Work Life by Design

Melissa Marsden
Work Life by Design

Welcome to Work Life by Design a podcast for People & Culture leaders, C-Suite Execs, Entrepreneurs, Designers and anyone who is interested in elevating their experience of work! I’m your host, Mel Marsden, the Founder, and Director of COMUNiTI a Workplace Strategy and Design Studio focused on collaboratively, re-imagining and designing high-performance workplaces for our clients across Australia. Over the last decade I have refined my workplace toolkit to create our signature strategy offering, the Workplace Dynamics Blueprint, exploring the 5 pillars that underpin every high performing workplace. 1. Reimagining the Future 2. Brand &Culture 3. Values & Behaviours 4. Wellbeing 5. Employee Experience This process has seen my clients’ employees achieve results of;  84% employees feeling more productive  91% with increased job satisfaction  100% of employees feeling more collaborative I believe that our environments have the power to positively influence our behaviour and our performance at work. So much so, that I’ve written a book about! “The Next Workplace; Designing Dynamic Environments that Inspire Human Potential” connects the concepts of modern day management theory to the structural design of our physical workplace environments, aligning, enabling and inspiring the human potential of every organisation. If the last few years have taught us anything it’s that change is inevitable, and we no longer need to “go to work” to “work! Through this podcast we explore what it takes to make work, work! I draw back the curtains on my own business, the clients, and projects that we deliver, along with tapping into the knowledge and insights from academics, business leaders and champions of change. Together, let's elevate our experience of work.

  1. 2 MAR

    What's on my heart & mind + how Mastery is guiding me in 2025!

    This season of Work Life by Design is deeply personal. Inspired by Brené Brown’s reflections on "what’s on my heart and mind," I’m bringing you honest, unfiltered conversations about the challenges, insights, and lessons that have shaped both me and the work we’re doing at COMUNiTI over the past year. Over the last 12 months, I’ve faced my own health challenges—burnout, adrenal fatigue, and gut issues that left me completely exhausted. This experience has reshaped how I approach 2025, and this season is all about sharing that journey with you. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s exactly what’s on my heart and mind. In this seventh season of the podcast you can expect thought-provoking discussions on: ✨ Body burnout—what causes it and how to truly heal ✨ Neurodiversity in the workplace—creating inclusive spaces that embrace our brain-based differences ✨ The power of community—what we can learn by looking back, embracing rituals, and reclaiming rites of passage ✨ Lesson in business—what I’ve learned about building a successful business ✨ …and so much more! I can’t wait to dive into these conversations with you. I hope they inspire, challenge, and support you as much as they have for me. But in today’s episode we’re going to dive into how I came to my word for the year – MASTERY. For the past 10 years, I’ve started each year with an intentional planning session—a ritual that’s helped me realign, refine, and design a life I love. What once felt like a complete reset is now about softening into more of what I love and making small, meaningful tweaks. This January, I also guided a group of ambitious businesswomen through this process at my Business Planning Day, helping them get clear on what they want from life so they can build a business that truly supports it. I focus on intentions over goals—because intentions shape who you want to become, not just another task on your to-do list. From this, my word for 2025 emerged: MASTERY—not about perfection, but about continuous growth, refinement, and deepening my craft in both life and business. So I invite you to reflect on your intention for the year?   📩 Want to go deeper? Join me at the Exhale Retreat Learn More HERE —a space to pause, reset, and realign with what matters most.   Want to join us at the next Planning Day? Jump on the Waitlist HERE   #WorkLifeByDesign #Podcast #BurnoutRecovery #IntentionalLiving #Neurodiversity #Rituals #Mastery #SustainableSuccess

    37 min
4.9
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Welcome to Work Life by Design a podcast for People & Culture leaders, C-Suite Execs, Entrepreneurs, Designers and anyone who is interested in elevating their experience of work! I’m your host, Mel Marsden, the Founder, and Director of COMUNiTI a Workplace Strategy and Design Studio focused on collaboratively, re-imagining and designing high-performance workplaces for our clients across Australia. Over the last decade I have refined my workplace toolkit to create our signature strategy offering, the Workplace Dynamics Blueprint, exploring the 5 pillars that underpin every high performing workplace. 1. Reimagining the Future 2. Brand &Culture 3. Values & Behaviours 4. Wellbeing 5. Employee Experience This process has seen my clients’ employees achieve results of;  84% employees feeling more productive  91% with increased job satisfaction  100% of employees feeling more collaborative I believe that our environments have the power to positively influence our behaviour and our performance at work. So much so, that I’ve written a book about! “The Next Workplace; Designing Dynamic Environments that Inspire Human Potential” connects the concepts of modern day management theory to the structural design of our physical workplace environments, aligning, enabling and inspiring the human potential of every organisation. If the last few years have taught us anything it’s that change is inevitable, and we no longer need to “go to work” to “work! Through this podcast we explore what it takes to make work, work! I draw back the curtains on my own business, the clients, and projects that we deliver, along with tapping into the knowledge and insights from academics, business leaders and champions of change. Together, let's elevate our experience of work.

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