Work Unscripted

Marlo Lyons
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Careers
  • Updated Weekly

Work Unscripted with Marlo Lyons offers a candid exploration into the realities of career advancement and leadership. Hosted by Marlo Lyons, executive career coach and former HR exec, this podcast brings unfiltered insights on work, leadership, and finding your path. Episodes feature in-depth discussions with industry leaders who share real stories and practical tools, and honest insights from Marlo. Work Unscripted is your guide to thriving in the professional world. 

  1. 1d ago

    Where Is the Safe Space? What Leaders Get Wrong About Psychological Safety

    You finally work up the courage to tell your boss something you are still trying to understand about yourself. They listen. They might even say, “I appreciate you trusting me with this.” Then they tell someone else.  In this solo episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons talks about one of the most damaging leadership failures: creating a safe space, then failing to hold it. Psychological safety at work has two parts: inviting honest conversations and protecting what an employee trusted you with after the door closes. Many leaders do the first and forget the second.  Marlo shares a personal story about how a secondhand comment from one leader to another created a narrative she never wrote, and why leaders need to understand the real cost of casually sharing vulnerable information about employees. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why psychological safety has two parts: creating the space and holding the spaceHow leaders break trust when they share employee information out of contextWhy good intentions do not erase the impact of broken confidentialityHow secondhand comments can shape an employee’s reputation and careerWhy leaders are stewards of an employee’s story, not owners of itWhat to do when a legitimate concern about an employee needs to be sharedWhy broken trust can hit neurodivergent employees especially hardWhat leaders owe employees who trust them with vulnerable conversationsIf you lead people, this episode is a reminder that what is said behind a closed door shouldn’t casually leave that room. The question isn’t whether your team feels comfortable coming to you. The question is whether you are actually safe. Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

  2. Sep 23

    Are You the Hero or the Villain in Someone Else’s Story? Multiperspectivity at Work with Valerie Gordon

    Everyone is the hero of their own story. But we don’t always want to admit: sometimes, we may be the obstacle in someone else’s. In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with storyteller, keynote speaker, and storytelling strategist Valerie Gordon to talk about why people misunderstand each other at work, at home, and in the stories we tell ourselves. Valerie spent more than two decades telling stories on television before turning that same lens toward real life, career growth, leadership, and the inner narratives that shape how we show up. Marlo and Valerie explore the unreliable narrator in our heads, the stories we create when we do not have all the information, and how multiperspectivity can help us build better relationships and stronger teams. You’ll learn: How the stories we tell ourselves shape our confidence, choices, and careersWhy your inner critic may be an unreliable narratorHow to recognize when you are emotionally reasoning instead of seeing clearlyWhat multiperspectivity means and why it matters at workWhy you can be the hero of your own story and still be the villain in someone else’sHow curiosity can help reduce conflict and misunderstandingWhy the person challenging your idea may be your best supporting characterHow leaders can create space for more voices, better questions, and deeper understandingIf you’ve ever wondered why a coworker, boss, partner, or friend misunderstood you, or why you may have misunderstood them, this conversation gives you a new way to think about perspective. The narrator has been running in your head for a long time. This conversation is about thwart happens when you finally question it.  Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

  3. Sep 16

    Why the Wrong Promotion Can Cost You More Than You Think

    What if the role you worked your whole career toward is actually the wrong destination? In this solo episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons shares a personal story about turning down a role that looked like the next obvious career move, and why saying no became one of the most important decisions of her career. This episode is about career alignment, values, leadership fit, and why the most strategic thing you can do sometimes is walk away from the thing everyone expects you to say yes to.  You’ll learn: Why the “next level” is not always the right directionHow to tell the difference between upward mobility and upward alignmentWhy leadership fit matters more than a title on paperHow values show up as data in career decisionsWhy FOMO is a terrible career strategyThe three questions to ask before accepting a promotionWhy a strategic no can protect your career and your lifeIf you’re considering a promotion, career move, leadership opportunity, or role that looks good on LinkedIn but feels wrong in your gut, this episode is the pause you need before you say yes. Think of your career less like a ladder and more like a compass. The goal is not always up. Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

  4. Sep 9

    Why Executive Presence Breaks Down Under Pressure with Kathryn Janicek

    Some leaders communicate beautifully when the environment is controlled. But then the stakes shift and suddenly, the clarity, authority, and confidence they had in rehearsal starts to collapse. In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with executive presence coach Kathryn Janicek to talk about why executive presence breaks down in high-pressure moments, and how leaders can rebuild it in real time. As former TV news reporters, Marlo and Kathryn both understand what it means to think on your feet, stay present under pressure, and recover when something does not go perfectly. You’ll learn: Why strong leaders lose clarity when the environment becomes unpredictableThe hidden gap between prepared communication and real-time executive performanceHow mindset affects body language, tone, and credibilityWhy nonverbal signals can reinforce or erode trust in secondsHow to recover when you stumble, freeze, or get triggeredWhy sleep, stress, burnout, and self-care show up in your leadership presenceHow leaders can prepare for investor conversations, board scrutiny, unscripted Q&A, and high-stakes meetingsIf you are a leader, executive, founder, or high-performing professional who needs to communicate clearly when the pressure is on, this episode will help you understand what your presence is really saying. Because executive presence is not just how you perform when everything goes according to plan. It is how you lead when it doesn’t. Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

  5. Sep 2

    Stop Waiting For Permission To Grow

    There are people waiting for their boss to care about their career more than they do. Pause on that. In this Cracking the Code episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons calls out the permission trap: the career pattern where people wait to be noticed, developed, promoted, sponsored, or picked before they take ownership of their own growth. Your manager may care about you. But your manager is not your career coach. They are managing a team, hitting goals, sitting in meetings, and putting out fires you may never see. Your growth is your job. You’ll learn: Why waiting to be picked keeps you passive in your careerWhy your manager is not responsible for unlocking your full potentialHow exhaustion can quietly stall your professional growthWhy investing in yourself can actually create energyHow AI and automation are changing the skills professionals needWhy vague growth goals lead to vague resultsHow small, consistent learning compounds over timeWhy you need a direction, not a perfect five-year planIf you’ve been waiting for your company, boss, or someone else to tell you it’s time to grow, this episode is your reminder: You already have permission. Now act like it. Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

  6. Aug 26

    The Hidden Loneliness of Successful Women Leaders with Siri Swahari

    Senior women in leadership are often surrounded by people and still completely alone. It is one of the least talked about realities of making it to the top. And Sirisha “Siri” Swahari decided to stop waiting for someone to fix it.  In this episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons talks with Sirisha “Siri” Swahari, executive leader and founder of Women Executives Circle, about leadership loneliness, peer community and what it actually looks like to build a space where senior women can stop performing and start being real.  In just one year, Women Executives Circle has grown to nearly 300 members across 22 locations, completely free to join. Siri built it because she needed it herself. She was overseeing a $55 million budget and 200 employees and still had nowhere to go for honest conversation. Unlike transactional networking spaces, WeC is built around real conversation, vulnerability, active listening, and peer-level support. In this conversation you will hear: Why senior women leaders often feel isolated even when they are surrounded by teams, meetings and full calendarsWhat Women Executives Circle is, how it works, and why it has grown so fastHow real peer connection is built on vulnerability and active listening, not resumes and referralsHow the WEC framework creates space for wins, challenges, and the conversations women rarely get to have at workWhy women face specific barriers to be seen, heard, and represented in leadership roomsWhy vulnerability and active listening are executive leadership skillsHow one personal pain point became the foundation of a fast-growing movement If you are a senior woman leader, a woman executive, or high-achieving professional who has quietly wondered why success still feels this isolating, this episode is for you.  The top can be a very lonely place. But it doesn’t have to be. Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

  7. Aug 19

    Why Perfectionism Is Keeping You Stuck

    Stop calling yourself a perfectionist like it’s a compliment. Perfectionism is not a personality trait, or a strength in disguise. It is fear with a really good publicist. In this solo episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons, executive coach and workplace strategist, calls out the version of perfectionism so many high achievers wear like a badge. It’s the kind that keeps the draft unfinished, the idea unshared, the business unstarted, the post unpublished, and the conversation delayed. Because most of the time, “it’s not ready yet” does not mean it needs more polishing. It means you’re scared to be seen. And that fear, whether it’s fear of failure, fear of judgment, or fear of success, is what perfectionism is actually protecting. You’ll learn: Why perfectionism is often fear disguised as professionalismHow perfectionism fuels procrastination and delays your life, your work, and your momentumWhy imperfect things that exist are more powerful than perfect things that don’t and “why done is better than perfect” is more than a cliché. How fear of failure, fear of judgment, and fear of success keep high achievers stuckWhy “done” is the only thing that can ever become greatWhat to ask instead of “Is this perfect?” to break through perfectionism and take imperfect actionHow to take one real step toward done todayIf you’ve been circling the same idea, draft, project, post, or decision for weeks, months, or years, this episode is your push. Whether perfectionism shows up as procrastination, creative block, or endless over-editing, this episode will help you make a move. Because the world does not need your perfect version. It needs your real one. Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

  8. Aug 12

    How Women Can Build Confidence and Career Agency with Kirsteen Williamson-Guinn

    Confidence matters. But does confidence alone move your career forward? In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with Kirsteen Williamson-Guinn, founder of Elevate Women, to talk about what it really takes for women to grow, lead, and future-proof their career advancement in high-pressure, political workplaces. After 32 years in banking, including senior leadership in a male-dominated environment, Kirsteen knows what it feels like to perform, push, navigate politics, and slowly lose connection with yourself in the process. Now, through Elevate Women, she helps women build confidence, strategic leadership, self-trust, and real career agency. Marlo and Kirsteen talk about imposter syndrome, vague feedback like “you need more executive presence,” and what it really means for women in leadership, the shift from high performer to strategic leader, and why women have to stop taking on work that keeps them busy but does not move them forward. You’ll learn: Why confidence alone is not a career strategy for women in leadershipHow women can move from performing to leading strategically and advancing their careers with intentionWhat “executive presence” feedback for women may actually be pointing toWhy imposter syndrome show up even at senior levels and what to do about itHow to build strategic relationships and visibility at work before you need themWhy non-promotable tasks can quietly stall women’s career advancementHow to own your brand, your value, and your next moveWhat future-ready women’s leadership looks like in a rapidly changing workplaceIf you are a woman in leadership, a mid-career professional, or someone trying to build more confidence, visibility, and agency at work, this episode will help you stop waiting to be chosen and start leading your career with more intention. Whether you work in a male-dominiated industry, have been told you need more executive presence, or are navigating imposter syndrome at the senior level, thai conversation is for you. Because the goal is not just to look confident. It is to trust yourself enough to act. Learn more: elevate-women.co.uk/ Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram  ----------- Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

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Trailer

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About

Work Unscripted with Marlo Lyons offers a candid exploration into the realities of career advancement and leadership. Hosted by Marlo Lyons, executive career coach and former HR exec, this podcast brings unfiltered insights on work, leadership, and finding your path. Episodes feature in-depth discussions with industry leaders who share real stories and practical tools, and honest insights from Marlo. Work Unscripted is your guide to thriving in the professional world. 

Information

  • Creator
    Marlo Lyons
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Work Unscripted
  • Show Website
    Work Unscripted

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