In this episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Ryan M. McCarthy for a sharp, honest, and surprisingly funny conversation about radical authenticity, visibility as strategy, and what it really takes to stay human inside high-pressure work cultures. 🧠✨

Ryan shares what it means to “translate yourself” across cultures and power structures, how identity can feel like a mask we’re constantly updating, and why reading the room isn’t the same thing as shrinking. They also get real about corporate toxicity, layoffs, dignity, boundaries, and the brutal reality of today’s job market—especially in big tech and AI-adjacent work. 😮‍💨💼

If you’ve been editing yourself to survive at work, this one lands. And Ryan leaves listeners with one simple, subtle action you can take this week to reclaim more of who you are—without putting a target on your back. 🌈✅

Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Empowered & Out + season theme (visibility & authenticity)
00:31 Coach Jon’s mission + discovery call CTA
01:10 Ryan McCarthy intro: radical authenticity + high-stakes leadership + “translation”
02:30 Energy check-in (Ryan’s 7/10… after a rough start)
04:23 What radical authenticity looks like on inconvenient days
05:10 Coming out at 14 (and why it felt like compulsion + relief)
10:08 Authenticity vs. oversharing (context + knowing your audience)
12:06 “Read the room” without masking yourself
14:24 France story: conservative context, gay rights convo, and visibility timing
19:48 Translation as a life skill: identity, masks, reinvention
24:08 Returning to U.S. corporate norms after France (culture shock + job struggle)
28:39 The current job market: networking, silence, and corporate “ghosting”
32:46 Toxicity at work: leadership, layoffs, and the cost of staying
40:48 PIPs, hiring freezes, and why “dignity intact” matters
47:07 When the pay doesn’t match the pressure (and choosing your health)
53:18 “Too much / too weird / too queer”: why wording reveals culture
55:22 Integrity + boundaries after disruption (and refusing “professional grief”)
01:01:06 When you can’t afford to leave: the hard truth + compassion
01:08:23 Resilience vs harm: the signs it’s time to cut something loose
01:10:42 Rapid fire fun 🎬🚿🎧
01:15:03 One small action this week to reclaim yourself (the “rainbow heart” move) 🌈
01:17:00 Ryan’s upcoming book: The New Meta + job market help offer
01:17:41 Coach Jon wrap + how to connect

Reach out to Coach Jon here - https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout