b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

We've all taken those personality tests. Hell, we even talk about them on this podcast. But can these tests do more harm than good? Is your personality your authentic self? Or rather, is it that your personality (and your authenticity) can and SHOULD continually change?  Erin sits down with Dr Benjamin Hardy, an organizational psychologist, to discuss everything from enneagrams, to trauma, to how...

You're running on the corporate treadmill. It keeps going faster and faster. It keeps getting tougher and tougher. What can you possibly do to not go flying off that treadmill, only to faceplant into the mirror on the wall?! Sometimes you have to look up from all the running you're doing and look straight into that mirror. If you can see the craziness and the beauty that is your authentic self, th...

Life often whispers at you. If you don't listen, it gets louder and louder. But what if you not only listened, but used it as the thing that powered you to rise to new heights?  This week, Erin interviews Rafat Fields, Founder of Powered to Rise. Rafat is a woman small in stature but gigantic in spirit. They discuss everything from her career ups and downs to her son's autism to her journey from o...

Erin and Nicole sit down, in light of the death of George Floyd, to discuss a truly pressing topic; how do we hold institutions and ourselves authentically accountable for basic and supposed inalienable rights, like equality, racial justice, and diversity? Erin and Nicole - while acknowledging the conversations being between two white women of means - reflect on the very nature of racism and recog...

If there's one thing we've all learned during these crazy times, it's that our lives were/are full of unnecessary bullshit. Whether it's meetings at work where most people are probably watching cat videos on Youtube or endless personal calendar commitments that weren't serving anyone, now is the time to flatten the curve on the BS in your life. Nicole Licata Grant and Erin Hatzikostas sit down for...

Nicole Licata Grant sits down with Melody Miles, the emerging millennial leader on the topics of rest, self-care, and "creating space in life for your soul to breath." As the creator and "Chief Soul Officer" of the Soulcation, Melody joins the b Cause Podcast to share a personal journey that led her to help others "design a life they don't need a vacation from." Formerly with the Bill & Melinda Ga...

From connecting with others to helping our local communities to women having "equality" barriers come crumbling down, Erin and Nicole come to this week's episode with an uplifting Top 10 list. It's a heavy dose of gratitude sprinkled with doses of humor that hopefully will also have you seeing the pandemic positives. What do you think number one is? And what is the thing that you have now as a res...

Imagine starting a new daily habit to help boost one of your most important values. Now, imagine doing that for 365 days straight. Do you think it would create a fundamental shift in your life? How about your work and/or business?  Erin Hatzikostas sits down with John Israel, a.k.a Mr. thank You, to discuss a curious journey of gratitude than spanned an entire year.  John starts by telling the sto...

So you feel severely undervalued; who HASN'T been there at some point in their career? But all is not lost; especially when we realize that the person with the greatest power to change our "status quo" is us. So, after months of (over)thinking, coaching, reflecting, scheming, proposing, and battling (especially with herself) - Nicole makes a move, and it literally pays off! Erin Hatzikostas and Ni...

Have you ever been told you can't do something, and it fueled you even more? Good. That's the story of Erin Berube's life. You can't. Ok, I will prove you wrong. Erin Hatzikostas sits down to interview her old friend and colleague, Erin Berube.  Erin Berube talks about her difficult start, and how it fueled her to get more from life than what she had experienced growing up. She talks about coming...

We're all spending way too much time at home these days. Are we supposed to be reveling in extra time with the family and the dust bunnies?  But wait: Do you actually prefer "playing" with your work more than playing with your kids, for example? Even famed TV producer Shonda Rimes agrees. Erin and Nicole talk about how Shonda opens herself to new things, but definitely sets some boundaries ("10-mi...

What makes a superfan? And can you create superfans for your business, product...or even yourself? Brittany Hodak, Superfan Expert, talks about what a superfan is and you can create and cultivate them to propel success. Not to mention, her story shows you that even a small-town girl can make big stuff happen. Erin Hatzikostas sits down with Brittany Hodak for an interview discussing her career fro...

We aren't just facing a global health crisis; we are on the brink of a paradigm shift in the world as we know it - at work, at home and everywhere else in between. The key is - how do you "sur-thrive" through it all? You can lead yourself and others out of it. We get straight into it this week, with Erin Hatzikostas asking Nicole Licata Grant to talk about the work she is doing, as someone who has...

Isn't it amazing how quickly the world has changed?  Erin and Nicole reunite after Erin's cruise (!) to reconnect with each other and connect with you. They realize that in crisis comes clarity; and when you are feeling like crap doing things for others is the best way out. Trying to see the secret silver linings in all the madness, Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant sit down for another 'Ho...

Do you want big things for your life? Do you yearn to make a major pivot...with your career, your marriage, your friendships, your economic status?  Whatever it is, know that it's essentially like a rebirth. You must go through some really tough stuff first. It might get uncomfortable. It might get messy. But the beautiful life on the other end is so worth it! Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Gr...

This week we dive deep into Enneagrams where we hope you'll learn how to work better with others, develop better versions of yourself, find healthy ways to deal with stress, and overall, find ways to become more whole in your life. Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant welcome Bree Miller onto the b Cause podcast couch for a super powerful (and super funny) talk about Enneagrams. Bree Miller bl...

How would you feel if you made it to your 100th birthday? What legacy would you want to leave? Would you have any regrets?  Thinking about this question NOW can make all the difference in how you live your life. (And because we are a couple of weeks ahead recording, wouldn't you know that we're dropping this right in the middle of the C oronapocalypse! It's not about CV-19, but it's kinda relatabl...

In this special episode, Erin and Nicole talk with Kaitlyn Czapiga about the wonder Human Design. Breaking down how Nicole + Erin's family fits into the different types of Human Design (Manifestors, Generators, Projectors, Reflectors), Kaitlyn describes how each of us can find peace and power by better understanding our - and others' - Human Design. Kaitlyn Czapiga, Hypnotist, Reiki Master and Own...

In the wake of superstar Kobe Bryant's death, the inevitable question gets asked: "What would you do differently if you approached each day thinking of life as having a game-ending shot clock, but don't know when it will go off?" Oh wait, that IS life. That's every freakin' day. In one of their most personal and possibly (sorta) profound "how was your week" check-ins yet, Kobe Bryant's and daughte...

Do you ever feel like your voice goes unheard at work? What if you literally did lose your voice for good? That's the deep question that Kevin Hancock, CEO of Hancock Lumber Company, was forced to ask himself when he was diagnosed with a rare speech disorder. And he didn't stop there, he decided to explore that question in a much deeper way and with many others. He wanted to know, "If everybody on...

Mentoring, if career success had ten commandments, we're pretty sure this would be one of them. But do you feel that the 'mentoring system' isn't quite getting you what you need to succeed big time? Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant sit down for another 'How Was Your Week' episode to discuss this and so much more. They talk about the difficulties of funding a podcast, the fun, stress, and e...

Did you know that it's Illegal to NOT allow discussing pay at work? Yeah, we didn't either. Or maybe we forgot. Or were too intimidated to do it. "Pay talk" is one of those elements of corporate culture that has a mythical and dis-equal hold on how we compete in the market. But why not take back the power so it is a "gateway drug" to other things. Like, how do you negotiate pay? Get information ab...

Have you ever wondered if you're underpaid? That's the question that Erin and Nicole ponder and tackle in this week's episode. Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant kick off by telling their classic Christmas comedies from this year.  Erin talks about the stresses leading up to Christmas and the issues that ensue after their 3-year-old cousin barfs all over their couch on Christmas Day. But it'...

Too often we think about our health as needing to change how we treat our body. Amanda Walker will instead help you see that it all starts with how you treat your mind. Erin Hatzikostas sits down with Amanda Walker to discuss everything from changing your eating habits to managing your personal and work schedules to fit in more exercise, all while paying attention to your mental well-being. Amanda...

Erin and Nicole sit down for another mono y mono episode and reflect on the immense possibilities they continue to see for their podcast, their lives...and for their listeners. They can see more and more every day that every single person out there has a unique and special purpose...and if they spend even a little time opening up "curtains", they'll find the answers they need to make it happen.  K...