Train Your Brain To Focus with Dr. Michael Gervais Jan 13, 2026

What if peak performance isn’t about grinding harder but mastering your inner world? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Michael Gervais, high-performance psychologist and expert to elite athletes and leaders, to talk about what truly drives motivation, focus, and sustainable success. We dive into the science behind activation and anxiety, how to find your intrinsic drivers, and why self-discovery is the foundation of mastery. Michael shares how learning to regulate your nervous system, train your attention, and build mental skills can transform the way you perform under pressure. Get ready to rethink motivation, focus, and what it means to truly master your mind.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why mastering your inner world matters more than external success.

03:15 How anxiety can be trained instead of feared.

06:30 The science behind activation and peak performance.

09:00 Why elite performers don’t wait to “feel motivated”.

11:00 How to stop letting the external world control your internal state.

14:30 Why unmanaged stress drains your energy fast.

16:15 The difference between drive and motivation.

18:45 Why do you need both intrinsic vs. extrinsic rewards?

21:00 What truly motivates high performers.

23:30 Why ADHD isn’t a lack of attention but equal attention.

27:15 How to train focus and avoid mental burnout.

34:00 Why meditation strengthens attention like a muscle.

37:15 How mindfulness creates insight and wisdom.

39:00 What elite coaches teach about staying coachable.

42:15 Why fear of people’s opinions blocks growth.

45:45 What’s the difference between performance-based identity vs. purpose-based identity?

49:15 How to build a daily purpose mindset.

52:45 Why purpose doesn’t need to be grand to be powerful.

54:30 Tools to regulate anxiety and emotional activation.

56:00 Leadership lessons from Bill Russell on teamwork.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

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Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Michael: on LinkedIn @drmichaelgervais + Instagram @michaelgervais

Maladaptive Perfectionism Explained with Jordana Confino Jan 08, 2026

Perfectionism often looks like ambition, discipline, and excellence until it quietly turns into anxiety, burnout, and relentless self-criticism. In this episode, I’m joined by Jordana Confino, former Yale-trained lawyer turned coach, to talk about the cost of maladaptive perfectionism and why so many high-achieving professionals mistake self-criticism for motivation. We dive into the difference between sustainable excellence and fear-driven overachievement, the neuroscience behind why beating yourself up actually hurts performance, and what it really takes to move from being your own worst enemy to becoming your most effective ally. Tune in if you’re ready to achieve more with less self-punishment.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What does maladaptive perfectionism look like in anxious achievers?

04:30 How perfectionism becomes a strategy for proving worth.

11:00 What’s the difference between maladaptive perfectionism and sustainable excellence?

15:15 How self-criticism harms performance at a neurological level.

17:00 Why perfectionist lawyers report lower ambition.

21:00 What psychological safety teaches us about mistakes and growth.

27:00 How law school culture amplifies perfectionism and anxiety.

31:00 Why billable hours reward inefficiency and burnout.

36:45 Why perfectionists often struggle with productivity and time management.

40:00 The most powerful tool for anxious achievers.

46:00 How neuroplasticity makes lasting change possible.

50:00 Can self-criticism ever be useful motivation?

55:45 Why the best leaders tolerate short-term discomfort to prevent burnout.

59:30 The invisible cage anxious achievers build for themselves.

Resources + Links

Jordana Confino's study "The Perfectionist Paradox."

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Jordana on LinkedIn: @jordanaconfino

Get What You Need At Work (Without Making It "About You") with Stew Friedman Jan 06, 2026

Asking for what you need at work wasn’t an accommodation, but a leadership skill. In this episode, I sit down with Stew Friedman, the pioneer of Total Leadership and founding director of Wharton’s Work-Life Integration Project, to rethink how we approach work, life, and leadership. We talk about why so many high performers feel guilty asking for flexibility, time, or support and why leaders who understand their whole lives are actually better, more sustainable performers. Stew also breaks down the Total Leadership model, which centers on being real, being whole, and being innovative to create what he calls “four-way wins” across work, home, community, and self. Get ready to stop asking for permission and start leading your life with intention.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why asking for what you need at work feels like an accommodation.

06:00 How work, home, community, and self must work together.

10:00 Why self-knowledge is the foundation of sustainable leadership.

17:45 What “four-way win” experiments look like in life.

22:15 Why flexibility works best when framed as mutual value.

27:30 How leaders unintentionally block agency on their teams.

32:30 What is the biggest mistake people make when asking for support?

38:30 What mental health and leadership have in common.

43:30 Why different minds require different leadership models.

49:00 What makes us whole?

Resources + Links

Learn more about Total Leadership Org HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Stew Friedman on LinkedIn

Is It Toxic? Your Questions Answered with Benish Shah Jan 01, 2026

We throw the word toxic around a lot at work, but how do you actually know when an environment is truly toxic versus just uncomfortable, stressful, or not the right fit? In this episode, I'm bringing back this conversation with my late friend and colleague Benish Shah to talk about workplace toxicity, psychological safety, covert bias, weaponized vulnerability, and more. Benish shares tips for identifying toxic patterns, protecting yourself in unsafe environments, and making thoughtful exit plans when leaving isn’t immediately possible. Tune in to learn how to recognize toxicity, reclaim your clarity, and protect your well-being at work.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Are workplaces more toxic, or do we just have better language now?

03:30 How leadership avoidance quietly creates toxic cultures.

09:00 What is toxicity?

13:00 A self-assessment to determine if your workplace is toxic.

18:15 How to know if it’s actually safe to be vulnerable at work.

22:00 How to make an exit plan when you can’t quit right away.

29:00 Tips if your toxic boss is making your job unbearable.

34:30 How to safely check if others are experiencing the same toxicity.

37:30 What to do if you are the toxic one.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Is Taylor Swift An Anxious Achiever? With Kevin Evers Dec 30, 2025

Is Taylor Swift an anxious achiever? In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Evers, editor at Harvard Business Review Press and author of "There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift", to talk about Taylor Swift’s career through the lens of anxiety, ambition, and strategic brilliance. We dive into how Taylor’s striving energy, emotional vulnerability, and relentless work ethic fueled one of the most extraordinary careers in modern music. We also talk about her songwriting as a mirror for professional heartbreak, confidence built through insecurity, and why loving your work deeply may be the most powerful advantage of all. Get ready to rethink anxiety, ambition, and what it really takes to build something iconic.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Is Taylor Swift an anxious achiever?

03:00 Why Reputation resonates so deeply with anxious achievers.

07:15 How Taylor advocated for herself at just 13 years old.

15:30 How anxiety drives preparation, precision, and performance.

17:45 What the Eras Tour reveals about exceeding expectations at scale.

19:45 The physical and emotional cost of relentless performance.

22:30 Why did Taylor Swift want to become a pop star?

25:00 Why the Speak Now era marked a pivotal reinvention.

29:00 What Miss Americana revealed about the hidden costs of success.

31:00 What is productive paranoia?

37:00 How total creative control keeps Taylor authentic through every era.

42:30 Leadership lessons from humility and fan obsession.

47:45 Professional heartbreak and emotional ownership of work.

54:45 What makes Taylor Swift so successful?

Resources + Links

Get your copy of There’s Nothing Like This by Kevin Evers

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Kevin Evers: on LinkedIn @kevin-evers1 + Instagram @there_is_nothing_like_this

Millennials, Gen Z, and the Loss of The American Dream with Annie Lowrey Dec 23, 2025

Many older workers complain that younger generations don’t work hard enough or don’t want their jobs to define them. But what if that behavior is actually a rational response to an economy that no longer delivers on its promises? In this episode, I talk about the economic reality facing millennials and Gen Z, featuring voices from young professionals navigating uncertainty, debt, layoffs, and housing insecurity, along with journalist Annie Lowrey from The Atlantic. We dive into how recessions, student debt, and rising inequality have reshaped ambition, risk-taking, and trust in institutions and more. Get ready to see generational anxiety through a much clearer lens.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 How housing costs and economic insecurity shape career choices and risk-taking.

04:45 What graduating into a recession does to long-term earnings and opportunity.

09:45 How student debt impacts mental health, anxiety, and future planning.

14:45 Why younger generations delay homeownership, children, and entrepreneurship.

21:45 How recessions affect trust in institutions and increase social solidarity.

23:15 What psychological and financial toll does debt take on younger generations?

27:45 Has credential inflation devalued advanced degrees?

30:30 How distorted narratives impact job seekers, workers, and entire generations.

34:00 Why declining entrepreneurship is a structural problem, not a personal failure.

Resources + Links

Read Annie Lowrey’s reporting in The Atlantic

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Netflix Former Chief Talent Officer On Why We Can't Seem To Fix Burnout with Jessica Neal Dec 18, 2025

Burnout isn’t just about working too hard, and stress isn’t always the enemy. In this episode, I talk with Jessica Neal, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix and now venture capitalist, about why the biggest workplace problems refuse to improve. We talk about why high-performing cultures often forget to acknowledge what’s working, how fear quietly drives burnout, and why honesty and clear expectations might be the most underrated leadership skills we have. Get ready to know what it really takes to build a healthier, more human workplace.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why burnout and chronic stress keep rising despite endless conversations.

05:00 The hidden skills that make high-pressure leadership roles work.

08:15 The blockers to a healthy workplace.

13:00 How burnout becomes self-fulfilling when clarity is missing.

18:45 How panic attacks can come from internal pressure, not external crises.

21:45 What leaders miss when they only focus on what’s broken.

29:30 Why women are still leaving leadership roles at higher rates.

35:00 The impossible choice many women face between career momentum and caregiving.

43:30 How working outside your strengths (and with the wrong people) quietly fuels burnout.

47:30 Avoiding hard conversations is costing teams speed, trust, and clarity.

Resources + Links

Jessica Neal’s podcast TruthWorks HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Jessica: on LinkedIn @jeneal

Uncertainty Can Be Awesome With Maggie Jackson Dec 16, 2025

Uncertainty isn’t something to fix, but something that actually makes you sharper, more resilient, and more innovative. In this episode, I sit down with Maggie Jackson, to talk about why our brains react the way they do to the unknown, and how leaders can transform uncertainty into focus, creativity, and better decision-making. We dive into why discomfort can be good stress, how curiosity boosts well-being, and practical shifts to help you stay present and grounded when outcomes feel unclear. Tune in for new ways to reframe uncertainty at home, at work, and inside your own mind.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why our brains interpret uncertainty as a threat.

03:30 What “good stress” looks like in your body.

09:45 How to reframe uncertainty as curiosity instead of dread.

14:15 Why trying new things reduces anxiety over time.

17:00 The science of pausing and “spaciousness” for better problem-solving.

20:30 How do you train yourself and your team to be open to not knowing?

26:30 Why language like “maybe” can strengthen trust and collaboration.

28:00 How exhaustion, pressure, and overload lower our tolerance for uncertainty.

33:00 The link between curiosity, well-being, and better performance.

36:00 How can leaders model uncertainty without appearing weak?

Resources + Links

Learn more about Maggie’s Uncertain book HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Maggie on LinkedIn: @maggiejackson

Patrick Lencioni: Stop Feeling Guilt About What's Hard For You Dec 11, 2025

What if the things you feel most ashamed of at work are actually your superpowers? In this conversation, I sit down with bestselling author and Founder & CEO of Working Genius, Patrick Lencioni. We dive into his Working Genius framework to discover why certain kinds of work light you up while others reliably drain you. Using his six types of “genius” we explore why differently wired (aka “spiky”) brains can be massive assets in leadership when we stop trying to do everything. You’ll also hear Pat share candidly about his own anxious achieving, how working outside his genius led to grumpiness and burnout, and what changed when he finally designed his role (and team) around his true strengths. It’s time to reframe guilt and shame around your “weaknesses,” so you can lead from your zone of genius with more effectiveness, sustainability, and joy.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Working Genius.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 How to stop feeling ashamed of what you’re not good at.

04:00 How to become boldly bad at things as a neurodistinct leader.

10:45 The six types of Working Genius and how to discover yours.

16:00 How wounds and fear can push you to overachieve at work you dislike.

18:00 What is the difference between fear-based vs. joy-based achievement?

24:00 Why burnout is more about misalignment than workload.

31:00 How knowing your team’s geniuses transform trust and accountability.

33:30 Why your team will perform better when everyone admits what they are bad at.

40:30 What should I do if my job doesn’t fit my working genius?

Resources + Links

Take the Working Genius Assessment HERE Use promo code ACHIEVER for 20% off

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Patrick Lencioni: on LinkedIn @patricklencioniorghealth + Instagram @patricklencioniofficial

The Secret To Becoming A Mindful Leader with Dr. Ravi Kudesia Dec 09, 2025

The most powerful leadership tool you have isn’t authority or expertise, but attention. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ravi Kudesia, Associate Professor of Management at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, to break down the science and practice of mindful leadership. We talk about how leaders can regulate their attention, reset your energy between meetings, disrupt habitual scripts, and guide teams through ambiguity without creating panic. Ravi shares how mindfulness helps leaders read the room, experiment more effectively during change, and model emotional grounding for their teams. Get ready to rethink how you show up and discover why mindful leaders make change feel less like chaos and more like possibility.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 How do you prepare to teach, lead, and be present?

07:00 How to reset between meetings and clear “attentional residue.”

09:45 A breathing reset you can use anywhere to calm your system.

14:30 Why leaders must shift from individualistic to relational leadership mindsets.

21:15 How a leader’s internal state shapes the emotional health of the entire team.

27:15 How do you lead through change?

33:00 Why middle leaders must become adapters and experiment in ambiguity.

39:45 How leaders can ask better questions in the middle of uncertainty.

43:00 How attuning to energy in the room changes the way leaders lead.

46:30 What leaders do to cultivate mindfulness?

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Ravi on LinkedIn: @rskudesia

You Can Unshame Yourself with David Bedrick Dec 04, 2025

The shame you feel at work isn’t a personal flaw, but a kind of violence acting on your story, your body, and your worth. In this episode, I sit down with psychologist David Bedrick, whose pioneering work on unshaming helps us understand how shame interprets the world for us and how you can reclaim your own internal witness. We talk about why shame is not just a feeling but a lens, how childhood interpretations stick with us for decades, and why so many of us carry invisible pain through our careers, relationships, and leadership roles. David shares how the body speaks when our lives become too heavy to carry, and how that “symptom” is often a messenger of our deeper story, not a problem to be erased. Tune in to start unshaming yourself from the inside out.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What is shame and why is it not a feeling?

04:15 How childhood witnessing becomes your lifelong lens.

08:00 The link between chronic illness, over-responsibility, and hidden shame.

14:00 How a simple temper tantrum can reveal a protest your body is begging you to hear.

19:30 Why pain and exhaustion are often your body’s way of saying “this is too much.”

21:30 How layoffs, business failure, and money anxiety get wrapped in shame at work.

26:00 The one question that begins unshaming others and yourself.

29:00 How to ask about someone’s experience without piling on more shame.

37:00 Why we never tell anyone about our chronic pain.

41:30 How to start walking the “unshaming way” in your own life, relationships, and work.

Resources + Links

Learn more about David Bedrick HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow David: @david.bedrick

Exploring AI Anxiety With A Leader In Charge Of AI Transformation with Lee Gonzales Dec 02, 2025

What if your AI anxiety isn’t a flaw, but a signal to evolve how you work? In this episode, I sit down with Lee Gonzales, engineering leader and creator of BetterUp’s AI Flight School, to talk about why AI feels existential, why it threatens your craft and identity, and how you can move from fear to agency. We dive into how psychological safety, values, and collective sensemaking help people shift from “AI will replace me” to “AI can expand me.” Tune in if you’re ready to move from avoidance to informed action and become the pilot of your AI future, not the passenger.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why AI anxiety pushed Lee to reinvent his entire career.

04:45 How AI differs from every prior technological leap.

08:00 What distinguishes an “AI passenger” from an “AI pilot”?

10:00 Is the agency real or a helpful illusion?

14:45 Why psychological safety is the first requirement for AI learning.

18:03 How to reframe anxiety into possibility using values and task design.

22:15 Why AI can weaken your cognitive muscles if you’re not careful.

25:15 The values-based exercise that helps you understand your resistance.

28:45 Why engineers struggle with AI’s impact on the craft they love.30:30 What AlphaGo teaches us about self-learning systems and exponential change.

32:00 How prompting helps people reflect on values and reclaim agency.

34:15 Lee’s “aha” moment from Flight School participants.

36:00 Why AI can feel like an “infinite agency machine” when used well.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Lee on LinkedIn: @leegonzales

America’s Nervous System Is Dysregulated with Kate Woodsome Nov 25, 2025

What if the problem in America isn’t just political? What if our collective nervous system is overloaded? In this episode, I sit down with Kate Woodsome, journalist turned civic resilience researcher and trainer, to talk about how personal trauma, chronic stress, and media-driven threat responses scale up into polarization, civic dysfunction, and even openings for authoritarianism. Tune in for tools leaders and citizens can use to get grounded before you engage.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What is civic resilience?

07:15 What nervous system literacy actually trains you to notice.

12:00 Why body scans and relaxed muscles matter for sustained leadership.

16:15 Systemic drivers of chronic stress.

19:30 Why tech + speed amplify perceived danger and make regulation insufficient alone.

25:45 How trauma, polarization, and authoritarianism play out at work and in nations.

33:15 Nonverbal signals that communicate compassion.

38:45 Why Kate believes nervous system literacy can strengthen democracy.

Resources + Links

Subscribe to Kate Woodsome’s Substack and Newsletter for updates on her civic-resilience work

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Kate: on LinkedIn @katewoodsome + Instagram @kwoodsome

How To Heal After A Layoff with Yowei Shaw Nov 20, 2025

Layoffs do more than drain your bank account, they shake your sense of worth, belonging, and identity. In this episode, Yowei Shaw, an emotional investigative journalist shares what it felt like to get laid off from NPR, why the experience upends identity and dignity, and how the social systems around unemployment actually make healing harder. We talk about the strange behaviors that show up before and after a layoff, how companies actually decide who goes (spoiler: it’s often opaque), and ways to recover. Get ready to rethink what safety, identity, and recovery look like after a layoff.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Meet Yowei Shaw, an emotional investigative journalist.

05:15 What it felt like inside NPR during the layoff month.

11:00 What changed at work during the layoffs?

19:45 Is HR your enemy?

22:30 Why intense shame is a common experience after being laid off.

25:00 Stigma and hiring discrimination against laid-off workers.

30:00 How losing the illusion can be liberating.

32:45 How identity changes after leaving a big brand and why that can be a creative opportunity.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Yowei: @yoweishaw

AI, ADHD, And Humanness with Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary Nov 18, 2025

Is your anxiety about AI actually trying to help you? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary to talk about AI anxiety, overdiagnosis, ADHD, and why we’ve medicalized so much of our emotional life that we’ve lost sight of what it means to be human. Tracy shares why we were unprepared for the mental health fallout of social media, why we’re just as unprepared for AI, and how leaders can support teams through technological uncertainty without collapsing into fear or false certainty. Tune in to learn how to engage with AI without losing your humanity and how to work with your anxiety instead of treating it like an enemy.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why AI anxiety is showing up differently for each of us.

06:45 Is AI an intelligence or just a (very powerful) tool?

10:45 How calling AI “smart” and human-like hides what it actually does.

14:00 Why we weren’t prepared for social media’s mental health impact.

15:15 Ways to use chatbots and therapeutic AI without getting lost in them.

21:00 ADHD, dichotomies, and how medicalizing mental health distorts what diagnoses can do.

26:00 Why treating symptoms isn’t the same as healing.

29:00 If mental illness isn’t just a broken brain, what is it?

30:30 Why there is no single biomarker for conditions like bipolar disorder or ADHD.

38:45 Why anxiety is tied to uncertainty, hope, and creativity.

43:30 Where does stress fit alongside anxiety and fear?

48:15 Advice to someone who has AI anxiety.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Tracy: @tracydennistiwary

Brad Feld on OCD, Depression, and the Courage to Be Honest Nov 13, 2025

Stigma loses its power when leaders tell the truth. In this episode, venture investor and Techstars co-founder Brad Feld shares why he went public about depression and OCD, how a 2013 crash led to a decade of deep therapy, and why aligning what you feel, say, and do is a leadership advantage. We talk about the “inappropriate anxiety spikes,” the trap of calling mental health a “superpower,” and the difference between passive and active avoidance. Brad also breaks down a simple dashboard for monitoring burnout, practical somatic cues to watch for, and clear guidance on when to hire a coach versus a therapist. Get ready to rethink performance, protect your team from collateral damage, and lead with courage, clarity, and real agency.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why did you choose to speak openly about mental health?

09:00 How stigma and shame create a negative feedback loop for founders.

14:30 The irrational links between thoughts and actions that drive compulsion.

18:00 How reframing failure helps you find grace in what doesn’t work out.

20:00 The concept of “passive avoidance” and how it quietly erodes relationships.

26:00 What are the two ways anxiety shows up in leadership?

30:15 How absurdism brings comfort amid uncertainty.

33:30 Why performative passion often hides real insecurity.

37:45 The “anxiety spikes” that jump from 2 to 11 in seconds.

43:00 How ACT therapy helps you feel, accept, and act instead of suppressing emotion.

46:00 The dashboard of green–yellow–red lights to watch your energy in real time.

50:00 Advice to leaders who want to understand how their behavior impacts others.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Brad: @bfeld

The “Losing-My-Sh**” Playlist And Other Tools For High Strivers With Dr. Diana Hill Nov 11, 2025

Feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and still unsatisfied? In this episode, psychologist and author Dr. Diana Hill is back to share how to transform anxious over-effort into meaningful action. Based on her new book Wise Effort, Diana breaks down how to align your drive with your values, use your body as a source of wisdom, and stop wasting energy on fear, guilt, and proving yourself. We talk about why achievement alone won’t fulfill you, ways to work through feedback, burnout, and uncertainty. Tune in to learn how to find your genius energy and show up wisely, especially when life feels like it’s falling apart.

Check out our sponsors:

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why did you write Wise Effort for high achievers running on empty?

02:00 How to use music as a nervous system regulator and create a “Losing My Sh*t” playlist.

07:45 What Wise Effort really means and how it helps you stop striving on autopilot.

10:15 Why the body holds deeper wisdom than your pros and cons list.

14:15 How to reframe your struggles and build psychological flexibility.

17:30 How to turn your worries into clarity around your values.

24:00 Four questions to challenge unhelpful stories.

33:12 How to prioritize your genius energy and align work with your core values.

41:30 Ways to use feedback as information.

45:45 Tips to cope with layoffs, uncertainty, and fear without toxic positivity.

52:15 Why showing up with dignity creates lasting impact.

Resources + Links

Grab your copy of Dr. Diana Hill’s book Wise Effort HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Dr. Diana Hill: on LinkedIn @drdianahill + Instagram @drdianahill

Leading For Human Agency With SAP's V.R. Ferose Nov 06, 2025

In today’s high-pressure world, leading with love isn’t idealistic, it’s essential. In this episode, I sit down with V.R. Ferose, 26-year SAP leader and Head of SAP Academy for Engineering and founder of the Autism at Work program, to talk about why love as a leadership practice, seeing people clearly, protecting dignity, and amplifying agency, is the most powerful business strategy of all. He shares why trust compounds over time, how to lead with both strength and compassion, and why the future belongs to leaders who lead with heart intelligence, not just artificial intelligence. Get ready to rethink success, rediscover meaning, and learn how leading with love can create workplaces where everyone can thrive.

Check out our sponsors:

Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Meet V.R. Ferose, 26-year SAP leader and Head of SAP Academy for Engineering.

07:00 How history’s great social movements teach modern leadership lessons.

15:45 What “only strength respects strength” really means when facing conflict.

24:00 Why heart intelligence, not AI, is our greatest human advantage.

32:45 How real learning and growth happen through in-person connection.

37:30 How AI is eroding creativity and reflection.

42:45 The link between social comparison and anxiety.

48:45 What is the origin of Autism at Work?

55:00 Why “Autism at Work” began as a choiceless decision.

01:04:00 Why do so many high-achievers feel boxed in and powerless?

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow V.R. on LinkedIn @ferosevr

What Neurodistinct Professionals Really Think About Their Careers with Dr. Diane Biray Gregorio Nov 04, 2025

If you’ve ever wondered how to lead and thrive with a different brain, this conversation will help you feel less alone and better understand your neurodistinct strengths and challenges. I unpack findings from my "Neurostrength survey" taken by 1286 professionals with ADHD, Autism, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, learning differences, and other brain differences. I'm joined by sociologist, research scientist, and leadership coach Dr. Diane Biray Gregorio. We cover the real advantages (pattern recognition, creative problem-solving, empathy, hyperfocus), the common friction points (processing speed mismatches, focus, emotional regulation) of someone whose brain works differently at work. You’ll learn practical ways to self-advocate, how to job-craft for your strengths, and a simple framework to design your best workday. You’ll leave with strategies to make thrive at work, get what you need, and build psychologically safe, high-performing teams.

Read the survey report here, for free: https://morraam.com/neurostrength-survey

Check out our sponsors:

Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Science behind thriving at work: breaking down the results of my NeuroStrength survey.

16:15 What we learned about the leaders who responded to our survey.

21:00 Revealing the MYTH that neurodistinct people aren’t good at managing people.

24:30 How many people that completed the survey identified themselves as neurodivergent or neurodistinct?

28:45 How many survey participants who identify as neurodivergent/neurodistinct have been diagnosed?

35:30 Ways having a different brain has impacted careers (from challenges to strengths.)

39:00 Superpowers neurodistinct people have reported that are advantages in the workplace.

43:15 How to self-advocate and set up your environment to perform at your best.

52:30 Common task-related challenges of our survey participants.

57:00 The TAAM framework to best manage your time.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Dr. Diane Biray Gregorio: @drdbgregorio

Self Compassion For Overachievers with Attorney Mark Goldstein & Dr. Kristin Neff Oct 30, 2025

Today we’re exploring the skill that ambitious, anxious brains often resist: self-compassion. You’ll hear attorney Mark Goldstein’s candid story of OCD, depression, panic attacks, and the leave of absence that helped him rebuild a career and a life with support, therapy, mindfulness, and (yes) compassion. Then, Dr. Kristin Neff, pioneer of self-compassion research, teaches practical tools you can use today. We cover how to handle rumination, reframe “perfection” into being a “compassionate mess,” and when to turn on fierce self-protection versus tender care. If you hold yourself to impossible standards, this conversation will give you language, strategies, and permission to be human and still perform.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why self-compassion is a performance skill for anxious achievers.

02:00 Learn from Mark Goldstein on perfectionism, OCD, and the billable-hour trap.

05:45 “I couldn’t stop checking”: the 2017 spiral and panic attacks.

09:30 When did you decide you needed help and where did you start?

13:00 Taking a leave of absence, the fear of perception, and the reality of support.

18:45 Reframing “weakness” and treating mental health as a disability.

21:00 Dr. Kristin Neff on why our brains default to self-criticism.

23:30 The hack to turn caregiving inward.

25:15 Tips for practical self-talk (authentic compassion, NOT empty affirmations.)

27:30 When to deploy fierce vs. tender compassion and harnessing anger for protection.

30:00 How to stop rumination.

32:15 How to create room for compassion and grow without fear.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Muriel M Wilkins: Get Unblocked, Lead With More Ease Oct 28, 2025

Ever feel like the very habits that made you successful are now holding you back? In this episode, I sit down with executive coach Muriel Wilkins, author of Leadership Unblocked: Break Through The Beliefs That Limit Your Potential, to talk about the hidden beliefs that drive overachievers to perfectionism, micromanagement, and control. She breaks down how deeply rooted beliefs about worth, control, and safety shape your behavior at work. Tune in to learn how to rewire your thinking so you can lead with more ease, clarity, and confidence.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Meet Muriel Wilkins, Executive Coach and Founder & CEO of Paravis Partners.

07:00 How performance-based beliefs shape your sense of worth and leadership identity.

10:30 Ways to “break out of the matrix” and rewrite beliefs that keep you stuck in perfectionism.

13:30 The three most common “blockers” that high-achieving leaders face.

18:15 The belief that traps high-performing leaders in frustration and conflict.

21:15 Coaching exercise that helps leaders see their blind spots.

26:45 How over-caring and over-consensus quietly become leadership paralysis.

30:30 Ways to set limits and “contracts” that help reel in perfectionism.

35:45 How “I need to be involved” thinking keeps leaders stuck in the weeds and blocks growth.

Resources + Links

Read Muriel's book, Leadership Unblocked

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Muriel: on LinkedIn @murielwilkins + Instagram @coachmurielwilkins

Gabrielle Union on PTSD, Social Anxiety, and Navigating Fame Oct 23, 2025

What does it take to tell the truth when the world punishes you for it? In this conversation we're bringing back from 2021, Gabrielle Union talks about living with PTSD and social anxiety, the experiences in toxic workplaces, and what it means to keep speaking out even when fear follows close behind. She shares how activism triggers anxiety, the coping tools to keep you grounded from therapy to mindfulness, and how to redefine success through truth, purpose, and self-acceptance. Get ready to see how courage and healing can coexist and how learning to be alone doesn’t mean being lonely.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What does a toxic workplace look like, then vs. now?

06:30 The emotional cost of telling the truth in an industry built on silence.

11:00 How trauma survivors navigate social anxiety, boundaries, and life in the public eye.

16:00 Tools to calm anxiety and regain control.

21:45 How intentional alone time restores peace, clarity, and self-trust.

24:30 The powerful distinction between being alone and being lonely.

28:15 How Gabrielle’s 2012 Essence speech became a turning point toward truth and self-acceptance.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Gabrielle: on LinkedIn @gabrielleunion + Instagram @gabunion

He Built Coach Into a $5 Billion Company, But Feared Failure Every Day | Lew Frankfort Oct 21, 2025

What happens when one of America’s most admired CEOs admits that fear of failure never left him, even after building a multi-billion-dollar brand? In this episode, I sit down with Lewis Frankfort, the former CEO who transformed Coach from a small leather goods company into a global powerhouse and coined the term “accessible luxury”. Lew shares about the lifelong anxiety that drove him to excel, the depressive episodes that followed high-pressure seasons, and the methods to stay grounded, from meditation and exercise to cognitive coaching and “magic and logic” leadership. Get ready to see how even the most accomplished leaders are powered by the same fears and how facing them with purpose, curiosity, and compassion unlocks greatness.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Meet Lew Frankfort, former CEO of Coach, Inc.

02:00 How was the term “accessible luxury” born?

06:15 How do high-performing leaders manage depression?

10:00 Ways to turn fear of failure into fuel for growth.

14:00 The discipline that turned Coach into a best-in-class business.

19:30 What happens when success leads to disconnection and burnout.

23:30 Daily practices that restore energy and emotional balance.

26:00 Lew’s first mental health toolkit.

30:00 Interviewing method to uncover self-awareness and potential blind spots.

36:15 Why great leaders hire for complementarity, not similarity.

40:30 Lew’s “Three-Bucket Framework” for CEOs.

43:00 Why therapy and mental health care should be normalized for every leader.

Resources + Links

Get your copy of Lew’s book, “Bag Man: The Story Behind the Improbable Rise of Coach” HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Lew Frankfort on LinkedIn @lewfrankfort

Why "the Worst Advice Ever" Taught Entrepreneur Robert Glazer To Play To His Strengths Oct 16, 2025

What happens when the adrenaline fades and achievement alone stops feeling fulfilling? Robert Glazer is back to talk about what it really means to live and lead by your values. After selling his company and spending years in overdrive, Bob shares his journey of slowing down, rebuilding identity, and rediscovering purpose through self-awareness and core values. We talk about how to shift from fixing weaknesses to playing to your strengths, how values guide better leadership and relationships, and why authenticity, not automation, will define the future of content creation in the AI era. Get ready to learn how your core values can become your compass for work, purpose, and well-being.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 How stress hormones and constant adrenaline shape your health and identity.

08:15 Ways to identify and leverage your strengths instead of fixing weaknesses.

14:30 What are the dangers of overusing your strengths?

18:00 How core values become your ultimate decision-making framework.

23:15 Aligning personal values with relationships, work, and community.

28:00 How childhood experiences shape your leadership and money values.

36:45 The future of content, authenticity, and paying creators in the AI era.

41:45 Why human connection and imperfection will be the new premium in a digital world.

44:45 How to re-train your audience to pay for content they value.

Resources + Links

Grab your copy of Robert’s The Compass Within HERE!

Explore The Six Core Values Questions Page to help identify your personal and professional core values

Subscribe to Robert’s newsletter HERE!

Listen to Robert’s The Elevate Podcast HERE!

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Robert on LinkedIn @glazer + Instagram @robertglazer_

ADHD, Anxiety, and the Challenge of Doing What You Know You Need to Do with J Russell Ramsay Oct 14, 2025

ADHD isn’t just about distraction, it’s about emotion, motivation, and the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. J. Russell Ramsay, co-founder of the University of Pennsylvania’s Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program, to break down how anxiety and ADHD often overlap. We talk about how ADHD is an uncertainty generator that triggers anxiety, what “self-mistrust” really looks like, and why so many high achievers feel brilliant but inconsistent. Dr. Ramsay shares cognitive behavioral tools to boost focus, follow-through, and confidence, and the S.A.P. Action Plan to rebuild motivation when procrastination or self-doubt take over. Get ready to turn self-mistrust into self-mastery and use your anxious energy as fuel for focus and growth.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why are ADHD and anxiety so commonly co-occurring?

05:45 How a lifetime of ADHD moments leads to self-mistrust.

12:30 Why losing external structure during the pandemic made ADHD worse.

18:00 The three-part time management system that helps ADHD brains stay focused and calm.

25:15 How to channel last minute anxiety into productive momentum.

28:00 Why does ADHD exist on a spectrum of executive function?

32:00 How ADHD insights translate into workplace efficiency and emotional management.

35:00 S.A.P. Action Plan that bridges the gap between knowing and doing.

43:00 How cognitive behavioral tools can help you manage both anxiety and ADHD.

50:45 How to manage meetings, rebuild trust, and avoid burning social capital.

Resources + Links

Grab your copy of Dr. J. Russell Ramsay's The Adult ADHD Tool Kit HERE!

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow J Russel on LinkedIn: @russellramsay

Morra x Fixable: How to feel less awkward, stay strong during a job search, and build your team's confidence Oct 09, 2025

We’ve been taught that confidence means the absence of anxiety, but what if that’s completely wrong? In this special crossover episode, I joined Anne and Frances from Fixable to talk about the hidden link between anxiety and confidence. They answer listener questions about feeling awkward at work, leading with trust, and staying confident during rejection. We also delve into why anxiety is not a flaw but a sign of growth, how to handle “awkward office moments” with grace, and how to turn setbacks into superpowers. Get ready to see your anxiety as proof that you care, not proof that you can’t.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why anxiety and confidence are deeply connected.

04:00 How do you rebuild in-person confidence after remote work?

06:30 Why awkwardness at the office is completely normal.

09:00 The “Snack Week” experiment to practice connection and confidence.

13:00 Leadership lessons for helping your team build confidence.

15:00 Why weekend praise texts might backfire.

18:00 The right way to give feedback and celebrate failure.

21:00 How to stay confident through job rejection.

25:00 Why you already have confidence inside you.

30:00 How do you turn perfectionism into progress?

32:00 One Post-it exercise to stay grounded and confident every day.

Resources + Links

Listen to Anne & Frances’ Fixable Podcast HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Anne Morriss: @annemorriss

Follow Frances Frei: @francesxfrei

Beekman 1802's Josh Kilmer-Purcell: Anxiety Is My Superpower Oct 07, 2025

So many high achievers feel like their anxiety or depression will hold them back, but what if those challenges are actually your edge? In this episode, I sit down with Josh Kilmer-Purcell, co-founder of Beekman 1802 and Amazing Race winner, to talk about how living with anxiety and depression can shape your leadership, your creativity, and your approach to risk. Josh shares the mindset shifts, practical tools, and partnership strategies that helped him build a $150M brand without ignoring mental health. We also dive into empathy as a business strength, using “nightmare boards” to manage risk, and why kindness is a measurable business advantage. Get ready to use your anxiety as your superpower!

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Meet Josh Kilmer-Purcell, co-founder of Beekman 1802.

05:00 Risk and mental health in entrepreneurship and leadership.

08:30 Anxiety as a superpower and depression as a source of empathy.

16:30 How to use anxiety as a strategic advantage in your business.

20:30 The 51% rule for making tough business and relationship decisions.

26:45 Tools to manage depression and build resilience.

32:30 What is a nightmare board?

34:45 How to reframe envy into growth and perspective.

40:00 What chickens and “crone hens” teach us about aging, purpose, and enoughness.

47:15 Why sticking to your success goalpost builds lasting contentment.

54:00 How to know if you belong among people or in nature.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: @joshkilmerpurcell

Great Leaders Have Anxiety– And They Know How To Manage It Oct 02, 2025

Anxiety isn’t a flaw you have to hide or a weakness you need to fix, it’s information you can use. In this special cross-post from The Next Big Idea podcast, I sit down with host Rufus Griscom to talk about what 17 years of research, leadership interviews, and lived experience have taught me about navigating anxiety, depression, and neurodivergence. I share how reframing anxiety as data can help you show up with courage, why over-functioning often comes from childhood systems, and the surprising science linking mental health challenges with leadership excellence. Plus, I also share tools to work with self-criticism, break free from procrastination, and even “bank joy” so you have reserves to call on when life feels heavy. Get ready to turn your anxious brain into an ally instead of an enemy.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why anxiety is a data not an excuse.

05:30 How common anxiety and depression really are in leaders.

09:15 Family systems theory and the roots of over-functioning.

16:45 What is the Yerkes-Dodson curve?

20:45 Ways to manage anxiety.

22:30 How to stop cruel self-talk with tools like self-compassion.

27:45 How do you sustain focus when a project is no longer exciting?

34:00 What can companies do to better support neurodiverse employees?

36:15 Grounding techniques to reset anxiety at work.

41:00 Visualization practices to comfort your inner child.

46:00 The ‘banana trick’ from ACT therapy to stop catastrophic thoughts.

Resources + Links

Listen to The Next Big Idea Podcast HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Rufus on LinkedIn: @rufusgriscom

Leading for Inclusive Excellence with Dr. Keivan Stassun Sep 30, 2025

What can an Astrophysics Lab teach us about managing for inclusive excellence- and how can it make your own meetings better? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Keivan Stassun, MacArthur Genius Fellow, Vanderbilt astrophysicist, and founder of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation. We talk about clear communication norms, leading better meetings and other practices that support neurodiverse talent, and the mindset shift managers need to unlock hidden genius at work. Get ready to create workplaces where every brain can thrive.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What does “inclusive excellence” really mean?

05:15 How clear communication norms unlock focus and fairness.

08:30 Why agendas, structure, and precision help neurodivergent employees.

12:00 Ways to build new team habits that stick over time.

16:00 Supporting hyperfocus and respecting “hardwired” traits.

20:30 What Dr. Stassun discovered about his own brain through managing diverse teams.

23:00 Why Dr. Stassun normalized virtual participation years before COVID.

27:30 The science of visual thinking and strengths-based neurodiversity.

30:15 Why creativity and genius show up in many different forms.

33:30 The #1 mindset shift managers need to unlock talent.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Dr.Keivan Stassun on LinkedIn: @keivanstassun

Conflict Is Necessary At Work... Really with Amy Gallo Sep 25, 2025

Most of us hate conflict. It feels uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and often easier to avoid. In this episode, I talk with conflict expert Amy Gallo about why avoiding conflict fuels more anxiety in the long run, and how to reframe difficult conversations as opportunities for connection and progress. Amy shares her four-step framework for handling conflict, what to do when shame or fear hijack your emotions, and why practicing in small, everyday interactions can build confidence for higher stakes moments. Tune in to learn tools and mindset shifts you need to navigate disagreements with more calm, clarity, and confidence.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why most of us avoid conflict.

06:00 Tips to manage conflict in a healthy way.

09:45 How avoiding conflict builds “conflict debt” that comes back stronger.

12:30 Ways to rebuild trust and strengthen relationships after conflict.

17:30 The gender angle of negotiating and conflict at work.

22:45 Amy’s 4-step framework for handling conflict effectively.

30:15 Why “agree to disagree” isn’t always a real solution.

32:00 How do you recover from conflict when shame or rumination takes over?

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Amy: on LinkedIn @amyegallo + Instagram @amyegallo

"For 20 years I just pretended like there was nothing wrong with me." How this CFO Stopped Hiding His Anxiety and Depression with Adam Nemer Sep 23, 2025

What if the key to better leadership wasn’t just strategy, but self-awareness? In this episode, I am joined by Adam Nemer, Founder of Simple Mental Health. We talk about why self-awareness is the ultimate leadership tool, how daily practices shift anxiety into focus, and why normalizing conversations about mental health makes teams more engaged and more productive. Adam shares how years of hidden depression and anxiety nearly broke him, what changed when you finally get a diagnosis, and how embracing self-care makes you a stronger executive. Tune in to learn about tools that help you rise stronger, lead better, and live with more purpose every single day.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Adam’s daily self-care list.

05:45 Advice when work doesn’t feel joyful or fulfilling.

12:00 How do depression and anxiety show up in your leadership?

19:00 What therapy really looks like when healing deep loss and trauma.

23:00 Techniques for meetings and high-stress moments.

31:00 The training every company should adopt so employees can respond to panic attacks.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Adam: on LinkedIn @adam-nemer

Why You Should Stop Labeling Emotions Good or Bad with Dr. Susan David Sep 18, 2025

We’re often taught to push away grief, sadness, anxiety, or anger, but what if those emotions aren’t the enemy, but the key to resilience? In this episode, Harvard psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Susan David explains why emotions aren’t good or bad, positive or negative. She breaks down the groundbreaking concept of emotional agility, the skill set that allows us to face our thoughts and feelings with curiosity, compassion, and courage, and then move forward guided by our values. We also talk about why toxic positivity is so damaging, how difficult emotions signpost what matters most, and why learning to “hold anxiety in one hand and courage in the other” changes the way we work, lead, and live. Tune in to learn how to stop letting your emotions dictate your actions and start using them as valuable data.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why emotions are not good or bad.

05:00 How toxic positivity and “forced optimism” hurt leaders and organizations.

09:45 Why suppressing emotions leads to burnout, conflict, and emotional leakage.

13:00 How emotional agility differs from rigidity.

17:00 How anxiety and fear can actually point you to your values.

19:45 Why connecting to your values protects against burnout.

23:00 The cost of sidelining emotions in schools, workplaces, and culture.

27:00 How uncertainty and discomfort are the price of admission to a meaningful life.

31:00 Why grief is “love looking for its home” and how to honor it.

34:00 Listener story about grief, caregiving, and professional identity after loss.

42:00 What organizations can do to support employees navigating caregiving and grief.

Resources + Links

Learn more about Dr. Susan David’s work HERE!

Grab your copy of Dr. Susan David “Emotional Agility” HERE!

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Dr. Susan David: on LinkedIn @susanadavidphd

The Gifts of Neurodivergent Leadership with Dr. Michael Freeman Sep 16, 2025

What if the traits that trip you up at work are the same ones that make you exceptional? In this episode, psychiatrist, researcher, and entrepreneur Dr. Michael Freeman is back to share the strengths and risks of neurodivergent leaders. We talk about his latest research on founder mental health, why ADHD, bipolar spectrum, and dyslexia show up so often in high performers, and how to design work so your superpowers lead and your vulnerabilities don’t derail you. Tune in to learn how to spot when a strength becomes “too much” and why AI may give divergent thinkers an unexpected edge.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why entrepreneurs are more likely to be neurodiverse.

06:00 Are you a craftsperson or a scaler entrepreneur?

10:00 The ADHD subtype most tied to entrepreneurial success.

14:15 When do strengths become liabilities?

18:00 The personality traits that shape both your strengths and vulnerabilities.

22:45 Why conditions like dyslexia & ADHD carry less stigma than others.

26:30 How Dr. Freeman discovered his own dyslexia later in life.

30:00 Why AI could favor divergent thinkers.

Resources + Links

Learn more about Dr. Michael Freeman HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Why Anxiety Can Be Your Superpower with Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein Sep 11, 2025

Behind every bold move is often a quiet fear. In this episode, I sit down with Shopify President Harley Finkelstein to talk about how anxiety has shaped his path from navigating family financial loss as a teenager to leading one of the world’s most influential platforms for entrepreneurs. Harley explains how to view anxiety not as a flaw, but as a tool that sharpens foresight, fuels ambition, and prepares you for what others can’t see. He also shares how to build your team that balances your energy and why vulnerability in leadership is your strength. Get ready to turn anxiety into your advantage!

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Meet Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify.

05:45 How Harley turned survival-driven anxiety at 17 into his first business.

11:45 Tools Harley uses to manage anxiety.

16:15 How to use anxiety as a checklist for risk and anticipation.

21:00 How do you handle anxiety when it affects your leadership?

24:30 Why extroverts and introverts recharge differently.

27:00 The #1 skill every anxious achiever needs.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Harley: on LinkedIn @harleyf + Instagram @harley

How Childhood Adverse Experiences (ACES) Impact Your Working Life with Dr. Melissa Merrick Sep 09, 2025

Did you know your childhood story can shape your health, work, and relationships? In this episode, Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, shares the science behind ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and why nearly two-thirds of adults carry them. We talk about how trauma shows up in adulthood, why high achievers often live with hypervigilance, and the protective factors that can tip the scales toward healing. Tune in to learn why your past doesn’t define you and how to build a stronger, healthier future starting today.

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Meet Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America.

01:45 What are ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and why do they matter?

05:45 How childhood adversity increases risk for physical and mental health issues.

07:00 The #1 protective factor proven to fuel adult healing and growth.

09:45 The link between ACEs, hypervigilance, and high-achieving adults.

13:15 Why a high ACE score can shorten life expectancy by nearly 20 years.

15:00 The weight of carrying family trauma across generations.

19:30 Examples of leaders creating safer and more supportive work environments.

23:45 Daily habits that retrain your biology to handle stress better.

25:45 Dr. Merrick’s go-to resources for stress and pressure relief.

Resources + Links

Learn more about ACEs HERE

Learn more about Prevent Child Abuse America HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Dr. Merrick on LinkedIn

Turning Anxiety Into Your Growth Edge with Whitney Johnson Sep 04, 2025

Anxiety doesn’t have to be the thing that holds you back, it can actually be the spark that pushes you forward. In this episode, I sit down with Whitney Johnson, one of the world’s leading experts on personal disruption, to talk about what it really means to disrupt yourself and why growth often comes with discomfort, fear, and uncertainty. Whitney opens up about her leap from Wall Street, building a new identity, the lessons she’s learned as a mother and entrepreneur, and the daily practices that help her stay grounded. She also shares the question to ask yourself when anxiety kicks in, why you sometimes quit or avoid opportunities out of fear, and the exact strategies she uses to handle anxiety instead of running from it. Get ready to grow, no matter where you’re starting from.

Highlights

00:00 Meet Whitney Johnson, CEO of Disruption Advisors.

03:30 The privilege of dreaming and why so many people hold back.

05:00 Leaving Wall Street, parenting, and finding a new work-life fit.

07:45 What is disrupting yourself?

12:45 Is anxiety fueling your work ethic or running your life?

17:30 Whitney’s way of breaking the avoidance loop.

19:30 How anxiety shows up in your career and inbox.

23:30 How do you handle the anxiety of leaving a steady job to go out on your own?

27:30 Ways to find strength when anxiety holds you back.

31:00 Why growth is your default setting (and proof change is always possible).

32:45 Whitney’s hack for stopping the anxious cycle.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Learn more about Whitney Johnson and Disruption Advisors HERE

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Whitney: @johnsonwhitney

Understanding Bipolar Disorder With The Scientists Driving Innovation Aug 13, 2025

Over 40 million Americans have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and many more go undiagnosed. This episode takes a deep dive into what we know (and don’t know) about bipolar I and II, why science has lagged behind, and what a groundbreaking new initiative—BD²: Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder—is doing to change that.

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Dr. Mark Frye, psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Kate Burdick, Distinguished Chair in Psychiatry and the Vice Chair for Research in Psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, and neuroscientist and BD² initiative lead Dr. Cara Altimus about the genetics, biology, and lived experience of bipolar disorder, and what it means to truly thrive with a complex mental illness. We discuss promising research directions, including GLP-1s, cognitive trajectories, and precision psychiatry.

Key Quote: "

It’s not enough to reduce the bad. We’re aiming to increase the good—to help people with bipolar disorder live the full lives they want to live." — Dr. Cara Altimus

Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD²) is a collaborative initiative building the scientific foundation for better treatments and better lives for people with bipolar disorder. Learn more and get involved at https://www.bipolardiscoveries.org/.

Listeners who live with bipolar disorder can learn more about BD2' and their ongoing study described in this episode by visiting bipolardiscoveries.org or sending an email to info@bipolardiscoveries.org.

The study is taking place in partnership with 11 medical institutions across 44 locations in the U.S. and Canada. The medical institutions are:

Mass General Brigham (Massachusetts)
McLean Hospital (Massachusetts)
Johns Hopkins University (Maryland)
Mayo Clinic (Minnesota and Arizona)
University of California Los Angeles (California)
University of California San Diego (California)
University of Michigan (Michigan)
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Texas)
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research (New York)
The University of Texas at Austin (Texas)
University of Cincinnati/Lindner Center of HOPE (Ohio)
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Canada)

Listeners can also sign up for the BD2’ newsletter, Thrive Updates, at bipolardiscoveries.org and learn more by following on LinkedIn, BlueSky, and X at BD2Discoveries.

Timestamps:

05:31 Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Definitions and Types 14:48 The Role of Genetics in Bipolar Disorder 20:57 Research Funding and Its Impact on Bipolar Disorder 26:51 Stigma Surrounding Bipolar Disorder and Its Effects 32:07 Breaking the Stigma of Mental Illness 36:51 Thriving with Bipolar Disorder 42:12 The Integrated Network: A New Approach to Bipolar Research 47:39 Shifting Perspective From Symptom Reduction to Thriving 53:46 Understanding the Complexities of Bipolar Disorder

“Energy Is All There Is”: Understand Your Energy Body, Feel Better Jul 30, 2025

Managing your energy is key to regulating anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. In this episode, Morra sits down with energy healing practitioner Ellen Donaldson to explore how energy dysregulation shows up in high-achieving, anxious professionals, and what you can do about it. Ellen breaks down key concepts in mind-body energy medicine, including the chakra system, and offers practical tools to help you feel more grounded, present, and powerful.

Morra shares her own experience learning from Ellen, including how a simple shift in energetic awareness helped her cope with caregiving demands and daily overwhelm. You’ll also hear a short guided meditation to help you regulate your energy, even on the busiest days.

Takeaways from the episode:

Your energy body (composed of chakras and an aura) affects your emotional and physical well-being.
Dysregulated energy (like overly open or closed chakras) can manifest as anxiety, emotional flooding, or exhaustion.
The second chakra is particularly relevant to people-pleasers and caregivers. Learning to “close” it slightly can reduce overwhelm.
Grounding through the first chakra helps regulate the nervous system and bring you back to the present moment.
Simple practices—like visualizing veggie steamers as chakra regulators!—can be done in seconds, tied to everyday routines.

Ellen guides listeners through a quick grounding and chakra-regulation meditation you can repeat anytime—before a tough meeting, while caregiving, or simply when you're feeling frazzled.

Resources & Links

🌿 Download a free guided meditation from Ellen at: starleafwellness.com/morra-interview

🌿 Learn more about Ellen’s practice: starleafwellness.com

Timestamps:

03:40 Understanding Energy and Its Importance

06:21 Exploring Chakras and Their Functions

09:28 Grounding Techniques and Practices

12:22 Guided Meditation for Energy Regulation

17:25 Practical Applications of Energy Regulation

20:45 Resources

How Growing Up in Foster Care Shaped Chéla Gage’s Leadership Jul 23, 2025

How does growing up in foster care shape you as a leader? Chéla Gage is the former Vice President Global Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, workforce mental health advocate, inclusion expert, and host of the 1 Million Fosters podcast. Gage joins Morra to share how her childhood in foster care shaped her strengths as a leader, her reflections on anxiety and hypervigilance as an asset, and how she’s transforming trauma into purpose.

Chéla’s journey from foster homes and group homes to senior leadership roles at Nissan, Raytheon, and Starbucks is a testament to the power of claiming your story. She shares how her upbringing honed her ability to read a room, anticipate challenges, and build belonging, skills that have made her invaluable in corporate spaces.

Learn more about Chéla Gage: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelagage/

Key Themes:

✅ Hypervigilance as Leadership Strength: Growing up navigating new homes and caregivers taught Chéla to read the room quickly, identify influencers, and trust her intuition—skills she now uses to drive business impact.

✅ Reframing Trauma into Purpose: Chéla discusses how she once felt shame about her foster care past but now sees it as her superpower, providing her with empathy and perspective leaders need.

✅ Parenting as Reparenting: Motherhood allowed Chéla to give the love she didn’t receive as a child back to herself.

✅ The Role of Anxiety: Anxiety kept Chéla alert and prepared, but she learned to manage in therapy, to reduce constant threat scanning and burnout while embracing her “hypervigilance” as a leadership tool.

✅ Creating Belonging in Corporate Spaces: Through her career in recruiting and DEIB leadership, Chéla discovered the importance of recognizing and honoring people’s whole stories, not just their resumes, to create true inclusion.

Timestamps:

07:09 Hypervigilance as a Superpower

12:59 Transforming Pain into Purpose

18:40 The Role of Anxiety: A Double-Edged Sword

24:14 Inclusion and Belonging

29:51 The Impact of Personal Stories

34:50 Empowering the Foster Community

Using AI for ADHD With Lindsay Scola Jul 16, 2025

What happens when a late ADHD diagnosis meets the powerful potential of AI? Writer, strategist, and sleep coach Lindsay Scola joins Morra to share how she uses AI as a personal productivity partner to manage ADHD challenges, perfectionism, and executive dysfunction—while preserving creativity and rest.

Diagnosed with ADHD at 41, Lindsay discovered that AI could act as an accountability buddy, thought partner, and creativity booster. From using AI to overcome the dread of the blank page to automating follow-up emails, Lindsay shares practical ways she leverages AI without losing her humanity.

Buy Lindsay’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/AI-ADHD-Practical-Starting-Finishing-ebook/dp/B0F5T9QKMH

Listen to our interview about the stimulant shortage, narcolepsy and ADHD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ritalin-and-adderall-shortage-and-how-it-impacts-work/id1480904163?i=1000611595946

Key Themes:

AI as an ADHD Copilot: Lindsay explains how AI helps her manage executive dysfunction, tackle writing tasks, and avoid the overwhelm of perfectionism while maintaining her unique voice.

Reducing Shame and Preserving Brain Space: Using AI for small but stressful tasks frees up cognitive space, letting her focus on big ideas and creative work without getting stuck in spirals of self-criticism.

Permission to Play: Lindsay urges people with ADHD to experiment with AI and other tools to find what actually works for their brains instead of following rigid systems that suppress creativity.

Scheduling for Neurodivergent Brains: From building “dopamine deadlines” to respecting personal circadian rhythms, Lindsay shares how she structures her week to maximize focus while honoring energy dips.

AI for Burnout and Loneliness: We discuss how AI can help solo workers feel less isolated and provide accountability without judgment, acting like a team member who says, “let’s keep going.”

Timestamps:

03:28 ADHD, Midlife, and AI Solutions

08:13 Balancing Perfection and Completion

11:07 Childhood Injustice and Self-Awareness

18:30 Optimize Productivity by Time Awareness

19:37 Embrace Napping for Productivity

25:40 AI-Assisted Writing for Quick Posts

29:06 Podcasting Inspiration for Writing Newsletter

32:32 Flexible Time Management Strategy

35:50 Improvised Charging Solution

Crossover Special: Everyday Better with Leah Smart Jun 25, 2025

Everyday Better with Leah Smart is a show that helps listeners level up - in their careers and their lives. In this episode, Leah speaks with Anxious Achiever host Morra Aarons-Mele about her research and work around having a understanding your own unique brain and embracing a big career, from introversion, mental health, and neurodivergence. Morra explains what she’s learned about leadership and organizations through the lens of studying these topics.

Check out Everyday Better:

On Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3G8zjY1

On Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HRpNsQ

Who’s In Your Mental Health Squad? Jun 18, 2025

It might not be that easy to talk to your boss about mental health. But having close friends at work - on your team or elsewhere - where you can have open, honest dialogues can go a long way. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with three work friends about how they started talking mental health, how it helped them in their jobs, and what they hope managers can better understand in the future.

Unpacking Your Money Trauma Jun 11, 2025

We all have hang ups when it comes to money - but do you know where yours come from? In a time when many people feel economically insecure, Morra speaks with personal finance expert Shannah Game about the root of money issues and how we can recognize and grow from our trauma around money. Your money history doesn’t have to be your financial future! Shannah is the author of the book Unraveling Your Relationship with Money: Ditch Your Money Trauma So You Can Live an Abundant Life.

Check out her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Your-Relationship-Money-Abundant/dp/1394299850

Shannah’s podcast: https://everyonestalkinmoney.com/episodes/

Defining Your Values with Suzy Welch Jun 04, 2025

Do you really live by your core values - or do you even need help defining what they are? Many of us might have a vague notion of what is important to us in life, but our daily decisions and actions don’t always align with those values. The more precision with which we define our values, the more resilience we have to thrive in tough times, and lead through anxiety. Suzy Welch is the author of a number of books including most recently Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career. And she explains how she approaches values, why they are different than virtues, and how better understanding what really matters to you can guide a more focused and productive work life.

Suzy’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-You-Proven-Crafting-Authentic/dp/0063418606Suzy’s podcast: https://www.suzywelch.com/podcasts/

The Roots of Perfectionism and How We Can Change May 28, 2025

Perfectionism can help us succeed, but it can also be a detriment to our mental health and our lives. Understanding it is the first step to better management. In this episode, psychologist Thomas Greenspon shares research about perfectionism, where it comes from, how it can impact us - and how we can try to cope with it to move forward.

The Power of Spaciousness and the Gift of Being Seen May 21, 2025

Do you feel like a rubber band about to snap- low on capacity, time, and space to think? Are you constantly stuck in a mode of “doing” - trapped by your own productivity? Researcher and author Megan Reitz says that shifting into “spacious mode” could do wonders for your mental health, your relationships, and your work. She speaks with Morra about how our obsession with productivity might be crowding out creativity, insight, and connection. Plus, she’ll share practical ways to slow down, get present, and pay attention.

Flexing Your Emotional Intelligence Muscles May 14, 2025

What does it really mean to be emotionally strong—and why is emotional intelligence the leadership skill of the future? Emily Anhalt, author of the new book Flex Your Feelings: Train Your Brain to Develop the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness, explains why mental health is an ongoing practice, and how we can get more fit. She breaks down why emotional resilience, self-awareness, and adaptability are essential not just for personal well-being but for building sustainable, high-performing teams. Plus, Anhalt explains why emotional fitness is more like going to the gym than going to the doctor, how to build it through “emotional pushups,” and why soft skills are actually some of the hardest (and most valuable) to build in your career.

Check out Emily’s new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Flex-Your-Feelings-Develop-Emotional/dp/0593717619

Finding Your “Why” and Rooting Leadership in Healing May 07, 2025

Five years ago, Dr. Maggie Chery tragically lost both of her parents to the Covid 19 pandemic, just weeks apart. It was a trauma that still affects her today, but it shifted the course of her life’s work as well. Today Maggie is a program manager at Google, and Chief Operating Officer at Not Just a Black Body. Her personal loss has drastically shifted how she works - both in terms of her leadership philosophy, and in terms of how she approaches creating better health equity outcomes around the globe, including those of mental health.

Masculinity, Disability, and Reframing Leadership Apr 30, 2025

What assumptions do you hold about leadership, ability, and power? In the wake of recent comments from Mark Zuckerberg about the need for more “masculine energy” in the workplace, Jason Rosario returns to the show to talk about changing definitions of masculinity and vulnerability - and what it means for work. Rosario is CEO of the agency The Lives of Men and Chief Impact and Inclusion Office at BBDO Worldwide.

Plus, we’re joined by Dom Kelly, CEO of the nonprofit New Disabled South, to talk about disability and leadership.

OCD and the Art of Noticing Everything Apr 23, 2025

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder isn’t just a cluster of symptoms to manage. Like other mental health challenges, it can come with hidden advantages like the ability to be more creative and empathetic. The key is understanding - whether you have OCD or you work with someone who does. Michael Alcee, author of the book The Upside of OCD: Flip the Script to Reclaim Your Life, explains the misconceptions we have about OCD, what spiraling thoughts really feel like, and how this relates to the ability to achieve.

Read Michael’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Upside-OCD-Flip-Script-Reclaim/dp/1538191105

Hypervigilance: When Everything Feels Like a Threat Apr 16, 2025

Hypervigilance is a state of being where you constantly are on the lookout for perceived threats. It’s often the result of trauma - but it shows itself in the work world as well. Ironically, many high achievers are rewarded for hypervigilant behavior, but it comes at a cost. Tanvi Gautam, executive coach and managing director of Leadershift Inc., explains how she’s seen hypervigilance show up in her clients, and how she helps them work through it and push forward in their careers.

Read more about hypervigilance: https://hbr.org/2024/11/3-ways-to-temper-your-hypervigilance-at-work

The Practice of Mindfulness and Meditation, From Industry Leader Sharon Salzberg Apr 09, 2025

Practice makes perfect - except perhaps when it comes to meditation and mindfulness. In this episode we revisit a conversation with mindfulness expert Sharon Salzberg on what led her to the path of meditation, what mindfulness does for anxiety, how she deals with the ups and downs of life, and how mental health is or isn’t present in our work lives today. Plus, she guides us through a short practice - even if it doesn’t turn out perfect.

The Real Cost of Masking at Work: Neurodiversity Expert Ludmila Praslova Apr 02, 2025

It’s absolutely crucial in today’s work for leaders and the organizations they run to understand the unique strengths and challenges of neurodivergent workers. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele dives into the complexities around the word “superpower” and the ways workplaces can improve with Ludmila Praslova, a professor at Vanguard University of Southern California and author of the book The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work. They speak about the kinds of accommodations companies can be taking, the latest data around neurodiversity and work, and personal stories about being neurodivergent leaders.

The Unseen Links Between Mental Health, IBS and Your Gut Mar 26, 2025

Among the most important links between our physical and mental health might just lie in our digestive tract. Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a gastroenterologist, gut health expert, and the founder of 38TERA. In this episode, he explains his own journey to eating better, how that impacted him mentally, and the most cutting edge research about how anxiety and IBS are linked, why it is especially important for anxious achievers, and more.

Learn more about Dr. B: https://theplantfedgut.com/

What We Still Don’t Understand about Adult ADHD Mar 19, 2025

Dr. James Kustow is a London-based expert in adult ADHD. He shares the latest research around the disorder - which he hesitates to even call a disorder - including how ADHD is linked to emotions and our physical body. Kustow has a truly whole-body understanding of ADHD. We’ll hear some of the science behind ADHD-related behaviors and how they can impact our careers and leadership abilities.

Shows We Love: We Too Are One Mar 07, 2025

Want to learn more about neurodivergence and navigating career success? Check out Morra’s recent appearance on the We Too Are One podcast, where host Martin Gale aims to celebrate the power of individuals with ADHD and autism - and what it looks like in their work and lives.

Check out more about the show here: https://www.wetooareonepodcast.com/about

What’s the Root of Your Perfectionism? Mar 05, 2025

Author and former Fortune 500 CHROSusan Schmitt Winchester returns to the show, this time to talk about past toxic bosses, perfectionism, and coming to terms with why we do what we do at work. She talks about uncovering the reasons we are drawn to perfectionism, what it looks like, and actionable ways we can change our behavior to improve our mental health and our careers.

Managing Leadership Anxiety Feb 26, 2025

Leadership comes in many forms, and good leadership can be found at all kinds of organizations, from startups to faith communities. In this episode, Morra searches to learn more about how leaders perform and manage their own anxieties, as well as the anxieties of others. We also explore how leaders can most effectively communicate during anxious times. She speaks with Steve Cuss, an author and pastor, as well as Present Voices founder Lee Bonvissuto.

Learn more about Steve: https://www.stevecusswords.com/about

Learn more about Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahbonvissuto/

Mental Well-Being Can Supercharge Your Organization’s Success - Here’s How Feb 19, 2025

Vlad Gheorghiu is on a mission to make workers happier, healthier, and at the same time, more productive. The ex-McKinsey consultant took his own experience of panic attacks to change his work to something more meaningful. After leading the global mental health and well-being program at the storied consulting firm, he went on to found Kyan Heath, which focuses on a preventive approach to mental health in organizations. He explains why he thinks it can help not just workers, but also the bottom line.

Learn more about Kyan Health here: https://www.kyanhealth.com/

What Can Radical Transparency Do For Leadership? Feb 12, 2025

Disclosing your mental health struggles to colleagues or a boss (or even friends and family) can be really hard. In this conversation, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with leadership development expert Elle Clark about the upside of creating a culture of transparency. Clark shares her experience being open about anxiety in the corporate world, how it has changed her leadership, and about her relationship with body image.

The Toll of Shame on Mind and Body Feb 05, 2025

Many of us carry shame around every day without even realizing it. It can stop us from developing great relationships, chasing our dreams, or even making the most of the day. David Bedrick is an author, psychological activist, and founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-Based Studies, and he’s spent his life helping people recognize shame and detach from those feelings both physically and mentally. He explains practical ways we can all deal with past trauma and the feelings it creates within us.

Bringing Vulnerability to Work: A Non Profit Leader and a Police Officer Jan 29, 2025

We all bring our trauma with us to work every day. But if we build the right culture and relationships, we can also bring vulnerability and healing. If you’ve felt like you have to hide a huge part of yourself at work, this episode is for you.

First, Morra speaks with Schroeder Stribling, President and CEO of Mental Health America, about how her trauma from her youth impact the way she works and leads today; and her expertise around addiction and the workplace. Then, we hear from Bobby Hoffman, chief deputy at the Hampden Massachusetts County Sheriff’s Office, who is part of a program bringing therapy dogs to the often macho and not-so-mental health friendly work of policing.

Revisiting Accent Bias in a World Pushing Against DEI Initiatives Jan 24, 2025

The bias against accents and the perception of how well someone speaks English has huge impacts for individual contributors, leaders, and the business world at large - but it is often ignored. In the wake of a number of DEI related initiatives being cancelled in the federal government, we revisit this conversation with Heather Hansen on what accent bias is, why it matters, and what we can do about it. We also discuss effective business communication in English, a key skill in this global world.

Learn more about Heather’s work: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hansenheather_trumps-war-on-dei-freezes-diversity-work-activity-7288020003105226753-Ymir?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Is Your Leadership Style Inspiring or Infuriating? Jan 21, 2025

Have you ever had a boss who just infuriated you? Bosses and leaders often have the ability to make or break our experience at work. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky about the attributes that differentiate great leaders from terrible ones, and how leaders can have a outsized effect on others. His research also looks at attention and shows that anxiety and anger have the ability to narrow our viewpoints and hold us back; plus how talking ourselves up when we are insecure can actually backfire. Galinsky’s new book is Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.

Check out Galinksy’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Inspire-Universal-Leading-Yourself-Others-ebook/dp/B0D3CCHW45?ref_=ast_author_mpb

When The Company You Build Almost Fails Jan 15, 2025

From afar, Luvvie Ajayi Jones seems to have it all together; to be thriving as an entrepreneur and author, complete with New York Times best-selling books and a viral Ted Talk. But all careers face downturns, and Jones has shared how one of the hardest years of her life affected her company, her finances, and her mental health. In this conversation with Morra Aarons-Mele, she talks about entrepreneurship, transparency, and making hard choices.

Listen to Luvvie’s podcast here: https://luvvie.org/podcast/

How to convince others you’re still relevant — Hint: start with yourself (from Fixable) Jan 10, 2025

Experience is not always seen as an asset in a world that equates innovation and youth – particularly in fast-moving industries like tech and art. How do you convince others that your work still matters…now more than ever? This week, Anne and Frances help digital artist and TED Fellow Julie Freeman break free from her own story about aging and relevance.

Together, two of the top leadership coaches in the world, Anne Morriss and Frances Frei, move fast and fix stuff by talking to guest callers about their workplace issues and solving their problems in 30 minutes or less. Both listeners and guests will receive actionable insights to create meaningful change in the workplace — regardless of their position on the company ladder.

And they can solve YOUR biggest work problem too! Text or call 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show next season.

The Couple Making the Most of ADHD for Their Creative Business Jan 08, 2025

When you are neurodivergent, it can feel like you are always behind, don’t fit in, or even worse - wreak havoc on the lives of those who love you. But Penn and Kim Holderness faced ADHD as a couple and a family head on. Through five years of research, they figured out ways to harness Penn’s superpower of ADHD and even built a business around it. The former Amazing Race winners share their perspective and tools on how to have a successful family life -- and business--when your brain works differently.

Check out their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@holdernessfamilylaughs

Read their book: https://www.amazon.com/ADHD-Awesome-Guide-Mostly-Thriving/dp/1400338611

How to Ride the Wave of Anxiety and Overthinking Jan 01, 2025

In the high stakes world of technology companies, a lot of lip service is paid to well-being and mental health. But Meredith Arthur has been researching practical ways to manage anxiety and overthinking since before it was cool. In this episode, Morra speaks with the author and Beautiful Voyager creator about everything from polyvagal theory, clinical somatics, self-regulation and internal safety. They share their favorite routines for managing anxiety and stress.

Learn more about Meredith here: https://bevoya.com/about

Listen to Meredith’s previous Anxious Achiever episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5B88kIsQfcvPRR3Ut8wynX?si=6jCXb7mLRvKZAIbAcYPRKQ

When Your Body Dials 911 Dec 18, 2024

Ongoing stress can affect not just your emotional and mental health, but also your physical health. The connection between mind and body is often overlooked in the work world, but leadership development expert Jason Miller has spent his career trying to change that. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele hears more about Miller’s experience that landed him in the ER. Plus, Dr. David Barlow, Professor Emeritus at Boston University, shares tips on how to right-size your phobias and better cope.

Resilience Isn’t Enough: We Need To Be Anti-Fragile Dec 11, 2024

To succeed in sports and in the corporate world, you might need more than just resilience. Enter the concept of anti-fragility, which focuses on the idea that meaningful resistance and meaningful difficult situations can be approached in a way where you actually come out better on the other side.

Dr. Nick Holton is a performance coach for professional athletes and Fortune 500 Executives. Adam Wright is the Director of Mental Performance at the Washington Nationals MLB team. Together they founded The Anti Fragile Academy, and they speak with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how they train corporate leaders to withstand pressure, and improve as a result.

What if Impostor Syndrome Isn’t All Bad? Dec 04, 2024

It turns out, a lot of our beliefs about how we are performing at work - and how we choose to label that performance - can negatively impact our jobs and our mental health. Basima Tewfik is an Assistant Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, who looks deeply at our social behaviors and psychology at work. And she’s found that labels like anxious, neurotic, and imposter syndrome can actually be really detrimental to our success. Even impostor feelings, in her research, can lead to positive outcomes at work. Tewfik thinks of each like a double edged sword and explains how her research focuses on the positive side of phenomena like these.

Connecting Mind, Body, and Work Performance in a Stressful Season Nov 20, 2024

Why do we feel anxious even when threats are only imagined, and why have we evolved to feel anxiety? The connection between mental and physical health is well documented and talked about, but very easy to forget in times of stress. In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Christine Runyan, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and co-founder of Tend Health about the roots of this complex emotion, and learn self care techniques that actually work, and why.

Dr. Christine Runyan on On Being: https://onbeing.org/programs/christine-runyan-on-healing-our-distressed-nervous-systems/

More about Tend Health: https://tend.health/meet-tend/meet-founders/

Say Goodbye to Negative Self-Talk and Hello to Your Superpowers Nov 13, 2024

Sanyin Siang is an advisor, coach, and adjunct professor at Duke University where she leads the Fuqua/Coach K Leadership and Ethics Center or COLE. She’s also someone who believes in being your own best friend, and that starts with the self-talk we have going on in our heads all day long. In this episode, she walks host Morra Aarons-Mele through her superpowers framework, her own quest to find her strengths, and how high-achievers can zero in on our gifts instead of what we need to improve.

The Superpowers with Sanyin Substack: https://leadershipplaybook.substack.com/

Tim Shriver on Emotional Intelligence, Family Healing, and Difficult Conversations Nov 06, 2024

Tim Shriver is a filmmaker, chairman of the Special Olympics, and host of the podcast Need a Lift. He’s also a member of the Kennedy clan, and has spent much of his life’s work helping to increase emotional awareness and improve the discourse around things like mental health, faith, disabilities, and more. He speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about the most important conversations we need to be having now, how children and adults alike can improve their mental health and emotional flexibility, and what drives him in his work.

Listen to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/need-a-lift-with-tim-shriver/id1765227660

The Dignity Index: https://www.dignity.us/

Finding Healing After Layoffs Oct 30, 2024

Yowei Shaw was the host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia before layoffs hit the organization. In the aftermath, she struggled with how her identity and sense of self shifted in unexpected ways. Now, she hosts the podcast Proxy with Yowei Shaw. We’ll talk about the process she went through following her layoff, how she’s recovered, and advice she’d share with others in the same situation.

Listen to her podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0VkDE8LAXf5COW4tqhhy1B

Learn more about Yowei’s layoff story: https://the.ink/p/yowei-shaw-proxy-layoffs-emotions

Introducing: Let's Talk Offline Oct 25, 2024

Check out a new show we love: LinkedIn's Let's Talk Offline. Co-hosted by Gianna Prudente, LinkedIn's early career development editor, and Jamé Jackson, a LinkedIn community manager, this show seeks to answer unfiltered questions about work life, covering topics like: Setting workplace boundaries, building your personal brand, scoring your dream job, and navigating office friendships. The show aims to help Gen Z and young millennial professionals advocate for themselves, stand out, and make positive changes in their work lives - all without sacrificing their values, sanity, or sleep. In this episode, they dive deep into social anxiety.

How Envy Impacts Work and Leadership Oct 23, 2024

Envy can drive us - but it can also drive us into a wall. It can motivate us at work, but it can make us - and the teams around us - miserable. And sometimes, envy is trying to tell us we might want a change in our own life. In this episode, we revisit a conversation with executive coach and president of PartnerExec, Nihar Chhaya, about how to recognize and reframe envy before it gets the best of us at work.

The Upside of Career Envy: https://hbr.org/2020/06/the-upside-of-career-envy

Is Work Fundamentally Broken? Oct 09, 2024

Laurie Ruettimann is a former human resources leader and current author and speaker on work place culture. She looks at how the overall system of capitalism is hurting us, what is broken about work, and what can be done. She shares her own journey through corporate America, despite her anti-establishment roots; how living a corporate lifestyle led to unhealthy habits and an impulsive and risky weight loss surgery. Plus, what she’s learned in the years since and her advice for workers and leaders of companies going forward.

Learn more about Laurie:https://laurieruettimann.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/laurieruettimann_fixwork-selfleadership-wellbeing-activity-7051595498406768640-ieCi/

Hacks for Managing Yourself and Others: Understanding Attachment Styles Oct 02, 2024

A lot of us have a basic understanding of how attachment styles - secure, anxious and avoidant - affect human beings in their relationships. But we don’t often think about what they mean for work. In this episode Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Jack Hinman, who expands the definition and understanding of attachment styles and explains how they can be a superpower. Hinman is Founder and Executive Director of Engage Transitions.

Learn more about attachment and Hinman’s work: https://engagelifenow.com/attachment/

What Companies Should Do For Workers in an AI Age Sep 25, 2024

When it comes to managing our mental health as AI takes over the workplace, there’s a lot on our plate. But in a world that is also driven by systems, it’s important to think about what organizations can be, should be, and are doing to remember worker mental health in the coming years.

To wrap up our month long series on AI, mental health, and work, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Susan Quain, an expert in digital employee experience, about the best ways that leaders and companies can help workers adapt and thrive as AI becomes a more frequent collaborator.

Learn more: Seven ways digital workplace teams support the rollout of generative AI

Disruptive Change and Shifting Mindsets Around GenAI Sep 18, 2024

When it comes to anxiety, the best thing we can do is figure out what is in our control and shift our energy away from the what ifs and the negative thinking. This applies when it comes to anxiety around GenAI taking our jobs as well.

In this episode, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to two people sharing real tools to navigate today’s work landscape. We hear from author and disruptive leadership expert Charlene Li, who shares the real ways she’s currently using AI, how it can actually make us better workers and leaders, and how to think proactively about this new technology. Then, Morra speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman, psychology professor at Columbia University, about how we can use AI as an opportunity to self-actualize.

Does Discomfort Reflect What We Value Most? Sep 11, 2024

Sometimes, you have to look scary change in the eye and approach it with flexibility instead of fear. Dr. Diana Hill is a clinical psychologist and leadership coach who specializes in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and we speak to her this week as part of our month-long series on artificial intelligence and work.

GenAI and how it is impacting your job might be stirring up all kinds of emotions for you - including anger - and Hill explains techniques you can use to change your frame of mind and improve your relationship with all this change. We discuss the importance of values when navigating uncertainty and anxiety.

More about Diana Hill: https://drdianahill.com/about

Our episode on AI and work with Nilay Patel: https://morraam.com/blog/9ojwos1lawqrhhgmcxl87f2343km01

Morra Joins The Next Big Idea To Talk Anxiety As a Trait of Great Leaders Sep 06, 2024

Host Morra Aarons-Mele recently spoke with Rufus Griscom on LinkedIn’s The Next Big Idea to talk about leadership. She speaks about how anxiety is an asset, resource and motivator - if you can learn to harness it the right way. And she offers up practical advice - with help from a pen, a banana, and science-baked research - on how exactly you can do that and take your leadership to the next level.

The Next Big Idea is a weekly series of in-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers. Listen to more of The Next Big Idea here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anxious-achiever-how-you-can-turn-anxiety-into-a-superpower/id1482067226?i=1000666224026

AI, Work and Mental Health: Nilay Patel on Tech and the Future Sep 04, 2024

Like anxiety or depression, AI is now a constant companion for millions of people around the world. We might be benefitting from the use of AI at work, but also truly worried about what it means for our future. For the next few weeks, host Morra Aarons-Mele is exploring what AI means for our work and our mental health, from what tech giants are planning to tactics for managing uncertainty to how the best companies are mentally preparing their work force for a new age.

In this episode, she speaks with Editor-in-Chief of The Verge, Nilay Patel, who also hosts The Decoder podcast. Nilay talks about what it is like to run an organization in this time of uncertainty, how the media is or isn’t helping the narrative around AI, what’s going on behind the scenes at tech companies, and what about human creativity truly is at risk in the next few years.

Is Passion Driving Burnout? Aug 28, 2024

There’s often a direct connection between how much you achieve at work, and how high you climb, and how much passion you have for your work. It’s a huge motivator, but it has a downside for those especially geared towards overachievement: burnout. Jon Jachimowicz is an assistant professor at Harvard Business School and he shares what he’s learned from his study of passion, work, career longevity, and more.

More on Jon’s work: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=1175257

Hope as an Essential Ingredient of Life and Work Aug 21, 2024

We humans need hope! A lack of hope contributes to much to mental health struggles across the board, and that’s why it’s important to learn more about the science behind hope and how it impacts us. Hope is a skill we can all learn. In this episode, Kathryn Goetzke, founder and chairman at The Shine Hope Company, explains what she’s learned about negative thought patterns, control, depression and more. She also shares her own story of anxiety, PTSD, and addiction and how better understanding hope helps her impact workplaces today.

Check out Snyder’s Hope scale: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/2023-11/hopescale_hys.pdf

You Can’t Change the World If You’re Unhappy At Work Aug 14, 2024

We’ve come a long way in the last five years, but there’s so much still to be done when it comes to our working lives and our mental health. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele revisits our very first episode, where she speaks with Scott Stossel. He’s a National Editor of the Atlantic magazine and author of the New York Times Best seller “My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind.” He shares his story of anxiety, and why it’s more important now than ever for leaders to recognize and work around the mental health challenges of their teams.

Read Scott’s book: https://www.amazon.com/My-Age-Anxiety-Dread-Search/dp/0307269876

Adapting Your Career to Your Neurodivergent Needs Aug 07, 2024

What if all your assumptions about people with neurodivergent conditions… were all wrong? In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to two people living very different lives, but who have a Tourette Syndrome diagnosis in common. First, TV presenter Aidy Smith shares how he became the only person to host a show in the UK who has Tourette Syndrome, and how he overcame obstacles to get there. Then, we’ll hear from Tara Lerman, a listener who reached out to share her own journey in media and advocacy.

Learn more about Aidy Smith: https://www.aidysmith.com/

Why We Need to Change the Conversation Around Tourette’s Syndrome: https://www.madeofmillions.com/articles/why-we-need-to-change-the-conversation-around-tourette-s-syndrome

When Your Job Revolves Around The Tumultuous U.S. Election Jul 31, 2024

The news is overwhelming, and thinking about the upcoming election makes many of us anxious. Political veterans know how to get things done in a never-ending 24 hour news cycle, and somehow stay on course when the world is spinning too fast - but it isn’t always easy.

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Shaniqua McClendon, Vice President of Politics for the media company Crooked. She talks about her previous roles and experiences, toxic bosses and work environments, and how she tries to maintain some balance in a hectic election cycle.

Check out more of Crooked Media’s podcasts: https://crooked.com/podcasts/

Vote Save America: https://www.votesaveamerica.com/

A Former Olympic Rower on Grit, Heartache and Success Jul 24, 2024

In 2012, Michael DiSanto graduated from a prestigious university. But instead of following the path of his peers, he set out to achieve a lofty goal: make the 2016 Olympic rowing team. It was a tough decision and even tougher training process; at times he was bored, at times he wanted to give up. di Santo used anxiety and anger as powerful motivators to drive his performance as an Olympic rower. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to DiSanto about his journey to the games, how he ended his career, how he manages his mental health, and what lessons he’s taken into his career in finance today.

More on mental health and Olympic athletes: https://apnews.com/article/paris-olympics-2024-mental-health-biles-osaka-891c2dc08b59a3ccb0b15ffeca239089

ADHD Expert (and Diagnosee) Dr. Ned Hallowell on Unwrapping Our Gifts and Changing Labels Jul 17, 2024

Dr. Ned Hallowell has ADHD himself, and is a well-respected doctor who focuses on counseling people of all ages with similar disorders. But he’s quick to point out that the phrase deficit disorder isn’t quite right. Dr. Hallowell’s life’s work is freeing people from the stigma associated with these kinds of conditions. He explains how he thinks about this kind of neurodiversity differently (a Ferrari brain with bicycle brakes), how it has helped his work and career, and why he became a TikTok influencer in his 70s.

Learn more about Dr. Hallowell’s work here: https://drhallowell.com/

Follow Dr. Hallowell on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drhallowell?lang=en

Dan Ariely on Resilience as the Antidote to Stress Jul 10, 2024

Dan Ariely is a famed behavioral economist who looks at the irrational, upside-down ways that humans think and act. His recent interests include resilience - something he’s had to build up in his own life after a serious burn accident in his teens. Ariely is a professor at Duke University and the author of bestselling books like “The Upside of Irrationality.” Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to him about mental health, human behavior, and overcoming challenges.

Watch Dan’s Ted Talks: https://www.ted.com/speakers/dan_ariely

How a Terrible Accident Inspired Dan Ariely’s Career Path

How an Injury Led Me to Irrationality

Is People Pleasing Hurting Your Career? Jul 03, 2024

If you fall into certain people-pleasing behaviors at work, we have news: it’s not just an individual problem. Kathleen Smith, therapist and author of the new book True to You, explains how relationships, family ghosts, and systems inform our behavior in all kinds of ways, both inside and outside of the workplace. She explains how family systems theory is a helpful frame in this context, and how people can break out of their people-pleasing ways.

Check out Kathleen’s book: https://www.amazon.com/True-You-Therapists-Pleasing-Yourself-ebook/dp/B0CGRYFPNL

More Than Breadwinners: The Mental Health of Working Fathers Jun 26, 2024

Just as working mothers increasingly feel pressure from all sides to achieve and be the best family members possible, expectations for fathers have shifted in recent years. But professor Brad Harrington and former TV anchor Liam Martin argue that the ecosystem of support for working fathers hasn’t been formed in the same it has for women. Brad’s research shows that working fathers increasingly feel conflicted about where they should spend their time, and how to manage the expectations society puts on them while balancing their own mental health. Liam shares his own personal story of recently leaving his job to protect his mental health and family’s quality of life. Like many of us, Liam hid his struggles and avoided asking for help. Many people manage "role conflict" - the struggle between being present for family and the need to be successful professionally, which can impact mental health.

Read Liam’s story of why he walked away from his job: https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2024/04/07/liam-martin-fatherhood/

Tools and Tricks for Neurodivergent Leaders Jun 19, 2024

Clayton Lord breaks the mold of what you might expect someone’s career to look like if they are on the autism spectrum. He’s Director of Programs at the SHRM Foundation and channels his strengths to create insight and order out of complex and messy problems. He also balances that with the fact that he isn’t always first to notice interpersonal issues at work. But he’s developed a tool kit - which includes keeping Post-it notes by his desk with reminders - that helps him achieve success as a leader, a partner, and a father. Lord shares his story of how he moves through a neurotypical world.

Learn more about SHRM: https://www.shrm.org/front-door

Burnout, Balance, and Why Work From Home Isn’t Working Jun 12, 2024

Shirley Leung is a columnist at the Boston Globe and host of the podcast Say More, and in 2020, she hit “rock bottom.”Being stretched on all sides for years finally took its toll and she realized her work life balance needed a change. Four years later, Shirley went on a quest to better understand how to deal with and prevent burnout at work. In this episode, she talks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how working from home no longer works for many people, the mental health challenges we still feel post pandemic, and being realistic about our priorities.

Listen to Shirley’s burnout series on Say More: https://link.chtbl.com/saymore?sid=anxiousachiever

The No Club Book: https://www.amazon.com/No-Club-Putting-Womens-Dead-End/dp/1982152338

Craig Robinson on Following Your Passion, Forgetting What Others Think, and Bringing out the Best in People Jun 05, 2024

Craig Robinson, brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama, is a basketball legend, former NBA executive, coach, and Executive Director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. But he wasn’t always on that path: after playing basketball at Princeton, he ended up spending much of his career in finance before following his true passion. Robinson shares lessons he learned from his family, his insights on getting high performers to stay at their best, and how to keep going in the face of negativity and criticism.

Listen to Craig’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ways-to-win/id1733309040

Coming Soon: Season 10 May 30, 2024

Starting June 5th, the Anxious Achiever is back to celebrate its tenth season. We’ll be diving into the topics and challenges you’ve asked about most:

How to manage anxiety around AI and your job
What is is like crafting a career while living with Tourette’s syndrome
How to identify if you are a people pleaser (and how to change)
Why your boss is or isn’t toxic
Manage emotions through difficult situations

And much, much more. The new season launches next week - be sure to let us know what you think!

Thinkers50: The Limits and Responsibilities of Leaders May 29, 2024

Leaders of organizations have a large responsibility when it comes to their own mental health, and of those in their organization. When they speak up about mental health, others can too. But vulnerability comes with risks. How can leaders model openness around mental health without bumping up against stereotypes and judgment?

In this roundtable conversation, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmonson – the pioneer of the concept of psychological safety at work; entrepreneur and best-selling author Peter Sims; and Megan Reitz of Oxford University and Hult International Business School about the leader’s role in speaking up and fighting mental health stigma.

Learn more about Amy: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451

Learn more about Peter: https://petersims.com/

Learn more about Megan: https://www.meganreitz.com/

Learn more about Thinkers50: https://thinkers50.com/

Thinkers50: Can We Banish Burnout? May 22, 2024

Burnout doesn’t come on because of weakness, and it doesn’t come about overnight. Many of us are walking around with some degree of burnout! On the flip side, it takes more than a vacation or loving your job to solve the problem. In this special Thinkers50 episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele explores some of the ways companies and individuals can more effectively avoid burnout and put in place more mentally healthy systems. She speaks with Alyson Meister, a professor at IMD Business School, Jon Jachimowicz, assistant professor at Harvard Business School, and Basima Tewfik, assistant professor at MIT Sloan School of Management.

Learn more about Alyson: https://www.imd.org/faculty/professors/alyson-meister/

Learn more about Jon: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=1175257

Learn more about Basima: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/basima-tewfik

Learn more about Thinkers50: https://thinkers50.com/

Thinkers50: Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy, Start Being Your Best Friend May 15, 2024

As part of a month long series with Thinkers50 and The Silicon Guild, in this episode host Morra Aarons-Mele explores constructive ways we can improve our relationship with ourselves, instead of always being our harshest critic. She’s joined by Duke Professor Sanyin Siang, Lenny Mendoca, Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey, and Palo Alto City Council Member Julie Lythcott-Haims to talk about ways to change your self talk and your work.

Learn more about Sanyin: https://centers.fuqua.duke.edu/cole/team_profiles/sanyin-siang/

Hear our past episode with Lenny: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-the-stigma-of-mental-health-for-men-in-business/id1480904163?i=1000601243370

Hear our past episode with Julie: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/how-to-stop-the-cycle-of-overachieving/id1480904163?i=1000479076732

Learn more about Thinkers50: https://thinkers50.com/

Thinkers50: Improving Work, Improving Mental Health (For Everyone) May 08, 2024

What are some of the most important management ideas out there in today’s world? Thinkers50 is an organization that aims to identify and share these important ideas day in and day out, and all month long host Morra Aarons-Mele is partnering with Thinkers50 and The Silicon Guild for a series of roundtable talks about mental health and work. In this episode, she speaks with Columbia Business School’s Rita McGrath, Copenhagen Business School’s Poornima Luthra, and entrepreneur Andrew Barnes, founder of the Four Day Week Movement, about rethinking how we work to improve mental health for everyone.

Learn more about Rita: https://www.ritamcgrath.com/

Learn more about Poornima: https://www.talented.dk/

Learn more about Andrew: https://www.4dayweek.com/andrew-barnes

Learn more about Thinkers50: https://thinkers50.com/

When Anxiety Sneaks Up on You, Try Something Different May 01, 2024

Imagine you are having an anxious moment at work. Instead of letting yourself slip into old patterns of negative thoughts or self-criticisms, today’s guest says you can take a step back and try something new: maybe moving around, going out for lunch, drinking some water - but definitely not doom scrolling.

Emma Seppala is a lecturer at Yale and author of the book Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos. In this episode, she explains behavior changes that can make a big difference in your career.

Check out Emma’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Sovereign-Reclaim-Freedom-Distraction-Uncertainty/dp/1401975062

Are You And Your Employer In An Abusive Relationship? Apr 17, 2024

Burnout culture is everywhere - case in point, a lawsuit brought against Goldman Sachs earlier this year by a former employee claiming that the relentless workload required by the firm led to heart problems and depression. The firm’s response was of particular note to Sarah Green Carmichael, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist.

In this LinkedIn Live, Sarah joins Morra as well as Cali Williams Yost, founder and CEO of Flex+Strategy Group, to discuss the interplay between company culture and individual experience and behavior, as it relates to our mental health.

For further reading, check out Cali’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Life-Cali-Williams-Yost-ebook/dp/B001R9DHXK?ref_=ast_author_dp

And Sarah Green Carmichael’s columns: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/authors/AUKfbdj7jH8/sarah-green-carmichael

Mental Health Literacy Can Change Lives - and Careers Apr 10, 2024

There was a time when everyone masked their mental and emotional struggles at work; or worse, didn’t even know that what they were experiencing might be anxiety, depression, or something similar. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele first speaks with Kent Coules, co-publisher at Hawaii Business Magazine, about his long career in media, his path to sobriety, and what he learned about drinking and anxiety along the way. Then, she speaks with Donna Volpitta, co-founder of The Mental Health Literacy Collaborative, about how important it is for adults - and kids K-12 - to better understand mental health.

Think Your Family Background Doesn’t Affect You At Work? Think Again Apr 03, 2024

Just as members of a family have different roles to play and different patterns of behavior they keep, so too can our family dynamics play out in the workplace. We bring with us to work our feelings about how we should assert ourselves, ask for help, deal with failure and more - all behaviors we learn in our family system growing up.

Deborah Ancona, a Professor of Organization Studies, and the Founder of the MIT Leadership Center at the MIT Sloan School of Management, calls these behaviors “ghosts,”and they’re not all bad. Ancona shares her research and experience on how family systems affect us at work.

Check out our previous episode on family systems theory: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZNknArKLeGB9JATPFZkJb

Read Deborah's Artile: https://hbr.org/2022/01/family-ghosts-in-the-executive-suite

Are You Harnessing Your Anxiety for Good? Mar 27, 2024

Anxiety rarely feels good, so it might feel counterintuitive to think about it as a positive thing. But in this episode, we revisit a conversation with Wendy Suzuki, an NYU neuroscientist who studies neuroplasticity. Anxiety can bring benefits to performance and work, and we can reframe our relationship with this challenging but necessary emotion. Suzuki is the author of the book “Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion.”

Learn more about Wendy here: https://www.wendysuzuki.com/

Trauma-Informed Leadership: Is it Right For You? Mar 20, 2024

In the quest to be a more empathetic and effective leader or manager, the lens of trauma-informed leadership might be helpful for you. It’s the idea that all people have various forms of trauma that they carry with them to the workplace, and that leaders should approach situations at work accordingly.

Matthew Cooke, partner at the coaching, consulting and investment firm Evolution, is a big proponent of this kind of thinking. He explains how a trauma-informed leader might view or act in situations differently, the skills and resources used for managing through tough moments, and how you can apply the concepts to your own work.

Learn more about trauma-informed leadership:

https://healthadministrationdegree.usc.edu/blog/trauma-informed-leadership

https://accelerate.uofuhealth.utah.edu/leadership/five-ways-to-practice-trauma-informed-leadership

https://www.fastcompany.com/90836621/we-need-trauma-informed-leadership-in-the-workplace

https://evolution.team/matthew-cooke

Accent Bias: How It Impacts You and Your Work Mar 13, 2024

Heather Hansen challenges the notion of "good" and "bad" English. Good communication is about getting the message across. She’s based in Singapore and helps executives with their linguistic and communication skills. Hansen is helping us tackle a real problem in our increasingly globalized work world: accent bias. Hansen is on a mission to help increase awareness about our assumptions of what “perfect” English sounds like-- and what we think a good leader sounds like. She explains the negative impacts that accent bias can have, and how we can fight it.

To learn more about Heather, check out her TedTalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/heather_hansen_2_billion_voices_how_to_speak_bad_english_perfectly

Are You Good at Embracing Uncertainty? Mar 06, 2024

Uncertainty and anxiety are highly linked in our brains: when we aren’t sure what will happen, we often go into planning, defensive mode, trying to come up with every possible scenario and ensure a good outcome. Author Maggie Jackson looks at the ways that better managing uncertainty - like anxiety - is an essential skill. Reframing uncertainty helps us perform in challenging times. Jackson shares the latest brain science and shows being more comfortable in the unknown can help our careers and our success.

More about her book: https://www.maggie-jackson.com/uncertain

Dan Harris: 10 Percent Happier, 10 Years Later Feb 28, 2024

We all have big moments that shift the course of our life - and our relationship with those moments also change over time. Dan Harris was a long time TV journalist when he had a panic attack on air in 2004. That set in motion a different course in his life - where he began meditating, finding healthier ways to manage his anxiety, and hosting the podcast 10 Percent Happier. On the tenth anniversary of his book 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Really Works – a True Story he speaks with Morra Aarons-Mele about how work and public discussions of mental health has changed, how he views his life changing moment now, and what he wants next.

Check out his book here: https://www.amazon.com/10-Happier-10th-Anniversary-Works-dp-0063356473/dp/0063356473/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

And listen to his podcast: https://pod.link/1087147821

Toxic Bosses, Mean Girls, and Trusting Yourself Feb 21, 2024

You know the feeling when you know that something is off with a relationship at work, but feel like you can’t speak up? Many of us have felt this feeling but haven’t known how to describe it or work through it in a healthy way. Toxic bosses and coworkers are super common, and can send negative ripple effects throughout the organization, far beyond a one on one relationship.

Benish Shah was a trusted colleague of mine and she wrote the column “Is it Toxic?” to help workers navigate tricky situations in their jobs. In this episode, we get her expertise on how to deal with toxic bosses and coworkers in helpful and strategic ways.

We lost Benish suddenly in December, but I’m honored to share some of the work that was so important to her and to help continue her impact.

Read Benish’s column here: https://www.themuse.com/advice/is-it-toxic-column-supportive-manager-180-grilling-nitpicking-micromanaging

The Toll of Selling Your Business: Two Entrepreneurs Share Their Stories Feb 14, 2024

We put so much of ourselves and our identity into our work; that’s especially true for entrepreneurs. It can be hard to deal with the emotions of selling the business you started, even when it’s the outcome you dreamed of.

In this episode, we speak with two very different entrepreneurs about how their lives and mental health have changed over time, as they’ve created and sold businesses and changed career paths.

Bob Glazer is the founder of Acceleration Partners as well as the author of several books. Michael Kaplan is former CEO of Fashion to Figure, and part of the family that started the company Lane Bryant. Both share the ups and downs of their entrepreneurial journeys.

Learn more about Bob: https://robertglazer.com/

Learn more about Michael: https://www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=2490

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kaplan-7679828/

Is Your Anxiety a Habit You Need to Break? Feb 07, 2024

For many of us, anxiety is a partner on our journey of life: it is always there. But a helpful reframe could also be the idea that anxiety is a habit. And the good news is: habits are something we can break. We’ll learn about how to recognize these habits and change them, especially at work.

In this episode Morra speaks with Dr. Judson Brewer, author of “Unwinding Anxiety” and journalist Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit” as well as the new book “Supercommunicators.”

Check out Jud’s book here:

https://www.amazon.com/Unwinding-Anxiety-Science-Shows-Cycles/dp/0593330447

You can find Charles’ books here:

https://www.amazon.com/Supercommunicators-Unlock-Secret-Language-Connection/dp/0593243919

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Former Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Google on Why Teams and Culture Matter Jan 31, 2024

How far have we come in terms of mental health at organizations, and how far do we still need to go? Kristin Maczko leads Strategic People Programs for Synopsys, but formerly served as the Head of Health and Wellbeing at Google before recently being laid off. She speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how she’s seen workplace structures around mental health shift over time, the mistaken idea of mental health being only the individual’s responsibility, and how we separate our jobs from our core sense of self and value.

Hear more about Kristin on her podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-self-at-work/id1686526288

What You Still Don’t Understand About Imposter Syndrome Jan 24, 2024

Studies show that over 70 percent of us feel imposter syndrome at one time or another. But there’s a lot we still don’t know about the why, the how, the what. In this episode, imposter syndrome expert Lisa Orbe-Austin returns to the show to talk about the latest research, how we can start fresh this year, and what’s really holding us back in our careers.

Learn more about Lisa Orbe-Austin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaorbeaustin/

“I Have Always Cared a Lot What Other People Think of Me” Jan 17, 2024

Congressman Adam Smith spent years quietly struggling with both anxiety and physical pain, while serving the people of his state and the entire country in Washington D.C. For many years, holding public office meant hiding things like mental health struggles, but things have changed recently. He speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about what his anxiety felt like (running on a treadmill that was slowly speeding up), how it impacted his job, how it has made him more empathetic, and how he hopes to change the conversation.

Find his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Broken-Journey-Chronic-Crippling/dp/0757324622

Micromanaging, Mental Health, and Breaking Free Jan 10, 2024

Leaders out there who are guilty of micromanaging might not immediately realize that it comes from a need for control, and probably a bit of anxiety. On the other side of the table, being micromanaged can have really negative impacts on our mental health. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Julia Milner, a leadership professor at EDHEC Business School, about how to recognize, handle, and prevent micromanaging in your work.

Read more here.

LinkedIn Live: From Digital Transformations to Personal Transformations Jan 05, 2024

Charlene Li is someone who has spent her career focusing on digital transformations and disruptive leadership. And she practices what she preaches - she even helped host Morra Aarons-Mele set up an AI (check out morra.ai). Li shares how to define your individual purpose and find the motivation to “be great” in this special LinkedIn Live.

“You See Flashes of Really Deep Emotion in the Heat of These Competitions” Jan 03, 2024

What can we learn about performance and mental health from professional athletes? As we start a new year off, Morra Aarons-Mele revisits her conversations with sports and performance psychologist Alex Auerbach, who works with the Toronto Raptors; and with former NFL star Ryan Mundy, who now runs a mental health start-up called Alkeme Health.

Learn more about Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexAuerbachPhD?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Learn more about Ryan and Alkeme Health: https://alkemehealth.com/

Pressure, Perfectionism, and Passion: What Medical Professionals Face Dec 20, 2023

The limelight - and appreciation - given to medical professionals early in the pandemic has largely faded, but the stresses they face continue. In this episode, Morra speaks to a veterinarian and a physician about their personal mental health, compassion fatigue, and making decisions that go against the grain. Her guests are Chief Medical Officer at Mars Veterinary Health Molly McAllister and Dr. Ariela Marshall, a hematologist and health entrepreneur.

The Loneliness Epidemic and Work (with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy) Dec 13, 2023

Do you feel lonely, even when you’re almost never alone? It’s a common feeling for many workers in the U.S. right now - with around 50 percent of Americans experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. That sense of loneliness has a huge impact on our collective mental health as well. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele in this special LinkedIn Live episode about what we can all do to improve the situation.

Learn more here: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

We All Experience Class At Work (And Why We Should Talk About It) Dec 06, 2023

Ever been at work and everyone starts talking about their recent trip to Italy, or their Ivy League college reunion coming up… and you just feel left out? Beyond money, class is something that also involves culture and it shows up everywhere - including at work. The stress we feel around class can have a big impact on our mental health, and it’s likely that our class also impacts how we approach our mental health. In this episode, we chat through all the ins and outs of class with Jonathan Menjivar, the host of the podcast Classy.

Listen to his show here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/classy-with-jonathan-menjivar/id1692818989

Want To Run A Good Company? You Can’t Ignore Menopause Anymore Nov 29, 2023

The working world has gotten a lot more open about a lot of things, from mental health challenges to the realities of being a working parent. But a topic that is still taboo for many is the subject of menopause. Today's guests share why understanding more about this phase of life and how it affects women's physical and mental health is paramount to running a successful organization.

In this episode Morra speaks with Dan Simons, cofounder of Farmers Restaurant Group, a business with $100 million in revenue. He’s on a personal mission to normalize conversations about menopause at work as part of a larger part of his leadership which includes being more open about mental health. Joining the conversation with her perspective is Amy Gallo: author, contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, and cohost of the HBR podcast Women at Work.

Read Dan's blog post here: https://medium.com/@dansimonssays/menopause-menallpause-leadersallpause-2fff22228dc0

How Your Family History - and Tensions - Affect You At Work Nov 22, 2023

Many in the U.S. this week are celebrating the holiday of Thanksgiving - which, unfortunately for many, can mean difficult conversations with family about money, politics, and even the past. At a time when old habits can re-emerge for people, host Morra Aarons-Mele revisits a conversation with Kathleen Smith about family systems theory. The role we played in our family of origin shapes how we show up as a leader and colleague. Smith is a writer, therapist, and associate faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family.

Building Your Career When You Have Borderline Personality Disorder Nov 15, 2023

Today’s guest always seemed to seek out chaos in his career. It wasn’t until a diagnosis that he learned to manage his emotions, stay still, and practice consistency as a leader.

Bryce Seto is an SVP of Business Strategy and Business Development, and has been managing borderline personality disorder since he was diagnosed several years ago. He’s also cofounder of the Blossom Mental Health Fund and has been writing about his experience with BPD to decrease stigma and help the work world better understand what he - and so many others - goes through.

Read more about his story here: https://www.bryceseto.com/p/borderline-boy

Farnoosh Torabi on Fear, Money, and Career Success Nov 01, 2023

Farnoosh Torabi is a veteran journalist and personal finance expert who has spent much of her life trying to help others have a healthier relationship with money. But we all have hangups, and varying degrees of anxiety when it comes to how we make money and how we measure success. She speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele in this special LinkedIn live interview about her new book A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life. She says that in some ways facing our fears can help improve our mental health and our overall lives.

LinkedIn Live: How to Speak Up Oct 27, 2023

Speaking up is an essential skill in work and in leadership, but it can be scary and anxiety-inducing for many of us. This week, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about how can speak up more strategically, get what you want, and manage your mental health.

Leadership, Burnout, and Breakdowns (and Why Coaching Can Help) Oct 25, 2023

Everyone needs support at work, whether that comes in the form of coaching, therapy, some combination - or something else. In this episode we look at the specific kinds of challenges that executives face with burnout and breakdowns with executive coach Dr. Chris Bittinger. We’ll learn more about coaching versus therapy, the work he does at Open Pivot, and his own mental health journey.

Mood and Food: What You Need to Know About Gut and Mental Health Oct 18, 2023

While information about the connection between food, gut health, and our overall well-being has come into the spotlight in recent years, it can still often be something that only the privileged have time, money, and energy to devote to. Kimberley Wilson is hoping to change that.

She’s a psychologist with a degree in nutrition, and author of the books How to Build a Healthy Brain and Unprocessed: How the Food We Eat is Fueling our Mental Health Crisis. Wilson explains how deep the connection is between mental health and what we eat, how that shows up in our daily lives, and why these ideas matter for everyone.

The Israel-Hamas War and Managing Grief Oct 16, 2023

It was an emotional and scary week for millions of people around the world following the horrific attacks in Israel and subsequent ramp up of war. In this episode, we return to Rebecca Soffer, author of “The Modern Loss Handbook.” to offer up thoughts on dealing with grief - and work - through such a tragedy, and we share her previous episode on grief for helpful frameworks.

20 Minutes a Week Devoted to Culture Building Can Improve Mental Health for Grocery and Retail Workers Oct 11, 2023

Anthony Sartori knows just how overlooked the mental health of retail workers can be. After finishing college in 2018, and seeing the plight of frontline workers during the beginning of the global pandemic, Sartori started the nonprofit Evolving Minds. He speaks with Morra Aarons-Mele about the goal of the organization and how companies can work to improve the lives of retail employees.

Mindfulness to Be A Better Colleague - and Stop Being Passive-Aggressive Oct 04, 2023

We bring ourselves to work - or to our Zoom calls - every day with the desire to be professional and to achieve. That often means trying to put whatever else is going on in our world aside, but it’s a lot easier said than done. Cynthia Kane is a certified meditation and mindfulness instructor who focuses on communication routines. She explains to host Morra Aarons-Mele why it’s so hard to focus sometimes, how that can impact our interpersonal relationships, and what we can do about it. Plus, why we fall back on communication patterns like being passive-aggressive, and how to break those habits.

Learn more about Cynthia's work here: www.kanecommunicate.com

“He’s a Jerk Who Got Rich and Now He Hates Everybody” Sep 27, 2023

Gabe Howard had a successful tech career when, at the age of 26, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. To the outside world, many people thought it was merely a case of an inflated ego. After going through a divorce, losing his job, and getting through the scare of losing health insurance, he came out the other side as a speaker and activist.

Howard is the host of a number of podcasts including “Inside Mental Health,” and he speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about his 2003 diagnosis, how it impacted his career, and what people still misunderstand both in and outside of the workplace about bipolar disorder.

Hear more of Howard's podcasts here: https://www.gabehoward.com/podcasts/

"I Have Everything to Gain and Nothing to Lose, and I Have a Responsibility to Use My Voice" Sep 20, 2023

A huge part of breaking down stigma around mental health challenges at work is about being open and honest about our experiences. Mita Mallick is head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta and host of the LinkedIn podcast Brown Table Talk, and she speaks publicly about injustices she herself has seen and felt in her career. We speak about becoming a public figure, changing toxic workplace culture, and anxiety around achievement.

Check out Mita’s new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Reimagine-Inclusion-Debunking-Transform-Workplace/dp/1394177097

“When I Was Diagnosed with PTSD I Was Treated Like Damaged Goods” (Part II) Sep 15, 2023

We continue the conversation with Dean Yates, a Tasmania-based mental health advocate, former journalist, and author of the book Line in the Sand.

“I Wanted to Cover War Without Having Any Clue What War Was Like” (Part I) Sep 13, 2023

Dean Yates was a foreign correspondent and worked for Reuters for decades until the traumatic events he witnessed took their toll. Over time, he realized he was struggling with PTSD - while at the same time realized his company was pushing him out. He shares his story of why he began reporting in the first place, the uncomfortable truths about PTSD, and how he wants workplaces to change.

“I Didn’t Know What the Word Burnout Meant”: One Teacher’s Mental Health Journey Sep 06, 2023

The public school system in the U.S. lost at least 300,000 public school teachers and administrators between February 2020 and May 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Post-pandemic, some of that strain has abated, but many of the underlying causes for quitting, burnout and other mental health challenges remain. At the start of the school year, we speak to Houston-based middle school teacher Crystal Frommert about the unique challenges and anxieties that teachers face in their profession and what she’s learned about better handling those challenges.

You can check out her book here: https://www.amazon.com/When-Calling-Parents-Isnt-Your/dp/B0BZFLDRSR#:~:text=When%20Calling%20Parents%20isn't%20Your%20Calling%20is%20a%20how,night%2C%20conferences%2C%20and%20more

Behind the Scenes of Meditation and Mental Health with the CEO of Headspace Aug 30, 2023

The first time that Russell Glass tried meditation, he wasn’t really sure what to make of it. Flash-forward several years and lots of practice later, Glass is now the CEO of Headspace, the mental health and meditation app.

He speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about his own experience with anxiety and imposter syndrome as an entrepreneur, why he was drawn to Headspace as a company, and loneliness and the importance of human connection at work. They also talk through the bold policies he has in place to continue to make sure Headspace practices what it preaches as an organization.

LinkedIn Live: Weight-Loss Drugs, Food Noise, and Mental Health Aug 18, 2023

Host Morra Aaons-Mele has an informal chat with author and entrepreneur Meredith Arthur about how Wegovy - a drug similar to Ozempic - has changed her life, and reduced what she calls “food noise”.

This Leadership Expert’s Experience Managing Autism Can Help Everyone Enjoy Work More Aug 16, 2023

Tara McMullin was diagnosed with autism at the age of 38, and it put her previous struggles with work and the structures we have around work in a new light. Now, she knows how to build her work day and work relationships in a way that’s healthier for how her brain works. The author and business coach shares what work was like for her before and after diagnosis, and what anyone in the work world can learn about controlling how and when they work.

You can listen to Tara’s podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-works/id1054027973

LinkedIn Live: Am I Too Old for This Role? Aug 11, 2023

Do you ever wonder if you are “aging out?” This week, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about the realities of age bias, expectations, and the stress it brings.

Catch more of Morra and Nihar’s LinkedIn Live sessions here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele/

Best of Anxious Achiever: Pressure, Achievement, and Self-Compassion Aug 09, 2023

High achievers and those who struggle with mental health often find it hard to give themselves compassion. We revisit one of our favorite episodes about self-compassion, featuring Mark Goldstein, a lawyer at Reed Smith who speaks about his journey with depression, OCD, and breaking down stigmas; and psychologist and author Dr. Kristin Neff on how people can build more self-compassion to impact their work and lives.

Learn more about Mark Goldstein’s story: https://abovethelaw.com/2019/02/biglaw-depression-story/

Dr. Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion Exercises: https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#exercises

“I Could Work 16 Hours a Day and Not Have It Affect Me… I Thought” Aug 02, 2023

We don’t always immediately see the ways that anxiety, trauma, or institutional inequities show up for us - and our bodies - at work. Deepa Purushothaman began her career as a classic overachiever, until she couldn’t physically do it anymore. She was done “ingesting” toxic work culture and “acting in” her emotions, as she puts it. She came to realize a lot of the ways that corporate America can be toxic for women of color in particular, and she set out to change that.

Purushothaman is the cofounder of nFormation, and she wrote the book The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America.

Real Leaders Get Emotional: Cloudfm CEO Jeff Dewing Jul 26, 2023

Today, Jeff Dewing runs a successful facilities management technology corporation. He’s had a dramatic career. Mark began his career in refrigeration repair but quickly got bit by the entrepreneurship bug.

Over his lifetime he’s seen the ups and downs of his industry and the working world, and has learned to embrace vulnerability and mental health concerns on his way to running a better company. That includes a moment during the pandemic where he cried during an all-staff meeting - and had to admit, “I don’t know what to do.”

Learn what he’s learned from great successes and great failures, and how he believes leadership today is changing.

LinkedIn Live: Is Mental Health at Work a “Gen Z Thing”? Jul 21, 2023

Older generations have heard the stereotypes, and maybe seen anecdotal evidence that supports these biases: Gen Z, newish to the workforce, is a bit too aware of their feelings and their mental health; but sometimes we just need them to do the work. In this LinkedIn Live session, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about ways to reframe intergenerational conflict at the office, especially as it pertains to being open around mental health concerns.

How MLMs Hurt Women’s Mental Health Jul 19, 2023

Multi-level marketing businesses, or MLMs, offer people - often women who don’t work outside the home - the chance to be entrepreneurs, face new challenges, and grow their social circles. The reality is a situation that can prey on mental health issues, the emotional strain and isolation of motherhood, and even trigger substance abuse concerns. Sobriety coach, author, and former MLM worker Emily Paulson shares the story of how she came to MLM, the career she hoped she’d have, how stuck she felt, and how she’s now working to help others.

Learn more:

https://www.amazon.com/Hey-Hun-Sisterhood-Supremacy-Multilevel/dp/1955905258

https://themighty.com/topic/mental-health/mlms-exploit-mental-health-conditions-chronic-illness-disability/

https://www.scarymommy.com/mlm-selling-affects-womens-mental-health

The “Goal Conqueror” Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder During the Pandemic Jul 12, 2023

Natasha Bowman always thought of herself as a goal conqueror: someone who could seemingly take on any project, multitask any number of things, and come out on top. It wasn’t until the global pandemic temporarily slammed on the brakes of her career that some of the underlying reasons for this came to the surface. At age 42, the HR executive was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

She speaks with Morra Aarons-Mele about the events that led up to her diagnosis, and how she integrates her mental health with her achievement and success today.

Bowman is the author of the book Crazy A.F.: How to go from being burned out, unmotivated & unhappy to reclaiming your mental health at work. A note that this episode includes brief mentions of suicide and self-harm.

LinkedIn Live: How to Handle Envy, FOMO, and Jealousy Jul 07, 2023

Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about what Morra calls the "triangle of doom" - envy, shame and scarcity - as part of their regular LinkedIn Live series. These concepts are natural feelings that we all deal with at some point in our lives, but that can really hamper our productivity, and our careers. It's time to get honest about them. Nihar and Morra offer their strategies for managing envy, FOMO, and shame.

Best of Anxious Achiever: Can Workplaces Help Us Heal? Jul 05, 2023

With all of the issues in corporate America, in startup culture, and in workplaces biases and inequalities, it can be easy to forget the ways in which work can be a positive part of our life. Susan Schmitt Winchester, co-author of Healing at Work: A Guide to Using Career Conflicts to Overcome Your Past and Build the Future You Deserve, argues that the workplace is actually a better place than we think. Host Morra Aarons-Mele revisits this conversation with Schmitt about our working lives, how our childhood trauma might show up, and how to use our workplaces - in person or remote - as settings to change our behavior and our mental health.

When High-Powered Careers Come to Define Us Jun 28, 2023

Have you ever daydreamed about quitting your stressful job and hitting the open road? It isn’t something everyone can afford to do with their time and money. But it is something people sometimes do when they face incredible burnout, loss of self, depression, and more.

Daryll Henrich has spent the better part of the year on the road on his motorcycle after leaving his job as a VP at Google last September. He was an early advocate for better mental health at work, and developed strong internal leadership capacity when he became open about his depression. He reflects on how anxiety and depression shaped career decisions and what he wants now.

I Get This Question a Lot: Should I Try To Make My Corporate Job Work? Jun 23, 2023

For many people, the choice between a corporate job or entrepreneurship comes down to the freedom and flexibility they might get on their own… versus the stability and paycheck they get at work. But in a time when many feel workplaces are toxic, that calculus is harder than ever.

In this LinkedIn Live session, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about how they both made this personal decision, their advice for others trying to decide, and how it relates to mental health.

The Relationship between Ambition, OCD, and Culture Jun 21, 2023

Many high achievers have a complicated relationship with their own health, and their own ambition. Things like anxiety can fuel us but also wreak havoc in our lives in ways we don’t always recognize or examine.

Rainesford Stauffer is a writer and author of the new book All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive, and she speaks about her own experience with high achievement, anxiety, and OCD. She also wrote the New York Magazine piece “Could I Still Be Ambitious Without My OCD?” which you can read here: https://www.thecut.com/article/ambition-work-ocd.html

Do Entrepreneurs Need Specialized Mental Healthcare? Jun 14, 2023

Michael Freeman is a psychiatrist and professor looking to better understand and better support the mental health of entrepreneurs. A fourth generation entrepreneur himself, he’s done research that looks at the higher rates of things like ADHD, depression, and substance abuse in this group of people. He looks at the idea of whether these kinds of thinkers are “touched by fire,” and the unique relationship between how our dopamine receptor genes may influence our desire to be entrepreneurs. Freeman is also a founder of the wellness center ECONA.

LinkedIn Live: I Get This Question A Lot Jun 09, 2023

In this new series, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about some of your most pressing questions around mental health, career, and success in this new LinkedIn Live series.

Marketing Expert Dorie Clark on Being Yourself and Being Valued For It May 31, 2023

Does your career path feel uncertain, or at the very least, unsteady? In a world where jobs aren’t guaranteed, we increasingly need to advocate for ourselves and create a brand around our work. In the process of promoting ourselves, we can also lose sight of our values and the longer term goals. Marketing expert and author Dorie Clark speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about the ups and downs of career and life.

A Recent Morehouse College Grad On How He - and Gen X - Handle Mental Health May 24, 2023

Anthony Hunter is someone just setting out in what most of us consider to be adulthood: just graduating from college and joining the workforce full-time. But he’s been doing a few things a lot of us didn’t do in our teens and early 20s: working for the family business and as an entrepreneur even while in undergrad, and more importantly, working on his own mental health and increasing mental health awareness for his peers.

He talks about his own journey to self-awareness, the work he’s done on campus and beyond in promoting better mental health, and the misconceptions many people in the workforce have about Gen Z.

Rep. Becca Balint Has Struggled with Anxiety and Depression. Now She’s Fighting for Mental Health Support and Policies. May 17, 2023

Representative Becca Balint is a new member of Congress, joining this January after several years in the Vermont Senate. She didn’t start her career in politics, but is now working to use her power to fight for those who need better mental health care.

She shares her own story with depression and anxiety with host Morra Aarons-Mele, opens up about the ways she stays grounded in Washington, and why it’s important for more policymakers to be open about - and help create resources for - mental health struggles.

Is American Motherhood (and Work) Sustainable? May 10, 2023

“I didn’t want to accept myself as someone who had mental health struggles. And having kids made me be like, oh no, this is a health issue that you absolutely need to keep under control because your kids come first,” says New York Times opinion writer Jessica Grose.

Like many things, the pandemic brought to light just how fragile the mental health of parents - and especially mothers - really was in this country. But just because remote schooling has largely faded away and people are back to business as usual, doesn’t mean the ongoing anxiety and depression issues of millions of American parents have gone away. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to Grose, who also wrote the book Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood.

The Ritalin and Adderall Shortage and How It Impacts Work May 03, 2023

Millions of Americans depend on prescription medication like Ritalin and Adderall each day to help them accomplish their tasks. Whether taking these prescriptions for ADHD or narcolepsy, people across the country are now facing a shortage, and difficulty getting the medication they need.

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Jeanne Pinder, founder and CEO of ClearHealthCosts.com, about what’s behind the shortage and how detrimental its impacts are. We’ll also hear from writer and non profit advisor Lindsay Scola, who takes Ritalin for narcolepsy, about what the shortage has meant for her, and how stimulant medication has changed her life.

Hospitality Entrepreneur Chip Conley on Mental Health, Wisdom, and Generation Gaps Apr 26, 2023

Chip Conley is an entrepreneur who has built a number of companies from the ground up, and also served as Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy at AirBnb. He’s also someone who has made it his life’s work to speak out about anxiety and depression issues, and advocate for better mental health. He does that in part by sharing the wisdom he has gained through years of trial and error, and calling out unnecessary generational tensions in the workplace.

He speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about building a high-powered career, facing uncertainty, and the assumptions many of us have about younger generations at work.

Do You Have Codependency Issues at Work? Apr 19, 2023

Codependency is the existence of unhealthy relationship where one person fixates on taking care of or even controlling the other, forgetting their own needs and letting boundaries fade away. These relationships might stem from childhood but have impacts in our adult lives, especially at work. In fact, many types of high stress jobs seem to be built for people who struggle with these issues.

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to a leading expert on codependency, Melody Beattie, about her recently re-released classic book Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself,and how to learn if you or your boss might have codependent tendencies.

What Psychedelic Research Might Mean for Leadership and Work Apr 12, 2023

We’ve seen an increasing number of headlines around the study and use of psychedelics like psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA and LSD. As research continues, many are wondering how these studies can be improved - and how they apply to work and leadership.

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with clinician Lebert Lester III of the Behavior Wellness Clinic about the application of psychedelics for depression or trauma, and how to increase the number of people of color in clinical trials for these types of medications. Then, she speaks with IMD professor Alyson Meister about her cutting edge research on psychedelics and leadership.

For Further Reading:

Could Psychedelics Open New Doors for Science and Business?

What A Divorce Taught This Leader About Facing His Fears Apr 05, 2023

Those of us who put pressure on ourselves to achieve do it in all aspects of life - from school to work to family. That means that when our sense of self gets shaken by any perceived failure in any of those realms, our anxiety or depression can easily flare up.

Martin Sinozich is an investor, entrepreneur and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School. Like many leaders, despite a very successful career, Sinozich long felt impostor feelings and fears. Now, he aims to now be open and honest with the next generation of business leaders that he teaches; one of his big missions is to increase workplace mental health.

Disrupting Yourself and Your Career Mar 29, 2023

Disruption is the name of the game in so many businesses today, and that’s the case for many high performing individuals as well. But how do we think about drastically changing our life and our career, without letting anxiety and fear take hold? Whitney Johnson is an author who formerly worked with Clayton Christensen, and who has chased her dreams through a winding and unexpected career path. She shares lessons on disrupting yourself while trying to manage the anxiety that might come with that.

“I Had All My Money with SVB”: An Entrepreneur on Bank Failure and the Anxious Echo Chamber of Social Media Mar 22, 2023

On March 10th, the FDIC announced the closure of Silicon Valley Bank, marking the second largest bank failure in U.S. history. If you were watching the minute to minute news on social, this development might have felt even bigger - and anxiety inducing.

We live in a time when social media is able to amplify stories and speed up the spread, and it can have a big impact on our mental health. In this episode, Morra speaks with Isa Watson. She’s CEO and Founder of Squad, and one of the entrepreneurs affected by the failure of the place she did all of her business banking. She also wrote the book Life Beyond Likes: Logging Off Your Screen and Into Your Life.

How This NBCUniversal Exec Publicly Dealt with Mental Illness (And Teamed Up With A Psychologist to Better His Workplace) Mar 15, 2023

The film and television industry is incredibly pressure-filled, high stakes, and visible. That’s true for the actors and actresses - but there’s often just as much pressure for those behind the scenes.

Jimmy Horowitz is a senior executive at NBCUniversal, and he shares his story of his battle with depression in 2019 - the first time he’s faced a mental health crisis. In this episode, he explains why it wasn’t easy to be transparent, and how he’s working with his organization, and psychologist Dr. Emily Anhalt, to make these conversations easier for others going forward. That includes approaching mental health like an ongoing workout regimen - the idea behind Anhalt’s company, Coa.

Are Women Punished For Being Emotional At Work? Mar 08, 2023

The question of how and when to show certain emotions at work is evolving, and it’s subject to a lot of bias. There are still double standards around behavior for many groups of people, and today we’ll talk about the negative -- and positive-- impacts for women who show emotion in and around the workplace.

We’ll learn how far we’ve come - and haven’t - from Stanford sociologist Marianne Cooper, who was also lead researcher for Sheryl Sandberg’s New York Times bestseller Lean In and co-authors the annual Women in the Workplace study with Lean In and McKinsey.

Recognizing and Working with Anxiety at the Negotiating Table Mar 01, 2023

Have you ever had to go into conversation where you needed to advocate for yourself and really feel like you weren’t coming from a position of power? Learn how to calm anxiety, and regain your negotiating power.

For most people, anxiety is a fear or concern about the future. And having that anxiety going into any negotiation can really feel like a loss of power. But emotions are a normal part of negotiation, and you can use them to your advantage.

Moshe Cohen teaches the next generation of business leaders how to engage in effective negotiations as a senior lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. And he wrote the book “Collywobbles: How to Negotiate When Negotiating Makes You Nervous.” He speaks to Morra Aarons-Mele about how to approach negotiating when you are prone to anxiety - and what to do when you recognize anxiety across the bargaining table.

Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health for Men in Business Feb 23, 2023

You know that cliche phrase "leaving to spend more time with my family" that so many people us when they leave a job?

For Lenny Mendoca, the phrase didn't have much life. After serving as senior partner at McKinsey, Mendoca went on to work as an advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom. He announced his retirement from Newson's office with the standard phrase. But within a few weeks, after starting to process his clinical depression, he shared it with the public.

It's not an easy thing for any successful people, but in some ways even harder for men, to talk about mental health in their careers because of stereotypes and stigma.

In this episode, Morra speaks Mendoca, and also listener Darshan Patel, a regional lead at a global company who himself struggles with severe depression and bipolar disorder, and is looking to break the stigma around mental health in India in particular.

Your Anxiety Needs a Product Manager Feb 15, 2023

Meredith Arthur is a self-described recovering overthinker. She is chief of staff at TwoTwenty, a in-house incubator for new projects at Pinterest. She’s also a mental health advocate and author of the book Get Out of My Head: Inspiration for Overthinkers in an Anxious World.

Meredith speaks to host Morra Aarons-Mele about being diagnosed with anxiety at age 40, life as a product manager in the start up world, and how she manages anxiety now.

This Father and Son Transformed Their Relationship and Careers After Mental Health Challenges Feb 08, 2023

Craig Kramer was someone with an impressive corporate career. His son, Peter Lee-Kramer, was on a track of academic and athletic success. Then mental health issues surfaced - and sent the father and son to both re-evaluate their priorities and shift their career goals.

Today, Peter is in a graduate program to become a licensed therapist, while Craig serves as a mental health ambassador for Johnson and Johnson. In this episode, they share their story of how they grew together as a family and shifted their lives in the wake of a tough mental health period.

Here’s How to Plan for Difficult Conversations Feb 01, 2023

It might be a confrontation with a colleague who is constantly late to meetings. You might need to finally ask for that raise. Or it could be approaching a coworker to disclose a mental health issue you’ve been struggling with.

We all face difficult conversations - and difficult people - in our careers. Amy Gallo is a conflict expert, a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, and author of the book Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People). She speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how to keep perspective and prepare for difficult conversations at work.

What Athletes Teach Us About Mental Health Jan 25, 2023

Most offices are rife with sports metaphors, from hitting the target to being a team player. There’s a lot we can learn from athletes and those who train them about performance and mental health. And high-profile athletes from Michael Phelps to Simone Biles have contributed to the broader conversation around mental health in recent years due to their openness about their struggles.

In this episode, we speak with performance psychologist Alex Auerbach, who works with the Toronto Raptors, about how he helps athletes work through their mental challenges and keeps them performing at a high level.

Plus, we hear from former NFL star Ryan Mundy about why he started Alkeme Health, a startup focusing on eliminating health disparities for the black community.

Facing Loss Amid the Tyranny of Positivity Jan 18, 2023

There are a lot of challenges in our lives that can help us achieve. And then there is the reality that there ARE going to be times that are traumatic, tragic, sad. We face depression, death, and grief - because we are human.

Today we have two guests who face those things boldly. First, Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Susan David talks about the tyranny of positivity and how it seeps into the workplace. Then, listener Jessie Lytton speaks with Morra about her journey as a caretaker for a terminally-ill partner and what that’s meant for her career.

What Mental Health Leave Taught One Google Executive Jan 11, 2023

People who end up in leadership positions at huge companies are usually overachievers: they’ve succeeded in school, internships, early career jobs, and as managers and leaders. But all that success can also hide a whole lot of feelings that we push aside.

Newton Cheng, Director of Health and Performance at Google, spent a year facing those challenges head on. The world champion powerlifter took mental health leave from the company, a phrase he feels strongly about. And it let him interrogate all the ways his mind pushes him, tricks him, and tells him he’s not good enough.

He shares his story about what he learned on leave, and how he’s working to quiet those critical voices in his head.

Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein is an Anxious Achiever Jan 04, 2023

Harley Finkelstein is president of Shopify, the e-commerce platform that has processed over 1 billion orders. For years, Harley’s anxiety troubled him but also gave him tremendous drive and energy. He realized that anxiety could actually be an advantage, and today he manages his anxiety through therapy, daily meditation, exercise, breathwork, and scheduling that protects his personal time. His deep self-awareness has enabled him to identify the tools he needs to be an effective leader and to keep his anxiety in check when it begins to escalate.

We will be back next week with a new season of The Anxious Achiever.

CVS Health’s Cara McNulty on Fighting Mental Health Stigma Dec 21, 2022

Much about mental health care in this country is pretty broken. In her role at President of Behavioral Health and Executive Vice President at CVS Health, Cara McNulty is working to help fix that broken system.

At America’s fourth largest company, Cara has a platform to implement new policy and change minds. She also brings her own personal story that impacts her daily work, sharing her journey with post-partum anxiety with host Morra Aarons-Mele.

The Anxious Achiever returns in January with more new episodes.

How to Channel Anxiety Into Positive Work Outcomes, According to Research Dec 14, 2022

Work can be stressful and downright anxiety-inducing; but we also know that bit of anxiety that comes from bumping up against a deadline or having to give a big presentation to the board can spark positive energy and creativity. Bonnie Hayden Cheng, associate professor at HKU Business School, looks at the ways in which our jobs can create anxiety, and shares science-backed guidance on how to get the best out of your anxiety.

The Anxious Achiever is nominated for a Signal Award. Head to their website to vote for The Anxious Achiever as Best Commute Podcast: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2022/shows/general/best-commute-podcast

Managing With Intention Can Help Us Fight Toxic Work Environments, Burnout, and Anxiety Dec 07, 2022

Being intentional about how we spend our time and how we treat others is sometimes easier said than done. But it’s an essential piece of how we keep workers and workplaces mentally healthy in today’s increasingly chaotic and stressful environment.

In this episode, we speak with Jacqui Brassey, a Director of Research Science at McKinsey, on what she’s discovered about toxic workplaces, anxiety, and how to combat both. Plus, we check in with Vivek Bapat of SAP about what he’s learned as a leader about how to communicate intentionally and effectively in the world of hybrid work.

The Anxiety of Money, University, and Raising Mentally Healthy Kids Nov 30, 2022

It’s the time of year when so many young adults and their parents are thinking about a major achievement in young life - getting into college. It’s easy for overachieving parents to put that stress on their kids to go to the perfect school. But the process comes with such a roller coaster of emotions, not just about self-worth but also the value of education and the cost of that education today.

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with New York Times Money Columnist Ron Lieber about the mental health issues around parenting, college, and our definition of success.

Finding the Right Work Fit When You’re Neurodivergent Nov 23, 2022

For all the negative stuff that social media and our online world can put out there - a lot of which we talk about in this show - there are also some pretty wonderful things. Being online can help us build community, which is something Amanda Morin spends a lot of time and energy on. She’s a mission-driven author, speaker, and advocate for issues around neurodiversity.

She speaks with Morra Aarons-Mele about her own anxiety, struggles, and decision to try entrepreneurism.

Digging Deeper on Perfectionism Nov 16, 2022

Many high performers go through their working lives struggling with perfectionism and not even realizing it - or not understanding why they have such a need to achieve. In this episode, we continue the conversation around the roots of perfectionism, how to know if it is a problem, and what we can do about it.

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with licensed psychologist Thomas Greenspon about the research around perfectionism and how it starts when we are young.

Then we hear from Eleanor Beaton, an author, leadership expert, and founder of SafiMedia, who shares her own story of perfectionism, deeply rooted in her childhood, and her relationship with her parents and her own identity.

Using Achievement - and Exercise - to Cope Nov 09, 2022

Emi Nietfeld is one of those people who looks great on paper. Raised in tumultuous circumstances and facing mental health challenges in her early teens, she went on to get into Harvard and work at Google. Now as an adult, she’s an author and has faced the unhealthy reasons behind her perfectionism.

She shares her story about overachievement, overexercise, and overwork as a method of control and emotional survival, and what she hopes our society can learn about relying too much on personal excellence.

A note that this episode includes discussion of sensitive topics like eating disorders and self-harm.

Read her op-ed here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/08/opinion/exercise-depression-anxiety-trauma.html

Dealing with Grief While Dealing with Work Nov 02, 2022

Grief is something we’ll all experience in our adult lives, and we all experience it differently. But it’s not something the modern workplace is really built to deal with well. How do we move beyond our current system -- which often involves clear cut bereavement days but not much else?

Rebecca Soffer is the author of The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience. She talks about how to use storytelling and helpful conversations as a way for workers, colleagues, and managers to manage through loss and the feeling of grief and build healthier organizations.

Why Giving Up Control at Work Can Improve Your Emotional Health Oct 26, 2022

Aaron Dignan is founder of The Ready - an organizational transformation and coaching practice. He focuses on how to prioritize adaptivity and autonomy over efficiency and control - which you can pretty quickly extrapolate into upsides for mental health of workers and leaders. He’s also the author of the book Brave New Work - and cohost of the podcast of the same name.

Host Morra Aarons Mele speaks with him about he helps organizations and individuals realize they need to change, and how he guides them through that transformation.

Learn more about Aaron Dignan here: http://www.aarondignan.com/

Surgeon General Announces Framework on Mental Health and Work Oct 20, 2022

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has never shied away from talking about emotions, and their impact on our health. On his own podcast he brings forth topics like loneliness, the pressure of achievement, meditation and stress reduction, facing crisis when everyone wants you to stay positive, and the big questions like, what is happiness. And as mental health has come into the foreground… regulators and health leaders are also thinking about the best practices to recommend.

That includes the Surgeon General’s office - which today released a new framework around mental health and work, to help leaders and workplaces become healthier. We speak about what they see as five essential building blocks to better mentally healthy workplaces: social connection, meaning at work, opportunity for growth, work life integration, and protection from harm.

Learn more about the framework here: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html

Scary Mommy’s Founder on When Life Throws Curveballs Oct 12, 2022

We’re told again and again in the business world that the way to be successful is to follow your passion and to be authentic. Jill Smokler, the founder of the infamous mom blog Scary Mommy, achieved entrepreneurial success doing just that. But she has also faced some darker times, especially after selling her company.

She speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how your mental health can suffer when you achieve your dreams, and where she is today.

Why Difference is a Superpower with Christopher Lochhead Oct 05, 2022

Many people who are neurodivergent have to figure out a way to succeed outside the rules and regulations of traditional institutions.

Christopher Lochhead, startup advisor, podcast host, and author, is one such person. Growing up with dyslexia, he found his way in the world and now encourages others to find their different, as the way to find their superpower.

Burnout and Mental Health: Perspectives from Human Resources Sep 28, 2022

Every wonder what your manager or HR leader is really thinking?

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Vice Media’s Chief People Officer Daisy Auger-Dominquez about mental health, the great resignation, burnout and more.

We’ll hear what worries her most right now for workers, managers, and HR leaders, and what she hopes for the future.

Gretchen Rubin on Expectations, Pillars of Habits, and Understanding Why You React the Way You Do Sep 21, 2022

Before many others, podcast host and author Gretchen Rubin found a way to create her own brand, run a remote company, and think carefully about mental health and work. She shares a helpful framework for understanding how expectations shape your actions and reactions, whether you suffer from a diagnosable mental health condition or not. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to Rubin about her writing, her career, and more.

A CEO on Strengthening Leadership and Facing Childhood Trauma Sep 14, 2022

Adam Baruh is CEO and founder of the consulting agency SuiteCentric. But he’s also on a mission to talk with servant leaders and normalize conversations around mental health. That mission is partly inspired by his decision to face abuse and trauma in his past. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with him about his journey.

Your Questions, Answered: How to Get What You Need at Work Sep 07, 2022

We set out in every episode to share a story, reframe a perception, or even change your mind about mental health. But listeners are always writing in with questions. You asked, so we answered.

In this episode kicking off the season, Morra Aarons-Mele brings listener questions about remote work, the changing workforce, and mental health to two top experts: Amelia Ransom, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Smartsheet, and Cali Yost, CEO and Founder of the Flex + Strategy Group.

Questioning and Understanding Our Need to Achieve Aug 24, 2022

One of the core tenets of this show is about examining our motivations to achieve (and even overachieve), especially because those needs can contribute to mental health issues.

As the school year starts and work pressure ramps up, we revisit our conversation with Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of the New York Times bestselling book How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success. She also served as Dean of Freshmen and Undergraduate Advising at Stanford University for more than a decade.

In this conversation we talk about the roots of why we feel the need to overachieve, how pressures from childhood continue into the workplace, and what that awareness can do with us.

The Hidden Mental Anguish of a Successful Tech Investor Jun 22, 2022

Andy Johns has had a nearly two decade career as an investor - working on companies like Facebook and Twitter when they were in their early stages. Today, he’s working as a mental health advocate. Andy is reflecting on how childhood trauma and pressure to succeed impacted both his extreme success, and his mental health struggles. He speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about some of his darkest moments, and how he’s trying to change the space for the better.

Lori Gottlieb on Writing as Therapy, the Mind-Body Connection, and What to Do When You Need Help Jun 15, 2022

Lori Gottlieb found her life’s work later in life, but she then built her career around therapy and writing - helping herself and countless others along the way. She wrote about her own journey through therapy in her bestselling book “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.” She’s also a passionate advocate for those suffering with autoimmune conditions like Graves disease and thyroid eye disease. Gottlieb speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how to believe yourself, how to change (even when its hard), and when you might want to seek out a therapist.

Changing Your Relationship With Email and Phones Jun 10, 2022

Sometimes you just need a little extra inspiration to remind you how to draw the right boundaries and make sure you relationship with work remains healthy. In this bonus episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with speaker, entrepreneur, and digital communications expert Erica Dhawan about the mistakes she’s made along the way, and how she works everyday towards a mentally healthy career.

Lessons in Mental Health and Leadership from History Jun 08, 2022

Mental health seems to be all the rage in the corporate world today. But the reality is that great leaders, great creatives, and great innovators throughout time have also been likely to suffer from bouts of mental strain and illness - even if it was called something else. Historian Nancy Koehn has long studied leaders from Abraham Lincoln to Oprah Winfrey, and she shares lessons from them on how to get through depressive or anxious times - lessons she’s even applied in her own life.

Why We Need to Understand Our Emotions Around Money Jun 01, 2022

Even if you don’t suffer from more generalized anxiety, money is something that causes almost everyone some stress and strain. Buffie Purselle, an entrepreneur and personal finance expert, says understanding our emotions around our finances is the first step to achieving better financial health. She speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about some of the most common issues around money she sees, and offers up some tips on how to combat our financially-related trauma. Purselle is the author of the new book Crawl Before You Ball: Breaking the Cycle of Generational Poverty.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (And Work) May 25, 2022

A lot of us still think of mental struggles as something to push through. Or we think we need to “cure” ourselves from anxiety and that will be that.

But licensed clinical psychologist and author Dr. Carissa Gustafson says there are real steps you can take to “unhook” us from anxiety. The first step for many people is accepting that distressing feelings and thoughts are part of life, which is part of the basis for acceptance and commitment therapy - or ACT. In this episode, we speak to Gustafson about some tactical approaches to accepting the discomfort, and then taking action.

Why Managing Is the Hardest Job She’s Ever Had May 18, 2022

Building a positive, mentally healthy workplace isn’t a one-time feat. It requires work day in and day out - which makes managing an even harder job than it used to be. In this episode, journalist Priska Neely returns to talk about how her leadership role has been going, how she’s creating positive structures for her team, the real roadblocks she still faces, and how she takes care of herself while working to take care of others.

Bonobos Cofounder on the Highs of Success and Lows of Mental Struggle May 11, 2022

Andy Dunn is the cofounder of Bonobos, a innovative retail company he helped start out of business school in 2007. And while the company reached incredible success, eventually being bought by Walmart, Dunn faced intense mental health struggles behind the scenes.

Struggles that came to a head when he woke up in a psychiatric emergency room in New York City. He’s the author of a new book, and shares his story with host Morra Aarons-Mele.

Managing Anxiety When the World Feels like a Scary Place May 04, 2022

For many of us, anxiety is about the day to day - whether that’s from social interaction, managing all of our work, or a more serious disorder we might be struggling with. But what about what the problem is big - like, really big? In today’s episode, we speak to Kyle Empringham, co-founder of The Starfish Canada, about his own journey to his non-profit work, which celebrates and supports youth activists. And also about climate anxiety - the feeling that more and more individuals are struggling with when faced with existential threats.

Imposter Syndrome, Work, and Mental Health Apr 27, 2022

So many of us experience imposter syndrome - the idea that you feel like a fraud in your job; that you’re faking it until you make it and that any minute now, people will be able to see through it. The problem can be especially hard for high achievers. In this episode, psychologist Lisa Orbe-Austin explains what her research has shown about what we can do to eradicate these kinds of feelings.

Miss America on the Suffering We Can’t Always See Apr 20, 2022

So many people struggle with mental health issues in part because, unlike many physical ailments, you can’t always know that someone is suffering, or just how badly. In this episode we dive in with reigning Miss America Emma Broyles, the first Korean-American and first Alaskan to win the crown. While many people assume winning the crown comes with a certain amount of perfection, Broyles is breaking down those barriers by speaking openly about her ADHD and a rare obsessive compulsive disorder she battles.

Racial Trauma and Work: “I Hear From Broken-Hearted Women Several Times a Day” Apr 13, 2022

Today’s guest is someone who experienced the racism in the corporate world. After years of constantly being triggered at work, she had enough, and walked away. She discusses how to heal after work breaks your heart.

Minda Harts is an author, an equity advocate, and the CEO of The Memo LLC, a career development platform for women of color. And she speaks to host Morra Aarons-Mele about the kind of experiences she had at work, and how she now spends her days helping others.

Understanding “Good” Anxiety Apr 06, 2022

Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist at NYU who studies neuroplasticity. She’s the author of “Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion,” and she talks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about why anxiety can actually be a good thing. Plus, we hear from listener Andrea Parra, who has experienced “good” anxiety in her own life and career.

Does Negotiation Give You Anxiety? Here’s How To Approach It. Mar 30, 2022

Preparing for and managing a negotiation can be hard for anyone, but for people who suffer from anxiety and tend toward rumination, it can feel near impossible. In this episode, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with negotiation expert Christoper Voss about how to handle negotiations when you suffer from anxiety, or just if negotiations cause your anxiety to peak. Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator and co-author of Never Split the Difference.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms On Mental Health In And Out of Office Mar 23, 2022

A career in the public eye is not for the faint of heart. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms didn’t start out knowing she would enter a career in politics, but she followed a drive deep inside of her to serve the public. She took over as mayor of Atlanta in 2018, and faced the dual challenges of a global pandemic and increasing tensions over race and policing systems. After one term, Mayor Bottoms decided to step away and not run for re-election. We talk about how mental health impacted her decision and what she hopes for the future.

Learning Compassion for Your High-Achieving Self Mar 16, 2022

What if we all were a little nicer to ourselves? In this episode, we hear from lawyer Mark Goldstein about his own journey with depression, OCD, and breaking down stigmas. He's an example of someone who learned to practice self-compassion, a concept that psychologist and author Dr. Kristin Neff says more people could benefit from in their careers, and in their lives.

Learn more about Mark Goldstein’s story: https://abovethelaw.com/2019/02/biglaw-depression-story/

Dr. Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion Exercises: https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#exercises

A Mini Meditation When You Need It Mar 11, 2022

Hear mindfulness leader Sharon Salzberg walk you through a short meditation you can use at work or any time you feel anxious.

A Career in Mindfulness, Mindfulness for Your Career Mar 09, 2022

Meditation and mindfulness have become household concepts, especially in the wake of the global pandemic. But it wasn’t always that way. In this episode, we speak to meditation and mindfulness leader Sharon Salzberg about how she began her journey, how much it has surprised her that corporate America has embraced mindfulness, and an exercise that we can all do when we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

Why Ambition Can Make You a “Terror” - And How to Fix It Mar 02, 2022

When we get jobs that seem impressive to the outside world - and get sucked into a corporate, competitive culture - we don’t always end up displaying the best leadership traits. Danny Bernstein spent nearly a decade at Google, but it wasn’t until he faced his own relationship with mental health that he was really able to improve as a manager and leader. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Bernstein about his father’s struggle with bipolar disorder, imposter syndrome, bad managers, and his goals for the future.

Reach out at anxiousachievermail@gmail.com or on Linked In.

On Being CEO - and Living with Bipolar Disorder Feb 23, 2022

Many leaders succeed and thrive not just in spite of anxiety, depression, or other mental health struggles - but because of them. They make leaders more aware of themselves, and more empathetic to those around them. Gillian Stein is one such leader. She’s the CEO of Henry’s, a family-run business that’s the largest specialty photo retailer in Canada. She recently announced publicly that she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and she speaks with Morra Aarons-Mele about her family history, how her mental health affects her business, and what the pandemic was like for her and her company.

Psychological Safety in Theory and In Practice Dec 20, 2021

What does psychological safety at work mean for people with anxiety and other mental health challenges? Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor, who has long studied psychological safety, and Christopher Yates, Ford Motor Company’s chief talent officer, about how to build a culture of psychological safety at work.

Why the Workplace is Actually a Good Place to Heal Dec 13, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Susan Schmitt, co-author of Healing at Work: A Guide to Using Career Conflicts to Overcome Your Past and Build the Future You Deserve, about how we can face childhood trauma, understand how it impacts our work, and use the office as a lab for changing our behavior.

Anxiety Is a Habit Dec 06, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Dr. Judson Brewer, author of “Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind,” about how we can experiment with different behavior patterns. Then, she speaks with journalist Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit,” about anxiety, habits, and ADHD.

Huma Abedin on Private Pain and Public Struggle Nov 24, 2021

As a political staffer for Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin was under immense pressure to achieve, while staying out of the public eye. That all changed when her husband Anthony Weiner resigned from Congress, following a sex scandal. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to Abedin about private pain, public struggle, and what we can learn from her about managing the anxiety of a high-profile career.

Neurodiversity at Work Nov 22, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Danny Lakes, a Procter & Gamble employee who is on the autism spectrum, as well as Todd Ballish, a neurotypical manager at P&G, about why having a program for neurodiverse workers is a strength for the company. Then, we’ll hear from Emily Kircher-Morris, host of The Neurodiversity Podcast.

What You Want Matters Nov 15, 2021

Anxious achievers are often hyper-attuned to other people and how to please them. New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims argues that many of us need to learn how to tune out that noise and focus on ourselves, our dreams, and our goals.

How Family Dynamics Play Out at Work Nov 08, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Kathleen Smith, an associate faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, about how family systems theory can help us better understand leadership and relationships with coworkers.

Even Public Figures Have Social Anxiety Nov 01, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Pollak about how she maintains a public speaking career while dealing with anxiety, and why she’s finally opening up about it.

Understanding Our Roots to Find the Path Forward Oct 25, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Anu Gupta, founder and CEO of educational tech company BE MORE with Anu, about immigrating to the U.S. with his family, why he stayed in the closet so long, how he realized he needed therapy to address his anxiety and depression, and how unraveling the threads of his life helped him begin to heal.

Why Conflict Is Necessary and How to Manage It (with Amy Gallo) Oct 18, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to HBR contributing editor and podcast host Amy Gallo about why conflict is so hard and how to make conflict a force for good in your work relationships. Amy is also the author of "The HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict," and she shares her four-step process for doing conflict better.

Handling the “Mental Fire” Oct 11, 2021

For many of us, the world can feel like too much right now – a never ending cascade of anxiety-inducing news. It’s something that Christina Blacken, founder and chief narrative strategist at The New Quo, calls the “mental fire.” As we struggle to handle the pressure that we feel in society right now, our own anxieties can fuel narratives and actions that are harmful to others – especially others different than ourselves. Blacken speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how we can move away from rigid perfectionism, toxic competition, and conformity and toward a culture of curiosity and acceptance.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the Anxiety of Unfulfilled Dreams Oct 04, 2021

Welcome to Season 5! Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with the actor, writer, and director about media and film portrayals of people with mental health issues, and the role mindfulness plays in how he approaches his art and leads his team.

Bonus: Talking about Self-Awareness and Anxiety (with Hello Monday’s Jessi Hempel) Sep 13, 2021

There’s another podcast we love: "Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel." The show explores how to make work happier, healthier, and more human. In this special bonus episode, Hempel interviews host Morra Aarons-Mele about her own journey with work and mental health, and how her experiences with depression and anxiety influence her leadership. Check out the new season of "Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel" wherever you get your podcasts.

The Great Re-Norming Jul 19, 2021

Jessi Hempel is constantly thinking about the state of work. She’s senior editor at large at LinkedIn and host of the podcast Hello Monday. In the final episode of Season 4, she speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about the way work is shifting – not just in terms of where and how we work, but how it interacts with our identities, motivations, and mental health.

ADHD, Neurodiversity, and Bias Jul 12, 2021

There’s a stereotype that most people who struggle with ADHD are white, male, and often young. In this episode host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to Stephanie Ozuo, a career advisor in the UK, about her experience being diagnosed with ADHD as a 25-year-old Black woman.

Anna Sale on Money, Shame, and Tough Work Conversations Jul 05, 2021

Podcast host and author Anna Sale has built her career on difficult conversations. On her podcast, she focuses on the hardest topics we deal with as humans: death, sex, and money. And her new book, “Let’s Talk About Hard Things,” continues pushing that conversation forward. Sale speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about why, even in a world where people are encouraged to be more open, mental health remains one of the last things people disclose at work. They also discuss other taboo work issues that cause anxiety.

Mental Health and Media Jun 28, 2021

Chris McCarthy, president of MTV Entertainment Group, speaks with host Morra Aarons Mele about the role TV shows can play in changing how people view mental health and what he and others are doing to make the industry more mentally healthy for entertainment professionals. Plus, later in the episode, makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor discusses how his work on TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Pose intersects with his depression and anxiety.

Creating Boundaries in Our Everyday Work (with Roxane Gay) Jun 21, 2021

When you’re struggling with mental health, the day-to-day routines of a work environment can be a lot – even for a famous author and academic, like Roxane Gay. Gay speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how recognizing and enforcing boundaries helps her navigate work and stress. Later in the episode, former financial executive Bob Pozen discusses his experiences with productivity and mental health.

How Kayak Co-Founder Paul English Manages and Thrives Through His Bipolar Disorder Jun 14, 2021

Paul English is an entrepreneur, founder, and philanthropist. But throughout his many career successes, he’s battled internally with his mental health. And along the way, he learned to be more open and honest about his struggles, even when it felt risky. His bipolar disorder creates strengths and weaknesses for him professionally, but today he works hard to find balance in his own life, embrace vulnerability, and create healthier environments for his coworkers.

Why Therapy Can Make You Better at Your Job Jun 07, 2021

Investor and philanthropist Vikas Shah has been an entrepreneur since he was a young teenager. And throughout much of his career, he struggled with anxiety and depression. But for a long time, he didn’t have the words to identify how he was feeling, let alone address it. Shah shares his mental health journey, and how it has changed the way he approaches leadership and entrepreneurship today.

Social Anxiety and Work Jun 01, 2021

How do we listen to ourselves and know when to address our social anxiety, especially when it comes into play with colleagues? Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Stefan Hofmann, a clinical psychologist at Boston University about social anxiety’s deep roots in natural human behavior – and how we can address it in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Back to Work: Post-Covid Social Anxiety May 24, 2021

As offices in the U.S. begin reopening after more than a year, many people – especially those of us with social anxiety – are feeling uneasy about the return to so-called normal. Certified therapist Dr. Jenny Taitz explains how to reframe these anxieties and continue succeeding at work.

Shopify President Harley Finkelstein on Anxiety and Entrepreneurship May 17, 2021

For Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, anxiety has always been his super power – even when he didn’t know how to put a label on it. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Finkelstein about the generational trauma of his grandparents, who survived the Holocaust, the anxiety of starting a business at age 17 to support his family, and how to channel anxiety into action.

The Power and Peril of Working on a Video Screen May 10, 2021

The nature of work is changing, and more and more of us have been working behind screens even before the pandemic. That brings both downsides – and some upsides – for mental health. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with SheSnaps, a Twitch streamer with a huge online following, about how she manages her screen time and why she opened up about her own depression. Plus, Jackson Jeyanayagam, a vice president at The Clorox Company, explains why he advocates for turning video off in online calls.

Back to Work: Calm Body, Calm Mind May 03, 2021

This last year has been rough on everyone, in so many different ways. But as we look toward recovery and adjust to life after the pandemic, it’s important to recognize the direct connections among physical behaviors, mental health, and performance at work. Dr. Christine Runyan, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and co-founder of Tend Health, discusses the ways we can calm our fight or flight response to anxiety, and why self-care really does matter.

Bonus: Finding a New Balance with Esther Perel Apr 19, 2021

After a year of collective trauma and private losses, stress, and heartbreaks, how do we even start to think about returning to a more normal working environment? Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with famed therapist Esther Perel about how workers and leaders can rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic and take away lessons that we never forget.

Bonus: How to Stop Remote Work Burnout Feb 01, 2021

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with the TED Business podcast about how she protects her energy and boundaries while working remotely.

Succeeding with ADHD Jan 04, 2021

A military pilot, an entrepreneur, and a business professor discuss how they cope with their ADHD, how it’s helped them be successful in their careers, and what they’ve learned about managing neurodiverse people.

Understanding Envy Part 2: Facing Professional Envy Dec 21, 2020

Tanya Menon, a professor at Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, says envy comes up a lot in the workplace – though it’s often misunderstood. But she says we can learn to draw good boundaries to better handle competition, fear, and jealousy in our careers. It’s the second episode in our two-part mini-series on envy at work.

Understanding Envy Part 1: How Envy Impacts Anxiety and Leadership Dec 14, 2020

Executive coach Nihar Chhaya explains how envy, FOMO, and the illusion of scarcity can contribute to anxiety and depression, and how leaders can cope. It’s part one of our two-part mini-series on envy at work.

Lessons in Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Resilience Dec 07, 2020

Journalist and author Aarti Shahani tells host Morra Aarons-Mele how she managed overwhelming uncertainty during her father’s 14-year legal battle and channeled her anxiety into productive work. Later, her anxiety also fueled her voracious drive for career success.

Anxiety, Depression, and Working Moms in a Pandemic Nov 30, 2020

Sociologist Jessica Calarco has been studying women struggling to balance work and parenting during the Covid-19 pandemic – and how workplaces can help. She says societal pressures, ideas about motherhood, and systemic failures are causing working mothers to suffer greater anxiety and depression than before the pandemic.

Why Start-Up Culture Still Hides Mental Health Struggles Nov 23, 2020

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with veteran tech journalist Catherine Shu, of TechCrunch, about improving mental health culture in Silicon Valley. And Shu shares her own journey with depression, including the time she spent in a psychiatric ward as a teenager, and how she found her way from there into tech journalism.

Kevin Love on Trying to Achieve His Way Out of Depression Nov 16, 2020

For a long time, the NBA star hid his battle with mental health. But after a very public panic attack in 2017, he started speaking out. Love talks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about role modeling openness about mental health, how he manages his social anxiety as a celebrity, and why basketball both aggravates and relieves his depression.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Stress of Creativity Nov 09, 2020

Aaron Harvey is a successful advertising industry executive – but for many years of his life, he struggled with a form of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) that involves repetitive mental compulsions.

Finding the Funny – and Embracing the Pain – of Depression Nov 02, 2020

John Moe took a bold step when he decided to start a podcast featuring frank, but funny, conversations about depression. Moe was recently laid off, and his show was cancelled. He tells us how he approaches ups and downs in his career, when he seeks help, and what he does to keep everything in perspective.

Success, Stress, and Money: Lessons from a Financial Therapist Oct 26, 2020

Amanda Clayman, a psychotherapist specializing in financial wellness, helps her clients uncover the motivations and roots underlying their money anxieties, so they can make better financial decisions. It’s a problem she understands intimately, as an entrepreneur who struggles with financial anxiety.

Why Learning to Label Your Feelings Makes You a Better Leader Oct 19, 2020

Many managers and leaders misunderstand what emotional intelligence really means, despite the trendiness of the phrase. Marc Brackett, director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, urges leaders to learn to understand themselves and their teams using a Mood Meter, a tool he developed to help people explain their emotions.

Notes to My Future Manager Self Oct 12, 2020

Priska Neely, the new Managing Editor of NPR’s Gulf States newsroom, has always wanted to manage people, and she’s long thought about the best way to communicate and lead. As a Black woman, she’s also been writing about organizations and race throughout the past year. Neely joins host Morra Aarons-Mele to talk about how anxiety makes her a better manager and how she injects empathy into hard conversations at work.

Art Critic Jerry Saltz’s Reckoning with Trauma and Anxiety Oct 05, 2020

Early on in the pandemic, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz wrote a piece about his unusual eating habits that grabbed the attention of many with anxiety, depression, or just Covid-related sadness. In the essay, Saltz recounts a lifetime of using food to cope with trauma and anxiety – until art helped him find a new path forward. In this conversation, he tells host Morra Aarons-Mele how his pursuit of work and paring life down to basics helped him manage trauma and anxiety and find a life he loves.

How a Rising Political Star’s PTSD Fueled His Addiction to Work Jul 06, 2020

Jason Kander was on track to be a major force in American politics. But for him, working – and succeeding – was a way to escape the pain of PTSD and depression, after his military service in Afghanistan. Kander had to step away from his career to focus on therapy and healing.

How the Cult of Sleep-Deprivation Affects Work and Mental Health Jun 29, 2020

Many high-powered jobs require people to work long hours and give up sleep. But for people who suffer from anxiety and depression, lack of sleep can also create downward spirals that make those issues worse. Sleep researcher Christopher Barnes, an associate professor of management at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, explains how sleep deprivation can affect your mental health – and your career.

How to Stop the Cycle of Overachieving Jun 22, 2020

Many people who end up in prestigious careers choose their professions, consciously or subconsciously, in order to seek the approval of others. But that can create depression and anxiety. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with author Julie Lythcott-Haims about her journey from a childhood filled with pressure to succeed, to becoming a corporate lawyer, to becoming a dean at Stanford, where she tried to guide young people into paths that truly fit them.

Facing Reality, Modeling Positivity Jun 15, 2020

For managers struggling with anxiety and stress right now -- or worrying about their employees feeling that strain -- it can be hard to find the right mix of transparency and positivity. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Acceleration Partners CEO Robert Glazer, host of The Elevate Podcast, about how he tries to model both a positive outlook and honesty to those on his team.

Millennials, Gen Z, and Generational Anxiety Jun 08, 2020

In this episode, we hear from two young professionals. Both of them have worked hard and carefully planned their careers, but now they’re confronting the anxiety and uncertainty of economic forces beyond their control. Then host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with The Atlantic’s Annie Lowrey about the collective psychological and financial impacts economic crises can have on entire generations.

Discomfort, Anxiety, and Grief: Confronting Racism with Colleagues Jun 05, 2020

Amelia Ransom, Senior Director of Engagement and Diversity at Avalara, offers advice for how people of color can get what they need from their employers to help protect their mental health. Later in the episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Benish Shah, Chief Growth Officer at Loop & Tie, about how white people can support their colleagues of color in a meaningful way.

When Leaders Model Openness About Their Mental Health Jun 01, 2020

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who used meditation to address the trauma and anxiety he experienced while working as a New York City cop. Later in the show, tech CEO Joel Gascoigne explains why he was transparent with his employees at Buffer, when he had to take time off to recover from his own burnout.

Managing Mental Health When Working for a Mission May 25, 2020

Poppy Jaman OBE struggled with postpartum depression after the births of her children. Now she’s on a mission to promote mental health awareness to the financial and professional services industries, as the CEO of City Mental Health Alliance. She discusses the difference between empathetic and compassionate leadership, the therapeutic joy of being silly, and what it’s like to devote your career to mission-driven work, while caring for your mental health.

Substance Abuse, Success, and Self-Realization May 18, 2020

We speak with MIT’s Seth Mnookin, a writer and ex-addict who has been clean for 20 years, about the connection between substance abuse and underlying mental health issues, and how addiction can affect creativity and career. And we explore the hard lessons addicts can learn in recovery about their own limitations and definitions of success with CHA Center for Mindfulness and Compassion's Dr. Zev Schuman-Olivier, an addiction psychiatrist who focuses on mindfulness as a path to healing.

Goop’s Chief Content Officer on Balancing Self-Care at Work May 11, 2020

What’s it like to lead a team when optimizing self-care and emotional wellness is the point of their work? Goop, a company founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, explores all aspects of mental and physical health and advocates for a rarefied and often controversial brand of self-care. Elise Loehnen, Chief Content Officer at Goop, discusses her own experiences with anxiety at work, how she manages employees and their mental health, and what self-care really means.

How Vulnerability Can Be a Leadership Superpower May 04, 2020

Jason Rosario discusses his own journey with depression and anxiety, and the lessons he’s learned about vulnerability, masculinity, and leadership. Rosario left a career in finance to found The Lives of Men, a social impact and creative agency focused on decoding masculine psychology and challenging false concepts of masculinity.

Leading Through Grief in Life and Work Apr 27, 2020

Throughout our lives, we will all experience grief in one form or another. It can also translate into depression, anxiety, and other emotional strain. But as we grieve, we often have to keep working or growing our businesses. And that is true even in a time of mass grief, like a pandemic. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with chef Jody Adams about the period in 2016 when her long-time restaurant, Rialto, closed. At the same time, her sister was dying of cancer. Now Adams is helping the staff at her current Boston-area restaurants grieve for their struggling industry, amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Wading Through the Imperfect Mess of Parenthood Apr 20, 2020

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with organizational psychologist Stew Friedman and tech entrepreneur Sehreen Noor Ali about the ways parenting children with specific needs changed them and their career paths.

Freelancing, Self-Employment, and Mental Health Apr 13, 2020

Working for yourself – and working outside an office – can have a lot of benefits for people struggling with mental health issues, including flexibility when you need to take a breather. But freelancing and the gig economy can also trigger stresses that impact mental health, including isolation, lack of career trajectory, and perhaps most importantly, financial instability. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with author and entrepreneur Chris Brogan, who is diagnosed with clinical depression, and journalist Ada Calhoun, the author of “Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis,” about how to adapt work and personal life to self-employment and freelancing.

Gabrielle Union on Toxic Workplaces, PTSD, and Social Anxiety Apr 06, 2020

With great success can come even greater stress and anxiety. But Gabrielle Union is using her success to stand up for her truth. A sexual assault survivor, Union suffers from PTSD and social anxiety. Now the actress uses her energy and influence to speak up against sexism and racism in Hollywood. She tells Morra Aarons-Mele about how she balances self-care and being a voice for others who struggle to be heard.

Managing the Stress and Uncertainty of Coronavirus Mar 16, 2020

The rapid onset of the coronavirus is changing our work – and our lives. For those who own businesses or work in the gig economy, the stress and financial uncertainty is even greater. When we don’t know what the future will hold, or are working in isolation, what can we do? Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Jerry Colonna, CEO of Reboot.io, about how he is leading his team through such a stressful time. And later in the episode, business psychologist Camille Preston explains how we all can cope with uncertainty by taking on a growth mindset.

Strategies for Managing Day-to-Day Anxiety Dec 30, 2019

Anxiety can affect so many aspects of our work – from how we make decisions to how we receive feedback and behave in meetings. In the final episode of Season 1, host Morra Aarons-Mele and former clinical psychologist Alice Boyes discuss the daily strategies and habits that can help to manage your anxiety at work.

Designing the Mentally Healthy Workplace Dec 23, 2019

In earlier episodes of this show, we’ve talked about how to open a dialogue about mental health and work, and how both employees and leaders can navigate a mental health issue at work. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Kelly Greenwood, founder and CEO of Mind Share Partners, and Alison Nasisi, former director of compensation, benefits and work life at The Broad Institute, about what companies can do to truly create mentally healthy workplaces.

Mental Health in the Office: Difficult Conversations Dec 16, 2019

How should you approach difficult conversations about mental health with your colleagues and boss? In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Amy Gallo, author of “HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict,” about when and how to disclose a mental health issue to your company. Plus, Dr. Rebecca Harley, a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, discusses the connection between mental health and recognizing boundaries at work.

Building Mental Resilience While Building a Business Dec 09, 2019

Anxiety shows up in all kinds of business situations — especially when you’re starting your own company. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Cheryl Contee, CEO of Do Big Things, and Jeannette Kaplun, founder of Hispana Global, about how to work through anxiety and build resilience.

Tackling Leadership Struggles, Burnout, and Performance Anxiety Dec 02, 2019

Leading a group of people can produce chronic anxiety, but many leaders who suffer from anxiety don’t even realize it. In today's episode we explore anxiety related to leadership and how performance anxiety can hold us back at work. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Steve Cuss, a leadership consultant and the lead pastor of Discovery Christian Church in Broomfield, Colorado, about leadership anxiety and burnout. Then Present Voices founder Leah Bonvissuto offers Morra practical tips for conquering performance anxiety.

What No One Tells You: The Emotional Strain of Startup Life Nov 25, 2019

We hear the stories of successful Silicon Valley startups all the time. But entrepreneurship can also have a dark side, especially when it involves going broke, losing sleep, and working 100-hour weeks. This week, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Emma Mcilroy, CEO of Wildfang International, who has been outspoken about the emotional strain of startup life.

Battling Depression from the C-Suite Nov 18, 2019

For most of his life, Paul Greenberg suffered from severe depression -- depression so bad that he had near constant thoughts of suicide from the age of 13. But you'd never know it if you met him. And he has built a successful media career, including stints at MTV and Time, and eventually becoming the CEO of CollegeHumor. To battle the depression, he tried some 75 different medications before his medical team suggested electroshock therapy, which he says has saved his life. And it wasn't until the deaths of public figures like Robin Williams, Kate Spade, and Anthony Bourdain that Greenberg went public with an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter. This week, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Paul Greenberg, now CEO of Butter Works, a media company, about his long, painful journey, and how he views depression at the workplace today. The number for the Suicide Prevention Hotline in the U.S. is 1-800-273-8255.

Managing Career Transitions Part 2: Taking A Break Nov 11, 2019

Many people in the business world find their success by always being “on.” They wake up at 4 a.m., answer emails 24 hours a day, and don't take vacations. Sometimes they’re so high functioning that they don't even realize they have symptoms of anxiety until they take time away from the office. This week, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Alyssa Mastromonaco, former White House deputy chief of staff and former chief operating officer of Vice Media. They talk about running on all cylinders, realizing you need time away from the office, and dealing with the depression that can come from needing to redefine who you are outside the office.

Managing Career Transitions Part 1: Facing Childhood Demons Nov 04, 2019

Whether you’re getting fired, taking a promotion, or leaving a job you love, career transitions are a time of anxiety. In the next two episodes, we’ll be focusing on how to manage anxiety associated with big changes at work. This week, we focus on the tough work you should do before a big transition to understand your feelings. Our guest is career coach Jerry Colonna, author of "Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up." He argues that a lot of the adult problems we face can spring from fundamental childhood experiences. We act out childhood hurts in our leadership and interactions at work, from the people we hire to the way we think about money. Therefore, understanding how your childhood has shaped you and facing your demons is vital for anyone who truly wants to thrive in their career.

How We Cope: Food and Eating Disorders at Work Oct 28, 2019

Work is a part of our daily lives — as is food. Disordered eating and diagnosed eating disorders can be tricky to deal with at the office, but they can be common in high achievers and are closely tied to anxiety and mental health. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Melissa Gerson, director and founder of the Columbus Park treatment center for eating disorders, about the relationship between anxiety and eating, and how it can play out at work.

How the Mental Affects the Physical Oct 21, 2019

Anxiety and stress can have detrimental effects on your physical health — which can affect your job and your career path. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Jason Miller, the director of the Leadership Academy at OhioHealth. Miller, whose work specializes in awakening joy, purpose, and meaning in work, had always driven himself very hard. He was the first in his family to go to college, followed by becoming a senior executive at a global company. But then Miller found himself in the ER, convinced he was having a heart attack and realized he needed to make some major changes (and no, he didn't Eat, Pray, Love). Morra also shares her own story of a recent panic attack that left her hospitalized. Plus, Dr. David Barlow, a pioneer in the field of treating stress, discusses strategies for coping with anxiety, stress, and phobias, and how to "right size" your problems — while admitting anxiety isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The Anxiety of Being the “Only” Oct 14, 2019

Being the "only" in the workplace -- the only woman, the only person of color, the only one openly suffering from a mental or physical illness -- can contribute to existing mental health issues. At the same time, bringing your whole self to work -- even when you are an "only" and might be the only person struggling with clinical depression or anxiety -- can be a huge strength in the business world. In this episode, we'll look at anxiety and depression through the lens of being an “only” or a “first” at work. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with two experts on the topic: Angela Neal-Barnett, an award-winning psychologist and expert on anxiety among African-Americans, and author of “Soothe Your Nerves,” and Nilofer Merchant, the author of “The Power of Onlyness.”

Social Anxiety and Success Oct 07, 2019

We're often told that to succeed in the workplace, you need to bring your A game, play office politics, and network nonstop. But how do you do that when you suffer from social anxiety? Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Ellen Hendriksen, a clinical psychologist, and Arvind Rajan, the CEO of Cricket Health and a former executive at LinkedIn, to discuss his journey with anxiety.

Your Mental Health and Your Work Sep 30, 2019

At a time when we bring so much of ourselves to work, mental health is still something we don’t like talking about at the office. But so many high-achieving people have suffered — or are currently suffering — from anxiety, depression, or other mental and emotional issues. Our guest, Scott Stossel, national editor of the Atlantic and author of “My Age of Anxiety,” explains where anxiety comes from and how it affects us in our work — for better or worse. We look at why it is so important to align mental health and leadership, and to better understand how anxiety impacts our working lives.

Introducing The Anxious Achiever Sep 19, 2019

Now from LinkedIn Presents: a show about mental health in the workplace. We explore the ways anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues affect people at work, for better and for worse. We’ll hear from leaders who have succeeded in spite of their mental health struggles, and from experts who offer advice on how to reach your professional goals.

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