Modern work is getting weird. In this episode, Erin and Nicole talk about career envy, AI "bot sitting," Gen Z's job search chaos, parents overstepping in the hiring process, airport drama, bathroom hideouts, and the deeply human ways people are trying to stand out, stay sane, and survive work right now. They also unpack one of Erin's favorite new questions for killing comparison: "Would I actually want their life?" Because chasing someone else's version of success only works if you're willing to take the whole life that comes with it. In this episode you'll hear: Why career envy gets a lot less powerful when you zoom out How AI slop is changing resumes, hiring, and the way we try to stand out What "bot sitting" says about the strange new reality of work Why parents need to step away from the hiring manager The hilarious and slightly unhinged ways people cope at work This one is part workplace commentary, part group therapy, part "what the hell is happening out there?" And honestly? We need all three. Anya Roodnitsky Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DU6VPHhEgGn/ Book Erin to speak Ready to modernize your culture, liberate your leadership, and differentiate your business without sounding like every other company on LinkedIn? Bring Erin Hatzikostas in to show your team how authenticity can become an actual strategic advantage, not just another corporate buzzword. Book Erin to Speak If you'd like quick tangible tips and practical corporate career advice to level up your authentic leadership, download the 10 simple "plays" to stop selling out and start standing out at https://bauthenticinc.mykajabi.com/freebie If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram Take our simple, fun and insightful "What's your workplace superhero name?" quiz Unleash your Authentic Superpower with Erin's book, You Do You-ish Throw out half the playbook and start competing in a league of your own. Check out Erin's book, The 50% Rule. Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "You cannot compare yourself to somebody else without first asking: would I actually want their life?" "We do make shit up all the time. It's just usually bad shit about us and good shit about other people. You have the right to flip that." "You're creating an entire life you don't have to escape from." "If you want to be heard, stand out, picked, chosen, or done business with, AI slop is going to kill you." Editor's note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity, readability, and flow while preserving the core conversation and strongest takeaways. In this episode, Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata unpack the weird, wild, and deeply human ways people are surviving modern work. From career envy and AI "bot sitting" to Gen Z's job search chaos, parents overstepping in hiring, airport drama, bathroom hideouts, and the pressure to stand out in a world full of sameness, this conversation is part workplace commentary, part group therapy, and part "what the hell is happening out there?" Women, Work, and the Underground Network Erin: I have some updates. The first one is related to something you just said. I have to laugh at how freaking amazing working women are at multitasking. This morning, I drove 45 minutes to Southington for an 8:30 coffee meeting with a former client who is now a current client because they're bringing me back again. But before that, I had placed a BJ's Warehouse order at the Southington location because we have a graduation party coming up. So I had the coffee meeting, got gas under $4, picked up a ridiculous amount of party supplies, came home, sweated my ass off putting it all away, and thought, this is how women work. People underestimate not only how efficient we are, but also how connected we are. That reminded me of something else. A few weeks ago, our financial advisors decided to move to another bank for the second time in six years. The first time, we followed them. The second time, we paused. I happen to use the same financial advisor as my woman work crush, Jean LaTour, who is a former chief investment officer for CBS and Aetna. She is a big deal, authentic as hell, and I'm proud to call her a friend. When we both got the news, we immediately started texting. I told her the deal Morgan Stanley offered us to incentivize us to stay, which was different from hers. We were sent to different people. We've had lunch. We've compared notes on how the transition has gone. So story number one is this: do not underestimate women and our ability to get all the things done, whether it's picking up BJ's after a business meeting or quietly sharing information behind the scenes to make sure we get the best deal possible. Nicole: That reminds me of one of our early episodes about the things women don't talk about. One of the big ones was finances. It's a mistake I still make sometimes. When things are changing, it can feel overwhelming. You want to trust what's happening. You get comfortable. But these are businesses. These are deal makers. You're their client, and you're paying them. The more information you have, the better. I applaud you for asking, "Who else is in this with me? Let's have some conversations," instead of blindly going along with a deal that sounded good enough. Erin: Exactly. And I know we have a lot of male listeners, so I'm not saying women are better. But get women into leadership positions because we are doing this at work too. We're multitasking, sharing information, and doing business differently. Sometimes that women's network is working under the covers more than people think. And I mean that in the least weird way possible. The Question That Kills Career Envy Erin: My second thought is something that has been helping me a lot lately. I've been feeling really good about a mindset shift I've made around jealousy, comparison, and chasing things I don't actually want. The speaking business can be ego-driven. I'm not selling widgets. I'm selling myself. So it's easy to get caught up in the idea that more bookings equal more validation. But I don't want to be a speaker who does 40, 60, or 80 gigs a year. I used to think that was mostly because I didn't want to be on the road that much or because it was too much to balance with family. But it's also because I can't give fully to clients if I'm doing that much. I have eight gigs between June and September, and I'm at capacity in terms of my ability to customize, understand each client, and not come in with a cookie-cutter talk. So here's the question that has helped me when I see another speaker's amazing new reel or big event announcement: Would I want their life? And I don't mean, "That probably sucks because they're on the road so much." I mean literally: would I want their whole life? Sometimes I know these people and their backgrounds, and sometimes I don't. But I ask myself, would I want the entire life that comes with that thing I'm jealous of? The answer is almost always no. I want my life. I want time with my husband. I want time with my kids. I want breathing room on a Friday. I don't want to take one thing and give up everything else. You cannot compare yourself to somebody else without first asking, "Would I actually want their life?" Maybe once in a while the answer will be yes. But even with celebrities, ask yourself: would I want their life? You don't get to have the thing you're jealous of and keep everything you already have. You can't say, "I want that event with 3,000 people on a stage in Hawaii," without also taking the number of gigs, sacrifices, relationships, lifestyle, location, and everything else that comes with it. You cannot pick and choose. That has put me in this place of gratitude for the holistic picture of my life. When speaker friends ask, "How's it going?" there is often this undertone of, "How many bookings are you doing?" And I've started answering differently. I say, "I really fucking love my life." Yes, this is the busiest summer I've had speaking. But when you ask how I'm doing, I'm thinking about my daughter having the time of her life in her senior year, my husband and I getting along great, the weather being beautiful, visiting family, and building a life I actually want. Nicole: What you're saying is interesting because you're not saying don't change or don't evolve. You're saying look at the landscape, the tools, the opportunities, and the framework you actually have. Don't look at someone else's life with no context about who they are, how they got there, or what sacrifices they made, and assume you can just import one piece of it. Erin: Yes. And I'm also giving people permission to make shit up. Let's say someone's title comes across your feed and you think, "I always thought I wanted that role." You don't know that person. So you have the right to create a different narrative. We make shit up all the time. It's just usually bad shit about us and good shit about other people. You have the right to flip that. If you're going to tell stories in your head, tell great stories about yourself too. Nicole: As long as the narrative gives you balance and helps you dig into where you are instead of making you feel terrible about yourself, it can create growth. Erin: Exactly. Because when you stop spending so much energy being depressed about where you are, you can actually grow. And this is where the 50% Rule helps too. Once you do things half-normal, half-you, it becomes almost impossible to compare because you're not trying to do it the same way anyway. I've told the universe something different. I've said I want around 25 gigs a year. I want balance. I
