Knowing that your boss plays favorites AND that the object of their affection isn't you can be a really tough position to navigate. But while ignoring the whole situation might feel like the easiest thing to do, it's not the best approach in the long-run.

A culture of favoritism at work can lead to increased stress, decreased job satisfaction, lowered long-term goal achievement and, in some cases, even burnout.

In this episode, we explore 4 expert-backed tips on how you can handle the situation instead, to ensure you are setting yourself up for success regardless of whether you are your boss' favorite... or not.


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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode16

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

Our mental frame is a structure that we use to give meaning to different situations.

How you perceive the world, the way you see yourself, how you view others, how you interpret life events, how you communicate & express yourself… these are all determined by our mental frame.

Since we have the ability to frame things either in a constructive way, or in an unhelpful way, this episode explores how you can leverage the power of the reframe to your advantage, so that you can turn disadvantages into your strongest assets instead.


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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode15

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

As humans, we  experience and feel a range of emotions throughout the day... Some that make us feel good — like joy, love, and belonging — and others that don’t leave us feeling our best — like fear, anger, or annoyance.

In light of the current coronavirus pandemic and the underlying anxiety most of us are experiencing as a result of it, our negative emotions might be outweighing our more positive ones right now, which is likely making us more irritable than usual. But while there are a host of things we can do to better react or cope with our negative feelings, this episode focuses on what we can do if we are on the receiving end of our boss or colleague's bad mood.

The five suggestions outlined are paraphrases from author and clinical psychologist Nick Wignall, referencing his September 2019 Medium article titled, "How To Handle Other People’s Bad Moods Like a Pro." They include:

1. Treating strong emotions as a puzzle, not a problem
2. Trying some reverse empathy
3. Being a mirror, not a mechanic
4. Validating our own emotions
5. Clarifying our responsibility

Being able to make our peers and managers feel supported when they are in a bad mood can not only deepen our relationship with them in the moment, it can have lasting and favorable impacts down the line on our career growth as well. Tune in to see how you can best set yourself up for success.

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode14

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

With how extensively COVID-19 has impacted our economy, many of us are thinking and/or worrying about our finances. So for today's episode, I tapped into the expertise of Pearl Chan, one of the co-founders of Snowball Wealth, to get tips on:

1. How we can financially protect ourselves in these trying times, and
2. What to expect from the $2.2 trillion stimulus plan that the U.S. government recently passed

Since the relief bill makes up the majority of our conversation, I've divided the episode into chapters so you can reference and find the most relevant parts of the discussion as quickly & easily as possible. Here are the questions that get answered:

Chapter 1: Stimulus Checks

• How many checks or payments can we expect?
• Does everyone qualify for these payments?
• How will the money be distributed?
• Since the 2019 tax filing deadline has been pushed back from April 15th to July 15th, what happens if people haven’t filed their taxes yet?
• What if last year, someone’s income was too low and they didn’t need to file their taxes, how can they ensure they receive this help?
• Is this check counted as income, so will we have to pay taxes on it?
• When can we expect this money to arrive?
• If the payment doesn’t arrive on time, how can we be sure it wasn’t misdirected?
• Is there a particular government agency responsible for any other questions listeners might have on the stimulus checks?

Chapter 2: Unemployment Benefits

• Who is covered by the extended program that’s included in the Stimulus Plan?
• Where do gig workers, freelancers, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals fall?
• What if someone is a part-time worker who has lost their job because of the Coronavirus, but their state doesn’t have part-time worker unemployment benefits. What are their options?
• What if someone relies on a school, a day care or another facility to care for a child, elderly parent or another household member so that they can work, and that facility has been shut down because COVID-19. Are they eligible to receive these benefits?
• What happens if someone has a job and their place of work is considered essential so it’s open, but they can’t work because they’ve tested positive for the virus and have a mandate to stay home?
• How long will this unemployment assistance last?
• What if someone is already receiving unemployment benefits unrelated to COVID-19. Do they still qualify for Stimulus help?
• Will the additional money from the Stimulus Relief Plan disqualify folks from other programs they’re currently in?
• How are employees who’ve been put on furlough affected by all this; is it better to be unemployed at this point vs. furloughed?

Chapter 3: Student Loans

• The federal government has already waived two months of payments and interest for many federal student loan borrowers. Is there a bigger break now with the new Stimulus Bill?
• How can people know if their loans are eligible for the Stimulus Package help, or not?
• Can those who've made payments past March 13th ask for  refund?
• Will there be accrued interest on loans during the granted 6-month grace period?
• What if someone is trying to qualify for the public service loan forgiveness program by making 120 monthly payments, will the 6-month suspension affect that?
• A lot of companies offer tuition or loan assistance programs. What happens with that here?

Pearl answers all these questions rapid-fire style, making of a short-and-sweet episode that's jam-packed with invaluable financial information. So tune in, learn, and enjoy!

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode13

With so many of us switching to remote work in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, I am sharing 5 of my most effective WFH strategies in this episode, so that your communication with your colleagues, your standing in the company, and the quality of work you're able to produce don't suffer while we wait this pandemic out.

By being able to quickly adjust to and cope with this changing landscape of work, you can position yourself as a star professional whose career not only survives, but thrives during this time of adversity.

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode12

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

For Women's History month, I'm highlighting the amazing women I'm lucky enough to have in my orbit by featuring them on the podcast.

As my final interview in the series, I sit down with FinTech professional and Women's Financial Advocate, Rachel Anderson, for a lively conversation around finance:

• What does it mean and what are some helpful tools & resources
• Why it's especially important for minorities, and women in particular, to care about investing
• And how men can support the women in their lives to become more financially secure / independent

Tune in to learn how you can make your money work for you!

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode11

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

For Women's History month, I'm highlighting the amazing women I'm lucky enough to have in my orbit by featuring them on the podcast.

This week, I sat down with Hiro Nishimura, a Special Education teacher... turned IT Engineer... turned Technical Writer, who has had to overcome extreme odds to be where she is today.

Tune in for a very candid conversation that'll inspire you to be the "Hiro" in your own story and draw from your inner strength to live your best life.

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode10

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

For Women's History month, I'm highlighting the amazing women I'm lucky enough to have in my orbit by featuring them on the podcast.

This week, I chat with Lacey Bisnett, an IT Project Management Director, who discusses what it's like being a minority in leadership, opening up about:

• The unique struggles she's had to face on her way to the top
• Advice she gives up-and-coming professionals about how they can stand out and break into leadership for themeselves
• And the #1 quality she thinks all good leaders must have

Tune in for a conversation jam-packed with useful information + insightful takeaways.

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode9

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

For Women’s History month, I’m highlighting the amazing women I’m lucky enough to have in my orbit by featuring them on the podcast.

This week, I sit down with Silicon Valley Tech and Commercial Recruiting Manager, Yordanos Asmare, to get the inside scoop on:

• How to best build out and use your resume
• How to approach negotiation conversations
• And what pitfalls to look out for during your job search process

Tune in for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the hiring process, from a recruiter's unique point-of-view.

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode8

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.

For Women's History month, I'm highlighting the amazing women I'm lucky enough to have in my orbit by featuring them on the podcast.

To kick off these series of specials, I sit down with software & solutions engineer, Yasy Mandi, to discuss her experience as a first-generation immigrant to the U.S.:

• How that's shaped her identity
• What she thinks are her biggest immigrant assets
• And what challenges she's had to overcome... not only as an immigrant, but also as a rising woman in tech

Tune in to be inspired, and to discover how to tap into your own immigrant magic!

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For a direct link to this episode, visit saharmandi.com/episode7

You can also find and subscribe to Speak Up & Lead on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePodcasts, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.