DesuckifyWork®

TJ Bennett - Executive Coach, Chief Desuckifier

We spend about half our waking lives working. Let’s make that time a bit better, shall we? And let’s chat with desuckifiers who are out there making it happen, every day. tjbennett.substack.com

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 137 | Let's put the bullies in their place and start playing—with Jeff Harry.

    You can tell a lot about a culture by who it celebrates. But you may learn even more by who it vilifies. Who are the bad guys right now when it comes to making work suck? How much time do we have? 😾 Meta laying off 15,000 people via mass email after telling everyone to work from home that day. 😾 OpenAI CEO Sam Altman casually speaking about AI gutting white-collar employment. 😾 Elon Musk tweeting (X-ing?) about everyone living on a universal basic income as if this would be a joyful existence. Have any of these leaders met people before? This undercurrent of disdain for humanity from these bullies needs to stop. Listen, it’s not easy to run a business. And hard decisions need to be made every day. But how we make them is everything. And it’s time to start calling out the ones who don’t get this. Jeff Harry is bringing this message to the forefront every day with his work. He is as pro human as it gets, helping companies tap into our collective humanity through play. He’s also done with giving anti-human leaders a pass. We need to be louder in our condemnation of the worst offenders. And we need to be relentless in our praise of those who lead the desuckifying charge—like Patagonia, Costco and others. (FYI: I’m working on a “Desuckified Places to Work” award thing for the agency world… stay tuned). How does play bring all of this together? Because it is a massive humanity amplifier. It connects us, energizes us, reminds us of how we can be someone our 8-year-old self would be proud of. And it makes us way more productive, btw. So all you bean counters can rest easy. More fun. More humanity. More profit. That doesn’t sound bad to me. Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Jeff on LinkedIn. And check out his site at rediscoveryourplay.com. Find him just about anywhere @jeffharryplays. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus questions from Jeff:Who is that toxic person in your workplace, and what are you going to do about themWhen was the last time you played? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Jul 7

    Ep 136 | What Jesus can teach us about being more emotional at work with Jonas Bergvall

    You know who’s a good example for us at work? Jesus. Yes, that Jesus. It doesn’t matter if you’re Christian or a believer of any kind. Jesus wore his heart on his sleeve—and that’s something we need to do more of at work. But wait, aren’t we supposed to check out emotions at the office door? Isn’t being emotional a liability as a leader? Well, the guy who inspired the world’s largest religion may beg to differ. He lived in his emotions. He felt angry. Sad. Joyful. Disappointed. Compassionate. Betrayed. And he shared those feelings with his disciples, his Father, even his enemies. Jesus lived fully. And if we want to make a difference in the world with the work we do, we should do the same. This “all in” approach to living is something Jonas Bergvall has been studying for a while. Jonas is a creative soul, with experience in branding, gaming and as an entrepreneur. He wrote a book called “How the World Feels” that explores the idea that life is emotionally constructed. Every room, situation, experience has its own emotional world. And we connect to that world through our own emotions. Even when we think we’re being 100% logical. So what emotional worlds are we creating in our workplaces? Ones that invite people in to live and contribute fully or ones that shut folks down? If you’re not sure, just ask a simple question—what would Jesus do? Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Jonas on LinkedIn. And check out his site at bergvalls.com to learn more about his work and his book. You need to read his Substack too—it’s awesome. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus question from Jonas:What’s the best way for you to be seen and valued? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jun 30

    Ep 135 | Finding the balls to fail at work with Tom Hicks

    “More balls than most.” Those are the big, bold, embossed words on the black box Tom Hicks received from his grandmother. This was several years ago, when he was having some challenges in his life. Inside the box was a 3 ball juggling kit, which included a pamphlet titled, “A Short Course in Life Enhancement.” Okay. You had me at balls. Now I’m really curious. How in the world does juggling enhance one’s life? Quite substantially, it turns out. Because this kit helped Tom completely reframe failure in his life. Instead of feeling like the end of something, jugging helped him see how failure is usually just the beginning. You can drop those balls a million times and it’s okay. Low stakes failures like this are exactly how we train our brain to get used to it, welcome it even. Next thing you know, you’re (well, Tom is) delivering workshops around the country helping folks create a better relationship with messing up. You’re saying “how fascinating” with arms raised high when you blow a big deal. Inviting curiosity about where you might do things differently next time. Most of our work cultures don’t work like this. Most talk a big game about “failing is how learn” but their actions scream “you suck and better get your act together fast.” Those folks need more balls. Perhaps Tom has a few he can spare. Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Tom on LinkedIn. And check out his site at tom-hicks.com to learn more about his work. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus question from Tom:How will you integrate or allow yourself to have some low stakes failure and play in your work today? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Jun 23

    Ep 134 | Rethinking how we work with Rishad Tobaccowala

    “Jobs are just a silly phase work is going through.”This is a quote from Rishad Tobaccowala, this week’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast. I love the quote—because it reframes what we’re all experiencing right now in a provocative way. Work and jobs are uncoupling—the stable nine to five is becoming a hodgepodge of freelance, gig work and side hustles. It’s how we work now and the trend is accelerating. Historically, jobs are a blip on the work timeline. An Industrial Revolution creation to make sure widgets got made reliably and at scale. Before then, we had farmers and craftspeople. So what’s next? Rishad believes we’re shifting back towards decentralized tasks. And he sees a fractional model as the best way for workers and companies to manage this. Pay folks for 50, 60 or 70% of their time, throw in some benefits and get consistent access to the skills you need. On the flip side, individuals get a stable foundation and room to explore whatever lights them up. I’m a huge fan of this idea. And I’m genuinely shocked it’s not more prevalent, especially in the ad agency world. Look around on LinkedIn and you’ll see some of the most talented folks the business has ever seen with “open to work” banners on their profile pics. Imagine how much better our work could be if we tapped into that talent. Rishad is a very smart man. He’s an author, podcast host and advisor to some top agencies. We touched on a bunch of topics related to the future of work. My biggest takeaway? We need strong leadership more than ever. And we need to remember that the best leadership is creative, curious and optimistic. We can do great things. And we’ve never been in a better position to do so than right now. — Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. — You can follow Rishad on LinkedIn and check out rishadtobaccowala.com to learn more about his work. Add /100 to that URL to see a curated view of his substack writing. And take a look at rishad.substack.com to see more. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! — Bonus question from Rishad:Why should you not think that the future is going to be far better versus far worse? Build the case for optimism. Would you be more better off living today than 20 years ago? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Jun 16

    Ep 133 | A peek behind the HR curtain with Philip Suba

    Jamie Gutfreund came on the show a few months back and said she would like to get rid of HR entirely. I get it. Everyone has had experiences with HR that’ve been less than stellar. Today, I speak with someone who brings a different POV. Philip Suba has worked in HR for years and believes in it, deeply. But it has to be done right. What does right look like? You need to really understand the business you work on. It’s not enough to know the HR stuff… how does your work support the larger goals of the organization? You need to be ready for the hard conversations. Because you’ll have a ton of them. How you manage yourself and how well you listen to the folks you’re speaking with means everything. You need to be human. Recognize that people’s livelihoods are at stake when you step into the room… be mindful of that and show empathy. But also, hold it together. You’re not helping anyone if you mirror their tears, anger, frustration or whatever else shows up. Give people space to feel and also, keep the conversation on point. It’s not an easy balance to strike. But I like how Philip approaches it. He shares some of the “myth-conceptions” around HR as well, which are fun and eye opening. Bottom line? There’s no easy answer on any of this stuff. I think it’s great some folks are willing to try an HR-less approach—let’s see what they learn. And I like that HR pros like Philip are committed to doing it better each day. What’s your take? Is HR needed? If so, what does a great HR team look like to you? — Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. — You can follow Philip on LinkedIn and check him out on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube as well. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! — Bonus question from Philip:If you’ve had an experience with any kind of HR professional that didn’t sit well with you, what would you wish that particular person did differently? If they did do it differently, would that change the way that you interact, not just with HR now, but with other employees? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Jun 9

    Ep 132 | The humanizing power of music to create better work cultures with Shaka Mitchell

    What song reminds you of 6th grade? Which one makes you feel invincible? What song got you through a hard breakup? Which one do you play after a miserable day at work? These are the questions Shaka Mitchell asks in his Come Together Music Project. It’s helped people with opposing political views have a civil conversation about hard topics like immigration, abortion and racism. Surely it can help a creative and an account person get along during a weekly status. This project is gold. We all have answers to these questions. And each answer helps reveal the depth of our humanity. A depth that gets lost way too easily under the pressures of timelines and time sheets. No timeline is worth losing our connection to our humanity. No matter what Silicon Valley or Wall Street tries to tell us. Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. This episode is part of our ongoing Prohuman Series, in partnership with the Prohuman Foundation. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Shaka on LinkedIn and check out cometogethermusic.org to learn more about his project. And be sure to visit Shaka’s Substack as well. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus questions from Shaka:Are there creative ways that you’ve seen people use music to bring people together at work? And in case you’re wondering: What song reminds you of 6th grade?Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran Which one makes you feel invincible?Unchained - Van Halen What song got you through a hard breakup?Scar Tissue - RHCP Which one do you play after a miserable day at work?Livin’ on a Prayer - Bon Jovi What are your answers? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jun 8

    It's my birthday and I'm celebrating our humanity

    Today is my birthday. The big 5-6. Not a particularly interesting age but I’m grateful for every turn around the sun. To celebrate the day, I’m sharing a clip from a recent guest appearance on Regina Larko‘s amazing Lead With Your Voice podcast. Regina is a wonderfully empathetic and encouraging podcast coach who helped me find my voice when I started my show a few years back. And she is a generous and thoughtful host... I loved where she took our conversation. This clip is all about staying in touch with our humanity, no matter what technology brings into the world. I think that’s a pretty relevant birthday message, as I reflect on my 56 years of humanness. I invite everyone to celebrate being human with me today. Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

    It's my birthday and I'm celebrating our humanity

  8. May 26

    Ep 131 | How do detoxify company culture with Kyle, Jacky and Kianna from Gigasavvy

    If you run a company, work culture isn’t a part of your job. It is your job. Everything else, performance, profit, innovation, execution, is downstream from the culture you intentionally create every day. It’s a hard job. But it’s the one you signed up for. What grade would you give yourself? What do you think your team would say? I spoke with Kyle Johnston, Jacky Northgrave and Kianna Miller from Gigasavvy—an ad agency based in Orange County, CA—to see what this dynamic looks like in reality. They are a remote-first agency. Kyle runs things from Idaho. Jacky is a Sr. Art Director in Memphis. And Kianna is a Sr. Account Supervisor in SoCal. They get along well. Even finish each other’s sentences at times. Not easy to do across time zones. The culture has clearly evolved over the years. From scrappy beginnings in 2008 to a big office in Irvine with a built-in bowling lane to a work your butt off but work from anywhere vibe. But the most interesting thing I noticed was how they navigate the inherent cultural tensions in any agency. 🐱 Most agency folks have a workaholic bent. We do this work because we’re obsessed with it. And, we don’t want that obsession taken advantage of. 🐱 Most agency folks are relentlessly curious. Leaders need to feed that with transparency and over-communication. And, not burden the team with the weight of every last detail. 🐱 Most agency folks are very opinionated. You’ve gotta let people speak their mind and make their points. And, you better create a baseline of humility and respect or things can turn toxic fast. Gigasavvy seems to manage all of this pretty well. Kyle prioritizes culture. Jacky and Kianna clearly see their role in bringing that culture to life. They smile a lot. Genuine full-faced smiles. That says something. What would the faces say if I interviewed your company? — Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. — You can follow Kyle, Jacky Kianna and Gigasavvy on LinkedIn. And check out gigasavvy.com to learn more about what they’re putting out into the world. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to find some calm in the chaos of work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! — Bonus questions from Kianna:Was anything that we said here surprising or very different from your current working environment or the way you work with your team? Or the flip side, was there anything that you were like, oh my God, me too? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

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About

We spend about half our waking lives working. Let’s make that time a bit better, shall we? And let’s chat with desuckifiers who are out there making it happen, every day. tjbennett.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    TJ Bennett - Executive Coach, Chief Desuckifier
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    141
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © TJ Bennett
  • Show Website
    DesuckifyWork®