Help Wanted

You've probably gotten the career advice, "go big or go home." But taking that approach 100% of the time just sets you up to fail. Through unpacking their own missteps and wins, Nicole and Jason explain why— and when— you should actually go medium.

So you want to (or have to) bootstrap your business. Nicole is self-funding the business that makes this very podcast, and she will tell you: it is not easy. To share best-practices around protecting your bottom line and mental health, Nicole and Jason are joined by Christina Stembel, who has self-funded her business Farmgirl Flowers. Learn more about Christina and her biz here: https://farmgirlfl...

Say you're working on something that could be really great, but you need help to get it there. This happened to Jason recently; and the person he needed to call for help? Jimmy Fallon. So Jason had to ask himself: is this worth it? To find his answer, Jason came up with a four-part checklist to help you decide if the thing you want to do is worth asking for.

Nicole had a great appearance on Good Morning America… until she made one tiny mistake that she can’t stop thinking about. Jason and Nicole dig up their most embarrassing moments and workplace missteps, and decide on a benchmark for when to call out your mistakes, and when to keep them to yourself.

With Father’s Day coming up, Jason got to wondering how much parents can set their kids up for career satisfaction — so Jason called his dad to deconstruct his childhood.

When giving advice to loved ones, the temptation is to just tell them what they want to hear. But that's not useful. The key is telling them what they need to hear, in the way they want to hear it. But how do you do that? Nicole thinks it comes down to love languages. To test this theory, Jason and Nicole chat with the person dearest to Jason: his wife, Jen Miller. Find more of Jen's work, includi...

Imagine you're the CEO and co-founder of a startup that's struggling to grow. Then, someone gives you a PowerPoint presentation on why you should step down. Oof. That's exactly what happened to Netflix's co-founder Marc Randolph. But you know what? It was the best thing that could have happened to him. Jason uses Marc's story, plus a few personal tales, to give a three-step plan for identifying wh...

You've probably heard business leaders attribute their success to "never taking no for an answer." But, plot twist: sometimes you should. Jason recounts a recent cringey experience where someone really should have just taken no for an answer. Then, Nicole and Jason help make sure you don't make the same mistake.  Plus, what this all has to do with pudding.

Today's caller was just promoted and is now managing people she used to work with side-by-side. And it's awkward! She's worried that her new direct reports aren't going to take her seriously. Jason's answer? Become the boss your team needs— and wants. In this episode, Jason gives you three actionable steps to accomplish that.

Today's caller had been asking to take on more responsibility at her work for about a decade - and she finally got it! Now, she wants to leverage those new responsibilities to negotiate a raise and a senior job title. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, plot-twist! Jason and Nicole point out why this ask is not as straightforward as it seems, and give their do's and don'ts around how to navigate th...

Today, Jason walks you through how to feel like your work is important. Because it is. And he'll prove it.

Today's guest Lauren told herself that she needed to be doing more— until a medical diagnosis gave her "a slap in the face." Burnout has commanded the workplace zeitgeist over the last few years… but even though we’re talking about burnout more often, workplace culture hasn't made a lot of progress. But Lauren has. Jason was inspired by Lauren's story and wanted to share it on the pod, but first,...

Okay, so insults don't always *feel* awesome, but you can use them to your advantage. Jason shows you how.

Today's listener has a small Instagram following— and it cost her a job opportunity. In our current work culture, is a social media following a nice to have, or a need to have? It's a big question, but Jason has the answer. Plus, if you want to grow your social media audience, Jason shares the strategies that have worked for him.

Picture this: you come face-to-face with someone who really wronged you... what do you do? Jason and Nicole have both been there, and yet they handled it very differently (today's episode title is a big hint). Despite their different approaches, Jason and Nicole agree on the best mechanism to achieve closure after someone hurts you. Today, they pass it on to you.

Getting a crummy evaluation from your boss is no fun; but giving a crummy evaluation is nearly as difficult. Today's listener is a new manager up against her first round of performance reviews. She has to have an honest conversation with one employee who has been trouble for the rest of the team— and her anxiety is through the roof. Jason shares his winning formula for having a tough conversation....

In today's episode, Nicole and Jason are joined by a founder Nicole critiqued on this very podcast. Tea! This conversation could have gone one of two ways, but how this founder responds is *chef's kiss* perfection. This conversation will leave you with a script you can use next time you get some tough feedback. Find the most excellent Kim Kaupe here: https://kimkaupe.com/

You have a hard decision to make. In front of you are two choices. Both are scary. Neither is perfect. So you’re frozen between the two. Which do you pick? Today, Jason gives you a way to decide.

According to a study by The Harris Poll last year, fifty percent of Americans want to make a career change. But knowing you want to make a change is the easy part. The hard part is figuring out what change you want to make. That's the challenge today's caller is facing. Nicole and Jason give him— and you— the road map to set out in a new career direction.

Everyone wants a mentor, but what if the relationship goes sour? That’s the question stumping today’s listener. Jason gives his guidance on how to fix the situation—and his advice is the polar opposite of what this listener expected.

In Nicole's experience, networking and building relationships has been the single most valuable resource for her career. But let's be honest: networking is hard, and not always fun. That's where Jon Levy comes in. Jon is a behavioral scientist specializing in connection, and today he tells Nicole science-backed hacks for successful relationship-building.

Today's listener works at a big law firm, but is tempted by success stories of entrepreneurial friends who have started their own businesses. She's wondering: is it better to have the security of working at a big company? Or, is being your own boss everything it's cracked up to be? Jason gives us the tools to answer this question for ourselves. 

This episode turns into a Sliding Doors special; today's helpline caller worked with Jason at a local newspaper over two decades ago. Since then, his career hasn't had the linear upward trajectory he hoped for— which has left him making about half the salary he wants. Today, Jason and Nicole break down how to play catch-up.

Today's caller wants to apply for a particular job, but he doesn't have all of the qualifications required. Should he even bother applying? Jason's answer: absolutely! Jason hands over the cheat code for making the argument that you're right for a job— even if, on paper, you're not.

Today, Nicole rings the helpline to get Jason's advice: she's struggling with overwhelming stress around making sales calls for the very podcast you're listening to right now. Even though you won't find "sales" in Nicole's job title, it's still a part of her work. This is true for all of us; even if your job doesn't involve convincing someone to buy something, no matter your role, you will need to...