Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

Latest Episodes:

Masculinity, Work, and the New Fatherhood with Paul Sullivan Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

More dads are becoming lead parents. What does that mean for work? When we talk about parenting, the spotlight usually falls on mothers. In this week’s episode of Hello Monday, we’re shifting that focus, and talking about what it means to be a lead dad.

Our guest is Paul Sullivan, journalist, author, and founder of The Company of Dads, a media platform and community for fathers who are primary caregivers. Paul shares his personal journey, from columnist at The New York Times to lead parent and now advocate for redefining fatherhood at work and at home.

Paul and Jessi unpack: • What it means to be a lead dad and why more men are taking on caregiving roles • How gender roles and workplace expectations often clash • Why support systems for dads are essential, and still hard to find • The origin story of The Company of Dads • How to teach people how to treat you when you don’t fit traditional molds • What employers can do to better support working parents, regardless of gender

This conversation is thoughtful, timely, and packed with insight for anyone navigating work and family life. Whether you’re a dad, a partner, a manager, or someone rethinking how caregiving shows up at work, this episode is for you.

Join us for Hello Monday Office Hours, live on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3PM ET to continue the conversation.

Is College Still Worth It? Kathleen deLaski on Rethinking the 4-year Degree Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

The belief that a four-year degree is the only path to a good job is baked into our culture. But what if that narrative is outdated?

In this week’s episode of Hello Monday, host Jessi Hempel sits down with Kathleen deLaski, social entrepreneur, author, and founder of theEducation Design Lab. Kathleen’s new book, Who Needs College Anymore?, challenges the assumption that a bachelor’s degree is the default route to economic mobility. Together, Jessi and Kathleen discuss how we can better support shorter, more flexible learning paths to success for the majority of Americans who don’t pursue or finish a four-year degree.

Jessi and Kathleen talk about:

Why the four-year college degree is no longer the only path to a “good job”
What happens to the 62% of Americans who don’t complete a four-year degree
The growing role of community colleges, bootcamps, and skills-based programs
How government and employers are starting to rethink credentialing and career readiness
The mindset shift parents and students need to make in 2025 and beyond

Whatever your age, this episode is a roadmap for how to navigate the changing landscape of education and work.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours — Wednesdays at 3 PM ET on the LinkedIn News page.

How to Protect LGBTQ+ Families in 2025 with Darra Gordon Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Pride is more than a celebration, it’s a call to action, especially for queer families navigating today’s uncertain political landscape. This week on Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Darra Gordon, CEO of Family Equality, to talk about protecting LGBTQ+ families, raising resilient kids, and why visibility and community are more vital than ever.

Darra is a longtime advocate and nonprofit leader who works every day to ensure all families, especially those with LGBTQ+ parents, have equal rights and protections. She’s also a working mom, navigating the same daily chaos as many of us: career, childcare, dinner plans, and existential anxiety about the future.

Jessi and Darra discuss: • How LGBTQ+ families can stay safe and visible in uncertain times • How to raise kids who are proud of their identity and inclusive of others • The joy and strength of queer families, and the role of community in liberation • Why allyship is more than a rainbow flag during June • How everyone, queer or not, can support family equality year-round

Whether you're part of the LGBTQ+ community, love someone who is, or just want to build a more inclusive world — this episode is for you.

Join us for Hello Monday Office Hours, live on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3PM ET. It’s a welcoming space to keep the conversation going.

Anna Kendrick On Making the Leap From Acting to Directing May 26, 2025

Show notes

What does it take to make a bold career pivot after decades of doing the expected? This week, we’re resurfacing our conversation with the multi-talented Anna Kendrick, whose journey from acclaimed actor to first-time director offers invaluable insights for anyone thinking about making the leap into something new.

Anna shares the story behind her directorial debut with Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, a true-crime drama. Far removed from the lighthearted films that Anna is known for, Woman of the Hour chronicles the stranger-than-fiction story of a 1970s aspiring actor and a serial killer whose lives collide when they're cast on a dating game show.

Together, Jessi and Anna discuss:

The courage it takes to step out of your comfort zone
How to follow your intuition when making creative decisions
Dealing with imposter syndrome
Learning to lead
What good feedback truly looks like

This episode offers not just a behind-the-scenes look at Anna's latest project but also inspiration for anyone seeking to reinvent their own career. Watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix now, and tune in to hear how Anna Kendrick is embracing the next chapter of her career.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

Caroline Wanga on the Career Path No One Tells You About May 19, 2025

Show notes

It’s easy to feel lost in your career, especially as the world around us keeps shifting. Whether you’re starting over, seeking purpose, or just unsure what your next move is, this episode is for you.

This week, Jessi Hempel sits down with Caroline Wanga, president and CEO of Essence Ventures and co-founder of Wanga Woman. Caroline is a dynamic leader and an unapologetic champion of authenticity. She joins Jessi to share her approach to building a career map – not just once, but continuously throughout your life.

Before leading Essence, Caroline spent 15 years at Target, rising from intern to C-suite executive. Today, she’s focused on democratizing authenticity through her personal purpose, her leadership, and her new memoir, I’m Highly Percent Sure.

Jessi and Caroline dig deep into:

Why your “next right move” may not look like anyone else’s
Why playing with your career map, not perfecting it, leads to clarity
How, and when, Caroline has created her own career maps
The role of authenticity in leadership and life
What it really takes to live and work with personal purpose
Tools and mindsets for building a meaningful career in today’s world

Don’t miss Caroline’s practical wisdom on shaping a professional life that evolves with you.

This episode was filmed live in-studio. LinkedIn Premium subscribers can watch the full video version here.

Want to keep the conversation going? Join us at Hello Monday Office Hours, live on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

Debbie Millman & Roxane Gay on Love, Creativity, and the Discipline to Grow May 12, 2025

Show notes

Debbie Millman and Roxane Gay know a thing or two about building creative lives. Debbie is a legendary designer, writer, and podcast host. Roxane is a bestselling author and cultural critic. Together, they’ve built a partnership rooted in discipline, love, and slow growth. On this week’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel welcomes the couple back to the studio to talk about their new book, and what it really takes to live a meaningful creative life.

Their book, Love Letter to a Garden, is both literal and metaphorical. It’s about vegetables, sure. But it’s also about how we learn, how we fail, and how we grow. Debbie shares stories of her journey from struggling gardener to seasoned grower, an arc that mirrors her creative life. Roxane contributes recipes she’s crafted using the produce Debbie grows.

Jessi, Debbie, and Roxane dig into the kind of growth that takes time, and the work required to nurture it.

They discuss:

• The invisible years behind every “overnight” success

• How to keep going when you fail again and again

• Why your hope must be slightly bigger than your shame

• What it means to save your best energy for what matters most

• The difference between meaningful work and making work your meaning

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

Becoming You: Suzy Welch’s Guide to Authenticity May 08, 2025

Show notes

In this special Thursday bonus episode, we’re returning to Jessi Hempel’s conversation with Suzy Welch, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, business advisor, and three-time NYT bestselling author. Suzy’s latest book, Becoming You, came out this week, in which she synthesizes her wildly popular NYU course of the same name.

In conversation with Jessi, Suzy shares her insights on the importance of values, authenticity, and personal growth. She emphasizes the need to align our professional lives with our deepest values and aptitudes to achieve true satisfaction and happiness.

Suzy and Jessi discuss:

The importance of living an authentic life
How values shape our career decisions
The role of authenticity in finding career satisfaction
Navigating the tension between personal and professional values

This episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to find fulfillment and live authentically at work and beyond.

Suleika Jaouad on Living Well Through Uncertainty and the Healing Power of Creativity May 05, 2025

Show notes

How do you live well when life falls apart? Suleika Jaouad has a powerful answer. In this deeply moving episode of Hello Monday, host Jessi Hempel sits down with Suleika Jaouad, bestselling author, speaker, and cancer survivor, to uncover what it truly means to live well in the face of uncertainty. From her fight with leukemia to her remarkable creative journey, Suleika has learned to turn adversity into art, and pain into purpose.

Her latest work, The Book of Alchemy, is a soulful invitation to embrace creative practices that help build resilience, joy, and connection, even in our darkest moments. Jessi and Suleika dive into topics that challenge conventional ideas of success and encourage listeners to live more intentionally.

They discuss:

Why curiosity and play can be powerful daily rituals
How a 100-day journaling challenge sparked a creative breakthrough
What it means to redefine productivity through values like kindness and bravery
The healing power of deep friendships and chosen family
How creativity helps us process adversity and transform it

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

You’ve just been laid off. Here’s what to do next. May 01, 2025

Show notes

If you have found your way here right now, you are most likely at a turning point in your career, maybe in your life. Layoffs are a challenging and often unexpected part of our careers. In today's episode, Jessi Hempel dives deep into the emotional and practical aspects of navigating layoffs. Whether you're facing a layoff yourself or supporting someone who is, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable advice.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and support for navigating your career journey during challenging times.

Moral Ambition: Rutger Bregman on Building a Career That Makes a Difference Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

We’ve been taught to chase fancy job titles and large salaries, but what if we aimed for moral ambition instead? In this week’s episode of Hello Monday, host Jessi Hempel sits down with historian and best-selling author Rutger Bregman to explore moral ambition: the idea that the core metric of a successful career should be the positive impact we have on the world.

Rutger’s new book, Moral Ambition: How to Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference, calls on all of us to rethink what we’re really working for. If you’ve ever felt like there should be more to your job than climbing the ladder, this conversation is for you.

Jessi and Rutger dive into:

What moral ambition is—and why we need more of it
Why “follow your passion” is the wrong advice
How to shift from success-driven to service-driven work
Why young professionals are funneled into finance and consulting
The real-world heroes solving the world’s biggest problems
How to build coalitions and collaborate for impact

This episode is a call to action for anyone who wants to do good—and do it well.

Join the conversation at Hello Monday Office Hours!We’ll be live on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3PM EST. Bring your questions and your curiosity; we’d love to hear what moral ambition looks like for you.

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