Wired to Work with Jess Chapman

Jessica Chapman
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Wired to Work is a podcast about how people really work, and how we can work better, together. Hosted by workplace strategist Jess Chapman, each episode blends neuroscience, leadership, and human insight to explore what’s happening in our brains, bodies and our workplaces. Expect practical solo episodes that decode the science in real life, plus conversations with leading neuroscientists, coaches, and wellness experts who bring science-based insights into everyday work. So whether you're interested in creating a great workplace, want to learn how to work better yourself, or just interested in the brain and how we think, lead and learn, hit subscribe and come along. We're Wired to Work and we're just getting started!

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    Trauma-Informed Doesn’t Mean Lowering Standards

    What if creating a trauma-informed workplace actually led to higher performance—not lower expectations? Many leaders worry that supporting employees through difficult circumstances means compromising accountability. Angela Crockwell, Executive Director of Thrive, argues the opposite. In this episode of Wired to Work, Jess Chapman sits down with Angela to unpack what trauma-informed leadership really means, why every workplace—not just healthcare or social services—should be thinking about it, and how leaders can create psychologically safe environments while still expecting excellence. They explore: Why trauma is more common than most leaders realizeThe difference between being trauma-aware and trauma-informedHow to create psychological safety without becoming a therapistWhy strong boundaries are essential—not optionalHow curiosity can replace judgment in difficult conversationsWhy accountability and compassion can (and should) coexistPractical ways leaders can support people without lowering standardsWhether you lead a team of two or two thousand, this conversation will change the way you think about people, performance, and what it really means to create a healthy workplace. 🎧 Listen & Subscribe 🎙️ Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or on Buzzsprout: https://wiredtowork.buzzsprout.com 📬 Join the Wired to Work Substack community for exclusive leadership insights, behind-the-scenes content, and episode takeaways: https://substack.com/@wiredtowork

    Trauma-Informed Doesn’t Mean Lowering Standards

  2. Aug 6 ·  Video

    Is It Stress or Is It Burnout? | Cherri Forsyth

    A stressful week is not the same as burnout. Stress usually has an end point. Burnout develops when overwhelm becomes chronic, recovery disappears, and your brain and body no longer have the capacity to keep up with what is being asked of them. In this episode of Wired to Work, Jess Chapman sits down with burnout and resilience coach Cherri Forsyth to explore how burnout develops, what it looks like before someone reaches a breaking point, and why pushing through is not the same as being resilient. They discuss: • The difference between temporary stress and chronic burnout • Why burnout can be difficult to recognize from the outside • The early signs leaders and colleagues should notice • How brain fog, exhaustion and detachment show up at work • Why rest and recovery are essential to performance • How workplace systems can contribute to burnout • Why self-care has to mean more than an occasional bubble bath • How leaders can support someone without trying to diagnose or fix them Burnout is not a personal failure. And it is not simply a matter of learning to cope better. Sometimes the person needs support. Sometimes the workload needs to change. Often, the system needs to be examined too. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Wired to Work: https://wiredtowork.buzzsprout.com 📩 Join the Wired to Work Substack for practical insights, tools and conversations about making work work better: https://substack.com/@wiredtowork #Burnout #Stress #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #MentalHealthAtWork #Resilience #WorkplaceCulture #WiredToWork

    Is It Stress or Is It Burnout? | Cherri Forsyth

  3. Jul 29 ·  Video

    Why Workplace Wellness Isn't Working | Dr. Paul Zak

    Most organizations invest heavily in workplace wellness and still end up with teams that feel flat, disengaged, and exhausted. The problem may not be the programme. It may be what we're aiming for. In this episode of Wired to Work, Jess Chapman sits down with behavioural neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak to explore what actually helps people and teams thrive—and how leaders can measure it in real time. They discuss: • Why wellness may be too low a bar • What a thriving brain actually looks like • How psychological safety can be measured rather than surveyed • What neuroscience reveals about remote and in-person work • Why autonomy and a clear sense of purpose matter so much • How “train extensively, delegate generously” changes performance • Why traditional engagement surveys only tell part of the story After 30 years studying the neuroscience of human connection, trust, and performance, Dr. Zak offers a very different way to think about workplace wellbeing. Because the goal shouldn't be helping people just get through the week. It should be creating the conditions where they can actually thrive. 🎧 Watch or listen to Wired to Work with Jess Chapman wherever you get your podcasts: https://wiredtowork.buzzsprout.com 📩 Get practical insights on leadership, neuroscience, and making work better: https://wiredtowork.substack.com #WiredToWork #WorkplaceWellbeing #Leadership #Neuroscience #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #FutureOfWork

    Why Workplace Wellness Isn't Working | Dr. Paul Zak

  4. Jul 23 ·  Video

    Why Good Leaders Behave Badly | Kate Franklin

    Most people are not at their best under pressure. Put a group of highly pressured people together, and unhealthy workplace behaviour can quickly become the norm. In this episode of Wired to Work, Jess Chapman is joined by leadership coach Kate Franklin to explore why workplace relationships become so difficult—and why a challenging boss is not necessarily a bad person. They discuss how stress changes the way we communicate, why relational skills matter just as much as technical expertise, and how leaders can create the conditions for trust, honesty and high performance. In this conversation: • Why poor workplace behaviour has become normalized • How pressure affects leaders and their teams • Why relationships are a critical part of performance • How to give honest feedback to your boss • The difference between intention and impact • Why complaints are more useful when turned into requests • How leaders can discover the impact they are having • Why caring about people and expecting strong results are not opposites • How much agency we really have to improve difficult workplace relationships Most difficult workplace relationships are not beyond repair. But improving them requires courage, curiosity and a willingness to remember that the person across from you is human too. 🎧 Listen to Wired to Work: https://wiredtowork.buzzsprout.com 📩 Get practical insights about leadership, neuroscience and making work better: https://wiredtowork.substack.com Follow Kate Franklin: LinkedIn: @Kate Franklin Instagram: @coachkatefranklin Subscribe for more honest conversations about leadership, workplace culture and how to make work work better for everyone. #Leadership #WorkplaceRelationships #WorkplaceCulture #ManagingUp #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #WiredToWork

    Why Good Leaders Behave Badly | Kate Franklin

  5. Jul 16 ·  Video

    How to Rewire Your Brain For Better Habits

    Your brain is changing all the time, whether you realize it or not. In this episode of Wired to Work, Jess Chapman breaks down one of the most important concepts in neuroscience: neuroplasticity. From habits and learning to performance and leadership, understanding how your brain forms and strengthens neural pathways can completely change the way you think about personal growth. You’ll learn: Why “use it or lose it” is literally true for your brainHow habits are created through repetitionWhy multitasking hurts learningThe surprising role emotion plays in memory and behaviourWhy practice—not just knowledge—is the key to lasting changeWhether you’re trying to build better habits, learn new skills, or help your team perform at their best, this episode explains the science in a way that’s practical and easy to apply. Subscribe for more conversations about neuroscience, leadership, workplace psychology, and making work work better. #Neuroplasticity #Habits #Neuroscience #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #BrainScience #WiredToWork

    How to Rewire Your Brain For Better Habits

  6. Jul 10 ·  Video

    Jess's Top 5 Takeaways | Season 3 Retrospective!

    In this special season finale, Jess Chapman looks back at the five conversations that challenged her thinking the most - and the ideas that every leader, HR professional, and workplace designer should be paying attention to. From the hidden burnout crisis facing HR professionals to what healthcare can teach us about designing better systems, this episode explores the themes that kept resurfacing all season: cognitive load, psychological safety, technology, boundaries, climate anxiety, menopause, and why the future of work has to be designed around humans, not just processes. Jess revisits powerful conversations with: • Dr. Jo Burrell on the growing burnout crisis in HR • Dr. Paul Zak on measuring whether people are actually thriving at work • Ange Crockwell on why boundaries are an act of leadership—not selfishness • Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo on climate grief and its impact on today’s workforce • Tina Pomroy on reframing menopause as an evolution rather than a decline If there’s one thread running through every conversation this season, it’s this: Work isn’t broken because people aren’t trying hard enough. It’s broken because we’ve spent too long designing systems without fully considering the humans inside them. Whether you’ve listened to every episode or you’re just discovering Wired to Work, this is the perfect place to catch up on the biggest ideas from the season, and to start thinking differently about what work could become. 🎧 Join the Wired to Work Substack: https://substack.com/@wiredtowork 🌐 Episode archive: https://wiredtowork.buzzsprout.com

    Jess's Top 5 Takeaways | Season 3 Retrospective!

  7. Jul 3 ·  Video

    What Healthcare Gets Wrong (and Right!) about Work | Jennifer Woodland, PhD

    Healthcare workers are asked to make high-stakes decisions in fast-moving, overloaded systems. But what happens when the systems around them make the work even harder? In this episode of Wired to Work, Jess Chapman sits down with Jennifer Woodland, experimental psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick, for a fascinating conversation about healthcare, burnout, cognitive load, technology, and the real-world messiness of clinical environments. They explore why healthcare work places such intense demands on the brain, how poorly designed systems and technology can add to stress, and why resilience can’t be treated as an individual problem when the system itself is creating overload. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Wired to Work: https://wiredtowork.buzzsprout.com 📩 Join the Wired to Work Substack for leadership insights, practical tools, webinar invitations, and behind-the-scenes content: https://substack.com/@wiredtowork #healthcare #burnout #leadership #workplaceculture #healthcareworkers #cognitiveload #technology #ai #workplacepsychology #wiredtowork

  8. Jun 26 ·  Video

    Why Your Brain Needs Meditation at Work | Tina Pomroy + Roz Mugford

    Meditation still gets dismissed as “woo-woo” in a lot of workplaces. But the science tells a different story. In this Wired to Work summer repost, Jess is joined by Tina Pomroy and Roz Mugford for a practical conversation about meditation, mindfulness, and why slowing down may be one of the most useful tools we have for modern work. They explore how meditation can support focus, memory, emotional regulation, stress management, decision-making, and the ability to respond instead of react. This episode is for anyone who has ever said, “I can’t meditate,” “I don’t have time,” or “isn’t that a bit woo?” Because meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting cross-legged on a cushion for 30 minutes. It can start with one breath, one pause, one meeting, one mindful lunch, or one moment of noticing what’s happening before you react. 💬 Join the Wired to Work Substack community for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes conversations, bonus clips, and leadership insights: https://substack.com/@wiredtowork #leadership #meditation #mindfulness #workplacewellbeing #emotionalintelligence #stressmanagement #workplaceculture #neuroscience #wiredtowork

    Why Your Brain Needs Meditation at Work | Tina Pomroy + Roz Mugford
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5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Wired to Work is a podcast about how people really work, and how we can work better, together. Hosted by workplace strategist Jess Chapman, each episode blends neuroscience, leadership, and human insight to explore what’s happening in our brains, bodies and our workplaces. Expect practical solo episodes that decode the science in real life, plus conversations with leading neuroscientists, coaches, and wellness experts who bring science-based insights into everyday work. So whether you're interested in creating a great workplace, want to learn how to work better yourself, or just interested in the brain and how we think, lead and learn, hit subscribe and come along. We're Wired to Work and we're just getting started!

Information

  • Creator
    Jessica Chapman
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Wired to Work with Jess Chapman
  • Show Website
    Wired to Work with Jess Chapman