
5. WGContent.com

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this conversation, Chris shares his journey from Sydney to London to Vancouver to Toronto and finally back home, revealing how each bold move taught him that growth comes from putting yourself in slightly uncomfortable positions. Now an executive coach working with middle managers and seven- to nine-figure founders through The Entourage, Chris brings a unique perspective on navigating the challenging space between frontline work and senior leadership.

We explore the reality of being a middle manager—carrying the organization's vision and culture while managing up, down, and sideways with limited resources and often conflicting priorities. Chris introduces the concept of "the squeeze," where middle managers bear the weight of organizational expectations while trying to maintain their own sanity and career progression. His advice? Ask for feedback early and often, turning what most people fear into a powerful tool for growth and team building.

Chris shares his daily self-coaching routine using AI, including powerful reflection questions like "What will make today great?" and "What outcome today moved you closer to your overall goal?" He demonstrates how modern tools can democratize access to coaching insights, making professional development accessible even without a formal coach.

We also discuss why fear-based leadership is not just outdated but fundamentally counterproductive. Chris's message to middle managers is clear: You're doing important work, and with the right mindset and tools, you can navigate the squeeze while building toward your next career chapter.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Chris March on LinkedIn

chrismarchcoaching.com

The Entourage

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

Drawing from sports psychology, Sébastien introduces the critical distinction between ego mindset (focused on KPIs, rankings, and external validation) and mastery mindset (focused on improvement for its own sake). While organizations chase sales targets and quarterly metrics, they miss what actually drives engagement: the excitement of getting better at how we do things, whether that's improving research processes or simply running better meetings.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when Sébastien shares his personal encounter with goal-induced blindness. His own near-death experience serves as a stark warning about what happens when we pursue goals at any cost. He shares the example that Everest climbers have a 4% chance of dying—a statistic that should make us question our own "summit or die" mentality in business.

We dive deep into the lessons in Sébastien’s book, including why leaders need to master being disagreeable about 10% of the time—picking battles that matter while avoiding both excessive agreeableness and tyrannical behavior. His "10% rule" offers a practical framework for leaders struggling to balance consensus-building with decisive action.

Sébastien and I discuss personality traits that predict leadership success, particularly openness to experience—using an interesting spectrum of Jim Morrison (maximum openness) to the Pope (maximum tradition). The key insight: effective leaders need both the innovation that comes from openness and the discipline that comes from structure.

Throughout, Sébastien challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that our KPI obsession creates ego-driven cultures where people optimize for metrics rather than mastery. His research-backed approach offers a path forward for leaders who want to build organizations where people are genuinely engaged, not just hitting numbers.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• The Psychology of Leadership by Sébastien Page
• NSFW - A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture by me
• Sébastien Page - business profile on LinkedIn
• Sébastien’s Instagram for his book

What worked for repetitive assembly line tasks simply doesn't translate to today's creative problem-solving environment.

The research is clear: goal-setting excels when there's one right way to do something (like crunches at the gym), but fails spectacularly when applied to strategic puzzles with multiple possible solutions. Instead of targets that create what Radhika calls "soul-sucking" work environments, she proposes thinking in terms of puzzles and experiments—shifting from "Did we hit the number?" to "What did we learn and what will we try next?"

We explore Radhika’s proprietary framework which replaces the red/yellow/green status updates of traditional goal tracking with meaningful conversations about actual progress and learning. This approach emphasizes psychological safety, where teams can share both successes and failures without fear of retribution—because in puzzle-solving, failures are data, not deficiencies.

Radhika also introduces us to "product diseases"—the common ailments that plague organizations including Pivotitis, Obsessive Sales Disorder, and Hero Syndrome. These diseases often emerge from misaligned goal-setting practices that prioritize metrics over meaningful progress.

For managers caught in OKR-obsessed organizations, Radhika offers practical advice on introducing puzzle-thinking gradually, starting with your own team and slowly shifting organizational conversations from targets to learning. The key is creating psychological safety where messengers aren't shot for bringing bad news, and where "How well did it work?" becomes as important as "Did we achieve it?"

Resources & Links

Radhika's Website

Her books: Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter and the upcoming book on Goals and OKRs

Radhika Dutt on LinkedIn - Share your OLA experiences for potential inclusion in her upcoming book

Download Radhika's free toolkit

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

When Philipp Schett moved from Germany to Silicon Valley as an innovation scout for T-Mobile, he expected to find radically different ideas. Instead, he discovered something more powerful: the ideas were similar, but the execution was transformative. The key difference? How organizations set and manage their goals.

In today’s conversation, Philipp shares insights from implementing OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) at hundreds of organizations worldwide through his company Wave Nine. We explore why traditional top-down goal cascading often fails to create real engagement, and how involving employees in the goal-setting process can fundamentally change organizational dynamics.

Philipp breaks down the critical distinction between setting targets and changing behaviors. A revenue goal of $10 million tells you where to aim but nothing about how to get there. We get real about the challenges of goal-setting transformation, and why quarterly cycles are better than annual ones.

We also talk about a surprisingly common pitfall: organizations treating strategic transformation as a side project for junior staff, when it actually requires dedicated leadership attention. Philipp offers concrete advice for anyone looking to improve their organization's goal-setting, whether they're in the C-suite or just starting their career.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Educational Resources

1. Measure What Matters by John Doerr - Foundation text on OKRs with inspiring case studies
2. Wave Nine OKR Crash Course - Free comprehensive guide with 100+ pages of implementation strategies
3. Wavenine.com - Resources and frameworks for OKR implementation

Organizations & Leaders

1. Philipp Schett on LinkedIn - Regular insights on modern goal-setting and organizational effectiveness
2. WorkBoard - OKR platform company that pioneered software-supported goal management
3. Deidre Paknad - WorkBoard founder and thought leader in strategic execution

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this episode we’re looking at the truth behind Amazon's massive layoffs, revealing how they’re using culture and innovation as an excuse. How can you claim to care about culture when your actions repeatedly tank your company's morale? And how can you claim “innovation” when you’re following the 40-year old playbook of Jack Welch - the CEO with the now-questionable legacy who made “downsizing” a household word.

To get to the truth, we look closely at the post-layoff words from Amazon execs themselves, as well as recent news articles about the devastating job eliminations, and we reconcile it all against facts about the tech industry and AI, middle managers, and startups - what they are, and what they’re not. Spoiler: Amazon isn’t even close to being a startup. Not even the “world’s largest” one.

And of course, we talk about what this means for employees of Corporate America - especially the ones who care about the people who actually do the work.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Books

• The Man Who Broke Capitalism by David Gelles -The definitive account of Jack Welch's destructive legacy at GE
• NSFW - A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture (by me)

Articles & Sources

• Amazon's Official Layoff Announcement
• Forbes: "AI Didn't Layoff 14,000 People, Amazon Did"
• CNN: David Solomon on AI and Jobs
• Fortune: Amazon Layoffs and Middle Management
• Amazon Employee Subreddit 

In this episode of Embrace Your Value, Jen and Kristen sit down with Tosca Fasso, a former Fortune 100 executive turned author, podcaster, and entrepreneur. Tosca shares her journey from climbing the corporate ladder as an admin assistant to becoming a Wall Street executive, and her ultimate decision to leave corporate America. She discusses the challenges and transformations she experienced, the importance of community, and how she now helps women start their own businesses. Tune in to hear empowering insights, practical advice, and inspiring stories of resilience and growth.

Like this episode? Get more Embrace Your Value on Apple and Spotify

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

Jonathan breaks down the differences between coaching, consulting, and mentoring (something I honestly had never thought about previously) explains the three levels of accountability that exist in healthy organizations, and reveals why the best workplaces have psychological safety AND accountability at every level. We also discuss the origins of strong organizational cultures, the risks of bringing your whole self to work, and why clarity about boundaries creates the healthiest workplace relationships.

Key quotes:

1. "What feels heavy right now?" - Jonathan's opening question to get past surface issues
2. "What have you already tried?" - The get-out-of-jail-free card question
3. "The first presenting problem is probably not the right one"
4. "The healthiest organizations - that third level of accountability happens everywhere, all down the organization"
5. "You haven't just had to let somebody go. You've taken a part of them away from themselves" - on the risks of employees over-identifying with their workplace

The three levels of accountability:

1. Accountability to yourself - doing what you say you'll do, holding yourself to fair standards
2. Accountability to your team - following through with colleagues, maintaining equity
3. Accountability to the organization - fiduciary duty, caring for the long-term health of the entity

Connect with Jonathan:

1. LinkedIn - he responds to DMs!
2. Website
3. Private Podcast Series: Six coaching sessions you can listen to

Additional note: Jonathan is also a published author of literary fiction and poetry, writing about his childhood in Australia, modern family dynamics, and reflections on fatherhood and life.

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

We discuss why women minimize their natural talents, how to prove your expertise by documenting quantitative and qualitative results, and why everyone has a unique "fingerprint" in how they work. Brianca explains the importance of developing frameworks that deliver consistent results, tackles the shame around self-promotion that holds women back, and reveals why imposter syndrome disappears when you face the facts of your contributions. We also explore how to set your own pace in business, why you don't need everything figured out before you start, and how being of service is the real mission behind consulting work.

Brianca also addresses the visibility challenge for women who've built careers being of service, why shameless self-promotion shouldn't feel shameful if you're qualified, and how to set sustainable boundaries in your business instead of chasing hustle culture.

Key quotes:

1. "The things that come the easiest to us are often the things that we are the quickest to disregard"
2. "I'm the sauce" - Why your framework can't be replicated without you
3. "Who are you NOT to be of service?"
4. "You get to set your pace... My only request would be that whatever boundary you set, you maintain"

Connect with Brianca:

Briancajohnson.com

Instagram: @thebriancajohnson (DM her for a free guide called "The Pivot Plan")

LinkedIn

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

We dive into why leadership matters in real estate transactions and every industry, and explore listening as a superpower using John's "WAIT" acronym (Why Am I Talking). John shares his concept of creating a personal "board of directors" of 10 people to model yourself after, and explains what it means to be a "class act" who shows up with intention. And he explains why he needed to climb a mountain to feel worthy of being on stage.

John and I also discuss servant leadership through the lens of wanting more FOR people than FROM them, and hear about the 12-hour walk that led John’s epic mountain hike. He also opens up about being pulled into speaking after achieving something outside his comfort zone, finding purpose by helping others reach theirs, and why you don't have to wait until you "feel ready" to do something brave.

Books mentioned:

1. "Mindset" by Carol Dweck
2. "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss
3. "The 12 Hour Walk" by Colin O'Brady
4. "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber
5. "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill
6. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins
7. "Your Next Five Moves" by Patrick Bet-David

Key quotes:

1. "I want more FOR you than I want FROM you."
2. "Are you listening to respond or are you listening to comprehend?"
3. "If you don't know your purpose, go find somebody that has one and help them reach their purpose"

Connect with John:

1. LinkedIn: John Donnelly
2. Company: Service First Mortgage

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

This season we’ll be sharing more post-corporate stories and second acts. It’s not about telling everyone to leave their jobs, but about expanding what's possible. And while we’ll have more stories from people who've made the leap, we’ll also feature people staying in corporate but doing it differently, and of course, sassy solo rants from me.

Do you have a story I should cover? Let’s connect:

LinkedIn

Instagram - Tosca Fasso

Instagram - Dreamtech

Email: tosca@toscafasso.com

Get my book

I’m so excited to introduce Irma Neal, who has navigated everything from being the actual Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis to corporate executive positions to building multiple successful businesses, all while maintaining her core principles and beliefs. Irma shares how she identifies and handles people who thrive on chaos, why she always looks at herself first when mistakes happen, and how creating clear values-based boundaries actually empowers teams to self-police toxic behavior.

Rather than accepting that you have to compromise your integrity to succeed, Irma shows us how leaders who stay true to their values create loyalty, reduce turnover, and build environments where people genuinely want to contribute their best work. She also reveals why financial wellness programs aren't just nice-to-haves but strategic investments that create measurable returns in productivity, retention, and employee loyalty.

Resources:

• "Leading in Chaos" by Irma Neal
• Onyx Rising website 
• Onyx Rising on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook
• Free Money Mindset Quiz
• Irma Neal on LinkedIn

Sure, you aren’t going to love everything about your work, but why is it inevitable that we accept environments that squeeze the creativity and humanity out of talented people when we have experts like Todd dedicating their lives to making work more fun and creative?

In this episode, you'll learn how to do exactly this from Todd, who went from corporate executive to self-proclaimed "certified goofball" running a multi-million dollar lead generation company. Todd challenges the myth that you have to choose between being successful and being yourself, sharing his "sandbox method" for managing teams and his philosophy that being serious about results doesn't mean you can't have fun doing the work.

Rather than accepting the soul-crushing aspects of traditional corporate culture, Todd shows us how setting boundaries, maintaining your sense of humor, and focusing on what really matters can create both better business outcomes and a workplace where people actually want to show up.

If you’re a leader, I implore you to ask yourself: when was the last time you helped someone see a "failure" as an iteration? Or created space for your team to actually innovate instead of just survive?

In this episode, we explore these questions with adaptive leadership coach Valerie Sandjivy, who challenges us to find harmony amidst the chaos by fundamentally reframing how we think about change, mistakes, and what it means to lead.

In this moment when businesses desperately need innovation and resilience, too many leaders are clinging to outdated approaches that create fear instead of the creative, collaborative cultures that would actually drive real results and retain talent.

Rather than resisting the constant shifts in our world, Valerie shows us how adaptive leadership means staying "one step ahead" by listening to signals and creating with intention instead of reacting from fear. She breaks down her four-pillar foundation for leadership and reveals why the most successful leaders treat every challenge as a training room for the next level.

Resources:

• Valarie’s Free Leadership Self-Assessment Quiz
• Valerie Sandjivy on LinkedIn
• Book: "Not Safe for Work: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture" by me

I know it’s more complicated than that. And maybe some things did improve in some ways. But I have to ask: why do companies insist on chasing trendy, expensive, complicated workflow and productivity overhauls when we already know some very simple things corporations COULD do to truly improve productivity, innovation, and even employee retention. 

In this episode, we explore this question and look at the reasons why companies continue to chase a new fix while ignoring what we employees already know, including the mounting evidence that "always on" culture actually destroys productivity and innovation.

Rather than making us more efficient, this constant availability has allowed corporations to ignore and even indulge in their systemic inefficiencies, passing problems downstream to employees instead of fixing broken processes and placing accountability where it actually belongs.

The irony? In this historic moment when U.S. businesses desperately need to be more innovative and competitive, senior executives are turning instead to being more controlling and stifling the creativity and culture that would actually allow them to deliver real impact and results. 

Resources:

• Making Time Off Predictable - Harvard Business Review
• Deloitte Workplace Study on Right to Disconnect policies
• That’s What the Money is For! Manager on a Mission podcast episode
• From Gatekeeping to Gardening Manager on a Mission podcast episode
• Books: "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less" by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang and Not Safe for Work: A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture by me

Join Tosca and Lori as they talk about Tosca’s mission of creating a safe and healthy work environment.

Tosca is a former Fortune 100 executive on a mission to rework the workplace by putting people first. After snagging her first management role at age 25, she knew that creating a vision with a team, coaching them to succeed, and building a culture where team members actually liked and respected each other was her life’s work. Tosca left her Wall Street position to write her book “Not Safe for Work – A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture”. She also hosts the Manager on a Mission podcast and coaches people-focused leaders who know there’s a better way to manage teams but need just a little support to build the systems that are both good for people as well as profits.

Join Lori’s FREE Facebook Community for Women:

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ENSALcUax

And yes, the title of this episode references Don Draper's infamous line from Mad Men. As a former ad agency copywriter when the legendary show was on the air, I certainly didn’t enjoy working for people who treated me and my team members badly, yet I admit to pretty much buying into this mentality. There has always been a sort of accepted level of misery we’re supposed to endure on the job in exchange for money.  

Then something happened: the pandemic created a natural experiment that exposed the true nature of the emotional contract between employers and employees and broke open something we never expected - initially, the freedom to work more comfortably and flexibly. But later, the backlash and control tactics - one of the most troubling examples of which is JP Morgan Chase's surveillance system, which has created a culture of paranoia and distrust.

The fundamental question becomes: what is the limit of treatment we're willing to endure in exchange for money? And why do we assume work has to include some level of emotional abuse at all?

Resources you might like:

Manager on a Mission podcast episode: Hell, No RTO

My book: NSFW - A good manager’s guide to better-feeling work in a toxic culture 

Tracy brings over 30 years of experience in training and development across high-tech consulting and legal industries. And in this conversation, she shares her journey from burnout (traveling 40 weeks a year to three cities a week!) to becoming a trust expert and "joychiever" (that’s right: joy + achiever).

Tracy explains how high achievers and burnout candidates can become “joychievers” by understanding what makes them uniquely joyful and recognizing that joy comes from small daily choices. 

She shares insights from her book "The Joychiever Journey," which includes seven "true self stops" to help professionals gain a deeper understanding of themselves, including:

• Values Village - identifying your 5-10 highest priority values that guide all your choices
• Strengths Mountain - focusing on your most joyous strengths (not just what you're good at)
• Body Beach - taking care of your physical health
• Relationships Harbor - prioritizing joy-inducing relationships over joy-robbing ones

Tracy also reveals fascinating insights about workplace trust, including:

• The six elements of trust: competence, openness, integrity, empathy, empowerment, and consistency
• Why trust should be given rather than earned (it's actually physiological - it releases oxytocin!)
• How managers inadvertently erode trust through behaviors like not acknowledging effort
• Why saying "thank you" and acknowledging effort matters, even when people are "just doing their job"
• How to repair trust when it's broken (hint: it's a two-way street)

One of my favorite takeaways? If you're able to do what you really enjoy at least 30% of the time in your job, you'll be "exponentially more joyful.” It’s not about loving every aspect of your work - it's about intentionally designing your work to include enough of what brings you joy.

Here's how to connect with Tracy:

• LinkedIn: Tracy LaLonde
• Website: joychiever.com
• Email: tracy@joychiever.com

Books: "The Joychiever Journey: Evade Burnout, Surpass Your Goals and Out-Happy Everyone " and "Trust Me: An Insider's Guide to Being the Go-To Person at Work"

This episode was inspired by Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, who declared at a town hall early in 2025 that remote work "simply doesn't work" for creativity and decision-making—with no data to back his claims. It got me wondering why so many CEOs who usually pride themselves on being "data-driven" and "innovative" are so determined to make backward, uninformed declarations about how work should happen.

I cover four of the worst RTO offenders, from A to Z, starting with Andy (Jassy) of Amazon. and also share common threads among the reasons behind these mandates. And for managers caught in the middle, I offer some practical advice.

I also revisit one of my common rants: that proximity doesn't automatically build culture or innovation. These are built through consistent, committed leadership choices that include listening to people and adapting to new ways of working.

Take a listen and let me know in the comments which CEO gets your vote for the worst RTO take!

Connect with me:

• Get my newsletter
• My book NSFW
• Previous RTO episode: Hell No, RTO 
• Website
• Instagram

Dr. Taryn Fletcher is coach, author, and educator who's on a mission to empower one million (or more!) humans to boldly pivot into the leaders they want to be. We explore how to recognize when it's time to pivot, the importance of listening to your inner wisdom, and her proven framework for navigating change authentically.

Dr. Fletcher shares her personal journey of pivoting after receiving life-changing news during her pregnancy with her third child, and how this catalyst helped her discover her true purpose. This conversation is perfect for anyone who feels that quiet (or not so quiet!) nudge that there might be more to their leadership journey.

Resources:

• Website: drtaryn.co
• Dr. Taryn on LinkedIn
• "The Pivot Plan" - Dr. Fletcher's upcoming book
• "Closet Changemaker" private podcast just for listeners of Manager on a Mission

I’ve been a recruiter and hiring manager in my corporate career, and Nicole even schooled me on a few things, including warning signs of potential layoffs, like:

• Restructuring and team consolidations
• Hiring freezes after periods of growth
• Negative financial performance (especially in publicly traded companies)
• Elimination of key programs like DEI initiatives
• Budget cuts across departments
• Return-to-office mandates (which Nicole notes can sometimes be designed to prompt voluntary departures)

She also shares the importance of staying ready, maintaining networking connections, and developing areas of expertise and differentiation. We also talk salary negotiations and resume strategy - as well as whether anyone actually reads your cover letters. 

Here’s how to connect with Nicole:

• LinkedIn: Nicole Miles 
• Website: HerCareerStrategist.com
• Book a complimentary Launch Your Dream Career session to discuss your specific situation
• Download Nicole’s free Standout Resume Toolkit
• Follow Nicole on Instagram

The WARN Act page that Nicole mentioned where employers notify of impending layoffs is by state, so Google yours, but here is the federal page.

I promise this episode will challenge your usual thinking about leadership and get you thinking! Even if you never want to manage people, this conversation offers a unique lens for examining your approach to leadership and authenticity at work and in life in general. 

You can find out more about Conner on his site where you can also get his book, Trusting Your Foundation.

In this episode, we explore how toxic management behaviors have become normalized in workplace culture and then take a look what we can do to create positive change. We dive deep into why toxic bosses may not even realize they're toxic, how harmful behaviors get reframed as workplace virtues, and the real cost of burnout in today's workplace.

Referenced in this episode is the interview with the authors of Better Capitalism.

Spotify

Apple

The Toxic Boss session on LinkedIn Live

My book, NSFW.

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

We take a look at recent studies that provide the proof that flexible work supports creativity and productivity, including research from Owl Labs that reveals that 62% of workers aged 22-65 report higher productivity when working remotely. The financial impact is equally significant, with companies saving approximately $11,000 per half-time remote worker annually, as reported by Global Workplace Analytics.

We’ll also showcase some of the companies leading the way in modern management, including Airbnb and GitHub, as well as Pinterest, who uses intentional in-person gatherings for team building while allowing day-to-day work to happen wherever employees are most productive.

Finally, I share some of my tips for working within restrictive, old-school cultures, including: 

* Flexible scheduling

* Reserving rooms and spaces

* Supporting buffer time for commutes and personal needs

As well as not being a robot and using empathy and transparency to create psychological safety for your team.

Get my book, Not Safe for Work

Get my book, Not Safe for Work

A 1:1 meeting may sound basic, but it can absolutely transform how you and your team work together.

If your 1:1s are supportive, consistent, and positive, your team has a much better chance of being healthy and happy. On the other hand, if they’re not those things, bad 1:1s can damage your relationship with your employees - more than you may realize.

The good news is that great 1:1s aren't hard to do! In this episode, I share ideas for questions and meeting structure that might surprise you, and certainly will help you and your team do better work together. 

We’ll also talk about common things that go wrong with 1:1s, as well as some simple reframes and techniques to make them instantly better. I promise it’s easier than you might think, and January is the perfect time to reboot how you run your 1:1s!

Before doing research, I assumed that imposter syndrome is experienced mostly by women. But that's not exactly correct. In this episode, I cover who is most likely to suffer from it, as well as the 5 sub-types: Perfectionist, Natural Genius, Superperson, Expert, and Soloist.

In this episode, I talk about my own experience with major imposter syndrome and how I analyzed and questioned my way out of it. And finally, I share my ideas for helping reframe being new at something and not voluntarily making ourselves small, so that we can all leave imposter syndrome behind this year.

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Aurora is Founder and Chief Change Agent of Astrapto LLC, which exists to advance positive impact in the workplace. Her passion is to make sustainability practical and approachable for people whose main job is not sustainability, but who have a passion to improve social and environmental performance in their operations and supply chains. Aurora loves helping people realize their potential while discovering a greater purpose for good in business.

 In this episode, Aurora and I talk about the idea that business and the good you can do in the world don’t have to be separate. And she shares her four Es for helping her clients move toward sustainability: Empathize, Enlighten, Empower, and Encourage. I think you’ll love her positive approach to helping drive change and her hopeful message that sustainability will be BUILT IN to how corporations will do business. 

Aurora has a Doctorate in Business Administration in Social Impact Management and was named a 2021 Top 30 Sustainability Champions by the International Hospitality Institute. In August 2024, she published her first book, Exponential Impact: Harnessing Human Potential to Drive Sustainability in Organizations.

Find out more about Aurora and her work here:

Astrapto Website

Exponential Impact book

Instagram

LinkedIn

We also talk about the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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A vision is more than just goals and objectives. It’s a way for you and your team to identify the “why” behind what you do and map out a path for the future. Is your work too boring and basic for a vision? Nope. I can pretty much guarantee you that you’re wrong about that. Every team has a purpose and can find a shared reason for coming together, and even finding joy, from their vision.

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Megan is a former coworker of mine from my design agency days in Brooklyn. She is the founder of Spoken,  a consultancy dedicated to helping leaders and teams achieve meaningful growth. Megan has over 15 years of global experience and a Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. As you’ll hear in this episode, she combines academic expertise with practical application to address real-world challenges.

Megan is an ICF-certified coach and leadership facilitator, and she has supported leaders from organizations across the globe focusing on building individual capabilities and strengthening team dynamics.

Listen in as we talk about how Megan brings clarity and focus to leadership development, and also as she shares a couple of her journeys - from academia to corporate, from corporate to consulting and back to corporate - and what is drawing her back to the corporate world.

Connect with Megan on LinkedIn or visit her website to learn more about her work.

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Resources Megan discusses in this episode:

So, Human Resources Is Making You Miserable? - NYT

Why HR is Getting Tougher - and How to Break Through - McKinsey

Human Centered Organizations - Articulate

Inclusion on Purpose - Ruchika Tulshyan

Scaling People - Claire Hughes Johnson

Spoiler: It’s about words. Well, it’s about phrases - some of my least favorite phrases, because I think they point fingers at and shame employees in an unfair and outsized way. And I think managers can do better. So sit back and listen for a little corporate storytime.

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Layoffs are a symptom. Lower salaries and less frequent raises are a symptom. Having less power and leverage in job offer negotiation - also a symptom. Of what? Mergers. In this episode we’ll be talking about how mergers cause layoffs - and how to protect yourself and your team.

For additional info on the Google cases I mention in the episode, you might also like these articles from Ed Zitron:

Monopoly Money

Matt Stoler Explains Monopolies

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Well you found the right episode of Manager on a Mission, because our guest has the answers. Diane Lam comes from the corporate world, more specifically operations, and finance operations at that! In her business as an operations strategist she has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Insider and more. 

In this episode, we talk about the six years she’s spent building her business and how she helps other entrepreneurs untangle their systems and scale their businesses faster. We also talk about self-discovery and working in harmony with your natural working style. 

Diane is on Instagram and welcomes hearing from you!

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In this episode, I interview some real experts - Paul Knowlton and Aaron Hedges, authors of the book, "Better Capitalism - Jesus, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand, and MLK Jr. on moving from plantation to partnership economics." That subtitle both triggered and intrigued me, and I needed to find out more. So I read the book, and had Paul and Aaron on the podcast!

Paul and Aaron are experts on economics, but also on theology. I had my hackles up when I started reading their book, but it's actually about a lot of the things I talk about, like the power dynamics in Corporate America, why work is so bad for so many employees, and of course, some things we can do to fix it.

Paul is an attorney, pastoral counselor, and author. He is a first-generation Cuban American who spent some years in the foster system. Paul combines his unusually broad and diverse background in engineering, law, business, and seminary training for a truly interdisciplinary approach to every question.

Aaron is the CEO of Inheritance of Hope,a nonprofit that helps families who have lost parents due to terminal illness. He is also an entrepreneur and business coach, and of course an author.

Find out more about them and their mission by reading their book or visiting their site, bettercapitalism.org

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Why?

That's exactly what we'll explore in this short little episode: how in order to survive and even have a chance at thriving in Corporate America, most of us have to deny our bad days and show up with a smile and be a problem-solver through every situation. We’re not allowed to say we’re not ok. We're not allowed to have bad days. We shoot the messenger and we criticize the way the message is delivered.

And that's not ok. Sometimes we're not ok. We've learned so well how to deny ourselves and our feelings. And that's why we need to talk about it.

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Steph is the talent behind my top-to-bottom rebrand - from this podcast name and artwork, to my new site, and all those photos I've been using on the socials. In this episode we talk about how to find your authentic voice, honor what your body is telling you, and build a business foundation.

Steph shares the concept of "unstructing," a counter to the prevalent belief that we always need to learn more things. Instead, she believes we need to strip away everything in order to find our true, authentic selves.

Visit Steph's beautiful site and Insta to learn more!

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What if i told you you don’t need to fix everything and you could still improve the lives of your team? And what if you could do it without getting approval of budget dollars from your manager? What if it was just YOU who could make a big impact and you could do it this week?

In this episode I’m going to show you how. I'm going to share my tips for dramatically changing your team members’ experience at work, enough to improve their mental health and their job satisfaction, regardless of whether you have anyone else's approval or support.

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Old-school managers are shortchanging their team members by holding on to past ideas of what management looks like, instead of what is required to lead today - not just procedural things like how we assign work but big things like kindness, trust, and coaching instead of just correcting.

Work is changing RIGHT NOW. We can let change happen, or we can lead the change. This podcast is for the ones who are ready to lead.

Here's the Season 1 episode I mention - Coaching Beats Feedback

Spotify

Apple

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1. How managers can help you increase your visibility and build your reputation
2. Why doing boring work doesn't mean you're doomed to never get a better job than the one you have now
3. How to become a better presenter, even if you feel like you've already tried everything
4. How to handle an overworked and understaffed team when there's no relief in sight

Thank you so much for listening to this season of the Management Detox podcast. I'll be back soon with Season 2!

If there's anything you want me to cover in the new season, DM me on LinkedIn. I look forward to hearing from you.

In the meantime, follow me:

Instagram

TikTok

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In this episode, Brian and Tosca talk about management culture and what to do when organizations don't support managers, as well as how easing new managers into their roles is like getting into a kayak.

Brian shares why he's passionate about ensuring that managers get the support they need to succeed, including his iterative approach to helping managers and their teams deliver better work over time. 

Brian also reveals an unexpected source of inspiration for him: death. And he shares the concept of the "modern elder," as coined by Chip Conley and what that means for second acts in life, for managers or otherwise. 

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn

Resources:

Modern Elder Academy - Chip Conley

Brian's consultancy: Shiftfocus.com

Get my book on Barnes & Noble or Amazon! 

The recent Atlassian Workplace Woes survey about meetings validated everything I had been feeling about meetings before I left my corporate job: they're largely ineffective, they waste time and energy, and they make it hard to complete the work that is supposed to matter. They're also a symptom of a larger problem: control and fear of making mistakes.

I know we can't do away with meetings completely, and I don't think we have to. But we can't go on like this. Besides sharing key insights from the Atlassian survey, in this episode I offer my own additional insights into why meetings have gone so wrong, guidelines for improving them, and ideas for alternatives to putting another meeting on everyone's calendar.

Let's continue the conversation. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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In this episode, Dina and Tosca talk about the differences between toxic positivity and influential positivity, the power of mindset, and Dina’s Energized Leadership Program. They have a little debate about “feedback,” and share their beliefs about how leaders need to earn the right to ask employees to turn on their cameras on Zoom. 

Dina explains the two parts of her career: the first part, which was dedicated to output, and this second part as a leader, which is about impact in helping others develop and grow in their own career journeys. Dina’s word of the year is “connection,” and she welcomes listeners connecting with her. You can find her on LinkedIn.

Other resources Dina and Tosca discuss:

• Kelly McGonigal’s TED talk: How to Make Stress Your Friend
• Author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek
• Researcher and storyteller Brene Brown
• Organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant 
• The Energy Bus book

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We answer that question in this podcast. As someone who spent most of their adult life moving up the corporate ladder and then helping my team members to do the same, I can help demystify the process. In this episode, we walk through how promotions work at different types of companies, how to play the politics game (or not), and the annoying truth that you need to be doing the job you want before you're formally recognized for it. We also cover why promotion scarcity is built-in at American companies, and what you can do about it. 

Even if we can't fix everything about how corporations promote, knowledge is power - and that's what I'm sharing here with you, including tips for how managers can help their team members show progress when the company you work for doesn't make it easy to do so, and even how to know when it's time for you or your team members to get what you deserve - by taking a job somewhere else.

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In this episode, Tosca and Jess discuss how managers can care for people, be of service to their teams, respect and honor individual personalities and work styles, and still produce business results. They share ways they've fostered human connection, their 16 Personalities styles, and the "mountains" they've moved through. 

Jess believes in the power of slowing down and that good energy in creates good energy out, and she shares her coaching philosophy that leans heavily on the healing power of movement, wonder, and possibility - yes, even for the corporate world. 

How to connect with Jess:

• Her website wonderingforward.com
• Her LinkedIn profile

More resources Jess and Tosca shared: 

• Arthur Brook's curve/mountain
• Freudenberger's 12 Stages of Burnout
• 16 Personalities
• SYP Superpowers cards and app
• User Manual Reference 
• Vitaly Friedman's post with "How to Work With Me" templates
• Marcia Reynolds
• Cleo Wade
• Mr. Rogers on Instagram and YouTube 
• One of many articles about Georgia O'Keeffe
• Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman

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Having recently branched out into coaching, Jod has been reflecting on his evolution as a manager who now believes his job as a leader is to "obsolete himself," and build the next generation of managers.

Tosca and Jod discuss the perils (and temptations) of "falling on every grenade for your team," possible futures for UX you've probably never heard of before, and advice for people who want fulfilling careers (that's you, right?)

We also discuss Jod's journey from Luke Skywalker to Yoda. If that sounds intriguing to you you're going to have to give this one a listen. 

Find out more about Jod's coaching practice, Design-Led Futures here.

You can also follow Jod on LinkedIn here. 

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The question I have - and I bet you have too is, Why? Why would companies want to re-commit to the overhead of physical office locations, at least at the same scale they had pre-pandemic? Why, if corporate America is all about productivity - and we were productive at record levels - wouldn’t businesses want to take a close look at what was happening and try to capitalize on it? Or improve on it?

In this episode we try to answer that question. Commercial real estate? Stock prices? Sure, those are probably part of it, but I think there's something else, and you're probably not going to like it.  We also cover the positive things about remote work, as well as the history of it. And finally, we look at how managers can help employees who may be struggling with RTO. Even if you can't change the policy, you can still support your people and make a difference in their day-to-day. 

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In this episode, I’m not saying managers should be happy with everything employees do and never provide any guidance on how to improve. I’m saying the terms and the interactions we use matter, and I don’t like the one-sidedness of “delivering feedback.” It sounds robotic and detached.  

Instead, I recommend having coaching conversations or growth conversations. When you just give one-sided feedback, you aren’t really helping your team members solve future problems or truly understand excellence. In this episode, we explore how coaching differs from correcting, and why it’s better for building healthy, high-performing teams.

Coaching is all about curiosity and asking questions. We cover how and why the best managers ask questions, understand context, and clarify expectations - and how they go beyond “feedback” to having growth conversations instead.

We talk about the worrying trend of corporations having a lack of consideration for employees AS PEOPLE, including things like stack ranking and yearly layoffs and touch on the whole return to office debate. 

The bad news: We're being asked to take on the work of our team members who have been fired, we’re expected to be available at all times on all of our devices, we’re strategizing on how manage up, we’re working across multiple countries and time zones because of mergers and acquisitions, and we’re also frantically reprioritizing almost every day because senior management never seems to agree on strategy.

The good news: We also talk about how managers can positively impact their teams in this climate, even if they can’t change the corporations they work for. In this episode, I share my 3-step plan for massive motivation in hard times, to help team members get through these hard times. Little moments of humanity and kindness add up and help people feel appreciated when times are hard.

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