Welcome to the final episode of 2025. In this episode, we thought it would be a good time to revisit a topic we actually covered around this time a few years ago.

Episode 142: Proust Questionnaire - The Inside Job Edition is one of our most popular episodes, and we think part of that is because so many of you listeners used the questions in that episode as conversation prompts.

As you know from our recent series about conversations that count, we're big believers in using conversations as a tool for self-understanding, better relationships, better management, and for better culture at work.

In fact, we're such big believers that we've created our very own tool for conversation starters that we're giving you a preview of today.

And don't worry. While we will be taking a little bit of a break for the holidays, we'll be back with new episodes in 2026.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

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We all know that deepening our knowledge in certain areas related to our work is a good idea, but how many of us have several articles saved to read later or classes we've signed up for but haven't yet completed?

This topic came up for us because we realized recently we'd both been struggling to make time to focus on a few things we'd been wanting to learn, and knew we weren't alone in that struggle.

This week, we're making time to talk about learning and how we make time, or don't, to learn as professionals.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

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There's a reason stress reduction is a billion-dollar industry. There's so much stress right now that a lot of our clients have lost the ability to tell what stress is working for them and what stress is working against them.

We're in the homestretch of the college application process with our kids, and the stress that comes along with the entire process is a perfect example of why we wanted to talk about this topic on the podcast this week.

If you've been feeling stressed, burnt out, or overwhelmed, this episode is for you.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

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Are you borrowing someone else's life plan?

We often set goals or make decisions based on the path we think we should be on without giving much thought to what we truly want out of life. We see others doing certain things or achieving admirable goals and think we should be doing the same. But, what if we don't actually want to do those things?

Our topic this week came to us from a few different directions, but we wanted to bring it to the podcast because our clients almost always raise this topic at some point in our work together.

Is a life plan necessary? Do Nayla and Eric even agree on the answer to that question? Tune in to this week's episode to find out.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

You can also continue the conversation with us through your favorite social channels:

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Inspiration can be found anywhere and, if you're Eric, that can even include a skeleton in your front yard.

A lot of us believe we're supposed to feel thrilled, excited, energized, and inspired by our work. While it would be great if that were true all the time, we tend to panic in the moments when it feels like our inspiration in our work is drying up.

So, in this episode that was recorded shortly before Halloween, we're exploring what we refer to as the inspiration paradox by discussing what it looks like to lose inspiration in the workplace, whether or not we need to feel inspired in order to be productive, what we can do about a lack of inspiration, and more.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

You can also continue the conversation with us through your favorite social channels:

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Not a single one of us hasn't made a mistake in the workplace. We've said the wrong thing to the wrong person. We've delayed something inadvertently, and it had big consequences for our team.

Knowing these mistakes won't be our last, we thought it would be a good idea to explore how we can handle the tension between acknowledging our humanity and the likelihood that each one of us will make mistakes of consequence in our careers and lives and the need to be accountable.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

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For eight weeks now, we've been offering perspectives on using the tool we have of how we talk to each other at work as a way of paying more attention and making more deliberate choices to drive the kinds of results and relationships we want to have. Now that we've reached the final installment of our series on conversations that count, we've realized the one we did not address is how we talk to ourselves.

The conversation we have with ourselves throughout the day is the most potent, useful, and damaging conversation we can have in the workplace. So, quiet that inner critic for a moment and join us on our final conversations that count deep dive.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

You can also continue the conversation with us through your favorite social channels:

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Why is it so difficult to ask for something you want or need at work?

In this continuation of our series on conversations that count, we're talking about a conversation that's actually not happening.

When we ask our clients to plan ahead for our coaching conversations, this topic is probably one of the top three that comes up.

So, let's dive into why we're not speaking up about our wants and needs, what the common points of resistance are, and some pathways to get around those resistance points.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

You can also continue the conversation with us through your favorite social channels:

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If you have to tell someone who works for you that they're underperforming, do you know how to make that conversation impactful and useful?

If you're unsure, this next installment of our series on conversations that count is sure to provide you with some clarity.

Tune in as we focus on this messy, but necessary, topic of conversation that shouldn't be avoided.

In this episode, Tara joins us as we talk about how to be the dissenter in the conversation. Listen in as we dive into what holds us back from voicing our opinions and how we lean forward.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

You can also continue the conversation with us through your favorite social channels:

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In the latest installment of our series on conversations that count, we're talking about talking.

Tara Traeder holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts & Sciences with an emphasis in health communication from Penn State University and a master's degree in Health Communication from Emerson College. She has nearly 20 years' experience in communication consulting, training, and research, with an emphasis on the impact of health messaging on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral response.

In this episode, Tara joins us as we talk about how to be the dissenter in the conversation. Listen in as we dive into what holds us back from voicing our opinions and how we lean forward.

Listen in and join the discussion on LinkedIn (Eric | Nayla).

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, us and our work, and to join our mailing list, visit the show notes at insidejobthepodcast.com.

You can also continue the conversation with us through your favorite social channels:

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