About this podcast
The workplace communication podcast that helps professionals navigate difficult conversations, speak up with confidence, and build stronger careers. HR experts Denise and Maggie share practical frameworks for giving honest feedback, addressing conflict, and leading with authenticity... without the career-limiting fear that keeps most people silent.
Learn how to say what needs to be said while building trust and advancing your professional goals.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 29 episodes
- Feelings First: You Can’t Logic Your Way to Trust | Ep26 · 23 min · Episode 29You can’t walk into a room full of skeptics and convince them with a spreadsheet. In this episode, we share two success stories of leaders who understand that. One is a…
- The Leader Makes the Weather (What Strong Teams Are Built On) | Ep25 · 25 min · Episode 28Every leader sets the tone for their team. So, which are you bringing: sunshine or storms? In this episode, we get into what actually makes a strong team, drawing on Patrick…
- The Lessons Great Leaders Keep Coming Back To | Ep24 · 29 min · Episode 27When some of the most respected voices in leadership got on stage this year, they kept coming back to the two things this whole show is built on: candor and courage. In this…
- Push Through Fear, or Live with Regret: A Conversation with Medicare Misty | Ep23 · 31 min · Episode 26Fear might be the only thing standing between you and the life you actually want. In this episode, we're bringing in a guest who has made a habit of choosing courage over…
- Weighing the Cost: A Listener's Story of Courage | Ep22 · 25 min · Episode 25How far would you go to do the right thing at work? Further than you think, or not as far as you'd hope? In this episode, we share a listener's story that stopped us in our…
- It’s Not Me, It’s You: Breaking Up Passive Aggression | Ep21 · 25 min · Episode 24You can't always stop passive aggressive behavior at work. But you have more control over it than you think. In this episode, we're continuing our series on passive aggression…
- Sure, Whatever: Addressing Passive Aggression at Work | Ep20 · 23 min · Episode 23As a leader, you don't have a choice. You have to have the hard conversations. In this episode, we're addressing feedback from two listeners about our recent series on managing…
- Facts Over Feelings: A Leader's Guide to Addressing Underperformance | Ep19 · 29 min · Episode 22Every day you avoid the underperformer conversation, you're sending a message to your whole team. In this episode, we’re sharing how to finally address it the right way. We walk…
- Managing Underperformers: The Conversations Most Leaders Avoid | Ep18 · 27 min · Episode 21If you've never had an underperformer, you are a leadership unicorn! It's something every people-manager deals with at some point in their career, and how you handle it impacts…
- Showing Up Fully Without Running on Empty | Ep17 · 23 min · Episode 20How do you balance a meaningful career with being present for your family, without completely depleting yourself in the process? In this episode, we talk with the winner of our…
- Ditch the Resolutions, Actually Follow Through on Your Goals | Ep16 · 27 min · Episode 19If you're tired of setting goals only to abandon them by “Quitter’s Friday” (the second Friday in January), this episode is for you. We're sharing a better way to approach goals…
- Managing Up When The Stakes Are High | Ep15 · 23 min · Episode 18What do you do when your boss asks for feedback… and you know they might not like the answer? That question was at the heart of both of our stories in this episode, where we…
- Challenge Yourself: 5 Questions for Growth | Ep14 · 17 min · Episode 17As 2025 winds down, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect. In this episode, we share five powerful questions designed to help you get clear on your professional goals…
- The Power of Candor & Courage At Work (One Year in Review) | Ep13 · 26 min · Episode 16One year ago, we started the podcast with one big question: What would change if more leaders spoke honestly and bravely at work? In this special anniversary episode, we revisit…
- Speak Up Without Burning Bridges at Work | Ep12 · 24 min · Episode 15When the wrong words could cost you trust, credibility, or even your job… how do you speak up anyway? In this episode, we explore High Stakes Candor, what it means to prioritize…
- How to Build Psychological Safety and Follow Through on What Matters (Part 2 with Kent Vaughn) | Ep11 · 22 min · Episode 14Courageous leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about asking the right questions. In this episode, we explore what courage looks like in practice: creating…
- Why Great Managers Practice Self-Leadership and Build Trust: A Conversation with Kent Vaughn (Part 1) | Ep10 · 22 min · Episode 13No one brings their A-game to work for a manager who doesn’t “walk the talk.” In this episode, executive coach Kent Vaughn joins us to explore what it really takes to lead with…
- Bonus: The Empowered Career Woman with Maggie Carrington · 1 h 5 min · Episode 12The rise to the top is full of twists and turns. Maggie was recently a guest on the Silver Divorce podcast, hosted by Lisa McCluskey. In the episode, Maggie shares her career…
- Timeless Leadership Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People | Ep9 · 21 min · Episode 11More than 30 years after The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People hit the shelves (and cassette players), Stephen Covey’s work still shapes leaders today. In this episode, rather…
- Bonus: How to Reenter the Job Market After Divorce · 56 min · Episode 10Reentering the job market after a long absence can present several challenges, including outdated skills, changing job market conditions, self-doubt, and age discrimination. And…
