The Hard at Work Podcast

Ellen Whitlock Baker
  • 4.9 (16)
  • Management
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I’m Ellen Whitlock Baker, and I’m a 20 year survivor of many different workplaces, from the good to the bad to the ugly. I created the Hard at Work podcast to help you navigate…and maybe even update… the workplace, which wasn’t made for most of us. Hard at Work is the show for people who are ready to challenge workplace norms, advocate for themselves and others, and create a more equitable, healthier work culture.

  1. 14h ago

    48. Building a Thriving People-Centric Workplace: In Practice with Karina Patel (part 1)

    How do you turn a bold, feminist vision into a thriving, people-centered company that supports millions of women? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Karina Patel, Chief Operating Officer at Her First 100K (HFK). Together, they explore what it looks like to dismantle toxic productivity, build intentional workplace systems, and re-architect traditional business norms to put human beings first. Karina shares her journey from corporate marketing and non-profit development to leading behind-the-scenes operations alongside HFK founder and CEO, Tori Dunlap. She offers a transparent look into how she balances visionary ambition with operational reality—proving that a company can be both wildly successful AND center the humanity of its employees. Ellen and Karina dive deep into HFK’s progressive HR policies, detailing the mechanics of truly supportive, human-first culture. From unlimited PTO (including menstrual and birthday leave) and four months of fully paid parental leave to remote work stipends and 26 company-wide paid days off each year, Karina breaks down why trusting employees with autonomy, setting firm communication boundaries, and unlearning the guilt of taking time off are essential for sustainable growth. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s actually possible to build a workplace that centers the needs of your employees and still be a raging success, this is a must-listen. Turning Vision into Operations: How a COO translates visionary ideas into sustainable, executable operational strategies. Deprioritization as Burnout Prevention: Why learning to say "no" or "not right now" protects team bandwidth and combats toxic productivity. Rethinking Unlimited PTO: The nuance behind HFK’s unlimited leave policy, including menstrual leave, birthday leave, and reasonable coverage plans. Radical Company-Wide Breaks: How HFK implements a full week off every quarter plus holiday downtime—giving the team 26 paid, company-wide days off each year. Leadership Modeling & Communication Boundaries: Why leaders must model offline behavior, shut off notifications at 5:00 PM, and decouple urgency from importance. Unlearning Work Guilt: Overcoming the myth that everything hinges on your constant presence, and realizing that healthy organizations run smoothly when you step away.

  2. Jul 30

    47. Your Mess is Your Message With Matt Gilhooly

    What happens when you stop running from your past and finally step out of performance mode? In this episode of Hard at Work, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Matt Gilhooly—creator of The Life Shift Podcast—to explore how pivotal before-and-after moments shape who we are and how we navigate our careers. Matt shares the deeply personal story behind his podcast, starting with the sudden loss of his mother at age eight and how two decades of suppressed grief manifested as a relentless drive for perfectionism. Together, Ellen and Matt break down what it takes to unlearn societal definitions of success. Matt reflects on taking a leave of absence from work and making the bold, unconventional choice to ask for a demotion from a director role to reclaim his time, mental health, and autonomy. They dive into the nuance of workplace dynamics, the danger of treating your employer as family, and how finding an outlet outside of work can completely change your relationship with your job. Packed with vulnerability, this episode offers a permission slip to honor your mess, let go of unrealistic expectations, and take small, intentional steps toward living authentically. Whether you're navigating a career pivot, healing from loss, or feeling stuck on the corporate ladder, Matt’s insights will leave you feeling far less alone in your journey. Key Takeaways Unlearning Perfectionism as a Coping Mechanism: Early trauma or loss often drives us to build a "perfect" exterior to avoid abandonment or criticism, but true healing begins when we drop the armor and acknowledge our feelings without judgment. Redefining the Career Ladder: Stepping down, taking a lower-title role, or shifting priorities isn't "career suicide"—it can be an intentional act of self-preservation that reclaims your power and mental health. Your Mess Is Your Message: Sharing your raw, unedited story creates a powerful ripple effect, allowing others to feel seen, validated, and permitted to process their own struggles. The Power of "Micro-Yeses": You don't need a massive, overnight transformation to change your life; following small sparks of curiosity (like writing, drawing, or starting a low-stakes project) builds the momentum needed for meaningful shift. Decoupling Identity from Work: While workplace community matters, viewing your job as a way to support your life—rather than the sole source of your identity—prevents burnout and restores balance. Show Notes Connect with Matt Gilhooly: Website: thelifeshiftpodcast.comMatt's books, including The Life Shift Journal If this episode touched your heart or gave you a new perspective on your work and life, please leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    47. Your Mess is Your Message With Matt Gilhooly

  3. Jul 22

    46. It’s Never Too Late to Pivot: How to Reinvent Your Career and Claim Your True Value with Cathy Lanzalaco

    In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker connects with executive career coach and Inspire Careers CEO Cathy Lanzalaco to send a powerful message: no matter how long you’ve been on one path, it's never too late to reinvent your professional life. Having successfully transformed her own career three times—pivoting from registered nursing to corporate HR leadership, and ultimately founding her own coaching business—Cathy brings a wealth of encouragement and practical insider knowledge. Together, she and Ellen explore how mid-career professionals can break free from feeling stuck, move past the fear of starting over, and step confidently into work that brings them joy. The discussion provides an empowering blueprint for navigating modern job transitions. Cathy breaks down how to translate decades of experience into adjacent roles by focusing on non-negotiables, personal value, and incremental "bridge" steps. She shares why updating your career story is essential, warning candidates against sounding like everyone else through generic AI tools. Instead, she highlights how owning your unique human accomplishments and personal brand will help you stand out to recruiters and land roles where you are genuinely valued. Ultimately, Ellen and Cathy remind listeners that work should be a meaningful contribution to your life—not something that drains your spirit. By letting go of what others think, building genuine professional relationships, and embracing career management as an ongoing journey, anyone can take control of their story. Packed with optimism and concrete advice, this episode is a rallying cry for anyone ready to unlock their full potential and build a career they love. It’s Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself: Whether you’ve been in a field for five years or two decades, your skills are valuable and adaptable. You are never truly stuck, and you always have permission to write a new chapter. Focus on Adjacent "Bridge" Steps: You don't have to leap into the deep end immediately. Moving into adjacent roles or taking incremental steps allows you to pivot smoothly into work you love without overwhelming life changes. Release the Fear of Judgment: What other people think shouldn't dictate your happiness. The people who truly support you will cheer on your growth, and the rest aren't paying your bills! Showcase Your Unique Value: Ditch generic job duty lists and cookie-cutter AI content. Focus your resume on your unique achievements, real-world impact, and the distinct perspective you bring to the table. Relationships Create Opportunity: Networking isn't a chore; it's about making genuine connections. Surrounding yourself with supportive people and nurturing relationships is the single best way to unlock exciting new career doors. Connect with Cathy Lanzalaco: Website: Inspire Careers LinkedIn: Cathy Lanzalaco on LinkedIn Connect with Ellen & Hard at Work: Website Follow Ellen on LinkedIn

    46. It’s Never Too Late to Pivot: How to Reinvent Your Career and Claim Your True Value with Cathy Lanzalaco

  4. Jul 15

    45. Three Signs It's Time To Quit Your Job

    Unpacking the three unmistakable signs of chronic workplace burnout and how to reclaim your power while planning your next career move. Have you ever found yourself staring at your laptop, completely miserable, wondering if it’s finally time to throw in the towel? You aren’t alone, and more importantly, workplace burnout is not your fault. In this solo episode of the Hard at Work Podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker tackles one of the most agonizing professional dilemmas: identifying when a job is truly unsalvageable. Navigating outdated corporate norms and high-pressure environments often leaves professionals feeling trapped by financial and security constraints, but staying stuck in chronic stress shouldn't be the default. This episode dives into the data of toxic work cultures, highlighting three undeniable signs that it is time to quit your job. Ellen explores the heavy toll of persistent anger and resentment—backed by staggering statistics on burnout irritability—alongside the crushing weight of systemic exhaustion and intolerable workplace treatment. By challenging the toxic "give 110%" hustle mentality, this conversation reframes boundaries not as a lack of ambition, but as a mandatory preservation of your mental health. If you are irrationally angry at minor office conflicts or feel like you can never catch up on an infinite to-do list, your body is sending you vital data that your current workplace is no longer viable. But what do you do when you can't walk out tomorrow? Ellen delivers a practical, empowering toolkit to help you survive a toxic job while executing your exit plan. You will learn how to ruthlessly edit your calendar, master the power of saying "no" to non-mandatory tasks, drop the performance of "busyness," and aggressively claim your hard-earned vacation and sick leave. Ultimately, this episode is a powerful reminder that your self-worth is entirely separate from your job title, offering the exact strategies you need to quietly reclaim your agency, protect your peace, and plan a transition to a career that actually respects your humanity. Main Topics Covered: The clear boundary between difficult work experiences and severe mistreatment Recognizing signs that suggest it's time to quit, including chronic resentment, exhaustion, and intolerable treatment The importance of setting boundaries, saying no, and prioritizing yourself during transitional periods How systemic pressures drive burnout and unlearning harmful work culture narratives Practical steps to plan a departure safely and confidently Timestamps: 00:00 - The line between tough work situations and harmful treatment 02:06 - How to know when it’s really time to quit your job 03:07 - Signs you might need to leave: burnout, resentment, overwhelming workload 04:56 - Why burnout isn’t your fault and systemic contributors to chronic stress 06:48 - Key signs including persistent anger, exhaustion, and intolerable treatment 09:10 - Challenging the "give 110%" mindset that causes burnout 10:36 - Recognizing when your workload and treatment become unsustainable 11:28 - How workplace toxicity like bullying or discrimination signals it’s time to go 12:45 - The importance of understanding your rights and options for leaving safely 14:09 - Personal story of reclaiming power and making intentional exit plans 16:00 - How to remind yourself of your worth and start the transition 17:23 - Practical boundary-setting strategies during your job transition 19:12 - The critical importance of using vacation and sick leave to support mental health 20:59 - Wrap-up: confirming the signs and embracing your worth Resources & Links: Christina Maslach Burnout ResearchThe study quoted in the episode is based on Maslach's work but is actually the Sydney Studies conducted in 2021 by clinical psychiatrist Professor Gordon Parker and colleagues. Schedule a 45 minute free consultation with Ellen if you're experiencing burnout or stress at work.

    45. Three Signs It's Time To Quit Your Job

  5. Jul 8

    44. Redefining Workplace Happiness

    In this episode, Ellen Whitlock Baker discusses the difference between creating healthy workplaces that prioritize employee well-being vs. wanting a workplace where everyone is happy all the time. She emphasizes the need for leaders to anchor themselves in their core values, communicate transparently, and be flexible in their decision-making processes. The conversation highlights that a healthy workplace is characterized by trust, respect, and open communication, rather than a facade of constant happiness. Ellen provides practical tools for leaders to navigate tough decisions while maintaining a human-centric approach to leadership. Takeaways You can have a healthy workplace where people feel listened to, supported, and trusted.It's not possible to make everybody happy all the time.Knowing your core values isn't a nice to have, it's a must-have.When a decision feels easy, it can be because you're taking the easy way out.A healthy workplace isn't full of shiny, happy people holding hands (even though that would be nice).Communication is key in delivering tough news.Transparency builds trust and respect within teams.Your job as a leader is to be flexible and listen to your team.Expect that sometimes you're going to do things that might not make people happy.Don't create a miserable workplace; there's a difference between unhappiness and misery. Keywords healthy workplaces, leadership, core values, communication, transparency, workplace culture, employee well-being, human-centric leadership, burnout prevention, trust building Chapters 00:00 Creating Healthy Workplaces: A New Perspective 09:03 Anchoring in Core Values for Leadership 14:54 Communicating Tough News with Transparency and Flexibility

    44. Redefining Workplace Happiness

  6. May 20

    43. Trust Overload: How Workplace Intimacy Masks Inequity with Sarah Mosseri

    The hidden costs of workplace intimacy and how to navigate systemic betrayal. Episode Summary We are often told that trust is the foundation of a healthy workplace, but what happens when that trust is used to mask deep-seated inequity? In this episode, sociologist and author Sarah Mosseri joins host Ellen Whitlock Baker to discuss her book, Trust Fall: How Workplace Relationships Fail Us. Sarah shares the "weird puzzle" that sparked her research: while institutional trust in America is at an all-time low, over 80% of workers still claim to trust their managers and peers. Through over 1,200 hours of ethnographic observation across tech startups, restaurants, and the gig economy, Sarah reveals why we cling to these bonds even when the underlying systems are increasingly insecure. The conversation dives deep into the phenomenon of "trust overload," where personal relationships are forced to do the work that fair rules and structural protections should be doing. Sarah explains how "Maverick Managers"—often white, cis-gender men who use plain talk or "endearing incompetence"—can build intense loyalty while women and people of color are often denied that same latitude (think Michael Scott from The Office). Ellen and Sarah explore how these dynamics shift risk onto the most vulnerable employees, making workplace betrayal not just personal, but systemic. Finally, Sarah offers a way forward using her MAP framework: naming the Moment, Analyzing the pattern, and finding your People. Ellen and Sarah discuss the power of collective action, the lessons learned from ride-hail drivers who fought back against platform invisibility, and the importance of building community outside of our primary job. Whether you are a leader looking to build genuine accountability or a worker trying to "unlearn" toxic norms, this episode provides a necessary reality check on what it really means to trust at work. Keywords trust in workplace, organizational culture, workplace inequality, management practices, employee relationships, ethnography, workplace trust, systemic bias, leadership, workplace research Key Topics The paradox of trust in workplaces with low institutional trust Ethnographic research across diverse workplaces How managerial practices influence trust and betrayal The role of systemic inequality in workplace trust Strategies for building genuine trust and community Resources Trust Fall by Sarah Mosseri - https://www.smosseri.com/trust-fall Sarah Mosseri's Website - https://www.sarahmosseri.com Work Fails (Substack) - https://workfails.substack.com

    43. Trust Overload: How Workplace Intimacy Masks Inequity with Sarah Mosseri

  7. May 13

    42. Curing the Culture: Why Healthcare Burnout is Solvable with Dr. Laura Suttin

    In this episode of the Hard at Work podcast, host Ellen Whitlock Baker sits down with Dr. Laura Suttin, a family physician, consultant, coach, and author of The Purposeful MD, to tackle the crisis of healthcare burnout. While the medical field often treats self-sacrifice as a "badge of honor," Dr. Suttin argues that the current level of clinician fatigue is a solvable systemic issue rather than an individual failure. They dive into the reality of modern medicine, from the burdens of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) designed for billing rather than care, to the staggering statistic that a typical family physician would need 27 hours in a day just to manage their patient panel effectively. Dr. Suttin shares practical, high-impact solutions for healthcare leadership, emphasizing that the "system" is ultimately made of people who have the collective power to demand change. The conversation explores the promise of AI in healthcare to reduce charting burdens and the importance of "practicing at the top of your license" through team-based care. Whether you are a clinician looking to lead without guilt or a leader striving to build a sustainable workplace culture, this episode offers a hopeful roadmap for moving beyond survival mode and reclaiming purpose in the medical profession. What’s Inside the Episode: The "Badge of Honor" Trap: Why the medical culture of self-sacrifice—often neglecting basic needs like food and sleep—is unsustainable and how to shift the narrative. The 27-Hour Workday: A look at the staggering data showing that family physicians would need 27 hours in a day to manage their patient panels under current systems. EMRs vs. Care: Understanding why Electronic Medical Records were built for billing rather than doctors, and how AI tools are starting to reduce the charting burden. Practicing at the "Top of Your License": The importance of team-based care and why doctors shouldn't have to be the social worker and mental health professional in every visit. Leading the Change: Why we need more clinicians in leadership roles and how to bridge the gap between clinical training and management skills. Show Notes: Laura's Website: drlaurasuttin.comLaura's Book: The Purposeful MD: Creating the Life You Love Without Guilt Laura's Podcast: Designing Healthcare that Cares — Hosted by Dr. Laura Suttin.Laura's Course: The Clinician Leader Course — Specifically designed for new and aspiring clinician leaders. Connect with Dr. Laura Suttin on LinkedIn

    42. Curing the Culture: Why Healthcare Burnout is Solvable with Dr. Laura Suttin

  8. May 6

    41. Solo - When Rest Feels Like a Risk: Overcoming the Guilt of Doing "Nothing"

    Have you ever sat down to rest, only to find your brain spinning with a mile-long to-do list and a heavy dose of guilt? You aren’t alone. In this episode, Ellen dives deep into the "insidious inability to rest" and why our brains view healthy changes—like setting boundaries or recovering from surgery—as a threat to our comfort zones. Even as a coach who teaches burnout prevention, Ellen reveals her recent struggle with the "itch" of productivity and why choosing yourself can often feel countercultural. It’s time to unlearn the belief that rest is a reward you have to earn. Ellen shares a practical, three-step process to navigate uncomfortable feelings: naming the emotion, locating it in the body, and using Susan David’s "what the func?" method to understand what your brain is trying to tell you. Whether you’re recovering from a setback or just trying to survive a Tuesday without a meltdown, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for unravelling yourself from toxic productivity—one color-by-number page at a time. Key Takeaways & Links: The Science of Naming: Why labeling your emotions makes them easier to manage. What the func?: Understanding the function and purpose behind your emotions. Practical Mindfulness: How simple acts (like coloring) can quiet a spinning mind. Show Notes: Tricia Hersey's Rest is Resistance and The Nap MinistryTricia Hersey's Rest DeckListen to Episode 13 of Hard at Work, "When Rest Feels Wrong"Susan David's book Emotional Agility (creator of "what the func?")

    41. Solo - When Rest Feels Like a Risk: Overcoming the Guilt of Doing "Nothing"
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

I’m Ellen Whitlock Baker, and I’m a 20 year survivor of many different workplaces, from the good to the bad to the ugly. I created the Hard at Work podcast to help you navigate…and maybe even update… the workplace, which wasn’t made for most of us. Hard at Work is the show for people who are ready to challenge workplace norms, advocate for themselves and others, and create a more equitable, healthier work culture.

Information

  • Creator
    Ellen Whitlock Baker
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ellen Whitlock Baker
  • Show Website
    The Hard at Work Podcast