If the phrase “sell yourself” makes you cringe… this episode is for you. In this episode, executive coach Marlo Lyons sits down with visibility strategist Chardét Ryel to unpack a skill most professionals avoid but desperately need: authentic self-promotion.

Whether you’re pursuing a promotion, navigating a job search, building a business, or stepping into greater leadership visibility, you are pitching yourself every single day. The problem? Most people either overperform, underplay, or completely misunderstand how to communicate their value.

You’ll learn:

• Why self-selling is a leadership skill (not an ego exercise)
• How to drop performative leadership and communicate with authenticity
• The role of emotional intelligence and empathy in effective pitching
• Why podcast visibility can accelerate career advancement

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable advocating for yourself or unsure how to talk about your strengths without sounding rehearsed, this conversation will shift your mindset. Because leadership visibility isn’t about being louder. It’s about being clearer.

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Have you ever received feedback at work that made you question your entire career?

In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons cracks the code on five cryptic feedback phrases that derail high performers and shows you exactly how to translate them into actionable career growth.

This is your guide to:

• Developing emotional intelligence and empathy in the workplace
• Turning vague performance review comments into clear next steps
• Improving stakeholder alignment, collaboration, and executive presence
• Positioning yourself for promotion and leadership advancement

Feedback isn’t always clear. But with curiosity, self-awareness, and strategic reframing, it becomes one of your most powerful career tools.

If you’ve ever left a performance review confused, frustrated, or second-guessing yourself, this episode is your translation guide. Because sometimes you just need to decode the corporate riddles.

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Board seats aren’t reserved for a lucky few, but they are reserved for leaders who understand the game.

In this episode of Work Unscripted, executive coach Marlo Lyons sits down with board career expert and co-author Naomi Kent to unpack their new book, Wanted: A Board Career, and break down what it really takes to build a meaningful, strategic board portfolio.

This is not a job search. And treating it like one is the biggest mistake executives make.

Together, Marlo and Naomi walk through the three phases every successful board career requires:

• Discovery: clarifying your “why,” your values, and your long-term board vision
• Preparation: crafting a board-ready brand, narrative, LinkedIn profile, and pitch
• Execution: building relationships and trust over time (not chasing openings)

They also tackle common myths about board service, the difference between nonprofit, private, and public boards, and why board readiness is about judgment, governance, and mindset.

Whether you’re an executive in transition, a senior leader thinking about your next chapter, or simply curious about board service as a purposeful career move, this conversation will help you think differently — and more strategically — about your path to the boardroom.

Want to learn more? Marlo dives much deeper into the board journey in her new book, Wanted → A Board Career, a step-by-step guide to becoming board-ready and landing a board seat.

Order the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tfMWbF

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Most executives think they’re one promotion away from the C-suite and C-suite leaders think they're one step away from a board seat.

They’re not. 

They’re one mindset shift away and most never make it. In reality, moving up the corporate ladder into the C-suite or onto a board requires an entirely different way of thinking.

In this Cracking the Code mini episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons breaks down the critical mindset shift required to move from executive operator to strategic leader to board-ready advisor. You’ll learn why strong execution alone doesn’t translate to C-suite and boardroom influence, how boards evaluate judgment over résumés, and the key behaviors that separate enterprise thinkers from functional leaders.

This episode is especially relevant for senior leaders, C-suite executives, and high-performing professionals considering board service, governance roles, or long-term leadership legacy.

Want to learn more? Marlo dives much deeper into the board journey in her new book, Wanted → A Board Career, a step-by-step guide to becoming board-ready and landing a board seat.

Pre-order the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tfMWbF

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

What needs to change for you to level up as a leader, and why do so many high performers get stuck right before promotion? In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with executive coach Kristen Johnson.

Kristen has worked with middle management inside some of the world’s most recognizable organizations—including PayPal, Google, Amazon, Sephora, Chase, and Cisco—giving her a rare, inside look at what truly separates managers from enterprise-level leaders.

Together, they break down:

• Why middle managers experience burnout at staggering rates
• The mindset shift required to move from execution to influence
• How to stop over-controlling and start developing leaders beneath you
• What actually gets you promoted (and what quietly holds you back)
• How to align values, boundaries, and ambition without blowing up your career
• Why career advancement requires intentional communication, not silent hustle

This episode is a must-listen for managers, senior leaders, and high performers who want to level up their careers, pursue promotion with clarity, and lead with impact instead of exhaustion.

If you’re ready to stop doing everything and start leading intentionally, this conversation will change how you think about your next move. 

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

What if the very thing you’re hiding at work is actually the key to becoming a stronger, more trusted leader?

In this Cracking the Code mini-episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons breaks down how to show vulnerability and credibility at the same time that builds authority and influence. Because vulnerability in leadership doesn’t mean oversharing, emotional dumping, or losing control. It means leading with authenticity and competence.

In this quick, practical episode, you’ll learn:

• How vulnerability builds trust at work (and when it backfires)
• The difference between vulnerability vs. oversharing in leadership
• Three simple ways to demonstrate vulnerability while maintaining credibility
• How to admit what you don’t know without undermining your authority
• Why modeling boundaries is a powerful leadership skill

This episode is perfect for leaders, managers, and high performers who want to build trust, lead with confidence, and influence others, without sacrificing professionalism.

Short. Insightful. Real. That’s Cracking the Code.

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Is your job actually a hostile work environment, or do you just have a terrible boss? In this eye-opening episode, employment law expert Nestor Barrero joins Marlo Lyons to break down the real legal differences between discrimination, harassment, bullying, and a simply toxic workplace.

If you’ve ever wondered whether what you’re experiencing at work is illegal, retaliation, or just deeply unhealthy, this conversation is your roadmap.

You’ll learn:

• What legally qualifies as discrimination (and what doesn’t)
• How harassment is defined under federal law
• The difference between a toxic workplace and a hostile work environment
• Why bullying is rarely illegal, but still destructive
• How to document workplace behavior for HR or legal action
• What managers must do to avoid retaliation claims
• When to escalate, when to let it go, and when to negotiate your exit

Packed with real-world examples, actionable steps, and clear legal distinctions, this episode helps you decode what’s happening at work and what you can do next. 

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Ever received feedback with no examples, no clarity, and no idea what to do next?

Welcome to Part II of Marlo Lyons’ performance review series, where we break down one of the most frustrating workplace experiences: vague, cryptic, or confusing feedback.

In this solo episode, Marlo shares a deeply personal story of receiving unclear feedback that left her spiraling, second-guessing herself, and trying to decode meaning that no one could (or would) explain.

You’ll learn:

• What to do when feedback is vague, subjective, or impossible to interpret
• How to ask clarifying questions without sounding defensive
• Why “2% truth” is a powerful tool for self-reflection
• How to experiment with behavior changes using curiosity instead of shame
• Why vague feedback often says more about your manager than it does about you
• How to protect your self-worth when feedback feels unfair or inaccurate
• When to respond in writing, and when it’s better not to

Marlo also breaks down the difference between judgment vs. coaching, why leaders must give feedback like a map, not a mirror, and why high performers often get hit hardest by vague phrasing.

If you’re going through performance review season (or still recovering from one), this episode will help you navigate the emotional fallout while still learning, growing, and protecting your confidence.

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Are you exhausted from running full-speed on the corporate treadmill? Feeling burned out, overwhelmed, or stuck in the never-ending rat race? You’re not alone, and 2026 can be the year everything changes.

In this powerful episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with coach and burnout expert Carolina Bakker to explore how high-achieving professionals can finally break free from chronic stress, people-pleasing, and overwork to create a life filled with clarity, boundaries, fulfillment, and joy.

Carolina shares her personal story of corporate burnout and the morning she woke up completely numb. It’s a moment that changed the trajectory of her life. Together, she and Marlo unpack why so many high performers hit this breaking point, what keeps us trapped in survival mode, and the mindset shifts that allow us to step off the treadmill for good.

You’ll learn:

• How to recognize early signs of burnout before they explode
• The unconscious beliefs driving your “rat race mindset”
• Why small, consistent actions (Carolina’s two-millimeter wrench) create massive transformation
• How to use the Three to Thrive method to reclaim your time and energy
• How accountability, boundaries, and self-awareness accelerate real change
• The single decision you must make if you want 2026 to feel different from 2025

If you’re ready to slow down, breathe deeper, and finally choose a life aligned with your values, this episode offers the roadmap you’ve been waiting for.

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

What if 2026 brought you everything you’ve been chasing— the job, the title, the money, the house, the partner — and you still didn’t feel fulfilled?

In this solo episode, executive coach and author Marlo Lyons breaks down one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools for personal development, career clarity, and long-term fulfillment: living in alignment with your core values.

You’ll learn:

• Why achieving your goals won’t guarantee happiness
• How misaligned values lead to burnout, stress, resentment, and frustration
• The difference between happiness and fulfillment
• How to define your core values and what they really mean
• The daily systems Marlo uses to protect her peace, energy, and purpose
• Two reflection questions that will help you step into 2026 with clarity and intention

If you’re tired of the rat race, craving a reset, or determined to make 2026 the year you finally feel grounded and in control, this episode gives you the roadmap.

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.