How 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 goal-setting contest about her biggest challenge for 2026: refilling her energy bucket so she can show up fully for the things and people that matter most to her.

It's a candid conversation about building meaningful professional connections while protecting what you need to show up fully at home.

If you've ever felt like your own needs always come last, this conversation offers both recognition and some permission to approach things differently.

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude

00:00 Introducing Our Guest, Elena Skorupan

05:46 Elena’s Priorities for 2026

07:34 Deepening Relationships at Work

13:34 Refilling Personal Energy Buckets

16:28 Denise and Maggie’s Commitments for 2026

If 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 (that actually makes them stick), inspired by James Clear’s Atomic Habits, lessons from legendary coach Nick Saban, and our own experiences.

Denise opens up about how one candid moment helped her break a lifelong habit of procrastination. We also break down why most workplace goals fail (hint: it's not about willpower) and what to do instead.

If you want to turn your 2026 resolutions into REVolutions, this episode will help you take the first step.

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude

What 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 revisit two career-defining moments of high-stakes candor. In each case, there was no time to rehearse, just a split-second choice between staying silent or saying what needed to be said, even if it meant telling your boss they were being a jerk.

These aren't theoretical scenarios. These are the high-stakes moments that test whether you'll show up as the person you claim to be, or retreat into safety.

By the end of this episode, you'll understand why courage is contagious (even when no one else knows about it), how to recognize when someone is ready to hear your candor, and how having "less to lose" makes candor easier (and what that means as your career progresses).

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude