After 30 episodes of saying the quiet part out loud, host Ellen Whitlock Baker closes out Season 1 of Hard at Work with a reflective and forward-looking finale. From people-pleasing and perfectionism to systemic burnout and the stubborn pace of change since the movie "9 to 5" came out 45 years ago, Ellen unpacks what she’s learned about why work still isn’t working — and what it will take to change it.

She looks back on the guests, the lessons, and the quiet revolutions happening in real workplaces, while issuing a challenge for the hiatus: take one step, however small, toward building the future of work we actually deserve. Because as the great Dolly Parton says: "the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way."

Tags: burnout, workplace culture, women at work, leadership, boundaries, equity, systemic change, perfectionism, people pleasing, feminist workplace, future of work, Hard at Work podcast, season finale

In this episode of Hard at Work, host Ellen Whitlock Baker welcomes author, two-time founder, and Hype Women CEO Erin Gallagher for a candid conversation about women, work, and the shift from competition to collective power.

Erin shares the origin of the Hype Women movement—including that now-famous photo of Jamie Lee Curtis celebrating Michelle Yeoh—and explains why hype is a verb: it’s the choice to convert admiration into action by promoting, buying from, hiring, referring, and amplifying other women.

Together, Ellen and Erin name the conditioning that teaches women to compete for scarce recognition, how “mean-girl” behavior gets rewarded in professional settings, and why empathy without boundaries leads to chronic self-abandonment and burnout.

Erin offers a practical reframe for jealousy as a signal of desire—when someone else lands a keynote or book deal, ask how they did it, celebrate them publicly, and let your body learn the feeling of abundance.

The two dig into resentment, invisible unpaid labor, and the constant interruptions that drain women’s energy—connecting it to the $10.9 trillion of unpaid work women shoulder globally—and explore how anger can be a healthy messenger when it’s moved through the body: writing, running, singing at top volume in the car, painting, or simply letting yourself feel it.

They also discusses Erin's forthcoming book, Hype Women: Breaking Free from Mean Girls, Patriarchy, and Systems Silencing You (out October 14, 2025), which blends narrative with practical tools to help women stop equating worth with service.

Erin shares the line that changed her life: “I will no longer abandon myself in service to others.”

Listen for honest stories, tangible mindset shifts, and next steps you can take today to hype other women, reclaim your time, and build work that actually supports your life.

(Keywords: hype women, women at work, workplace culture, mean girls, patriarchy, boundaries, burnout recovery, abundance mindset, leadership, Jamie Lee Curtis Michelle Yeoh)

In this high-energy episode, host Ellen Whitlock Baker welcomes licensed neuropsychotherapist Britt Frank, author of The Science of Stuck and Align Your Mind, for a fast, practical tour of how your brain actually works—and how to get it working for you at work and at home. Britt explains that anxiety isn’t all bad; it’s the brain’s check-engine light, an alarm that asks for investigation rather than suppression.

Britt shares how we can convert overwhelm into forward motion using micro-yeses, comically tiny steps (think: shoes by the door, one sentence on the page) that slip past the brain’s change-resistance and build momentum over time.

The conversation distinguishes feelings (physiological signals like tightness or a racing heart) from emotions (feelings plus the story we add), and offers a quick self-audit to test whether your story is true before you spiral.

Britt also brings her signature parts work approach: treat your mind like a team, retrain the “inner critic” into a useful coach, and send unhelpful parts to the metaphorical green room until it’s their scene.

For leaders, Britt delivers a provocative reframe—managers aren’t therapists—and recommends replacing over-empathy (which lights up shared pain) with curiosity (which activates problem-solving), while designing conditions where humans can still be human.

Ellen and Britt also unpack why brains resist change (they’re wired for survival, not optimization), why insight alone can keep us “insightfully stuck,” and how to ask a better question: What am I willing to do today?

Listeners dealing with burnout, perimenopause shifts, career pivots, or post-pandemic malaise will leave with a brain-smart playbook for momentum: respect alarms, pick one micro-yes, use curiosity to de-charge tough moments, and align work with clear roles and lived values.

Keywords: Britt Frank, The Science of Stuck, Align Your Mind, neuropsychotherapist, micro-yeses, workplace culture, burnout recovery, anxiety tools, parts work, shadow work, leadership, curiosity vs empathy, role clarity, behavior change, emotional regulation, feelings vs emotions

In this Hard at Work episode, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with business coach Melissa Fackler of One Team Partners for a conversation about what it really takes to create a thriving, people-centric workplace. Melissa explains why most organizations don’t have a “work problem” so much as a “how we work” problem—and why band-aid solutions (like free yoga at lunch) won’t fix burnout, turnover, or disengagement.

Instead, she offers a simple but powerful cycle leaders can use immediately: Awareness → Structure → Habit.

First, awareness: surface the real issues, name tradeoffs honestly, and acknowledge that doing nothing is still a choice.

Next, structure: design lightweight, value-add systems (think: calendar blocking, simple hiring and onboarding flows, role clarity, performance rhythms) that make the right work easier to do.

Finally, habit: repeat the fundamentals until they’re automatic, then revisit awareness when something stops serving the team.

Throughout, Melissa and Ellen emphasize values as the filter for decisions and culture, not a poster on a wall. Melissa shares how One Team’s values—practice self-care, bring your whole self, be present, invest in relationships, commit to learning—keep the focus on people so the business can perform. She argues that leaders must “slow down to speed up,” accepting that metrics may dip while foundations are rebuilt, and she illustrates success with stories: a CEO who finally took a real vacation because decision rights and processes were clear; teams getting more done with fewer people after aligning roles to strengths.

The conversation also tackles AI with nuance: treat it like an assistant for drafts, notes, and summaries, not a replacement for human judgment or authentic communication.

For listeners stuck in difficult workplaces, Melissa suggests assessing value alignment, having earlier, calmer conversations, and auditing how often joy-giving work actually appears on your calendar. If you’re a leader wrestling with retention, employee experience, or scaling sustainably, you’ll leave with a practical blueprint to replace quick fixes with systems that reduce burnout, rebuild trust, and let your best work lead.

Keywords: healthy workplace culture, burnout at work, employee retention, leadership habits, values-driven management, simple systems, calendar blocking, people-first operations, organizational change, One Team Partners, Melissa Fackler, Hard at Work podcast.

In this solo episode of Hard at Work, Ellen Whitlock Baker shares three leadership mistakes she wishes she could go back and do differently — and the practical steps you can take to avoid them.

From listening less and talking too much, to modeling unhealthy work habits, to relying on vague job descriptions and biased review processes, Ellen unpacks why these common traps harm teams and what managers can do instead.

You’ll learn how to:

• Listen with curiosity instead of defensiveness
• Model boundaries and healthy work habits (instead of hustle)
• Create clear job plans and fair review processes that prevent burnout and bias

If you’ve ever wondered how to be the kind of manager people actually want to work for — start here.

Tags: leadership mistakes, management tips, healthy workplace, career clarity, burnout prevention, boundaries at work, fair reviews, leadership coaching, Hard at Work podcast, Ellen Whitlock Baker

What does it mean to actually live your values — even when it costs you something? In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with executive coach, speaker, and visionary leader Lindsey T.H. Jackson to unpack the practice of unlearning, the courage it takes to align actions with values, and how mid-career women can reconnect with their authentic selves.

Lindsey shares powerful stories about walking away from VC funding to stay true to her company’s values, why anger is a signal of potential, and how leaders can move beyond fear to create people-centered workplaces. Together, Ellen and Lindsey dig into generational shifts at work, why “lazy ease” is toxic, and the everyday practices that help us return to ourselves.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between old rules and the possibility of something better, this episode will help you imagine — and build — a healthier, more authentic way forward.

Tags: Leadership, Women at Work, Workplace Culture, Unlearning, Authentic Leadership, Values-Based Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion, Anti-Racist Leadership, Boundaries at Work, Career Growth, Women in Leadership, Personal Development, Mid-Career Women, Coaching, Resilience

We’ve all done it: talked ourselves out of something we know would make life better. A walk. A tough conversation. A career change. But what’s really going on when you know you should do the thing…and you don’t?

In this solo episode of Hard at Work, Ellen Whitlock Baker breaks down the science of “blockers” — the protective part of your brain that sounds the alarm whenever something feels new, different, or risky. She explains how neuroplasticity works, why change feels so threatening, and the three simple steps you can use to prove your blockers wrong.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in the cycle of overthinking, avoidance, and regret, this episode will show you how to take tiny experiments that lead to big clarity.

Tags: career clarity, overcoming fear, burnout, blockers, start anyway, neuroscience, boundaries, clarity coaching, workplace change, stuck at work, Hard at Work podcast

What does it actually take to build something from scratch—and stay sane while doing it? Ellen talks with Jaebadiah Gardner, founder of Gardner Global, about building wealth, the importance of believing in yourself, and pushing past barriers as a Black and Latino entrepreneur. They get real about hustle culture, staying grounded, and what success looks like behind the scenes (it’s not always as pretty as it seems on the surface). If you’ve ever felt stuck, under-resourced, or underestimated, this one’s for you. A thoughtful, no-BS conversation about drive, ambition, and getting in the room where it happens—even when you don’t know anyone there.

Show Links:

• Find Jaebadiah’s book, Believe in Yourself, here

• Learn more about Jaebadiah’s company, Gardner Global, and all the cool work they are doing in Seattle.

• Connect with Jaebadiah on LinkedIn and Instagram

When life blows up, who do you become next? In this deeply honest episode, Ellen sits down with Merritt Minnemeyer — founder of Master of One Coaching, speaker, and creative powerhouse — to talk about leading through loss, finding your true self when your old story no longer fits, and why so many women keep outsourcing our wisdom to everyone but ourselves.

You’ll hear how Merritt turned unimaginable grief into a mission to help leaders come home to themselves — and what that really looks like when you’re stuck, burned out, or feeling trapped in the life you thought you wanted.

A reminder that the story you’re living now isn’t your final chapter — and you get to write what comes next.

leadership coaching, finding yourself again, rebuilding after loss, conscious leadership, women in midlife, executive coaching, nonprofit leadership, self-reflection for leaders, personal growth, conscious business, arts leadership, living with purpose, coming home to yourself, trapped by choices, how to pivot your career, Merritt Minnemeyer, Master of One Coaching, human-centric work, conscious capitalism, resilience after grief.

In this episode of Hard at Work, Ellen sits down with Robbin Hudson — founder and CEO of Gradient, the Human Equity Think Tank, and an executive and leadership coach. Together, they dig into what it means to truly lead with people at the center — and why so many workplaces still get it so wrong.

Robbin shares her journey from philanthropy and grassroots leadership development to founding Gradient, a consulting and coaching firm that prioritizes human equity over doing things they way they've always been done. She explains how deep listening, brave spaces, and “starting at stuck” help leaders and organizations align who they say they want to be with who they actually are.

They talk about how intergenerational workplaces, burnout, and “golden handcuffs” keep people stuck — and how clarifying your core values and building both a “stay plan” and a “go plan” can help you get unstuck. Robbin also offers real talk for managers trying to create change inside systems that resist it, plus why your story — and your unique leadership DNA — matter.

Whether you’re an executive, a middle manager, or someone trying to survive a system that doesn’t center your humanity, you’ll walk away from this episode with practical wisdom on how to start — right where you are.

Keywords: human-centric leadership, executive coaching, nonprofit leadership, DEI consulting, brave leadership, burnout at work, intergenerational workplaces, leadership DNA, coaching for leaders, storytelling at work, psychological safety, people and culture, human equity think tank, Gradient Consulting, Start at Stuck, values-based leadership, workplace culture change, philanthropic leadership, boundary setting, career clarity, stuck at work