The John Poelstra Show

A previous client asks for help navigating their own burn out while dealing with a demanding boss.

Here’s my advice on managing stress, dealing with demanding bosses, and finding sustainable ways to recharge. I look at the importance of questioning assumptions, setting boundaries, and experimenting with new approaches to reclaim control over one’s work-life balance.

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Sarah Johnson is a library science educator and social worker. She joins me to explain the evolving role of public libraries in modern society.

Sarah highlights how libraries have transformed from quiet book repositories into vibrant community hubs addressing diverse needs, from providing Wi-Fi and e-resources to offering social services like legal aid, health information, and even showers for unhoused individuals. Sarah explains that libraries are often the last free public spaces where people can gather without needing to spend money, making them essential yet increasingly complex environments.

Sarah also shares her unique career path from social work and massage therapy to academic librarianship, emphasizing how her passion for learning and community service shaped her journey. She discusses the concept of “library social work,” which integrates social work principles into library operations to address challenges like homelessness, mental health crises, and safety concerns in public libraries. Through examples like San Francisco’s pioneering library social worker program, she illustrates how libraries can partner with community organizations to better serve patrons while supporting overburdened staff.

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Tammi Scott joins me to discusses career coaching. Tammi explains that she and her business partner, Elisa, are launching Empowered Careers Group, LLC, which offers a comprehensive career coaching program.

We explore various aspects of career coaching, including its definition, approach, and benefits. Tammi emphasizes that career coaching is not about providing a “crystal ball’ solution,” but rather a process of self-discovery and strategic planning.

This conversation also touches on the role of AI in career coaching, the importance of networking, and the typical duration of coaching engagements. Tammi highlights the value of having a coach for accountability, support, and guidance through the ups and downs of career transitions. We also discuss the differences between career coaching and other forms of guidance, such as personal training or consulting. Tammi shares insights on resume writing, negotiation strategies, and the benefits of having a career coach.

Our conversation challenges the common misconception that career coaches should provide immediate answers or specific job recommendations. Instead, Tammi describes career coaching as a facilitated journey of self-discovery, where clients explore their ideal work environment, values, and professional aspirations. While coaches can provide specific guidance on resumes and salary negotiations, the core work involves helping clients understand themselves better to make informed career decisions.

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Katherine Krupka shares her unconventional journey from the Russian Embassy to energy healing.

She’s an energy healer, interfaith minister, coach and Executive Director of the Energy Medicine Professional Association.

Our conversation reveals Katherine’s fascinating background, including her adventures working at the embassy in Moscow during the fall of the Berlin Wall, her involvement in privatization efforts with the World Bank and consulting projects with oligarchs in Russia.

Katherine shares how her rock bottom moments led her to exploration of raw food, naturopathy, yoga, and meditation. She provides insights into how how healing works and how she helps clients. As a life-long learner, she’s presently focused on a deep study of human consciousness.

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Mark Rumbles reflects on his career of 40 years, what he’s learned in the leadership development space and what’s next for him.

Mark recently retired after 40 years in HR and leadership development. Mark and I discuss his career journey, the concept of retirement, and insights gained from his extensive experience developing leaders. This conversation touches on various topics, including mentorship, career planning, motivation, and the challenges of leadership development.

Mark shares his perspective on career transitions, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, relationship-building, and maintaining a flexible approach to one’s career path. He also discusses his current interests post-retirement, including exploring podcasting and working towards fostering more civil discourse in society. Throughout the conversation, Mark offers his insights on leadership, personal growth, and navigating career challenges.

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Doug Hunter and I discuss artificial intelligence (AI), including how it works, its impact on various aspects of life and work and how to get started with it.

Doug provides an overview of AI, distinguishing between classical AI and the more recent generative AI. Doug also explains how AI works on probabilities and patterns, and discusses its current capabilities and limitations.

Our conversation covers the potential applications of AI in fields such as marketing, customer service, education, and coaching. Doug emphasizes the importance of understanding and adapting to AI technologies, while also highlighting some of the risks and ethical concerns. He suggests practical ways for individuals and businesses to start using AI tools and advises on how to approach AI integration strategically.

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Tammi Scott shares her unique approach to finding new job opportunities by emailing people she knows.

Tammi and I were a money coaches together at Capital One. Tammi shares insights from her extensive coaching background, including her experience at Nordstrom selling shoes. She emphasizes the critical role of building and maintaining professional relationships during a job search.

One of Tammi’s key strategies is sending regular email updates to her network, sharing her progress, goals, and offering mutual support. This approach not only keeps her connections informed but also fosters ongoing engagement. We also explore the importance of aligning personal values with career decisions and the benefits of combining traditional online job applications with proactive networking efforts.

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Nick Accordino shares the emotional rollercoaster of being laid-off, searching for a new job, and landing a new fulfilling role.

Claude2 helped me with the title for this post. Here are the runner-ups which I thought were equally funny and creative.

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Stephen Warley joins me to explore why your job search and networking strategies aren’t working and what to do instead.

Stephen Warley has been a serial solopreneur for the past 25 years. He’s the founder of LifeSkillsThatMatter.com. He’s a career and business coach on a mission to help you create work that works for you in alignment with your values, needs and abilities. He believes work is fundamentally changing as you know it and we’re all going to have to manage ourselves whether you work for yourself or someone else. Learn how to start making your work, work for you at www.lifeskillsthatmatter.com/about

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Seth Vore joins me again to recap the final leg of his family’s 6,000 mile boat journey. We also revisit the original question that turned this dream into reality.

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