Work with Erika Ayers Badan

Hi! Ever felt like you’re on a Disney ride through every big-company headache imaginable?

Think lawyers, bankers, finance goons, stale conference rooms, staid conversations and the creeping sense that the machine is running you, not the other way around.

Big companies exist for good reason. They build real things - consistently. They deliver at scale.

But they also can suffocate the people who want to tinker, experiment, break stuff, and dream. The renegades. The builders. The ones who get hives at the prospect of OKRs, KPIs and strategy.

On this episode of Unsolicited Advice, we get into what it actually takes to keep creativity alive when the machine takes over. How small groups can save big companies. How to protect the spark from the process. How to build something real without getting crushed by the weight of everyone else’s need for control, accuracy and uniformity.

If you’ve ever felt yourself wither in a big org or wondered why your best ideas show up in small rooms, this one is for you.

This is WORK. Unsolicited Advice!

Watch full episode on YouTube.

Kathy Ireland has a big business. She parlayed a modeling stint into a pretty massive licensing business.

Here’s what I liked about our conversation and why you should give it a listen:

It takes a pretty unique person to not want to do something that’s lucrative and flattering. Kathy shares a lot about her time as a model - what she liked, what she felt she lacked, and how and why she decided to move on.

Her now business began with a pair of socks.

Enjoy!

This is WORK. Conversations.

Watch full episode on YouTube.

Today we’re talking about the Omnicom–IPG merger and what it means for agency jobs, how AI is replacing layers of work inside holding companies, and why middle-layer roles are most at risk in this new ad economy.

This is WORK. Net/Net.

Watch full episode on YouTube.

This is a good listen for anyone needing a push to put themselves out there and to accept imperfect, chaotic and unfamiliar situations as a way to meet people, learn things and enliven yourself.

We tackle the quote: “So I recommend that everybody here join all sorts of organizations, no matter how ridiculous, simply to get more people in his or her life.”

This is WORK: Underlined

Watch full episode on YouTube.

Please meet Cynthia Pong. She came to me by way of super-connector and personal board director an occasional SVU actor, Sarah Storm. Cynthia Pong packs a lot of punch. A one time public defender turned career coach / founder of Embrace Change. We have a wide-ranging conversation about the disadvantages women, and especially women of color, face in the workplace . We also talk about starting your own business and the elusive topic of helping people answer the question “What Do You Want.”

This is WORK. Conversations.

Watch full episode on YouTube.

Jennifer Fisher came by this week.

She has a lot of energy and a spicy, strong, fuck-it-let’s-do-it vibe.

Her baubles are also next level.

We talked about working for what you want, failing and figuring things out, the importance of salt, toothpicks and being happy being yourself.

If you’re looking for a gift for the girl who already has everything - check out our Food52 x Jennifer Fisher toothpick!

If you’re looking for beautiful things for home and table - don’t miss our Black Friday / Cyber Monday bonanza - Everything is waiting for you on Schoolhouse and Food52.

Watch full episode on YouTube.

This is WORK Conversations.

Hi! I’ve been on 3 red eyes in the past week. I can’t quit a red eye no matter how hard I try. The lure of not wasting the day in a plane always trumps the blur, hangover-esque daze of the next two days after a night of no sleep.

Sidenote: It’s fall and apparently the changing fall weather causes bumpy sky roads according to the JetBlue guy at 6am today.

This is what work is like this week.

On this episode of Unsolicited Advice we are talking about geopolitical uncertainty and its bearing on your work. Hello Tariffs. Goodbye Margins.

Listen in if you care to understand how stuff that’s high above your pay grade or that seems way far away from you can impact what you have to work with and what your work is going to be like.

This is WORK: Unsolicited AdviceWatch full episode on YouTube.

Today we’re talking about group chats and what not to put in them, the problems with meeting culture and what makes A players leave (read: growth).

This is WORK Net/Net

Alright, Mita is back with us on the pod. We’re talking bad bosses, bad employees, bad attitudes and how to break the cycle of feeling bad at work.

Here’s the rundown of what we’re talking about today at WORK.

* Work friction is rising because roles, priorities, and expectations are unclear.

* Layoffs create survivor guilt and overwhelm for the people who stay.

* Leaders often skip rewriting roles or resetting priorities after org changes.

* Ambiguity grows when bosses avoid conflict or lack clear direction from above.

* Weekly priority meetings and repeat back communication cut through confusion.

* Managing up is essential. Employees must surface gaps and ask for clarity.

* Weak or absentee bosses create space for employees to lead and accelerate.

* One on ones matter. Bring value so they never get canceled.

* Boundaries break when people step into others’ jobs to avoid their own.

* Remote work increases miscommunication without consistent rituals and tools.

* Generational tension stems from different eras of job security and loyalty.

* Cross generational teams work best when everyone teaches and learns from each other.

To learn more about Mita - Get her book “The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses.”

This is WORK Conversations. Watch full episode on YouTube.

Today we are talking about disruption.

People hate disrupting themselves. It’s scary, may not work, is a general pain in the ass and is hard.

It requires vision, fortitude, foresight, being misunderstood, being on the edge and being ok with it.

Su Hawn and Erika talk about the places in my journey where I’ve opted to remodel versus remake (and why it was a mistake), the challenges in re-routing the road and my grandfather being a land surveyor.

This is WORK Underlined. Watch full episode on YouTube.