For this one, Bree kicked the boys out.

In this bonus episode of Why Does It Feel So Wrong to Be Human at Work?, host Bree Bartos is joined by Jen Samuel, Senior Account and Strategic Communications Manager at Local Wisdom, and special guest Regine Nelson, principal consultant in employee experience and internal comms, author of The Comms and Culture Devotional, and founder of Rise and Rain, for a conversation Pinaki and Chris were intentionally not part of: why does it feel so wrong to be a woman at work?

The three of them get into hair and appearance at work, the ageism that cuts both ways (too young to be taken seriously, then suddenly too old), the emotional labor of deciding what to filter and what to share, getting diagnosed with ADHD and autism as adults, and why periods, perimenopause, and menopause are still treated as taboo subjects at work despite affecting most of the workforce at some point. The goal isn't to villainize anyone. It's to bring language to the stuff that usually gets filtered out.

In this episode, they discuss:
• Appearance at work: hair, makeup, and the exhausting expectation of explaining your own body
• The double-edged sword of looking young: reverse ageism early in a career, then ageism later
• To thine own self be true, then read the room and act accordingly
• Discernment as a skill everyone can practice, and why fool me once means never a second time
• Getting an ADHD or autism diagnosis as an adult woman, and how masking finally stops working
• Why periods, perimenopause, and menopause are still workplace taboo despite affecting most of the workforce
• Remote work as a quiet equalizer for hair appointments, sick kids, doctor's appointments, and bad days
• Maternity leave, flexibility, and the mental load that doesn't pause just because the job resumes
• Go to therapy. All of you. All the time.

🔗 Got a workplace story? Share it on our subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/humanatwork/
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Connect with Us

Pinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Chris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher Communication

Bree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Special thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible.

If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold.

We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com.

Big changes are coming to Why Does It Feel So Wrong to Be Human at Work? and this episode is where we tell you all about them.

In this wrap-up episode of Between the Seasons, Bree Bartos, Pinaki Kathiari, and Chris Lee sit down for one last conversation before Season 4. They talk through standout moments from work, both good and hard, get honest about the emotional labor of always being 'on,' and land on a genuinely moving conversation about change, risk, and why it's scary to let something you've built shift into something new.

Because that's exactly what's happening. Starting in Season 4, Bree steps in as host. The show keeps its two alternating formats, topic conversations and Reacting to Reddit at Work, but Bree brings her own format to the mix: Bree Has Questions, where she'll bring on guests with answers to the things she's been wondering about the workplace. Lottie Bazley joins as a regular co-host for Reddit at Work episodes. And a new bonus episode, recorded ahead of the season, tackles a question Pinaki and Chris were intentionally not part of: why does it feel so wrong to be a woman at work?

In this episode, they discuss:
• Standout moments from work: naming an emotional reaction in real time instead of suppressing it
• Toxic positivity and the pressure to always perform an 'on' version of yourself
• Why boundaries can't be an individual's job alone, the organization has to set the expectation too
• The coach model of management: telling people their role in the system, not how to do their job
• Why change feels nerve-wracking, and what it costs to keep things comfortable instead of better
• What's new in Season 4: Bree as host, Bree Has Questions, and Lottie Bazley joining as a regular co-host
• A preview of the bonus episode: why does it feel so wrong to be a woman at work, with guests Jen Samuel and Regine Nelson

Season 4 arrives in September. One more bonus episode drops before then. Thank you for three seasons of listening, and for however you decide to feel about a little change.

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Connect with Us

Pinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Chris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher Communication

Bree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Special thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible.

If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold.

We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com.

A manager hires a young, inexperienced salesperson hoping to train him up just enough to help grow the team. It works. Too well. Now senior leadership feels threatened, the manager admits he can't stand the guy's energy, and the whole post reads like a confession that success became the actual problem.

In this Reacting to Reddit at Work episode of Why Does It Feel So Wrong to Be Human at Work?, Pinaki Kathiari and Bree Bartos are joined by Bill Kuehler, co-founder of Resource Hero, and Sam Knight, fractional CMO at Resource Hero, to react to one of the more infuriating Reddit posts they've covered. Bree admits upfront: this one made her mad.

Bill does something unexpected: he steel-mans the manager's argument, genuinely trying to find the most charitable read before calling it out. Sam draws a sharp parallel to AI adoption and the current wave of layoffs. And by the end, even the manager's own line, 'I don't hate him,' gets called out for what it actually sounds like.

In this episode, they discuss:
• A manager who built a whole program around growing talent, then turned on the employee who did exactly that
• Steel-manning the worst argument you've heard: giving it the most charitable read before you tear it down
• Why 'we've been trying to push him down and it's not working' is not a management strategy
• The disruptor parallel: how this employee's reception mirrors how companies react to AI adoption
• Whether the layoffs happening across the industry are really about efficiency, or about clearing out comfort
• A possible ageism thread running underneath the whole post
• Nice guy is not a profession, and neither is being liked instead of being good at the job
• Why asking one simple question could have avoided this entire situation

This one pairs well with our conversation with Dr. Matt Zakreski on being curious instead of furious. Listen to them together.

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Connect with Us

Pinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Chris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher Communication

Bree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Special thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible.

If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold.

We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com.