Work Besties Who Podcast

Ever swear you’ll “catch up on sleep this weekend”… and somehow wake up Monday still tired? Same. 😅
In this January wrap-up, Jess and Claude are making a bold claim: rest isn’t a reward — it’s a strategy.

We’re talking the real reason your habits fall apart when you’re exhausted (spoiler: your brain goes into survival mode), plus a few simple, low-pressure routines you can actually keep.

In this episode:

• The January recap: what stuck, what didn’t, and why “pressure” isn’t the move
• The Rest Ledger: an energy budget for your life (what drained you vs. what restored you)
• The Power Down Protocol: close loops → dim & distance → downshift
• The Work Bestie bedtime routine: brain → light → body
• What to do if you wake up at 2AM (without doom scrolling 😬)
• A 1-week experiment: the “no after-hours spiral” boundary

Not medical advice: If you’re dealing with chronic insomnia or severe sleep issues, please talk to a qualified clinician.

Books on Rest, Sleep & Energy

• Exhausted: How to Revitalize, Restore, and Renew Your Energy – the book Jess references in this episode
• Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
• Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
• Burnout by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski
• Essentialism by Greg McKeown
• The Sleep Solution by W. Chris Winter, MD

Podcasts for Going Deeper

• The Huberman Lab Podcast (sleep & nervous system episodes)
• Ten Percent Happier
• The Mel Robbins Podcast (rest, boundaries & burnout conversations)
• Feel Better, Live More (Dr. Rangan Chatterjee)
• The Happiness Lab

#Sleep #BurnoutRecovery #WorkLifeBalance

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Vision boards work… do they? 😅 In this episode, Jess (the believer) and Claude (the skeptic) make vision boards for 2026 and unpack what vision boards really are: not magic, not toxic positivity, but a clarity tool that helps you focus your decisions and take real action.

We share the 3 questions that guide everything, how to avoid turning your board into a fantasy board, and a simple way to keep your goals visible all year.

What You’ll Learn / Key Takeaways:

• The 3 questions to ask before you cut a single picture
• Why “vision board” is really a clarity board
• How to avoid a “fantasy board” (and keep goals tangible)
• What it means when you don’t hit a goal… but you’re still on track
• Why consistency is the real secret ingredient
• Physical vs digital vision boards: pick what works for your brain
• The easiest way to actually use your board (phone wallpaper hack)

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Recording from Podfest in Orlando (yes, we’re literally on the floor 😄)
• Canva vs magazines + scissors + glue
• Building community + growing the podcast ecosystem

Action Challenge (for listeners):
Answer these three questions today:

1. How do I want work to feel in 2026?
2. What do I want less of?
3. What am I willing to do differently?

Then share ONE word, phrase, or image that represents your 2026 direction.

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

“New Year, New You” can feel inspiring… until your life takes a turn you didn’t plan. In this episode, Rosamaria Mancini—author of SOS Podcasts—joins us to explore what it really means to reinvent yourself when your path changes, and how to meet that deviation with grace, empathy, and connection.

Rosamaria shares her story of leaving New York and rebuilding her identity through major transitions in Italy and later Germany. From culture shock and learning new rhythms of daily life to loneliness, motherhood, and the challenge of making friends later in adulthood, she offers an honest look at what it takes to start over—without losing yourself in the process.

A standout theme: podcasts as connection. For Rosamaria, podcast voices became a lifeline during isolated seasons—helping her feel less alone, more grounded, and still connected to the world she came from.

If your “future plan” doesn’t look the way you expected this year, this conversation is a reminder: different doesn’t mean wrong—your path can deviate and still be yours.

In this episode, we talk about:

• When Rosamaria realized she was truly an expat
• Italy vs. Germany: the emotional whiplash of switching cultures
• How slowing down can be the key to belonging
• Friendship abroad + building “chosen family”
• The “emergency contact” moment that hits expats hard
• Podcasts as a tool for comfort, learning, and connection
• The mindset shift: staying true to yourself when plans change

Guest: Rosamaria Mancini

• Website: [https://rosamariamancini.com]
• Book: SOS Podcasts

Resources mentioned

• NPR Life Kit
• The Daily (The New York Times)
• Wiser Than Me (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Jess + Claude are back to kick off Season 3: Work Besties Who Grow—a realistic, micro-intentions approach to career glow-ups with fewer breakdowns (hopefully). You’ll get the full year roadmap by quarter + month, plus practical micro intentions you can start this week.

In This Episode

• Why Season 3 is about tiny steps → big change
• How we’re structuring every month: Kickoff → Guests → Work Bestie Lens
• January theme: New Year, New You (soft resets, not reinvention)
• Micro intentions you can actually stick to (with examples)
• The 5-minute weekly Work Bestie check-in (3 questions)
• Small digital detox boundaries that don’t require quitting your phone
• What’s coming up next + how to send us topic/guest requests

Episode Highlights / Key Takeaways

Micro intention ideas (pick ONE for 7 days):

1. One tiny career move (send the email, update the resume, book the coffee chat)
2. One boundary sentence (“I can get that to you by tomorrow at 3pm—unless you want me to reprioritize.”)
3. One visibility moment (speak once in a meeting, share a win with your manager, post one insight)
4. One reset ritual (1–3 minutes) (end-of-day prep, short walk between meetings, quick list rewrite)

Weekly 5-minute Work Bestie check-in (use these 3 questions):

• What felt heavy today?
• What was a win?
• How can I support you?

Small tech boundaries (choose one):

• No email before 9am or after 6pm
• No screens during meals
• Swap bedtime scrolling for a reset (book, water, short walk)

Q1: Reset + Direction (New Year, New You)

• January: Reset & Micro Intentions (tiny steps that stick)
• February: Authenticity + Personal Branding (how you want to show up)
• March: Career Clarity + Pivoting (where you are vs. where you want to go)

Q2: Skills + Confidence Building

• April: Money Moves (pay confidence, negotiation, value)
• May: Mentorship & Sponsorship (finding advocates, being one)
• June: Communication (hard convos, clarity, influence)

Q3: Boundaries + Energy Resetting

• July: Boundaries (protect your peace without the guilt)
• August: Burnout Prevention + Energy Management (systems for sustainability)
• September: Reset Rituals + Digital Detox (recharge habits that actually work)

Q4: Leadership + Systems + Mental Wellness (Finish Strong, Not Fried)

• October: Leadership (leading with or without the title)
• November: Systems (workflows, prioritization, repeatable routines)
• December: Mental Wellness + Reflection (close the year strong—not crispy)

Work Bestie Community Challenge: Pick one micro intention and commit for 7 days. Tag us / DM us your micro intention—we’ll cheer you on.

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

You think you know which Work Besties Who Podcast episode was #1 this year… but the data says otherwise. In this 2025 Year in Review, Jess & Claude recap Season 2’s biggest wellness themes, the solo episodes you replayed the most, and the guest conversations you couldn’t stop talking about.

And because you asked (many times!) — Claude walks us through two end-of-year cocktails you can make with your work bestie while you binge your favorite episodes.

Most importantly: every guest, every solo, every episode was a winner. Thank you for being part of the Work Bestie community and making Season 2 what it was.

In this episode, we cover:

• The top wellness themes that rose to the top this year
• The top solo episodes you replayed the most
• The top guest episodes (your WorkBestie Starter Pack)
• Two cocktails Claude makes step-by-step
• A quick teaser of what’s coming in Season 3 (starting next week!)

All episodes are winners — and here are the “most replayed” highlights:

Top Solo Episodes

1. Wellness Isn’t One Size Fits All: Season 2 Begins
2. Celebrate the Small Stuff: Why Recognition Matters More Than You Think
3. The Power of Breaks

Top Guest Episodes (WorkBestie Starter Pack)

• Movements of Mindfulness: Rethinking Yoga in Modern Life — with Brea Johnson
• Authentic Storytelling: The Journey of Roxy Couse — with Roxy Couse
• Breaking Free From Burnout to Breakthrough — with Nicole Richards
• Stoic Empathy — with Shermin Kruse
• Unlocking Career Success: Moving Through Relationships — with Morag Barrett

Cocktail #1: Classic Cosmo (for two)

Ingredients

• 4 oz vodka (2 oz per person)
• 2 oz cranberry juice (1 oz per person)
• 2 oz lime juice (1 oz per person)
• 2 oz orange liqueur (1 oz per person)
• Ice
   Garnish (optional): rosemary

Directions
Add everything to a shaker with ice → shake → strain into a coupe → garnish if you want.

Cocktail #2: Spiced Apple Cider Batch Cocktail (holiday-style)

Ingredients

• Apple cider
• Orange slices
• Cinnamon sticks
• Star anise
• Cognac
• Orange liqueur
• A splash of cranberry juice
   Optional: top with ginger beer
  Optional garnish: rosemary + pomegranate seeds

Directions
Warm apple cider with orange slices + cinnamon + star anise (about 15 minutes) → cool → add cognac + orange liqueur + cranberry → mix → pour into a serving dish/pitcher → garnish → let people serve themselves (optional ginger beer topper).

Friendly reminder: drink responsibly and don’t drive.

Happy New Year, Work Besties — and we’ll see you next week for the Season 3 kickoff. 🎉

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Have you ever looked up from your laptop and thought, how is it already December? Or finally sat down for a night off… and your brain is still sprinting?

Today, we’re saying something mildly offensive to hustle culture: if you never pause, it’s not just your energy that suffers — it’s your judgment, your relationships, and your career.

In this episode, Jess & Claude break down the difference between a break (physical step-away) and a pause (a mental pattern-interrupt), then share our Work Bestie framework: the 4 P’s of Pause:

• People: who energizes you vs. drains you
• Pace: how fast you’re living and where you need space to think
• Patterns: what keeps repeating (overcommitting, last-minute scrambling, self-doubt)
• Pulse: what your body is telling you (sleep, stress, headaches, gut, fatigue)

Plus, we share micro-pauses you can actually do in real life: transition pauses between meetings, a 10-minute screen-free reset, a walk-and-talk with your work bestie, and a simple Friday reflection.

Take a breath, pick one “P,” and start small. Your pause isn’t a problem — it’s your power. 💎

Key Takeaways

• Why working more hours can create less output
• Break vs. pause (and why pause is the productivity game-changer)
• The 4 P’s of Pause: People, Pace, Patterns, Pulse
• Micro-pauses: transition resets, screen-free time, walk-and-talk, weekly reflection
• A simple challenge: pick one P and check in with your work bestie

Work Bestie Challenge:

This week, choose one P (People, Pace, Patterns, or Pulse) and do a 5–10 minute check-in with yourself (or your work bestie).
Then tell us: Which P do you need most right now?

Links / Resources Mentioned 

• Deep Work — Cal Newport
• Atomic Habits — James Clear
• EP 79: Your Phone Is Not Your Work Bestie: How to Set Screen Boundaries Without Burning Down Your Career
• EP 75 Why You’re Still Burned Out (Even After a Weekend Off)
• EP 52 Power of Breaks
• EP 38 Self Love & Resilience: How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Own Your Confidence

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Ever feel like your workplace culture looks fine on paper… but something still feels off?

In this episode of Work Besties Who Podcast, we’re joined by Ivonne Furneaux (corporate insider turned culture consultant) to talk about the hidden divides she calls “ghost gaps”—the invisible imbalances that impact who gets information, who gets a voice, and who gets seen.

Ivonne shares practical ways to narrow these gaps at the organizational, manager, and individual level—plus her actionable Four I Framework:
Inform • Involve • Inspire • Invest

We also get real about how culture shifts during layoffs, why middle management has an outsized influence on the day-to-day employee experience, and how “work besties” help people stay connected, resilient, and authentic at work.

Key takeaways

• What “ghost gaps” are (and why every workplace has them)
• The information gap between frontline and corporate teams
• The power gap and how to gather input without “everyone in the room”
• The visibility gap that many women experience—and how to close it faster
• How leaders can protect culture during layoffs with transparency and investment
• Why middle managers shape culture more than most people realize
• How levity + work friendships make work feel more human

Reflection question

What’s the biggest gap where you work right now—information, power, or visibility—and what’s one step you can take this week to narrow it?

Connect with Ivonne Furneaux

LinkedIn: (2) Ivonne Furneaux | LinkedIn

Website: Ivonne | Transform Your Workplace Today
YouTube: Ivonne Furneaux - YouTube

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/work-besties-who-podcast

This episode is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal or HR advice.

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Your Phone Is Not Your Work Bestie: How to Set Screen Boundaries Without Burning Down Your Career

What if the very thing you use to “stay connected” is actually the reason you feel scattered, exhausted, and weirdly lonely?

In this episode, we’re joined by strategist, speaker, and community builder Kelsey Green to talk about digital overload, screen boundaries, and how to reclaim your brain without torpedoing your job, your business, or your creative work.

Kelsey shares how she went from high-intensity roles and constant burnout to experimenting with digital minimalism, 7 p.m.–7 a.m. screen-free blocks, and 24-hour “phone fasts.” We talk about why our attention feels so fractured, how phones are quietly reshaping our relationships, and why real connection still lives in conversations, community, and being fully present with the people right in front of us.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why “always on” culture is wrecking our focus (and what dopamine has to do with it)
• Simple screen boundaries that actually work in real life (even if your job is online)
• How phones feed the loneliness epidemic—and how to start building your circle offline
• The power of sitting with discomfort instead of numbing out with another scroll

To learn more about Kelsey or join one of her communities, visit www.kelseylgreen.com.

If this episode made you rethink how you connect, send it to your work bestie and talk about it… face to face. 💎

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Allyship at work isn’t just about being “nice” — it’s about how people actually experience you. In this episode, Jess & Claude take the Ally Mindset Profile™ and unpack how they each show up as allies at work: where they shine in connection and compassion, and where candor, vulnerability, and follow-through are still a work in progress.

You’ll hear them walk through the five Ally Mindset practices (abundance & generosity, connection & compassion, courage & vulnerability, candor & debate, and action & accountability) and connect them to the “four yeses”: Can I count on you? Can I depend on you? Do I care about you? Do I trust you? Then they invite you to take the quiz yourself and compare results with your own work bestie.

🔹 Take the Ally Mindset Profile (free quiz):
https://skyeteam.cloud/youmewe

🔹 Listen next – the episodes we mention:
Morag Barrett – Unlocking Career Success Through Relationships
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320118/episodes/17012072-unlocking-career-success-through-relationships-with-morag-barrett

Ruby Vesely – The Power of Work Bestie Culture
https://workbestieswhopodcast.buzzsprout.com/2320118/episodes/18080530-the-power-of-work-bestie-culture-5-leadership-practices-that-build-trust-joy-at-work

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

This Thanksgiving, we’re feeling all the feelings: grateful, tired, over-caffeinated… and very, very thankful for YOU. 💎

In this cozy holiday episode, Jess and Claude slow down to reflect on what they’re grateful for at work, in their personal lives, and in each other. They unpack the difference between genuine appreciation and toxic positivity (yes, including the infamous “thank you for your leadership” for everything), share behind-the-scenes wins from the Work Besties Who Podcast journey, and tell stories of work trauma that turned into deep friendship and a growing community.

You’ll also hear how Jess uses affirmations to stay grounded, how Claude’s daily rituals and swimming became moving meditation, and why they both agree their friendship is… the stuffing. (Main character energy only.)

Whether you’re driving to family dinner, hiding before the office potluck, or taking a much-needed solo walk, this one’s a warm hug for you and your inner work bestie.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What real gratitude at work looks like (and what it definitely doesn’t)
• The difference between appreciation and toxic positivity
• How shared work trauma can bond people into true work besties
• The behind-the-scenes support that kept the podcast going during a hard season
• Why taking vacation and actual breaks changes everything
• Jess’s affirmation practice vs. Claude’s daily rituals and “moving meditation”
• Comparing their friendship to a Thanksgiving dish (spoiler: stuffing is the star)
• A lightning round of chaotic Thanksgiving questions and heartfelt gratitude

Key Takeaways:

• Gratitude at work can foster genuine, trusting relationships.
• Toxic positivity (“thank you for your leadership” for everything) eventually erodes trust.
• Take 10 seconds to tell a coworker why you appreciate them — it matters.
• Many growth moments come from challenging or even painful work experiences.
• Audience engagement and community feedback have grown significantly this year.
• Time off and vacations are essential for mental health and perspective.
• Affirmations and daily rituals can ground you before the chaos of the day.
• Friendship can feel like a Thanksgiving dish: layered, comforting, and a little chaotic.
• Support from friends, colleagues, and fellow creators is invaluable on any journey.

Chapters:

• 00:00 – Thanksgiving Reflections and Gratitude
• 04:25 – Work Besties: The Importance of Appreciation
• 07:52 – Moments of Growth and Perspective Shifts
• 12:01 – Behind the Scenes Wins and Community Engagement
• 16:36 – Finding Gratitude in Personal Lives
• 21:14 – Fun Thanksgiving Questions and Celebrations

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband