The Unobstructed

By Derek MacDonald

Honest conversations about designing a life where work feels easier. Personal stories and systems for finding clarity without burning out.

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FAQs about The Unobstructed:

How many episodes does The Unobstructed have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.

The Unobstructed episodes:

March 26, 2025 Your Mental Wealth Is Your Best Investment
In this episode of The Unobstructed Podcast, Rachael and I talk about misaligned expectations. We share personal stories about burnout, being vulnerable with managers, and feeling pressure to say “i’m fine” when you’re not.
What starts as a conversation about mental health in the workplace quickly opens into something bigger:
The invisible penalties of full honesty at work.
Why post-COVID “flexibility” was more talk than action.
How childhood anxiety connects to the rise of the attention economy.
The myth that addiction is the problem (spoiler: it’s not).
Why emotional regulation is the survival skill no one taught us.
And how a new class of “mental wealth” is taking shape.
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
50min
March 19, 2025 If Your Data's A Mess, Your Results Will Be Too—Even With AI
In this episode of The Unobstructed Podcast, Derek and Rachael untangle the evolving role of AI in day-to-day work life.
AI is changing the way you can do business, but it can't sidestep bad data.
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
23min
March 12, 2025 Why Some People Shape Their Future While Others Wait For It
What separates those who shape their path and those who wait for direction? Creativity, communication, and self-discovery...agency plays a role in all of it.
We get into the "how" of adopting new ideas, embracing technology, and taking ownership of our personal and professional growth.
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
47min
March 05, 2025 Your Workload Is A Mess—And What To Do About It
Why is workload visibility is so broken—especially in remote and hybrid work?
Things like untracked work and why it leads to burnout, misaligned tools that make work way harder than it needs to be, and task lists beyond what’s assigned—the things that pile in from email and Slack.
Work is measured in output, not hours. But if nobody knows what’s actually on your plate, how do you set expectations. And, you know, not drown?
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
52min
February 26, 2025 Solopreneurs and The End Of Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans
The shift to solo work isn’t just about work. It’s changing how we save, invest, and plan for the future.
In this conversation, Derek and Rachael explore: Morning routines, hustle culture’s war on mental health, and what happens when employment isn’t connected to retirement planning. This leads to fewer workers, fewer retirement plans, and fewer returns—for everyone.
So, if AI agents and solo work are the future, how do we make sure financial security isn’t left behind?
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
41min
February 19, 2025 Time Management Isn't Your Problem
Let's talk about the importance of creating space get work done (ya know, instead of just talking about doing the work in back-to-back meetings). Derek and Rachael also share openly about navigating workplace conflicts, building psychological safety, and what the real impact of culture does to productivity.
As someone with ADHD, Derek has tried a million of those time management “hacks”…and says that, while there’s a lot of fluff, there are actually some ways that do work (no, not just hoping to fit everything in).
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, is a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
51min
February 12, 2025 Use This Skill For More Work-Life Balance
Who’s responsible for work-life balance—companies or individuals? Derek and Rachael discuss the role of personal boundaries in the workplace, being intentional about taking time off, and the ways routines impact our perception of time.
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, is a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
39min
February 05, 2025 How to Manage Expectations Without Stifling Growth
The biggest barriers to growth are the assumptions we don’t question.
In this episode, Derek and Rachael chat about how vulnerability enhances leadership. We also dive into the dynamics of managing up, the nuances of adult learning theory, and the significance of understanding the "why" behind a person's actions in the workplace.
***
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, Tech Simplifier & Mental Wealth Investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, is a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
51min
January 31, 2025 Welcome to The Unobstructed Podcast
The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.
You can learn more about Unobstructed here.
About the hosts:
Derek MacDonald, former wilderness guide, current tech simplifier and mental wealth investor at DMDC Systems, LLC.
Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.
Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com
Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe
...more
1min

FAQs about The Unobstructed:

How many episodes does The Unobstructed have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.