Dear Workplace Podcast Highlights (Episodes 7-10)
I would like to start by saying thank you. Thank you to all our listeners and subscribers for giving our podcast a chance. It’s because of you that we continue to have these important conversations.
We appreciate the comments, feedback, and most of all, we love the ongoing conversations happening behind the scenes. The conversations that you have with your colleagues, friends, managers, subordinates, friends, family… The conversations that happen inside your mind.
These are all the dialogues that we don’t get to witness.
However, we’ve been blessed by many of you who have expressed how much you’ve enjoyed listening to our episodes every week through these reviews! We’re incredibly grateful.
5/5
Great content & entertainingly produced!
Monica Kang keeps coming up with creative ways to share ideas and concepts that bring value to the listeners in absorbable, inclusive and entertaining ways. This podcast is bite sized and having many voices speak on each episode makes it valuable and engaging! Putting this one on my list of favorites!
5/5
Relatable and forward thinking
Cancel the Grammys and give all the awards to this show! This podcast does an amazing job of capturing real concerns people have at work and in their careers (burnout, rethinking work from the pandemic) , and offers new perspectives that are both relatable and inspiring! Highly recommended!
Missed out? You can binge on them! 🙂
Our last blog that covers the first 6 episodes is a place where you can learn what each episode is about, learn more about our guests, and listen to the episodes directly.
And in this blog, we cover key highlights and summaries of episodes 7 to 10.
Episode 7: Working as A Woman
Published: May 11, 2021 – 27 Minutes
In this episode, we untangle the goods, the bads, and the unknowns to reflect on what it’s like to be a woman in the workplace so that we can reimagine a work environment for all.
Out of this podcast, you’ll not only gain awareness about this topic, but receive a few action points on how to foster a workplace that works for all – including women and all the intersections that go along with it, like race.
Focusing on representation of women is just as important as vetting out the people who create an unsafe environment.
Listen to the podcast to hear a real world example of how a boss and the victim can handle sexual harassment at work.
The first step in being a better ally starts with understanding that their reality is not yours – listen to understand, not respond.
Learn about the mindset that’s required to become a better ally, and what to do when you make a mistake (like we all do).
Stop assuming & start asking women – and it all starts with curiosity.
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“It’s not about every woman being a CEO. This is about eliminating the invisible barriers that prevent women, or throw up roadblocks in a woman’s career that are just nonsense.”
Key Question: Imagine a woman you know in your professional and personal life. What unique experiences can you imagine they have in the workplace?
Guests From Episode:
Coonoor Behal, Founder & CEO of Mindhatch
Alana Karen, Author and Director of Search Platforms at Google
Michelle Sttecase, Associate Director at EY, LLP
Meg Ugenti, Corporate Sales & Marketing Director of Focus USA
Cassandra Lane, Author of WE ARE BRIDGES
Natashia Deón, Established private practice and civically active JD
Episode 8: Verifying Authenticity
Published June 15, 2021 – 22 minutes
The importance of being authentic is limitless – it’s liberating, truthful, and the key foundation of building trust.
We can’t be authentic without first knowing who we are. In this episode, we hear the story of someone who went from working a “cushy” job at Amazon to start a new, risky path. And it paid off! They can now live their truth every day at work. The story stands as a reminder for you to evaluate what truth you want to stand by, and how that’s reflected in the work you create.
It’s not easy to be authentic. It takes bravery.
Being yourself isn’t just letting people see you in a good light. Oftentimes it requires being very vulnerable. The nuance is to take into account workplace context and adapt (not become inauthentic) to avoid feeling like you’re “playing a role.”
Out of this episode, I hope you walk away more empowered to be truthful to others and understand WHY you do what you do.
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“In order to innovate, first you have to be authentic - what do you want to do and what do you like to do?”
Key Question: What makes you REALLY happy? How do you design your life to honor this?
Guests From Episode:
- Sudebi Thakurata, Co-Founder, Depicentre Consulting LLP
- Probal Banerjee, Co-Founder, Depicentre Consulting LLP
- Dr. Stephanie Han, Dr. Stephanie Han LLC
- Heather Murphy, Founder & Owner, Causeway Leadership LLC
- Eli Murphy, Senior Director, Salesforce
Episode 9: Certainty about Uncertainty
Published July 22, 2021 – 20 minutes
We’ve put so much emphasis in life about being CERTAIN: certain about your job, how to negotiate that contact, who the love of your life is, etc.
Sometimes things can get toxic at work, especially with the added pressure of the pandemic, when dealing with ambiguity or uncertainty.
In this episode, you’ll gain insight into how to feel more comfortable with uncertainty at work so that you are better prepared for the future of work (because change is inevitable!) I also discuss WHY it’s so hard for us to face ambiguity.
There are 3 Steps to Comforting Ambiguity that I share in this episode:
- Plan To Not Know
- Shift From “Should” to “Could”
- Change the Context: If you’re feeling stuck, find new input and adjust
To get more context to these steps, listen to the full episode where I speak with my friends who are experts in creative problem solving and have a lot of lessons they’ve learned from facing ambiguity.
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“While ambiguity is uncomfortable, if we look at the macro lens of how normal that process is, why not celebrate it?”
Key Question: How do you handle ambiguity and uncertainty?
Guests From Episode:
- Alana Karen, Author and Director of Search Platforms at Google
- Andrew Ngui, Director of Innovation & Startups, Greater Peoria Economic Development Council
- JP Gonzales, Co-Founder of Complexity Weekend
- Sudebi Thakurata, Co-Founder, Depicentre Consulting LLP
Episode 10: Leaders are Made
Published June 29, 2021 – 29 minutes
The world is changing, and so is the way we value leaders and understand leadership. I firmly believe that leaders aren’t born, but are made. And spoiler alert – you don’t need others to become a leader. It’s in yourself because leadership is a mindset.
In this episode, you’ll gain insight into how our views of leadership are changing, and how as leaders, we can take different actions to empower others more effectively.
It’s all about being more human in this digital age – because this time has pushed us to remember that we are never a human DOING but a human BEING.
Managing People Isn’t The Only Promotion & It’s Not the Skill For Everyone
I speak with Brandi Nicole Johnson, leadership development expert, who emphasized that moving “up” in your career isn’t the only thing you can do to have more influence. Leading and managing people doesn’t have to be the way you lead – you can lead through your technical expertise, for example.
“Being willing to be imperfect is one of the biggest skills.”
To hear more actionable tips about how to cultivate your understanding of leadership, listen to the full episode where Monica discusses with her friends their different perspectives on leadership roles and ideas about how leadership has changed.
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Key Question: What kind of a leader do you want to be?
Guests From Episode:
- Jennifer Shinkai, Founder, Facilitator and Coach
- Abraham Kim, Executive Director, Council of Korean Americans
- Brandi Nicole Johnson, Director of People Growth, DoorDash
- Jadayah Spencer, Executive Director, International Youth Leadership Institute
- Monica Maglaris, Co-Founder, Liberty Print Co
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About the Author
Kree Pandey
Kree Pandey is a Content Strategist and Digital Marketer powering growth goals for brands with purpose. Founder and CEO of ShiftCreatives Digital® and Co-Founder of No Names Digital, Kree's work and passion collide at the intersection of 'Brand' and 'Impact'. After working with numerous clients across sectors like Real Estate, SaaS, Education, Retail, Finance, Sustainability, HR and many more, Kree has found that her niche isn't any particular industry, but it's brands that are seriously driven by impact, understand the value of brand equity, and aren't dabbling.
At InnovatorsBox®, Kree's main focus is augmenting its digital presences, the SEO, and some content strategy.
Kree is also a mom to a 2 year old, and losing hair fast!
