Stop Saying 'Hope Is Not a Strategy' (Science Proves You Wrong) with Kathryn Goetzke

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering for some listeners. If you're experiencing thoughts of suicide, please know you're not alone - you can reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by calling or texting 988.

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher opens with a powerful personal reflection on her own journey with hope, challenging the dismissive phrase "hope is not a strategy" and reframing hope as both a comfort and a challenge—not just something we feel, but something we do. She then speaks with Kathryn Goetzke, CEO and Chief Hope Officer of The Shine Hope Company, whose evidence-based work proves that hope is a measurable, teachable skill with profound implications for workplace wellbeing, productivity, and retention.

Episode Highlights:

• How Kathryn's personal experiences with loss and recovery led to her mission of teaching hope as a skill
• The SHINE Hope Framework: Stress skills, Happiness habits, Inspired actions, Nourishing networks, and Eliminating challenges
• Why hopelessness is the single consistent predictor of suicide and a primary symptom of depression
• Evidence that as hope increases, anxiety and depressive symptoms decrease
• How hope scores directly correlate with workplace engagement, productivity, and retention
• The business case for hope: 53% of parents miss a day of work each month due to their children's mental health
• Practical ways leaders can model and foster hope in workplace settings
• The distinction between hope as a wish versus hope as an evidence-based strategy

Quotable Moment:
"Hope is a strategy. We've done the research to prove that the higher in hope your workforce is, the more likely they are to show up to work, be engaged, achieve goals, and overcome obstacles." - Kathryn Goetzke

The Economy of Ease (& Why It's Making Us Miserable) with Caroline Chubb Calderon

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast, Jen Fisher speaks with Caroline Chubb Calderon, futurist, humanist, and founder and CEO of Hello Humanity, a company dedicated to reimagining humanity in the age of machines. Caroline works with leaders worldwide to create a future where technology enhances rather than diminishes our human experience.

Episode Highlights:

• How to unlock human flourishing in the age of artificial intelligence
• Why our current economic model leads to mental health issues and disconnection
• The difference between an "economy of ease" and an "ecology of meaning"
• Why synthetic relationships through AI can never replace real human connection
• The dangers of deploying AI for mental health support versus clinical analysis
• How courage and vulnerability are essential for transforming our systems
• The eight principles of life that can guide our relationship with technology
• Practical steps organizations can take to prioritize human intelligence alongside AI

Quotable Moments:

"We've been creating a world of ease where we live in an economy where everything is driven to improving the ease of life. What would it look like to move from an ease economy to a regenerative and meaning ecology?" - Caroline Chubb Calderon

Resources:

Learn more about Caroline’s work at Hello Humanity

Watch Caroline’s TEDx Talk 

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

Come As You Are' at Work (Terms & Conditions Apply) with Farah Harris

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Farah Harris, licensed psychotherapist, workplace wellbeing expert, and CEO of Working Well Daily. Her book "The Color of Emotional Intelligence" challenges us to rethink what authenticity and emotional intelligence really mean across different cultures and identities in the workplace.

Episode Highlights:

•  The hidden costs of "bringing your whole self to work"
•  Why emotional intelligence looks different across cultures and backgrounds
•  How our family dynamics shape our workplace emotional expression
• The real price of fitting into "professional" culture
• What looks like "high EQ" might actually be a survival strategy
• Why declaring "safe spaces" doesn't make them safe
• The problem with one-size-fits-all approaches to emotional intelligence
• How power dynamics affect workplace authenticity
• The importance of having "safe people" to process workplace experiences

 Quotable Moment:
"If you can't take what you're learning outside of the four walls of the workplace, then is it truly applicable? Is it truly authentic?"
- Farah Harris

Lyra Lens:
We're excited to introduce Lyra Lens, a new segment with our friends from Lyra Health. "The beauty of inclusion and diversity at work is shifting from 'why do you do it like that?' to 'what can I learn from someone who does it differently?'" Andrea Holman shares this and other insights in today's Lyra Lens segment, where she joins Jen Fisher to discuss cultural humility in the workplace.

Resources:
This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

'Reading' Emotion in Emails & Other Ways Our Brains Mislead Us with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and author of "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain."

Episode Highlights:

• Why we can't actually "read" emotions in faces, voices, or body language
• The science behind your brain's "body budget" and how it affects workplace performance
• How social stress can impact your metabolism by up to 104 calories
• Why trust in coworkers and management significantly affects productivity
• The truth about psychological safety and why some discomfort is necessary for growth
• How to handle emotions in virtual environments and email communications
• Understanding the difference between guessing and reading emotions in workplace interactions
• Practical strategies for making yourself more predictable to reduce others' stress

Quotable Moment:

Resources:

Learn more about Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett's groundbreaking research on emotions and the brain at her website

Books: "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain"

Your Brain On Goals: The Surprising Science of Motivation with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher and special co-host Keren Wasserman from Lyra Health speak with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and author of "Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation."

Episode Highlights:

• Common motivation strategies that can backfire, including rigid goal-setting and misaligned incentives
• How to overcome the "middle problem" in long-term goals by breaking them into shorter segments
• The connection between emotions and motivation as a feedback system
• When to focus on progress made vs. progress needed based on where you are in your journey
• Why experts tend to look ahead while novices benefit from looking back at progress
• The importance of social support and working with others to maintain motivation
• How failure can provide valuable information and novel insights for learning
• Leadership strategies for maintaining team trust and motivation during challenging times

Quotable Moment:

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution.
Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy and author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong. In a wide-ranging conversation, Stephanie discusses her science-backed approach to happiness, and explains how accessing our unique gifts and giving back to the community can lead to joy and fulfillment.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with speaker, workplace mental health consultant, and executive Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower to discuss how to manage the anxiety that comes with succeeding and leading.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with climate psychologist Renée Lertzman to discuss the emotional effects of climate change and how we can become more resilient. Lertzman, the author of Environmental Melancholia: Psychoanalytic dimensions of engagement, offers suggestions about how individuals, organizations, and leaders can work together to alleviate climate anxiety, as well as finding ways to give back and have a positive impact. 

 In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with user researcher, writer, illustrator, and consultant Ximena Vengoechea, author of Rest Easy: Discover Calm and Abundance through the Radical Power of Rest. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Ximena talk about the importance of resting and recharging in order to lead a fulfilling and productive life. Ximena offers guidance on how to get the deep rest we need for our well-being, and explains how rest helps us reconnect with ourselves and improves every aspect of our lives, from work to relationships.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with grief expert Rebecca Soffer, author, co-founder, and CEO of Modern Loss. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Rebecca discuss loss and resilience, and how to overcome the stigma of grief.