When talent meets opportunity…and sometimes total chaos.

This week, we’re joined by Colleen Pelly, CEO and founder of The Linchpin Co, to pull back the curtain on how recruiting actually works. From her time hiring for companies like Lululemon and Tesla to building her own firm, Colleen shares the wildest candidate stories, the nightmare clients, and why some companies still won’t hire women. We dig into personality bias, the decline of DEI, and whether AI is about to ruin the hiring process completely. Plus, we debate "crying a little for the bag," if referrals really matter, and whether recruiters ever read the résumé you spent four hours formatting.

We want to hear from you! Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: ⁠https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6⁠

HR: part therapist, part referee, part corporate cleanup crew.

This week, we’re joined by Amy Lentz, Chief People Officer at TOMS and the creator behind HackYourHR, to answer the big question: what does HR actually do all day (besides read your Slack messages)? From her early days working for the Obama administration to landing at TOMS, Amy shares what it really takes to keep a workplace semi-functional. She also gets a front-row seat to some of the wildest corporate confessions we’ve ever collected and breaks down each scandal with her HR perspective. We dig into the secrets of anonymous feedback forms, the ethics of outing an STD at the office, and whether HR is quietly tracking your office romance. Plus, we debate job title upgrades, “Open to Work” etiquette, and whether you should ask for a raise while you’re on a PIP.

Go to ⁠https://cornbreadhemp.com/DEMOTED⁠ and use promo code DEMOTED for 30% off your first order

Perfectionism: the socially acceptable way to ruin your own life.

This week, we’re joined by Dr. Thomas Curran, professor of psychology and author of The Perfection Trap, to explain why perfectionism isn’t a flex—it’s a full-time mental drain. We dig into the difference between high standards and high stress, how perfectionism feeds imposter syndrome, and why social media keeps making it worse. We also break down how to work with perfectionists (or at least survive them), and how to reframe failure before you burn out trying to “fix” something no one even noticed.

We want to hear from you! Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: ⁠https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6⁠

Warning: this episode contains workplace behavior that would make HR spontaneously combust.

The Corporate Hotline is back—and it’s absolutely unhinged. From naked Zoom calls to office hookups and confessions we legally can’t verify. We’re reading the most salacious, shocking, and mildly traumatic workplace stories submitted by followers of Corporate Natalie and Corporate Bro. Natalie shares her engagement story, and we wrap with a debate on jalapeño poppers, cosplay conventions, and the distinction between people watching… and people watching.

Go to https://cornbreadhemp.com/DEMOTED and use promo code DEMOTED for 30% off your first order

Go to  https://zbiotics.com/DEMOTED and use DEMOTED at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.

We want to hear from you! Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6

Strong core, emotionally flabby. Time to balance it out. Welcome to your emotional fitness check-in.

This week, we’re joined by Dr. Emily Anhalt, clinical psychologist and author of Flex Your Feelings, to explore the emotional chaos hiding beneath your polished LinkedIn persona. From “emotional push-ups” to whether ADHD counts as a superpower, we unpack the psychology of ambitious entrepreneurs, overthinkers, and yes—Ross and Natalie. We break down emotional fitness, how to spot burnout before it wrecks you, and the fine line between rewatching The Office and spiraling. Plus, we dig into what it means to pull an emotional hamstring, the rise of autonomous golf bags, and whether paying extra for guac is a moral failure.

Nothing says “professionalism” like writing a fever dream in someone’s LinkedIn endorsements.

This week, Ross shares his wildest (and most concerning) LinkedIn recommendations, Natalie reveals her wine knowledge gap, and we unpack a truly chaotic happy hour blackout story. From TMI in your goals doc to committing crimes against workplace decency on LinkedIn, we cover it all. Plus, we debate airport dadding, forgetting coworkers’ names, and answer listener questions about low-key sabotage and how not to torch your reputation on the way out of a job.

Go to https://cornbreadhemp.com/DEMOTED and use promo code DEMOTED for 30% off your first order

We want to hear from you! Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6

From wrangling the Jackass cast to ringing the bell on Wall Street, Julia Hartz's career has been anything but ordinary.

This week, we’re joined by Eventbrite co-founder and CEO Julia Hartz, and her career journey is one for the books. From interning on the set of Friends to escorting the cast of Jackass at the MTV Music Awards, Julia shares her wild early days in entertainment before diving into what it took to build a billion-dollar company with her fiancé. We get into her biggest leadership lessons, the chaos of going public, and somehow end up talking about cheese raves. Plus, Julia reveals her chaotic morning routine and drops some hot tips for your next internal office event.

Go to https://Goodr.com/demoted and use promo code DEMOTED for Free Shipping!

Go to  https://zbiotics.com/DEMOTED and use DEMOTED at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics

We want to hear from you! Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6

Accidentally sent your raunchy screenplay to HR? Well at least you got someone to read it.

This week, we’re diving into workplace chaos—from creepy office surveillance and hat-related corporate bullying to a company offsite in Ibiza that’s anything but professional. Tune in to hear foolproof tips on appearing busy and why not to bring seafood to the office. We’ve also got the emotional toll of selling your childhood Pokémon cards, questionable baby monitor usage, and a heated debate on whether it’s ever acceptable to break out ‘The Worm’ in public. Finally, we tackle a painfully awkward listener story about a boss who insisted the entire team publicly roast him.

Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6

Go to  https://zbiotics.com/DEMOTED and use DEMOTED at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.

If AI doesn’t steal your job, it might just help you cheat your way into a better one.

This week on Demoted, we’re joined by Jack Crivici-Kramer and Nick Martell from The Best One Yet podcast. They’ll teach you how to future-proof your career while the economy slow-cooks itself into oblivion. We break down what tariffs actually are (besides economic jargon that makes your burrito more expensive), debate whether switching jobs during a recession is gutsy or just professionally unhinged, and explore how nepo-preneurship is emerging as a surprisingly stable career move when traditional paths start to crumble.

We also unpack the ethics of AI cheating apps, the strange brilliance of disco laundromats, and ask the question no one saw coming: are creatives about to outpace coders in the AI era?

Go to https://cornbreadhemp.com/DEMOTED and use promo code DEMOTED for 30% off your first order

Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6

Go to https://zbiotics.com/DEMOTED and use DEMOTED at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.

Trading sleepless nights at the office for sleepless nights with a baby? Better check your parental leave policy!

From the hilarious chaos and unexpected sweetness of life with a newborn (hear all about it from Ross!) to the crucial topic of parental leave, we’re tackling all things parental this week. Join us as we navigate those sleep-deprived nights, the work-life balance shift, and the state of parental leave in the US. We’ll get real about why the US lags behind, give you some new-parent survival tips, and answer a listener’s question about taking leave. Tune in!

We want to hear from you! Send in your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted questions, and Shout-outs right here: https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6