Work is Weird Now

Danielle Emery

5.0 (8)
BUSINESS
UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Work is Weird Now—the podcast that explores the mysteries and oddities of work in the modern age. If you’re at a mid-career impasse, questioning your career choices, looking for inspiration, or just wondering what on earth is going on —you're in the right place. Meet your hosts: Alice Phillips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-phillips-17847b7/ Dan Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-emery-08869b3a/

5 DAYS AGO

S5E5: Why don't we trust organisations anymore? With Deborah Cohen

In this episode of Work Is Weird Now, we’re joined by Deborah Cohen, journalist, doctor and author of the new book Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health. We explore why trust in institutions is eroding and why people are increasingly turning to influencers, algorithms and online narratives over qualified experts. Drawing on examples from healthcare, leadership and workplace culture, Deb unpacks what really breaks trust, from not feeling heard, to overclaiming certainty, to surrounding yourself with yes-people. We also dig into parasocial relationships, the risks of “empathetic” AI, and why honesty about uncertainty is one of the hardest but most powerful leadership moves. This episode is for anyone leading, managing or working in a low-trust environment and wondering how we rebuild credibility when certainty is no longer an option.

40 min
4 FEB

S5E4: Do work clothes still matter? With Julietta Dexter

Do work clothes still matter? In this episode of the Work is Weird Now Podcast, we’re joined by Julietta Dexter, Founder of The Communication Store and Chair of Smart Works, the charity supporting unemployed women with coaching, clothing, and confidence to secure work. The question sounds simple, but it opens up something much bigger: Do work clothes still matter? Julietta’s answer is a clear yes — not because of outdated dress codes or corporate rules, but because what we wear still shapes confidence, identity, comfort, and belonging at work. Especially now, as careers become more flexible, more fragmented, and more uncertain. We talk about: Confidence dressing and first impressions (without dressing for anyone else)The unspoken “uniforms” different teams adopt at workWho decides what “appropriate” even means — and why it’s politicalThe reality of age, fear, AI, and insecurity in today’s job marketThe Smart Works “magic moment” and why clothes can change how someone shows upPractical capsule wardrobe advice for real working lives (with a brilliant twist)This episode is for anyone navigating confidence at work, returning after time out, building a portfolio career, or wondering how to show up in a world where the old rules no longer apply. Because clothes still matter — just not in the way we were taught.

50 min
28 JAN

S5E3: How do we design a work life that’s uniquely ours? With Charlie Rogers

What if the safest career move right now is… refusing to be one thing? In this episode, Alice Phillips and Dan Emery are joined by Charlie Rogers, founder of Undefinable Life Design and author of a new book launching this March. Charlie introduces the idea of the “undefinable” — people whose working lives don’t fit neatly into a single job title, industry, or identity. Not because they’re unfocused, but because they’re layered. Against a backdrop of AI acceleration, job instability, and the slow collapse of the linear career ladder, Charlie argues that being meaningfully unique across several things is more resilient than being average at one. He calls it the automation of the average — and explains why your edge now lies in synthesis, lived experience, and perspective. We explore: Why traditional career labels are breaking downThe Undefinable Ascent: a practical framework for designing work that actually holds upThe case for being “semi-pro” in multiple things, not obsessed with oneWhy energy, not ambition, is the missing piece in most career adviceWhat organisations need to learn as careers become less linear and more ecosystem-basedThis is a conversation about clarity without confinement — and designing a working life that’s sustainable, human, and genuinely yours.

41 min
21 JAN

S5E2: Are memes the new language of work? With Martin Kevill

Are memes the new language of work? Memes. GIFs. Reels. The things we send without thinking and yet somehow they’ve become one of the clearest ways we communicate how work actually feels. In this episode of Work Is Weird Now, we’re joined by Martin Kevill, Creative Director at Tangerine Communications, to explore a deceptively big question: Are memes the new language of work? We unpack how memes have replaced the office “water cooler” acting as fast, emotionally loaded signals that convey shared reality, opinion, and feeling in a split second. We talk about why memes let people say the unsayable, how they function as pressure release and micro-connection in digitally fragmented workplaces, and what actually makes something a meme in the first place. We also dig into the risks: where memes can exclude, muddy meaning, or become a proxy for leadership clarity and whether brands and internal comms teams can ever use memes without killing the joy. We finish by looking ahead. If AI can generate infinite memes on demand, do memes still work without a real human moment behind them? Playful on the surface. Serious underneath. Because memes might just be part of work’s new emotional infrastructure. Guest: Martin Kevill, Creative Director, Tangerine Communications

39 min
14 JAN

S5E1: How will work be weird in 2026? With Oliver Pickup

How will work be weird in 2026? | Live episode We’re back — and for the first time ever, Work Is Weird Now went live on LinkedIn. In this episode, we’re joined by award-winning journalist and future-of-work commentator Oliver Pickup to unpack the seven big shifts shaping how work will feel in 2026. From AI readiness gaps and the collapse of the graduate pipeline, to workplace loneliness, resenteeism, and the growing tension between automation and human connection, this conversation explores why 2026 is landing as a pivotal reset year. We dig into: Why many organisations are rushing AI adoption without real workforce readinessWhat happens when entry-level roles disappear — and why it matters to everyoneThe six human skills becoming the real competitive edgeLoneliness at work as a performance and leadership issue, not just a wellbeing oneWhy “return to office” only works when the office earns its placeHow resenteeism shows up — and how leaders accidentally create itWhy learning velocity may be the most important skill of allWe close with a question that stopped us (and the audience) in our tracks: If AI gives time back, what do we want to do with it?

56 min
10/12/2025

S4 Wrap: Alice + Dan Mix Tape

Season 4 is a wrap and this episode is our 2025 Work Mixtape. Across nine episodes, this year quietly and sometimes loudly rewired how we think about work, careers, identity and contribution. From portfolio lives over single job titles, to contribution over credentials, this wrap-up pulls together the ideas, moments and shifts that stayed with us most. We revisit guests who changed how we show up, from rethinking LinkedIn with Claudia, to Antoinette’s powerful reminder that work is ultimately about dignity, agency and purpose. We reflect on the most human moments of the year, the funniest behind-the-scenes chaos, and the transitions that almost changed everything. We also look ahead to what we are carrying into 2026: radical open-mindedness about what work can be, generosity as a strategy, and a deeper commitment to exploring the messy intersection of AI, creativity, dignity and human work. Season 5 is already underway, with live events, new collaborations including our partnership with She Shapes AI, and more strange, honest conversations ahead. If your career feels in flux, this one’s for you.

44 min
03/12/2025

Should we all have portfolio careers? With Ben Legg

This episode features Ben Legg — former Google Europe COO and co-founder of The Portfolio Collective — as we dive into why portfolio careers are becoming the new normal. Ben explains the shift from single-employer dependence to earning through a mix of consulting, fractional roles, creative projects and more. We unpack the four types of portfolio professionals, the mindset shift toward life design, why organisations aren’t prepared for a fractional workforce, and the real realities behind going solo. Ben also explores how AI expands what’s possible for one-person businesses and what children will need to learn now to thrive in a portfolio-driven future. We close with a look inside The Portfolio Collective, a global community of 15,000+ people building sustainable, flexible and fulfilling portfolio careers.

45 min
26/11/2025

Can a career break actually enrich your career? With Nicoletta Idili

In this episode of Work is Weird Now, we sit down with Nicoletta Idili former humanitarian worker turned podcast host and transformative coach to explore what really happens when you press pause on your career. After eight years at Oxfam, Nicoletta realised the role no longer fit the life she wanted. Instead of jumping straight into the next job, she took a year-and-a-half career break: time to step back, reflect and explore who she was beyond her job title. That break led her to launch Career Breakers, a podcast sharing stories of women who’ve taken time out to reset, recover from burnout and reinvent their working lives. We talk about: Redefining identity when your career is non-linear and “multi-potential”Why so many people only step away once they hit burnoutThe emotional and financial realities of leaving a stable roleHow sabbaticals and structured breaks could (and should) become part of normal working lifePractical ways to prepare for a break: inner work, money, mindset and supportIf you’ve ever felt the urge to stop, breathe and rethink everything but fear the “gap” on your CV - Nicoletta’s story might be the permission slip you’ve been waiting for.

36 min

5

out of 5

8 Ratings

Welcome to Work is Weird Now—the podcast that explores the mysteries and oddities of work in the modern age. If you’re at a mid-career impasse, questioning your career choices, looking for inspiration, or just wondering what on earth is going on —you're in the right place. Meet your hosts: Alice Phillips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-phillips-17847b7/ Dan Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-emery-08869b3a/

Creator

Danielle Emery
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

50
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Work is Weird Now