Your energy and well-being are worth investing in. Explore what recovery could look like for you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching

Grammy Award–winning producer Barry Goldstein joins Cait Donovan to explore burnout and the healing power of music. Barry shares how chasing success in New York’s music scene drained the joy from his craft - until he began composing at the rhythm of a relaxed heart. That experiment sparked “acoustoceuticals,” music designed to calm the nervous system, restore heart-brain coherence, and reignite passion.

Together, Cait and Barry unpack why some music heals while other music agitates, how to use sound as “musical nutrition” throughout your day, and why your heartbeat may be the most powerful frequency of all. Burnout isn’t the end… it’s a chance to fan the flame back to life!

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Barry Goldstein

03:26 Burnout in the Music Industry: Barry’s Story

08:04 Rediscovering Passion Through Heart-Centered Music

09:25 Healing at 60 Beats Per Minute

20:25 Entrainment: How Music Syncs With the Heart and Body

30:46 Resonance vs. Dissonance in Burnout Recovery

42:09 The Healing Power of Mantras and Daily Music Practices

Connect with Barry Goldstein:

Barry’s Website

Follow Barry on Instagram

Connect with Barry on LinkedIn

Connect with Cait:

Initial Call with Cait

Initial Call with Sarah

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You don’t have to walk this road alone. https://caitdonovan.com/coaching connects you with Sarah Vosen, our Director of Coaching, who’s helped countless people reclaim their energy.

What does burnout look like before it takes you all the way down? For Emily Slachetka, it showed up as constant overwhelm, unexpected tears, and the thought of leaving a job she once valued. She joined UnFried hoping for validation that her workplace was toxic. Instead, she discovered her real challenge was over-functioning.

Emily shares how she learned to separate capability from capacity, the unexpected relief of “life pruning,” and the daily practices that helped her rebuild balance - like meditation, clearer boundaries, and asking for help. She also reflects on realigning her life with core values, from choosing a home with green space to recognizing the value of rest and doing nothing.

How do you know when you’re taking on too much? What shifts when you ask for help early? And how might work feel different if more of us normalized being human? Emily’s story is a reminder that recovery doesn’t always mean dramatic change. It can begin with small, intentional choices.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction: Emily Slachetka

02:07 Emily’s Burnout Story and Joining UnFried

05:59 Toxic Workplace or Personal Overfunctioning?

08:48 Capability vs. Capacity Explained

10:05 Life Pruning and Asking for Help

15:19 Listening to the Body’s Signals

22:13 The Value of Doing Nothing

23:14 Moving States with Burnout Protection in Mind

36:24 Reigniting Passion, Purpose, and Identity Beyond Work

Connect with Cait:

Initial Call with Cait

Initial Call with Sarah

You don’t have to walk this road alone. https://caitdonovan.com/coaching connects you with Sarah Vosen, our Director of Coaching, who’s helped countless people reclaim their energy.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching

Toxic bosses don’t only wear people down, they spark the very burnout cycles that drain whole teams. Cait Donovan talks with author and changemaker Mita Mallick about the damage bad leadership leaves behind and the toll it takes on both people and organizations. Mita shares personal stories, including her experience with a boss she nicknamed “Medusa,” whose intimidation and cruelty pushed her into anxiety and disengagement. That season of her career led to what she calls a “get out plan,” a way to take the energy of frustration and turn it into action through networking, reflection, and mapping a path forward. How do you know when it’s time to make your own plan, and what would change if you gave yourself permission to act before you hit the breaking point?

The conversation also turns to the harder truth that under pressure any of us can slip into toxic behaviors. Mita and Cait explore why leadership requires self-awareness, accountability, and vulnerability rather than surface-level fixes or quick answers. Drawing from her new book “The Devil Emails at Midnight,” Mita challenges us to rethink how we respond to unhealthy work cultures and to consider the responsibility we each carry in shaping them. What kind of workplace are you helping to build, and how might things shift if you took ownership of the way you show up every day?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Fried, the Burnout Podcast

00:57 Meet Mita Mallick: Author of The Devil Emails at Midnight

02:26 Burnout Story: Surviving “Medusa” the Toxic Boss

09:09 Creating a “Get Out” Plan to Escape Burnout

17:13 Urgency Culture and Toxic Leadership Patterns

27:01 Workplace Bias, Pregnancy Penalties, and Burnout

31:37 Talent Hoarding and Betrayal at Work

38:19 Building Self-Awareness and Better Leadership

Connect with Mita Mallick:

Mita’s Website

Follow Mita on Instagram

Connect with Mita on LinkedIn

Connect with Cait:

Initial Call with Cait

Initial Call with Sarah

Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm