b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

Erin Hatzikostas
  • 5.0 (67)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast obsessed with helping GenX(ish) leaders, who should be at the top of their careers but don't feel like they are. The b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck podcast isn't another boring, stuffy leadership podcast. And it doesn't bring you a gazillion guests who had the guts to "ef" the 9-5, seemingly the only answer to truly being happy in your career. Instead, this podcast is focused on helping you continue to rise in your career, but doing it without compromising everything else - your family, your health, or maybe even who you are. Erin, a former corporate CEO turned Authentic Leadership expert, teams up with her good friend, Nicole, an ivy league grad and professional do-gooder. Nicole lays it all on the line to share her real-time work highs, lows, contemplations, and sometimes barely believable stories. And Erin coaches and cajoles her (really, you) along the way...all in the name of helping you feel less insane, more inspired. Erin also interviews authentic leaders and experts who are focused on giving you the stories, advice, and tips that will have you making small, creative changes that will help you contend with and catapult your career. Grab a drink, put your feet up, and come along for a journey that will involve career advice, unsanitized thoughts, leadership lessons, important guests, and who the hell knows what else. b Cause work DOESN'T have to suck.

  1. 304: How to Be Yourself When You've Been Told You're "Too Much" with Drew Sullivan

    FEB 3

    304: How to Be Yourself When You've Been Told You're "Too Much" with Drew Sullivan

    In this episode, Erin sits down with her friend Drew Sullivan for a deeply honest conversation about addiction, recovery, and what it's like to grow up feeling misunderstood. Drew shares how being labeled "too much," navigating ADHD, and never being asked why shaped the way he moved through the world and how those early experiences quietly laid the groundwork for addiction long before substances entered the picture. This isn't a polished redemption story or a neat recovery arc. It's a human conversation about loss, self-awareness, and what finally made change unavoidable. If you've ever felt misunderstood, struggled with addiction (your own or someone close to you), or are still carrying stories from your early years that shaped who you became, this episode is for you. What you'll hear: 1) Why being labeled "too much" is often about context, not character—and how to tell the difference. 2) What it actually means to live inside-out instead of chasing approval from the outside world. 3) How Drew believes addiction often starts long before substances, and why unmet needs fuel it. 4) A simple, brutally honest way to know when something in your life has crossed the line. 5) Why work gets easier when you stop hiding parts of yourself and find people who can carry their own baggage too. Follow Drew on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjamessullivan/ 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 To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email hello@bauthenticinc.com If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, be sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole) Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group 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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ass merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "I wasn't being asked why I was being told what I was doing wrong." "I never felt safe. I never felt heard, and I never felt seen." "When we focus on living our lives from the outside in, we are f*cked. But when we focus on living our lives from the inside out, anything is possible." "I don't feel like I have to think about doing things before I do them anymore and that's how I know my life has aggressively changed."

    1h 12m
  2. 303: How to Break Your Toxic Attachment to Work

    JAN 20

    303: How to Break Your Toxic Attachment to Work

    This episode is for anyone who swears they're "fine" while secretly letting work run their entire nervous system.  Erin and Nicole get honest about toxic attachment to jobs, the martyr complex disguised as responsibility, and why being the most dependable person in the room isn't the flex you think it is.  If you've ever said "I'll just do it," treated every email like a five-alarm fire, or confused being needed with being valuable, this one might hit close to home. Here's what you'll hear: Why a toxic job isn't always the problem, sometimes it's your attachment to being needed How "I'll just do it" turns into martyrdom and quietly wrecks teams and leaders The difference between being responsible and absorbing everything like it's your fault Why not every urgent thing is a crisis and why you're not the crisis manager What it actually looks like to care about your work without letting it run your nervous system 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 To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email hello@bauthenticinc.com If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, be sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole) Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group 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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ass merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "You could work in the most functional place, you could own the business, and still have a toxic attachment to the role you have." "We often confuse responsibility with absorption. Just because you own something doesn't mean it has to become your inner essence." "The things that make us feel safe are sometimes the very things that make us appear inflexible." "You are not the crisis manager unless your job is literally crisis manager. Not everything urgent is a crisis."

    1h 2m
  3. 302: How to Think Like a Futurist (Especially in a Hot Mess World) with Cecily Sommers

    JAN 6

    302: How to Think Like a Futurist (Especially in a Hot Mess World) with Cecily Sommers

    What does a futurist actually do, and how can understanding change make leadership and life feel less overwhelming? In this episode, Erin talks with futurist Cecily Sommers about how change really works, why uncertainty feels so intense right now, and how leaders can stay grounded when planning horizons keep shrinking.  Here's what you'll hear: -A futurist studies change, not to predict outcomes, but to understand patterns. -The future is not figure-out-able. It is followable. -All change moves in cycles of order, disorder, and re-order. -Understanding change lowers anxiety and increases agency. -Leaders need shorter horizons, more experimentation, and stronger inner stability. cecilysommers.com     leadlikeafuturist.com Book:Think Like a Futurist LinkedIn: Cecily Sommers 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           To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com  If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration!  Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole)   Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram  Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group    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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "The future's not figure-out-able. It is only followable." "All living systems function in cycles." "Anxiety goes down, and your agency goes up." "We can't really change it, but we can observe it, respect it, and work with it."

    57 min
  4. 301: Micro Motivator: How Do I Build Trust as a New Leader?

    12/16/2025

    301: Micro Motivator: How Do I Build Trust as a New Leader?

    ​​In this micro-motivator episode, Erin shares the one strategy every new leader underestimates: using real stories of failure to build trust.  Whether you're stepping into a new role or trying to earn trust with a team that already knows you, this episode gives you a simple habit that makes people think, "I can be myself around this leader." 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   To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com  If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration!  Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole)   Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram  Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group    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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "This was the first time that I had learned this lesson that working harder wasn't necessarily the answer to success." "Being a great leader or being a great successful person in business or in what you do isn't necessarily about following a rubric or doing it the same way." "A humility moment is essentially a story about a time when you screwed up." "As soon as you share a humility moment, immediately your trust radar sort of goes down and they think, well, if they told me that and they didn't have to, they're probably not hiding other things from me as well."

    8 min
  5. 300: Behind the Scenes on the Road to 300 Episodes

    12/02/2025

    300: Behind the Scenes on the Road to 300 Episodes

    Seven years, 300 episodes, and more stories, meltdowns, breakthroughs, and belly laughs than anyone could've planned for. In this monumental milestone episode, Erin and Nicole pull back the curtain and celebrate the journey that started on a couch in New Haven and somehow turned into a community of thousands navigating work, life, leadership, burnout, and everything in between. And in this episode, they're not alone. They invited some of their most loyal listeners to join in the discussion and episode!   153: The 3-Step Method to Getting Anything You Want with Brandon Fong 216: How Pushing Back Propelled Her Career Forward with Barb Flitsch 207: From the Vault: Riding the Elevator Up with Renee Zaugg 206: From the Vault: Nicole's Moving Out, Up, and Onward   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   To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com  If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration!  Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole)   Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram  Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group    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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments  "How am I bringing creativity and expression to my life to help me both in my career, but also just life and bringing your full self to the table." "Sometimes the ROI is the people and the memories." "I remember thinking maybe the world will wanna hear this." "I had a space to be fully me and fully heard and seen at a time when I think I felt very unseen." "Maybe TMI is not a bad thing. Maybe it's just market research."

    57 min
  6. 299: Micro Motivator: How to Make Your Resume Impossible to Ignore

    11/18/2025

    299: Micro Motivator: How to Make Your Resume Impossible to Ignore

    Most resumes read like brag sheets no one asked for. Big words, boring buzzwords and mile-long bullet points that hiring managers will never read. In this episode, Erin breaks down what actually gets attention. If you're  tired of blending in and ready to get noticed by real people scanning hundreds of resumes, this episode shows you the exact shift to make. If you're  tired of blending in and ready to get noticed by real people scanning hundreds of resumes, this episode shows you the exact shift to make. Here's what you'll hear: 1.) Why your resume should act like a marketing flyer, not a brag sheet 2.) The one section that matters most if you want to stand out 3.) How to write a summary that hooks people fast 4.) What a real superpower sounds like and how to explain it 5.) How to use keywords without turning your resume into fluff   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   To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com  If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration!  Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole)   Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram  Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group    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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "A resume is simply a way to grab the attention of somebody and say, Hmm, they're intriguing." "I want you to think about talking about yourself as a unique superpower." "Different is better than better." ~Sally Hogshead

    8 min
  7. 298: How to Be a More Relatable Leader (Without Losing Respect) with Rachel DeAlto

    11/04/2025

    298: How to Be a More Relatable Leader (Without Losing Respect) with Rachel DeAlto

    If you've ever wondered how to lead with more humanity without losing authority, this episode is for you. Rachel DeAlto, keynote speaker, communication and leadership expert and author joins Erin to unpack what it really means to be a relatable leader-one who's respected, trusted, and real even when the pressure's high. Here's what you'll hear: The one thing teams say they crave most and most bosses forget to give What it really takes to rebuild confidence after ego-driven leadership How to use her "Me-You-We" method to navigate tough conversations Check out Rachel's Book: The Relatable Leader: Create a Culture of Connection 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   To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com  If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration!  Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole)   Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram  Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group    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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "People get stuck thinking being relatable means being nice or being friends. It doesn't. You can still be a leader and maintain boundaries while showing up as a human being." "If you're not sure your team feels respected by you-ask them. And if you don't have the relationship to ask, they probably don't feel respected." "It takes seconds to show that you're a human being." "Teams are looking for respect from their leader. That's how they feel connected when they feel respected."

    38 min
  8. 297: How Boundaries Can Be Your Brain Fuel with Sheri Jacobs

    10/21/2025

    297: How Boundaries Can Be Your Brain Fuel with Sheri Jacobs

    In this episode, Erin sits down with author, researcher, and keynote speaker Sheri Jacobs, whose new book The Unexpected Power of Boundaries flips the traditional idea of creativity on its head. Sheri argues that innovation doesn't thrive in limitless freedom, it thrives inside clear constraints. From playground fences to corporate experiments, from polar bears in the Arctic to the diagnosis that changed her life, Sheri shares powerful stories that prove boundaries aren't barriers, they're catalysts. Here's what you'll hear: 1.) How boundaries don't limit creativity, they unleash it 2.) Why "Risk tolerance" is overrated and what you need to focus on instead 3.) The "Best New Mistake" award mindset 4.) How constraints spark innovation 5.) Why boundaries can be life-saving The Unexpected Power of Boundaries Rethinking the Rules, Risks, and Real Drivers of Innovation 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   To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com  If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration!  Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole)   Follow Erin on LinkedIn or Instagram  Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group    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)" Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice Work with Us Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences. Tweetable Comments "When we know how far we can go, then we feel safer to experiment, explore, to be creative, and to play." "Most people think take more shots means try everything, but that actually doesn't work." "Rather than saying, 'How can I break through the boundaries?' she said, 'What can I do with what I have?'" "Sometimes the best opportunities are in the worst conditions, when everybody else is turned away."

    38 min
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5
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67 Ratings

About

A podcast obsessed with helping GenX(ish) leaders, who should be at the top of their careers but don't feel like they are. The b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck podcast isn't another boring, stuffy leadership podcast. And it doesn't bring you a gazillion guests who had the guts to "ef" the 9-5, seemingly the only answer to truly being happy in your career. Instead, this podcast is focused on helping you continue to rise in your career, but doing it without compromising everything else - your family, your health, or maybe even who you are. Erin, a former corporate CEO turned Authentic Leadership expert, teams up with her good friend, Nicole, an ivy league grad and professional do-gooder. Nicole lays it all on the line to share her real-time work highs, lows, contemplations, and sometimes barely believable stories. And Erin coaches and cajoles her (really, you) along the way...all in the name of helping you feel less insane, more inspired. Erin also interviews authentic leaders and experts who are focused on giving you the stories, advice, and tips that will have you making small, creative changes that will help you contend with and catapult your career. Grab a drink, put your feet up, and come along for a journey that will involve career advice, unsanitized thoughts, leadership lessons, important guests, and who the hell knows what else. b Cause work DOESN'T have to suck.

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