Your Team Doesn't Need a Boss, They Need a Human with Selena Rezvani

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Selena Rezvani, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and Forbes-named premier expert on standing up for yourself at work. Selena returns to the podcast to discuss her latest book, "Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams." Drawing from her personal experience losing her workaholic father at age 13 and years of coaching leaders behind closed doors, Selena shares practical, actionable strategies for becoming the kind of leader people want to follow—without sacrificing your humanity or health.

Episode Highlights:

• The shocking statistic: Your manager influences your mental health on par with your spouse—more than your doctor or therapist (UKG research)
• Trust killers in leadership: Why over-promising on small things destroys credibility and what "being impeccable with your word" really means
• The "Shit Umbrella" concept: How great leaders shield their teams from chaos, unrealistic pressure, and distractions from above
• Urgency culture: How to recognize when anxiety is being passed like a baton and why marking emails as "urgent" is eroding workplace trust
• The difference between boss and leader: Why giving away power creates unstoppable teams instead of diminishing your authority
• "Ask three before you answer": A practical technique to build autonomy and critical thinking in your team members
• Re-engaging disengaged employees: Why viewing lost spark as temporary (not permanent) changes everything

Quotable Moments:

"People don't want this stoic pillar of a leader—they want a human." - Selena Rezvani

"Your questions are expected, not tolerated." - Selena Rezvani

Resources:
Book: "Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams" by Selena Rezvani

Why Nobody Talks About Being a Caregiver at Work (& What It's Costing Us) with Jennifer Levin

In this deeply personal episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Jennifer Levin, television writer, journalist, and founder of Caregiver Collective, about her powerful book "Generation Care: The New Culture of Caregiving." While we're in meetings and hitting deadlines, millions of workers are simultaneously managing something most colleagues know nothing about—caring for aging or chronically ill family members. Jennifer became a caregiver at 32 when her father was diagnosed with a rare degenerative illness, and what she discovered changed everything about how we should think about work, support, and what it means to show up.

Episode Highlights:

• What makes millennial and Gen X caregiving different—and why "you don't have other responsibilities" is a dangerous assumption
• Why most young caregivers don't identify as caregivers—and what that silence costs them
• The role reversal nobody prepares you for: becoming your parent's parent
• Why our culture doesn't value family care as strong social capital—and the discrimination that follows
• The real cost to companies: employees leaving not because they want to, but because unpaid leave forces impossible choices
• Signs a team member might be struggling with caregiving (even if they haven't said anything)
• Ambiguous loss: grieving the person who's still here and the life you thought you'd have
• Why guilt is the one word every caregiver mentions, no matter what aspect of care they're discussing
• How to create a culture of care awareness without requiring people to sacrifice their careers
• The "waiting for the other shoe to drop" reality—and why caregiving emergencies don't follow a schedule

Quotable Moments:

"People will question your decisions all the time when you're a caregiver. But the person you're caring for wouldn't want you to give up on yourself either." - Jennifer Levin

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

Jennifer's Book: "Generation Care: The New Culture of Caregiving" by Jennifer Levin

Join the Caregiver Collective: A national online support group for caregivers who feel younger than expected in this role

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Zach Mercurio, author of "The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance." Despite billions invested in engagement programs and wellbeing initiatives, employees are more disengaged than ever—and the problem isn't what most leaders think. This conversation reveals why mattering can't be addressed through programs and perks, and what leaders must do differently at the interaction level to help people feel truly seen, valued, and significant.

Episode Highlights:

• Why engagement is at its lowest point in a decade despite $2 billion invested in programs
• The difference between mattering, belonging, and inclusion—and why mattering is what's missing
• How we've lost the skills to care for each other after 25 years of digital communication
• The "sprinkler issues" that silently kill motivation and create learned helplessness
• Why high performers and frontline workers are most at risk of feeling invisible
• The three practices that help people feel significant: noticing, affirming, and showing they're needed
• Why you can't give effective feedback to someone who doesn't first feel that they matter to you
• How showing others they matter actually regenerates your own sense of significance

Quotable Moment

Lyra Lens:

Sarah Haggerty, Clinical Psychologist and Neuroscientist at Lyra Health, explores the practical skills managers need to notice when someone's struggling and how to check in appropriately. She also breaks down the concept of "10% more depth" in workplace relationships.

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.