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Workday Playdate

Workday Playdate

Written by: Erin Diehl | Passion Struck Network
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 TOP 1% GLOBAL PODCAST for People-First Leaders Formerly the "improve it! Podcast." #9 in BEST 100 SELF LEADERSHIP PODCASTS. I’m Erin Diehl, keynote speaker, business improv edutainer, and founder of improve it! (AKA your work bestie). Every Wednesday, Workday Playdate with improve it! helps HR professionals, people leaders, and culture-driven humans bring more laughter, levity, and purpose to their workdays. Because work is better when you play. This is not your average leadership podcast. You’ll get research-backed strategies, improv-inspired tools, and candid conversations with top leaders, speakers, improvisers and authors who are rethinking how we work and lead. Our promise is to give you tangible takeaways you can use immediately, plus a few laughs along the way. Interested in partnering with us? Workday Playdate reaches thousands of people-first leaders who care about workplace culture, leadership, and team development. Contact info@learntoimproveit.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities. We promise laughs, impact, and zero awkward small talk. Think ROI with a side of LOL’s. Let’s make it happen!© 2025 Careers Economics Personal Success
Episodes
  • 325: Rewire for High Performance: Science-Based Self-Healing with Carrie Drinkwine

    325: Rewire for High Performance: Science-Based Self-Healing with Carrie Drinkwine
    Jan 14 2026
    In this Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with Carrie Drinkwine to explore a radical (and deeply human) truth: real healing starts with feeling.Carrie shares her powerful journey through chronic illness, emotional reckoning, and life-threatening health challenges. She explains how regenerative practices helped her reconnect to her body, her intuition, and her vitality. Together, Erin and Carrie unpack the emotional–physical connection, why “pushing through” keeps us stuck, and how flow, self-love, and emotional release create lasting wellness at work and in life.Inside This Episode:Flow Over Force: Why flow is essential for overcoming obstacles and supporting long-term health.Issues in the Tissues: How repressed emotions live in the body—and show up as physical symptoms.Healing from Within: Carrie’s journey through chronic illness and emotional healing.The Emotional–Physical Link: Why you can’t separate wellness at work from wellness in your body.Self-Love as Medicine: How acceptance, compassion, and nervous system safety unlock vitality.Listen to the Body: Why intuition—not optimization—is the most powerful health tool you have.Holistic, Not Hustle: How regenerative health practices lead to real, sustainable transformation.Who This Episode Is For:Humans navigating burnout, chronic stress, or chronic illnessLeaders curious about emotional wellness and embodied leadershipHigh-achievers ready to stop overriding their bodiesAnyone exploring self-healing, holistic health, or regenerative practicesFans of flow, intuition, self-love, and healing that actually sticksYour FreebieYou’ve tried the emails, the all-hands rollout, and the polished decks, but the vision still isn’t landing.That’s because people don’t buy into a vision that’s presented to them; they buy into one they help shape.The 30-Minute Vision-Setting Meeting Template gives you a simple, human-centered way to create alignment, spark ownership, and build real momentum. Download it here.No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting)Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy.Have a question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode.Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.”Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back.Want 1 email a week from us? Our well-loved Fail Fourward Friday gives you 4 Fails, 3 Awakenings, 2 Ideas, and 1 Laugh from the week that reminded us what being human is all about: to make failure a habit, be a lifelong learner, explore more, and never pass up an opportunity to laugh. Subscribe here.Connect with Carrie DrinkwineCarrie’s LinkedInCarrie’s websiteConnect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Erin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    55 mins
  • 324: Stop Setting Goals. Do This Instead.

    324: Stop Setting Goals. Do This Instead.
    Jan 7 2026
    In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin explores a freeing idea that might just change how you approach your life and work: stop setting goals for the sake of setting goals and start setting intentions instead.Erin unpacks why traditional goal-setting often creates pressure, panic, and perpetual dissatisfaction. She shows how intention-setting brings us back to alignment, and introduces a simple five-step framework to help you shift from constant pursuit to purposeful presence. Your actions will actually reflect your core values, not just your to-do list.Inside This Episode:Stop Worshipping Goals: Why goal-setting without meaning can disconnect you from what actually matters.Goals vs. Intentions: How goals create pursuit, but intentions create presence.Core Values = Compass: Why alignment is the real driver of fulfillment.The Five-Step Intention Framework: A practical, human approach to living and working with intention—without burning out.Joy Over Panic: How intention-setting helps you feel grounded, flexible, and more alive in your day-to-day.Life, Reframed: Why treating life like an improv scene changes everything.Who This Episode Is For:High-achievers who feel weirdly unfulfilled after hitting goalsLeaders craving presence instead of pressureHumans tired of optimizing every second of their livesAnyone seeking personal growth rooted in mindfulness and meaningFans of improv, alignment, and living on purpose (hi, you’re home)Your FreebieYou’ve tried the emails, the all-hands rollout, and the polished decks, but the vision still isn’t landing.That’s because people don’t buy into a vision that’s presented to them; they buy into one they help shape.The 30-Minute Vision-Setting Meeting Template gives you a simple, human-centered way to create alignment, spark ownership, and build real momentum. Download it here.No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting)Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy.Have a question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode.Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.”Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back.Want 1 email a week from us? Our well-loved Fail Fourward Friday gives you 4 Fails, 3 Awakenings, 2 Ideas, and 1 Laugh from the week that reminded us what being human is all about: to make failure a habit, be a lifelong learner, explore more, and never pass up an opportunity to laugh. Subscribe here.Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Erin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    21 mins
  • 323: Why Imperfect Leaders Make the Biggest Difference with Neil Ghosh

    323: Why Imperfect Leaders Make the Biggest Difference with Neil Ghosh
    Dec 31 2025
    In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin welcomes Neil Ghosh—purpose-driven leader, social impact advocate, and author of Do More Good—to explore a relieving idea: you don’t need to be perfect to make a meaningful difference.Together, Erin and Neil unpack what purpose-driven leadership actually looks like in real life. They dig into why empathy is a practice, how imperfection builds trust and innovation, and why lasting change almost always starts smaller than we expect.Neil introduces his GEMSS model—Get Engaged, Empower Others, Micro Philanthropy, Show Up, Start Small—as a practical framework for proactive living and leadership.Inside This Episode:Purpose as a Burnout Antidote: Why purpose anchors decisions, sustains energy, and helps leaders navigate uncertainty.The Power of Imperfection: How imperfect leaders create psychological safety, trust, and room for innovation.Empathy, Reframed: Why empathy starts with perspective-taking before judgment—and how it changes leadership behavior.The GEMSS Model Explained: A simple, actionable framework for doing more good without doing more everything.Micro Philanthropy, Macro Impact: How small, consistent actions create ripple effects at work and beyond.Unity Without Uniformity: What it really takes to build shared commitment in diverse teams and communities.Who This Episode Is For:Purpose-driven leaders who want impact without burnoutHumans who care deeply but feel overwhelmed by “doing it all”Managers building cultures of trust, empathy, and belongingAnyone curious how small, imperfect actions can still change the worldYour FreebieYou’ve tried the emails, the all-hands rollout, and the polished decks, but the vision still isn’t landing.That’s because people don’t buy into a vision that’s presented to them; they buy into one they help shape.The 30-Minute Vision-Setting Meeting Template gives you a simple, human-centered way to create alignment, spark ownership, and build real momentum. Download it here.No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting)Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy.Have a question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode.Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.”Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back.Want 1 email a week from us? Our well-loved Fail Fourward Friday gives you 4 Fails, 3 Awakenings, 2 Ideas, and 1 Laugh from the week that reminded us what being human is all about: to make failure a habit, be a lifelong learner, explore more, and never pass up an opportunity to laugh. Subscribe here.Connect with Neil GhoshNeil’s LinkedInNeil’s article: “How leaders can be transparent about their belief systems without alienating anyone”Neil’s article: “In an Age of Chaos, Leadership Starts with Doing the Right Thing”Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Erin’s websiteErin’s InstagramErin’s TikTokErin’s LinkedInimprove it!’s websiteimprove it!’s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    44 mins
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