Work Is Third

Dawn Hunter
  • 5.0 (13)
  • 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 creator of the RESET Method — 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. MAR 2

    Look Through the Turn | Small Wins, Big Healing & the Power of Celebration With Paula Thomas

    What if progress didn’t have to look impressive to count? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter sits down with founder and storyteller Paula Thomas to explore what it means to rebuild after loss, and how small wins can change everything. After navigating crippling depression and anxiety, and later, an ADHD and autism diagnosis, building a career in tech, and then losing her husband unexpectedly, Paula was forced to redefine everything: her identity, her work, and what success really means. Along the way, she discovered that small, intentional progress is often the most powerful kind. Together, Dawn and Paula discuss: Why “success” doesn’t always look like successWhat motorcycles and submarines teach us about resilienceWhy grief doesn’t fit into three days of PTOHow to build workplaces that expect the unexpectedWhy keeping a “win book” matters This conversation is for anyone who has experienced loss, burnout, identity shifts, or the quiet pressure to do more and is ready to move forward with intention. 📚 Guest Info Website: weiter-mfg.com LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-thomas/ 🎶Paula’s contribution to the Playlist: Shake it Out by Florence + The Machine 📔 Resources Mentioned SuperBetter App, https://superbetter.com/Brag Books “Clear is kind,” attributed to Brené BrownMilitary Concepts: submarine qualification cards(cross-training for resilience); designing systems that expect failure/unexpected absenceMorning pages, from The Artist’s Way Let’s Stay Connected 🎧 Subscribe to the show! 📬 Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @workisthirdlife

    1 hr

  2. FEB 16

    Healing, Sovereignty & Community Leadership | Chris Tall Bear, Southern Cheyenne

    What does real healing look like after historical trauma, and how do we carry sovereignty, ceremony, and leadership into modern life? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn sits down with Southern Cheyenne Chris Tall Bear for a deeply grounded conversation about healing, history, and the responsibility of leadership. Chris Tall Bear is a Southern Cheyenne Chief, Tribal public health advisor, and community leader. In this conversation, he shares his experience as a descendant of survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre and his role in memorialization efforts. Together, they explore: The connection between community, history, and resilienceWhat tribal sovereignty really means in practiceThe role of ceremony and traditional healing in public health Leadership as service Balancing modern life, technology, and cultural traditionThe importance of women in Indigenous communitiesWhy self-care is essential for leaders and healers Chris also reflects on his personal journey, his family legacy, and his emerging consulting work focused on cultural engagement and traditional healing. This episode is about sovereignty, ceremony, and the kind of leadership that sustains communities across generations. 📚 Guest Info Website: https://www.tallbearllc.com/ Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-tall-bear-9894881a2/Business LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tallbear-llc/?viewAsMember=trueSand Creek Memorial Project: https://www.sandcreekmassacrefoundation.org/Article, Colorado cannot heal until itconfronts Sand Creek honestly: https://www.hcn.org/articles/colorado-cannot-heal-until-it-confronts-sand-creek-honestly/Let’s Stay Connected 🎧 Subscribe to the show! 📬 Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @workisthirdlife

    59 min

  3. FEB 9

    What Your Body Has Been Trying to Tell You | Breath, Movement & Recovery with Dr. Aissa McGuirl

    What if your exhaustion, pain, or restlessness isn’t something to fix, but something to listen to? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter sits down with Dr. Aissa McGuirl, physical therapist and author of Connect the Body Dots, for a grounded conversation about what our bodies are trying to tell us and why so many of us aren’t listening. Together, they explore how breath, movement, and recovery are foundational to nervous system regulation, sustainable energy, and long-term health. Dr. McGuirl shares why constant productivity keeps us stuck in survival mode, how body awareness can change the way we work and live, and what it really means to support your body instead of pushing through it. This episode is an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and rethink what “taking care of yourself” actually looks like in a culture that rewards burnout and productivity. 📚 Guest Info Website: connectthbodydots.comIG @dr.aissa_YouTube: connectthebodydotsBook: Connect the Body Dots, connectthebodydots.com/thebookLet’s Stay Connected 🎧Subscribe to the show! 📬Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @workisthirdlife

    52 min

  4. FEB 2

    You Can’t Give Your Best If You’re Not at Your Best | Chronic Illness & Care Work With Adrienne Tucker

    What does it mean to care deeply for others without losing yourself in the process? Adrienne Tucker, founder of Generation NOW Alaska, joins Work Is Third to talk about chronic illness, caregiving, boundaries, and the truth behind showing up sustainably. Living with fibromyalgia while leading youth programs, supporting families, and raising two children has taught Adrienne a powerful lesson: you can’t give your best if you’re not at your best. This conversation is for anyone doing emotional labor, care work, leadership, or advocacy, and also learning how to protect their energy while staying connected to purpose. 📚 Guest Info Website:www.generationnowak.org FB: Adrienne TuckerIG: @coachadriennemotivatesIG: @gennowak TT: @coachadriennemotivates 📚 Resources Mentioned Book: When Making Others Happy is Making You Miserable by Karen Ehman Let’s Stay Connected 🎧 Subscribe to the show! 📬Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @workisthirdlife

    1 hr

  5. JAN 26

    When Your Body & Life Are Shifting | Perimenopause, Midlife, and Change With Jody Phifer

    Midlife isn’t a decline — it’s a shift. In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn sits down with Certified Midlife Coach Jody Phifer for an honest, grounding conversation about perimenopause, menopause, identity, and what it really means to put yourself first after decades of caregiving, hustling, and holding it all together. Together, they unpack why perimenopause is just one part of a much bigger midlife transition, how to navigate symptoms and changing bodies with compassion (not shame), and why this next chapter can be just as — if not more — badass than the first. Learn more at workisthird.comFollow along on Instagram & TikTok: @workisthirdlife 📚 Guest Info Website: thrivewithintention.comIG: @thrivewithintentionofficialShift Happens Quiz: thrivewithintention.com/quizPodcast: thrivewithintention.com/podcast/📚 Resources Mentioned The New Menopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver The Menopause Society – menopause.org Midi Health Shift Happens Quiz: thrivewithintention.com/quiz 🎶 Joyful Rebellion Playlist Additions Run the World – BeyoncéGratitude – Jason MrazThankful – Beth HartLeaving it All Behind – Fia🎧 These songs (and more) are on the Joyful Rebellion playlist — linked in the show notes.

    54 min

  6. JAN 19

    What Happens When You Truly Commit to Yourself | Healing, Legacy & Self-Love with Ger Carriere

    When you’ve spent years being who you needed to be, it can be hard to remember who you actually are. This episode is an invitation to slow down, sit with yourself, and reconnect with what self-love really looks like. In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter talks with Ger Carriere, entrepreneur, artist, and healer, about healing, legacy, identity, and what it means to truly commit to yourself. This conversation is a reminder that self-love isn’t complicated—it’s the daily practice of presence, honesty, and choosing yourself. Learn more at workisthird.comFollow along on Instagram & TikTok: @workisthirdlife 📚 Guest Info Website: wildwomanwithin.me Instagram: @gercarriere Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/GerCarriereWildWoman

    52 min

  7. 12/05/2025 · BONUS

    Bonus Clip | I Love You, But I Love Me More

    Helping is human…but learning how to help without losing yourself is healing. In this bonus clip, Adam Wilson opens up about why helping others has become both his instinct and his biggest boundary challenge. From Costco moments to vulnerable conversations with his son, Adam shares how presence — not presents — is what children and loved ones truly need. We also talk about breaking generational parenting patterns, modeling emotional regulation, and the hard but necessary work of setting boundaries with our own parents. A thoughtful, honest look at what it really means to grow, give, and protect your peace. 📚 Guest Info ·      IG/Tiktok: @Theadamwilson_ ·      Facebook: Adam J Wilson Let’s Stay Connected 🎧 Subscribe to the show! 📬Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @workisthirdlife

    10 min

  8. 12/01/2025

    Reflections on Work Is Third: Building a Community and a Movement

    How are you pausing and reflecting this holiday season? In this reflective solo episode, Dawn pauses as we head into the holidays to share what’s happening across the Work Is Third movement—from the new Bookshop.org list and the Joyful Rebellion playlist to her bi-weekly newsletters and your opportunity to send in voice notes. Dawn also revisits her favorite guest quotes, emerging themes across the first season, and her own “bonus clip moment” where she answers the same questions she asks every guest:• What’s easy to say yes to?• What’s hard to say no to?• Where is she doing well with joy, rest, and boundaries?• Where is she still struggling? She closes with reflections on slowing down, stillness, present bias, perfectionism, listening to your body, and redefining success—plus an invitation to choose joy, protect your peace, and rest this holiday season. In this episode: Protecting your joy in hard cultural moments A preview of the The Joyful Rebellion Reading List at Bookshop.org The Joyful Rebellion playlist + newsletter updates Why your voice notes matter and how to send one Guest quotes Dawn can’t stop thinking about Top themes emerging across the podcast Dawn’s personal “bonus clip” answers What she’s learned about rest, boundaries, stillness, and slowing down An end-of-year invitation to choose yourself first Resources Mentioned: Bookshop list: The Joyful Rebellion Reading List The Joyful Rebellion newsletter: The Joyful Rebellion — Rest, Boundaries & Workplace Wellbeing The Joyful Rebellion Spotify Playlist Send Dawn a voice note Connect with Dawn and Work is Third!🎧 Subscribe to the show 📸 Instagram: @workisthirdlife 🌐workisthird.com

    24 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
13 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 creator of the RESET Method — 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
    62
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dawn Hunter
  • Show Website
    Work Is Third