Do office holiday parties get you in the festive spirit or turn you into the Grinch? Our listeners are navigating some ho, ho, horribly awkward holiday situations at work. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on how to handle this season with a little extra joy and cheer! Shit Canned at Christmas in Atlanta got laid off from his job and his fiancé—who works at the same company—wants him to attend the annual holiday party with her as if nothing happened. How can he get through this event and an...
Dec 06, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 125
When was the last time you did something brave in your job or career? This week, we hear from listeners trying to find their voice in meetings, harness extra energy for a retreat, and confront an executive about bogus expense receipts… Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on how to channel courage in the workplace! A Sleuth on The Loose in Chicago just started his first real job out of college in a firm where everyone but him has a business degree from a fancy Ivy League school. In meetings, h...
Nov 29, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 124
What work situations make you cringe? Some of our listeners find themselves stuck in awkward situations and need support to figure out what to do! Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice about job changes, connection requests, and honest feedback. Worried About a Gaffe with The Government works for the government with a good job that boasts a great salary and benefits. Unfortunately, their job is being phased out. They interviewed for a highly prestigious position, but this organization expects t...
Nov 22, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 123
Decisions, decisions! This week, our listeners are trying to decide if they (or others) should stay in their jobs or move on to greener pastures… Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on retirement, switching jobs, and making other big career choices (for yourself and others!) A Few Cards Shy of A Full Deck in Denver has spent 45 years at the same company--working their way up from the mailroom to the C-suite. They now find themselves at a crossroads – either retire or continue to work as a con...
Nov 14, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 122
Do you strive for fame and fortune? Some of our listeners do, too and others have already achieved it. In this week’s show, Mary and Chris address the wins and woes of being famous! Too Big for His Breeches in Boise runs a management training company. Their business is booming. To meet client demand, they farm out much of the work to subcontractors, and one of their most popular contractors is using his reputation to demand more money than the other subcontractors. How can they keep him in the f...
Nov 08, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 121
Are you more of an optimist, pessimist, or realist? This week, we hear from listeners who find it challenging to work with bosses or coworkers on the other end of that spectrum. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on how to bridge that gap! No Motion with This Lotion in Memphis works for a boss who is wildly optimistic, yet not too practical. He recently set an unrealistic sales goal for their latest skincare line. How can they respectfully convince their boss that this goal is unrealistic? C...
Nov 01, 2023•31 min
All human beings have a neuropsychological need for status. We need to feel that we are worthy and valued in the eyes of others. So, what happens when people lower our status? Or when we feel our status gets in the way of positive workplace relationships? A Star is Made and Born in Kentucky feels his increased status and success as a professional in the big city has impacted his ability to connect with her hometown friends and family. Y ou Talkin’ To Me in Upstate New York just got snubbed by so...
Oct 25, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 119
Do you know the number one aspect of creating high-performance organizations? If you said trust, you nailed it! This week, we hear from listeners who want to earn trust or learn to trust. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on creating a culture of trust in the workplace. Catering To My Needs in Portland is the first to admit they’re a micromanager. Paying attention to details has gotten them to where they are now. Their recent promotion means they’ll do more managing and less “doing”. Quite ...
Oct 18, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 118
On this week’s re-release schedule, we have a fan favorite from Season Two – “It’s Not Me, It’s You.” This episode is all about dealing with annoying people because, unfortunately, they always have been and always will be a fact of life at work. Let’s be honest—sometimes other people are just a pain in the a**. In this week’s show, Mary and Chris address a myriad of listeners’ challenges in navigating difficult colleagues and situations. Feeling Like a Highschooler in Scottsdale is being iced ou...
Oct 11, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 117
This week, we’re re-releasing our most popular episode from Season One and third most popular episode of all time – Promotion Motion . If you’re here to accelerate your career, you came to the right place and won’t want to miss this greatest hit! Are you trying to climb up the corporate food chain? Trying to crack that promotion code? Or are you tired of being passed over for promotions? If so, then this episode is for you! Mary and Chris answer questions on how to power up your promotion prospe...
Oct 04, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 116
Next up on our re-release schedule is a timeless classic! We’re heading all the way back to the Season One for this fan favorite – “My Boss Sucks” to help our listeners deal with their bad bosses. “Conflicted on the Crew” wants to know if and how he should intervene on a difficult boss. “Recovering in Rhode Island” needs advice in dealing with a gaslighter. Tips abound in this episode for navigating difficult and toxic bosses! We’re here to help you succeed! Send us your workplace dilemmas or ca...
Sep 27, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 115
Did you know that only 48% of Americans use all their vacation days? You have paid time off for a reason, and taking a vacation reduces stress, improves well-being, and boosts productivity, so it’s important to capitalize on that benefit! This week, we hear from listeners who don’t want to let their PTO go to waste. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on how to ask your boss for some me time. Use It Or Lose It in Atlanta hasn’t taken a vacation in seven years, so they’ve been banking their ti...
Sep 20, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 114
We’re taking a little trip down memory lane to revisit one of our most popular episodes! This week, we’re traveling back in time to Season Two to relearn how to navigate generational friction at work – which is essential to succeeding in today’s multi-generational workplace! Do generational differences have work have you perplexed? Annoyed? Confused? Do you look at other generations at work and think to yourself WTF? Well, Chris De Santis is here to help! In honor of his newly published book Why...
Sep 13, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 113
Are you looking to make a move within your company? Maybe you want a new role or maybe you are trying to decide whether to change bosses. This week, we hear from listeners interested in advancing their careers and setting themselves up for success at work. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on mentorship, internal mobility, and moving up the corporate ladder! Alice in Corporateland, Minnesota is new to corporate life, and she doesn't think she is prepared for it. Both of her parents worked f...
Aug 16, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 112
Let’s go around the world in 30 minutes! Our listeners are working across the globe, and they need our help dealing with time changes that leave them always on the clock, bridging cultural gaps, and transferring overseas. Tune in to travel to workplaces far and wide with us in this episode! Not Enthralled with Being On Call in Milwaukee works for a company with offices in Asia, France, and the U.S. None of the organizational leaders are based in the U.S. which means she must attend virtual meeti...
Aug 09, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 111
What’s a dish that’s best served cold? Yes, you guessed it! We’re talking about revenge. This week, we hear from listeners who aren’t interested in forgiving and forgetting but want to get back at their perpetrators. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice about whether or not, revenge is a dish that should be served at all… Here Not There in Zelienople is dealing with a revengeful colleague who is bitter that she got a better office space at the new HQ than he did. Now, this bitter colleague is ...
Aug 02, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 110
Are you afraid to give feedback? Does the idea of giving someone difficult feedback give you cold sweats? Well, fear no more, because, in this special episode, Chris and Mary are joined by author and feedback expert Joe Hirsch! Joe shares his wisdom on how to give fearless feedback. If you want to have more caring, candid, and collaborative conversations, Joe shows us how. Joe Hirsch, author of The Feedback Fix, helps organizations design and deliver feedback without fear. An internationally rec...
Jul 26, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 109
Have you ever made a decision and then almost immediately regretted it? Or maybe you’ve been sold something that wasn’t quite what it seemed? This week, we hear from listeners who are in some sticky situations that they’re looking to get out of or turn around. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on how to make lemonade out of lemons! The Bavarian Blues in Paramus took a job at a company because of the opportunity to work overseas. Well, the company kept their promise and they plan to send our...
Jul 19, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 108
We’re going back to the beginning and reviewing our ABC’s… …and in this case, we mean Always Be Closing in relation to making sales. This week, we hear from listeners who could use some extra support to close deals. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ top sales advice! Beauty’s Only Skin Deep in Sacramento just started her first job at a popular beauty products chain. She’s a salesperson and the job pays minimum wage plus commission. She’s never sold stuff before and asked two other people who are g...
Jul 12, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 107
There are some new kids on the block! Gen Z’er’s are entering the workplace and they’re bringing their opinions, feelings, and social awareness with them. Some of our listeners are struggling to understand and work with this younger generation. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ strategies to maximize the potential of these new youngsters in the workplace. Trigger’s A Horse in Houston wants to know what the heck “being triggered” means. They had a weird experience at an employee orientation session...
Jul 05, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 106
Career mobility might not be as straightforward as you think… …because not everyone actually wants to move up the corporate ladder (shocking, we know!) This week, we hear from a listener wanting to move up, one looking to step down, and one ready to move across. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on how to take control of your career – no matter where you want to take it! All That Sparkles Is Not Gold in Virginia would like to convince her boss not to promote her. She also has no interest in...
Jun 28, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 105
Are you a creature of habit? Maybe you wake up at the same time each morning, eat the same meal for lunch, or are wed to particular processes or protocols. This week we hear from a few listeners stuck in their ways and one who wants to change them. My Way Or The Highway in Wyoming is trying to teach a new employee how to properly take inventory and it’s falling on deaf ears. They explain it, show him how it’s done, and even watch him do it. But as soon as they’re out of sight, he doesn’t follow ...
Jun 21, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 104
“There aren’t enough hours in the day!” Do you feel like you have too much to do and too little time? You’re not alone. This week we hear from listeners who feel like time isn’t on their side. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ best time management tips! Paula The Procrastinator works in professional services and needs help to overcome her procrastinator ways. She just finished the first year of her first real job and always seems to be behind. Her manager is happy with her work but unhappy that sh...
Jun 14, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 103
What really gets under your skin? Is it when employees make the same mistakes over and over again? Or maybe it’s ungrateful staff…or just plain jerks in the workplace? This week we hear from listeners who are feeling annoyed and need to rant about it! Fed Up in Chicago is a partner at a big bad law firm and is being framed as the villain because he’s asking his associates to stay late, come in early, or redo work that doesn’t meet his standards. And all he gets is grief! He’s just responding to ...
Jun 07, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 102
Age is just a number! Well, until it isn’t. Our listeners are feeling some of the pains of getting older – and we don’t mean back aches. We’re talking about ageism at work. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice about how to deal with ageism in the workplace. Aging Angst in Manhattan recently saw Chris DeSantis speak where he asked the audience who were the Boomers in the room. They didn’t raise their hand because they think that their firm is trying to push out the Boomers and replace them with...
May 31, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 101
So, you’ve been promoted to manager…congratulations! And, well, condolences. Managing a team can be a great resume builder and a rewarding way to develop talent, but it’s certainly no walk in the park. This week, we hear from listeners whose leadership positions are leaving them stuck between a rock and a hard place. In this special 100th episode , it’s Mary’s turn to face off against the machine this time. Tune in to hear top management advice from Mary and ChatGPT! And you get to decide who wi...
May 23, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 100
How do you remain authentic while keeping it work-appropriate? This week, we’re hearing from listeners who want to bring their true selves to work while keeping their careers on track…and sometimes those two things don’t necessarily line up. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’ advice on how to keep it real and run a tight ship to get ahead and stay ahead. Time Matters in Tempe ’s boss is always late to team meetings – like 15-20 minutes late…and when he shows up, he never acknowledges that he’s late...
May 17, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 99
Mary is shifting the power of this episode… And she’s making Chris answer three questions he’s never seen before with an added twist! Chris DeSantis is going up against ChatGPT in this Man vs. Machine duel. Who do you think will give better advice? The man or the machine?! Does Artificial Intelligence have the power to run us out of business? Tune in to hear Chris’ and ChatGPT’s answers to these questions: New Guard in Northern Ireland recently landed her dream job in the childcare field. The or...
May 10, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 98
Have you ever made a sacrifice just to fit in? From slightly changing your appearance to completely ditching your morals, we’re hearing from listeners who feel like outsiders but desire to be in the In-crowd. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’s advice on when you should try to fit in or dare to be different and stand out! Yes, But in Minneapolis took a new corporate job in marketing for a home goods chain. The hiring manager said the company said they needed innovative thinkers who can shake up the...
May 03, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 97
Well, that was awkward… This week, we hear from listeners who are experiencing some cringey situations in their workplaces. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’s suggestions about how to take the awk out of awkward. Cat’s Out of the Bag in Benton works with a cat lady…who brings her cats into the office. He doesn’t like cats, but the cats apparently like him. They end up under his desk, on his cubicle shelf, or occasionally in his seat. He told HR about the problem, and they told him to sort it out. ...
Apr 26, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 96
