Dan Smolen discusses Myers Briggs and the Great Resignation with expert Edythe Richards.

To help guide us through this critical discussion, we bring back Edythe Richards. Edythe is a world-renowned Myers Briggs expert who helps people discover their Myers Briggs Type. With such insight, people benefit greatly in their lives and careers.

In this episode, Edythe:

And, among the factors affecting people in the workplace is boredom. Similarly, Edythe says that:

“Boredom is one of the clearest signs that [you are] in a career or a workplace that doesn’t suit your personality.”

About our guest:

Edythe Richards received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling from Seton Hall University. Her nationally recognized career counseling consultancy, A Top Career, is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

EPISODE DATE: January 14, 2022

Social media:

– Website

– EQ at Work Podcast

– Myers Briggs Question Corner Podcast

– LinkedIn Page

Dan Smolen says people should use SWOT to focus on career success.

Getting to blissful work and experiences takes great planning and imagination. And this time-honored business tool can focus our minds on finding and doing meaningful work.

SWOT helps entrepreneurs focus for career success. That is, because, it prepares brands, businesses and themselves for abundant scale. And there is no doubt that SWOT can also help us supercharge our careers.

Perhaps it is strong project management skill? Or maybe it is a strings of sales successes? Whatever they are, list them.

Perhaps you lack access to the kind of training you fell will make your career successful. Identify and list them.

Maybe you seek work in EVs or renewable energy? Dream about them, then list them.

Suppose that you are used to working remotely, and you enjoy the experience, but your company leadership wants you back in the co-location? Whatever renders you career threatened, list them on the form.

I’m certain you will find benefit in using SWOT to focus career success. With it, you will establish the foundation for your career empowerment story. With a starting point, you will begin  the first big step in making the work that you do, or hope to do, truly meaningful.

EPISODE DATE: January 7, 2022

Dan Smolen believes that good health and future work will be informed by pandemic responses.

As 2021 draws to a close, the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus has spread like wildfire. And clear to many people now is this: because about a one-third of the nation remains unvaccinated, we will, for the foreseeable future, encounter more Covid variant outbreaks.

We all want good health. And it is among our new year’s wishes to loved ones and friends. But, as a nation we lack the resolve of previous generations to respond to pandemics. Once, we mass vaccinated against Polio Militis and other diseases, thus eradicating them. However, with over 100 million Americans unwilling to vaccinate, we are ensured a future in which Covid becomes endemic.

Our guest earlier this year, infectious disease expert Dr. Rob Citronberg, predicted that annual Covid booster shots are most definitely in our future. And that is, because:

“This [Covid-19] is not going away. In fact, there is no doubt that it is going to become endemic.”

Workforce professionals who once may have reliably returned to co-locations will now opt for hybrid workplace venues. How people engage during the workday will change as well. And hiring managers now must learn how to adapt and embrace a new way of engaging with, and leading, people.

Whether you rolled up your sleeves to get Covid jabs or if you resisted, know that your choice fully informed the future of work. And, as a result, we are never going back to a pre-pandemic normal.

EPISODE DATE: December 31, 2021

Dan Smolen reflects on the Holiday Season and one tired, burned out workforce.

According to a recent post on FortuneDaily:

“The physical and emotional exhaustion that turns into workplace burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of hundreds of microstressors on the job that ultimately lead to employees hitting the wall, mentally checking out, or even quitting their jobs entirely.”

On the podcast this week, we reflect on a recent tweet authored by organizational psychologist and best-selling author Adam Grant:

“The holidays shouldn’t be a time to recharge. They should be a time to celebrate. If work is exhausting people to the point that they’re using their time off to recover, then you might have a burnout culture.”

EPISODE DATE: December 24, 2021

Dan Smolen discovers from Gitlab’s Darren Murph how remote work can work.

What is more, Darren authored The GitLab Remote Work Playbook, which thousands of people around the globe have downloaded.

And as such, Gitlab supports happier professionals who enjoy doing work that is part of the day and not the day.

In this episode, Darren describes:

“For hundreds of years, we have fit life around the rigid confines of work. But, when you achieve remote work at scale, you can live your life and then fit work into it.”

During 2021, Gitlab became a publicly traded company, tracked under the ticker symbol GTLB.

About our guest:

Quite possibly, Darren Murph is the world’s first Director of Remote Work. He received a Bachelor of Science in Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management from NC State and an MBA from Campbell University. He lives and works in North Carolina.

EPISODE DATE: December 17, 2021

Social media:

– Darren Murph on LinkedIn

– Darren Murph on Twitter

– Living the Remote Dream (Amazon.com book page)

– GitLab Website

– The GitLab Remote Playbook

Dan Smolen interviews  Overflow PBC co-founder and CEO Laura Marella on finding success in independent work.

In 2021, the rise of independent benefitted people who compete for business with large firms and agencies.

As a business accelerator and professional community, Overflow PBC provides independent professionals with specialized tools and resources that they need to compete effectively with big enterprises. What is more, Overflow connects “indies” to a large and growing ecosystem of likeminded people.

“Instead of being a marketplace of consultants, [we wanted] to create a marketplace for consultants.”

In this episode, Laura:

Overflow PBC is a certified public benefit corporation (b corp) chartered in the State of Delaware. Its founding members are located across the globe. 

About our guest:

Laura Marella received a Bachelor of Science in Communications Management from Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications. During her years in the agency space, Laura gained a national reputation for excellence in multi-cultural marketing. She lives and works in Southern California.

EPISODE DATE: December 10, 2021

Social media:

– Overflow PBC Website

– LinkedIn Page

Dan Smolen asks Plutoshift’s Prateek Joshi: will artificial intelligence improve future work?

Prateek is the founder and CEO of Plutoshift, a company that uses artificial intelligence or A.I. to make the world a better place.

And, truth be told, A.I. will soon replace millions of low-skill jobs; it manages many tasks faster and better than people.

In this episode, Prateek:

“One of the biggest things that [we look for] is the ability to learn. [Are you] the type of person who has learned how to learn?”

Interview starts at 2:50

About our guest:

Prateek Joshi earned a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka and a Masters of Science in Computer Vision from USC. He is the author of numerous books on Artificial Intelligence. Prateek lives and works in Palo Alto, California.

EPISODE DATE: December 3, 2021

Social media:

– LinkedIn

– Twitter

– Plutoshift Website

– Prateek Joshi Website

– Amazon Author Page

Dan Smolen discovers Raj Subrameyer’s immigrant’s future work story.

Astonishingly, he applied for over 1,200 jobs and got but a handful of interviews. That’s when he decided to focus on his own happiness; he began a process of discovery which got him unstuck to start his own business.

Now, through his brand ChaiLatte Consulting, Raj helps tech careerists get unstuck for the future of work.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Raj:

“I wanted to help underdogs like me, who had the skill-sets, but were looking for guidance.”

About our guest:

Raj Subrameyer earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Anna University and a Masters of Science in Software Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Raj is the author of the book, Skyrocket Your Career. He lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.

EPISODE DATE: November 26, 2021

Social media:

– Facebook

– LinkedIn

– Twitter

– TEDx Talk (NEW!)

– YouTube

Dan Smolen interviews Cristina DiGiacomo who wants people to get philosophical for work success.

Skeptics may not recognize the value to get philosophical for work success. But, for every stressor, difficult workplace relationship, and vexing business problem Cristina says:

“There’s a philosophy for that.”

In this episode, Cristina describes:

Full interview starts at 2:52

“Things like the handshake were born out of philosophical ideas. The norms that we take for granted in our society, of how we should interact with each other, all come from philosophy.”

About our guest:

Cristina DiGiacomo earned a Bachelors of Science in Communications from the State University of New York at Albany and a Masters of Science in Organizational Change Management from New School University. She lives and works in New York City.

EPISODE DATE: November 19, 2021

Social media:

– LinkedIn

– Website

– WiseUp! Book Author’s Page

– WiseUp! Podcast

Dan Smolen interviews author Daniel Pink to discuss what drives us to work. Dan is The New York Times’ best-selling author of several books, including DRIVE: The Surprising Truth of What Motivates Us.

During the pandemic, millions in the American workforce adjusted to remote work. And a large share of them became part of The Great Resignation. Yet often, motivations drive us to work towards positive purpose and meaning.

In this episode, we discuss how:

About our guest:

Daniel Pink earned a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School where he edited the Yale Law and Policy Review. Currently, he is writing a seventh book on the subject of regret. Daniel lives and works in Washington, D.C.

EPISODE DATE: November 12, 2021

Social media:

– Daniel Pink Website

– World Regret Survey