Corporate Survival Guide for Misfits

Laurence Paquette

Most corporate advice is written for people who already fit the system. This podcast is for the rest of us. In each episode, Laurence Paquette explores the hidden rules of corporate life, leadership, and modern work for people who don’t quite fit the mold. Introverts. Neurodivergent professionals. Deep thinkers navigating systems that were never designed for them. Conversations and reflections on leadership, identity, culture, and building a career that doesn’t cost you yourself.

  1. Jun 7

    What a Fractional CMO actually is — and who needs one

    What a Fractional CMO actually is — and who needs one Fractional is not a polite word for freelance. It's not junior support. It's not "a little bit of marketing help." In this episode I explain what fractional leadership actually means, who needs it, and why more experienced executives are choosing portfolio careers over the traditional model. Two minutes. No slides. Just a point of view.

    3 min

  2. May 4

    You’re Already Playing Office Politics

    Office politics has a bad reputation, mostly because people confuse it with manipulation. So a lot of people pretend they don’t participate in it at all. But the truth is, everyone navigates power, influence, relationships, and perception at work to some extent. The real question is whether we do it unconsciously, or honestly and with integrity. This video is about the latter.

    4 min

  3. Apr 28

    The spiral after being wrong in public

    Being wrong in public is one thing. The hours and days after are another. Most leadership advice tells you to own it quickly and move on, which skips the part where your nervous system still thinks you're in danger. In this episode, Laurence talks about why recovering from a public stumble is slower than anyone admits, and why nobody tells you that the uncomfortable part is actually normal.

    6 min

  4. Apr 19

    That nervous feeling before executive meetings? Here's why!

    Even at VP level, the meetings that make your heart race don't go away. The ones where you're there to challenge something, defend your team, or push back on a decision in a room full of senior people. In this episode, Laurence talks about the invisible internal work that happens before those meetings — and why it doesn't disappear with seniority, especially when you've never quite fit the standard leadership mold.

    5 min

  5. Mar 24

    The gap between who you are and who work wants you to be

    We keep saying “bring your whole self to work.” But that’s not really what’s expected, is it? In this episode, I talk about the gap between what companies say and what they actually reward. Why energy and performance are welcome, but grief, anxiety, and exhaustion are not. And what that does to our mental health over time. This isn’t just about burnout or work life balance. It’s about the constant pressure to edit yourself to fit a version of “professional” that leaves very little room for being human. If you’ve ever felt like you have to leave parts of yourself at the door to be taken seriously at work, this one’s for you.

    4 min

  6. Mar 9

    The Most Underrated Leadership Skill: Asking Questions

    Most people think leadership is about having the right answers. I think it is often about asking the right questions. In this episode I talk about why questions open conversations, create trust inside teams, and lead to ideas you would never get if the leader was doing all the talking. If you lead a team, coach people, or simply want better conversations at work, learning how to ask better questions might be one of the most powerful skills you can develop.

    4 min

  7. Feb 28

    Stop people pleasing at work

    Always saying yes at work can look like commitment, but over time it can dilute your focus and drain your confidence. In this episode, I reflect on how people pleasing shows up in professional environments and share practical ways to build healthier boundaries, communicate more clearly, and prioritise what actually matters without becoming less collaborative.

    4 min

  8. Feb 1

    How I Stopped Overthinking Every Decision

    I used to overthink everything, turning even small decisions into something heavy and exhausting, as if every choice was a test I was afraid of failing. In this episode, I talk about what helped me move out of analysis paralysis and start making decisions with more clarity, less fear, and more self trust, without becoming reckless or careless. I share the simple questions I now ask myself when I feel stuck, how I tell the difference between fear and misalignment, why not every decision needs to be permanent, and how letting go of too much external input helped me hear my own voice again. This is not about having perfect confidence or always getting it right. It is about learning that clarity does not always come before action, and that sometimes you only find it once you move. If you tend to overthink, freeze between options, or wait for certainty before taking a step, this episode is for you.

    2 min
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About

Most corporate advice is written for people who already fit the system. This podcast is for the rest of us. In each episode, Laurence Paquette explores the hidden rules of corporate life, leadership, and modern work for people who don’t quite fit the mold. Introverts. Neurodivergent professionals. Deep thinkers navigating systems that were never designed for them. Conversations and reflections on leadership, identity, culture, and building a career that doesn’t cost you yourself.

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