Want an easy framework for winning any pitch? We’re pitching all the time—at work, at home, and everywhere in between. But most of us are doing it wrong. We lead with logic, credentials, and data, when what people actually need first is connection. In today’s episode of Hello Monday , Jessi Hempel sits down with Danny Fontaine to unpack what makes a truly great pitch—and how to persuade with emotion, not just information. Drawing on decades of experience in experiential sales and storytelling, D...
Jan 26, 2026•29 min
Ambition. Is it a dirty word? Do you love the term, or hate it? In this Hello Monday episode from the archives, Jessi Hempel sits down with two incredible colleagues at LinkedIn, Hayley Saltzman and Ahyiana Angel, to explore how our understanding of ambition evolves, and what it means to chase personal growth rather than external validation. Hayley Saltzman is an Editor at Large at LinkedIn, focusing on vertical video strategy. Ahyiana Angel was the Podcast Ad Ops Producer at LinkedIn and the ho...
Jan 19, 2026•29 min
What if the very habits that made you successful are now the ones holding you back? In this episode of Hello Monday , host Jessi Hempel is joined by executive coach and leadership expert Muriel Wilkins to explore the hidden beliefs that quietly shape how we lead and make decisions. These “blocking beliefs”—like I need it done now , if I can do it, so can you —often begin as strengths. But over time, they can fuel burnout, micromanagement, and disengaged teams. Drawing from her new book, Leadersh...
Jan 12, 2026•28 min
What is your dream job? What will your life look like in ten years? Kick off the New Year with a favorite Hello Monday activity: the Dream Job Exercise. In this episode, host Jessi Hempel kicks off the new year with a powerful ritual she returns to every January: the Dream Job Exercise. It’s not about chasing a title or predicting the future—it’s about reclaiming imagination, agency, and hope in a moment when many professionals feel stuck or anxious about what comes next. Jessi explains why imag...
Jan 05, 2026•17 min
This week, a show about work brings you an episode about time away from work, and why we all need it. We hope you enjoy this classic holiday rerun from Hello Monday's very first year of production featuring some favorite vacation stories, and we’ll see you in the new year!
Dec 29, 2025•27 min
Uncertainty has become a defining feature of modern work. From shifting economic signals to rapid technological change, many professionals feel stuck in a constant state of not knowing—and they’re exhausted by it. In today's episode, Jessi Hempel sits down with journalist and behavioral scientist Elizabeth Weingarten to explore how asking better questions --not demanding faster answers--can help us navigate uncertainty. Elizabeth is the author of How to Fall In Love With Questions . Her work foc...
Dec 22, 2025•28 min
High achievers like to go after their goals, but what if in the face of disruption, we’re skipping a step in our hurry to get going and get “doing”? With ongoing layoffs and a new (sometimes scary) work landscape, so many of us are trying to figure out what opportunities remain, and what we should do next. But today’s guest, Victoria Foster, suggests we’re starting from the wrong place. Before trying to figure out what we can do, we should first ask: who do I want to be? Victoria is an executive...
Dec 15, 2025•30 min
Artist & content creator Elyse Myers initially gained popularity after a viral TikTok video about buying 100 tacos on a date. Since then, she’s built a massive following off of her compelling storytelling and unique perspective on the world. But when her followers started suggesting that she might be autistic, Elyse was surprised…even resistant. She looked into it, got an assessment, and eventually, a formal autism diagnosis as an adult. Since being diagnosed with autism, Elyse has found her...
Dec 08, 2025•28 min
Most of us were taught to be agreeable. To be easy. To be helpful. But constantly saying “yes” can drain our energy and derail our careers. In this episode from the Hello Monday archives, Jessi Hempel sits down with Dr. Sunita Sah, author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes , to explore why saying “no” feels so hard and why reclaiming defiance is essential to our confidence, clarity, and integrity. In her conversation with Jessi, Dr. Sah breaks down how to recognize compliance, ...
Dec 01, 2025•34 min
No one plans to lose their financial independence. But for many women, it happens slowly, quietly, over years of caregiving and career pauses. In today’s episode, Jessi Hempel sits down with Steph Wagner , expert voice in women’s wealth and financial empowerment and author of Fly: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom and Building a Life You Love , to talk about what it really takes to rebuild your financial life. Steph began her career in investment banking, drawn to numbers, strategy, and finan...
Nov 24, 2025•30 min
Most people think personal branding is for the loudest voices in the room. But Goldie Chan , longtime creator and author of Personal Branding for Introverts , believes the opposite; introverts have superpowers that make them uniquely equipped to shape a personal brand with depth, clarity, and impact. Goldie has built a global audience with her signature green hair, thoughtful storytelling, and approachable advice for people who don’t want to pretend to be someone they’re not. In this episode of ...
Nov 17, 2025•30 min
Most of us were taught to “play the game” when it comes to money; work hard, follow the rules, and financial stability will follow. But what happens when the game itself was never built for most of us to win? Jasmine Rashid calls herself a financial activist. She’s an impact investor, writer, and advocate who believes that reclaiming power in our financial systems starts with everyday people—not policymakers or billionaires, but those of us who spend, save, and invest every day. Her new book, Th...
Nov 10, 2025•30 min
What if the traits that once got you in trouble could actually be your greatest strengths? Viral creators Penn and Kim Holderness have built careers—and a family life—around embracing ADHD. They join Jessi Hempel to talk about how understanding the ADHD brain can transform frustration into creativity, connection, and confidence. Penn and Kim Holderness—viral content creators, parents, and partners—have built an entire career on laughter, honesty, and showing what real family life looks like. Wit...
Nov 03, 2025•30 min
In the age of endless scrolling, the antidote to overconsumption is creativity. Dr. Jennifer Freed believes that when we spend less time consuming and more time creating, we reconnect to something essential: our vitality. A clinical psychologist and astrologer with over 40 years of experience, Jennifer combines psychology and spirituality to help people understand themselves more deeply and live more fully. Her client list includes everyone from celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow to teens in her n...
Oct 27, 2025•30 min
When your story falls apart, how do you begin again? Jen Hatmaker has lived through more than one public unraveling. Once an acclaimed evangelical Christian leader and author, she lost much of her audience when she began to publicly speak out against racism and homophobia within the church. And then, a few years later, she lost her marriage too. But instead of retreating, she rebuilt her life from the ground up. In this episode of Hello Monday , Jessi Hempel sits down with Jen to talk about fait...
Oct 20, 2025•30 min
The economy can feel overwhelming, confusing, and even intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. As markets shift, housing costs rise, and labor shortages disrupt industries, economist Kyla Scanlon believes the way forward is understanding how the economy really works—and seeing the human connections at its core. Kyla is the founder of the financial education company Bread and the author of In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work . She creates viral, accessible content that makes econo...
Oct 13, 2025•28 min
Brené Brown has spent more than two decades studying courage, vulnerability, and leadership. Her work has changed how we talk about shame and belonging—and helped millions of people lead with more humanity. In her new book, Strong Ground , Brené introduces the idea of “grounded confidence”: a practice of leading with consistency, clarity, and courage instead of bravado. She argues that the strongest leaders aren’t the loudest or the most certain. They’re the ones willing to hold paradoxes, set b...
Oct 06, 2025•28 min
When rejection strikes, smart bets win. Mark Cuban knows that the biggest opportunities don’t come from luck, they come from bold, calculated moves. In this episode of Hello Monday , Jessi Hempel sits down with Mark, the entrepreneur, investor, and Shark Tank star, to uncover how he turns setbacks into wins and spots opportunities before anyone else does. From negotiating high-stakes deals to pivoting careers in uncertain times, he shares the mindset and strategies that help him thrive when the ...
Sep 29, 2025•30 min
Why does success make men more likable, but women less so? Researchers call it the success–likeability paradox, and it’s one of the biggest challenges women face as they rise in their careers. In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Kate Mason—executive coach, former world champion debater, and author of the new book Powerfully Likeable —to explore how women can succeed without sacrificing authenticity or influence. Kate argues that likability and power aren’t opposites. In ...
Sep 22, 2025•30 min
Most of us think of negotiation as something reserved for high-stakes boardrooms—or even hostage situations. But Christopher Voss , former FBI lead hostage negotiator and bestselling author of Never Split the Difference , says negotiation is everywhere: in salary talks, in team meetings, even in conversations with your kids. And the secret isn’t control. It’s influence. In this episode of Hello Monday , Jessi Hempel sits down with Chris to explore how we can all become better negotiators by focu...
Sep 15, 2025•30 min
Burnout. Ubiquitous technology. New rules for remote work. These forces are reshaping our jobs—and in many cases, breaking them. The old model of productivity, born during the Industrial Revolution, doesn’t fit the realities of knowledge work today. In this episode of Hello Monday , Jessi Hempel talks with Natalie Nixon , creativity strategist and author of Move. Think. Rest. , about why it’s time to reinvent productivity and how her framework can help us do it. Natalie calls it the MTR Framewor...
Sep 08, 2025•30 min
Most of us grow up with unspoken lessons about money—lessons that can stick with us for life. But what if those beliefs are holding us back? In this week’s episode from the Hello Monday archives, Jessi Hempel sits down with Mellody Hobson , Co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments, and one of the most powerful voices in finance and leadership. Named by TIME and Fortune as one of the most influential leaders in business, Mellody shares how to shift your money mindset, build healthy financial hab...
Sep 01, 2025•36 min
Change is no longer something that happens occasionally—it’s constant. And navigating it effectively requires the right mindset. In this episode of Hello Monday , Jessi Hempel sits down with FutureThink CEO, bestselling author, and LinkedIn Learning instructor Lisa Bodell to explore how simplicity, meaningful work, and essential soft skills can help us thrive in a world defined by chaos and constant change. Lisa is the author of Why Simplicity Wins and a speaker who has spent years helping leade...
Aug 25, 2025•33 min
Taste might be the most valuable skill in business today. But what is it, exactly? And how do you know if you have it? In this episode, Jessi Hempel sits down with legendary retail executive Mickey Drexler to explore the magic behind great taste—and how it shapes products, brands, and careers. Mickey is known as the “King of Retail.” Over his decades-long career, he transformed Gap into a 1990s style powerhouse, invented Old Navy, revitalized J.Crew, and launched Madewell. Today, he’s the co-fou...
Aug 18, 2025•33 min
We’ve all had conversations that go sideways. Not because we said the wrong thing, but because we weren’t speaking the same language. In this week’s episode of Hello Monday , Jessi Hempel sits down with Charles Duhigg , the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author, to unpack the science of great communication. Charles's latest book, Supercommunicators , explores how anyone—yes, anyone—can get better at having meaningful, impactful conversations. Whether you’re pitching an idea at...
Aug 11, 2025•34 min
We spend so much of our lives chasing goals: big ones, small ones, some we barely remember choosing. But what if the goals we’re working toward aren’t really ours ? This week on Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff to talk about how we really achieve the lives we want to live. Anne-Laure is the founder of Ness Labs , a popular online school focused on mindful productivity for knowledge workers. Her new book, Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely ...
Aug 04, 2025•34 min
Most of us spend the majority of our lives at work — but how often do we pause to ask whether our days are actually fun ? In this episode of Hello Monday , host Jessi Hempel sits down with Bree Groff , a senior advisor at SYPartners and author of Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously) , to talk about how fun, mischief, and human connection can radically improve our work lives. Bree’s work centers around workplace transformation and employee experience. She’s advised companies like Google, ...
Jul 28, 2025•34 min
You shouldn’t have to choose between showing up for your job and showing up for your family and loved ones. Caregiving is a growing part of modern work life — and it’s largely invisible. In today’s episode of Hello Monday , host Jessi Hempel talks with Jennifer Levin , author of Generation Care , about what it means to care for others while juggling a career, and how we can better support caregivers at work and beyond. Jennifer began caregiving for her chronically ill father in her early thirtie...
Jul 21, 2025•34 min
More professionals than ever are rethinking what’s next. For many mid-career and senior-level workers, consulting is the best path forward. But how do you actually make the leap? In this week’s episode of Hello Monday , host Jessi Hempel sits down with Erin Halper , founder and CEO of The Upside , a vibrant community for consultants. Erin shares what she’s learned from years of working independent consulting and coaching others through the same transition. From pricing and positioning to finding...
Jul 14, 2025•34 min
Millions of professionals are balancing side hustles alongside their full-time jobs. But what does it take to turn that extra project into something bigger? In this episode from the Hello Monday archives, Jessi Hempel sits down with Side Hustle Pro creator and host Nicaila Matthews Okome to explore how side work can lead to a meaningful, lasting career. Nicaila didn’t always see herself as an entrepreneur. She built her résumé with big-name employers, earned her MBA, and followed a traditional c...
Jul 07, 2025•39 min
