Shows
Manager on a Mission#36: Success You Can Live With: Values-Based Leadership for the Win - with Irma NealToday’s episode is exactly what we need for hard times when it seems like good people can’t finish first. My guest is an author, thought leader and visionary who proves every day that principled leadership isn’t just possible but actually drives results. I’m so excited to introduce Irma Neal, who has navigated everything from being the actual Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis to corporate executive positions to building multiple successful businesses, all while maintaining her core principles and beliefs. Irma shares how she identifies and handles people who thrive on chaos, why she always looks at...2025-06-1732 minManager on a Mission#35: From Corporate Executive to Certified Goofball: Why Success Doesn't Have to Be Boring - with Todd SchuchartMany of us secretly (or not so secretly) believe that being successful means being boring, safe, and having basically no fun at work. But if you scratch beneath the surface, you’ll probably remember a few shining moments where you were having a great time AND doing some of the best work of your life. My guest, Todd Schuchart, is all about creating these moments for himself and his teams. Sure, you aren’t going to love everything about your work, but why is it inevitable that we accept environments that squeeze the creativity and humanity out of ta...2025-06-1044 minManager on a Mission#34: Stop Resisting Change, Start Creating With It: A Masterclass in Adaptive Leadership with Valarie SandjivyConventional wisdom often says that leadership is about having all the answers. But I’d argue that today’s business world requires the opposite: the skill and comfort to ask the right questions and help teams navigate change and ambiguity. If you’re a leader, I implore you to ask yourself: when was the last time you helped someone see a "failure" as an iteration? Or created space for your team to actually innovate instead of just survive?In this episode, we explore these questions with adaptive leadership coach Valerie Sandjivy, who challenges us to find h...2025-06-0343 minManager on a Mission#33: Unproductively Productive: Corporate America's "always on" culture is killing innovationRemember Six Sigma? Before you say “no” and feel super smug that you never had to deal with it, how about Lean UX or Agile? And do you remember how much more awesome work became after your company rolled those out? No? Me either. I know it’s more complicated than that. And maybe some things did improve in some ways. But I have to ask: why do companies insist on chasing trendy, expensive, complicated workflow and productivity overhauls when we already know some very simple things corporations COULD do to truly improve productivity, innovation, and even employe...2025-04-2415 minManager on a Mission#32: SheThrives with Lori MurphyFeaturing an episode of SheThrives - Influencing women to rise above fear, build self esteem and THRIVE in all areas of their lives. With Lori Murphy.Join Tosca and Lori as they talk about Tosca’s mission of creating a safe and healthy work environment.Tosca is a former Fortune 100 executive on a mission to rework the workplace by putting people first. After snagging her first management role at age 25, she knew that creating a vision with a team, coaching them to succeed, and building a culture where team members actually liked and respected each ot...2025-04-0955 minManager on a Mission#31: That's What the Money Is For! - Corporate America’s emotional abuse contract with employeesIs emotional abuse just part of the deal when you work in corporate America? In this episode, we’re talking about the unspoken contract that many of us have accepted at work: that we have to tolerate being treated badly in exchange for a paycheck. And yes, the title of this episode references Don Draper's infamous line from Mad Men. As a former ad agency copywriter when the legendary show was on the air, I certainly didn’t enjoy working for people who treated me and my team members badly, yet I admit to pretty much buying into...2025-04-0318 minManager on a Mission#30: Rediscovering Joy on the Job: Breaking the Burnout Cycle with Tracy LaLondeAre you an overachiever who struggles to find joy in your work? Or maybe you feel like quitting your job but you really can’t afford to make that move. Either way, you need to hear this conversation with Tracy LaLonde.Tracy brings over 30 years of experience in training and development across high-tech consulting and legal industries. And in this conversation, she shares her journey from burnout (traveling 40 weeks a year to three cities a week!) to becoming a trust expert and "joychiever" (that’s right: joy + achiever).Tracy explains how high achievers and burnout cand...2025-03-2740 minManager on a Mission#29: The RTO Hall of Shame: Worst C-Suite Takes on Return-to-Office MandatesAre CEOs actually using data when making return-to-office decisions? Come on, you know the answer. (No, they aren't.) In today’s episode I'm taking on the worst corner-office offenders in the corporate world who are mandating returns to office with flawed logic, hypocrisy, and tone-deaf policies.This episode was inspired by Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, who declared at a town hall early in 2025 that remote work "simply doesn't work" for creativity and decision-making—with no data to back his claims. It got me wondering why so many CEOs who usually pride themselves on being "data-driven" and...2025-03-1914 minManager on a Mission#28: Choose Your Hard: Dr. Taryn Fletcher on Finding Your Leadership Voice, PIVOTing, and PurposeThis whole episode is full of a-ha moments, those things that make you stop your usual routine and question if you’re doing everything you were meant to do with your life. It’s full of thought-provoking questions, like: did your 6-year old self already have the answer to who you really are? Or are you a closet changemaker? And how do you make a PIVOT? Dr. Taryn Fletcher is coach, author, and educator who's on a mission to empower one million (or more!) humans to boldly pivot into the leaders they want to be. We explore how...2025-03-0744 min
SHEThrives: Influential Women PodcastSHEThrives With Tosca Fasso
Tosca is a former Fortune 100 executive on a mission to rework the workplace by putting people first. After snagging her first management role at age 25, she knew that creating a vision with a team, coaching them to succeed, and building a culture where team members actually liked and respected each other was her life’s work. Tosca left her Wall Street position to write her book “Not Safe for Work – A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture”. She also hosts the Manager on a Mission podcast and coaches people-focused leaders who know there’s a better w...2025-02-2853 min
Make Out AlreadyTwo Girls Yapping in a Hot TubHi Smooches! Join us in a Hot Tub Time Machine, but where there's no time machine, it's just a hot tub full of bubbling b*tches and smut. It's truly chaotic, but we talk about what we've been reading lately.WHERE TO FIND USFind us on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/makeoutalreadypodFind us on Threads at:https://www.threads.net/@makeoutalreadypodLiz’s author links:https://linktr.ee/ellediazromanceSubscribe to Liz’s YouTube channel:https://youtube.com/@ellediazromance?si=dl14EFyyCtYoolui&sub_confirmation=1Books/authors we mentioned: Quit...2025-02-2745 minManager on a Mission#27: Layoff-Proof Your Career: Insider Strategies from Certified Career Coach, Nicole MilesCan your career be completely layoff-proof? Probably not. But can you do more than just worry about a layoff happening to you? Heck, yeah, and in this episode my guest shares some of her best strategies for protecting and advancing your career with you. Nicole Miles is a Certified Career Coach, founder of HerCareerStrategist and former Global Recruiting Leader at Tesla, and she brings over 20 years of corporate experience from all sides of the career equation.I’ve been a recruiter and hiring manager in my corporate career, and Nicole even schooled me on a few things, in...2025-02-2641 min
The Authentic Creative: expanding our capacity to feel goodLove as Leadership: A Valentine’s Day Panel on Creativity, Joy, and Authentic PowerWelcome back to The Authentic Creative: Expanding Our Capacity to Feel Good. Today, we’re celebrating love in its truest form, not just romance, but the love we create, the love we lead with, and the love that fuels our joy. In this special Valentine’s Day panel on Creativity, Leadership, and Joy, we’re joined by an extraordinary lineup of women who embody these principles in their work and lives. Through their journeys, we explore:✨ The intersection of creativity and self-trust✨ How feminine leadership shifts us from hustle to flow✨...2025-02-151h 20Manager on a Mission#26: Beyond Vulnerability: Leading through Radical Authenticity, Trust and Letting Go - with Conner KeesWait, what’s wrong with vulnerability? And are we really talking about cosmology and poetry on this podcast? Yes, today’s episode is a bit different from our usual fare here at Manager on a Mission. My guest is Conner Kees - author, acupuncturist, and interfaith minister. In this convo, we explore why traditional notions of vulnerability in leadership might be missing the mark, and how radical authenticity offers a more powerful path forward. We even talk about what it truly means to trust yourself and let go of the controlling mindset that keeps many leaders from their full pote...2025-02-1245 minManager on a Mission#25: Don't you know that you're toxic? Why bosses become toxic and what to do about itRecent data from Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report reveals that 76% of workers experience burnout at least sometimes, with 28% reporting they feel burned out "very often" or "always." The financial impact is staggering - employee burnout costs companies over $320 billion globally in turnover and lost productivity.In this episode, we explore how toxic management behaviors have become normalized in workplace culture and then take a look what we can do to create positive change. We dive deep into why toxic bosses may not even realize they're toxic, how harmful behaviors get reframed as workplace virtues, and...2025-02-0515 minManager on a Mission#24: From gatekeeping to…gardening? How and why to lead like a landscape architectThe evidence is clear: rigid RTO policies and stack ranking systems are failing modern teams. But there are some innovative companies embracing flexibility and trust. And they are thriving. In this episode, we contrast outdated "Factory Floor Management" and more innovative, modern approaches, including my own “Lead Like a Landscape Architect” approach.We take a look at recent studies that provide the proof that flexible work supports creativity and productivity, including research from Owl Labs that reveals that 62% of workers aged 22-65 report higher productivity when working remotely. The financial impact is equally significant, with companies saving appr...2025-01-2121 minManager on a Mission#23: Why I'm still obsessed with 1:1s (mini-episode)(This episode features three special guests: my birds Nacho, Goochie, and Smokey who were in the hotel room with me when I recorded this due to Southern California wildfire evacuations.) Get my book, Not Safe for WorkA 1:1 meeting may sound basic, but it can absolutely transform how you and your team work together.If your 1:1s are supportive, consistent, and positive, your team has a much better chance of being healthy and happy. On the other hand, if they’re not those things, bad 1:1s can damage your relationship with your employees - m...2025-01-1012 min
Career Change for Women | Career Coaching, Career PathEscape Corporate Burnout and Redefine Leadership (feat. Tosca Fasso)In this episode of Shift Your Day Job, I chat with Tosca Fasso, a former Wall Street executive who climbed from administrative assistant to the upper ranks of corporate leadership. However, the higher she went, the more she realized that Corporate America wasn’t giving her the freedom to make the changes she knew were needed. This led her to leave her high-powered position and start Manager on a Mission, a movement focused on reshaping management through trust and empowerment instead of fear.Tosca shares her career journey, from building a user research team to making the bo...2025-01-0248 minManager on a Mission#22: Let's leave imposter syndrome behind this year (mini-episode)Did you know that almost 80% of people have experienced imposter syndrome at some point? According to the American Psychological Association, people with imposter syndrome live with the ongoing fear that they’re going to be unmasked as being incompetent and unable to perform according to expectations. When you boil it down, imposter syndrome is a combination of constant inner judgment and the underlying belief that we are just not good enough.Before doing research, I assumed that imposter syndrome is experienced mostly by women. But that's not exactly correct. In this episode, I cover who is most li...2025-01-0214 minManager on a Mission#21: Doing business while still doing good - with Aurora Dawn BentonI know you listen to this podcast at least in part because you believe everyone should have dignity in their work. But do you also like chocolate? If you’re wondering what those two things have to do with each other you’re going to have to check out this conversation with Dr. Aurora Dawn Benton!Aurora is Founder and Chief Change Agent of Astrapto LLC, which exists to advance positive impact in the workplace. Her passion is to make sustainability practical and approachable for people whose main job is not sustainability, but who have a passion to i...2024-12-2358 minManager on a Mission#20: What the heck is visionary leadership? And do you need it? - A sample from my book!In this episode, I read a section from my book on leading with vision. Many leaders think “having a vision” is a luxury, or even just a waste of time. But every team needs one - especially when you feel like you don’t have time for one. Yes, even your team.A vision is more than just goals and objectives. It’s a way for you and your team to identify the “why” behind what you do and map out a path for the future. Is your work too boring and basic for a vision? Nope. I can pretty...2024-12-0313 minManager on a Mission#19: Leading with curiosity, and what's wrong with HR these days? - with Megan WheelerWhat's the connection between why HR is getting a bad rap and why some employees don't want to be managers? Listen as Megan Wheeler and I try to unravel this tough question and talk about leading with curiosity and questions instead of making assumptions. Megan is a former coworker of mine from my design agency days in Brooklyn. She is the founder of Spoken, a consultancy dedicated to helping leaders and teams achieve meaningful growth. Megan has over 15 years of global experience and a Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. As you’ll hear in this episode, she combi...2024-11-2736 minManager on a Mission#18: Sticks and Stones - A sample from my book!For a change of pace, I'm excited to read to you from my book, NSFW (Not Safe for Work) - A good manager's guide to better-feeling work in a toxic culture. In this episode I'm going to share little bit of Chapter 5: Lead and Inspire or Get Out of the Way - the section called “Sticks and Stones.” Spoiler: It’s about words. Well, it’s about phrases - some of my least favorite phrases, because I think they point fingers at and shame employees in an unfair and outsized way. And I think managers can do better...2024-11-2112 min
Joy Found HereBreaking Free from Toxic Work Culture: Tosca Fasso's Guide to People-First LeadershipEver wondered why workplace culture feels so toxic? Tosca Fasso shares insights on transforming office culture and putting people before profits.In today's episode, we explore themes of self-care, toxic workplace culture, and the corporate journey, with the incredible Tosca Fasso. Tosca, a former Fortune 100 Executive turned Author, Leadership Consultant, and Podcast Host, shares her experience of climbing the corporate ladder to secure her "dream job," only to face disillusionment due to toxic workplace practices.Throughout this episode, Tosca discusses her shift towards people-first leadership, emphasizing the need for supportive work environments that...2024-11-1956 minManager on a Mission#17: Which came first, the merger or the layoff? (mini-episode)Forbes reports that the tech industry has laid off more than 124,000 workers in 2024 alone. Layoffs are a massive problem and source of strife and low morale - not just for those laid off, but for those who remain. But this episode isn’t about layoffs. Well, it’s not JUST about layoffs. Layoffs are a symptom. Lower salaries and less frequent raises are a symptom. Having less power and leverage in job offer negotiation - also a symptom. Of what? Mergers. In this episode we’ll be talking about how mergers cause layoffs - and how to protect...2024-11-1410 min
The Authentic Creative: expanding our capacity to feel goodAuthentic Leadership for a Happier Workplace with Tosca FassoIn this episode, I chat with Tosca Fasso, a former Fortune 100 executive who climbed the corporate ladder to Wall Street. Despite her success, Tosca found that power and prestige couldn’t fulfill her desire to make a real difference. Driven by her values, she left her role to launch Manager on a Mission, a movement focused on building workplaces based on trust and empowerment.Tosca shares:How reconnecting with her purpose inspired Manager on a MissionThe role of creativity in her shift from corporate life to meaningful workPractical tips for leaders to bring authenticity and joy in...2024-11-121h 01Manager on a Mission#16: Making the Leap from Operations to Entrepreneurship - with Diane LamA lot of us have dreamed of - or even dabbled in - entrepreneurship at some point. But you probably have so many questions, like: How do you make the transition? What if your initial business strategy needs to change? How do you handle all the technology and platforms? Well you found the right episode of Manager on a Mission, because our guest has the answers. Diane Lam comes from the corporate world, more specifically operations, and finance operations at that! In her business as an operations strategist she has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Insider and...2024-11-0547 minManager on a Mission#15: Better Capitalism with Paul Knowlton and Aaron HedgesI’m not an economist, a historian, or a philosopher. But when I started putting out podcasts and writing my book, I had to go outside of my comfort zone in order to develop a sense of context, as well as a more informed opinion, on what is happening for employees and why in so many cases it feels so wrong. In this episode, I interview some real experts - Paul Knowlton and Aaron Hedges, authors of the book, "Better Capitalism - Jesus, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand, and MLK Jr. on moving from plantation to partnership economics." Tha...2024-10-291h 09
Career In Technicolor | Find Your Purpose & Design Your Dream JobA Better Workplace with Tosca Fasso Today we're talking to Tosca Fasso. Tosca is a former Fortune 100 executive who worked her way up the corporate ladder from administrative assistant to Wall Street executive. When she got her first management role at age 25, Tosca knew that creating a vision with a team, coaching them to succeed, and building a culture where team members actually liked and respected each other was her life’s work. Unfortunately, as she advanced in her career, she realized that she wasn't always able to do what was right for her team and that corporate policies are often hostile to employees. So, To...2024-10-271h 16Manager on a Mission#14: The moment I realized I was tone-policing myself (mini-episode)I recorded my first podcast as a guest on Friday. I was so excited, but afterward I didn't celebrate or rest. No, instead I worried. I worried about everything I said that might have been offensive. I was terrified and ashamed that when the episode came out, I would come across as too angry, too negative, too opinionated. Why?That's exactly what we'll explore in this short little episode: how in order to survive and even have a chance at thriving in Corporate America, most of us have to deny our bad days and show...2024-10-2210 minManager on a Mission#13: Get unstuck, find your voice, and take aligned action - with Creativity Expert Steph SheldonWhether entrepreneurialism is burning inside you or is something you've never allowed yourself to consider, Steph Sheldon shares her wisdom about the creative process and finding your voice. Yes, even in a corporate job. Steph is the talent behind my top-to-bottom rebrand - from this podcast name and artwork, to my new site, and all those photos I've been using on the socials. In this episode we talk about how to find your authentic voice, honor what your body is telling you, and build a business foundation. Steph shares the concept of "unstructing," a counter...2024-10-081h 02Manager on a Mission#12: No budget. No approvals. No problem!Sometimes it feels like nothing you do matters as a manager, unless maybe you're the CEO. You can't hire the people you need to hire, you can't get the software your team needs, and you can't get them the raises they deserve. It feels like no matter what you do, you just can’t make a difference. What if i told you you don’t need to fix everything and you could still improve the lives of your team? And what if you could do it without getting approval of budget dollars from your manager? What if it w...2024-09-2415 minManager on a Mission#11: Let's Retire 1990s Manager MentalityIn the first episode of Season 2, we look at how management is stuck in the 90s and hasn’t kept pace with the challenges that employees are dealing with at work, like how quickly priorities change, how ambiguous projects can be, and how much more complexity employees face as far as office politics, layoffs, and far-flung coworkers in multiple time zones. Old-school managers are shortchanging their team members by holding on to past ideas of what management looks like, instead of what is required to lead today - not just procedural things like how we assign work but...2024-09-1019 minManager on a Mission#10: Ask Me Anything - Listener Questions Answered!For the final episode of our first season, we’re doing something a little bit different. I asked you to send me questions, and now I'm sharing my best answers regarding: How managers can help you increase your visibility and build your reputationWhy doing boring work doesn't mean you're doomed to never get a better job than the one you have nowHow to become a better presenter, even if you feel like you've already tried everythingHow to handle an overworked and understaffed team when there's no relief in sightThank you so much for listening to th...2024-05-1422 minManager on a Mission#9: How to Build Healthy Management Culture and Why Management Is Like Kayaking - with Brian WalchBrian Walch is a coach, consultant, and speaker who helps organizations develop their managers and build best-in-class management cultures. He is the owner of Shiftfocus Coaching and Consulting, where he provides services to help empower managers to lead themselves, their teams, and their organizations. In this episode, Brian and Tosca talk about management culture and what to do when organizations don't support managers, as well as how easing new managers into their roles is like getting into a kayak.Brian shares why he's passionate about ensuring that managers get the support they need to succeed, i...2024-04-3048 minManager on a Mission#8: Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Meetings and How to Fix ThemThe #1 barrier to productivity isn't remote work, or RTO policies, or even mass layoffs. It's meetings. As more and more employees struggle to complete their actual work, why is the tyranny of meetings not just tolerated but expected in Corporate America? The recent Atlassian Workplace Woes survey about meetings validated everything I had been feeling about meetings before I left my corporate job: they're largely ineffective, they waste time and energy, and they make it hard to complete the work that is supposed to matter. They're also a symptom of a larger problem: control and fear of m...2024-04-1621 minManager on a Mission#7: Mindful Leadership and Bringing Your Whole Self to Work - with Dina BermanDina Berman is a 30 year agency veteran, San Francisco native, and recovering ‘good girl’ who leveraged her mastery as a middle child and her love of commercials into a career in advertising with a focus in Account Management. She is Head of Account and Project Management at wello, Wells Fargo’s creative agency where she’s also a member of the Leadership Team. For the past 6 years Dina has been working on her own transformation as a leader, with a focus on mindful leadership. In this episode, Dina and Tosca talk about the differences between toxic positivity and influ...2024-04-021h 04Manager on a Mission#6: Demystifying How Corporations Promote Employees and What To Do When They Don'tPromotions and progress are the lanugage of success in Corporate America. But promotions can be notoriously difficult to get, or at least difficult to understand. Some companies keep the process shrouded in mystery and very tightly controlled. But when prospective employers want to see progress, advancement, and forward movement - and current employers are reluctant to provide it - what’s an employee to do?We answer that question in this podcast. As someone who spent most of their adult life moving up the corporate ladder and then helping my team members to do the same, I ca...2024-03-1925 minManager on a Mission#5: When People Do Well, Businesses Do Well - with Jessica WalkerJess Walker has spent over 20 years as a manager and organizational leader at some of the top creative agencies in New York City, working with Fortune 10 trailblazers, long-standing companies, and fast-growing brands. She now applies her dedication to creating value and growth to what she cares about most: people. She recently founded Wondering Forward, a coaching practice for individuals and teams, focused on helping people and organizations prevent and recover from burnout. In this episode, Tosca and Jess discuss how managers can care for people, be of service to their teams, respect and honor individual personalities and w...2024-03-121h 02Manager on a Mission#4: Coaching the Next Generation of Leaders - with Jod KaftanOur first interview episode features Jod Kaftan, Head of Product Design & Research at Oracle. Jod has over 20 years of experience in product, UX, and strategy, and as a trailblazer and leader in the industry, he is an advocate for a people-centered approach to management. Having recently branched out into coaching, Jod has been reflecting on his evolution as a manager who now believes his job as a leader is to "obsolete himself," and build the next generation of managers.Tosca and Jod discuss the perils (and temptations) of "falling on every grenade for your team," p...2024-03-0645 minManager on a Mission#3: Hell No, RTORTO, or "Return to Office," edicts swept corporate America in 2023. After a year or two of sweet-talking, strongly suggesting, and guilting employees to come back to the office, it seemed like CEOs of major companies had returned from a League of Doom meeting in which they unanimously decided it was time to end this ridiculous remote work fantasy once and for all - and RTO was born.The question I have - and I bet you have too is, Why? Why would companies want to re-commit to the overhead of physical office locations, at least at the...2024-02-2728 minManager on a Mission#2: Coaching Beats FeedbackDid you know that the word “feedback” was first used in 1919? And it primarily had to do with mechanics. The original definition is pretty dry: the return to the input of a part of the output of a machine, system or process. Yuck. And feedback is the word we use ALL THE TIME in Corporate America to supposedly help our team members do better work.In this episode, I’m not saying managers should be happy with everything employees do and never provide any guidance on how to improve. I’m saying the terms and the interactions we use ma...2024-02-1121 minManager on a Mission#1: Is Corporate America OK?If you’ve been on Tiktok or Insta lately you’ve seen all the posts of terrible bosses. And on LinkedIn it seems like it’s just one layoff after another. You’re not alone in wondering if things have gone off the rails in Corporate America. In today’s episode, we look at some of the reasons work sucks more than ever for so many people. We talk about the worrying trend of corporations having a lack of consideration for employees AS PEOPLE, including things like stack ranking and yearly layoffs and touch on the whole return to o...2024-02-1118 min