Work Is Third

What would your workday feel like if you got to lead as yourself, at your own volume? Quiet leaders bring depth, focus, and real care to their teams, and they deserve workplaces built with them in mind. Dawn Hunter sits down with Alex Jack, executive coach who specializes in nurturing resilient, emotionally intelligent leaders through his Quiet Influence (QI) leadership program. The two first met...

Crystal Stutler had the career she dreamed of. She was a senior manager at a consulting firm, on the partner track, traveling the country. Then one night she found herself on her living room floor at 11:30 p.m., gasping for air with her work still unfinished. Three ER visits in 18 months later, including one for stroke-like symptoms, she knew the dream she'd been chasing was no longer hers. In thi...

In this episode of Work Is Third, host Dawn Hunter sits down with Michael Tennant, founder and CEO of Curiosity Lab, creator of Actually Curious, and author of The Power of Empathy, for a conversation about grief, felt values, and what it takes to build empathy as an actual skill. After losing two of his older brothers in 2019, Michael turned his own healing process into a five-phase framework: la...

There are very few workplace problems that better communication can't improve, at least according to today's guest. In this episode of Work Is Third, host Dawn Hunter sits down with BJ Talley, Founder and President of the strategic communications firm Gladius, to talk about what actually builds trust on a team. BJ shares how his fully remote company opens its books to every employee, why h...

What if the version of you that got you here isn't the version you need for what's next? Emily Adams left the Amish community at 17 with no roadmap—jumping out of a two-story window in the middle of the night with no plan. She went on to manage production lines for Ford, GM, and BMW, save millions in operational gaps inside a global tech company, bootstrap a tech platform from scratch, and...

What happens when the role you're playing on the outside stops matching who you actually are underneath it? On this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter talks with Jonathan Cave about daring to become that person instead. Jonathan is the author of The Tree and the Mountain – Dare to Become where he shares his journey to redefine himself. Jonathan was a partner in a prestigious Geneva law firm...

What has to happen in your life for you to realize that you need a break – and to take it? Brooke Dukes has built four companies in 24 years, and she's found the same problem inside every one of them: the founder becomes the bottleneck. Brooke Dukes is the founder of Success by Design, a leadership operating system for founders and CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses and the author of Burn...

What if the people around you are one of the best ways to invest in yourself? Self-Published Author, Speaker, Female Mentor and Women's Advocate, and corporate finance professional, Urmi Hossain joins Dawn to talk about "friendtors," speed mentoring, and the boundaries that let her invest in herself so she can invest in everyone else. She shares tips on managing time so that she can...

Have you ever felt like you didn't belong somewhere but couldn't explain why? Organizational scientist, adjunct professor, and keynote speaker Andrea D. Carter has spent years studying exactly that feeling — and she has the data to prove it's not in your head. It's in your nervous system. Her belonging research, validated across 8 industries and over 150,000 people, makes one thing...

What does health actually look like — when you factor in ADHD, night owl energy, systemic barriers, and the courage to say the hard thing out loud? In this episode, I sit down with Jen Fry — conflict resolution coach, speaker, tech entrepreneur, and author of I Said No: How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries Without Being a Jerk — for a wide-ranging conversation about redefining health on our own t...

Are you building a life that feels right for you , or one shaped by expectations, achievement, and what you think you're supposed to do? In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn Hunter sits down with Calvalyn Day to explore freedom, flexibility, reinvention, and the choices that shape our lives. Together, they unpack why so many people live by the "shoulds," how external validation can quietly driv...

Have you ever felt like you’re always trying to do enough, be enough, have enough? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter talks with psychotherapist and coach DeMonta Whiting about people pleasing, emotional resilience, identity, and learning how to stop tying your worth to productivity. Together, they explore how childhood beliefs shape adult behaviors, why so many high achievers struggle...

What if protecting your peace doesn’t mean staying quiet—but finally speaking up? In this episode of Work is Third , Dawn Hunter talks with Rene Rivas, entrepreneur, nurse, and founder of RevIVe+ Mobile IV Concierge, about healing, presence, vulnerability, and redefining success on your own terms. Rene shares his journey from difficult workplace experiences to building a business rooted in prevent...

Have you ever had a moment where you stopped and thought… how much of who I am is actually me? In this episode of Work is Third , Dawn Hunter sits down with James Lumumba, host of Don’t Be Afraid to Talk , for a powerful conversation on identity and how to rewrite the stories we’ve been told about ourselves. Together, they explore how many of the beliefs people carry about themselves are shaped by...

What if the problem isn’t that your life is too full, but that there’s no space for what actually matters? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter speaks with Natolie Warren, a psychotherapist, wellness expert, and retreat leader, about shifting out of autopilot and reconnecting with yourself through small, intentional practices. They explore the power of breath, the importance of asking bet...

What happens when women share their stories and build connections across generations? In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn Hunter speaks with the hosts of the Raised by Her Podcast , a mother-daughter duo exploring womanhood, identity, and life through an intergenerational lens. Together, they discuss the power of storytelling, the importance of honest conversations about women’s health, and ho...

What if progress didn’t have to look impressive to count? In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn Hunter sits down with founder and storyteller Paula Thomas to explore what it means to rebuild after loss, and how small wins can change everything. After navigating crippling depression and anxiety, and later, an ADHD and autism diagnosis, building a career in tech, and then losing her husband unexpe...

What does real healing look like after historical trauma, and how do we carry sovereignty, ceremony, and leadership into modern life? In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn sits down with Southern Cheyenne Chris Tall Bear for a deeply grounded conversation about healing, history, and the responsibility of leadership. Chris Tall Bear is a Southern Cheyenne Chief, Tribal public health advisor, and...

What if your exhaustion, pain, or restlessness isn’t something to fix, but something to listen to? In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn Hunter sits down with Dr. Aissa McGuirl, physical therapist and author of Connect the Body Dots , for a grounded conversation about what our bodies are trying to tell us and why so many of us aren’t listening. Together, they explore how breath, movement, and re...

What does it mean to care deeply for others without losing yourself in the process? Adrienne Tucker, founder of Generation NOW Alaska, joins Work Is Third to talk about chronic illness, caregiving, boundaries, and the truth behind showing up sustainably. Living with fibromyalgia while leading youth programs, supporting families, and raising two children has taught Adrienne a powerful lesson: you c...

Midlife isn’t a decline — it’s a shift. In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn sits down with Certified Midlife Coach Jody Phifer for an honest, grounding conversation about perimenopause, menopause, identity, and what it really means to put yourself first after decades of caregiving, hustling, and holding it all together. Together, they unpack why perimenopause is just one part of a much bigger...

When you’ve spent years being who you needed to be, it can be hard to remember who you actually are. This episode is an invitation to slow down, sit with yourself, and reconnect with what self-love really looks like. In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn Hunter talks with Ger Carriere , entrepreneur, artist, and healer, about healing, legacy, identity, and what it means to truly commit to yourse...

Helping is human…but learning how to help without losing yourself is healing. In this bonus clip, Adam Wilson opens up about why helping others has become both his instinct and his biggest boundary challenge. From Costco moments to vulnerable conversations with his son, Adam shares how presence — not presents — is what children and loved ones truly need. We also talk about breaking generational pa...

How are you pausing and reflecting this holiday season? In this reflective solo episode, Dawn pauses as we head into the holidays to share what’s happening across the Work Is Third movement—from the new Bookshop.org list and the Joyful Rebellion playlist to her bi-weekly newsletters and your opportunity to send in voice notes. Dawn also revisits her favorite guest quotes, emerging themes across th...

We’re taught to hustle. We’re never taught to heal. That changes in this episode. Mindset and wellness coach Adam Wilson joins Work Is Third for a powerful and vulnerable conversation about healing, habits, father and mother wounds, breaking generational patterns, and learning to rest. Adam shares how childhood trauma shaped his early life, what pushed him out of tech and into coaching, how he hel...