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Dr. Laura welcomes special guest Erin Diehl to the show to talk about radical empathy and Erin’s new book “I See You!: A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy”. Erin Diehl is a Business Improv Edutainer, author, and keynote speaker who hosts the improve it! podcast. Dr. Laura and Erin talk about Erin’s recent journey of self-exploration and why she was called to write her book after emerging from an oppressive hustle mentality.
Erin understands how people get to a place of being overloaded, stressed, burnt out, and feeling like they don’t matter. Her desire through the book and her work is to help people, including leaders, give to themselves and take moments of self-reflection. She shares her journey through struggles with infertility and the physical pain that came from overwork. Erin’s story of how she decluttered her life, found her purpose, and claimed inner peace is inspiring. The revelations and discoveries in her book are for everyone to apply to their own lives, especially those in management positions so toxic leadership can be replaced by leaders who are empathetic and supportive.
“And it's so crazy how our thoughts really affect every cell in our body. And I'll tell you this, I didn't heal, I had chronic back pain, like shoulder pain and back pain that was so tight... I would literally cry myself to sleep at night because I was just so frustrated. … I took every ergonomic chair on Amazon into my office. I tried all the things, all the pillows, and went to all the doctors. And no one could say what was wrong. And I finally realized it was just my own mental emotions and my own thoughts that were really stagnating me. And I had not dealt with a lot of things.” Erin Diehl
About Erin Diehl:
Erin “Big” Diehl is a Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, and Professional Zoombie. Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn, play, and grow. Among her many accolades, Erin is most proud of successfully coercing over 30,000 professionals to chicken dance.
Erin Diehl is a graduate of Clemson University, and a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater and The Annoyance Theatre.
Erin has spoken on global stages both virtually and in person - with companies like Uber Freight, Walgreens, Motorola, LinkedIn and The Obama Foundation (to name a few)! She is a member of The Chicago Innovation Awards Women’s Cohort and a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program. She is also the proud host of a Top 1% Global Podcast, The improve it! Podcast, which you can find anywhere you listen to pods!
When she's not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys walking on the beach with her husband, son, and eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG DIEHL.
Resources:
Website: LearnToImproveIt.com
The improve it! Podcast
Erin Diehl on Instagram
“I See You!: A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy” by Erin Diehl
Marie Kondo
“When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress” by Gabor Maté MD
Bestseller Masterclass with Gabby Bernstein
“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura is pleased to welcome special guest Dr. Bill Howatt to the show to talk about mental health in the workplace and the myths surrounding it. Bill Howatt is the Founder of Howatt Human Resources Consulting and an international expert in workplace psychology and psychological health and safety. His newest book, out of 60 written throughout his career, is titled No Regrets and focuses on the very issue of workplace mental health and what can be done about it.
Dr. Howatt describes how the pandemic inspired his latest book, No Regrets, by detailing how he noticed people languishing instead of flourishing and realized that we have never really been taught how to deal with the unpleasant emotions that are part of existence. His book is a strategy of sorts to help people move through unpleasant emotions and work on their mental fitness. Dr. Laura and Dr. Howatt explore why the quick band-aid fixes of pop-up wellness programs in workplaces are not addressing the underlying mental health crisis and what leaders should be doing instead. The conversation covers a lot of ground and brings fundamental issues to light, providing a roadmap for improvement.
“Mental health literacy in our country, we haven't really gotten sophisticated yet in this conversation where we confuse mental illness with mental health. So mental illness is a functional impairment very much like being deaf and it impacts your potential to function to your potential. Where mental health is different. It's basically how we are actually seeing the world and experiencing the world through our emotions.” Dr. Bill Howatt
About Dr. Bill Howatt:
Dr. Bill Howatt is the founder of Howatt Human Resources Consulting and an international expert in Workplace Psychological Health and Safety.
He is a highly sought-after speaker on leadership, mental fitness, and creating inclusive, psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. A behavioural scientist, he is passionate about supporting employees and leaders to create thriving workplaces.
Dr. Bill’s 30-plus years of professional experience includes providing services in clinical mental health, teaching courses for colleges and universities, being a committee chair, and filling various senior leadership roles in Canada and the United States, including the Wall Street financial district. His firm provides HR consulting globally, focusing on employees’ psychological safety.
Dr. Bill has published over 60 books and 600 articles and regularly contributes to workplace mental health research like WSPS Moving to Action: Implementing Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap and Boston Consulting Group’s recent study, The Next Frontier of Workplace Culture, viewed by over 30 million readers.
He is the founder of www.MFIQinc.com and creator of the University New Brunswick’s Certificate of Completion in Psychologically Safe Leadership. He publishes a weekly workplace mental health newsletter for leaders and workers called Exploring Workplace Mental Health.
Resources:
Website: BillHowatt.com
LinkedIn
“No Regrets: How to Live Today for Tomorrow’s Emotional Well-Being” by Dr. Bill Howatt
“Navigating Workplace Wellness Programs in the Age of Technology and Big Data” by Hannah-Kaye Fleming for the ‘Journal of Science Policy & Governance’
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
Sponsor For This Podcast:
This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.
Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?
Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe.
You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Dr. Laura welcomes best-selling author, speaker, consultant, and president of Careerstone Group, Mary Abbajay, to the show to talk about her book Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss. Through Careerstone Group, Mary offers different organizational and leadership solutions for businesses and government. Her vast experience with all types of bosses, which her book focuses on, compliments Dr. Laura’s research into the toxic ones.
Mary speaks to how the relationship with one’s boss needs to be managed and requires effort to be productive. Through her work, she hears a lot of complaining from both sides without evidence that there’s enough attention put towards creating a positive relationship. Mary and Dr. Laura discuss the differences between sucking up and managing up, the positive reactions from bosses and managers to her book, why HR may not be the best place to get help for dealing with a toxic boss, and how to handle toxic management in the workplace. This conversation is filled with real insight from Mary’s experience dealing with all manner of leadership.
“But managing up the way I see it is about not managing the person, but managing that relationship. It's like taking that power differential and turning it on its side, because in a relationship we all have agency, right? We all have advocacy. And so managing up is about making a concerted and intentional, sometimes a strategic effort to build a productive and positive working relationship so that you can succeed.” Mary Abbajay
About Mary Abbajay:
Mary Abbajay, author of the best-selling, award-winning Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss is the president of Careerstone Group, LLC, a full-service organizational and leadership development consultancy that delivers leading-edge talent and organizational development solutions to business and government. As a sought-after author, speaker, consultant, and trainer, Mary helps clients develop the strategies, skills and sensibilities needed for success in the 21st century. Mary is the co-host of the weekly workplace advice podcast, Cubicle Confidential, and is a highly-rated LinkedIn Learning instructor. As a frequent expert contributor for television, radio, and print publications Mary provides practical leadership and career guidance. Her work and advice have appeared in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Southwest Airlines Magazine, CNN.com, Monster, CNBC, and the BBC.
Resources:
Website: CareerstoneGroup.com | ManagingUpTheBook.com
Mary Abbajay on Instagram
Mary Abbajay on LinkedIn
Mary Abbajay on YouTube
Podcast: Cubicle Confidential“Managing up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss” by Mary Abbajay
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
Sponsor For This Podcast:
This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.
Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?
Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe.
You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!
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Dr. Laura explains more about toxic bosses and what they do in this episode. Toxic bosses can be at any level in an organization, from a supervisor up to the CEO, and they impact people negatively through harmful behavioural patterns. How do they impart the damage they do? And how can you identify not only their toxic behaviour but when it’s time to get out? Dr. Laura draws on her own experiences and her professional expertise to offer guidance.
Toxic bosses can do damage in a myriad of ways, including abusive supervision, extreme narcissism, gaslighting, and eroding your confidence. They are not leaders because leaders inspire and motivate, the opposite of a toxic boss. Dr. Laura shares the story of a friend currently engaged in a court battle against a toxic boss who tried to derail her career. How do you identify the behaviour and know it’s not you at fault but your toxic boss? And when should you consider leaving the job? Dr. Laura offers insight into what to look for and the things to consider when looking at leaving. Above all, she empathizes with anyone currently suffering under a toxic boss.
“And you may be suffering under a toxic boss or one of your loved ones might be. And what happens is you start to see all these impacts on the person. They're dreading going to the office on a Monday. They are increasingly not sleeping well. And when you're not sleeping well, that impacts everything! That impacts your ability to think clearly, that impacts your emotionality and your reactivity to things. It really does a lot of damage.” Dr. Laura
About Dr. Laura:
Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and loves to use her expertise to improve organizations and help people thrive. Her passion for taking creative ideas and launching them into successful business strategies led her to start three counselling psychology practices (Calgary Career Counselling, Canada Career Counselling, and Synthesis Psychology), as well as six different business brands offering organizational assessment and consulting services.
Dr. Laura is honoured to have been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Canada in 2014 and received a Canadian Woman of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018.
Resources:
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
Sponsor For This Podcast:
This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.
Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?
Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe.
You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!
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In this episode, Dr. Laura branches away from the specific subject of career fulfillment and speaks with her guest, country music star George Canyon, about spirituality and servanthood. George Canyon has recently released his memoir, My Country, and the book reveals the challenges and adventures he’s faced, his determination to help others dealing with Type One diabetes, and the faith that keeps him going.
George tells Dr. Laura that though his book is full of vulnerability and authenticity, he shied away from relating negative stories. He chooses positivity wherever he can because, as he says, “nobody needs to read more negativity”. The conversation delves into the challenges his teenage diagnosis of Type One diabetes brought him, how hard he worked to succeed in the music industry, and his spirituality and faith in The Creator that drives him day to day. It’s a more spiritual conversation than is usually had with Dr. Laura’s guests but it’s not tied to any specific religion and it’s a conversation full of hope that everyone can benefit from.
“... we're humans, we put titles to everything - everybody has to title something, I don't know why. It's just, I guess, to make us feel more safe and conformed. Church, the title church, is a community. It's a community of people. The original churches were held in people's homes. It wasn't a big building you went to with four walls. It was a home where you got together to talk about your faith, to talk about what the Creator's done for you, to encourage each other, to pick each other up, not to be judgmental and condemn each other.” George Canyon
About George Canyon:
George Canyon rose to become one of Canada’s hottest Country Music stars in the early 2000s and has won countless accolades and awards, including Juno Awards, CCMA Awards, and ECMA Awards to name a few. He has been inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame, recorded 12 albums, and was recently presented a certified Platinum Award for his debut album ‘One Good Friend’. With country hits like Just Like You, I Believe in Angels, Drinkin’ Thinkin’, Daughters of the Sun, I Got This, I Want You To Live, Slow Dance and many, many more. He is also a highly regarded humanitarian, a strong supporter of the military, and, most importantly, a proud father and devoted husband.
Over the years George has also had the privilege of collaborating with fellow talents, a prime example being when he joined forces with multi-platinum pop and rock icon Richard Marx to produce two albums, 2008’s ‘What I Do’ and 2011’s ‘Better Be Home Soon’, the latter of which featured When Love Is All You Got, written for George by Marx and the legendary Kenny Rogers. ‘What I Do’ was an enormous success, going Certified Gold during the first three weeks of release.
George is so much more than an award-winning musical talent. Helping others has always been a huge priority for him, particularly for children with Diabetes and his work as a spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). It’s a cause close to Canyon’s heart, starting from when he himself was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at the age of 14.
In addition to his work with JDRF, George is an ardent supporter of our military, having performed many times for troops overseas and even releasing a moving tribute with the single I Want You to Live, which touches on the very heartbreaking fact that in fighting for our country, some of our troops won’t make it back home. The music video for the single features several real soldiers talking about their lives and careers, putting faces to the group of people working to make our country safe.
Among his many identities, Canyon is also a proud Canadian and huge hockey fan, and roots for his team, the Calgary Flames, for which he just completed his 8th season singing the national anthem during the home games.
Resources:
Website: GeorgeCanyon.com
“My Country” by George Canyon
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Gerald Auger on Instagram
Episode 54 | Special Episode on the LiLoHia Project: with guests Gerald Auger and Sass Jordan
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes Joe O’Connor, co-founder of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, to the show to continue exploring the topic of the 4-day workweek. Joe originally served as CEO of 4 Day Week Global, the company co-founded by the last episode’s guest, Andrew Barnes. Joe and Dr. Laura explore the 4-Day workweek in great detail, examining both myths and truths about the four-day week and looking at the future of this global movement.
Joe O’Connor points out that the adoption of the five-day workweek and eight-hour workday over a century ago was driven by major technological advancements. Yet more recent technology, such as the internet, email, and digital communication, haven’t shifted that structure despite gains in productivity. Joe and Dr. Laura discuss significant research that supports shifting to a 4-day workweek and Joe dispels common myths that prevent companies from considering the change. Joe addresses the flexibility of this possible structure, trusting and empowering employees, and why company leaders need to course correct in order for the change to work. Their conversation provides yet more eye-opening evidence that points to variations of the 4-day workweek as a compelling choice for the future of workplace productivity and wellbeing.
“... we often advise leaders that are looking at this to think about it in terms of by the time you push the button to move to a shorter workweek, so by the time your trial starts or you've introduced the policy, you really want to have figured out to a pretty significant extent what are the things that we need to change in order to make this work operationally. You don't want to be doing those things after you've already started the trial. You don't want to be figuring it out, kind of building the aircraft while it's in flight.” Joe O’Connor
About Joe O’Connor:
Joe is CEO and co-founder of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, a consulting and research organization based in Toronto, which specializes in shorter workweek models and reduced-hour, outcome-focused working. Internationally acclaimed as one of the leading experts on the shorter workweek, Joe developed the world’s first pilot program for the four-day workweek in Ireland at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. In collaboration with Boston College and University College Dublin, he codesigned a pioneering research project to measure the impact of the pilot. As CEO of 4 Day Week Global throughout 2020 and 2021, he expanded this model to lead the large-scale, heavily publicized trials of the four-day week in the UK, North America, and Australia. In this role, he supported hundreds of organizations and thousands of employees to shorten their work hours and optimize their productivity. Joe also led a research project on work-time reduction as a visiting research scholar at Cornell University.
Resources:
Website: WorkTimeReduction.com
Joe O’Connor on LinkedIn
Joe O’Connor’s 2023 reading list
4-Day Workweek joint research study by Josh Bersin Company with The Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence
“Work-Life Bloom” by Dan Pontefract
“Irresistible” by Josh Bersin
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
Sponsor For This Podcast:
This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.
Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?
Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe.
You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!
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Dr. Laura welcomes author, entrepreneur, and pioneer of the 4 day week movement, Andrew Barnes, to the show to examine the benefits of his innovative 4 day work week movement. Andrew explains why he originally piloted a 4 day week and how that led to a global research program involving academics from leading universities. Would this benefit us? And in what ways would we realize that benefit?
Dr. Laura’s conversation with Andrew Barnes starts with the big question: how can fewer days lead to more productivity? Andrew first defines what productivity is before diving into how the 4 day week can change our work-life wellness. It’s clear from the statistics and research Andrew shares that the 4 day week is a viable alternative companies should be considering. Rather than reducing one’s pay to 80%, people are paid their full-time salary but complete their work over 4 instead of 5 days. This reduced workweek increases productivity and efficiency, leading us to have more control over our time, in turn improving our health and wellness. Dr. Laura and Andrew Barnes have a compelling discussion that will change the way we perceive work structure.
“So one of the most interesting pieces of research that we run is when we've had people on a four day week, and at the end of the pilot we ask them: how much do I have to pay you to go back to five days from four days? And about 15% say you just physically can't pay me enough, just not doing it. About another 15% will need a 75% pay rise. And then, you know, a large chunk of them are going to need about 50%. So what that says is that an employee values the time off at a higher price than you are actually paying for it.” Andrew Barnes
About Andrew Barnes:
Entrepreneur Andrew Barnes has made a career of market-changing innovation and industry digitisation leading and transforming companies in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, he made international headlines across the world with an idea that he believed would raise productivity in the workplace, while also contributing to the personal wellbeing of his staff – a 4 day work week. Through his company – New Zealand's largest corporate trustee company, Perpetual Guardian – Andrew announced a 4 day week trial, with staff receiving an extra day off work, on full pay, each week. The trial was an undeniable success, sparking widespread international interest and winning a number of global awards.
Today, Barnes is considered the pioneer and architect of the global 4 day week movement. As co-founder of 4 Day Week Global with his partner, Charlotte Lockhart, they are conducting the largest ever trials, currently taking place across the UK, US, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. More than 250 companies around the world with over 100,000 staff are taking part in the trials to change their workplaces combined with a global research programme involving academics from leading universities including Boston College, Cambridge, Oxford and many more.
Additionally, in the last 4 years Andrew has worked with companies such as Unilever and has been part of the advisory process for close to a dozen country and regional governments who are all effecting change to the way their populations will work now and in the future. Recently he was recognised Introducing The Forbes Future Of Work 50 as a leader in workplace innovation.
Andrew and Charlotte’s vision is to provide a community environment for companies, researchers/academics and interested parties to be able to connect and advance this idea as part of the future of work. Through this work he is on the advisory boards of both the US and Ireland 4 day week campaigns and the board of the newly created Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University and is a founding member of the World Wellbeing Movement.
In 2019 he wrote The 4 Day Week book, as a how to guide for companies trying to reduce work hours and increase productivity.
Resources:
Website: 4DayWeek.com
Andrew Barnes on LinkedIn
“The 4 Day Week” by Andrew Barnes with Stephanie Jones
“The Worst Journey in the World” by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura talks with guest Sterling Hawkins, a keynote speaker and the author of “Hunting Discomfort”, about the possibilities inherent in working through our discomfort. Sterling shares a bit of his story, which started with amazing opportunities, and then plunged him into the depths of discomfort. He reveals how much he learned from that experience.
One of the things that spurred Sterling out of his ultimate low point was something his mother said, “the way out is through”. That piece of advice inspired him to move through the uncomfortable, the painful, and the embarrassment to get to the other side where things improve. Sterling took that advice, and all the experiences he pushed himself into after it, and channelled it into his book, “Hunting Discomfort”. He and Dr. Laura break down the five types of discomfort people experience and discuss how they can be used to one’s advantage. This episode is a look at how resilient we can be if we choose to embrace discomfort and push through it. It’s a key lesson with a success rate Sterling can personally attest to.
“...sometimes people hear ‘hunting discomfort’ or conversations about discomfort and they're like, Sterling, look at my career, my relationships, my bank account. I don't need to hunt discomfort, I'm surrounded by it. But my answer is always the same, which is if you're surrounded by discomfort, you're not hunting it, you're living with it, you're placating it. You're rationalizing why you have to live with those things in your life. When I'm talking about hunting discomfort, I'm talking about getting to the source, the root of what's driving that discomfort, and freeing yourself from that place that leaves you forever and permanently free.” Sterling Hawkins
About Sterling Hawkins:
Sterling Hawkins is out to break the status quo. He believes that we can all unlock incredible potential within ourselves, and he’s on a mission to support people, businesses and communities to realize that potential regardless of the circumstances.
From a multi-billion dollar startup to collapse and coming back to launch, invest in and grow over 50 companies, Sterling takes that experience to work with C-level teams from some of the largest organizations on the planet and speaks on stages around the world.
Today, Sterling serves as CEO and founder of the Sterling Hawkins Group, a research, training and development company focused on human and organizational growth. He has been seen in publications like Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times and Forbes.
Based in Colorado, Sterling is a proud uncle of four and a passionate adventurer who can often be found skydiving, climbing mountains, shark diving or even trekking the Sahara. Maybe you’ll even join him for the next adventure – and discover the breakthrough results you’re looking for. He’ll have your back, #NoMatterWhat.
Resources:
Website: SterlingHawkins.com
Book: “Hunting Discomfort: How to Get Breakthrough Results in Life and Business No Matter What” by Sterling Hawkins
Sterling Hawkins on LinkedIn
“The Presence Process” by Michael Brown
Huberman Lab Podcast
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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In a companion episode to Dr. Laura’s last episode on burnout (E73), she addresses what we need to know to identify and treat our burnout. Rather than talking to workplaces about how to prevent burnout in employees, this episode is all about us as individuals. What does burnout look like? What contributes to it? And what can we do about it? How do we help ourselves?
Dr. Laura first defines burnout as “a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress” which means that personal and relationship stress, though impacting burnout, do not define the syndrome. She explains that mental health is on a continuum on which four main stages of depletion exist. We start off Healthy, move into Reacting, then if our needs are not addressed we enter into the Injured stage until, finally, we are deeply unwell in Illness. Each of these stages of burnout comes with increased mental and physical symptoms that must be recognized. Dr. Laura shares her insight on how we start to feel, the things we start to give up, and the ways in which we become ill. She explains how we need our work lives to foster our mental wellness so we can avoid burnout and mental illness in general.
“I want to leave you with the fact that there is a way to address burnout once it happens, once you reach that end stage of burnout and you just feel a lack of energy, cynical, like you're not good enough, there is a way to get well again. And that burnout is not your fault. Oftentimes it's the organizational conditions you're in. It's the overload. It's the brutal boss that you're working for. It's the unhealthy team dynamics that are grating and wearing away at you. So it's not your fault, but you have the power to get the help you need.” Dr. Laura
Note: If you wish to see the images Dr. Laura references, this episode can also be found on her YouTube channel here.
About Dr. Laura:
Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer in the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives.
She shares her expertise through keynote speaking, the Where Work Meets LifeTM podcast, strategic career coaching, and writing articles and books.
Resources:
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes Soren Kaplan, bestselling author, founder of Praxie.com, and Columnist for Inc. Magazine, to talk about his latest book, “Experiential Intelligence”. Soren talks about the impetus behind writing his book and defines Experiential Intelligence, or XQ, as a key factor in the road to success, alongside Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Intelligence (EQ).
Soren shares examples of experiences from his childhood that have shaped into skills he uses today to explain XQ. Experiential Intelligence, or XQ, draws on experiential elements that give us understanding and abilities beyond what simple intelligence and resumés can explain. How we have lived matters to who we are. Dr. Laura and Soren Kaplan dive into elements of his book, explore how people learn and grow, and detail how leaders and managers can learn to assess XQ when hiring. Soren’s insights offer a way to look at the whole of a person and what they bring to the table, as well as opening each of us up to discover skills and attributes developed from our experience to aid us moving forward.
“Usually we're talking about different assets other than emotions and IQ. We're talking about different attributes that we develop, usually based on our experience. And you and I were just talking about those experiences that we had in our home life that gave us practice doing certain things that give us these higher order abilities to navigate uncertainty or be resilient or understand group norms that exist underneath the surface of teams, whatever those things might be. And that's what I mean by experiential intelligence. It's your mindsets, your abilities, and really the know-how and skills that you develop over time through experience.” Soren Kaplan
About Soren Kaplan:
Soren Kaplan is a Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author, a Columnist for Inc. Magazine, a leading keynote speaker, the founder of Praxie.com, and an affiliate at the Center for Effective Organizations at USC’s Marshall School of Business. Business Insider and the Thinkers50 have recognized him as one of the world’s top management thought leaders and consultants.
His latest book, Experiential Intelligence, reveals how life experience contributes to real intelligence on par with IQ (intellect) and EQ (emotional intelligence) and can be leveraged for breakthrough in leadership and innovation. Concepts from the book have been profiled in Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today, Forbes, National Public Radio, and other media.
Soren has advised and led professional development programs for thousands of executives around the world, including Disney, NBCUniversal, Kimberly-Clark, Colgate-Palmolive, Hershey, Red Bull, Medtronic, Roche, Philips, Cisco, Visa, Ascension Health, Kaiser Permanente, CSAA Insurance Group, American Nurses Association, and many others. He has lectured at the Harvard Business School, Copenhagen Business School, Melbourne Business School, Breda University in the Netherlands, and with other MBA and executive education programs globally. Soren’s debut book, Leapfrogging, was named “Best Leadership Book” and The Invisible Advantage received the “Best General Business Book” distinction by the International Book Awards. He has been quoted, published, and interviewed by Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, CNBC, National Public Radio, the American Management Association, USA Today, Strategy & Leadership, and The International Handbook on Innovation, among many others. He holds Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Organizational Psychology.
Resources:
Website: SorenKaplan.com
“Experiential Intelligence” by Soren Kaplan
“Leapfrogging” by Soren Kaplan
Soren Kaplan on LinkedIn
Praxie.com
Tech Nation Radio Podcast
The Drive podcast
The Ezra Klein Show podcast
Making Sense podcast
Psychology Today
Inc. Magazine
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes Dr. Malissa Clark, an associate professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Georgia, about workaholism and her upcoming book, “Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture is Bad for Business - and How to Fix It”. Dr. Clark defines modern day workaholism, and explains why it’s so detrimental to both individuals and businesses.
There is an aspect of workaholism that’s “like water to a fish”, according to Malissa Clark, which is that we are so immersed in work that we simply don’t notice it. She works to define workaholism and breaks it down into four main components: behavioral, motivational, emotional, and cognitive. Dr. Clark unpacks each of the components, which are detailed in her book, and talks about the research, interviews, and thoughts that she drew upon when writing “Never Not Working”. This episode dovetails nicely with the focus on remote and hybrid work that Dr. Laura focuses on, bringing work wellness and health into the forefront of discussion.
“...we synthesized all of the research on the relationship between level of workaholism and performance ratings. And we basically find no relationship. And that is including if they were rating themselves or the bosses were rating their performance… my research and other people's research continually shows over and over again that not only do we not find that relationship… but we find that workaholism is related to a whole host of other detrimental outcomes, such as workaholics tend to be sometimes not the best coworkers and bosses for a variety of reasons.” Dr. Malissa Clark
About Dr. Malissa Clark:
Malissa Clark is an associate professor of industrial/organizational (I-O) psychology at the University of Georgia, where she has been on faculty since 2013. Currently, Clark serves as associate head of the department of psychology and director of the Healthy Work Lab. She is a recognized expert on the topics of workaholism, overwork, burnout, and employee well-being.
Clark earned her Ph.D. in I-O psychology from Wayne State University, and her B.A. in organizational studies from the University of Michigan. She has received awards for her writing and mentoring, and her work has been funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). In 2023, Clark was named a Fellow of SIOP, a status that recognizes unusual and outstanding contributions that have an important impact on I-O psychology.
Her first book, Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business—and How to Fix It, launches in February 2024. Clark’s work has been published in premier outlets such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, and Journal of Organizational Behavior. She serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Applied Psychology and Personnel Psychology and as action editor for Journal of Business and Psychology and Occupational Health Science. Clark is passionate about bridging the scientist-practitioner gap and advocating for healthier workplaces and worker well-being through her speaking and consulting. Her work has been featured on various podcasts and in outlets such as Time, US News and World Report, New York Times, and The Atlantic. She currently serves as a member of the NIOSH Healthy Work Design and Well-Being Council. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and travelling.
Resources:
Pre-order “Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture is Bad for Business - and How to Fix It” by Malissa Clark (release date February 6, 2024)
Dr. Malissa Clark on LinkedIn
Healthy Work Lab; Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia
Workaholics Anonymous
“The 4 Day Week” by Andrew Barnes, Stephanie Jones
“Overwhelmed” by Brigid Schulte
Thriving at Work with Dr. Patricia Grabarek and Dr. Katina Sawyer podcast
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura talks with Dr. Bal Pawa about her book, “The Mind-Body Cure”, and her journey through the health field into her focus on integrative medicine. Dr. Pawa shares her story of being a physician and a patient on the same day after a car accident, and how that opened her eyes to an entirely new experience and perspective on medicine.
Dr. Pawa discusses the science and medical background that informs her book but stresses that she made it very digestible to anyone without that background. She talks about personal healing and learning to regulate our own nervous systems, a preventative model of medicine that she says is missing from our current healthcare system. Dr. Pawa teaches Dr. Laura a breathing exercise from her book, one that helps improve oxygen saturation in the lungs and calm the nervous system. Dr. Pawa’s knowledge and experience inform her message about the impacts of chronic stress and the importance of the mind-body connection. She shares her insight with as many people as possible in order to change lives.
“If 75% of our physical symptoms are attributed to chronic stress and anxiety - because of the hormones I talked about, cortisol and adrenaline - and if that's the case and the other 25% are viral, infectious, injury, well, then it behooves us to make sure we pay attention to what causes stress hormones.” Dr. Bal Pawa
About Bal Pawa:
Dr. Pawa has 30-plus years in the health field as a physician with a focus on Integrative Medicine and Women's Health. She obtained certification in Mind-Body Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is also a Certified Menopause Clinician and has completed additional studies on Functional Medicine: Neuroplasticity, Gut, Brain, and Autoimmune disease.
Bal is a passionate advocate for bringing evidence-based medicine to the masses and empowering them with knowledge. She has been an invited speaker on radio, television, community events, and presented health lectures to corporations across Canada, the USA, and the UK. Her TEDx talk about the role of stress and anxiety on your health has nearly 1 million views. Dr. Pawa's, international best-selling book The Mind-Body Cure provides tools for self-care, as people struggle to reclaim their health. A Clinical Instructor at UBC Faculty of Medicine, Bal continues to inspire and mentor younger physicians.
Resources:
Website: DrBalPawa.com
Dr. Bal Pawa on LinkedIn
“The Mind-Body Cure: Heal Your Pain, Anxiety, and Fatigue by Controlling Chronic Stress” by Bal Pawa
“Chronic Stress, Anxiety? You Are Your Best Doctor!” | Dr. Bal Pawa | TEDxSFU
Brené Brown
Dr. Gabor Maté
Deepak Chopra
Rumi
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura addresses the topic of burnout in this episode, defining exactly what it is and describing the workplace symptoms that can contribute to it. Burnout is not a category of mental disorder or a formal medical diagnosis but instead a stress response to toxic and suboptimal working conditions. How can it be prevented? Dr. Laura shares her insight.
The quick fixes that organizations implement to combat burnout don’t proactively solve the problem. As good as a wellness program and yoga class can be, it won’t fix the root cause of employee burnout. Dr. Laura breaks down all the signs of a toxic workplace: the types of dysfunctional dynamics that directly contribute to burnout. She also explains how organizations can find out about those toxic symptoms in order to address them at the root. There is a responsibility on companies and leaders to eliminate the systemic issues leading to burnout so healthier and more productive workforces can be cultivated. Dr. Laura’s expertise in organizational psychology shines a light on how this might be accomplished.
“... basically burnout is a result of suboptimal working conditions. Too often we'll put the blame on the individual and we'll say, well, that individual, that person, they're just not coping very well with the workload. Or maybe they have a lot going on in their personal lives, and that's why they're burnt out. That's not actually the case. When we look at burnout, we have to put a lot of weight into the workplace situation that the person is finding themselves in ... ” Dr. Laura
Note: If you wish to see the images Dr. Laura references, this episode can also be found on her YouTube channel here.
About Dr. Laura:
Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer in the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives.
She shares her expertise through keynote speaking, the Where Work Meets LifeTM podcast, strategic career coaching, and writing articles and books.
Resources:
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes guest Carolyn Stern, President and CEO of EI Experience and author of The Emotionally Strong Leader, to the show for a conversation about emotional intelligence in leaders. Carolyn is an emotional intelligence and leadership development expert who discusses her belief that everyone needs an education in how to communicate and resolve conflict when emotional, especially those in leadership roles.
Carolyn relates personal examples of how she learned to control her emotions to find the strength to communicate clearly and get her job done under stress. She explains how having emotions and being emotional is different, why emotions and feelings are not bad experiences if we can manage our responses to them, and how to identify our triggers so we can be on top of them. Dr. Laura explores how Carolyn’s book offers an emotional intelligence learning process for readers to take part in and what those key steps look like. Emotional intelligence is not taught in schools but it’s a vital skill for everyone to develop in life, something that will assist not only leaders but anyone in managing healthy communication and relationships.
“... I think that the bottom line is our emotions are incredibly powerful. I think we overvalue positive emotions and undervalue negative emotions, but you and I both know they both provide gifts. Every emotion tells you something.” Carolyn Stern
About Carolyn Stern:
Carolyn Stern is the President and CEO of EI Experience—an executive leadership development and emotional intelligence training firm. She is a certified Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Development Expert, professional speaker, award-winning author, and university professor.
Since launching her book, The Emotionally Strong Leader: An Inside-Out Journey to Transformational Leadership, Carolyn has quickly gained acclaim following her appearances on The Social, CTV Your Morning, Daytime Chicago, and Global TV. Her book was awarded the Axiom Book Award for Best Business Book in 2023 in the leadership category and the 2022 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in the career category.
She has also been featured in various media outlets across the globe, including Forbes, Fast Company, The European Business Review, The Globe and Mail, and Inc.com.
Carolyn’s emotional intelligence courses and modules have been adopted by top universities, and she has trained over 35,000 business leaders across the continent in highly regarded corporations.
Resources:
Website: CarolynStern.com
“The Emotionally Strong Leader: An Inside-Out Journey to Transformational Leadership” by Carolyn Stern
“Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown
Dare to Lead with Brené Brown podcast
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes guest Kaleem Clarkson, CEO of Blend Me, Inc., to the show to talk about the importance of remote work. Blend Me, Inc. is a consultancy that helps small businesses transform into remote or hybrid-remote workplaces. Kaleen is a passionate advocate for remote work and his conversation with Dr. Laura reveals why.
Kaleem reminds us that at the start of the pandemic much of the working world went remote in just a month. He points to that as being one of the best examples of business leaders’ ability to transform and be agile. But now, with a push to return to the office like before, he says leaders are falling into what he calls “leadership nostalgia”. Kaleem and Dr. Laura discuss how leaders are afraid of what the future holds and back away from remote-hybrid work because what they know is comforting. Kaleem explains how he became passionate about remote work, why office buildings are still vacant, and his desire for vacant buildings to become residential assets. The discussion sheds light on why we shouldn’t move backwards away from the remote work ground we’ve gained.
“… leaders love the way things used to be. That's what they knew, and I've been trying to gain a lot more empathy. I think that's one thing, humility, a little more humility. A little more empathy for some of these leaders because they don't know any other way. You know, that's how they moved up the ranks. They went to the golf course, they played golf. They were the chummy person in the office a lot of times, like that's how they were able to get ahead and that's all they know.” Kaleem Clarkson
About Kaleem Clarkson:
Kaleem is a husband, father, remote work advocate, and speaker. He is the Chief Operating Officer of Blend Me, Inc, a fractional people operations consultancy that helps startups and small businesses transform into high-functioning remote or hybrid-remote workplaces by improving the remote employee experience.
He has been featured in Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Fortune Magazine, named to LinkedIn’s Top 10 Voices in Remote Work, listed as one of the top 15 Remote Work Advocates by the All-American Speakers Bureau and named as a 2023 Top Remote Work Influencer by Remote.com. Kaleem has presented at South by Southwest, Transform HR, Make-A-Wish Foundation and has shared the stage alongside leadership from companies such as Google, United Airlines, Facebook, Visa, and HP. Kaleem is passionate about work-life integration and the remote employee experience.
Resources:
Website: BlendMeInc.com
Website: RemotelylOne.com
Kaleem Clarkson on LinkedIn
How I Built This with Guy Raz podcast
Harvard Business Review
Smartless with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett podcast
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes guest Michelle K Johnston, executive coach and author of “The Seismic Shift in Leadership”, to the show to talk about how leadership has changed. The old way of leading with an iron fist, using command and control, is no longer how great leaders operate. Leaders today need to embrace connection, which is the focus of Michelle’s book.
Sharing personal stories in “The Seismic Shift in Leadership” connects Michelle with readers in much the same way as she urges leaders to connect with their teams. In order to reach people, we first have to know who we truly are and be comfortable in our own skins. Once we have that insight, we can connect authentically with others. Michelle shares her growth stories with Dr. Laura and speaks about why leaders need to listen more than talk and how coaches can foster healthy workplaces. Leadership should inspire trust and build connection, and Michelle’s advice on how to achieve that is truly valuable for both work and life wellness.
“… I realized that connection was key and I wanted to explore more about connecting. And that's what the seismic shift in leadership is about … the new leader today who is truly effective has an ability to meaningfully connect with their teams and to inspire them and to motivate. But first you have to step back and make sure you're connected with yourself.” Michelle Johnston
About Michelle K. Johnston:
Dr. Michelle K. Johnston is a management professor, executive coach, and leadership expert who is the Clifton A. Morvant Distinguished Professor in Business at Loyola University New Orleans.
Her first book, The Seismic Shift in Leadership, The Seismic Shift in Leadership: How to Thrive in a New Era of Connection, is now an Amazon bestseller.
She was recently named A Woman of the Year by CityBusiness and one of the most influential New Orleanians.
Michelle is a celebrated keynote speaker presenting at conferences and events nationwide. She received her Ph.D. in Communication from Louisiana State University and was named to the prestigious 100 Coaches Group, which consists of the top executive coaches worldwide.
For speaking engagements, media, and more, visit michellekjohnston.com.
Resources:
Website: MichelleKJohnston.com
Michelle on LinkedIn
“The Seismic Shift in Leadership: How to Thrive in a New Era of Connection” by Michelle K. Johnston
“The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown
“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith
Dr. Ruth Gotian weekly show “Optimizing Success”
“The Success Factor” by Ruth Gotian
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura’s 25 years of experience in career psychology informs this episode’s discussion about career development trends and how you can take charge of your career. Dr. Laura shares how she chose to specialize in career development when she obtained her Master’s in Counseling Psychology and how that led her to found Canada Career Counseling.
In referencing the Psychological Contract: A Paradigm Shift, Dr. Laura breaks down how the old contract for obtaining and maintaining a career has given way to an entirely new contract and what that means. Defining how we individually see success is now as important as evaluating exactly what we want to do with our time. A great deal of our career satisfaction comes from understanding who we are: what our skills and strengths are, what values we hold, and our interests and passions. Dr. Laura explains how these things shape us and why they are vital to our personal and professional fulfillment and growth.
“Covid brought on a lot of people reconsidering: what do I want to do? … And do I want a job that feels meaningless and doesn't give me purpose? Or do I want to have a job that I feel makes some sort of difference to humanity? A difference in the world, whether that's helping others, helping the environment, whether it's innovating to make our lives easier, whether it's exciting technology development. Different strokes for different folks. But it's important to understand this great re-evaluation is still happening and the quiet quitting movement is where people are feeling less attached to work. They're feeling [that] maybe what they're doing is no longer meaningful and they're figuring out a higher purpose.” Dr. Laura
Note: If you wish to see the images Dr. Laura references, this episode can also be found on her YouTube channel here.
About Dr. Laura:
Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer on the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives.
She shares her expertise through keynote speaking, the Where Work Meets LifeTM podcast, strategic career coaching, and writing articles and books.
Resources:
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes guest Janine Rogan, CPA and Founder/CEO of the Wealth Building Academy, to the show to talk about financial equity and her new book “The Pink Tax”. Janine’s mission is to empower women to confidently grow their wealth through financial feminism, and her insight is invaluable not just to women but to everyone invested in financial equity.
In “The Pink Tax”, Janine writes about the impacts of the systems we’ve set up in society on certain groups of people. She uses the book to educate and inform women about the financial industry and her company, the Wealth Building Academy, also has an online investing course geared towards women. Dr. Laura and Janine address salary negotiations, how financial planners are compensated, and three personas we can take on to impact change. Finances are an aspect of well-being as they affect not only our physical state but our emotional and mental wellness too. This episode shines a light on the need for financial equity and some ways to go about achieving it.
“I think there are two key areas that I really want women to take away when it comes to their own personal finances … number one is negotiation. I think women under-negotiate. We know that every $5,000 that you negotiate in your early career years, in your early salaries, can translate to over $750,000 in wages over the course of your career. So we know negotiating is important. And it doesn't always have to just be negotiating salary. It can be negotiating time off. It can be negotiating work from home.” Janine Rogan
About Janine Rogan:
Janine Rogan, CPA, is a passionate keynote and TEDx speaker. She is the Founder and CEO of The Wealth Building Academy Inc. and an award-winning CPA. Her mission is to educate and empower women to confidently and profitably grow their wealth, through financial feminism - financial equality for all.
Janine has been featured internationally in a number of publications and has delivered keynotes to thousands of individuals and companies around the world. She currently sits on the CPA Alberta Education Foundation board, the board of FESA, and the planning committee of the AICPA Global Women’s Leadership Summit. Janine is pursuing her Master’s in Economic Sustainability through the University of Torrens in Australia.
In spring 2023, Rogan released her debut book “The Pink Tax: Dismantling A Financial System Designed To Keep Women Broke” published by Page Two Books. In it, Janine explores the hidden ways that women are held back in our society—from overpriced women’s themed items to the motherhood penalty. It debuted at #1 on Amazon for Feminist Theory books.
Janine is a University of Alberta alumni, born and raised in Edmonton, Canada. She is currently based out of Calgary where she lives with her husband Andrew, son Theodore, and pup Lazer.
Resources:
Website: TheWealthBuildingAcademy.com
Website: JanineRogan.com
“The Pink Tax: Dismantling A Financial System Designed To Keep Women Broke” by Janine Rogan
Pink Tax Podcast
Janine Rogan on LinkedIn
“Say Less, Get More” by Fotini Iconomopoulos
Website: The Trauma of Money
“Cultish” by Amanda Montell
“Wordslut” by Amanda Montell
Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher
Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast by Amy Porterfield
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes guest Samra Zafar - founder and CEO of Brave Beginnings, best-selling author of “A Good Wife”, and internationally renowned speaker - to the show to talk about the courage to make big life changes. Samra herself made a bold and difficult life change when she escaped an abusive marriage, as detailed in her book, and she offers insight gained from that experience.
Samra shares her story with Dr. Laura. She talks about why she’s pursuing her MD after a career in finance and how she has managed the pivot into medicine after escaping her arranged teenage marriage with two children. Samra addresses the idea of courage as not being the absence of fear but the willingness to do the thing even when you’re terrified. Dr. Laura and Samra have a revealing discussion about believing in yourself, the psychological damage of abuse, why she wrote “A Good Wife”, and the impact telling her story has had across the world. It’s an inspirational episode with a message for everyone.
“It's very, very natural to feel those feelings of fear and imposter syndrome and all those things. So courage is not the absence of those things. Courage is, Yes, I am afraid right now. Yes, I'm terrified. Yes, this feels scary. But this means something to me and I care about this, so I'm going to do it anyway. Courage is trusting in your ability to figure things out.” Samra Zafar
About Samra Zafar:
Samra Zafar is an award-winning internationally renowned speaker, bestselling author, and educator for equity, mental health, and human rights. Samra is currently pursuing an MD at McMaster's DeGroote School of Medicine with the purpose of becoming a psychiatrist promoting inclusive mental health.
She is the founder and CEO of Brave Beginnings, a national charity supporting women in building lives of freedom after escaping abuse and oppression.
She has been recognized twice among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. She is also named among the Top 25 Most Inspirational Women in Canada, and Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. She is the 2021 recipient of the Desmond Parker Outstanding Young Alumni Award at University of Toronto, in recognition of her work to advance human rights. She served as one of the youngest alumni governors for the University of Toronto. She currently serves as a board member for Women’s College Hospital Foundation and a Celebrated Ambassador for Plan International Canada.
Samra's book, “A Good Wife: Escaping The Life I Never Chose”, based on her journey of escaping an abusive child marriage to pursue her education and shed light on gender-based oppression, is an international bestseller, and is being adapted for television. Her work has impacted millions and has been extensively featured in national and global media.
Resources:
Website: SamraZafar.com
Samra Zafar on LinkedIn
“A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose” by Samra Zafar and Meg Masters
Brave Beginnings charity
“Good Morning, I Love You” by Shauna Shapiro, PhD
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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Dr. Laura welcomes productivity catalyst, highly sensitive executive coach, and international speaker Clare Kumar to the show to discuss designing workspaces for neurodivergent productivity. Clare has a wealth of insight into how spaces can best suit inclusion and differing work needs.
Dr. Laura and Clare Kumar talk about neurodiversity and exactly what sorts of behaviors and traits encompass neurodiversity. Clare explains the needs that often accompany neurodiversity, why hybrid and flexible work arrangements are so important, and how we are lacking in organizational training around the impacts of our physical spaces on wellbeing. The conversation is a welcome look into neurodiverse needs and ties into Dr. Laura’s continuing study of flexible work situations and what we all need for well-being and productivity.
“What we've seen collectively is the recognition that people can work effectively from home and that a large majority of people are fiercely clinging to the ability to be working from home and the autonomy that comes with that. So, yes, I think it's highly advantageous for the neurodivergent population, but really most humans want a degree of customizing their work experience and having some autonomy to do that, whether it be time, space, how you're doing the work, all of that has a part to play in people showing up at their best.” Clare Kumar
About Clare Kumar:
Productivity catalyst, highly sensitive executive coach, and international speaker Clare Kumar examines the intersection of productivity and inclusivity – paying attention to both being and doing. She inspires individuals to design for well-being and cultivate sustainable performance while avoiding exhaustion and burnout. Clare encourages leaders to design inclusive performances to invite the richest contributions from every member of their team. This is a topic Clare explores with innovators as host of the Happy Space Podcast.
Clare draws on a diverse corporate career that took her from Toronto to Tokyo and Montreal, with equal experience as an entrepreneur. She is a sought-after media contributor to news and lifestyle shows including the Huffington Post, Fast Company, the Globe and Mail, CBC Radio, The Social, and the Marilyn Denis Show. Whether speaking to one person or thousands, Clare loves inspiring massive shifts by inviting you to pay attention to little things that make a big difference. She welcomes all highly sensitive professionals as well as those who want to love and support them to find community in the Happy Space Pod.
Resources:
Website: ClareKumar.com
Happy Space Podcast
Huberman Lab Podcast
Samer Hattar, PhD
“The Highly Sensitive Person” by Elaine N. Aron, PhD
“Sensitive” by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Canada Career Counselling
Synthesis Psychology
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