Per My Last Email

Latest Episodes:

Retirement Has Changed—Here’s How to Plan For What It’s Really Like May 25, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle discuss all things retirement—how the concept of retirement has changed, how they’re financially planning for their own retirements, and what their ideal retirement looks like.

00:00 Intro

01:33 What does retirement look like right now?

08:48 How Kaila and Kyle approach the financial element of retirement

12:58 Thinking about the non-financial aspects of retirement

22:30 Mini retirements

25:45 Where Kaila and Kyle plan to retire

31:13 Per My Last Policy

This episode was sponsored by Granola. Head to granola.ai/brew to try Granola for free. That’s granola.ai/brew to try it today for FREE.

Find Granola-generated notes on this episode here: https://notes.granola.ai/t/a9006ea5-1bbd-41d5-855f-b456a44d2822-009c2hma

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Each week on Per My Last Email, Morning Brew’s resident career experts Kaila and Kyle – whose careers have collectively spanned the corporate, government, nonprofit and startup sectors – debate the trickiest challenges in work life, and share tactics on how to overcome them. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app!

Why “Optimization” Is Actually Making You Miserable May 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by author Brad Stulberg to dig into what we get wrong about “excellence,” what true excellence really looks like, and the achievable strategies to achieve it. Also check out Brad’s new book, The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World.

00:00 Intro

02:08 How Brad define’s “excellence”

05:47 What is “zombie burnout”?

07:59 How to avoid a sh**** flow state

11:05 Identity house

18:38 Should we be thinking in terms of a “minimum effective dose”?

21:42 The real meaning of grit

25:32 How do you know if you’ve found fit in a given profession?

28:01 Brad’s views on failure

31:35 Can a growth mindset ever handicap you?

33:44 The first step towards excellence

This episode was sponsored by Granola. Head to granola.ai/brew to try Granola for free. That’s granola.ai/brew to try it today for FREE.

Find Granola-generated notes on this episode here: https://notes.granola.ai/t/f3c9df4d-0c70-4de5-b584-bea0f16d3dcf-009c2hma

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

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Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

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Should You Be Friends With Your Boss? + 3 More Career Dilemmas May 11, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle answer listener-submitted questions around career advice and work dilemmas. From just how friendly you should get with your boss to how to ask for remote work accommodations, this episode addresses a wide range of relatable scenarios.

00:00 Intro

02:56 Question 1 - Can you befriend your boss?

10:37 Question 2 - Can I ask for a raise after a round of layoffs?

15:50 Question 3 - How can I ask for remote work accommodations?

21:57 Question 4 - How should you prepare for a merger/acquisition at your company?

This episode was sponsored by Granola. Head to granola.ai/brew to try Granola for free. That’s granola.ai/brew to try it today for FREE.

Find Granola-generated notes on this episode here: https://notes.granola.ai/t/4c7f65b0-fdee-40ca-9e1c-e9aa332279f7-009c2hma

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

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Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

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The Hidden “BS” Holding You Back at Work (And How to Break It) May 04, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by Aiko Bethea, Founder of Rare Coaching, to talk about the hidden bullsh*t at work, how it’s holding you back, and what you can do about it. From holding yourself, your colleagues, and even bosses accountable, to freeing yourself of a scarcity mindset, this conversation is packed with practical advice for anyone feeling stuck in their career.

And don’t forget to pick up Aiko’s new book, Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bullsh*t and Transforming Our Lives and Work.

00:00 Intro

02:04 What Aiko is referring to when she talks about bullsh*t

04:57 The Bullsh*t Asymmetry Principle

06:13 Using the anchored, aligned, accountable framework

11:37 How to figure out your values

17:42 Finding the motivation to get clear on your values

21:22 How to hold colleagues, peers, and higher-ups accountable

25:13 The important role of curiosity

28:00 How do you counteract a scarcity mindset?

33:07 How do you know when your identity is too tied up in your work?

38:45 The best first step towards getting anchored, aligned, and accountable

This episode was sponsored by Granola. Head to granola.ai/brew to try Granola for free. That’s granola.ai/brew to try it today for FREE.

Find Granola-generated notes on this episode here: https://notes.granola.ai/t/3956660c-bf65-4fc9-a36e-c0781be3c119-008umkv4

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

Follow Per My Last Email

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Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

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The 5 Sneaky Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Career Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle break down the five sneaky (and surprising) things that are affecting your career, and what you can do about them.

00:00 Intro

02:42 Why your commute is more important than you think

08:00 Tactics if your commute is negatively impacting your career

11:00 How discussing your AI use can impact your career

17:59 The consequences of being unknown at work

22:27 Tactics for making yourself better known at work

24:51 How bad tech affects your career

30:16 Dealing with manager burnout

This episode was sponsored by Allergy Insider. Ask your primary care provider about getting tested with your local respiratory allergy profile today. Learn more at: allergyinsider.com/questionnaire

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

Follow Per My Last Email

Instagram: @permylastemailshow

TikTok: @permylastemailshow

Twitter: @permylast_email

Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

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Meetings Suck—Here are the Science-Backed Ways to Fix Them Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by Rebecca Hinds, PhD, author of Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done. Rebecca breaks down the science behind why meetings so often fail—and shares research-backed tactics to decide which meetings are actually worth having, and how to design them for better outcomes.

00:00 Intro

02:36 Why do meetings suck?

03:47 Meeting Doomsday

05:40 Determining which meetings are actually useful

08:03 Considering remote employees

10:11 Making better meeting agendas

13:53 How to stop attendance inflation

16:13 How to manage the dominant speaker in a meeting

19:48 The “meeting-free day” debate

23:30 The value of a pre-read

25:55 Game: So Crazy It Just Might Work

This episode was sponsored by Allergy Insider. Ask your primary care provider about getting tested with your local respiratory allergy profile today. Learn more at: allergyinsider.com/questionnaire

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

Follow Per My Last Email

Instagram: @permylastemailshow

TikTok: @permylastemailshow

Twitter: @permylast_email

Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should You Flex at Work? The Career Math Behind Showing Wealth Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle discuss the politics of displaying wealth at work, and how the perception of it depends on what stage you are at in your career. When does it go from being gauche to cool to flaunt your wealth at the office? And is it ever strategic to appear more or less wealthy than you actually are?

00:00 Intro

01:40 Why we’re discussing wealth at work

04:43 Kaila’s and Kyle’s experiences with the perception of wealth early in their careers

10:45 What the research says about how flaunting wealth impacts perception

14:11 How presenting wealth becomes a strategy mid-career

22:37 Displays of wealth later in your career

29:02 Per My Last Policy

This episode was sponsored by Allergy Insider. Ask your primary care provider about getting tested with your local respiratory allergy profile today. Learn more at: allergyinsider.com/questionnaire

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

Follow Per My Last Email

Instagram: @permylastemailshow

TikTok: @permylastemailshow

Twitter: @permylast_email

Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

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Why AI Isn’t Killing Jobs (And What It’s Actually Changing) Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by LinkedIn Chief Economic Opportunity Officer (and former speech writer for President Obama) Aneesh Raman to talk about why we can be optimistic about AI. Aneesh’s new book, Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI, challenges the notion that AI is the death of entry-level work and instead argues that the technology is simply changing work as we know it in exciting and innovative ways.

00:00 Intro

02:30 How does AI unleash human potential?

06:25 Will AI weaken our ability to think?

11:48 Will AI increase the potential for cognitive debt?

14:35 How will AI change the workplace?

19:16 How should recent college grads be thinking about this moment?

27:11 What is the most important skill to have right now in your career?

31:51 Advice for getting started with AI if you come from a more rigid, less creative role

This episode was sponsored by Allergy Insider. Ask your primary care provider about getting tested with your local respiratory allergy profile today. Learn more at: allergyinsider.com/questionnaire

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

Follow Per My Last Email

Instagram: @permylastemailshow

TikTok: @permylastemailshow

Twitter: @permylast_email

Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

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You Survived a Layoff…Now What? (The Truth No One Tells You) Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

While there is a lot of advice out there about what to do if you’ve been laid off, there isn’t a lot of information for how to manage if you’re one of the lucky (or not so lucky) survivors of a layoff. From being more vulnerable to burnout to taking on more responsibilities, Kaila and Kyle discuss how to handle surviving a layoff both emotionally and professionally, as well as discuss how they navigated their own layoff survival stories.

00:00 Intro

03:06 Kaila and Kyle’s layoff survival story

07:35 What NOT to do if you’ve survived a layoff

12:27 How your work changes post-layoff

16:48 Another important thing to get clear on post-layoff

18:54 How Kaila and Kyle handled getting assigned entirely new roles post-layoff

24:23 How your working identity can shift post-layoff

29:18 How to talk about your layoff survival story

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow

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Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com

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Inside the Recruiter’s Brain: How to Get Hired in the Age of AI Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by author, speaker, and ZipRecruiter career expert Sam DeMase (@apowermood) to share the best tips for landing a job in the age of AI. From understanding how recruiters think and operate, to structuring your resume for maximum impact, to mastering the “upper third,” this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

00:00 Intro

01:10 What is the life of a recruiter like?

06:28 How people are finding new jobs is changing

09:28 How to make yourself more appealing to recruiters on LinkedIn

12:59 Shifting from a experience-based resume to a skills-based resume

16:57 Is there still value in cold-applying to jobs?

20:15 How AI plays into the hiring process

26:14 What Sam has learned about motivation from working as a recruiter

29:14 Game: Hiring Faux Pas, or Nah?

Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/

Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:

@PerMYLastEmailShow