Chuck and Andrew break down the "Horrors of LinkedIn": humblebrag culture, fake authenticity, grindset preaching, and the platform's most cursed feature of all: work anniversary prompts that flood your inbox with congratulations for a job you might secretly hate.

They riff on the classic LinkedIn genres (airport lounge epiphanies, toddler-as-leadership-coach stories, algorithmic "Great job!" responses), then get practical about what actually works: write your own words, celebrate without performing humility, don't use LinkedIn like a stage, and connect with people you genuinely care about.

Also: if your lunch at your desk inspires a profound lesson… no it didn't.

Topics

🎙️ 00:00 Intro: why LinkedIn is both useful and completely cursed

🦷 00:50 Dentist numbness = instant "leadership lesson" energy

💀 01:16 "You are a LinkedIn post" + the horrors begin

🐢 02:37 Tortoise-with-a-broken-leg becomes thought leadership

🏆 03:49 Humblebrag Olympics: "humbled and honored…"

🤖 07:24 Algorithm autopilot: canned replies + premium nagging

🎉 08:56 Work-iversaries: "Congrats on a job you might hate"

📆 11:24 Nobody remembers this stuff (it's pure robotics)

🎤 12:17 Mundane moments dressed up like TED Talks

👶 12:57 Kids-as-content: carrots, boundaries, and "collaboration"

🥛 15:02 Almond milk vs oat milk = adaptability (sure)

🎮 15:47 Main character syndrome: everyone's the hero, you're the NPC

🧠 17:03 Vulnerability bait + engagement farming (emoji tears included)

⏰ 19:21 Grindset preaching: 4am routines and making everyone wrong

🧘 21:42 Corporate mindfulness as blame-shifting: "meditate harder"

✈️ 25:09 Airport lounge epiphanies + the infamous "lounge guy"

✅ 28:51 Takeaways: be real, type your own words, stop performing, connect intentionally

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Stay safe, stay kind and stay human.

Ever had a boss who wants to be cc'd on every email or panics when someone on the team knows more than they do? Chuck and Andrew dive into the comedy and tragedy of power gone wrong — from fear-based management to full-blown Reddit horror stories.

They unpack why leaders repeat the way they were led, how fear gets short-term results but long-term disaster, and what responsible leadership actually looks like: curiosity, clarity, and conversations that don't make your team secretly update their LinkedIn.

A quick, sharp hit of workplace truth — and a reminder that power isn't the problem. How you use it is.

Topics

⏱️ 00:00:00 – "Imagine you're my boss…" 📧 00:05:09 – The cc-on-everything manager ⛔ 00:08:22 – No overtime, tons of fallout 🧠 00:12:42 – Leaders threatened by experts 🚽 00:16:24 – Dunning–Kruger, toilets & plumbers 🗣️ 00:22:51 – From control to curiosity 🏢 00:28:18 – Return-to-office and feeling unheard 🌦️ 00:33:06 – Leaders bring the weather 🎁 00:38:36 – Your homework: ask about their gifts

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Stay safe, stay kind and stay human.

Is your workplace a community or a congregation? Chuck & Andrew skewer the culty side of "culture": forced fun, founder worship, surveillance-y "care," and those rituals that eat your calendar and your soul. Then they map the healthy alternative—psychological safety, clear boundaries, dissent that isn't punished, and values that don't require chanting. If your team ends meetings with a slogan… this one's for you.

In this episode:

✨ The "too much" test: when culture tips into control 🕺 Rituals vs. productivity (and why your introverts are quietly dying inside) 👑 Founder worship, ghost-of-the-founder energy, and anti-dissent norms 👀 Surveillance theater (Zoom all day? Heartbeat monitoring? hard pass.) 📌 Practical manager moves: celebrate results, model boundaries, invite questions

🎧 Listen, laugh, and send this to the coworker who refuses to chant.

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Stay safe, stay kind and stay human.

Most people think coaching is just advice with a fancier invoice. In this episode of Humanize the Workplace, Chuck Allen and Andrew Sheridan dismantle the biggest myths about coaching and mentoring, roast the corporate addiction to "advice culture," and explore why listening is a lost art leaders think they've mastered—but haven't.

From the awkward truth that your boss's "mentoring" might just be storytelling in disguise, to the reason advice rarely works (hint: humans are allergic to other people's ideas), this episode dives deep into:

• Why coaching is not consulting in yoga pants.

• How listening can make or break leadership.

• The dirty little secret about ROI (and why it's nearly impossible to measure coaching in dollars).

• The stigma of coaching in organizations—and how to flip it from "you're in trouble" to "we believe in you."

• Real-world wins from companies like Google and IBM that bet big on coaching culture.

If you've ever wondered why your brilliant advice gets ignored—or if you secretly suspect you're not as good a listener as you think—this one's for you.

🎧 Tune in and discover why the most powerful thing you can give another human at work isn't your ideas. It's your silence.

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Stay safe, stay kind and stay human.

Andrew and Chuck drag design-thinking rebel Robert Bloom, Founder & Managing Partner @ Design Thinkers South Africa, into the ring to skewer soul-sucking corporate policies and show you how to flip the script. From VUCA chaos to Elon Musk's rigid reign, learn why "thinking wrong" might be the only sane move left. Prepare for razor-sharp wit, ironic truth bombs, and a masterclass in human-first policies.

Inside this episode:

🪓 Slash & Rebuild: Transform "because we said so" policies into creativity launchpads

🎲 Gamify the Grind: Turn cost-cutting from misery to high-score hunting

⚖️ Artists + Engineers: Hire both without harvesting brain cells

🌪️ VUCA Unchained: Embrace volatility—ditch the spaghetti-coded controls

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Get in touch!

Chuck Allen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-allen-0b7b508/

Andrew Sheridan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmsheridan

Mindful Business Alliance Website - https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/

Stay safe, stay kind and stay human!

Delayed payments shouldn't be a strategy—but for many corporations, 60- to 120-day terms have become standard practice. In this episode, Chuck & Andrew examine how "interest-free loans" from vendors distort cash flow, inflate prices, and erode trust across supply chains.

Key points you'll hear:

• From 30 to 90+ days: how payment terms crept up and what it really costs both sides.

• "No P.O., No Dinero": the administrative maze that slows down innovation and strains relationships.

• Financial ripple effects: debt, staffing risk, and price hikes vendors use to survive long cycles.

• Mindful business playbook: transparent negotiations, tiered pricing for prompt pay, and shared KPIs that align finance with values.

• Accountability in action: public watch-lists like the UK's Good Business Pay initiative and why naming (not shaming) drives reform.

Whether you manage procurement, run a service firm, or simply care about sustainable business, this conversation delivers clear-eyed insights and actionable steps to ensure everyone—not just the balance sheet—wins.

Links & Resources

• GoodBusinessPay late-payment watch-list: https://goodbusinesspay.com

• Connect with Chuck & Andrew on LinkedIn

• Subscribe for weekly insights on building mindful, sustainable businesses

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Stay safe, stay kind, stay human—preferably within 30 days.

Chuck Allen and Andrew Sheridan explore the emotional complexity of difficult conversations with guest Lorrie Fair—former U.S. national soccer player and current Chief Program Director at the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Together, they dive into the science of defensiveness, the impact of childhood conditioning, and the small yet powerful practice of taking a mindful pause. This candid conversation blends practical insights with human stories, offering a compassionate blueprint for improving how we connect and communicate at work.

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Get in touch!

Chuck Allen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-allen-0b7b508/

Andrew Sheridan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmsheridan

Mindful Business Alliance Website - https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/

Chuck & Andrew sit down with healing‑facilitator Leah Williams to torch the corporate box‑ticking approach to diversity. From "fun hair" politics to the hidden costs of equity trainings, they unpack why everyone's tense, how impact beats intent, and what it actually takes to humanize the workplace.

Leah shares:

🏷️ How race, gender, and parent status get questioned after you're hired

⚖️ Equality vs. equity in plain‑English (and why $75 might not be fair)

📢 The difference between "calling out" and "calling in"—and when each harms

🌍 Three arenas for real change: intrapersonal, interpersonal, communal

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Get in touch!

Chuck Allen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-allen-0b7b508/

Andrew Sheridan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmsheridan

Mindful Business Alliance Website - https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/

Chuck almost bought enlightenment; Andrew almost financed a holy man's layover—and somehow they both wound up late for dinner. In this episode the duo dissect their own walk‑of‑shame scam stories, then torch the same persuasion hacks when they show up at the office disguised as "culture," "mission," or "just one more favor." If you've ever paid too much (in cash or overtime) because politeness pinned your feet to the floor, this one's your antidote.

Key takeaways:

🤝 Politeness ≠ Permission

😎 Liking Hooks You

📌 One "Yes" Snowballs

🎁 Freebies Expect Payback

💸 High Anchor, Easy Sell

🥵 Willpower Drains Fast

🔗 Tenure ≠ Handcuffs

🛑 Mission, Not Manipulation

✔️ Transparent or Trick?

✂️ Unsure? Just Stop.

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Get in touch!

Chuck Allen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-allen-0b7b508/

Andrew Sheridan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmsheridan

Mindful Business Alliance Website - https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/

Ever notice that whenever someone complains about their job, the boss is almost always the main character in that horror story? In this episode, we laugh (so we don't cry) about clueless managers, buddy-boss wannabes, and those "I'll just remove the trashcan from my Mac" dictators. If you suspect your team's daydreams involve quitting—or quietly leaving their work phone on the desk—maybe you should tune in.

Key takeaways:

🤯 Boss = #1 Complaint

🙈 Ignorance Hurts Everyone

🚫 Authority Isn't a Shield

🌱 Develop or Lose Talent

🧳 Your Issues, Their Burden

For more insights and resources, visit https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/humanize-the-workplace-podcast/

Get in touch!

Chuck Allen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-allen-0b7b508/

Andrew Sheridan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmsheridan

Mindful Business Alliance Website - https://mindfulbusinessalliance.com/