Why are professionals getting fired for what they post on their own social media? Some of us have had to learn it the hard way: Your rights as a citizen ≠ your rights as an employee—especially when comes to freedom of speech. It has us asking, “What does at-will employment mean, exactly?” Inspired by the true tale of “Brandon’s” termination over a controversial Linkedin post, we’re joined by Chris Collins (Partner, Labor and Employment Law at Sheppard Mullin) to discuss just that, and what emplo...
Dec 15, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 26
The painfully real tale of “David’s” social oversharing brings up a great point: how did we get so ‘cringe’? Whether it be sharing personal divorces on professional platforms like LinkedIn, or wrapping everyday moments into a vessel for social media edification, has our push for recognition or sharing vulnerability gone too far? How does technology play a role in enabling this? Does the convergence of our social and professional lives have something to do with it?
Dec 08, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 25
The anonymously shared story of “John’s” salary analysis brings up an excellent question: are there downsides to comparing our career path to others? Kayak, Zillow, Glassdoor - whether we’re looking at prices or salaries, the rise of transparency platforms that shed light on previously undisclosed financial information has given us new ways to compare ourselves to those around us. But are these tools improving our lives, or are they just impeding our mental health? On this episode, we’re talking...
Nov 29, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 24
So you messed up at work. How do you move forward? From accidental all-staffs to awkward client commentary, we share the unfortunately true story of “Zach”, a marketing professional who makes one big boo-boo. Additionally, we discuss some of our own professional mistakes on this episode—and our seasoned tactics on how to move past them.
Nov 16, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 23
“Ellie” did what many would deem the unthinkable: refused a promotion. Whether it’s a lack of confidence, a lack of support, or a lack of trust in their employer, a sizeable portion of professionals today are turning down their promotions. What might be impacting their decisions, and how can employers ensure that fewer of their people walk away at this juncture? Ellie’s anonymous story inspired us to talk about the process of moving on up—or moving on out in this episode.
Nov 08, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 22
The true story of “Tabitha” and “Brandon’s” work marriage brings up today’s topic: is talking about politics at work as taboo as it used to be? The age-old debate of whether we should engage in political discussions at work gains a new dimension as workers go to social media to voice their own political opinions. What do we expect from our company leaders and each other? And how does being online—whether on Slack or social media—enable AND hinder our ability to engage in political discussions wi...
Nov 02, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 21
HR is not your friend, they say. They’re a necessary evil, they say. When did the human resources department acquire this reputation? Should we consider them employee welfare workers, or are they only in service of corporate interests? On this episode, we’re joined by HR expert and startup advisor Rusty Rueff to talk about the real and totally relatable story of “Darren” and a weekend-ruining email, the origins of human resources, and how it’s come to represent the broken social contract between...
Oct 19, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 20
You enter the workforce in a pandemic. You’re onboarded remotely. You’re mandated to RTO. And the whole time, it feels like you’re being sold to. That’s the Gen Z experience of the workplace so far, and they’re not loving it. On this episode, we’re joined by Gen Zer Zaid Safe to chat about what his generation wants from workplace culture—and the practices they’d leave behind.
Oct 13, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 19
ADHD prescriptions are on the rise, ADHD medication is selling out, and your algorithm thinks you have it, too. Are we finally getting proper diagnoses, or are we living in an age of self-medicating for productivity? This episode explores the real story of “Olivia” and the trend of “smart drugs”—whether it’s Adderall, mushrooms, or yes, even Brazil nuts—and whether any of it ACTUALLY makes us smarter and more productive.
Oct 06, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 18
As higher education becomes increasingly open source, it has us wondering: are degrees like MBAs still worth the hefty price tag, or is it all LinkedIn optics? On this episode, we discuss “Joey’s” anonymously shared Linkedin hacks, contrarian career paths that impress recruiters, the inherent value of an MBA, and alternative ways of investing in yourself (and your resume).
Sep 28, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 17
With more CEOs going on record about their return to office mandates, it has us wondering: was the golden promise of working from home too good to be true? On this episode, we discuss the hidden market players who want you back in office and how companies like JM Smuckers are rolling out their hybrid work policy.
Sep 21, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Why do “normies” otherwise known as the silent middle engage so little on platforms like Twitter? Should platforms be responsible only for their business model, or should they aim to be a model business? On this episode, we dive into the ethics vs. economics of unregulated voices on social.
Sep 13, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Based on the true story of “Bo”, on this episode we explore whether or not corporate nepo babies and college legacies the same. Since the recent Supreme Court ruling, legacy admissions are being re-examined as unfair and white-washed. On this episode, we dive into the privileges and perks of being a college legacy, as well as the harm it brings to higher education and society as a whole.
Sep 05, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 14
From the excesses of Wallstreet companies in the 90s to Tech companies pillaging our privacy for gold in the 2000s, how have workers’ considerations of evil companies evolved with the rise of frameworks like ESG? This, talk about digital gold miners in World of Warcraft, and more all on this episode of Lonely Office.
Jul 07, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 13
It’s happened. You’ve been laid off. What do you do next? Do you jump on LinkedIn with a heartfelt post? Do you go live on TikTok? Inspired by the true story of “Maggie” - we talk about how to set yourself up for success before and after a potential layoff—from warming your professional network to re-evaluating your options.
Jun 13, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Whether you’re a frequent job hopper or company loyalist, you’ll likely be affected by layoffs at some point in your working life. “Dylan’s” IRL layoff story got us thinking: are you ready for what happens next? On this episode, joined by corporate content creator Leah Ova, we’re talking about how to prepare for layoffs—what you should keep in mind, what you should enquire about, and what data to have in hand.
May 30, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 11
There are an estimated 70,000 professional career coaches worldwide. But are they the answer that lost professionals are looking for? On this episode, we discuss the real story of “Jamie”, whose expensive career coach falls short of expectations. We’re joined by special guest Cindy Gallop (advertising consultant, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn, and yes, career coach) to debate the approaches career coaches take today—and whether the profession provides as much value as it touts.
May 17, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Whether you see it as a privilege or a right, companies are changing their tune when it comes to remote work—like popular advertising agency TBWA, whose policies inspired today’s story. Should employees be going back in, or should they be walking out? On this episode, joined by corporate content creator Leah Ova, we chat about the benefits and impacts of returning to office, and what the alternatives can be.
May 05, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Just be yourself, they say. But not that self. In a culture that preaches authenticity one day and cancels you the next, how do you know how much of your personality and selfhood to reveal in a professional setting? Inspired by the true story of “Bill”, who struggles to socialize at work, we talk about the risks and rewards of bringing your full self to work—and whether the whole concept is a carryover from a bygone era.
Apr 27, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 8
With artificial intelligence becoming more intelligent by the hour, who will lose their jobs first? Where will they go? And is this a case for universal basic income? On this episode, joined by comedian and writer Azhar Usman, we follow the rapid rise of AI to its professional, social, and ethical conclusions.
Apr 13, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Are the younger generations really coddled and entitled, or is this just a classic case of “OK Boomer”? When it comes to workplace attitudes, there’s a clear generational divide, especially in the case of “Allie” and “Randy” (protecting their anonymity!) who inspired today’s story. In this episode, we’re joined by beloved guest Leah Ova to unpack these stereotypes—and how remote work might be making everything worse.
Apr 04, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Unlimited vacation is often lauded as a workplace perk, but who does it actually benefit? On this episode, we’re joined by marketer and content creator Leah Ova to discuss why employers might be incentivized to adopt unlimited PTO policies—and why employees might be getting the short end of the stick.
Mar 22, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 5
After working overtime, “Mo” expected a nice work perk, but received branded snacks instead. Their anonymously-shared story prompted us to ask the question(s): What should be the reward of a job well done? A sense of purpose? A round of applause? A box of pretzels? This week, we’re joined by comedian Azhar Usman and content creator Leah Ova to debate the full spectrum of how we might feel about our work—from meaningful to meaningless.
Mar 15, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Pregnancy, disabilities, age—when it comes to sharing sensitive personal information in a professional setting, where do we draw the line? On this episode, we dive into the true story of an HR professional named Diana, a pregnant new hire, and one boss with a big mouth. We’re joined by motherhood content creator Leah Ova to discuss the reasons why expecting women in the workplace may or may not want to disclose their pregnancy during the interview process.
Mar 10, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Is ChatGPT a powerful tool to augment our work, or is it a weapon of capitalism on the verge of taking our jobs? In this episode, we discuss an anonymous story shared by “Megan”, a PR professional whose excellent writing skills are secretly attributed to AI. We’re joined by startup advisor Rusty Rueff this week to debate the merit of AI tools like ChatGPT from all sides—from their innumerable benefits to unintended consequences.
Mar 07, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 2
A horror story for the remote work era: going through endless rounds of interviews, wondering whether you’ve wasted your time. On this episode, we dive into a real 11-round-interview incident endured by one candidate named “Mike”. We’ll debate the risks and merits of a lengthy interview process, getting caught in the crosshairs of a company’s misaligned objectives, and whether it’s all a sign to get out of the corporate matrix. We’re also joined by special guest Azhar Usman, comedian and writer ...
Feb 16, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 1
