Shows
DesuckifyWork®Ep 114 | From C-suite burnout to creating a better world with Erica Rooney.Be careful what you wish for.You may aspire to an executive job, maybe even the C-suite. And there’s certainly a lot of good that can come with that kind of role.But it ain’t all sunshine and roses.That’s certainly been the experience for Erica Rooney, this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® Podcast. Erica is an author, speaker, coach and fractional CPO who spent years climbing the corporate ladder, only to find herself asking, “why exactly did I want this craziness?”The work was intense and nearly never...
2026-01-0651 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 113 | Getting in the muck with The Life Brief author Bonnie WanPeople say we’re addicted to our phones, but I think it’s deeper than that. We’re addicted to the absence of silence.The idea of spending one quiet minute alone with our thoughts terrifies us. So we grab our distraction devices and keep the inner voices at bay for a little longer.It’s hard to know who we really are if we never listen to those voices. And how could we possibly know what we want from life if we don’t know who we are?So, we end up chasing so...
2025-12-161h 08
DesuckifyWork®Ep 112 | How to be a best place to work with Jaime Raul ZepedaThere was a 4 inch gap between the bottom of the couch and the floor in the storage closet turned office 3 of us shared at Wunderman many years ago.So naturally, that space became the “goal” when we played hockey with a crumpled up piece of paper and a couple of old sticks.I don’t remember how many games I won back then but I do remember creating a ton of work I’m really proud of to this day. We all did.Because we (and our bosses) knew that those impromptu games were par...
2025-12-091h 00
DesuckifyWork®Ep111 | The secret to making remote work work with Tim CurrieIf you want remote work to work you have to work at it.You can’t just show up and expect it to be the same as in office. It’s not the same. You’ve only got 2 of your 5 senses working together. You can’t just strike up a casual conversation with the person next to you. You can’t walk the halls as a leader and feel what’s going on.That doesn’t mean it can’t work. It absolutely can. Plenty of companies are doing it right, right now.But they’ve put...
2025-12-0254 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep110 | Turning chaos into candy with CB Bowman OttomanelliChaos is a candy store.The disorienting swirl, a chance to be useful.We’re swimming in that swirl right now. AI, layoffs, mergers, tariffs, the headlines bonking us on the head every time we try to surface.We need a lifeline. No, scratch that. We need to become a lifeline.That’s how this works. “They” are not going to save us. We are. And in the midst of the madness, opportunity is everywhere.CB Bowman Ottomanelli has been gobbling up the chaos candy for much of her life. Fi...
2025-11-251h 04
DesuckifyWork®Ep 109 | The power of pressing pause with Michael WadeAll organizations are dysfunctional.Those are the words of Michael Wade, consultant, advisor, author and former Equal Employment Opportunity Administrator for the City of Phoenix. And I tend to agree with him.We’re just not that good at coming together to do stuff. We get in our way. We play politics. We blame. And we forget why we’re even doing the damn thing in the first place.His solution? Three words: “wait a minute.”Remember waiting? Pressing pause for a second to look inward, to see if we’re on the rig...
2025-11-181h 20
DesuckifyWork®Ep 108 | From work addiction to healthy ambition with MaryBeth HylandIt’s 3am. You wake up to discover you’re on the couch, cuddling with your laptop. You cringe, ugh, another night wasted, working through dinner, ignoring your family. You should get to bed and grab a few good hours before the day starts up again.But then. Hey, it wouldn’t hurt to just crack that laptop open for a minute, make sure no critical emails have come through. I’ll just skim through a few to make sure…“Good morning, honey!”What? Who? Where? You glance at your phone—it’s 7am. You’re still on the couc...
2025-11-1155 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 107 | The problem affecting our politics and our workplaces with Wilk WilkinsonWhat if the problem with our politics is also the problem with our workplaces?Our inability to truly see the people around us, keeping us from doing anything meaningful.They’re far right, far left, too hardline, too accommodating, stupid, evil, “the problem.”They’re account, creative, production, legal, stupid, clueless, “the problem.”What if “us vs. them” became “what can I learn from someone I disagree with?”Wilk Wilkinson is trying to make this “what if” real, with his podcast “Derate the Hate,” as an advisor to the ProHuman Foundation and in h...
2025-11-041h 18
DesuckifyWork®Ep 106 | Stepping up to the Sixth Level with Rachel AndreassonThere’s a controversial piece making its way around the interwebs right now, called “The Great Feminization” by Helen Andrews.Despite its edgy title and often-incorrect conclusions (in my opinion), it’s generating some useful conversation.How can men and women work together in a way that is beneficial to all?Rachel Wallis Andreasson brings a POV to this topic informed by 30+ years as a leader. And she collaborated with 3 other authors to create The Sixth Level, a book about leadership that infuses a distinctly female perspective into this conversation.The Sixth Le...
2025-10-281h 08
DesuckifyWork®Ep 105 | Timeless wisdom that will change how you lead with Richard BattleHow you feel about human nature tells you everything you need to know about leadership.If you think human nature has stayed constant over the years, you’ll find great value in the words of Socrates, Confucius, Jesus, Shakespeare and Sarah Breedlove (the first self-made black woman millionaire in the US).If you think human nature has evolved over time, you’ll see little point in the wisdom of the past and constantly seek out new thinking to guide your approach.Richard Battle falls firmly into the first camp. And he’s written severa...
2025-10-211h 05
DesuckifyWork®Ep 104 | Is it time to get rid of HR with Jamie GutfreundShould we get rid of HR?That’s the bold suggestion put forth by Jamie Gutfreund, this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast.Why get rid of it? Because it’s become a fear-based function that stifles creativity, prevents honest conversations and enforces a “referee” culture that treats team members like children vs. adults who are capable of sorting through hard stuff on their own.What would be build in its place? Great question. Jamie and I explore that and more during our conversation. We touch on:🐱 Generational differences at work🐱 W...
2025-10-141h 03
DesuckifyWork®Ep 103 | Making creative talent development a priority with Karen CraneHere’s what you’re admitting when you don’t develop your talent.🐱 You’re admitting you don’t expect people to hang around very long.🐱 You’re admitting you’re willing to let people just figure crap out on the job no matter how long it takes or how many mistakes get made.🐱 You’re admitting that there’s nothing special about the work you do—any schmo off the street can jump in and deliver on day one.🐱 You’re admitting you’re unaware of the cost of people figuring crap out on the job. Or the...
2025-10-071h 13
DesuckifyWork®Ep 102 | How civility can take the suck out of work with Lexi HudsonImagine if we were more civil at work.Not more polite. Politeness is BS. Civil. From the Latin, Civitas. Meaning citizen. A well-functioning member of society.Societies work when we have hard conversations. When we bring a shared respect for our common humanity. When we’re willing to offend. And be offended.This is not where we are right now. As a society or at work.We avoid the hard conversations. We substitute through-our-teeth agreement for respect. We turn offense into passive aggression.Layer that in with a culture th...
2025-09-3041 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 101 | How Radical Moderation Can Save Us All with Lauren HallRadical Moderation.Sounds like an oxymoron. But it’s actually a way we can save our world and our workplaces from whatever the hell it is we’re all going through right now.We’re in a low trust, high volatility time. And it affects everything. From the most horrific news headlines to the way we relate to the person in the desk across from us. Our armor is up. Which isn’t exactly conducive to conversation or collaboration.Lauren Hall is an author, speaker, professor, university administrator and coiner of the “radical moderation...
2025-09-2355 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 100 | Everyone's a bad boss sometimes with Mita MallickRaise your hand if you’ve ever had a terrible boss.Nice, I see lots of hands. Great.Now raise your hand if you’ve ever been a terrible boss.If your hand isn’t still up, you’re lying to yourself.The moment we start leading others, we start finding ways to be bad at it. Not because we suck. Because we’re human. And this is how we learn.F*ck around a find out, right?Mita Mallick would like all of us to find out more q...
2025-09-0957 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 99 | Forgive your way to a better work culture with Fred LuskinIs therapy culture destroying us?Pushing us to analyze every moment as a potential trauma. Turning minor slights into rage and sadness. Making us feel good about feeling bad all the time.Fred Luskin has a different idea. Forgiveness. He’s been studying it for over 30 years and the biggest takeaway? We can deal with 99% of the crap that comes our way. Feel the feeling, sure. Do some self soothing… vent to a friend, go for a run, eat a cookie. But then forgive and move on.Resentment is an addiction. Fred should know...
2025-09-0257 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 98 | Laughter will transform your company with Rob FeldThe best work I’ve ever done started with laughter.Laughing at the boss’s indecisiveness.Laughing at our friend whooping our butts at Koosh basketball and walking away with a wad of ones that would make a stripper blush.Laughing at the dog farting in our office.Laughter is like creatine for your productivity muscles. I once laughed so hard I threw my back out and went on a months-long script writing binge high on Icy Hot fumes.Laughter is the greatest thing ever. And yet most of our...
2025-08-261h 09
DesuckifyWork®Ep97 | Hospitality is a business advantage with Taylor ScottIf you want your people to work harder, try helping them feel more welcome.You know, the exact opposite of how most companies feel when you step through the doors. So many offices are sterile, inhuman habitats, designed to crush souls while cranking up productivity.But here’s the rub: crushed souls won’t stay productive for very long. You can squeeze so much blood from a stone until that stone is so tired and pissed off it decides to roll itself right out the door and write a zero star Glassdoor review.What...
2025-08-191h 01
DesuckifyWork®Ep 96 | It's time to get noticed at work with Sue Barber“My work should speak for itself.”Yeah, sorry, it doesn’t. Even Jesus had a PR guy. Four of them, actually (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).So what makes you think you’re so special?None of us are. Which means all of us have to put the work in to make ourselves visible. Good thing Sue Barber already did a bunch of the work for us. Her book, The Visibility Factor, outlines the stuff we can do to get others to take notice of our awesomeness.She had to learn the hard...
2025-08-121h 06
DesuckifyWork®Ep 95 | Busting collaboration myths with Mark KennyYou can’t fix collaboration issues with software.Some tools actually make things worse, stressing the nervous system and putting us in a perpetual state of fight of flight. Others are so damn confusing we pretend they don’t exist until Stu from HR sends us a stern reminder email.Someone should tell Stu (and the rest of us) to step away from Outlook and have some actual conversations with people.That’s the advice Mark Kenny would give. Mark is a speaker, author and teamwork strategist—and today’s guest on the DesuckifyW...
2025-08-0540 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 91 | Finding Faith's Role in the Workplace with Mai MooreWhat role does faith play at work?If you’d asked me 15 years ago I’d probably have scolded you for even asking such a crazy question. Keep your faith out of my peanut butter, dammit.Now? I’m not so sure.Mai Moore is certain that keeping faith out of the workplace is keeping the suck firmly in place. Mai is the founder of two social impact companies and previously spent 20 years in the tech space.How can we possibly bring our whole selves to work if we’re ditching this gia...
2025-07-151h 01
DesuckifyWork®Ep 89 | Straight talk on self leadership with Elizabeth LotardoIf you’re waiting for someone to come and save you from a sucky work life, it may be a while.This is the cold, hard and much needed truth from Elizabeth Lotardo, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® Podcast.Elizabeth is the author of "Leading Yourself: Find More Joy, Meaning, and Opportunities in the Job You Already Have (Despite Imperfect Bosses, Weird Economies, Lethargic Coworkers, Annoying Systems, and Too Many Deliverables)“, she’s also an employee engagement consultant and a LinkedIn Learning instructor.Her superpower (her pudding, in my lingo) is an optimal b...
2025-07-0157 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 87 | Leading a Fearlessly Authentic Life with Jeanne SparrowShe wrote about leadership and sales. But it’s really a book about living.Jeanne Sparrow, this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast is the author of “Fearless Authenticity: Lead Better, Sell More and Speak Sensationally.” She is a delightful human, a masterful storyteller and has (inadvertently?) mapped out the path to a more joyful life.The key?🐱 Knowing yourself deeply and connecting with others on that level.🐱 Understanding your gifts and using them to serve others.🐱 Aligning your actions with your true self, even when things get hard. Especially t...
2025-06-171h 12
DesuckifyWork®Ep86 | Exploring theater lessons for better communication with Shana GoldIf you’ve ever been to the theater, you’ve witnessed a masterclass in communication. Each character demonstrating their ability to get what they need (or not) from each other. Creating harmony or sparking conflict. Influencing, irritating, arousing, amusing. All done for the benefit of us, the audience. Complete strangers making us care about the outcome of a make believe situation we knew nothing about just minutes before.It’s magical, really.And it’s the perspective today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast brings to her communication coaching practice every day. Shana Gold has been helpin...
2025-06-1056 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 85 | Learning About Learning and Development With Jared AndresI worked 26 years at ad agencies and never knew there was a thing called Learning & Development (L&D).Like an actual team dedicated to the growth of the people who work there.Huh.It had been my understanding that learning was a thing that happened by having your work pissed on repeatedly, forcing you to come back with so many new ideas that one might actually squeak through unscathed and you’d be invited back for the next gauntlet.You “developed” a thick skin but not much else. Leadership skills, communication, discer...
2025-06-031h 10
DesuckifyWork®Ep84 | Going against the agency grain with Veronique JamesAd agencies are good at 3 things:👏 Building brands👏 Driving sales👏 Making employees so miserable they would prefer to be literally anywhere else, almost as soon as they are hired. (Hence the industry-wide 33% turnover rate)The James Agency in Scottsdale is quite good at the first two. But has failed miserably at the third. Many of their folks have stuck around for over ten years. The CCO has been there since the beginning, 20 years, with agency founder and today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast, Veronique James (known simply as V to most).What is V doing w...
2025-05-2749 min
DesuckifyWork®Ep 83 | Solving the belonging crisis with Dan J. BergerQuick, are you a meerkat? A chimp? A snow leopard? A wolf?No, I’m not high. I’m talking about the 4 belonging personas developed by Dan J. Berger, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast.This may be the most important work anyone is doing right now. We are in the midst of a belonging crisis, fueled by social media, egged on by COVID and reinforced by our own lack of clarity on how to make things better.Enter Dan.Dan’s whole life has been centered around belonging. It hasn’t al...
2025-05-201h 14
DesuckifyWork®Episode 80: Redefining productivity with Sarah OhanesianNo one lies on their deathbed and says, “I wish I was more productive.”But maybe they should. Because productivity is making progress towards our priorities. Towards the things that actually matter. That’s the definition shared by Sarah Ohanesian, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast.At work, that might mean doing something we’re passionate about, or finding meaning where none seems to exist. Outside of work, with our families, our friends or off on our own, it simply means spending more time doing what we love.I think Sarah’s onto somethin...
2025-04-2943 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 78: Learning about leadership from Howard Stern with Michael KublinBaba Booey.The childish taunt of a crude shock jock or the cultural glue that helped build one of the world’s most successful media empires?Yes.The Leadership Lessons of Howard Stern is a provocative book from Michael Kublin, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast.Michael is an entrepreneur, author and founder of PeopleTek—a leadership coaching and development company.He’s also one of the most positive, uplifting and thoughtful people I’ve met. His “unauthorized guidebook” on The King of All Media outlines the unconventional ways Howard has...
2025-04-151h 21
DesuckifyWork®Episode 77: Discovering the power of ordinary resilience with Luis VelasquezLife gives us enough hard crap to deal with. Why would we add more to it, on purpose?Because that’s how we grow.Today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast, Luis Velazquez, should know. Luis was diagnosed with a brain tumor over 20 years ago. He was crushed. Angry. And at one point, suicidal. Everything he had every right to be.Today, he is an incredibly successful executive coach, working with leaders from companies like Google, Salesforce and more. His speciality? Coaching those deemed “uncoachable” by everyone else.How did he get here...
2025-04-081h 00
DesuckifyWork®Episode 76: Rediscovering the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with Kory KogonIf you stacked every sold copy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it would reach over 757 miles high. That’s about 550 miles higher than the International Space Station. The air so thin, molecules almost never run into each other, flying solo until they fall back to earth or get lost in space for eternity.Perfect time for a good book, no?There’s a reason over 40 million copies have been sold since it launched in 1989. It’s good. Really good. It’s wisdom timeless, grounded and, yeah, effective.Today’s guest on the Desuck...
2025-04-011h 32
DesuckifyWork®Episode 75: Getting emotionally charged with Dina Denham SmithEver try to hold a beach ball underwater?You can do it for a few seconds, but it takes a shocking amount of effort. And that sucker will pop back up (and maybe nail you in the face) soon enough.That’s what our emotions are like. Especially at work. Where we try to stuff ‘em down all day long like good, rational girls and boys.Except we’re not rational. We’re human. Highly emotional meat bags under constant assault from a world that’s gone mad.Pop, pop, pop.How c...
2025-03-2557 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 74: Flipping the script on imposter syndrome with Kris KelsoIf you grew up when I did, you had two big fears:🙀 Quicksand🙀 ImpostersBoth were everywhere, apparently. From Gilligan’s Island to Scooby Doo to random movies of the week where someone pretending to be someone else inevitably tied up the good guys and had them neck deep in a soupy death trap.Fast froward to today and quicksand is nowhere to be found. But imposters have simply relocated. From the small screens in our living rooms to the mirrors in our bathrooms.We are the imposters now. Convinced that everyone...
2025-03-181h 11
DesuckifyWork®Episode 73: Changing the world through shared decision making with Lorraine Margherita1+1+1+1+1=The solution to almost everything.This is the promise of collective intelligence. And it’s a promise that Lorraine Margherita articulates beautifully on this week’s episode of the DesuckifyWork® podcast.Collective intelligence:🐱 Combines individual talents, skills, stories, and ambitions into something greater than the sum of their parts🐱 Is activated by clarifying team purpose, roles and responsibilities🐱 Invites people to contribute beyond just their job description or credentials🐱 Allows diverse teams—even those with limited experience—to outperform smaller groups of expertsThe key to it all? Shared decision making.It almost sounds...
2025-03-111h 13
DesuckifyWork®Episode 72: Having weird conversations with Laura CrandallWanna make work suck less? Start asking weird questions.Like, totally bizarre, off the wall stuff like:🙀 Do you understand what I’m asking you?🙀 What does productive mean to you?🙀 What does it mean to be on time?🙀 What does success mean to you?🙀 What assumptions are we making?Nuts, right? It’s so weird to ask these basic, foundational questions about how we communicate with each other. The shared language we rely on to get things done. The stuff we all skip over because we think we should just “get” each other.Like, have...
2025-03-041h 36
DesuckifyWork®Episode 71: Sleeping your way to success with Zander KeigYou want to make work suck less? Get a good night’s sleep.Poor sleep affects:🙀 Productivity🙀 Relationships🙀 Attention to detail🙀 Decision-makingIt also leads to long term health issues like diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease.Thankfully, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast is here to help.Zander Keig is a licensed clinical social worker who leads organizational well-being workshops for corporations. If you want to sleep better, he suggests:🐱 Reducing blue light exposure🐱 Creating a consistent sleep schedule🐱 Prioritizing 7-9 hours nightly🐱 Backing off the caffeine (fighting words, I know)Zander a...
2025-02-251h 56
DesuckifyWork®Episode 70: Exploring psychological safety with Dennis DiMaggioWhat is psychological safety?We hear the term thrown around a lot these days but I’m not sure we’re clear on what it means.🙀 It’s not the absence of stress or conflict.🙀 It’s not emotional bubble wrap, protecting us from our feelings🙀 It’s not a lack of responsibility or accountabilityIt’s quite the opposite, actually, according to Dennis DiMaggio, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast. Dennis is a learning and development expert with over 20 years of experience.His career has taken him from assisted...
2025-02-181h 01
DesuckifyWork®What the bleep are you're gonna do with the next 10, 15, 20 years of your life?What the bleep are you're gonna do with the next 10, 15, 20 years of your life?This is the question Loren Greiff posed to our audience during the latest episode of The DesuckifyWork® podcast.Her plan: to not waste one second of it.So, what's yours?#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhyfindyourway #executivecoaching Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe
2025-02-1400 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 69: Ending career victimization with Loren GreiffWould you rather be a victim or have a career your love?Being a victim is easy.😿 We play the job application lottery day after day, praying for the big jackpot… or even just a politely written “no thank you.”😿 We lament the lack of job security while doing little to make ourselves stand out😿 We get jealous of those who have better “luck” than us instead of getting curious about how they made things happen for themselvesTaking ownership of your career is harder, but way less painful. And Loren Greiff—th...
2025-02-111h 05
DesuckifyWork®Episode 68: Bringing a human centric approach to work with Jēnna ReeseIn a world obsessed with how AI will impact our workplaces, we’ve overlooked a bigger challenge. How we bring more humanity into them.It’s a problem we’ve struggled with since work became a four letter word. Work is supposed to suck. It’s supposed to be drudgery. It’s certainly not supposed to a place where you can experience love and human connection.That would be crazy. Right?🐱 People supporting each other🐱 People trying to understand each other🐱 People showing grace when someone struggles🐱 People having normal conversations with co-workers instead of hiding behi...
2025-02-041h 11
DesuckifyWork®Episode 67 1/2: Micropodding about hard conversations with Judy CirulloA hearty, desuckified welcome back to Judy Cirullo, who previously shared her wisdom on episode 13 of the DesuckifyWork® podcast.She’s here today to talk about something that many of us spend a lot of energy trying to avoid—difficult conversations. Judy is an expert on this topic—as the founder of Grow Strong Teams she helps business owners and execs create cultures rooted in trust and accountability.If you’re resisting having a tough conversation with someone at work, this is a must listen. Judy will show you the way.MicroPod Guest: Judy Ciru...
2025-01-2831 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 67: Betting big on creativity with Ashley RutsteinCreatives should be given way more opportunity to make a meaningful impact. On client business and on the world.This is the magic wand wish from Ashley Rutstein, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast (originally aired live on 12/11). Ashley is a freelance creative director, copywriter and the creator of @stuffaboutadvertising, with over 117K followers on TikTok(!) and nearly 25K on Instagram.And she believes creatives can do so much more than make TV spots. We can influence operational changes, develop new products and help the world rethink some of our greatest challenges, like the env...
2025-01-211h 02
DesuckifyWork®Episode 66: Leading with curiosity and moral courage with Willie PietersenAge is just a number. Yeah, I know, I call BS on that too when I’m sitting at home nursing my aching back as I wonder if I’ll ever touch my toes again.But Willie Pietersen has other ideas. At 88 years old, this former lawyer and CEO is a professor at Columbia’s graduate school of business, recently published his second book and consults with some the world’s biggest and best-known organizations. And I had the good fortune to speak with him as today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The se...
2025-01-071h 31
DesuckifyWork®Episode 65: Bringing new thinking to how we work with Asmara KazmiWhat if we did something new every day?Could be something small like putting your socks on in the opposite order, or something huge like going skydiving in a chicken suit.This is what Asmara Kazmi has been doing for the past three years. Well, not the chicken suit part (I think), but she has been trying something new every day for over 1,000 days. And it’s given her a whole new perspective on life. And on how we should be running our businesses.Instead of thinking of companies as simply places to ma...
2024-12-171h 12
DesuckifyWork®Episode 62: Reimagining adulthood through play with Renee BryantNOTE: We shared this post earlier in the week without the podcast audio link. Apologies for the mistake. Here is the updated post with the embedded episode. Her name is Renee, which rhymes with play, which is something she believes we should do every day. She’s this week’s DesuckifyWork® podcast guest. She knows when we play, we’re at our best. We’re creative and alive, energetic and wiseWe communicate better, less lows and more highsOur mental health improvesWe get in...
2024-11-221h 30
DesuckifyWork®Episode 61: Inviting our humanity to the workplace with Rex SikesIs Rex Sikes the most interesting man in the world? He’s in the running, in my book. He’s a true renaissance man—an actor, author, educator, master hypnotherapist and a seemingly endless source of insight about the human condition. And lucky for us, he is this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast. We talked about how we can embrace our humanness more fully in the workplace to create the kind of culture where people thrive and make a difference. Some key takeaways:🐱 Play and experimentation are vital for learni...
2024-11-121h 47
DesuckifyWork®Episode 60: Taking the suck out of agency communicationSome of the world's best communications companies have some of the worst internal communication you'll ever witness.I spent over 25 years at ad agencies and have experienced this not so delicious irony firstand, many times. We make assumptions, seeing our peers as avatars for what we need done instead of as beautifully flawed human beings working towards a shared goal. We sit in silos and judge through our tainted lenses. Account sucks. Creatives are babies. Production is out to kill our dreams. And strategy is, well, just kinda strange, no?And...
2024-11-0509 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 59: Unleashing and embodying brand joy with Michelle EdelmanWe need more joy in the world. And despite what some may think, there is no joy fairy waiting in the wings to spread that beautiful feeling over all of us like pixie dust. Joy is an act of creation. And it’s on each of us to do the creating. A smile here, an atta boy there, a joke in the middle of a dreadful meeting there. It can also come from reliable WiFi, a well brewed cup of coffee or a roll of paper towels that actually tears along the damned dotte...
2024-10-291h 10
DesuckifyWork®Episode 57: Unlocking human potential with Julie JungalwalaTwo thirds of the global workforce is disengaged. That’s about 2.3 billion people feeling “meh” or much worse about their work. The cost of that disengagement is about $9 trillion, annually. Good thing we don’t have any significant problems to deal with that could benefit from some of that lost cash. If we did, we might pay more attention to those engagement numbers. Maybe even make a big deal out of them. Put them front and center in our political debates, perhaps. Ha, a fellow can dream, right?Or we could do what Julie Jung...
2024-10-1557 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 56: Discovering the power of masterful coaching with Dan KentYou can’t spit on LinkedIn without hitting at least ten coaches. But how many of them actually know what they’re doing?The best way to learn is to observe them in the wild. Noting their presence. Scrutinizing their questioning skills. Detecting their ability to unearth insights and share them generously, without attachment. Seeing how well they listen. That’s a big one. I had the opportunity to observe and witness a truly masterful coach on the latest episode of the DesuckifyWork® podcast. Dan Kent embodies all of the qualities mentioned...
2024-10-0854 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 55: Discovering the power of Red Thread Leadership with Sonya SheltonWhat’s the purpose of your ad agency?And don’t tell me it’s to make great work. That’s table stakes. Or in some cases, total BS.What’s your point of view. What are you trying to change? What impact do you want to have? I’ve worked at agencies for over 25 years and I’m not sure I was ever clear on what any agency was really all about.And we wonder why so many clients feel the same thing. Now, your purpose doesn’t have to be about “...
2024-10-011h 20
DesuckifyWork®Episode 54: Finding your purpose, saving yourself with James MadisonYour success is killing you. Sacrificing yourself for the chase. The money, the awards, the status. Making your parents proud. Making your friends envious. Making yourself sick. Because you are getting lost in the process. This is what happens when we achieve without a well defined purpose. And it’s at the source of so much pain we see every day. Burnout. Substance abuse. Failed relationships. A toxic legacy we’re modeling for generations to come.We know we don’t want this. But we can’t always see a way out. James...
2024-09-241h 02
DesuckifyWork®Episode 53: Rising and thriving with Zoë DaltonWhat if I told you that you could spell resilience with three letters. And an umlaut. Meet Zoë. Zoë Dalton is this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast. And her story will impress, inspire and invite you to look within and see what you’re really made of. With $30.28 to her name, newly unemployed, coming off an abusive marriage and with two young kids in tow, Zoe was literally starting over. She didn’t just build a new life. As she describes it, she built a “queendom,” embracing a mindset shift that gave h...
2024-09-171h 19
DesuckifyWork®Let's get more creative with creative hiringI spoke with Dan Nelken for this week’s DesuckifyWork® podcast and we touched on an unfortunate reality. Creatives rarely get to bring all of themselves into a role, unless the stars align perfectly. 🐱 Right Agency🐱 Right Client🐱 Right TimeI think we can do better. And it starts with hiring. We often hire the person with the best portfolio. You’ve done killer work somewhere else, of course it will work here as well. But that’s b******t. We need to dig deeper. To look at the whole person.
2024-09-1201 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 52: Embracing structure in creativity with Dan NelkenWork sucks when it’s harder than it has to be. It’s even worse when we’re the ones making it harder. As creatives, we resist structure. It’s confining. It’s corporate. It’s boring. It will also blow up your career in the best way possible.Just ask Dan Nelken, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast. Dan is a best selling author, has over 40,000 LinkedIn followers and has created courses, talks and workshops that have impacted nearly every corner of our industry. If you told 5-years-ago...
2024-09-101h 24
DesuckifyWork®Only creativity can stop the suckI spoke with Katie McDonald for this week’s DesuckifyWork® podcast. And she reminded me why I became a coach. Katie’s good like that. Her words are ninjas, synaptic mercenaries bringing clarity to a chaotic mind. I began my coaching career a few years ago after 25+ years in the ad industry, working as an ECD, CD and writer for agencies big and small, including TBWA\Chiat\Day, Saatchi, Ogilvy, Hill Holliday and Garage Team Mazda.My mission is to desuckify work. And my long journey through ad-land has taught me one powerful truth...
2024-09-0500 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 51: The selfless embrace of self care with Katie McDonaldYou’re a selfish b*****d. You spend all day doing things. Work things. Family things. Community things. You’re busy as hell. Impacting people everywhere you go. But you’re not making time for you. You know, that dude or dudette in the mirror who stares back at you pleadingly, begging for some relief. Maybe tomorrow, you think as you run off to do more stuff. Important stuff! People are counting on you!You are also counting on you. And it’s pretty selfish of you to ignore that fact. Because the...
2024-09-031h 24
DesuckifyWork®Episode 50: Reimagining the agency client relationship with Leesa EichbergerIf agencies are from Mars, where are clients from?Don’t answer that. Instead, listen to Leesa Eichberger, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast. Leesa has been leading marketing at large brands for a while now, including stints as a CMO at Jenny Craig and Head of Brand for Farmer’s Insurance. Full disclosure, we also worked together while I was at Chiat years ago and she ran marketing for Vonage—if you’re old enough you may have their goofy theme song ear worming its way into your brain right now. You’re welcome. Leesa knows fi...
2024-08-271h 09
DesuckifyWork®Episode 49: Being a more thoughtful leader with Chris McMahonChris McMahon may just be the most thoughtful human in advertising. Everything about him, from his presence and demeanor to the way he connects the dots between each facet of his life to develop and hone his approach to leadership, is inspiring and illuminating. Now, if you’ve spent more than a minute in advertising, you know that for every Chris, there at least a few (hundred) not Chris-es. One of the reasons I became a coach was to help folks find their inner-Chris. And you can get a head start on that work...
2024-08-201h 02
DesuckifyWork®Episode 48: Be perfectly flawsome with Michele MolitorNOTE: We had some technical difficulties with the recording of this episode and apologize for any quality issues. You’re getting very, very, emotionally healthy. Very, very, emotionally healthy…This is the power of combining coaching with hypnotherapy. Something today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast does quite well. She also does a great job busting the myths and misconceptions around hypnosis. Spoiler alert: a waving watch is rarely involved. Michele Molitor is a coach, clinical hypnotherapist and the author of the best-selling book, “I Am Perfectly Flawsome – How Embracing Imperfection Makes Us Better.”
2024-08-131h 28
DesuckifyWork®Episode 46: Figuring out what's next with Jordan AtlasWhat does the ad agency of tomorrow look like?If you think you know, you’re probably wrong.If you think you’d like to help figure it out, you should talk to Jordan Atlas, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast. Jordan’s been figuring stuff out before most of us, for the past 20+ years. He got curious about digital, before digital became everything. He moved across the country with his wife and a 3 month old. And he dove into the world of earned media as a creative as his friends looked on with a m...
2024-07-231h 14
DesuckifyWork®Episode 45: Reclaim your swagger with Jennifer Mrozek SukaloHas the ad industry lost its swagger? All indications say yes. We devalue our product (commodity pricing), we struggle to differentiate our agencies (most seem interchangeable) and we have spent so many years chasing so many trends it’s not even clear what we actually do anymore. It’s tough to show up with any level of confidence when those things are true. But what if we could get our swagger back? Jennifer Mrozek Sukalo, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast can help.She literally wrote the book on it—Claim Your Sw...
2024-07-161h 37
DesuckifyWork®Episode 44: Write your way to a better work story with Vicky Quinn FraserCan writing a book make you a better leader? A better employee? A better human?Vicky Quinn Fraser thinks so. Vicky is this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast and she believes writing can help each of us uncover the deeper meaning in our work, even in the seemingly mundane tasks. Imagine that. Writing as a tool of self discovery. To stem the swirl inside our skull. And help us find joy in the 90,000 or so hours we spend working during our lives. 🐱 Want to create more engagement with your team? Writ...
2024-07-091h 08
DesuckifyWork®Episode 43: Aligning our work and our purpose with Nell Derick DebevoiseThere are 8 billion people in the world. And sometimes we feel like we’re responsible for all of them. This is the curse of social media. We know everything. We see a world on fire. And we want to fix it. But we can’t. Not all of it. We need to resist this urge to take it all on and instead do our part. Our 1/8,000,000,000th share. This wisdom comes courtesy of Nell Derick Debevoise, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast. Nell is a speaker, coach, facilitator, advisor and author who focu...
2024-07-021h 05
DesuckifyWork®Episode 42: Creating true community at work with Angela StopperThe return to office movement is BS. Not because going back to the office is a bad thing. It can be wonderful.But because leaders have gaslit their teams, saying it’s all about creating community and connection. Sorry, but putting people side by side answering emails all day is not community. That’s just one of the many brilliant bits of insight from today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast, Angela Stopper. Angela is the Chief Learning Officer at UC Berkeley. Yes, that UC Berkeley—the top public university in...
2024-06-251h 13
DesuckifyWork®Episode 41: Remembering we all must die with Jodi WellmanWe’re all gonna die. This is the good news brought to us by Jodi Wellman, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast. Jodi is an author, speaker and all around fascinating human. And she’s here to tell us why the grim reaper is your new best friend. When you let Mr. Reaper into your life, everything gets better. You live more deeply, with more purpose, have more fun, try new things. You embrace the fact that you only get about 4,000 Mondays in this life and you damn sure want most of the...
2024-06-1858 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 40: Making hard conversations easy with Maureen FalveyHaving difficult conversations is different than making every conversation difficult. This may come as news for those of us in the ad biz. Where taking even the simplest discussion and turning it into a series of 10 person meetings is the norm. What if, instead of taking simple conversations and making them painful, we took hard conversations and made them easier?How the hell can we do that?Maureen Falvey, executive coach with Strong Training & Coaching and today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast, has a few ideas:Increase self awaren...
2024-06-1155 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 39: Turning marketing into a force for good with Jay MandelCan marketing be a force for good in the world?This is the question at the heart of my discussion with Jay Mandel, this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast. On the surface, the question sounds ridiculous. Marketing, a force for good? That’s crazy. It’s built on deception, manipulation and is single-handedly responsible for the proliferation of influencers in our lives. Screw you, marketing. But Jay has a different take. And he’s creating a movement to remake marketing into something rooted in trust, transparency and accountability. The Marketin...
2024-06-041h 19
DesuckifyWork®Episode 38: Find your sparkle at work with Gina BalarinDo you have a little sparkle on your shoulders at work?Well, you’re about to get some after listening to Gina Balarin, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast. Gina brings the sparkle through her work as “The CEO’s Voice,” helping leaders craft and amplify their message to those who need to hear it. This work is all part of her mission to end human suffering at work—just the kind of bold stance we love here in desuckify-land. How does she do it? She helps leaders work through imposter syndrome. Yes, CEOs deal w...
2024-05-281h 21
DesuckifyWork®Episode 37: Love makes the work world go 'round with Meredith BellThe late, great, Tina Turner once asked, “what’s love got to do with it?”Today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast, Meredith Bell, has the answer. And it’s everything. Meredith is a leadership and communications expert and co-founder of Grow Strong Leaders. And she firmly believes that love is at the center of all we do, when we’re doing work that matters. Love at work? Um, that makes me kind of uncomfortable, dude. Well, it shouldn’t, once you understand what it really means. * It means caring deeply about people's well...
2024-05-211h 30
DesuckifyWork®Episode 36: Transforming work into a hub of human thriving with Wes AdamsIf you could totally rethink work, what would it look like? You would start by paying attention to Wes Adams, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast. Wes has quite a few thoughts on this subject. As founder and CEO of SV Consulting Group, his mission is to transform organizations into hubs of human thriving. Bold?Absolutely. And he’s got the chops to back it up, with more than two decades of experience as a successful entrepreneur and strategic partner for Fortune 500s, startups, and NGOs.His insights?* Rethink th...
2024-05-1447 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 35: Giving work a much needed kick in the pants with Erin HatzikostasWhat does it mean to be authentic at work? And more importantly, what difference does it make? Turns out, it makes a huge difference. It reduces turnover. People at companies where authenticity is always practiced are over 2x more likely to stay at their company vs. those where it's never practiced.It builds trust. People at authentic companies are 4x more likely to say there's a high level of trust.It travels with you. Employees under authentic leadership are 6x more likely to follow them if they went elsewhere.Th...
2024-05-071h 00
DesuckifyWork®Episode 34: Rethinking how ad agencies work with Mark RedgraveDear agency leaders, AI is not the holy grail you think it is. It won’t fix your current problems.It won’t create massive new opportunities. It won’t save your agency. Unless. Unless you change your relationship with the people who do the work, day to day. They’re the holy grail. And they’re the ones who can help you take advantage of AI or any other tool that comes along promising advertising nirvana. Today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast, Mark Redgrave has created a fram...
2024-04-3058 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 33: Going to manager boot camp with Cecilia GormanIt’s a no for me, dog. Sadly, that’s about the extent of feedback many of us have received (or delivered) in the ad industry. It’s okay. Most humans suck at giving feedback. The good news? We can get better. And today’s guest on The DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has some great ideas on how to do it. Cecilia Gorman is a coach and trainer, who runs a Manager Boot Camp that helps managers go from good to amazing. We talk about how to deliver challenging feedback directly and kindly. And how if we...
2024-04-231h 11
DesuckifyWork®Episode 32 - Bringing emotional intelligence to leadership with Josiah PledlWhy is it so hard to be a leader? Besides constant technological change, economic uncertainty, post-pandemic turmoil, dramatic shifts in generational expectations, global unrest, distributed workforces and 27 other unexpected things that will show up in your inbox by the morning, it’s a piece of cake, really. The good news? One thing remains constant throughout all of that. Our need for human connection. And we can do great things when we embrace that need and create workplaces rooted in empathy and resilience. Today’s guest on The DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has a few (okay a ton) of...
2024-04-161h 29
DesuckifyWork®Episode 31: Mucking it up in the messy middle with Cameron DayThere’s no text book for working in advertising. At least not officially. Unofficially, as far as I’m concerned, there are two. Soon to be three. All written by today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast, Cameron Day.Spend a few days digesting Chew With Your Mind Open and Spittin’ Chiclets and you’ll be armed and ready for just about anything this nutty business hurls at you. We spend a good chunk of time diving into some of the highlights during our conversation.We talk about the messy middle years in adv...
2024-04-091h 38
DesuckifyWork®Episode 30: Finding your fit with André MartinYou’re not supposed to fit in everywhere. If you did, the world would be flat, boring and sad. A monotonous bubble with no escape. Like cable news. Or LinkedIn. Kidding. Am I?So why do we expect every job to be a perfect fit? Let’s face it. You’re not everyone’s cup of tea. And most companies aren’t yours either. They don’t value what you value. They don’t work how you like to work. And they don’t appreciate the way you sign off every zoom call like Isaac from th...
2024-04-0254 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 28: Selling from the heart with Larry LevineI hate sales. I hate selling. I hate being sold to. I even hated Soupy Sales back in the day. (Yes, I’m old).So why would I choose to bring a person who’s spent his entire career in sales on my show?Because, like it or not, selling is a part of almost any job. And because Larry Levine has a different take on sales. One that shows up loud and clear in his book Selling from the Heart. And one that we dive into during this episode of The De...
2024-03-191h 08
DesuckifyWork®Episode 26: Quieting the ad agency craziness with Jack SkeelsWho holds the keys to advertising’s future?No, it’s not AI. It’s the people who actually do the work. And leaders need to recognize that, if we want the business to have a future worth a damn.Today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has been fighting this fight for a while. Jack Skeels is the CEO and Founder of Agency Agile, a group that helps agencies (and other companies) create cultures that bring out the best in teams and chart a new way of being for managers and leaders.New way of...
2024-03-0548 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 25: Finding our way through with Amii Barnard-BahnEver wonder what the leaders of your company are thinking? What they truly care about? What terrifies them?Our guest today on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has a pretty good idea. Amii Barnard Bahn has worked with hundreds of C-suite executives, helping them become more self-aware, more inspiring and more in tune with the values that really matter to them and their organization. There’s a lot of tension in the workplace right now. And the best execs are out there trying to figure out a way through. Others, are stumbling and fumbling, often quite publicly. Amii a...
2024-02-271h 16
DesuckifyWork®Episode 24: Exploring the dark and delightful with Sara RichmondIf you’re on LinkedIn and you’re not following Sara Richmond, you are depriving yourself of joy. Plain and simple.I like joy, so I follow Sara and was fortunate enough to speak with her on this latest episode of The DesuckifyWork™ Podcast. The conversation was delightful. Not in a sunshine and butterflies kind of way, although we had our moments. It was delightfully human. Complex. Nuanced. Dark at times. Hopeful elsewhere. Always real and full of laughter. Even at some of the not so bright and cheery stuff. This is what Sara bri...
2024-02-201h 16
DesuckifyWork®Episode 23: The ManifestoI launched the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast late last summer. And I realize, 22 episodes later, I never really stated why. So, this is me, stating why. Episode 23. The Manifesto. Just me, 7 minutes. I hope you listen.If you prefer to read the manifesto, check out the transcript above. ☝️#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #coaching #humanity #advertising #coachingforcreatives Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe
2024-02-1507 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 22: Finding meaning at work with Tamara MylesWhat does it mean for work to have meaning? It can mean a lot of things actually. And it can show up differently for everyone. But when it shows up? The effect is undeniable.With meaningful work, employees are seven times more engaged, 64% more fulfilled on the job and 69% less likely to leave the company. Those numbers come from today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast, Tamara Myles. Tamara is an author, consultant, speaker and researcher who is currently working on her next book, More Than a Paycheck: How Leaders...
2024-02-131h 15
DesuckifyWork®Episode 21: Thriving through transition with Jennifer FondrevayQuick. Your company is about to be bought. Or merged. Or otherwise smashed together with a group of strangers. What’s your first thought? Chances are you’re not jumping up and down with glee. There may be stomping and kicking, however. Our guest today on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast helps companies avoid the common pitfalls of mergers, acquisitions and large-scale transitions. Jennifer Fondrevay is a consultant, author and has been called the Brené Brown of M&A. With good reason.She helps leaders see the value in a people-first transition strategy. Not just b...
2024-02-061h 10
DesuckifyWork®Episode 19: Taking the high road with Allyn GoodrichWhat kind of relationship should you have with the person who is trying to kill you?Quick, you don’t have much time to think.Today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has an answer that may surprise you. He chose to treat his would be killer with kindness and generosity. A disturbed young man, feeling lost and hopeless, opened fire on police officers outside a home in Las Vegas. Allyn Goodrich, a S.W.A.T. officer arrived on the scene with his team, ultimately helping to diffuse the situation. When the...
2024-01-231h 06
DesuckifyWork®Episode 17: Inspiring the best of humanity with Paul MacFarlaneHow often are you, you? Are you, you when you show up at the office? Or log in to Zoom? Are you, you when you have a job interview or post something here on LinkedIn?If not, why? We need you. And we need everyone to bring the best of their humanity forward, if we have any shot at this whole Desuckifying thing. Bringing the best of humanity forward is the mission of today’s guest on the DescukifyWork™ Podcast, Paul MacFarlane. Paul works in advertising. But more importantly, Paul works on adve...
2024-01-091h 18
DesuckifyWork®Episode 16: Embracing our humanity with Chloé ValdaryWe are human beings. Not political abstractions. Sounds obvious, no? And yet. I think we all know how often we live up to that ideal. An ideal that is at the heart of today’s guest’s message. Chloé Valdary is a writer, thinker and entrepreneur—founder of Theory of Enchantment, a diversity and inclusion program that aims to remind us of our shared humanity. To help us create workplaces where we can unite around shared purpose and embrace our differences with love and compassion. We explore how love can show up...
2023-12-1953 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 15: Tell your story with Patrick RileyWe are so much more than our resumes.If there is one thing you can take away from this week’s DesuckifyWork™ podcast episode with Patrick Riley, it is this simple, beautiful fact. Now, Patrick has a pretty impressive resume himself. From film school to co-founding Modern Survey—a human capital measurement company to his current role heading up RADICL, a company that blends art and science to help people create epic work experiences. Oh, and he’s also found time to make a few films along the way. But his full story comes to li...
2023-12-121h 16
DesuckifyWork®Episode 13: Building conversational intelligence with Judy CirulloHi everyone, Episode 13 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now liveToday, I’m speaking with Judy Cirullo, an executive and team coach with a focus on leadership and culture. We talk about navigating hybrid work environments and making sure those critical human connections can be formed, nurtured and deepened through conversation. Which led us to something called “conversational intelligence” which may be one of my new favorite phrases. Look it up—it’s a delightful rabbit hole that I have not fully emerged from yet. From there, we dive into culture and how it must...
2023-11-281h 09
DesuckifyWork®Episode 12: Fixing ad agency CULTure with Josh WeissHi everyone, Episode 12 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live. Today, I’m speaking with Josh Weiss, art director, creative director and curious, compassionate soul. Josh and worked together a while back at Saatchi & Saatchi in LA. In addition to his clever, creative mind, I was always impressed with his desire to learn, grow and shine light on any blind spots he might have.Josh shines a lot of light in this 90-plus-minute conversation. During the show, we talk about ad agency culture and how it needs to adapt to meet the...
2023-11-211h 39
DesuckifyWork®Episode 11: Unlock employee understanding with Mike MossHi everyone, Episode 11 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live. Today, I’m speaking with Mike Moss. I’ve known Mike for over 30 years… we were in the same fraternity at Lehigh University and from what we can recall, it was a mostly pleasant experience. Since our college days, Mike has built a long career in the world of people analytics. And he’s the first person to convince me that employee surveys aren’t just butt-covering theater. He’s actually found ways to connect the results directly to employee burnout and turnover. Now if he could j...
2023-11-141h 02
DesuckifyWork®Episode 10: Discover your play personality with Gary WareHi everyone, Episode 10 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live.(Please note, the video feed in this episode freezes up for about 30 seconds at the 1:06:30 mark. The audio works just fine so we kept the show going.)Today, I’m speaking with Gary Ware, a strategic play consultant and the founder of Breakthrough Play. I gotta say, I have a lot of fun with the work I do, but it’s hard not get a bit envious of what Gary is bringing into the world. Getting paid to play sounds like a pretty good gi...
2023-11-071h 14
DesuckifyWork®Episode 9: Cultivating resilience with Watson JordanHi everyone, Episode 9 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live. Today, I’m speaking with Watson Jordan, founder of The Resilience Initiative. His perspective is both powerful and deeply personal, and I’m grateful we had the chance to chat.During our conversation, we talk about the beautiful simplicity of Watson’s 5-3-1 Resilience plan and how its focus on our inner circle, our community and our core belief can lay the foundation for a life well lived. We talk about the unnerving accuracy of the WHY Institute’s discovery tool to find your WH...
2023-10-311h 00
DesuckifyWork®Episode 8: The Power of Company Culture with Chris DyerHey everyone, Episode 8 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live!Today, I’m speaking with Chris Dyer, a company culture and remote work expert. He’s also a former CEO who has managed thousands of people… his companies frequently showing up on best places to work lists. So he knows of what he speaks. Speaking of speaking, Chris is also a renown speaker, sharing inspiring stories about leadership with audiences around the world. During our conversation, we really dig into culture. Specifically, we talk about Chris’ seven pillars of company culture—outlined in detail in the...
2023-10-241h 02
DesuckifyWork®Episode 7: Start making sense with Jason FriedHey everyone, Episode Seven of The DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live!Today, I’m speaking with Jason Fried, co-founder of 37signals, best known for Basecamp, the only project management software that ever made sense to me. They also created HEY email and are getting ready to launch a new calendar app in 2024.If you prefer video, you can watch the episode here:Jason is one of the primary inspirations for this whole desuckify thing. He and co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson’s book, It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work, opened my eyes to...
2023-10-1757 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 6: Positive behavior change with Mark DiMassimoHey everyone, Episode 6 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live!Today, I’m speaking with Mark DiMassimo, co-founder and creative chief at DiGo Brands—The Positive Behavior Change Agency.™ DiGo is the world’s first creative agency focused exclusively on promoting better habits by building brands and businesses using Positive Behavior Change marketing.I think DesuckifyingWork falls under the positive change category. And we spend a lot of time talking about that—in fact, this is our longest episode to date, chock full of desuckified goodness. We talk about the value of curiosity and how it helped Mar...
2023-10-101h 29
DesuckifyWork®Episode 5: Build a culture of trust with Mike WolfsohnHey everyone, Episode Five of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live!Today, I’m speaking with Mike Wolfsohn, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at High Wide & Handsome, an ad agency in LA. He and his partners started the agency in 2010 with one goal—to be the best place to work in the advertising industry. 13 years later, they sit in the #1 spot on AdAge’s Best Places to Work list. Not too shabby.You may have noticed their goal says nothing about awards or revenue or client size or any of the typical stuff agencies seem to go gag...
2023-10-0359 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 4: Find your WHY with Dan DominguezEpisode Four of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live!Today’s guest is Dan Dominguez, Chief Growth Officer for the WHY Institute.You’ve probably heard of Simon Sinek’s work around finding your why. I’ve read the books, they’re fantastic. What Dan and the team at WHY Institute have done is make that process way more accessible. Founder Gary Sanchez created a WHY discovery tool that helps you find your WHY (and your how and your what) in just a few minutes. When you know your WHY, as Dan says, ever...
2023-09-2659 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 2: Let's get courageous with Ryan BermanWelcome to Episode 2 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast. Today, we’re talking with Ryan Berman, a long-time advertising creative exec who is on a mission to help leaders, brands and individuals discover more courage for themselves, their teams and the world. He has more than 20 years in the courageous ideas space and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc. and Forbes. Ryan speaks about courage all over the country to executives, marketers and more, including Google, Snapchat and Charity: Water.His book Return On Courage: A Business Playbook For Change, is the foun...
2023-09-1258 min
DesuckifyWork®Episode 1: Get your mind right with Jocelyn BradyWelcome to the first-ever episode of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast!As you can probably guess by the title, this podcast is all about finding ways to make work not suck. To do that, I’ll be talking with a number of expert-level desuckifiers. People who are already making a difference. I’m super excited to dive into this project. And I’m thrilled that our first guest is Jocelyn Brady, a brain coach who helps people discover better stories for their life and their work. She’s awesome. In this episode we tou...
2023-08-2854 min