Crina and Kirsten Get to Work

Joy! Joy! Joy! SHOW NOTES Let’s start with a clarification: happiness and joy are not identical twins. Happiness is that bubbly high you get from winning a raffle or finding a parking spot downtown—it’s external,  fleeting, like confetti in the wind. Joy, on the other hand, is more of a soul-deep warmth—steady, internal, and linked to meaning and purpose. Happiness is like a 4th of July sparkler a...

It’s time to focus on the often-misunderstood art of assertiveness—what it is, what it isn’t, and how learning to speak up for yourself with clarity and respect, which can change your life! Whether it’s Crina telling it like it is or just learning to speak up with friends, this episode illustrates just how transformative assertiveness can be, especially for those of us who’ve spent years saying “y...

“Mattering,” is  one of the most underrated superpowers in the workplace!. Not "I got a cupcake on my work anniversary" mattering—but the real, gut-level kind where you feel seen, valued, and essential. Turns out, this isn't fluff. According to Crina, It's fuel. Now, let’s clear something up: mattering isn’t the same as belonging. Belonging says, “You’re one of us.” Mattering says, “You’re essenti...

There’s a persistent and punishing myth out there: that a college degree is the only ticket to a good life. Spoiler alert—it’s not. And the people hit hardest by this myth? Women without degrees, especially women of color, who are holding up families, caregiving, and entire communities while being boxed out of opportunity by arbitrary job requirements and social stigma. Four out of five non-gradua...

Trust in leadership is eroding, with only about one in five employees reporting confidence in their leaders (Gallup, 2023). What’s going wrong—and more importantly, what does it take to lead in a way that earns trust?  The answer to this question is simply bringing our authentic selves to our leadership.   Research on authentic leadership shows that effective leaders don’t follow a specific checkl...

If you're powering through your day like a caffeine-fueled robot with no off switch—stop. Your brain and body are not machines. We are more like rechargeable batteries, but we need to recharge.  On this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our hosts discuss giving IT (all of IT) a rest.   SHOW NOTES A break is not a luxury—it's a necessity. A German study found that we respond to physical ove...

Buckle up buttercups, we're diving into the panacea or peril of the four-day workweek. As always, we get to use our critical minds and decide for ourselves.   SHOW NOTES The five-day workweek is one of the the results of worker safer reforms in the 1930s.  As a society, we concluded and adopted laws that provided greater compensation for workers when they worked in excess of 40 hours in a week.  ...

We all know that our jobs can impact our health: from sleepless nights to skipped meals, your job can take it’s toll. But research shows us that the cumulative impacts of these offenses might be harming you more than you think.  SHOW NOTES Emily, a mom on the internet, said the quiet part out loud: admitting they daydream about being hospitalized—not because they want to be sick, but because it’s...

Today on Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our hosts have “the talk”—no, not that one. We’re talking money—earning it, saving it, investing it, and, most importantly, not stressing ourselves into a financial spiral.  While our dynamic duo are certainly not investment experts, they are two regular chicks talking about what regular chicks think about and do with their hard earned dollars. First things...

Status and power are major players in our work life and understanding how each works and how each can create more ease, meaning and joy in our work lives is a game changer.   SHOW NOTES Status is everywhere, whether we acknowledge it or not. It’s reflected in whether we are acknowledged in a meeting, how fast our emails get answered, or whether we are invited - really anywhere. Unlike power, which...

Happy 10th anniversary to the McKinsey & Leanin “Women in the Workplace” report! This is the largest study on the state of women in corporate America, and a bit of a tough pill to swallow as the authors analyze data from the past decade to understand progress, decline, and stagnation in women’s representation and experiences.   The report's findings show that while companies have taken action...

Today on Crina and Kirsten Get to Work our badass duo gets up close and personal with an exercise created by social scientist, author and speaker Alison Fragale.  Fragale has written a great book, How to be a Likeable Badass.  Fragale suggests one of the keys to being a likeable badass is asking for what you want—boldly, frequently, and strategically -- and she has developed an exercise on asking...

Hope is often dismissed as fluffy sentiment, but is actually a powerhouse for transformation—especially in the workplace. Unlike optimism, which passively assumes everything will turn out fine, hope is active, intentional, and rooted in the belief that our actions can shape the future. It’s the antidote to despair, the spark that turns possibility into reality. As Brene Brown reminds us, hope isn’...

In this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work our hosts consider the silent exclusively female workplace challenge - menopause.  Menopause affects over 1 million women in the U.S. annually. Nearly 20% of all women are grappling with its symptoms right now, often in silence. Hot flashes, brain fog, and fatigue aren’t just physical nuisances—they’re cultural battlegrounds. Society often wraps a w...

We acknowledge many of us enter this new year with some uncertainty - and maybe even some fear.  Some of us are just depleted.  As we go into 2025, we need to care for ourselves and each other, preserve our sanity and focus our energy.   January is a great time to reflect on what 2025 will look like for each of us - and not just because it is the beginning of the year, but also because we do the l...

Contagious Positive Energy: The Rocket Fuel of Great Leaders Let’s talk about relational energy and why it’s a game-changer for organizations! With new books bursting onto the scene every year, it's like rummaging through a treasure trove of ideas. But what if we told you that the magic ingredient isn't charisma, charm, or sheer brilliance? Nope! It's all about that vibrant, uplifting energy that...

Women are responsible for over 85% of consumer spending. Not only do we buy for ourselves, but we purchase for everyone else in the house! (Don’t get us started on the burden that represents). Why not consider using your economic power to support businesses that are owned by WOMEN!    SHOW NOTES Globally, women control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending, and that figure could climb as...

In this episode, we embark on a catharsis regarding bosses who change their minds, can’t make a decision or jerk us around.    When bosses change their minds it impacts us as workers.  These changes mean we often redo our work or work we have done becomes unnecessary.  This impacts the meaningfulness of our work - and what was useful work is often not meaningful work when we just need to redo it. ...

Thinking about making a career change? Feeling stuck in your job? Curious how to change directions, after you’ve spent years (or decades!) building your career? You’re not alone. According to an Indeed survey , the average age for people making a drastic career change is 39. The leading cause? Happiness.   SHOW NOTES   In this episode, we discuss signs that indicate it might be time to consider a...

How much work is too much work? Can you ever turn it off? We’re exploring the roots of workaholism, its impact on our lives, and—most importantly—what to do about it. What is Workaholism? The term was coined by psychologist Wayne E. Oates back in 1971, likening chronic overwork to addiction. Just like any other addiction, workaholism can interfere with our health, happiness, and relationships. So,...

A survey by LLC Inc. of over 1000 people across the US with an average age revealed that 83% of us have coworkers who annoys us, 21% have been so annoyed by a coworker they have considered quitting, and 52% say annoying coworkers prevent them from doing their best work.  Yowza - that is something.  And what don’t we like about our coworkers? We do not like complainers, laziness, arrogance (our per...

Unpack the magic of saying “yes” more often, the beauty of spontaneous connections, and why your next best decision might just be unplanned.  Even at work! Most of us pride ourselves on our planning – we are prepared, we are ready for anything and we are efficient and effective – BUT, let’s consider the unplanned. Spontaneity According to Webster’s Dictionary, spontaneity is “without constraint, e...

From the sexualized Kamala t-shirts to the way women are treated in areas such as caregiving, menstruation, and menopause, misogyny is pervasive in our society.   Misogyny is defined as the hatred, contempt, or prejudice against women or girls, which keeps them at a lower social status than men, perpetuating the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny can manifest in obvious and subtle ways, affectin...

As if FOMO were not enough, now we consider FOBO, or the fear of obsolescence, in this climate of ever changing technology.   SHOW NOTES   Obsolescence is a reduction in our competence as an employee resulting from a lack of knowledge of new work processes, techniques, and technologies that have developed since we completed our education - and that we have somehow missed out on acquiring.  As huma...

Questions are vital in all interactions as they transform the mundane into the mysterious and reveal what we don’t know. They’re the Swiss Army knife of communication, spurring learning, innovation, trust, and even mitigating business risks. SHOW NOTES Asking great questions isn’t just for consultants and lawyers (aka Crina and Kirsten). It’s a universal skill that makes you more likable, empathet...