Shows
Work in ProgressWhy empathy is a skill, not a personality trait with Liesel MertesWe’ve all been through something challenging. But when it comes to knowing what to say, or do, when someone else is struggling- that’s not always easy. You know the feeling— the deep ache of not knowing what to say or do, or being exhausted from trying to fix everyone else’s problems.Liesel Mertes, founder of Handle with Care Consulting and a workplace empathy expert, talks about how to show up for others when life gets messy. Whether you’re a leader trying to support your team or a colleague who doesn’t want to say t...2025-07-2334 min
Lead Without LimitsThe Leadership Mistake That Drives Out Top Talent with Liesel Mertes EP 008What happens when life throws your team a curveball — illness, loss, or unexpected hardship? Do you lean in with empathy, or pull back with discomfort? In this deeply moving episode, Shanenn Bryant is joined by workplace empathy expert Liesel Mertes http://linkedin.com/in/lieselmertes for a raw, practical conversation about what real leadership looks like when your people are hurting.Drawing from personal experience and years of guiding companies through grief, trauma, and disruption, Liesel reveals the overlooked skill that sets powerful leaders apart: the ability to show up human first. Together, they explore how small, in...2025-06-0344 min
The Bliss Business PodcastThe Role of Empathy in Leadership with Liesel Mindrebo MertesEmpathy in Leadership: Why It’s More Than a Soft Skill📊 92% of employees say empathy is undervalued in the workplace, yet 76% believe it directly impacts productivity. (Source: Businessolver)According to the APA, over 59% of workers report negative effects from work-related stress.Clearly, leaders are missing a critical ingredient.Join us for this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast with Liesel Mindrebo Mertes, founder of Handle with Care, as we explore how empathy can, and must become central to leadership....2025-05-2744 min
Image BearersHandle With Care with Liesel Mindrebo MertesIn this moving and profound conversation, I sit down with Liesel Mindrebo Mertes — speaker, author, business consultant, and mother of five — to talk about grief, empathy, and what it means to show up for one another in the hardest seasons.Liesel shares the story of her daughter, Mercy Joan, who tragically passed away as an infant, and how that loss reshaped her life, her faith, and her understanding of wellness. She also opens up about her son, Moses, who was diagnosed in utero with a congenital heart defect that led to major surgery just days after he was...2025-05-261h 32
Career Dreams169: Human Skills Are Not Soft - They Are Strategic: A Conversation with Liesel MertesLiesel Mertes joins the podcast to explore the power of empathy, emotional intelligence, and human-centered leadership at work. With a moving personal story that fuels her passion, Liesel challenges us to rethink what it means to truly support people - especially during life's most distruptive moments. She shares practical tools like Empathy Avatars and strategies for building self-awareness, offering a clear message: human skills aren't soft - they're strategic. Whether you're just starting your career or leading a team, this conversation is a reminder that even small steps in the right direction can create meaningful change. Website: Ha...2025-05-1343 min
HR SuperstarsREPLAY: Perfect Is the Enemy of Progress with Liesel MertesAs we go into 2025, we must keep this in mind... Empathy isn’t a personality trait. According to Liesel Mertes, Founder of Handle with Care Consulting, it’s an essential workplace skill we need to hone. And at the same time, people who go through disruptions and hard times have to eventually return to the office and add value to the organization. There’s a balance between having empathetic conversations and being honest about the nature of the employer/employee relationship. In this episode replay, Liesel shares practical ways to strengthen your em...2024-12-2441 min
The Advanced Selling PodcastThe Empathy Edge in Sales with Liesel MertesIn this solo episode, Bryan talks with empathy consultant Liesel Mertes about the transformative power of empathy in sales. Liesel shares how the loss of her daughter Mercy led her to help companies build empathetic cultures. They explore how empathy helps salespeople understand their customers beyond the immediate problem, creating deeper, more meaningful connections. For sales leaders, fostering empathy means building trust and psychological safety within teams. Liesel stresses that empathy is an ongoing practice, essential for driving better sales outcomes. Curious what the Blind Zebra Sales Operating System is all about? You ca...2024-10-0931 min
Business is HumanThe Shift Towards Human-Centric Skills in the Age of AI with Liesel Mertes“Empathy isn't just about connecting with someone's feelings, it's about asking, 'What comes next?' without immediately jumping into fixing the problem.”In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession and guest Liesel Mertes discuss the significant impact of empathy in the workplace and beyond. The conversation highlights how the industrial age has shaped our belief system and the critical need for a shift towards more human-centric skills in the age of artificial intelligence. Liesel also shares insights from her consultancy, Handle with Care Consulting, and introduces empathy avatars such as "Fix It F...2024-09-1250 min
The JoyPowered Workspace PodcastHow to Handle HR Burnout and Empathy Fatigue (with Liesel Mertes)In this episode, JoDee and Susan discuss the burnout and empathy fatigue often felt by HR professionals with empathy expert and Holistic Lifestyle Coach Liesel Mertes.
Topics include:
Signs you may be experiencing burnout
Some of the causes of burnout
Why HR professionals may be particularly vulnerable to burnout
How to demonstrate empathy when you're not feeling it in the moment
How to fight through mental or emotional health exhaustion to bring your best self to work
Mistakes HR professionals make when trying to demonstrate empathy
Advice for listeners feeling empathy fatigue
What to do when...2024-05-2038 min
Life of And141: How to practically execute empathy in the workplace with Liesel MertesWhen a tragedy or a disruptive life event happens to someone in your organization, how do you handle it? As a leader, how do you approach that individual? Is it better to say something, do something or nothing at all? Sometimes it’s hard to know how to dance around the boundaries of personal and professional and empathy is not something that we are typically trained for in our organizations. When we think of workplace culture, we tend to look at other things to improve on, not how to handle a coworker or employee who is grieving. Should we be...2023-07-2756 min
Beyond The Business Suit with Kailei CarrEpisode 281: Offering Empathy in the Workplace with Liesel MertesWhat place does empathy have at work? That question is at the center of the next episode of the next episode of the Beyond the Business Suit podcast. Host, Kailei Carr is joined by Workplace Empathy Consultant, Liesel Mertes, for a powerful conversation on how leaders can bring more empathy into the workplace. Liesel takes the audience through how to deal with disruptive life events (both good and bad), and ways we can all feel seen and heard at work. By reflecting on her own personal journey through loss and grief while still having to "show up," Liesel emphasizes...2023-06-2348 minHR SuperstarsPerfect Is the Enemy of Progress with Liesel MertesEmpathy isn’t a personality trait. According to Liesel Mertes, Founder of Handle with Care Consulting, it’s an essential workplace skill we need to hone. And at the same time, people who go through disruptions and hard times have to eventually return to the office and add value to the organization. There’s a balance to having empathetic conversations and being honest about the nature of the employer/employee relationship In this episode, Liesel shares practical ways to strengthen your empathy muscle as a manager, HR leader, and friend. She explains what is and isn't...2023-04-1141 min
Made for ImpactTurning pain into passion with Liesel Mertes"Hollowed out spaces from tragedies can become places for others to rest in.” After experiencing the tragic death of her daughter, Liesel Mertes discovers a newfound empathy that transforms her—not only into what will become her future career, but also into something much deeper: a hollowed space for others to rest in. In this special episode, you will learn how to switch your mindset to become more empathetic towards others, use your past pain to grow into something beautiful, the importance of checking in on people, and how Liesel used her tragedy to create a life...2023-02-2335 min
HR UnlockedEmpathy at Work with Liesel MertesAre you struggling to keep your employees engaged? Do you wonder if you are giving them what they need to survive, stabilize and thrive?
Integrating empathy into your teams takes practice and intention. From the C-Suite to the foreman on the manufacturing line, leaders and their teams have room to grow as they create a culture of care.
Liesel Mertes, Founder of Handle With Care Consulting, shares with us her insights at building a culture of care at your organization!
Connect with Liesel:
L...2023-02-2328 min
Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization ShowAn Empathy SWAT Team at Work with Liesel MertesHow effectively do your leaders and employees deal with a co-worker's grief, stress, and burnout? Do they respond as Fixit Frank, Silent Sam, Cheer-up Cheryl, or Buckup Bobby? With all the uncertainty, angst, stress, and burnout permeating workplaces, maybe it’s time for an Empathy SWAT Team and an empathy toolkit too. Workplace Empathy Advocate Liesel Mertes and the founder of Handle with Care Consulting joins us with her team of empathy avatars to unlock the benefits of practicing empathy at work and how to get better at it. We are all first responders in our own way...2022-10-0851 min
You Should Hear ThisThe Importance of Workplace Empathy | Liesel Mertes (Episode 16)Welcome to Season 2 of "You Should Hear This." Due to the success and outpour of love from Season 1, we are back! Just like the previous season, our host, Nick Estrada, CAE, CMP, will be sitting down with professionals that have the knowledge they want to share.As we kick off our second season, we sit back and think, what are the fundamentals of any workplace? You think of the work that you do for your association and members, and probably the most important are your co-workers. Our guest speaker today will be able to help us navigate...2022-09-0650 min
Don't Cut Your Own BangsCompassion Fatigue & Empathy. Danielle and Liesel MertesIn this Listener’s Favorite from November 2020, I revisit compassion fatigue and empathy with Liesel Mertes. Liesel is a workplace empathy consultant and founder of Handle with Care Consulting. In the wake of Covid, workplace empathy has taken on even greater importance, but so too has the need for compassion and empathy in every aspect of our lives today. For many of us, the lines between work and home and school have been blurred and it seems that nearly everyone is struggling with fatigue and the current and residual stress from worrying about and taking care of our...2022-05-301h 09
Inclusion School PodcastRe-Release S2 Episode 1: Teaching Kids about Empathy and DisruptionJulie and Simone are re-releasing this important interview from Season 2 of the Inclusion School Podcast with Empathy Expert Liesel Mertes about teaching children about empathy. Pick up strategies to converse with your children about how they can deal with disruption in the world. Liesel shares how adults show up in service of protecting our children. What can we do to connect with them over grief. That and more is on this week's episode of the Inclusion School Podcast. Listen to the entire podcast at https://inclusionschool.com/ To reach us, email talktous@inclusionschool.com Grab resources mentioned in...2022-05-2233 min
Mothers of MisfitsDealing with the Loss of a Child | Liesel Mindrebo MertesEmpathy Consultant, Liesel Mindrebo Mertes, talks candidly about the process of grieving the death of a child. She also shares how we - as colleagues, friends, family members, and neighbors - can support those in our community who are suffering loss.
► Learn more about this episode:
https://www.mothersofmisfits.com/blog/100-dealing-with-the-loss-of-a-child-liesel-mindrebo-mertes
► Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/PNSXcxgJ0nc
► Join our weekly Episode Insider newsletter: https://mothersofmisfits.com
► Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/po...2022-03-2932 min
The Diamond Dogs PodcastTwo AcesIn this episode, we chat about Two Aces and deep dive into emotion and empathy at work with our special guest Liesel Mertes.
Links
The feeling wheel: Book (rashleighconsulting.com)
Connect with Liesel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lieselmertes/
Handle with Care Podcast: Handle with Care: Empathy at Work on Apple Podcasts
2022-03-2137 min
Workplace ForwardThe Business Case for Empathy with Liesel MertesAmid a global pandemic, empathy in the workplace has become a popular topic. But is it just a PR thing? Or does empathy really impact the bottom line? According to social science data, demonstrating empathy at work does matter. So, what is the business case for empathy? Liesel Mertes is an acclaimed workplace empathy expert with a deep understanding of what employees need to feel supported at work after a disruptive life event. She has developed trainings and talks around issues such as loss, returning to work, compassion fatigue, cultivating resilience and the brain science of empathy.2022-01-2740 min
Salted Carmel PodcastEpisode 83: Liesel MertesLiesel joins us to discuss her journey into RCIA and about her faith life. She is quite vulnerable in this interview, and by doing so reveals her relationship with God!
2022-01-0435 min
The JoyPowered Workspace Podcast2022 HR TrendsIn this episode, JoDee and Susan discuss what's hot in the world of people leadership with fellow podcasters Derrin Slack and Liesel Mertes. Topics include the new employer-employee social contract, empathy in the workplace, coaching at all levels, and creating a solid succession plan.
Visit www.getjoypowered.com/show-notes-episode-133-2022-hr-trends-shrm-credit/ for full show notes and links.
Derrin's Podcast: Stood in the Gap
Liesel's Podcast: Handle w/ Care
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2022-01-0336 min
ASCII AnythingS2E14: Workplace Empathy 2 of 2-Basic Emotional Maintenance and Other Empathy Tips For Workplace SuccessWorkplace Empathy, Part 2 of 2: This week we continue our discussion with Liesel Mertes, an acclaimed workplace empathy expert. Having experienced her own loss and struggle, Liesel emerged with a deep understanding of what employees need to feel supported at work after a disruptive life event. As the Founder of Handle With Care, Liesel works with groups that want to boost employee satisfaction as well as attract and retain better talent. Liesel works with companies spanning industries, from RV manufacturers, to diplomats, to tech companies, both locally and internationally. Her favorite clients are forward-thinking or...2021-10-2734 minASCII AnythingS2E13: Workplace Empathy - Part 1 of 2 - Why Values Have Value and How Routine Emotional Maintenance Can Improve Your OrganizationThis week's guest is Liesel Mertes, an acclaimed workplace empathy expert. Having experienced her own loss and struggle, Liesel emerged with a deep understanding of what employees need to feel supported at work after a disruptive life event. As the Founder of Handle With Care, Liesel works with groups that want to boost employee satisfaction as well as attract and retain better talent. Liesel works with companies spanning industries, from RV manufacturers, to diplomats, to tech companies, both locally and internationally. Her favorite clients are forward-thinking organizations who know the value in supporting their employees wi...2021-10-2032 min
Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkEmpathy and Connection for Start-ups: an interview with Selfless.ly- Joshua Driver And so it's always been confusing to me why startups don't think about their culture from day one. And because we spend so much of our wake time at work, especially on our stage and the positive vibes or feelings you get out of helping others or contributing to the betterment of your community or society or making a difference for somebody else is such an important experience I think everybody should have, INTRO Why aren’t we focusing on culture from Day 1? Today, we look at building connection in th...2021-10-1350 min
Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkLead Like a Human: an interview with Adam Weber– Adam Weber One of the I think keys to genuine empathy is through consistent one on one and how you display empathy, like, structurally inside of an organization. So, for example, a one on one is that place where as a manager, you can create safety with your team and with your direct reports and create a vulnerable relationship where you really do know what's going on inside of their world in their life INTRO Sometimes, when you hear from leaders, you are inundated with their success stories: their key tips to making your life or c...2021-09-2952 min
Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkTo See It, Be It: an interview with Max Yoder- Max Yoder That divine middle is emotional liberation, where I can be compassionate and show compassion to an individual. But I do not need to carry whatever it is that they are feeling, right, not my responsibility to. And the thing about the thing that I think this is so important for me in my life is I think this was my biggest blocker, my biggest blocker to grow like something that I may have gone through my whole life and never addressed if it were not for something like Lessonly. INTRO When companies an...2021-08-2557 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkHuman Skills Are Business Skills: an interview with Joe Staples- Joe Staples For anybody listening, you can learn empathy. It's not something that somebody should go. You know, I'm not an empathetic. So I'm just going to stay the way I am. INTRO Human skills ARE business skills. You cannot create lasting, high-performing teams without paying attention to and caring for the actual humans on your team. This is something that my guest, Joe Staples, has seen again and again in his years of work. We are going to talk about tips and tactics to build connection (hint...2021-07-2047 min
Gut + ScienceMonday Fire Takeover: Let Me Know How I Can Help with Liesel MertesHappy Monday! Every Monday we drop some #MondayFire to help you get excited about your week. This episode is getting taken over by Liesel Mertes, Founder of Handle with Care Consulting and host of the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast. In this episode she explains why the phrase "Let me know how I can help" isn't the best way to support a friend or coworker. Follow to get your Monday Fired up.2021-07-1203 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkAn Awakening: Embodied Empathy for Leaders- Tegan Trovato There's an awakening happening in corporations and people are now choosing their jobs based on values. And that will force organizations who aren't already inclined to that thinking to really start rethinking their approach to caring for their people and the beautiful thing. NEW INTRO Today, we talk about the awakening that is happening in the workforce as a result of COVID, change, and choice. How workers are choosing jobs based on values and what top leaders are doing to welcome and nurture the whole person at work. 2021-07-0645 min
Gut + ScienceMonday Fire Takeover: Tell Me More with Liesel MertesHappy Monday! Every Monday we drop some #MondayFire to help you get excited about your week. This episode is getting taken over by Liesel Mertes, Founder of Handle with Care Consulting and host of the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast. In this episode she discusses how powerful the phrase "tell me more" can be in the workplace. Follow to get your Monday Fired up.2021-07-0503 min
Gut + ScienceMonday Fire Takeover: Take All the Time You Need with Liesel MertesHappy Monday! Every Monday we drop some #MondayFire to help you get excited about your week. This episode is getting taken over by Liesel Mertes, Founder of Handle with Care Consulting and host of the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast. In this episode she explains why you need to eliminate the phrase, "Take all the time you need" from your vocabulary. Follow to get your Monday Fired up.2021-06-2803 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkThe Pulse of Your People: Optimizing Workplace Support During Crisis and COVIDNick Smarrelli But at the end of it, you know, you can't be listening to the reality. It can't be you can't be talking about how fantastic things are when things don't feel fantastic because then you lose all credibility and that's what people want. I think in leadership these days. I can get really snarky when technology is not working well for me…just ask my family. Chromecast under functioning, the link refusing to load. All of it can seem like a lot. But the biggest frustrations come when the technology that I need for wo...2021-06-2239 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkWe Are Humans First: Empathy and International Teams- Jorge Vargas And sometimes we forget that at work. We forget that in other scenarios. And at the end of the day, work is important and matters. But but it's work. And we are we're humans and we're people. And we were feelings and we're joy. We're sadness first. And that ends up having a huge influence and work at the end of the day and not recognizing that it's a little bit naive and dismissive of it makes us better workers if we actually are a little more self-aware about how we're feeling, our emotions in general. 2021-06-0851 min
Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkHow to Mainstream Mindfulness and Operationalize CompassionThis is the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast. I’m your host, Liesel Mindrebo Mertes helping you build a culture of care and connection through empathy at work. MUSICAL TRANSITION Welcome to Season 2. Empathy matters. It isn’t just some squishy personality trait, it is a set of skills and a capacity for connection that you can develop, if you have the desire. And that is what season 2 is all about. I am going to introduce you, in each episode, to a leader that is purposefully building connection and engagement at work. They will share best practices, the ways that hav...2021-05-2545 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkLament: Embracing Pain on the Path to Healing- Mark Vroegop I mean, it's just so private and so painful and so isolating at so many levels. And that's why I said grief isn't tame, because part of the viciousness of it is its unpredictability. Yeah, something can remind you, something can be a trigger. And it's just it's it's not controllable. It's not tameable. And I think understanding that is actually really helpful INTRO Grief can rob you of language. The feelings are so totalizing, so big and unwieldy. You don’t know when or if the pain will end and the people around you s...2021-04-2648 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkSupport for Those Struggling with the Disease of Addiction: an interview with Wendy Noe- Wendy Noe We are we have been dealing with a crisis with with the disease of addiction. And again, I think that we can see that because we're talking about it more than we've ever talked about it. And that's because we're seeing so many people affected by it. But it is a it's a huge health crisis that we're living in right now. It's just gigantic. And I don't think, quite honestly, we've seen the worst of it at this point. INTRO Hi everybody. Today we are talking about the disease of addiction. There is so...2021-04-1247 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkHow to Stop Asian Hate and Support our Asian Friends and Colleagues: an interview with Tara VanderWoude- Tara VanderWoude That has been so supportive of me, is just knowing that I'm not in it alone, not alone individually, but then not even alone as as a Korean American, as an Asian-American, but that there are others cross ethnic, cross racial who who care about this and who want to learn, grow and who want to take action when necessary toward toward the this hatred and this anti Asian sentiment of this past year plus. INTRO Anti-Asian hate crimes have skyrocketed over the last year. There have been disturbing sto...2021-03-3049 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkLayoffs, Trauma, and Disordered Identity: An Interview with Jon TesserJon Tesser Do I have value? Do I have skills? Am I ever going to get a job again? Is am I worthy? Am I worthy? I mean, it gets down to this idea of shame and worthiness. It gets really deep, right? This idea that I'm not worthy because I don't have a job. INTRO In today’s episode, we are talking about the trauma of lay-offs. And this is a rich conversation. We are going to talk about how to fire someone with empathy, what it looks (and sounds like) when employers pile on the s...2021-03-1641 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkE. coli, Cancer, and Cascading Grief: an interview with Jill HardingJill Harding Whenever I share those stories, people like you look so, so optimistic and you're so bubbly on life with what you've been through. And I said because at the end of the day, my kiddos fortunate, they have taught me a lot about life in ways that I don't know if we didn't go through those experiences, one, I could have taught them as a parent. And secondly, I learned a lot by their endurance, resilience and what they all went through. INTRO Sometimes in life, one disruptive life event falls fast on...2021-03-0343 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkAlcohol, Addiction and Life in Recovery: an interview with Mike Thibideau- Mike Thibideau But it's been. A really meaningful way to to change a lot of things about myself that were the underlying cause of like kind of what I went back to before, like I didn't I I didn't know why people would like to be sober and the reality is, is because they don't hate themselves. If you don't if you don't hate who you are, then just existing in your own skin isn't a miserable state of existence and finally learning to come to peace with those things. Is what really navigating recovery has been all about.2021-02-151h 02Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkMiscarriage and Meaning: an Interview with Danielle IrelandMiscarriage and Meaning: an Interview with Danielle Ireland - Danielle Ireland It was four or five different nurses came in one at a time and just held my hand and looked me in the eye and told me her story of loss was a miscarriage. And and I don't remember I don't remember their faces. I don't remember their names. But I just remember each each time it was like this wave of relief. And I'm still feeling it now talking about it like hearing I lost two and then I had to. I had to and I...2021-02-0149 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkLighting the Dark: Cari Hahn on Breast Cancer- Cari Hahn And I and I remember being on my hands and my knees rocking back and forth, screaming at the top of my lungs. I just was so devastated. And I think I was breathing all of it. I was breathing the fact that I had had cancer. I was grieving the fact that I had worked so hard and that I had left so little for myself INTRO My guest today is Cari Hahn, a breast-cancer survivor and the founder of Karma Candles. Cari talks about the challenges or breast cancer, the...2021-01-2140 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkCOVID, Leadership, and Reducing Stigma: an interview with Arwen-Widmer-Bobyk- Arwen Widmer-Bobyk I have no problem having everybody know that I had COVID. I don't I don't feel I don't feel that that is a reason for shame. After all, we are literally in the midst of a global pandemic and tens of millions of people have this and often through no fault of their own. INTRO Today, we talk about leadership and COVID, how the virus gives us a chance to model a different openness and acceptance-without-judgment and how throw-away comments can trigger cycles of shame and judgment. My guest tod...2020-12-2959 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkHurting Yet Whole: an Interview with Liuan Huska- Liuan Huska And so I. I felt like when people were able to say to me, you're not just like something to be fixed, but we can actually learn from what you're going through and what you have to offer as someone who is suffering is valuable and actually may be central to our human experience, is not marginal in something that we just put on the aisles. INTRO My guest today is Liuan Huska. Liuan is the speaker and the author of a tremendous book, just released this month by IVP Press cal...2020-12-151h 00Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkWorking While Black, Part 2: To Be Us Productions- Cedrick Smith We're going to tackle topics that are hidden in the crevices, that are a lot of times filled with shame and no one wants to talk about. But in order for us to get to where we need to get to and to heal from those pains and traumas, we are going to cover those topics and this being our first film, we couldn't be more pleased INTRO This is the conclusion of a two-part conversation on Working While Black, where I talk with Tosca Davis and Cedrick Smith, two Black workers a...2020-11-3048 min
Collective Energy ConversationsLiesel Mertes, Workplace Empathy CoachI knew the first and only time I met Liesel in person, a real coup in 2020, that she was someone I wanted to stay connected to and that I could learn from. I was right. Liesel has created so many moments of clarity on her website and social media platforms in the past year that have helped me grasp reality and perspective in all that 2020 had to offer. Hear her story, learn about her work and just listen as she shows her authenticity; it's a gift to witness for sure.Find Liesel Mertes:WebsiteHandle w...2020-11-271h 23
Bottom Line FaithReissue – The Importance of Empathy at Work with Liesel MertesBottom Line Faith is the podcast that bridges the gap between faith and business.
On today's show, Ray sits down with Liesel Mertes, workplace empathy consultant.
bottomlinefaith.org2020-11-1652 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkWorking While Black: Part 1, To Be Us ProductionsCedrick Smith So the disruptive part for me is the white supremacy, the white supremacy, and the microaggression is the microaggression of outright racism, to be quite honest with you, that I've had to deal with and I think that's what people don't realize is what we're bringing to the workplace before we even hit the door, before we even have to deal with some of the I want to say normal disruptive events that we all have. INTRO This is the first in a two-part series about the challenge of wo...2020-11-1658 min
My InnermissionLeading with Empathy with Liesel MertesWe all have been aware or experienced disruptive life events--and 2020 has been a collective disruptive life event for many of us. How can we better meet the grief and trauma of disruptive life events? How can we support each other as others experience them? This week I got the chance to speak with Workplace Empathy Advocate, Liesel Mertes about her own experience with loss and how she supports organizations in considering their own practices around empathy. In our conversation we'll discuss:What defines a disruptive life event and what is helpful in supporting someone through a disruptive life e...2020-11-1534 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkA New Normal: Char Simpson on life after the death of her soulmate- Char Simpson You've got to create this new normal. You just got to find what makes you happy. And create this new normal and what makes you happy may be almost very, very different from what it was with your husband, but it's just you. And so you you weren't meant to just be miserable. Life's going to be good. INTRO My guest today is Char Simpson. To her many Instagram followers, she is known as the Traveling Black Widow, an older, beautiful Black woman traveling the world…or traveling regionally during COVID, offering tips...2020-10-2648 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkDead bunnies, COVID meltdowns, and other empathy failures: personal reflections from Liesel Mertes Liesel Mertes It's been a pretty eventful and emotional week and a half in my house now with six people in the house. There's always high emotion throw into the mix that two of my children are preadolescents. And you can guess all of the back and forth that go on. But this last week and a half has had some particular inflection points. We had a beloved family pet die. We've been quarantined because of a possible COIVD diagnosis. And there's just been a lot of general stress in...2020-10-1316 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkHe is a Gift and Every Day is Enough: Cerebral Palsy- Peter Kline I'm never doing enough, never doing enough of working enough with them and never doing enough therapy outside of therapy hours with them and knowing the importance of that, but also trying to manage the responsibility and guilt that comes along with that while also, also being clear on. But every day with him is a gift and every day is enough. That's it. It's it's holding those two things together that often feels very difficult, but that's kind of what we're given to manage. INTRO My guests today are Janice Mc...2020-09-281h 00Handle with Care: Empathy at Work“So, no babies?”: Megan Flinn on survival and goodness- Megan Flinn I have, I have faced my own deep, like I have survived the thing, I think a lot of people have the great wounding or the great pain point of their life. And for those of us who have faced and wrestled through it and acknowledge it changes us. We then can turn to others and kind of say, like, I've been to my deepest, darkest parts of myself and come out on the other side like. That's possible for you too, the hope of that is true for everybody, INTRO Today’s conversation is a...2020-09-1447 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkMy Son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Interview with Chrissy Brack- Chrissy Brack But if you want to know what it's like to be a special needs parent, it's pretty much like this year all the time, in a way, maybe with like less threat of death around every corner. Like there's not like that that like pandemic piece of it. But as far as the amount of hurdles and unknowns and what's going to happen and what's that going to look like and how do I even put anything into place to get through? We'll make a plan for one week and then everything changes the next week. Right...2020-08-3148 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkThe Fine Art of Waiting: Stacey Ballard on Chronic Illness- Stacey Ballard I think the most important thing is that 40 percent of Americans live with at least one chronic illness, 40 percent of Americans. So we all know somebody who lives with chronic illness. And so we we know that those people are out there working right now, just like I had to work, whether I felt good or bad. So we just need to be nice to each other even. You know, we need to understand that we're all going through something, whether it's chronic illness, whether it's addiction, whether you're in an abusive relationship. We are a...2020-08-1754 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkLiving with a rare, terminal disease: Dustin Kaehr and HATTR- Dustin Kaehr And I think there are some people that are so scared of dying that they never truly live. And so so I think if we can help people understand how to truly live. Because once you get that. Once I have that, I'm way more understanding. INTRO Dustin Kaehr is many things. He is a leadership and business coach. He is a trainer and speaker and author and entrepreneur. And he is all of these things while living with a terminal disease, HATTR, that has no cure. HATTR is genetic, passed through his famil...2020-08-0748 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkBe Strong and Courageous: Teen Suicide and a Father’s HeartWade Brown While there are plenty of opportunities to be angry, we don't want to be angry. We don't. Joshua was a beautiful, beautiful young man. And Joshua is not suicide. Joshua is a 14-year-old who did an adult thing in a moment of weakness and we'll never know why. He's a kid that did an adult thing. He's not suicide. And so, you know, it's important for us to demonstrate to our kids. And I try to do it at work as well. We choose love and grace. We do. INTRO This is the second Ha...2020-07-191h 06Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkHow can I honor her? Jason Seiden on life and meaning after his daughter’s suicide- Jason Seiden That meant that I would gladly, if I could be the last person ever lose a child. I would I would take that on, if I could, to say it like that's how horrible it is that I don't ever want anybody else to feel it. And so other folks actually telling me that they're happy and that they're like, I think they would feel like I would feel worse, like rubbing it in. - Jason Seiden But actually, no, you know, that's it's the opposite. Like live your life. And tell me y...2020-07-0649 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkRacism, Loss, and Living while Black: an interview with Fred Brown- Fred Brown That was difficult. And that the kind of person I am or what people expect from me is to not flinch in the face of adversity. I could never grieve. In a meaningful way. And I've never grieved in a meaningful way because. The role I typically play in this society that I live in is the caretaker provider and supporter. So. You know, I remember one time I got emotional and people looked at me and it was like. Their whole construct of strength was like in question for years and years and years. I just...2020-06-221h 01Handle with Care: Empathy at WorkEverything Fell Apart: Cancer, Miscarriage, Divorce, and Infant Loss. An Interview with Molly Huffman- Molly Huffman A year after Tage died, I had processed so much that by the time my husband left, I, I was I was definitely anxious and really struggling at that point. But then there was this little bit of just, a I had to laugh and maybe that was all I could do to keep from drowning, but it was just like, are you kidding me? Like this, too. This is unreal. You like this. This can't happen to people this much loss. INTRO Sometimes in life, it seems like one loss piles on to...2020-06-0850 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkMy partner is dead: drunk driving and sudden death. An interview with Barry Hoyer - Barry Hoyer All of my friends have kind of treated this is like the loss of a husband or a wife, like it has the exact same gravity. Yeah. Work, it's. It's an interesting conversation at work. My my V.P. is also gay, and we're roughly the same age and we've started an LGBTQ employee resource group. So my name is very out there in the company as being the leader of this group. And so it's definitely not an aspect of myself that I've ever felt the need to hide at work. Quite a few people s...2020-05-2546 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkFront-line workers & the stress of being essential: an interview with Seth Morales- Seth Morales Those folks have had their eyes closed to this central, frontline workforce. And I think the lights have turned on and many people are starting to realize that this essential frontline workforce that is delivering packages to your front door, making sure that certain type of food or consumer good products are making it to the grocery store or anyone else's household. It it's a priority and it it matters. INTRO We are deep into the COVID-19 quarantine. My thoughts are ranging widely and, a few nights ago, I found myself pondering the...2020-05-1128 minHandle with Care: Empathy at Work“Action is the best way to help”: reform for restaurants in COVID-19. An interview with Serena SuhSerena Suh The whole pandemic impacting our economy and the restaurant industry is a big, big event. But in the end, why is that so catastrophic is because of the ways that restaurant workers and the restaurant industry have not been given safety nets. And it's a bigger issue than the issue itself will not go away once the pandemic goes away. Right. And I think that this is a time when actually it's just an opportunity for us to see the underlying issue and immediate relief, such as advocacy, buying out and checking up on your f...2020-04-2628 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkAlcohol, Self-Soothing, & the Coronavirus: an interview with David Mills- David Mills But I promise you, anyone who's hearing this. There are absolutely incredible things about you that other people see that you don't see. So be gentle with yourself. Be gentle with yourself, because there's always gonna be parts of yourself that you personally you don't feel like you can fully with. And there's a lot of ways to address that. Alcohol is one of the ways. There are a lot of other ways, too. INTRO This is a special, COVID-19 edition of the Handle with Care podcast. In these unstable times, we are shining light on sto...2020-04-1330 minBottom Line Faith151 - The Importance of Empathy at Work with Liesel MertesBottom Line Faith is the podcast that bridges the gap between faith and business.
On today's show, Ray sits down with Liesel Mertes, workplace empathy consultant.
bottomlinefaith.org2020-04-0852 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkCOVID-19 and Catering: Insights from the Pirate Ship- Matt Mills You care about their family; you care about each other's success and what you're doing. And you never want to. You never want to see anyone suffer, especially from things out of their control. As far as our, personally, with my business, I was telling them the first person and not get paid, it's gonna be me or will be me or is me. So as far as the restaurants go, it's just such a tenuous thing. - Liesel Mertes Hi, this is Liesel with the Handle with Care podcast. Perhaps you...2020-03-2920 min
Business is HumanHandle with Care - Workplace Empathy with Liesel MertesThe lines between personal and work should have been blurred a long time ago. We are one person living one life. We go to work to use our gifts and talents and to earn money to fuel our story, be valuable and relevant. Our lives have challenges, hurt and struggle.
I find it refreshing and frighening that in 2020 we're finally rising up to the challenge of acknowledging how we handle our hurts are a part of the workplace responsibility.
Liesel is taking her story of pain and loss and helping leaders know the right response to their employees when pain...2020-03-2844 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkLiving with Depression: an Interview with Paul Ashley- Paul Ashley Because it dismisses it dismisses who who I am or whoever that person is. You're saying it, too. It dismisses who their whole self is. Yes. Right. Again, the dichotomy of the fact that I have depression, yet I'm a hoot to be at be at a party with or are both true and at the same time. And if you dismiss either part of that, like all, if you're depressed, you can have fun. If you're fine, you can be depressed. Right. You're basically saying I'm not me, and that's offensive. INTRO...2020-03-1638 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkDissolved Adoption: Shame, Isolation, & Painful Choices– Adam Bryan And in this, the first time we've talked publicly about this, because this gets a really people get shamed. This is this is a really black mark on many families. And they get kicked out of churches, they get kicked out of neighborhoods, they get kicked out of families where the grandparents or the parents will say, you know, how can you do that to a child? How can you consider that and will kick people out of families in shame? - Allie Bryan I mean, shame, the biggest....2020-03-0155 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkMental Health, Stigma, and Suicide: a Chinese-American Perspective– Karen Ng Do we mention suicide? Do we use that word? And there was a lot of reluctance. My mom's gut reaction was no. How could we tell people that she took her own life? You know how. How shameful. You know, what would people think? And it would it would. It has implications for the family that somehow it was their fault because she killed herself. And why would she do that? She comes from a good family. She had more than most people in this world and must have something to do with her family....2020-02-0937 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkLiving with PTSD: an interview with Elsie IudicelloAnd I think that was when I really learned that, you know, all our healing doesn't happen at the same time. I think I was very impatient to just get better. I just wanted everything to go away. And I didn't realize that, you know, I had accumulated trauma from some past events and then from this event. And there was so many different aspects to healing. INTRO Today, we are talking about post-traumatic-stress disorder: what it looks like in the life of one woman after a medical accident AND how you...2020-01-2740 minHandle with Care: Empathy at WorkMy daughter has narcolepsy: an interview with Susan White– Susan White I don't think people understand narcolepsy. They don't understand that. I'm sure any other invisible disability. It was hard for me to talk about because I know you're with all your colleagues your friends you're focused on work and you've got your adult daughter at home in the dark in a room that she's you know for three days maybe she only got up to go to the bathroom and eat more food. I mean it's just horrible. INTRO When I was in college, I was a rowe...2020-01-1327 min