Inside Job

How do you get through the grind of the worst parts of your job when you know it's just part of the work? The events that led Nayla to a recent bedazzling experience kick off our conversation on the podcast this week about getting through the grind. Most of us have parts of our job we enjoy that keep us coming back each day. All of us have tasks or parts of our job we would prefer not to do. Unfor...

In recent conversations, we've noticed some of our clients are dealing with problems that just can't be solved, and we thought it would be a good idea to bring that topic to the podcast. Nayla kicks off the discussion this week by sharing how a moment from the popular show, Heated Rivalry , helped shape her perspective on unsolvable problems. In return, Eric shares how a client he's working with i...

  You've been told you need to get out of your head … now what? What does that phrase even mean? How do you go about actually doing it? In our previous episode, we had a conversation about being in your head and being alone with your thoughts. In this episode, we're flipping the script by diving into what happens when you get stuck in your own head, what that experience can look like, and providin...

A recent article Eric read stating people would rather hurt themselves than sit alone with their thoughts for more than a few minutes, is the inspiration behind this episode. Not even Nayla knew what the topic would be going in, but it's a perfect example of what The Inside Job podcast is all about … pushing past the uncomfortable to face what's going on underneath. Take a listen to today's episod...

It's been a minute since we've been here on the podcast, and we're honestly not sure where the first quarter of the year went. When we released the last episode in January, we had the best intentions of consistently releasing episodes, and all of a sudden, three months had gone by. We're back again, though, and the topic for this week's episode is one that we've not only both worked with clients o...

As ambition evolves, do we let it or do we try to plan for it? We're starting the new year off strong by tackling a topic we've noticed several of our clients struggling with lately. The topic has presented itself in our conversations as them changing their relationship with ambition or struggling with where to place their motivation. However, in discussing this topic amongst ourselves, we realize...

Welcome to the final episode of 2025. In this episode, we thought it would be a good time to revisit a topic we actually covered around this time a few years ago. Episode 142: Proust Questionnaire - The Inside Job Edition is one of our most popular episodes, and we think part of that is because so many of you listeners used the questions in that episode as conversation prompts. As you know from ou...

We all know that deepening our knowledge in certain areas related to our work is a good idea, but how many of us have several articles saved to read later or classes we've signed up for but haven't yet completed? This topic came up for us because we realized recently we'd both been struggling to make time to focus on a few things we'd been wanting to learn, and knew we weren't alone in that strugg...

There's a reason stress reduction is a billion-dollar industry. There's so much stress right now that a lot of our clients have lost the ability to tell what stress is working for them and what stress is working against them. We're in the homestretch of the college application process with our kids, and the stress that comes along with the entire process is a perfect example of why we wanted to ta...

Are you borrowing someone else's life plan? We often set goals or make decisions based on the path we think we should be on without giving much thought to what we truly want out of life. We see others doing certain things or achieving admirable goals and think we should be doing the same. But, what if we don't actually want to do those things? Our topic this week came to us from a few different di...

Inspiration can be found anywhere and, if you're Eric, that can even include a skeleton in your front yard. A lot of us believe we're supposed to feel thrilled, excited, energized, and inspired by our work. While it would be great if that were true all the time, we tend to panic in the moments when it feels like our inspiration in our work is drying up. So, in this episode that was recorded shortl...

Not a single one of us hasn't made a mistake in the workplace. We've said the wrong thing to the wrong person. We've delayed something inadvertently, and it had big consequences for our team. Knowing these mistakes won't be our last, we thought it would be a good idea to explore how we can handle the tension between acknowledging our humanity and the likelihood that each one of us will make mistak...

For eight weeks now, we've been offering perspectives on using the tool we have of how we talk to each other at work as a way of paying more attention and making more deliberate choices to drive the kinds of results and relationships we want to have. Now that we've reached the final installment of our series on conversations that count, we've realized the one we did not address is how we talk to o...

Why is it so difficult to ask for something you want or need at work? In this continuation of our series on conversations that count, we're talking about a conversation that's actually not happening. When we ask our clients to plan ahead for our coaching conversations, this topic is probably one of the top three that comes up. So, let's dive into why we're not speaking up about our wants and needs...

If you have to tell someone who works for you that they're underperforming, do you know how to make that conversation impactful and useful? If you're unsure, this next installment of our series on conversations that count is sure to provide you with some clarity. Tune in as we focus on this messy, but necessary, topic of conversation that shouldn't be avoided. In this episode, Tara joins us as we...

In the latest installment of our series on conversations that count, we're talking about talking. Tara Traeder holds a Ph. D. in Communication Arts & Sciences with an emphasis in health communication from Penn State University and a master's degree in Health Communication from Emerson College. She has nearly 20 years' experience in communication consulting, training, and research, with an emphasis...

In this continuation of our series on conversations that matter, we're digging into what is probably the most requested topic from our clients and listeners. Most employees feel like they're not having great conversations about career development in the workplace. Leaders often feel they're not doing a good enough job leading these conversations. So, how can we improve the experience on both sides...

Everything we're doing on the podcast this season impacts the way that we talk and listen to one another at work. If we think about the days in which we worked on larger teams ourselves, or even the teams we've come to visit as coaches, a lot of those conversations take place in meetings. Despite the fact that we know deep down that meetings can be useful, most of us dread them. Yet, our calendars...

The format of our podcast may have changed slightly, but don't worry. You'll still get your weekly dose of banter about the weather and Pearl Jam. You'll also get a deep dive into why leaders struggle to give good, actual feedback. As a manager or a leader, feedback is one of the most important levers we have. Everyone wants to know where they stand in their organization, and most of us would like...

We're back, and we're not going to lie … we missed you all while we were gone. In this first episode back, we're dusting off the recording equipment, sharing our thoughts about the sabbatical we took, and explaining how we'll be shaking things up here on the podcast moving forward. Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn ( Eric | Nayla ). Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric...

This week, we're discussing what's next for us, the most common question we're asked, and how those two things are connected. Tune into this finale episode of 2024 to find out when we'll be back with new episodes and how you can stay connected with us in the meantime. Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn ( Eric | Nayla ). Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson. To le...

Here in the United States, it's Thanksgiving this week and that usually means focusing on what we're grateful for and spending time with family. It also usually comes with a long list of to-dos, and we don't want to add to that. So, instead of giving advice about how to spend the holiday weekend, we thought we would instead offer an opportunity to reflect on an idea or two that we'll be doing some...

In an episode we released almost exactly two years ago, we specifically told you you don't have to get shit together. Do we still feel the same or is it, in fact, time to get your shit together? Take a listen as we explore how our perspective on this topic has changed over the past two years, the barriers you'll face when trying to get your shit together, what your goal should be when you're tryin...

We tend to work with a lot of people who believe they're incredibly self-aware, and it can be a little hard to break through when they're actually not as self-aware as they think they are. As result of this, we've realized that taking personal responsibility is one of the more difficult things to coach our clients on. So, we figured it was time to bring this topic to the podcast in case you're may...

Are our fantasies our actual goals or do they represent something deeper? Whether it's drooling over #vanlife renovations on Instagram, or daydreaming of reading a book in our private library while overlooking a picturesque garden, or being jealous of the CEO on the cover an industry-leading magazine, we all have fantasies about the life or things we wish could have. Sometimes those fantasies grow...