Work Is Third

Dawn Hunter
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Work Is Third is a podcast for people who are ready to rethink how we work, lead, and live. Hosted by Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH, CWP — Workplace Culture Strategist and leadership speaker — this show explores burnout prevention, boundaries, organizational wellbeing, and sustainable ways of working through honest conversations, research-informed insights, and real-world leadership stories. Each episode offers practical tools, reflective moments, and culture-shifting ideas to help individuals and organizations build healthier, more human ways of working — without losing what matters most.

  1. 4d ago

    The Bottleneck Is You | Learning From Human Design With Brooke Dukes

    What has to happen in your life for you to realize that you need a break – and to take it? Brooke Dukes has built four companies in 24 years, and she's found the same problem inside every one of them: the founder becomes the bottleneck. Brooke Dukes is the founder of Success by Design, a leadership operating system for founders and CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses and the author of Burn On, Not Out. In this episode, Brooke and Dawn get into what that bottleneck really is: control and fear, dressed up as "just being hands-on," and why it's often the same pattern showing up at home and at work. Brooke shares the story behind her book Burn On, Not Out, including going into preterm labor on a corporate jet at 34 and later giving herself shingles and COVID at the same time. Dawn and Brooke also dig into human design — type, strategy, and authority — as a practical tool for decision-making, boundary-setting, and finally trusting yourself again. 📚 Guest Info ·      Website: https://www.brookemdukes.com/ ·      All Socials: @brookedukes   📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED ·      Brooke’s book: Burn On, Not Out: Finding Fulfillment Beyond Success 🔗 Let’s Stay Connected! ·      🎧 Subscribe to the show! ·      📬 Subscribe to ⁠The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter⁠ ·      📸 Instagram: ⁠@the_dawn_hunter⁠ ·      ⏰ TikTok: @the_dawn_hunter ·      🌐 Website: http://workisthird.com/

    The Bottleneck Is You | Learning From Human Design With Brooke Dukes

  2. Jul 6

    Friends, Mentors, and Friendtors | Investing in Yourself With Urmi Hossain

    What if the people around you are one of the best ways to invest in yourself? Self-Published Author, Speaker, Female Mentor and Women's Advocate, and corporate finance professional, Urmi Hossain joins Dawn to talk about "friendtors," speed mentoring, and the boundaries that let her invest in herself so she can invest in everyone else. She shares tips on managing time so that she can do all the things that fill her up. Together, Dawn and Urmi dig into identity, non-negotiable sleep, and why progress beats perfection every time. 🎶 Urmi's contribution to Work is Third: The Soundtrack - Unstoppable by Sia 📚 Guest Info LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urmihossain/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@urmihossainInstagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/urmamio/Instagram (podcast): https://www.instagram.com/storiesbeyondborderspodcast/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/urmihossain  📚 Resources Mentioned Urmi's podcast, Stories Beyond Borders: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-beyond-borders/id1831413373  Women in Leadership — Montreal chapter: https://www.womeninleadership.ca/montrealUrmi's book: Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth From Interracial Struggle – Available on Amazon 🔗 Let’s Stay Connected! 🎧 Subscribe to the show!📬 Subscribe to ⁠The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter⁠📸 Instagram: ⁠@the_dawn_hunter⁠⏰ TikTok: @the_dawn_hunter🌐 Website: http://workisthird.com/

  3. Jun 22

    Your Body Knows You Don't Belong | The Science of Belonging with Andrea D. Carter

    Have you ever felt like you didn't belong somewhere but couldn't explain why? Organizational scientist, adjunct professor, and keynote speaker Andrea D. Carter has spent years studying exactly that feeling — and she has the data to prove it's not in your head. It's in your nervous system. Her belonging research, validated across 8 industries and over 150,000 people, makes one thing undeniable: belonging isn't soft. It's science. It's infrastructure. It's how people perform. In this episode, Dawn and Andrea explore why the human nervous system is constantly scanning for safety or threat, what psychological safety actually protects (hint: it's not comfort), why resilience is not a solo sport, and the difference between fitting in and truly belonging. This is the conversation workplaces aren't having but desperately need. 📚 Guest Info Website: https://andreacarterconsulting.com | https://belongingfirst.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreadcarter/Substack: https://andreadcarter.substack.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/belongingfirst/Adler:https://www.adler.edu/faculty-engagement/faculty-directory/carter-andrea-d/ 📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED Canada's Largest Belonging in the Workplace Study — conducted in the mining industry, 2021–2022, 3,508 participants"The Body Keeps the Score" — referenced in conversation (book by Bessel van der Kolk)Neuroception — concept by Dr. Stephen Porges; the nervous system's unconscious scanning for safety or threatAmy C. Edmondson — pioneer in Psychological Safety 🔗 Let’s Stay Connected ·       🎧Subscribe to the show! ·       📬Subscribe to ⁠The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter⁠ ·       📸 Instagram: ⁠@the_dawn_hunter⁠ ·       🌐 Website: http://workisthird.com/

  4. Jun 8

    We Don't All Have the Same 24 Hours | Redefining Health with Jen Fry

    What does health actually look like — when you factor in ADHD, night owl energy, systemic barriers, and the courage to say the hard thing out loud? In this episode, I sit down with Jen Fry — conflict resolution coach, speaker, tech entrepreneur, and author of I Said No: How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries Without Being a Jerk — for a wide-ranging conversation about redefining health on our own terms. We talk about why "we all have the same 24 hours" is a myth that ignores real systemic barriers, how to have direct conversations without blowing things up, what it means to be a villager in your community, and why the consequence you're afraid of might already be happening. This one goes places. Come curious. 📚 Guest Info Website: https://jenfrytalks.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenfrytalksTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/jenfrytalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenfrytalksYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jenfrytalks 📚 Resources Mentioned I Said No: How to Have a Backbone and BoundariesWithout Being a Jerk by Jen Fry — available on her website (includes signed copy + bookmark + sticker) or on Amazon and Barnes & Noble Let’s Stay Connected 🎧Subscribe to the show! 📬Subscribe to ⁠The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter: https://thedawnlab.kit.com/joyfulrebellion 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_dawn_hunter

  5. May 25

    You're Never Stuck | Choosing the Life You Want with Calvalyn Day

    Are you building a life that feels right for you , or one shaped by expectations, achievement, and what you think you're supposed to do? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter sits down with Calvalyn Day to explore freedom, flexibility, reinvention, and the choices that shape our lives. Together, they unpack why so many people live by the "shoulds," how external validation can quietly drive our decisions, and why feeling stuck is often an invitation to get curious rather than stay still. Calvalyn shares her own journey of choosing a different path and offers practical insights on values, healing, self-trust, and creating a life aligned with what matters most. They discuss: Why flexibility is more than just your work scheduleBreaking free from external validationWhy you're never too old — and never too stuck — to choose differentlyThe role values play in shaping decisionsHealing, reinvention, and learning to trust yourselfWhy work should be third Because building a meaningful life doesn't start with havingall the answers. It starts with listening to your own voice. 📚 Guest Info Website: https://www.calvalynday.com/YouTube: https://youtube.com/@calvalyn?si=d6Gr6bjzTttMmiclInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calvalyn/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calvalynday 🎶Calvalyn's contribution to Work is Third: The Soundtrack: T.I., Let 'Em Know Let’s Stay Connected 🎧 Subscribe to the show! 📬 Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @the_dawn_hunter

  6. May 11

    Prepare for the Future & Live for Today | Letting Go of Outcomes with DeMonta Whiting

    Have you ever felt like you’re always trying to do enough, be enough, have enough? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter talks with psychotherapist and coach DeMonta Whiting about people pleasing, emotional resilience, identity, and learning how to stop tying your worth to productivity. Together, they explore how childhood beliefs shape adult behaviors, why so many high achievers struggle to feel “good enough,” and what it means to prepare for the future while still living fully in the present. DeMonta shares his experience surviving a rare cancer diagnosis at a young age, how it transformed his perspective on life, and why letting go of outcomes can create more peace, connection, and authenticity. This conversation is a reminder that when we believe we are enough, we can let the chips fall where they may. Topics include: People pleasing and perfectionism High achievement and emotional wellbeing Childhood beliefs and adult relationships Letting go of outcomes Boundaries and self-worth Living fully in the present Therapy, healing, and identity Work-life balance and burnout 📚 Guest Info Website: DeMonta Whiting Coaching & TherapyInstagram: @demonta_the_therapistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demontawhitinglmft 🎶DeMonta's contribution to the playlist: "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone Let’s Stay Connected 🎧Subscribe to the show! 📬Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @the_dawn_hunter

  7. Apr 27

    Be the Thermostat, Not the Thermometer | Protecting Your Peace With Rene Rivas

    What if protecting your peace doesn’t mean staying quiet—but finally speaking up? In this episode of Work is Third, Dawn Hunter talks with Rene Rivas, entrepreneur, nurse, and founder of RevIVe+ Mobile IV Concierge, about healing, presence, vulnerability, and redefining success on your own terms. Rene shares his journey from difficult workplace experiences to building a business rooted in prevention and wellbeing. Together, Dawn and Rene explore the power of community, how joy can be a daily choice, why adulthood may need to be reimagined, and the difference between being a thermometer who reacts to the room—or a thermostat who sets the tone. 📚 Guest Info Website: revive2you.com Socials: @revive2yoLet’s Stay Connected 🎧 Subscribe to the show! 📬Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @the_dawn_hunter

  8. Apr 13

    You’re Not Who They Told You to Be | How to Rewrite Your Story With James Lumumba

    Have you ever had a moment where you stopped and thought… how much of who I am is actually me? In this episode of Work is Third, Dawn Hunter sits down with James Lumumba, host of Don’t Be Afraid to Talk, for a powerful conversation on identity and how to rewrite the stories we’ve been told about ourselves. Together, they explore how many of the beliefs people carry about themselves are shaped by early experiences, expectations, and the need to belong along with what it takes to question and rewrite those stories. This episode covers: Letting go of external expectations Understanding guilt and people-pleasing The connection between belonging and self-worth Rewriting personal narratives Learning to love yourself and build healthier relationships Through honest reflection and shared experience, this conversation offers a reminder that self-awareness is the first step toward real change, and that it’s possible to define yourself on your own terms. 📚 Guest Info Website: https://co-creatingcoach.ie/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbeafraidtotalk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslumumba/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dontbeafraidtotalk/ 📔Resources Mentioned Pieta House, Pieta | Preventing Suicide and Self-Harm since 2006Movie: Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

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Trailer

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Work Is Third is a podcast for people who are ready to rethink how we work, lead, and live. Hosted by Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH, CWP — Workplace Culture Strategist and leadership speaker — this show explores burnout prevention, boundaries, organizational wellbeing, and sustainable ways of working through honest conversations, research-informed insights, and real-world leadership stories. Each episode offers practical tools, reflective moments, and culture-shifting ideas to help individuals and organizations build healthier, more human ways of working — without losing what matters most.

Information

  • Creator
    Dawn Hunter
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dawn Hunter
  • Show Website
    Work Is Third

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