The Hard at Work Podcast

This is an encore of episode 32, originally aired 1/14/26, but now with video. What if the reason work feels exhausting, isolating, or unsafe isn’t your performance—but a breakdown of trust? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen is joined by author, keynote speaker, and workplace thought leader Minda Harts ( Talk to Me Nice , Right Within , The Memo ) for a deeply practical conversation about why...

Originally released in 2025, we're re-releasing one of the most popular Hard of Work episodes, with neuropsychotherapist Britt Frank - with video for the first time. What if your anxiety isn’t a flaw, but a built-in safety feature? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with Britt Frank—licensed neuropsychotherapist and author of The Science of Stuck and Align Your Mind —to explore the s...

In this episode of Hard at Work , host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with organizational design consultant, KEXP DJ, and former Boeing flight test manager Jyoti Jani. Jyoti, founder of SPILLE Play and Chief of Staff at Seattle Arts and Lectures, breaks down why modern corporate environments leave professionals feeling perpetually drained. Together, they explore how to challenge outdated workplace...

Episode 50 marks a major milestone for the Hard at Work podcast as host Ellen Whitlock Baker reflects on the critical takeaways from the show’s first year. Over the course of 50 episodes, the overarching lesson is clear: it is entirely possible to build high-performing, successful organizations without forcing employees to sacrifice their mental health, identity, or personal lives. Challenging rig...

Can a high-trust, people-first company culture actually drive real-world productivity and business profitability? In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, host Ellen Whitlock Baker continues her discussion with Karina Patel, Chief Operating Officer at Her First 100K (HFK). Together, they dismantle the myth that sustainable workplace culture requires sacrificing performance, demonstrating how empat...

How do you turn a bold, feminist vision into a thriving, people-centered company that supports millions of women? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Karina Patel, Chief Operating Officer at Her First 100K (HFK). Together, they explore what it looks like to dismantle toxic productivity, build intentional workplace systems, and re-architect traditional...

What happens when you stop running from your past and finally step out of performance mode? In this episode of Hard at Work , host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Matt Gilhooly—creator of The Life Shift Podcast —to explore how pivotal before-and-after moments shape who we are and how we navigate our careers. Matt shares the deeply personal story behind his podcast, starting with the sudden los...

In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker connects with executive career coach and Inspire Careers CEO Cathy Lanzalaco to send a powerful message: no matter how long you’ve been on one path, it's never too late to reinvent your professional life. Having successfully transformed her own career three times—pivoting from registered nursing to corporate HR leadership,...

Unpacking the three unmistakable signs of chronic workplace burnout and how to reclaim your power while planning your next career move. Have you ever found yourself staring at your laptop, completely miserable, wondering if it’s finally time to throw in the towel? You aren’t alone, and more importantly, workplace burnout is not your fault. In this solo episode of the Hard at Work Podcast , host El...

In this episode, Ellen Whitlock Baker discusses the difference between creating healthy workplaces that prioritize employee well-being vs. wanting a workplace where everyone is happy all the time. She emphasizes the need for leaders to anchor themselves in their core values, communicate transparently, and be flexible in their decision-making processes. The conversation highlights that a healthy wo...

The hidden costs of workplace intimacy and how to navigate systemic betrayal. Episode Summary We are often told that trust is the foundation of a healthy workplace, but what happens when that trust is used to mask deep-seated inequity? In this episode, sociologist and author Sarah Mosseri joins host Ellen Whitlock Baker to discuss her book, Trust Fall: How Workplace Relationships Fail Us . Sarah s...

In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Dr. Laura Suttin, a family physician, consultant, coach, and author of The Purposeful MD, to tackle the crisis of healthcare burnout. While the medical field often treats self-sacrifice as a "badge of honor," Dr. Suttin argues that the current level of clinician fatigue is a solvable systemic issue rather than an...

Have you ever sat down to rest, only to find your brain spinning with a mile-long to-do list and a heavy dose of guilt? You aren’t alone. In this episode, Ellen dives deep into the "insidious inability to rest" and why our brains view healthy changes—like setting boundaries or recovering from surgery—as a threat to our comfort zones. Even as a coach who teaches burnout prevention, Ellen...

Is your "experience" actually creating rigidity? In her first solo episode of Season 2, Ellen Whitlock Baker dives deep into the essential leadership skill of modeling. While many leaders espouse the importance of work-life balance and behavioral health, Ellen challenges us to look in the mirror: Are you actually living the values you’re teaching, or are you a "do as I say, not as I do" leader? Dr...

In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with award-winning author, facilitator, and coach Trystan Reese to explore the transformative power of "adaptation skills" in the modern workplace. Reese challenges the prevailing "throwaway culture" by arguing that no employee is truly disposable, particularly when harm is caused unwillingly due to a lack of awarenes...

How burnout shows up when success is fueled by old wounds What if the hardest part of being “hard at work” isn’t your workload — it’s everything underneath it? In this episode, Dr. Merary Simeon joins Ellen Whitlock Baker to talk about the invisible drivers that fuel ambition: old messages, past pain, and the pressure to prove you’re “enough.” Merary shares the moment she realized her success was...

How people-pleasers stop outsourcing their decisions and reconnect with their inner knowing For anyone who has ever hit every goal and received all the praise yet still felt profoundly miserable, this episode offers a roadmap out of the "A-student" trap. Host Ellen Whitlock Baker is joined by Lauree Ostrofsky —coach, business and marketing consultant, and two-time author—to explore what...

Whether you’ve spent 20 years in one field and realized you’re unfulfilled, or you’re just a few years into your first job and realizing the path you were "supposed" to take doesn't fit who you are, this episode is for you. Ellen is joined by Aleenah Ansari—a writer, content creator, and strategic creative who specializes in helping people find and amplify their own stories. Ellen an...

What if the nonprofit sector isn’t broken because people don’t care—but because we’ve been taught a whole lot of nonsense about how work, funding, and leadership are “supposed” to function? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen is joined by writer, activist, and nonprofit truth-teller Vu Le, author of Unicorns Unite and the mind behind the long-running blog Nonprofit AF, for a wide-ranging, funny...

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen is joined by critic, speaker, and author Jodi-Ann Burey ( Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work ) for an honest conversation about why “bring your whole self to work” has become one of the most misleading—and dangerous—ideas in modern workplace culture. Jodi-Ann shares that she wrote the book because she wanted to have a conversation about au...

Sarah Jaffe on capitalism’s “labor of love,” grief, and why you can’t meditate your way out of a rigged system What if the heaviness you feel at work isn’t a personal failing — but capitalism doing what capitalism does? Labor journalist and author Sarah Jaffe ( Work Won’t Love You Back and From the Ashes ) joins Ellen for a wide-ranging, deeply grounding conversation about why so many of us feel e...

A practical conversation about leadership and how trust (not control) drives retention, productivity, and healthier workplaces. In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Minda Harts—author of Talk to Me Nice and a leading voice on workplace trust and leadership—to explore why trust is the missing foundation in so many modern workplaces. Drawing on Minda’...

A systems-level look at why “do more with less” is collapsing nonprofit leadership—and what sustainable organizations do instead. What happens when passion-driven missions collide with unrealistic growth goals, broken governance, and chronic underfunding? In this episode of Hard at Work, I’m joined by nonprofit strategist and systems thinker Ariel Glassman Barwick for a powerful, honest conversati...

After 30 episodes of saying the quiet part out loud, host Ellen Whitlock Baker closes out Season 1 of Hard at Work with a reflective and forward-looking finale. From people-pleasing and perfectionism to systemic burnout and the stubborn pace of change since the movie "9 to 5" came out 45 years ago, Ellen unpacks what she’s learned about why work still isn’t working — and what it will tak...

In this episode of Hard at Work, host Ellen Whitlock Baker welcomes author, two-time founder, and Hype Women CEO Erin Gallagher for a candid conversation about women, work, and the shift from competition to collective power. Erin shares the origin of the Hype Women movement—including that now-famous photo of Jamie Lee Curtis celebrating Michelle Yeoh—and explains why hype is a verb: it’s the choic...