Slackers

Jaime Solis & Jonathan Sasse

Slackers is a podcast for leaders, builders, and creators who want to make work better—more productive, more human, and a lot less frustrating. Hosted by longtime media and technology insiders Jonathan Sasse and Jaime Solis, the show blends candid stories, sharp insights, and practical lessons from decades spent navigating corporate life and creative industries. This isn’t a rant about what’s broken or a step-by-step playbook. It’s a conversation about what actually works; the small wins, the hard lessons, and the patterns that make better teams, better ideas, and better outcomes possible. Each episode connects dots across leadership, strategy, creativity, and culture, helping you think more clearly about how work gets done, and how to do it better. We call it “Slackers” because the heavy lifting happens outside the show. So think of us as a weekly companion on your path to better work and a better way of working.

  1. 6일 전

    Navigating Noise, Remote Work, and Strategy (Listener Q&A Part 2)

    In this second installment of the Slackers Listener Q&A, Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse respond to listener questions that sit at the intersection of strategy, culture, and day to day execution. The conversation begins with a challenge many leaders face right now: separating durable trends from hype and distraction. Using examples like AI, NFTs, and past technology cycles, the hosts introduce simple human centered filters for deciding what deserves attention. Instead of reacting to headlines, they encourage leaders to observe behavior, adoption patterns, and whether real utility is emerging beneath the noise. The discussion then turns to remote work and distributed teams. Jaime and Jonathan argue that remote leadership is not about recreating the office at home. It requires a shift from observation to outcomes, from surveillance to trust. They share practical ways to foster connection remotely, including investing in reliable infrastructure and creating informal digital spaces where people can bond naturally. In the final segment, the hosts address the gap between strategy and execution. Strategy is framed not as a perfect roadmap, but as a compass. Progress happens when leaders impose constraints, decide what not to do, and introduce forcing functions like deadlines and milestones that turn ideas into action. The episode closes with a return to the guiding principle of Slackers itself. Better work comes from intentionality. Asking who the work is for, what it is for, and choosing to show up on purpose, regardless of title or role. ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    56분
  2. 2월 3일

    From Funnels to Journeys (Listener Q&A Part 1)

    In this episode of Slackers, Jaime and Jonathan open the mailbag and work through listener questions pulled directly from the community. Rather than abstract frameworks, the conversation focuses on the friction leaders and operators actually experience inside growing organizations. The episode begins with a shift away from funnel thinking toward customer journeys. Funnels prioritize internal conversion math and acceptable loss. Journeys force teams to confront what customers are thinking and feeling at each step. A key insight is that customer support teams should have a seat at the strategy table because they hold the clearest view of where journeys break down. From there, the conversation moves into leadership tension around urgency and patience. The hosts unpack why urgency without a plan creates chaos, how companies fall into active inertia, and why teams must be clear on the destination before being asked to move fast. They then address rebuilding trust after it has been damaged. Over explaining does not rebuild trust. Predictability does. Leaders rebuild credibility by making fewer promises and keeping all of them. In some cases, restoring trust also requires removing toxic high performers to signal that culture matters. The episode also explores psychological safety and mental health as performance enablers rather than soft concepts. Safety is not a poster on the wall. It is defined by how leaders respond when bad news or uncomfortable truths surface. The conversation closes with a practical collaboration model for cross functional teams. Instead of throwing work over the fence, Jaime and Jonathan propose a “crossfade” approach where teams overlap, share context, and jointly own transitions. This is Part 1 of a multi episode listener Q&A series focused on turning leadership ideas into usable moves for better work. ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    59분
  3. 1월 27일

    Resilience Fatigue

    Resilience fatigue is different from burnout. Burnout often comes from monotony or overuse. Resilience fatigue comes from constant adaptation. In this episode, Jonathan and Jaime unpack what happens when high performers are expected to cope indefinitely with shifting goals, unclear finish lines, and permanent urgency. The discussion starts with a simple but uncomfortable truth. Organizations often confuse capability with capacity. High performers can usually do the work, so leaders assume they should keep doing it. Over time, these people become the ones who absorb tension, smooth chaos, and take arrows for the team. They present as steady and professional on the outside while their nervous systems quietly disengage. The hosts introduce the idea of the “moving finish line.” Burnout looks like pounding the same nail forever. Resilience fatigue looks like running a marathon where the route keeps changing. When leadership relies on grit instead of clarity, toughness replaces planning. Heroics become the operating model. To address this, the episode introduces the L.C.R.M. framework. Load, Capacity, Recovery, and Meaning. The framework helps teams audit whether a plan is realistic or whether it secretly depends on everyone being heroic forever. Meaning matters, but it cannot be used as a permission slip for emotional overdraft. The episode closes with practical leadership shifts. Stop asking general questions that invite polite lies. Start asking specific questions that surface tradeoffs. Celebrate documentation, handoffs, and de escalation, not just late night saves. When leaders design for recovery and clarity, resilience stops being an emergency response and becomes sustainable. ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    57분
  4. 1월 20일

    Is AI Killing Creativity?

    This episode picks up where the last AI conversation left off. Jonathan and Jaime respond to the pushback they heard from creatives who feel unsettled by how quickly AI tools are lowering the barriers to entry across music, writing, design, and software. Instead of debating whether the shift is fair, they focus on what is actually happening and how to navigate it without losing your sense of self. At the center of the discussion is an identity shift. When people define themselves by the noun rather than the act of creating, disruption feels personal. Jonathan and Jaime argue that much of the fear around AI is not about economics or quality, but about the discomfort of watching formerly scarce skills become widely accessible. The reaction sounds familiar because it has happened before. Using examples from hip hop, sampling culture, and the electric guitar, the conversation draws parallels to moments when new tools were dismissed as shortcuts or “not real.” Each time, the medium evolved and expanded. AI, they argue, is simply the next instrument. What matters now is not how hard something was to make, but whether it connects, resonates, and reflects a distinct point of view. As execution becomes cheap and abundant, scarcity moves elsewhere. Taste. Judgment. Human experience. The ability to curate, connect, and decide what matters. The episode closes with a clear reframing. Do not protect the title. Protect the practice. Be the verb, not the noun. ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    57분
  5. 1월 13일

    Bright Star Leadership with Jim Cady

    Fresh off the reveal of his new company IM Media Labs at CES 2026, veteran executive Jim Cady joins Jonathan Sasse and Jaime Solis for a wide ranging conversation about leadership, mentorship, and the moments that quietly shape careers. Jim brings perspective from decades spent building teams and products across consumer technology, audio, and media. The discussion centers on what the hosts call the “Bright Star” effect drawing based an incredible story about Howard White from Nike and Jordan Brand. The idea that a single sentence, a small vote of confidence, or a leader simply saying “I see something in you” can create ripple effects that last for years. These moments are rarely formal or planned, and the person offering them often does not remember them. But for the person on the receiving end, they can become a turning point. Jim also shares practical leadership habits that defined his career. From personally calling frustrated customers every week, to focusing on outcomes instead of effort, to pushing teams to take initiative before asking for permission. Throughout the conversation, the emphasis stays grounded in dignity, ownership, and trust as real drivers of performance. The episode closes with a reminder that leadership is not about protecting a position. It is about creating more leaders. Whether you manage a team or are early in your career, this conversation offers a clear message. Small moments matter. How you show up matters. And belief, when given freely, compounds. Learn more about Jim’s latest venture, IM Media Labs, a unified in vehicle hub for audio entertainment and discovery that is embedded, brandable, and scalable at https://immedialabs.com/ ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    1시간 10분
  6. 1월 6일

    The Fastest Way to Build Trust

    Accountability often gets framed as punishment. In reality, it is one of the most powerful trust builders available to leaders and teams. In this episode, Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse break down why humans are wired to deflect blame and hide mistakes, and why choosing ownership instead sends a powerful signal of credibility. They explain how accountability short circuits distrust, builds momentum, and turns ordinary contributors into people others want to bet on. The conversation introduces three common accountability archetypes found in most organizations, from chronic deflectors to proactive owners who step forward before being asked. They explore how clarity of ownership makes accountability possible in the first place, and why thrashing roles and expectations upfront is far cheaper than sorting out blame at the end. They also examine accountability during high pressure moments like public missteps and internal crises. From individual teams to global brands, the same principle holds. Leaders go first. They own the outcome. They fix what broke. When accountability becomes a daily practice instead of a rare event, trust compounds and execution improves across the board. ––– 🎧 Listen and subscribe: Slackers Pod Homepage 💼 Connect with Jonathan and Jaime: Jonathan Sasse — LinkedIn | ForbesJaime Solis — Red Threads Newsletter | LinkedIn | Instagram | ThreadsWe want to hear from you! 🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here! ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    38분
  7. 2025. 12. 30.

    Nobody Knows Anything

    The hardest part of building something meaningful is accepting how little control you actually have. In this episode, Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse unpack the idea popularized by screenwriter William Goldman: nobody knows anything. They challenge the belief that success can be neatly planned, predicted, or reverse engineered by copying what worked before. Looking backward makes patterns feel obvious. Living forward rarely is. They explore why builders get trapped chasing “the next big thing,” mistaking surface level traits for root causes. Cheap horror movies did not succeed because they were cheap. They succeeded because they solved a market need at the right moment. The same is true for products, careers, and creative work. Quality matters, but timing, context, and persistence matter just as much. The conversation reframes leadership in uncertain environments. Instead of pretending the path is straight, leaders should acknowledge that progress looks more like a jungle gym than a roadmap. Detours are not failures. They are information. When nobody knows anything, the only reliable anchor is a shared obsession with the customer and the discipline to stay in the game long enough for luck to show up. Because hits are not engineered. They are earned through stamina, humility, and the willingness to keep swinging. ––– 🎧 Listen and subscribe: Slackers Pod Homepage 💼 Connect with Jonathan and Jaime: Jonathan Sasse — LinkedIn | ForbesJaime Solis — Red Threads Newsletter | LinkedIn | Instagram | ThreadsWe want to hear from you! 🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here! ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    54분
  8. 2025. 12. 23.

    Floors and Ceilings

    When teams struggle, the management instinct is often to hire differently, restructure, or push harder. But those moves rarely fix the real issue. In this episode, Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse unpack a framework they have seen play out across companies of every size: floors and ceilings. High floor people bring reliability, consistency, and execution. High ceiling people bring vision, possibility, and step change growth. Problems emerge when leaders assume one is better than the other, or try to turn everyone into the same kind of performer. The conversation moves through real examples from tech, media, and leadership where teams stalled not because of lack of talent, but because of imbalance. They discuss why some people are happiest mastering a role, why others need space to explore big ideas, and how burnout often shows up when someone is pushed into a lane they never wanted to run in. At its core, this episode is about respect and clarity. Respect for different motivations. Clarity around roles, expectations, and growth paths. When leaders understand who their people actually are and stop forcing mismatches, teams move faster, trust deepens, and work becomes more effective and more enjoyable. ––– 🎧 Listen and subscribe: Slackers Pod Homepage 💼 Connect with Jonathan and Jaime: Jonathan Sasse — LinkedIn | ForbesJaime Solis — Red Threads Newsletter | LinkedIn | Instagram | ThreadsWe want to hear from you! 🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here! ––– The Slackers Podcast is produced by Jaime Solis and Jonathan Sasse.Audio production by Stephen Kallao.Cover art by Jonathan Sasse   Connect with the Hosts   🎙️ Jonathan Sasse — Chief Strategy Officer and executive advisor.🔗 Connect on LinkedIn · Forbes Communication Council   🎙️ Jaime Solis — Music & Media executive, strategist, and creator of the Red Threads newsletter.🔗 LinkedIn | Newsletter | Website📱 Social: Instagram · Threads · LinkedIn   We want to hear from you!🤔 Do you have a question you'd love to ask us, or a topic you think we should dive into on the show? You can leave us a voice message right here!   Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and leave a quick rating or review. It helps new listeners find the show.

    1시간 7분

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Slackers is a podcast for leaders, builders, and creators who want to make work better—more productive, more human, and a lot less frustrating. Hosted by longtime media and technology insiders Jonathan Sasse and Jaime Solis, the show blends candid stories, sharp insights, and practical lessons from decades spent navigating corporate life and creative industries. This isn’t a rant about what’s broken or a step-by-step playbook. It’s a conversation about what actually works; the small wins, the hard lessons, and the patterns that make better teams, better ideas, and better outcomes possible. Each episode connects dots across leadership, strategy, creativity, and culture, helping you think more clearly about how work gets done, and how to do it better. We call it “Slackers” because the heavy lifting happens outside the show. So think of us as a weekly companion on your path to better work and a better way of working.