Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

Latest Episodes:

The Hidden Beliefs Quietly Holding You Back at Work Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

What if the very habits that made you successful are now the ones holding you back?

In this episode of Hello Monday, host Jessi Hempel is joined by executive coach and leadership expert Muriel Wilkins to explore the hidden beliefs that quietly shape how we lead and make decisions. These “blocking beliefs”—like I need it done now, if I can do it, so can you—often begin as strengths. But over time, they can fuel burnout, micromanagement, and disengaged teams.

Drawing from her new book, Leadership Unblocked, Muriel offers a practical framework for identifying the beliefs that no longer serve us and replacing them with more flexible, sustainable ways of leading—without losing ambition, standards, or control. Together, Jessi and Muriel unpack how leaders can expand their range, lead with greater ease, and grow their organizations by first growing themselves.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

What “blocking beliefs” are and how they develop over the course of a career
A three-step process for uncovering, unpacking, and unblocking limiting beliefs
Why urgency and perfectionism often undermine leadership effectiveness
How the belief “I need it done now” contributes to burnout and unclear priorities
How the truth of our external environment can be reframed in the narrative we tell ourselves
How to stop micromanaging without sacrificing accountability

We are no longer hosting weekly Office Hours but are thrilled to launch the Hello Monday Book Club. If you’re interested in joining, send us an email at hellomonday@linkedin.com and let us know!

2026 Dream Job Exercise: Unlocking Your Future Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

What is your dream job? What will your life look like in ten years? Kick off the New Year with a favorite Hello Monday activity: the Dream Job Exercise.

In this episode, host Jessi Hempel kicks off the new year with a powerful ritual she returns to every January: the Dream Job Exercise. It’s not about chasing a title or predicting the future—it’s about reclaiming imagination, agency, and hope in a moment when many professionals feel stuck or anxious about what comes next.

Jessi explains why imagination may be the most essential career skill of the next decade—and how a simple writing exercise can help you clarify what you really want from your work and your life.

Jessi walks listeners step by step through the Dream Job Exercise, sharing why looking 10 years ahead creates space to stop editing yourself and start dreaming again. Along the way, she reflects on how this practice helped her land a version of her own dream role—and why it can work as a decision-making filter in an era of constant change.

In this episode, Jessi explores:

The role of hope and personal agency in navigating career change
Why imagination is a critical future-of-work skill
How the Dream Job Exercise helps clarify what you actually want
Why looking 10 years ahead unlocks bolder career thinking
How this exercise can guide better career decisions year after year

Whether you’re questioning your next move, feeling unsettled in a job you once loved, or simply craving more clarity as the year begins, this episode offers a grounding reset—and a practical tool to help you move forward with intention.

Out of Office: A Hello Monday Holiday Special Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

This week, a show about work brings you an episode about time away from work, and why we all need it. We hope you enjoy this classic holiday rerun from Hello Monday's very first year of production featuring some favorite vacation stories, and we’ll see you in the new year!

How to Live With Uncertainty: Asking Better Questions About Work and Life Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Uncertainty has become a defining feature of modern work. From shifting economic signals to rapid technological change, many professionals feel stuck in a constant state of not knowing—and they’re exhausted by it. In today's episode, Jessi Hempel sits down with journalist and behavioral scientist Elizabeth Weingarten to explore how asking better questions --not demanding faster answers--can help us navigate uncertainty.

Elizabeth is the author of How to Fall In Love With Questions. Her work focuses on uncertainty, decision-making, and how curiosity can help us build more meaningful lives and careers. In this conversation, she challenges the culture of binary thinking, and offers a powerful framework for living well in the unknown.

Elizabeth and Jessi discuss:

Why our tolerance for uncertainty is shrinking—and how technology plays a role
The danger of binary questions and why “yes or no” often isn’t the right frame
How to change the relationship we have to our questions
Burnout, work, and what happens when we stop asking meaningful questions
How to use questions as an internal GPS for career and life decisions

We are no longer hosting weekly Office Hours but are thrilled to launch the Hello Monday Book Club starting in 2026. If you’re interested in joining, send us an email at hellomonday@linkedin.com and let us know!

Layoffs, Leadership and the Question to Ask Before You Start “Doing” Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

High achievers like to go after their goals, but what if in the face of disruption, we’re skipping a step in our hurry to get going and get “doing”?

With ongoing layoffs and a new (sometimes scary) work landscape, so many of us are trying to figure out what opportunities remain, and what we should do next. But today’s guest, Victoria Foster, suggests we’re starting from the wrong place. Before trying to figure out what we can do, we should first ask: who do I want to be?

Victoria is an executive coach and co-founder of FutureWomenX. She invites us to step out of scarcity, tap into our deeper gifts, and reclaim our agency. She argues that instead of clinging to old definitions of success or the skills we’ve mastered, we need to understand the values, beliefs, and strengths beneath them. That’s where possibility lives.

In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi and Victoria discuss:

Why defining ourselves by what we do limits our ability to adapt
How to uncover the gifts beneath our skills, and why they matter
Why layoffs often trigger shame, and how to reclaim your story
The importance of honoring where you’ve been before choosing what’s next
How community and courageous conversations help us face the unknown
Why 2025 demands a new mindset for navigating work and identity

Continue the conversation with us at our last Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us Wednesday at 3 PM ET on the LinkedIn News page.

Elyse Myers on Neurodivergence and Giving People the Instruction Manual to You Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

Artist & content creator Elyse Myers initially gained popularity after a viral TikTok video about buying 100 tacos on a date. Since then, she’s built a massive following off of her compelling storytelling and unique perspective on the world. But when her followers started suggesting that she might be autistic, Elyse was surprised…even resistant. She looked into it, got an assessment, and eventually, a formal autism diagnosis as an adult.

Since being diagnosed with autism, Elyse has found herself living more authentically. Recently, she’s shared about the process of getting a diagnosis and how it has benefited her in more ways than she could have imagined.

In this episode of Hello Monday, Elyse sits down with Jessi Hempel to discuss how her new self understanding impacts the way she connects with others at home and at work. Elyse and Jessi talk about:

How an adult autism diagnosis helped Elyse understand herself better
The importance of giving people a toolbox to understand and love you
How Elyse approaches getting to know others
Missing social cues in the workplace
How neurodivergence can be an asset in the workplace
Elyse’s willingness to be open online about the personal transformation and changes she goes through

Whether you’re working with a neurodivergent colleague, navigating an adult diagnosis yourself, or wondering how autism might impact your child, this conversation offers a look at how a successful artist & creator works with her brain–not against it–to succeed.

Check out Elyse’s new book: That’s a Great Story, I’d Love to Tell You.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us Wednesday at 3 PM ET on the LinkedIn News page.

How to Say No: The Psychology of Defiance with Dr. Sunita Sah Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

Most of us were taught to be agreeable. To be easy. To be helpful. But constantly saying “yes” can drain our energy and derail our careers.

In this episode from the Hello Monday archives, Jessi Hempel sits down with Dr. Sunita Sah, author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, to explore why saying “no” feels so hard and why reclaiming defiance is essential to our confidence, clarity, and integrity.

In her conversation with Jessi, Dr. Sah breaks down how to recognize compliance, interrupt it, and rebuild a relationship with “no” that is grounded, principled, and guilt-free.

Jessi and Dr. Sah discuss:

Why saying “no” triggers discomfort
What insinuation anxiety is, and how it quietly shapes workplace behavior
Strategies to speak up even when the stakes feel high
How to break patterns of over-compliance and reclaim autonomy
How to make defiance a practice
How to align your “no” with your values

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM ET.

The Money Mistakes Women Don’t Talk About — And How to Fix Them Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

No one plans to lose their financial independence. But for many women, it happens slowly, quietly, over years of caregiving and career pauses. In today’s episode, Jessi Hempel sits down with Steph Wagner, expert voice in women’s wealth and financial empowerment and author of Fly: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom and Building a Life You Love, to talk about what it really takes to rebuild your financial life.

Steph began her career in investment banking, drawn to numbers, strategy, and financial control. A brief pause from work to focus on motherhood turned into 14 years, during which she lost her income, confidence, and ultimately her marriage. When she discovered her husband’s double life, she was surprised to find herself financially unprepared.

Her story is one many women will recognize, whether the catalyst is divorce, job loss, grief, or a major life transition.

Jessi and Steph discuss:

How women slowly lose financial power, and how to take it back
The emotional toll of financial dependence, shame, and starting over
Why so many of us carry scarcity mindsets we don’t even realize we learned in childhood
How to identify your “money personality” and how it shapes your habits
How compounding interest and awareness of opportunity cost can quietly transform your financial future
Why traditional budgets fail and Steph’s 45/20/35 model that actually works
How to talk about money with partners, kids, and family members who have their own money beliefs
What it really looks like to rebuild your identity after financial and emotional collapse
And how to build healthier relationships without giving up your financial autonomy again

Steph’s story is a reminder that financial freedom isn’t about having more money, it’s about understanding your choices, aligning them with your values, and believing you’re capable of steering your own life. The skills are learnable. And it’s never too late to begin.

The Introvert’s Guide to Personal Branding Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

Most people think personal branding is for the loudest voices in the room. But Goldie Chan, longtime creator and author of Personal Branding for Introverts, believes the opposite; introverts have superpowers that make them uniquely equipped to shape a personal brand with depth, clarity, and impact.

Goldie has built a global audience with her signature green hair, thoughtful storytelling, and approachable advice for people who don’t want to pretend to be someone they’re not. In this episode of Hello Monday, she sits down with Jessi Hempel for a practical, generous conversation about how introverts can build a personal brand that feels authentic, sustainable, and true to who they are.

Jessi and Goldie discuss:

Why personal branding is not about being loud
The difference between reputation (what others say) and personal brand (what you say)
Goldie’s 5 Cs framework: clarity, consistency, competency, confidence, and community
What it really means to be an introvert
How “loud introverts” can manage energy, show up powerfully, and recover afterward
Tips for networking without draining your battery, from scripts to small-group strategy
Why “evergreen content” is your friend, and how to build a sustainable posting cadenceThe power of making mistakes in an AI-saturated world
How to evolve your brand over time without confusing your audience
Practical advice for job seekers, career pivoters, and anyone afraid of climbing “Cringe Mountain”

Goldie’s message is clear: introverts don’t need to become extroverts to build a meaningful presence. They just need the right tools, and permission to build a brand in a way that honors their energy, creativity, and voice.

Continue the conversation at Hello Monday Office Hours!Join us this Wednesday at 3 PM ET on the LinkedIn News page.

Want more? Watch the full conversation with Goldie Chan with LinkedIn Premium.

Jasmine Rashid on Financial Activism and Building Wealth with Purpose Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

Most of us were taught to “play the game” when it comes to money; work hard, follow the rules, and financial stability will follow. But what happens when the game itself was never built for most of us to win?

Jasmine Rashid calls herself a financial activist. She’s an impact investor, writer, and advocate who believes that reclaiming power in our financial systems starts with everyday people—not policymakers or billionaires, but those of us who spend, save, and invest every day. Her new book, The Financial Activist Playbook: Eight Strategies for Everyday People to Reclaim Wealth and Collective Wellbeing, is part invitation, part instruction manual for building a fairer economy from the ground up.

In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel talks with Jasmine about how to put people back into the economy. Together, they explore how financial activism can help us move from scarcity to abundance, and from isolation to collective power.

Jessi and Jasmine discuss:

Why both finance and activism feel intimidating—and how to reclaim both
How to build community wealth instead of just personal wealth
Why talking about money is an act of empowerment
How scarcity mindsets and cultural taboos keep us disconnected
The role of mutual aid and community care in a just economy
Why “enough” is one of the most radical financial goals we can set
How expanding our definition of capital can change everything
The power of collective action to build a fairer financial future

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us Wednesday at 3 PM ET on the LinkedIn News page.

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