In this Sh*t Pile episode of “A Life Worth Working,” hosts Michelle Weise and Dana Walsh chat with Jacob Lentz, a former comedy writer turned emergency room doctor. Jake shares a story about how Hollywood strangely prepared him well for the slog and grind of going through medical school while also becoming a commissioned officer in the Navy Reserves.

In this episode of A Life Worth Working, hosts Michelle Weise and Dana Allen Walsh sit down with Simone Stolzoff, author of The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work. Simone shares his journey from avoiding a writing career in favor of stable, writing-adjacent jobs to finally embracing his calling as an author. He discusses the risks of a work-centric culture, the importance of creating boundaries, and finding fulfillment through multiple facets of identity. Simone emphasizes developing "evergreen characteristics" and diversifying sources of meaning beyond work. Tune in to explore practical tips for a balanced and purpose-driven life.

Author Simone Stolzoff shares his way of thinking about the manure-like experiences in our lives and the tradeoffs we have to consider making.

Once you subscribe to “A Life Worth Working” (wherever you get your podcasts), you'll get a special little episode delivered every Thursday: a precious, little gem we lovingly call a "Shit Pile Episode" (yep, we curse here—and it's totally OK!). Each guest shares the shittiest moment of their careers and how vital and life-giving those moments ended up being.

And then the following Tuesday, you’ll get to hear a full episode with that particular guest. But heads up: we don’t repeat the Thursday stories in the Tuesday ones, so subscribe now! You definitely don't want to miss our stories about the muddy mess.

In this introductory episode of "A Life Worth Working," hosts Michelle Weise, an education and workforce strategist, and Dana Allen Walsh, a senior pastor, discuss their journey in learning to podcast and explore the deeper aspects of finding purpose and meaning in work. They share personal stories about transitioning careers and questioning their callings, drawing on the concept that "nothing is wasted." Michelle shares her journey from academia and disruptive innovation to focusing on fulfillment, while Dana reflects on her unexpected path to becoming a pastor. They emphasize that finding one's calling involves both inner reflection and community validation, acknowledging that career paths are rarely linear and often filled with moments of stuckness and growth.

“A Life Worth Working” is a podcast hosted by a disruptive innovation expert and a reverend, but it's not a religious podcast. We feature the gloriously messy stories about career paths that we like to call the spaghetti pathways of our work lives. Even those who appear to have it all figured out are fumbling their way through. Our guests talk about the pitfalls, the whispers they couldn’t ignore, or the moments of release that enabled them to jump to something unexpected. And perhaps most importantly, they talk about the messiest, hardest, and most painful parts of their journeys that created the conditions for new life and growth — all in quick, punchy 20-minute episodes.

Once you subscribe to “A Life Worth Working” (wherever you get your podcasts), you'll get a special little episode delivered every Thursday: a precious, little gem we lovingly call a "Shit Pile Episode" (yep, we curse here—and it's totally OK!). Each guest shares the shittiest moment of their careers and how vital and life-giving those moments ended up being.

And then the following Tuesday, you’ll get to hear a full episode with that particular guest. But heads up: we don’t repeat the Thursday stories in the Tuesday ones, so subscribe now! You definitely don't want to miss our stories about the muddy mess.