Episodios

  • Encore: Finding Out of Office Inspiration

    Encore: Finding Out of Office Inspiration
    Apr 27 2020
    A few weeks back on the show, we were talking with our own Coach Larry about what to do if you base your entire identity on your job. Which unsurprisingly, is NOT the healthiest way to live. One piece of Larry’s advice was to make sure there’s “something else” in your life other than work, including creative pursuits. But how do you work an extra passion project into your busy schedule? And what if you don’t even think of yourself as especially creative? Today’s guest Laura M. Holson has some ideas. She’s a longtime writer for The New York Times and authored the article, “Forget a Fast Car, Creativity Is The New Midlife Crisis Cure.” Holson also started “The BOX Sessions,” a “creative gathering” that will happen in February 2020. Holson shares her personal story of finding creativity (and a knack for doing voice-overs), as well as some tips for starting a creative journey when you’re strapped for time. Then we’ll hear from listener Steven, who spends Monday through Friday as a steelworker and moonlights as a DJ. He needs some advice on how to leave his day job for a career he’s really passionate about. Liz and Rico will also chat with listener Carly who wants to know the best way to create “psychological safety” at work -- A.K.A. an environment where people aren’t afraid to speak up. And later, listener Karen was put in a tough situation at work when a whistleblower showed her some damning work emails, all written by management. Our favorite lawyer Laura Lawless writes in with some advice on the legal implications of those messages, and what Karen can do with them. If you’d like to keep in touch, tag @SafeForWork on Twitter. And if you’d like to stay connected to the SFW team, you can follow our sage hosts on social media; Find Liz on Twitter @SSLiz. Rico is @RicoGagliano on Twitter and Instagram. To check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. And look for Rico’s byline in the Wall Street Journal’s formerly-titled Travel section--for the time being, that has been renamed the “Reading and Retreating” section. If you’d like to follow the SFW squad, our audio engineer Mischa Stanton is on Twitter @mischaetc or at mischastanton.com. Our producer is Audrey Ngo. Find her on Instagram @audwoman. Our executive producer is Grace Delia. Find her on Twitter @g_piro_delia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    38 m
  • Encore: How to Work Smarter Without Working Harder

    Encore: How to Work Smarter Without Working Harder
    Apr 20 2020
    We get a lot of questions from folks about how to quit a difficult or stressful job. But perhaps our favorite task here is to help you become better and more efficient at your current gig--so maybe you won’t have to quit, or resort to anxiety meds. And to that end, Liz and Rico are talking to one of their favorite guests: Morten T. Hansen. Hansen is a management professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of the book, “Great at Work.” He’s here to explain a research-based list of “work smarter practices,” including shaking things up at meetings. Then, in this week’s Bad Advice segment, Liz and Rico parse whether a knock ‘em dead interview performance really matters. And later, listener Michelle gets some solace from Liz and Rico, and some strategies on how to deal with a nightmare of a supervisor in her Ph.D. program. Finally, we’ll hear from listener Kate who’s thanking us for getting her more money at work! And with her permission, here’s the letter that got her that salary bump (all names have been removed to protect the innocent ;) ! Hi, XX. To follow up with our conversation this morning about my contract, I wanted to lay out what I’m thinking for you since I know you’ll have to take my request up the chain to get an answer. I am asking if there is any flexibility regarding the salary amount that was offered. I’m assuming that $XX is the standard salary that is offered to recent college graduates at XX, but I feel that my skills, work experience, and accomplishments are worth more than a typical college graduate just entering the workforce. My prior work experience with helping to make decisions at XX and my experience there and at XX is particularly helpful in this position since I’m already familiar with the flow of business operations and common applications many of our clients use, and I understand where they’re coming from when they approach us with questions or needing assistance. I’ve also demonstrated strong leadership skills both in my personal and professional life, but also recently with the different things I’ve been involved with at XX. I served as Vice President of the XX there, and will be President of the XX chapter this fall... As you know, I ran that XX program there this past season, and it was a great success – we won the XX award, I think for the very first time. In December I’ll be graduating at the very top of my class with honors. We’re putting this contract in place pretty early. In seven months when this contract goes into effect I will have worked here for a full year, and will be even more valuable to the firm than I am now. I’ll be very familiar with the flow of information and will have completed all of the trainings available. I think that puts me in a different category than most new hires. Everyone I’ve spoken with for career advice in school tells me that the starting salary for XX students after graduation is in the $XX range. I imagine that is more typical for the larger [companies] so I’m not surprised that XX’s normal starting salary is lower than that, but I was hoping for an offer that was in the higher range because of my experience, skills, and accomplishments. I love everything about working at XX. I can tell that it’s a [company] that truly cares about both its clients and employees. I’ve been impressed with all of the departments I’ve worked with from HR to training, to my manager/partner and coworkers. I’ve done well here so far, and I expect to perform even better once my attention is no longer split between working here and managing a full load of classes & school responsibilities. I’m ambitious and I do good work, so I expect to hit the ground running in January. I want to make sure my salary reflects that, so I hope the firm will consider starting me at a higher salary. For more on the ins and outs of negotiating for what you want, listen to our episode on all things salary related here. If you’d like to keep in touch, tag @SafeForWork on Twitter. And if you’d like to stay connected to the SFW team, you can follow our sage hosts on social media; Find Liz on Twitter @SSLiz. Rico is @RicoGagliano on Twitter and Instagram. To check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. And look for Rico’s byline in the Wall Street Journal’s formerly-titled Travel section--for the time being, that has been renamed the “Reading and Retreating” section. If you’d like to follow the SFW squad, our audio engineer Mischa Stanton is on Twitter @mischaetc or at mischastanton.com. Our producer is Audrey Ngo. Find her on Instagram @audwoman. Our executive producer is Grace Delia. Find her on Twitter @g_piro_delia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    31 m
  • Encore: Staying Connected to Your Team Outside of the Office

    Encore: Staying Connected to Your Team Outside of the Office
    Apr 13 2020
    We’ve talked a lot on the show about ways to stay sane as a remote worker, but managing a remote team is a whole different animal. So we’ve called on David Deacon, author of “The Self Determined Manager: A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers,” to shed light on how bosses can help their employees feel like part of the team, even from halfway around the world. Then, Liz and Rico will chat with listener Jenn, who just stepped into a new role at her company, but can’t escape her terrible boss. And we hear from listener Stephanie, who’s been building up her side hustle and wants some advice on how to inject that gig into her resume. Finally, Liz and Rico talk to listener Sarah, who wants to know how to get job security at a cannabis startup where she’s been dubbed “Wonder Woman” for her impressive job skills. If you’d like to keep in touch, tag @SafeForWork on Twitter. And if you’d like to stay connected to the SFW team, you can follow our sage hosts on social media; Find Liz on Twitter @SSLiz. Rico is @RicoGagliano on Twitter and Instagram. To check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. And look for Rico’s byline in the Wall Street Journal’s formerly-titled Travel section--for the time being, that has been renamed the “Reading and Retreating” section. If you’d like to follow the SFW squad, our audio engineer Mischa Stanton is on Twitter @mischaetc or at mischastanton.com. Our producer is Audrey Ngo. Find her on Instagram @audwoman. Our executive producer is Grace Delia. Find her on Twitter @g_piro_delia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    32 m
  • Encore: Keeping Sane in Your Home Office

    Encore: Keeping Sane in Your Home Office
    Apr 6 2020
    Kat Boogaard, staff writer at The Muse, joins us to talk about the surprisingly challenging aspects of working from home, plus she gives us her tips on how to tell if you’re the kind of person who could responsibly handle working remotely (if you have a predilection for watching Vine compilations on Youtube, working in an office might be better for you). Then, Liz and Rico help listeners Samantha, whose new job is being ruined by major changes at her company, and Amanda, who’s struggling to connect with her coworkers at her office in China. And we debate company cards, staying late, and calling your boss on vacation in today’s Mind the Gap. You can read more of Kat’s writing on freelancing, working remote, and all sorts of topics at her website: https://katboogaard.com/ If you’d like to keep in touch, tag @SafeForWork on Twitter. And if you’d like to stay connected to the SFW team, you can follow our sage hosts on social media; Find Liz on Twitter @SSLiz. Rico is @RicoGagliano on Twitter and Instagram. To check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. And look for Rico’s byline in the Wall Street Journal’s formerly-titled Travel section--for the time being, that has been renamed the “Reading and Retreating” section. If you’d like to follow the SFW squad, our audio engineer Mischa Stanton is on Twitter @mischaetc or at mischastanton.com. Our producer is Audrey Ngo. Find her on Instagram @audwoman. Our executive producer is Grace Delia. Find her on Twitter @g_piro_delia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    36 m
  • Safe For Work Signs-Off

    Safe For Work Signs-Off
    Mar 30 2020
    It’s that time, dear listeners. We’ve reached the end of Safe for Work. And for the record, we have loved every minute of making this podcast! In the interest of social distancing, Liz and Rico are coming to you for this last show from their remote corners of Los Angeles. But that doesn’t mean they won’t have their usual SFW flair. Speaking of flair, Rico finally got Liz to watch his (and America’s) favorite workplace movie.... Yes, we’re talking about Office Space. We’ll hear Liz’s review and Rico’s impression of Milton for our final Work Pop installment. Then, Liz and Rico revisit some memorable callers, starting with Gabriel, who reached out to us about whether to put BDSM event planning and training gigs on his otherwise run-of-the-mill resume. Our second caller on the list is Dustin, a construction worker turned architect who felt out of place among his more privileged colleagues. And last but certainly not least, we are revisiting a call from the rather hilarious Sarah, who had issues with colleagues making pretty intrusive comments about her pregnancy. Finally, Liz and Rico do their own final performance evaluations, and sign off for the last time. But in a way, we’re not completely leaving you, dear listeners. Four encore SFW episodes geared toward remote work situations are coming your way starting next week. We hope that will help you stay sane as you rearrange your work life around the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’d like to keep in touch, tag @SafeForWork on Twitter. And if you’d like to stay connected to the SFW team, you can follow our sage hosts on social media; Find Liz on Twitter @SSLiz. Rico is @RicoGagliano on Twitter and Instagram. To check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. And look for Rico’s byline in the Wall Street Journal’s formerly-titled Travel section--for the time being, that has been renamed the “Reading and Retreating” section. If you’d like to follow the SFW squad, our audio engineer Mischa Stanton is on Twitter @mischaetc or at mischastanton.com. Our producer is Audrey Ngo. Find her on Instagram @audwoman. Our executive producer is Grace Delia. Find her on Twitter @g_piro_delia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    36 m
  • Team Building in Uncertain Times

    Team Building in Uncertain Times
    Mar 23 2020
    Since you last heard from us (a mere week ago), office culture has, changed, shall we say. The SFW team is all doing well, under the circumstances. And if you’re in your respective corners like us, and would like some advice on how to make working from home… well, work… from home... may we suggest listening to our episodes, “The Secret to Managing Your Remote Team” and “How to Stay Sane When You’re Working From Home.” Today we’re gonna talk a little bit about how COVID-19 is affecting the state of work. But then, in a sharp left turn, we have something much more fun planned. We’ve invited back some of our favorite callers to get an update on how they’re doing! First up is listener Elyse, who called back in August of last year. Elyse “caught feelings” for a man in Denmark and wanted to know what her options were to work in that country. We check back in to see how that love affair is, or isn’t working out. Then, Liz and Rico catch up with listener Steven, who called back in December. Steven originally wanted advice on how to leave his day job for a career he’s really passionate about. We’ll see if he made the leap. Finally, we’ll hear again from listener Matthew, who called back in January. Matthew reached out originally to vent about a passive-aggressive department-wide newsletter that highlighted where he and his colleagues messed up on the job. We find out if he’s still dealing with manager feedback on-paper. As always, if you've got a burning workplace question and need some advice, don't hesitate to send us an email (that email, unsurprisingly, is also Safe@Wondery.com). You can also find us on Twitter, we’re @SafeFor Work. Don't forget to follow our sage hosts on Twitter, too; they're @SSLiz and @RicoGagliano. And if you want to check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    33 m
  • The Pros and Cons of Being A Contractor

    The Pros and Cons of Being A Contractor
    Mar 16 2020
    The SFW staff is pretty familiar with freelance life. Rico’s worked in media for most of his career. And for much of that, he’s been a freelance contractor. Liz has spent a lot of time in the 9 to 5 of the corporate world, but she is now an independent consultant and media worker. And they’re not alone. According to a 2018 poll from NPR and Marist, one in five Americans is freelancing. Seeing as everyone on this show is going to be moving on to new, probably freelance gigs in the very near future, we thought we’d all talk about it. Joining Liz and Rico today is SFW producer and avid freelancer Audrey Ngo, for a roundtable discussion on the pros and cons of the contractor world. Later, listener Karson is weighing whether he should leave a job he loves that doesn’t pay well, or get more money at a new position in a toxic work environment. And in this week’s Work Pop, Liz and Rico hear a clip from the AMC show, “Better Call Saul” and talk about whether an interview can really reveal who’s right for a job. Finally, we hear from listener Matthew all the way in Australia! Matthew has switched bosses, and needs some help from Liz and Rico on how to deal with his new “lame” manager. As always, if you've got a burning workplace question and need some advice, don't hesitate to send us an email (that email, unsurprisingly, is also Safe@Wondery.com). You can also find us on Twitter, we’re @SafeFor Work. Don't forget to follow our sage hosts on Twitter, too; they're @SSLiz and @RicoGagliano. And if you want to check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    34 m
  • Lessons Learned from Surviving WeWork

    Lessons Learned from Surviving WeWork
    Mar 9 2020
    When reading about some startup that’s suddenly doing gangbuster business, do you ever wonder, “What it would really be like to work in that office?” Then when they crash and burn, you imagine what it must have been like to be on that insane roller-coaster! That brings us to WeWork, which not long ago was buying up skyscrapers in cities all over the world to offer to customers as temporary workspaces. WeWork rocketed up to a value of $47 billion… and then totally crashed. Failed founder Adam Neumann walked away with more than a billion dollars while thousands of rank-and-file employees lost their jobs, stock options, everything. Joanna Strange was a WeWork employee, she’s now at a company called Less Doing and is featured on a new Wondery podcast about the WeWork debacle called WeCrashed. Joanna’s here on SFW today to share a few hard-won lessons from that turbulent period. And later, Liz and Rico chat with listener Kat who’s trying to avoid an awkward exit interview. Then, Liz provides some book recommendations for listener Skyler, who’s seeking career advice via the written word. And finally, listener Brad gets a letter from our own Larry Seal with wisdom on whether Brad should leave his steady job for a fulfilling side gig. As always, if you've got a burning workplace question and need some advice, don't hesitate to send us an email (that email, unsurprisingly, is also Safe@Wondery.com). You can also find us on Twitter, we’re @SafeFor Work. Don't forget to follow our sage hosts on Twitter, too; they're @SSLiz and @RicoGagliano. And if you want to check out Liz’s other show, Satellite Sisters, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Art19. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    35 m
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