Work Besties Who Podcast

If your title disappeared tomorrow, would anyone still listen to you?

Leadership is easy to claim when the org chart says people have to listen. The real test is how people experience you when they do not have to.

In this episode, Jess and Claude break down five everyday moments that reveal what kind of leader you really are: how you respond when someone makes a mistake, when someone disagrees with you, when a quieter voice needs room, when everything is going wrong, and when someone else deserves the win.

They also share three questions to ask yourself before reacting in a difficult workplace moment:

• What am I feeling?
• What might they be experiencing?
• What does this moment need from me?

Because emotional intelligence does not mean avoiding hard conversations. Great leadership can include accountability, constructive feedback and difficult decisions — while still creating psychological safety, trust and respect.

Whether you are already managing a team, moving into leadership or simply trying to be a better coworker, leadership is happening in the little moments long before anyone gives you the title.

#Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadershipDevelopment

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

We almost didn’t have an episode this week.

Then at Jess's birthday dinner — two people telling the exact same story in completely different ways — reminded us just how much the way you tell your story matters.

Because storytelling at work isn’t just for interviews or presentations. You’re telling stories every time you explain your impact, talk about how you’ve grown, show how you’ve stepped up as a leader, or simply introduce yourself to someone new.

In this episode, we break down the career stories everyone should have ready:

• Your Impact Story — what changed because you were there
• Your Growth Story — what changed in you or your team
• Your Leadership Story — when you started leading before anyone gave you the title
• Your “Meet Me” Story — the memorable story that helps people get to know the human behind the job title

Plus, Jess and Claude prove the point by telling their own Work Bestie origin story very differently — before somehow ending up with Jess the accountant and Claude the butcher.

Because whether you think you’re a storyteller or not, you’re already telling stories.

The question is: what do you want people to remember?

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

You did the work. You have the data. You know the answer. So why does someone else say almost the exact same thing five minutes later—and suddenly everyone remembers it?

That’s not always an expertise problem. Sometimes, it’s a visibility problem.

Jess and Claude sit down with actress, director, keynote speaker, and storytelling expert Sabine Kvenberg to talk about what actually makes someone memorable in a room—and whether presence, confidence, and storytelling can be learned.

Sabine shares why confidence is a learned skill, how introverts can build presence without becoming louder, and her SET framework for stronger storytelling: Story, Emotion, and Tie. We also explore the confidence-competence loop, why great storytelling isn’t about making every moment dramatic, and how the way you deliver an idea can be just as important as the idea itself.

Plus, we get into AI: how to use it to strengthen your communication without letting it flatten your voice into something generic—and why AI can learn how you sound, but it still can’t know or replace your lived story.

In this episode:
• Why being right isn’t always enough to be remembered
• How confidence and stage presence can be developed
• Why introverts can be powerful storytellers
• Sabine’s SET storytelling framework
• How storytelling improves workplace visibility
• The difference between sharing information and creating something memorable
• How to use AI without losing your authentic voice
• What makes someone truly memorable in a room

Learn more about Sabine Kvenberg and her book Gumption at SabineKvenberg.com.

Because your story doesn’t need to be louder. It needs to be yours.

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

What if the thing that made you feel different is actually one of your greatest strengths?

In this episode of Work Besties Who Podcast, Jess and Claude sit down with storyteller, writer and advocate Thomas R. Wilson to explore how owning your story can help you build confidence, embrace creativity and feel more seen.

Thomas shares how storytelling became a source of connection and belonging in his own life—and why creativity isn’t reserved for writers, artists or performers. Sometimes it’s problem-solving. Sometimes it’s finding your voice. And sometimes it’s simply creating something because it brings you joy.

Together, they talk about perfectionism, learning to trust compliments, strength-based thinking, finding your people and why sharing your story doesn’t mean sharing every part of yourself.

Because confidence doesn’t always come before you tell your story.

Sometimes telling—and owning—your story is how you build it.

IN THIS EPISODE:
• How storytelling can help us feel less alone
• Why creativity belongs to everyone
• Creating something just for yourself
• Why perfectionism can become a defense mechanism
• Learning to see your strengths differently
• Strength-based vs. deficit-based thinking
• How community helps us find our voice
• Why owning your story doesn’t mean oversharing
• How knowing your worth, strengths and power builds confidence

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
How can owning your story help you build confidence?

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

September on Work Besties Who is all about storytelling and visibility: finding your voice, owning your story, communicating your value, and allowing yourself to be seen—not only for the work you produce, but for the person you are and the perspective you bring.

And because storytelling is one of Jess’s greatest strengths, there was only one way she could begin the month: by telling the story of someone who is an enormous part of her own.

In this special solo episode, Jess shares an ode to her cohost, friend, and work bestie for life, Claude.

Jess reflects on the difference between being noticed and being truly seen—and how Claude’s intelligence, honesty, loyalty, grounded confidence, and unwavering belief have helped Jess recognize the power of her own voice.

Because being noticed is when someone knows what you accomplished. Being seen is when someone understands the courage, doubt, preparation, resilience, and heart behind it.

This episode is both a love letter to Claude and an invitation for all of us to consider the people who have helped shape our stories, made us braver, and reminded us of what we struggled to see in ourselves.

The right work bestie doesn’t give you your voice. She reminds you that you had one all along.

Who is a huge part of your story? Send them this episode—and then tell them why they matter. Don’t make them guess. Don’t wait.

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

What happens when being the reliable one slowly turns into being responsible for…everything?

This week, Jess and Claude sit down with author, speaker, and creator of The Yes Test Method, Paula Mathias, to talk about how women become the unofficial “office mom” — taking the notes, ordering the snacks, planning the celebrations, fixing the problem — and why being good at something doesn’t automatically make it your job.

Paula shares the workplace experience that made her realize how often she was making herself smaller, why an automatic “yes” can quietly create resentment and burnout, and the three questions she now uses before taking something on:

Is it Yours? Is it Essential? Is it Sustainable?

We also get into why setting boundaries can actually increase respect, how to push back or manage up without simply bringing your boss a problem, what happens when these same patterns follow us home, and how to know when the answer should actually be YES — especially when an opportunity scares you.

Plus: Can you retire as the office mom without becoming the office villain?

Spoiler: one person’s no might just be another person’s yes.

In this episode:

•  How women accidentally become the “office mom” 
•  The hidden cost of the automatic yes 
•  Paula’s Yours–Essential–Sustainable Yes Test 
•  Why being capable doesn’t mean you should do it 
•  Setting boundaries without damaging relationships 
•  How to manage up when something shouldn’t be on your plate 
•  Saying yes to stretch opportunities even when imposter syndrome shows up 
•  Why your no may create an opportunity for someone else 

Learn more about Paula and The Yes Test Method at PaulaMathias.com

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

What if the voice telling you “you’re not ready” isn’t telling you the truth — it’s trying to keep you safe?

In this episode, Jess and Claude sit down with psychologist, talent agent and self-sabotage expert Dr. Albert Bramante to unpack the mental roadblocks that can keep talented people playing small.

Albert explains why self-sabotage can actually be a protective mechanism, how fear of failure AND fear of success can hold us back, and why procrastination may have more to do with fear than time management. We also get into perfectionism, the inner critic, rejection, and what happens when our brains turn one “no” into an entire story about our worth.

Plus, Albert shares practical ways to start changing the pattern — including turning your to-do list into scheduled action, reframing failure as feedback, questioning the stories your inner critic tells you, and creating a “Happy File” to remind yourself of the wins you tend to forget.

Because before anyone else can validate your value, you have to learn how to see it yourself.

In this episode:

•  Why self-sabotage can be a form of self-protection 
•  Fear of failure vs. fear of success 
•  The surprising connection between procrastination and fear 
•  Healthy striving vs. perfectionism 
•  How to challenge your inner critic 
•  Why “no” can mean “not today” instead of “never” 
•  How to create your own Happy File 
•  Why owning your worth has to start with you 

Share this episode with the work bestie who needs the reminder: you don’t have to feel completely ready before you take the next step.

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Summer Friday: The Boundaries You Forget to Set

What if burnout isn’t only about how much you’re doing — but how much you’re still carrying that could be shared?

In this Summer Friday bonus, we’re continuing our conversation with Karen Ann Dwyer-Tesoriero from Episode 112 and digging into the boundaries we often forget to set — at work and at home.

We talk about how your physical work environment can quietly drain your focus, why protecting your time sometimes means changing how and where you work, and how easily responsibilities at home can pile onto one person.

Karen also challenges us to rethink “delegation” as sharing the load — whether that means giving kids age-appropriate responsibilities, having weekly check-ins with your partner, or making sure one person isn’t carrying the mental load for the entire household.

Because self-care isn’t just about finding more time for yourself. Sometimes it starts with deciding what you no longer need to manage alone.

In this episode:

• Why your work environment may be contributing to exhaustion
• The boundaries that can help protect your focus and time
• Why household responsibilities need to be shared, not assumed
• The value of a weekly partner check-in
• How sharing the load can actually create space for self-care

If Episode 112 had you thinking about what you need to let go of at work, this Summer Friday is your reminder to look at what you’re still carrying everywhere else.

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

What does it really mean to own your seat at the table—especially when part of you is still wondering whether you belong there?

In EP116, Jess and Claude sit down with Dr. Christiane Schroeter, leadership strategist, TEDx speaker, author, and creator of Petite Practice®, to talk about confidence, imposter syndrome, and why waiting until you feel completely ready can keep you stuck.

Christiane shares her STEP approach to building confidence through small, repeatable actions: simplify the goal, tell someone what you want, examine the next step you can take, and praise your progress along the way.

The conversation gets personal when Claude shares how comments about her accent early in her career stayed with her for years and affected the way she felt about presenting—even long after she knew she was capable.

Together, they explore how to stop letting old narratives determine how you show up, speak up, and take up space at work.

You’ll also hear:
• Why confidence often comes after you start—not before
• Why high achievers still experience imposter syndrome
• How to speak up when you’re questioning whether you belong
• How to share your accomplishments without feeling like you’re bragging
• Why your “ta-da” list may matter as much as your to-do list
• How Work Besties can help each other see the wins they may be missing
• How leaders can build confidence rather than unintentionally crush it
• One simple practice that can boost your confidence in less than a minute

Owning your seat at the table doesn’t mean you never feel nervous, uncertain, or uncomfortable.

It means you stop letting those feelings decide whether you show up.

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Have you ever stayed quiet because someone else probably knew more than you—or finished something difficult and immediately focused on what you could have done better?

In this episode, Jess and Claude unpack the confidence trap: the belief that we need to feel completely confident before we speak up, share an idea, apply for an opportunity, or take the next step. They explore how imposter syndrome can show up at work through overpreparing, comparing ourselves to others, moving the goalpost, fearing mistakes, and working harder just to prove we belong.

They also share a practical tool for challenging self-doubt: the Brag Book. By recording the win, your contribution, and the impact, you create evidence you can return to when your inner critic gets loud.

You do not have to eliminate every doubt before moving forward. Keep the evidence, let your wins count, and take one brave step.

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband