We’ve officially reached the point in our podcast journey where YOU, our brilliant listeners, have sent us QUESTIONS. And guess what? We’re answering them! That’s right—it’s our very first Mailbag Episode, where we dive into the wild, wonderful, and occasionally WTF world of work, career moves, and process improvement.

📍 Q1: I Found My Passion… Now What?! So you’ve finally figured out what gets you fired up at work. But how do you turn that spark into a full-fledged career move? We’ll break down the next steps so you don’t just sit there passionately staring at your laptop—you actually DO something about it. 🚀

📍 Q2: My Department is a Hot Mess. Help! You know things could be better. You see the inefficiencies. But where do you even start when everything feels like it’s held together with duct tape and the occasional sigh? We’ll talk about how to make process improvements when it all feels overwhelming. (Spoiler: Panic is NOT step one.) 🏗️✨

📍 Q3: I Got a Promotion… and a Disappointing Raise?! Amy worked her tail off, got a promotion, and then… womp womp—her raise was barely enough to cover an extra fancy coffee each week. Should she stay and fight for more? Or is it time to start swiping right on new job opportunities? We break down the dollar signs and strategy for getting PAID what you’re worth.

Listen in, laugh a little, and walk away with some serious workplace wisdom. Because work doesn’t have to be complicated—we’re here to Uncomplicate This!

🎙 The Standard Work Episode: Because "Flying by the Seat of Your Pants" is Not a Strategy 🎙

Hosts: Eric Wellman & Jen Shoop Special Guest: Pete Susi, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt & Process Improvement Extraordinaire

Standard work—two words that make people groan louder than a Monday morning meeting invite. But what if we told you that actual rocket scientists and brain surgeons rely on checklists to avoid disaster? (And yet Bob from Accounting still thinks he doesn’t need one to submit an expense report correctly. 🙄)

This week, we sit down with process wizard Pete Susi to unpack the misunderstood world of standard work. Spoiler: it’s not about micromanaging every move—it’s about keeping things running smoothly so you can focus on the real work (instead of digging through 47 emails trying to find out how to do that one thing again).

Oh, and we also take some time to roast the worst corporate buzzwords. “Solutionize,” we’re looking directly at you.

✅ What standard work actually is—and why it’s not just bureaucratic torture ✅ Why “solutionize” is a crime against the English language ✅ How checklists save lives (literally—ask a surgeon) ✅ Why teams scream “You can’t standardize me!” (but you totally can) ✅ How to convince people to actually use the process (bribery? maybe.)

📌 WHO Surgical Checklist: Link

📌 The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande: Link

If this episode made you laugh, cringe, or rethink your refusal to write things down, subscribe, leave a review, and send it to the coworker who insists they don’t need “processes.” (We all know they do.) Let’s uncomplicate work together! 🚀

Episode Overview: Ever feel like your workday is a never-ending fire drill? You’re not alone. Today on Uncomplicate This!, we’re tackling how to manage your time when everything feels urgent (or at least when your inbox keeps telling you it is)

What You’ll Learn:

• Why “URGENT” emails are basically the boy who cried wolf. 🐺
• The Eisenhower Matrix (aka your new productivity BFF).
• How to tell your boss, “Sure, but what do you want me to drop?” (without getting fired).
• The fine art of managing up, sideways, and down when chaos strikes.
• The fire drill snowball effect—because one tiny “quick ask” can derail an entire department.

Resources:

• Eisenhower Matrix (Download at uncomplicatethis.com)

If this episode made you laugh, cringe, or realize you’re stuck in an endless loop of “urgent” emails, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with that coworker who’s always in panic mode. Let’s uncomplicate the chaos together!