How to Find Joy at Work Again When You're Completely Burned Out (Colossians 3:23)

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Here's the thing, employers too.
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If you have people that are high performers, they're going to be naturally horrible at this.
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Yeah.
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That's the thing.
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Is that you know it's kind of a double-edged sword.
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You hire somebody because they are an export employee, they're a high performer.
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At the end of the day, they're also higher risk of a burnout because of this personality trait.
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Like again, maybe they have ADHD, maybe they're like me and they just want to go, go, go all the time.
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Yeah.
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But that will catch up to you.
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You're listening to Carpool Confessions of the Chronically Aware.
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Hey, good morning.
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Good morning.
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Welcome to Carpool Confessions Podcast.
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We're back on another sunny Monday with you.
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And we're hitting the road.
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Yes, and I have a confession.
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Really?
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Yes.
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So a couple years ago, I went through a period of burnout and it was very challenging, and I didn't even recognize like what I was feeling at the time or that burnout was even a real thing.
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Oh yeah.
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Yeah.
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Um, I too have experienced burnout at every single job of everywhere.
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I think so.
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Um yeah, so I think it's kind of a big problem in the workplace.
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I think so too, especially where we are today and this hustle cut culture being a really big thing.
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I used to be all about hustle culture.
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I thought, you know, like the more I did, I if I just worked harder, like it, you know, it I like tied that into my worth almost, I think.
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And well, it ended up with me being very sick because I was not listening to my body.
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And again, I really didn't understand that burnout was this thing.
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I do I almost thought it was, you know, like a problem with myself and that I just didn't have like the willpower because you you know, you get on social media and everybody's talking about hustle culture and they're doing this and they're doing that, and especially LinkedIn.
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If you go to LinkedIn, oh my god, LinkedIn's the worst.
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LinkedIn's kind of a dumpster fire, but yeah, I do I do post a lot on LinkedIn.
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Actually, one of the things that I post about on LinkedIn a lot is about company culture and about um people first leadership, because uh I'm the chief of media and technology at at our agency.
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We both work there.
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Yes, we and um and one thing that has really become apparent to me throughout the years is watching the cycle of burnout, not only in myself, but in others that work around us.
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Because for me, I think it's become almost obvious.
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Like I can I can see it when it's starting to form, and I think as leaders, like people that are leaders in the workplace, they need to realize that they need to start to recognize those signs and symptoms with like before it gets too far.
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Because burnout is I did not know this until the last few days, but burnout is actually a clinical diagnosis, it's not just we're not talking just workplace stress, like this is actually a yeah, physiological issue that occurs from prolonged stress, and honestly, like you said earlier, lack of boundaries, lack of boundaries, a little bit of people pleasing, probably, and um, you know, if you've never been taught to speak up for your needs, it is it makes sense that you could end up experiencing burnout, and also I'm I'm like really glad that you said it was a clinical diagnosis, like it's a real thing, because I don't think many people know that because burnout is also kind of this popular buzzword right now, or it's kind of being assigned to a lot of different things, but when we're talking about actual burnout, that's a very real and can be a very debilitating experience.
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Yeah, it can be, and I like I said, I have experienced it, and it is sometimes it it well, not sometimes all the time, it's incredibly hard to reverse.
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It is incredible.
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That has to uh happen in order for you to solve this problem because it is something that honestly affects a lot of different parts of your life, whether even even though if it's centered around work, like for example, we're talking about work here, but it does bleed into other areas of your life as well and your mental health, your physical health, everything.
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So yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people have heard the terms, you know, you wake up with so many spoons, and if you're going through a period of burnout, you're already down some spoons.
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Maybe you don't even have any spoons left, and yeah, it's just very challenging and exhausting.
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I know when I was really at the thick of my burnout, I was almost like the point out, or not even almost, I was at the point where I would kind of say things like, if I was to die tomorrow, I would not care.
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Or like, I don't care if it's my time to go because I am so exhausted, like my soul is tired, kind of thing.
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Yeah.
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Well, and and on that note, um, I think it would be helpful for both of us to explain what burnout actually looked like for us.
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Yeah, I was gonna ask you what it what it looked like for you.
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So for me, it it it looked a little bit different in every job that I had.
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Um and but now I've I've become so good at recognizing it that I actually know when it's starting.
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You know what I'm saying?
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So for me, some of the biggest characteristics of it is that, well, first of all, I'm a very high performer, you know, I'm always somebody that wants to go above and beyond.
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Well, once I start experiencing burnout, I start getting this uh change in my perception of everything.
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And so it doesn't matter if it's you know not necessarily that bad or if it's something that you know could be easily solved.
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Everything that you start to encounter starts to just you just have this disconnect emotionally from your workplace where you're just kind of like screw it, honestly.
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Like yeah, you just stop caring.
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You're not going through the motions.
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I mean, for me, I always continue to work and do my best because that's just who I am.
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Yeah, but when you're like that, I think it makes it even worse because then you're you're literally fighting through this.
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Um, you know, your your body kind of gets to a point, I feel like, where you're experiencing so much prolonged stress in the workplace that your body is just kind of like, no, we ain't doing this anymore.
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And that's kind of what happens with me.
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So not only do I experience like extreme fatigue and just like like Sunday Scaries doesn't even compare to like how it feels to have to go to work when you're experiencing Oh my god, the Sunday Scaries.
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I do not miss that feeling.
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Yeah, I don't have Sunday scaries anymore.
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No, I don't either.
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Um, and then also when you're going through stress like that burnout, you know, it will show up in physical symptoms.
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So for me, one thing that I started experiencing, and I didn't even realize it was tied to work, but it was those neck migraines I was getting.
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Oh, yeah.
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Remember that?
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So about two years ago, I started developing these daily, almost daily neck migraines.
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Like I couldn't, I think the longest I went without one was two weeks, but it would start in the base of my skull.
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Uh and I don't know how to explain, other than it just felt like it was a migraine right there, but also I felt extremely weak when I would get them.
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I would dry heave and feel super sick.
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Like I would have to lay down.
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Yeah.
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And it was debilitating, like I would have to plan my life around that.
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And so I tried to figure out what was causing them.
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So I eliminated caffeine, that wasn't it.
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Um, I was like, okay, maybe I need to drink more caffeine, maybe I'm not getting enough sleep.
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Um, I tried all of these things.
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I ended up going to the doctor, and he diagnosed me with migraines, and I got put on um Imitrex and have Zopharan for the nausea.
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Then I made a career change, and I noticed like a month into my new job, I noticed I have not had a neck migraine, and I have been at this job for seven months now.
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Oh my god.
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It's already been seven months.
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Yeah, it's already been seven months, and I haven't had a neck migraine.
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That's awesome.
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So I just feel like that was my body's way of telling me, like, when you start having these ailments, that is your body's check engine system working.
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You know, so those migraines were like a check engine light, like, hey, you need to go underneath the hood, we need to get out of this because it's not good.
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You know, that's so true.
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My first experience with burnout was when I was an assistant manager for Walmart, and that was what like my first kind of real job.
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Yeah, I know it's not burn anybody out.
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I was 19 when I started doing it, and I I worked my butt off.
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And if anybody works at Walmart, nothing bad about Walmart, but you know that if you're a salaried member of management, at the end of the day, when all the hourly employees say the heck with y'all, I'm going home and clocking out, the salaried members of management have to clean up and pick up the pieces.
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Yeah.
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So um, yeah, I actually worked two 24 hour shifts while I was pregnant with my twins.
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What?
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With yeah, at Walmart.
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Yeah, the second time I did it, it sent me into free term labor.
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So, like those type of you know, overextending yourself to the extreme levels can, you know, obviously cause those type of things.
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And I was so burnt out that um, you know, obviously I came back from maternity leave and and I ended up changing jobs like as soon as I came back.
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Oh my gosh, that's so funny.
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I did the same thing when I had my hysterectomy and I had that time off, I realized like how much this particular job was draining me, and I I it was like I had to get out.
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Well, and I feel like there's just a part of burnout is like I mentioned the emotional disconnect that occurs.
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And there's also some emotions that go along with that, like anger.
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Like I was very angry at Walmart, yeah, not Walmart, but at my leadership at Walmart for uh even allowing me to do um or asking me to put in that kind of work as a as a high-risk pregnancy, you know.
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Um looking back as as a more mature person at this point, I'm like, okay, I was 22 at the time, so I didn't push back, but yeah, I would have been no thank you.
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But that's that's that's back then.
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But um, but yeah, I mean, so burnout can look different for everyone.
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Absolutely, it can manifest in so many ways, and and you really have to self-advocate to avoid burnout, but you have to be able to recognize when you're experiencing that it's not always clear.
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Like for me, like when I left my most current job for the job I have now, and I was experiencing these migraines, and I was also like having really bad panic attacks where I would just hysterically cry.
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Like, I will never forget, like, not long before I left, my husband was home from work, and I just got off this meeting where my leadership was supposed to be there, but they completely ghosted, and it was you know, a client wasn't happy, and you know, people being unhappy around me is I don't like that.
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Yeah.
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And so I felt abandoned in that situation, and I just remember getting off of it, and I just started hysterically crying and breaking down, and my husband comes in and he's very patient, very kind, and he was just holding me and you know, saying, like, no, you know, no job is worth being thus upset about, which he was right, but in that moment, I was just so overwhelmed and and didn't know what to do anymore.
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Well, and think about it.
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I mean, you spend most of your time at your job, absolutely.
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So if your job is causing you an enormous amount of stress physically and mentally, you have to ask yourself, okay, where's the misalignment?
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And I think that comes back, that comes to the next question is what causes burnout?
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What causes it?
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I well, my personal opinion is not doing enough of what you love and not having boundaries, being a pupil pleaser.
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I think all of these things can lead somebody to burnout.
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And also, the truth of the matter is some work environments are just not good, they're just toxic.
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And it has nothing to do with you changing your perception or anything.
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Sometimes it's this is not a good environment, it's not gonna change, it's too big of a pawn to be a big fish in to try to make some sort of changes, and you have to try to get out of it.
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Now, there are good work environments, and sometimes people just don't know if you're going through burnout because it's not always easy to recognize.
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And you know, you there are good environments where you can go talk to your boss or whoever and say, Hey, I'm feeling a little bit burned out, you know, something with my work needs to change, or maybe I just need a little some time off.
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Like, there are definitely things you can do, and it's you don't always have to jump to extremes either, like, oh, I'm experiencing burnout, I need to quit.
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Right, yeah, yeah, that's not it.
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But I think what's something you said that that is really important is that you have to advocate for yourself.
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Yes, you do, and it's really hard for most people to recognize burnout in others, so you know, people kind of put their head down, they do their job, they work and they quiet quitting.
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Yeah, I mean, that's a whole not that's a whole thing that that people are doing because of that exact same thing.
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Yeah.
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So, so and what's interesting, and I learned this uh here, you know, recently, but um, you know, the whole mental health connection to it and everything.
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I mean, that's there's so much of that today that it's not surprising that so many more people are feeling burnt out.
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Oh, absolutely.
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And ultimately, I think as a leader, one thing that I've recognized in burnout, well, first of all, personality type is gonna have a huge influence on whether or not you're more easily burnt out or not.
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Obviously, mental, we talked about mental health issues like ADHD, PTSD, that kind of thing, and it can obviously influence those kind of things as well.
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But um, as a leader, learning to recognize when there's a misalignment in gifting and your work.
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So people have to be able to have things that bring them life that that because and I always love to ask that for all my employees because it doesn't matter what your job is, even if you're in data entry all day long, there is something that you can find that brings you life versus strains the energy out of you.
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Right.
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And if not, then maybe you are in the wrong career.
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But but I think that that's one question I like to ask as a leader because it's important.
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People need to be able to recognize most people haven't even thought of that, most people haven't like articulated that out loud and said, you know, well, actually, I really enjoy doing graphic design or being able to design things.
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So I mean, I know that I've I have employees that don't really have anything to do with graphic design, but every once in a while I know that that's something that brings in life.
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So every once in a while, I make sure that that's the person that gets that project.
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So there's things definitely as leaders that we can do to help um kind of know what your what your team's giftings are.
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Like, first of all, and in and as an individual, know what your own giftings are.
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Yeah.
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Invest some time in figuring out like what are those things that actually bring me life.
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And if if the job that you're in doesn't have any of those things, just be aware you're going to be at a higher risk for burnout because you're not going to get the fulfillment necessarily.
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Um, and so yeah, I mean, I think I think there's so much there's so much that can be said for culture um as well and just overall culture.
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I mean, I so m my second career, which was lasted about 11 years, um, was you know, the company was really great company.
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They they were really good to me, but I experienced significant route to the tune of like I ended up with shingles twice because I was so stressed out.
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And I was only in my I don't know, early 30s, late 20s, early 30s.
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And I mean my neck issues started when I, you know, started probably let's see three years into me working at the place, and then they've never gone away.
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I mean, then we're talking like 15 years that now I've had these neck issues that that all started there, and so you know everybody can experience it, but once you once you get it, like once you have it happen to you, you will know you're there because all of a sudden you just don't care anymore.
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No, you have a lot of apathy, and it didn't matter who I interacted with, it was just like I just felt this kind of like anger and disconnect towards the organization, and that's not fair, you know.
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But the ultimately when I now I look at the culture that we work in now versus the culture I was working in before, I recognize that okay, you know, either I you know, either for an employee experience, either you're not using your giftings, you're not getting compensated enough, you're not getting rewarded enough.
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Like there's something or just not enough help as well being over like overworked, or you know, there could be a variety of reasons that cause that, but there yeah, there's so many reasons, you know, but especially if what one thing I don't think is talked about enough is you know, people experience bullying at the workplace because I have experienced that at several of my jobs that I've had, and uh that can also make you feel burnt out.
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It's because you're going you almost feel like you're going to work in this lion's den.
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Yep.
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Sorry, we're like we're stuck in traffic.
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We're stuck in traffic.
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It's I'm gonna flip this over real quick.
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What is happening?
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I don't know.
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We get more time to talk, I guess.
00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:39.599
And the construction is not the only thing on I-70 that's in progress.
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Yeah, yeah, where works in progress as well.
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Yeah, and uh, you know, we're talking about burn we're able to talk about burnout now because we have experience and have since learned it.
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But definitely a couple years ago when I was in the throes of burnout, or even like with the neck migraines, not realizing that was tied to burnout.
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Like you just don't know.
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No, you don't often realize it until you're I mean, that's what the unfortunate thing about burnout is, is that most people don't even realize that that's what they're experiencing until it's quite frankly, honestly, too late.
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So you're you know, it's gonna be really hard to reconcile and change your your situation at work or change your perception of your situation at work.
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Um, just because you're you've already kind of dug your heels into this reality that isn't healthy for you.
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And um I mean, I I think at the end of the day, there are things that you can do to help prevent burnout.
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Because I would say burnout's something that more that you want to try to prevent versus try you can fix it, but it's gonna it's hard.
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It's really hard aside from yeah, I think it's just about recognizing when it's starting, and then again, uh we're probably gonna say this a couple more times, but you you really have to advocate for yourself because nobody's going to do it for you.
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Yeah, and that's just it.
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So, so how do you how do you prevent it and how do you stop it when it starts?
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So I I definitely started into the throes of burnout in my current company, but a different role.
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Um, whenever I started, I was hired for one thing, and then the person that worked under me immediately quit.
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And so I had to take on all of her accounts and learn everything really quickly, and it was very stressful.
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Um, wasn't anything that I had ever really done work wise, so it was new to me.
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And um yeah, it was incredibly stressful.
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And I got to the point where I mean, I think I did it for a couple years, and then I was just like, I am not like this is not why I left my job before.
00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.519
Yeah.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.920
To be doing this to feel like I felt like I was moving backwards.
00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:12.160
Like I felt like I had left a leadership position at one job and then went to a new place and then you know was basically being an account manager.
00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:14.559
And I I just was like, what have I done?
00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.680
You know, this is like how have I how have I moved backward?
00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:22.480
But it was honestly, it was just the way that the company was shifting at the time.
00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:24.319
I I ended up biding my time.
00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:35.440
But one resource that was super helpful to me that um one of the owners gave me as soon as I started actually was a book by Greg McCown called Essentialism.
00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:38.079
And I'll link it in the description just so that you can see it.
00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:44.000
But but that book was so helpful to me because it have you read it, Kelly?
00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:44.880
I haven't read that one.
00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:45.759
I'll have to read that.
00:22:46.160 --> 00:23:06.079
So um one of our owners actually knows the author of that book, but which is not surprising, he knows everyone, but um but basically it's talking about reclaiming your priorities in your life and what's essential and what's important, otherwise, other people in your environment.
00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.559
This is a whole like part of the people pleasing conversation, yeah.
00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:12.480
Otherwise, everyone else will plan out your life for you.
00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:19.920
And so it was very profound, and it took, you know, obviously, it took a couple years for me to fully like have all that sink in.
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:34.160
But I think one of the most important things in my experience of backing out and getting out of the whole burnout cycle was having a boss that is able to recognize it and calling it out for what it is.
00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:35.839
I think that was super helpful.
00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:49.119
Yeah, no, that would be helpful because my boss, you know, every company it was a very small office because we we actually merged agencies, so I was in a smaller agency before, and my boss sat me down and he was like, You're burnout, aren't you?
00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:50.640
And I was like, Yeah.
00:23:50.960 --> 00:24:00.160
And for a people pleaser that doesn't want to rock the boat, like having somebody like scary, having somebody surface that and call it out, like it was actually really super helpful for me.
00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:08.559
Well, it's it's essentially they gave you permission, they gave you the floor to say, Yeah, yes, and now let's have a conversation about it.
00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:09.200
What can we do?
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:18.720
What can we do to yeah, how can we and he was so great, and he's always been noise like, what can we do to make sure that you are loving what you do?
00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:56.640
And and like the that's just I just if anyone out here supervises people or is a leader or a founder or owner, whatever you are, like you have to remember at the end of the day, your biggest asset in your business is your people, and you have to be able to have those conversations with your people and recognize that people are not indispensed, they're not just dispensable type things that do your work for you, like emotions, personalities, you've got all these factors at play, you've got personal issues at home, you know, whatever.
00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:22.000
Like you have to be very attuned to, and I think honestly, like I'm not trying to like be I don't know what the word is, but I'm not trying to like call out the gender thing, but I do feel like females have a really strong edge in leadership for recognizing these um these things because by naturally we are just really good at being attuned to what's happening around us.
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:24.640
Yeah, I agree and and others' emotions.
00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:30.480
And well, um here's the other thing to kind of piggyback off that use some corporate speak.
00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:33.039
Oh I can't work and talk corporate.
00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:34.240
Oh my gosh, no.
00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:39.359
That was funny, I was listening to a podcast where they were making fun of the millennial corporate jargon.
00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:39.920
Oh really?
00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:40.880
Oh yeah, yeah.
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:41.920
Was it ClickUp?
00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:44.640
Because ClickUp does an amazing LinkedIn.
00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:49.599
No, it was uh it was the I've had it podcast and they were talking about it.
00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:50.240
Oh yeah.
00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:54.559
Well, check out ClickUp's LinkedIn if you have because it is hilarious.
00:25:54.720 --> 00:26:03.359
It is funny, and I've never identified with something so much because I used to the company I worked for for 11 years was corporate environment, and yeah, it w it it ran so true.
00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:04.400
It's so funny.
00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:06.559
There's like this own language that happens.
00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:08.319
Let's circle back, yeah.
00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:09.599
That's yeah, that's exactly it.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:13.599
Circle back, piggyback, vertical, yeah, synergy.
00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:17.519
Like I hate these words now, but empathy.
00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:24.160
Oh, empathy is a good thing, but corporate America has gotten a hold of that word and ruined it.
00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:39.759
But um, what I was gonna say is like this younger, like I know we've talked about this, and then my husband and I we talk a lot about this, but the Gen Z, like the younger Gen Z and these Gen Alpha kids, they're not about it.
00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:45.920
No, they're they're not gonna deal with this crap out out of an such a good point.
00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:46.960
Like they're just not.
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:48.559
Yeah, the tides are changing.
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:59.759
It used to be we were slave to the eight-hour work day and had no work-life balance, but these kids are not about it, and everyone wants to complain, nobody wants to work.
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:12.799
I I can see where maybe that's true in some cases, but I think for the most part, the collective work environment in this country is just burnt out, yeah, from not having a work-life balance.
00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:13.920
Well, let's talk about that.
00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:21.200
I want to talk about work-life balance because I I do think that that's something that I have struggled and fought to figure out over the years.
00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:26.079
Yeah, it is challenging, it is very challenging to have that work-life balance, especially.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:27.920
Well, here's the thing employers too.
00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:33.359
If you have people that are high performers, they're going to be naturally horrible at this.
00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:36.880
So that's the thing, is that you know, it's kind of a double-edged sword.
00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:46.160
You hire somebody because they are an excellent employee, they're a high performer, but at the end of the day, they're also higher risk for burnout because of this personality trait.
00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:50.640
Like, again, maybe they have ADHD, maybe they're like me and they just want to go, go, go all the time.
00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:50.880
Yeah.
00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:52.480
But that will catch up to you.
00:27:52.720 --> 00:28:06.960
Well, I think for me, what helps is and it's something I have to remind myself a lot is, and this very much is gonna depend on the work that you do, but for us, nobody's dying.
00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:08.079
Yeah, you know what I mean?
00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:19.759
Yeah, so this like fake, I don't want to say fake urgency, but like this false sense of urgency, yeah, is a lot of times unnecessary, and it's just something we put on ourselves.
00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:35.440
So just having that reminder in the back of my mind, like if I don't answer this email within the five first five seconds, it's there, or I don't do this in another odd amount of time, nothing bad is gonna happen, nobody's gonna die, nobody's gonna go out, go without something.
00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:38.880
Um, so that that really helps me, yeah.
00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:53.119
Well, and another thing that I did when I was um managing an office at my prior job was I I watched several employees experience the same burnout uh that I was experiencing.
00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:57.359
And and honestly, a lot of it was um just the general environment.
00:28:57.519 --> 00:29:06.240
I mean, there was a whole lot of reasons why that was the case, but um but one thing that we did was an exercise every single day.
00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:15.200
We would come in and I had a whiteboard in my office, and we would all as a group go in and write what we're thankful for that day.
00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:24.799
So we would we would focus on gratitude every single morning, and that did help significantly.
00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:27.200
Now, did it cure our burnout?
00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:28.799
No, none of us are working there anymore.
00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:29.680
I just want to tell you.
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:41.759
But but it did make more bearable while we were there, it did help with our mental state and where we how we were showing up because I didn't want to be the person that was bitter, and you know.
00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:43.759
Yeah, I don't want to be like that either.
00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:54.880
You know, for me, I always tell people, you know, at my last job, it was like some of the things I was in charge of was like trying to pull a U-turn in the Titanic in the Mississippi River.
00:29:55.039 --> 00:29:58.720
So sometimes Wow, yeah, that what an analogy is.
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:07.680
Literally, that's what I the only way I can describe it is that you know, you work for a company that's over a hundred years old, it is very hard to create change.
00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:12.079
It's it's as you can see there, it's not really this black and white thing.
00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:15.279
There are so many components that go into it.
00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:24.160
Sometimes it's just about having a conversation with your leadership, like, hey, something needs to change, I'm not enjoying this, I feel overwhelmed.
00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:27.279
Maybe you're not maybe you just don't understand the process.
00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:34.720
And a lot of people are scared to say that in the workplace, like, hey, I don't really understand this, so they just like quietly struggle through it.
00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:48.960
Um, so again, it goes back to advocating for yourself, and you have to start to recognize these things and sit down and see what path forward is gonna make the most sense for you.
00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:51.359
Yeah, and sometimes that means leaving the job.
00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:52.079
It does.
00:30:52.880 --> 00:30:53.839
Yeah, you're right.
00:30:54.000 --> 00:31:00.640
Well, and just understand though, the burnout at its core is not 100% on the employer.
00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:12.160
Sometimes there are variables that can influence it, but just understand, and if there's any you know, proof in that, it's that every job, every career that I had, it surfaced.
00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:13.359
Then why is that?
00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:23.759
It's because I lacked boundaries, because I lacked the balance that I needed to be a healthy person that had a life that was not work.
00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:27.440
You know, my entire identity was in my job.
00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:38.880
Yeah, and I'll tell you that I thought that I was somebody that would be miss and was important and like had done so many things at my last job.
00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:49.839
Like, you know, I was there for 11 years and I did so many things, created new things, and and I'm gonna tell you right now, as soon as I left that job, it was such an eye-opener for me because guess what?
00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:53.920
Job didn't even get posted, and when it did, it didn't even look the same.
00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:58.880
So it's like it's like you think you're indispensable.
00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:09.839
Well, and being there for that long of a time, you would think that you know, if you're around these people that long for so many years that they care about you, but my story is really much the same.
00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:17.359
I was at my job for 10 years, and when I was making the decision to leave, I really, really struggled.
00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:19.119
I didn't want to let people down.
00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:20.240
That's how I was.
00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:22.400
I was I can't believe I waited so long.
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:27.039
I can't believe I waited so long, and then when I left, I've hardly heard from anybody.
00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:33.440
That's just I know the owner, the owners of the company didn't even say anything to me, and I was there for 10 years.
00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:41.039
So no, I'm gonna just say that like the company that we work for now, I genuinely feel like these people are my friends.
00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:41.839
Same.
00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:45.359
So I feel like it's different for our company now.
00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:57.759
Like we have a smaller, very close-knit group of people that all work in office together, and I do feel like if we do things outside of work, you know, like we we I just feel like we just went to a baby shower.
00:32:58.000 --> 00:32:58.880
Like, I feel like it's different.
00:32:58.960 --> 00:33:00.240
Yeah, I mean, what's it say?
00:33:00.319 --> 00:33:06.000
Like one of the girls on the account team is pregnant, and there was like six people came to her baby shower.
00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:09.759
I mean, we don't even we have like what probably 18 or so people in office.
00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:22.400
I don't know, it's just such a game changer when you have to think you spend most of your time at work, and so for us to now I don't know, like I don't feel like I'm going to work.
00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:24.160
Like, I look forward to going to work.
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:35.519
I love being around these people, and when you love your team and the culture, it just it makes me love my work so much more, like I can appreciate it.
00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:37.440
And uh so true.
00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:47.039
Uh one of our girls is pregnant, and like one day we have couches, like when you first walk into our agency, and we're welcome to sit on them and work.
00:33:47.119 --> 00:34:00.079
Like, we have a basket full of blankets, so if we get cold, like it's just unlike any experience I've ever had because I've also we have had the corporate yeah, we have dogs in the office, yeah.
00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:01.359
It's a great place to work.
00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:07.440
I just feel like I go to hang out with my friends, but we all have this one goal that we're trying to achieve to achieve for people.
00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:17.039
It's really cool, and I think that's just the lesson for employers that you know people need an environment where they can be human.
00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:25.360
You know, I mean, the whole the era of corporate cubicles is over is over, is dead.
00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:34.960
Like corporate environments are going to have to change because that is not how you are going to retain employees at this point.
00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:35.840
No, it's not.
00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:38.320
You can't just treat people like cogs in a machine.
00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:39.280
Yeah, you really can't.
00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:40.480
It can't happen.
00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:59.280
It has to be human, it has to be um fulfilling and meaningful, and you know, part of our employer is that they're very giving to nonprofits and charity, and they want to like encourage their employees to go out and have days of service and things like that.
00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:06.880
So being able to be like a very well-rounded place to help people be their best selves.
00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:10.000
Yeah, I mean, that's that's the best way to describe it.
00:35:10.320 --> 00:35:19.599
Yeah, that's the goal because it's like if you can't sit around a table and eat lunch and and laugh with these people you work with, like that's gonna be miserable.
00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:23.599
You're spending so many hours working together, you know.
00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:26.239
And yeah, could could we be fully remote?
00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:35.920
Yeah, we could, but we don't because we know that that like the the value of those interactions and and those personal interactions is everything.
00:35:36.159 --> 00:35:48.480
Yeah, and honestly, most of the people that work at our agency when you talk to them, they came to work at our agency because they were fully remote and it wasn't healthy for them.
00:35:48.639 --> 00:35:53.440
Yeah, you know, the job that I was in, it was 100% fully remote.
00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:59.920
And I went through the death of my mother, I went through being assaulted as an adult woman.
00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:16.159
I went through all of these things, and like you're not around anybody, they don't see your sadness, they don't see your grief, they're just like, oh, well, this is probably a good distraction, which you know, going to work while you're going through things, it can be a good distraction.
00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:21.599
But what I needed more than anything was people to recognize that I wasn't okay and I was not okay.
00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:33.039
Yeah, and um, I out for me personally, like I don't have a big family support system, I don't have all of these friends where I have a lot of time outside my home.
00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:53.440
So I experienced a level of isolation that most people probably didn't have not experienced, and that can cause burnout because you have you have no outside I don't know the terminology to use here, there's just nothing, yeah, there's no support, there's no support, yeah.
00:36:53.760 --> 00:37:08.239
And it made me feel like I didn't even exist when I was like going through some of the hardest stuff, and it makes me like wonder because obviously, you know, you mentioned how you didn't have friends, you didn't have a support system at at the time that that was happening.
00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:16.559
But do you think that you having a superior support system and community now has oh my god, has changed?
00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:35.760
Yes, actually, it's so it's so funny you bring it up because I think the last probably the last year and then working at starting the agency seven months ago, I have felt more myself and that I can like truly be myself around people at our work.
00:37:36.079 --> 00:37:37.599
Like nobody makes me feel bad.
00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:45.599
There's no backhanded comments, nobody makes me feel bad about my personality, nobody's making me feel bad about the way I dress.
00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:47.039
Yeah, you know what I mean?
00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:49.679
It's all just so encouraging.
00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:59.920
Well, and I would say too, um, you know, from a leadership perspective, so much of that is intentional.
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:07.199
So when we hire, we are very selective of who we hire, and that is why.
00:38:07.519 --> 00:38:12.000
Because you, you know, you have to hire for culture.
00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:57.760
Like, yes, skills are important, especially like obviously if you're talking about something like engineering or medical or things where you have to have a certain skill set, but for us, and for I would say a huge majority of the workplaces out there, you can teach skills and work processes, yeah, but you cannot teach personality, and you you know, so having a very um intentional hiring process is everything because every single person that we have in our office is handpicked because we know what we want our culture to be, yeah, the type of character we want in our Kate and I are obviously, you know, I mean we're family, there's no other way to put it.
00:38:57.840 --> 00:39:02.880
We are family, and I still have to go through the vetting process and everything too.
00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:03.360
Yeah.
00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:05.760
I wasn't just like, oh, your kick's bringing your hired.
00:39:06.320 --> 00:39:17.760
But a lot of people that we've hired is because we know someone or they know someone that our owners know, or like so it's very much a like first line of connection type situation.
00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:28.719
So that's the thing is that if you want to be in a different environment, you need to start associating with people that will be able to help you get to an environment like that.
00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:43.039
So that that's what one thing I can say is that if you're constantly surrounding yourself only with people that are, you know, doing a certain career choice or in a specific industry, like that's where you're gonna be.
00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:46.719
But if you want to start, and that's another book that I read that was actually really good.
00:39:46.880 --> 00:39:52.719
Um, and I I I don't know about the author, I you know, I kind of have my own side thoughts about that.
00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:55.519
But the premise is good.
00:39:55.679 --> 00:40:04.079
It's called Never Eat Alone, and it's about how important relationships are to getting where you want to be so important.
00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:06.800
And I, you know, it's just just an example.
00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:21.119
So I had a conversation with a lady at church this past weekend, and she was showing me her her Bible and and everything that she had been in a in a women's group in another town, and they had basically had this prayer Bible create.
00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:36.480
It was like a craft, so they would put pictures in in the front and in the back, and then they would create different um scripture references, so like they would they would basically create tabs all over their entire Bible, different color grouped tabs for different types of things.
00:40:36.719 --> 00:40:38.079
You need encouragement, this is where you go.
00:40:38.719 --> 00:40:39.119
I love that.
00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:40.159
It was so cool.
00:40:40.239 --> 00:40:46.639
I looked at it and I was like, this is amazing, and I was like, and here, like this person has a lot of struggles.
00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:54.480
This person is newer to church, this person has had a very, very difficult life and views themselves a certain way, okay?
00:40:54.880 --> 00:41:00.719
But I said to her, I said, Oh my gosh, you need to start that at our church.
00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:03.440
Yeah, and she looked at me and she went, What?
00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:05.519
I can't do that.
00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:06.400
Of course you can't do that.
00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:08.480
And I'm like, Yeah, you can.
00:41:08.639 --> 00:41:09.920
And I'm like, why can't you?
00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:11.440
Why do I wouldn't know what to do?
00:41:11.519 --> 00:41:15.679
And I was like, Well, what do you think you need to do to figure that out?
00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:16.960
Who can you ask?
00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:23.760
You know, and so here's the thing is that I I truly feel like we all have have a responsibility.
00:41:23.840 --> 00:41:29.119
So if you're one of those people that is like me, that is like the sky's the limit, we'll do it.
00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:30.960
It doesn't matter what you you know what I mean.
00:41:31.039 --> 00:41:36.159
It's like, uh, hey, I'm gonna go start a podcast because Kelly said something.
00:41:36.400 --> 00:41:37.119
You know what I mean?
00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:49.519
Like, if that's you, like you need to be able to be recognizing people that there are way more people in this world that do not think that they are worthy or capable to do things and reach out to them and let them know that that's not true.
00:41:49.760 --> 00:41:57.039
Yeah, there's nothing about me or I think about myself where I'm like, oh, I'm better than somebody, I'm gonna do this podcast.
00:41:57.199 --> 00:42:04.719
We just, you know, there's a certain amount of you can't care too much about other people and you have to do it for yourself.
00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:10.880
So well, and I think so much of burnout is that people just do not straight do not know their worth.
00:42:11.119 --> 00:42:11.840
I agree.
00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:20.079
Like that, and that's like whether you're talking being burnout on life in general, or you could be burnt out on a motherhood.
00:42:20.239 --> 00:42:21.440
Oh my gosh, so many things.
00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:30.320
You could be burnt out in your marriage, you could be I mean, there's everything basically you're you are giving too much, not receiving enough.
00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:33.199
That's at the end of the day, that is what it is what's happening.
00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:54.400
Yeah, so it could be it could be across things, and we're obviously talking about work today because that's something that we have a lot of experience with, but I mean you have to look deep inside yourself and and look at your relationships, look at your workplace and say, am I receiving as much as I'm giving?
00:42:54.559 --> 00:42:58.559
And if not, then what can I do to make change there?
00:42:58.719 --> 00:43:01.519
Because ultimately that's you're gonna have to be the one.
00:43:01.679 --> 00:43:10.320
Yeah, it really changed, yeah, it really does come back to you, and I know it that's hard to hear, and I get it, you know.
00:43:10.480 --> 00:43:47.840
I I've been in therapy for several years at this point, so I've had just lots of practice at this point and a lot of self-reflection, and you know, for me, it's definitely why I ended up with so much burnout was lack of boundaries and and not speaking up and just trying to people please, and because of the trauma I've experienced in my life, I I've always felt like I have to do twice as much, I have to be twice as good, and uh it's really not the truth, it's just a lie that my brain made up to help me survive at the time, but it definitely did not serve me in the workplace.
00:43:48.079 --> 00:43:59.760
Yeah, yeah, it's I mean, here's the thing if you need to connect with somebody, like if you would like to connect with us on LinkedIn, we are in we are on LinkedIn.
00:44:00.639 --> 00:44:04.400
We have um both of us have quite a few connections on LinkedIn.
00:44:04.639 --> 00:44:06.719
Yeah, we can put our handles in the description.
00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:15.760
We yeah, we if you feel like you want to get into a different, you know, career path, the best thing to do is start forming new relationships.
00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:20.079
And um you have but at the end of the day, that is on you.
00:44:20.159 --> 00:44:22.159
Like you have to make an effort.
00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:29.679
And sometimes your job is just a crappy job and you're not gonna that's sometimes you know, yeah.
00:44:29.920 --> 00:45:01.280
It can take a lot of time, it can take a lot of, you know, you really just have to get familiar, yeah, almost with your triggers, like what's triggering this because you can't assume you know your leadership's gonna know yes, like Kate said, you know, it leadership needs to take an active approach to looking at your employees and trying to observe if they're you know they seem more shut down or well, and let's just be honest, so many people that are are in the workplace right now are literally just trying to get by.
00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:17.280
And so we're talking about places like if you work at a gas station or if you work at um if you work at fast food restaurant, if you work at Walmart, wherever you work, you know, we we see you and we respect what you're doing.
00:45:17.360 --> 00:45:20.559
And sometimes those environments are not easy to operate in.
00:45:20.639 --> 00:45:21.199
No, not at all.
00:45:21.360 --> 00:45:25.199
And when you're when you're working gas station workers, I think about them all the time.
00:45:25.440 --> 00:45:32.000
When you're working to survive, when you are literally like the work, work is hard to find sometimes, okay?
00:45:32.320 --> 00:45:56.159
So our conversations here about our workplace are really going to relate to a specific group of people, but just know that if you're working just to survive, if you're working in an environment where no, you're not going to be fulfilling your creativity if you're you know checking out customers every day at a gas station.
00:45:56.480 --> 00:46:03.280
But one thing I will say is that the Bible says do everything as to the Lord and not for man.
00:46:03.519 --> 00:46:06.719
So that's something that I have tried to use.
00:46:06.960 --> 00:46:10.000
I feel like we just talked about that in church, didn't I feel like that came up?
00:46:10.159 --> 00:46:11.119
I don't remember.
00:46:11.760 --> 00:46:16.719
I I sometimes because I have to run around and beat stuff, I don't always hear.
00:46:16.960 --> 00:46:22.559
But um, but yeah, I mean do work as work as unto the Lord and not for man.
00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:24.079
So what does that mean?
00:46:24.239 --> 00:46:30.639
That means that you are you are where you are for a reason and for a purpose.
00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:40.400
If you start to view where you are as a purposeful, you are purposefully placed there to accomplish something.
00:46:40.559 --> 00:46:44.800
Every interaction you have at your workplace is meaningful.
00:46:45.039 --> 00:46:57.280
And so I just would encourage you to look for opportunities if you're in a workplace, no matter where you are, no matter what workplace you're in, look for opportunities to be a light in your workplace.
00:46:57.599 --> 00:47:08.239
And that's the best advice I can give for, you know, when you're when you're in a season where you're literally just working to to get by.
00:47:08.400 --> 00:47:12.000
Yeah, and there's I think we can also help each other.
00:47:12.079 --> 00:47:14.719
There are small things we can do to help each other.
00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:22.960
So, like when I go to a gas station or I go through a drive-thru, I pitch my voice up more, I make it even more kind.
00:47:23.440 --> 00:47:29.280
And I'm I always say like please and thank you, because the truth is a lot of people don't use this.
00:47:29.360 --> 00:47:32.079
You just like pull up to a drive-thru, start shouting off your order.
00:47:32.159 --> 00:47:34.719
Like you're not treating the person on the other side like a human.
00:47:34.880 --> 00:47:47.199
And if we consciously remember that we are working with another human on the other side who is might be burned out, we can help each other make things just a little bit lighter through the day.
00:47:47.519 --> 00:47:49.760
So I have seen this all the time.
00:47:49.840 --> 00:47:56.559
When I go through a drive-thru and I'm just very courteous, I don't just babble off my order, I take my time.
00:47:56.880 --> 00:47:57.360
Yeah.
00:47:57.519 --> 00:48:00.239
Um, like I can see it reflect back.
00:48:00.320 --> 00:48:06.320
Like I hear their voice change, and then when I pull up to the window, their shoulders are a little more relaxed.
00:48:06.400 --> 00:48:13.920
Like I can physically see just that little bit of kindness made that moment easier, even if it's just for a moment.
00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:21.280
But I mean, think about when you have somebody that has stopped you out in public, like how good that feels, and you carry that with you through the day.
00:48:21.440 --> 00:48:24.159
So I really think just those small little things we could do.
00:48:24.239 --> 00:48:26.079
Like, I will do the same thing at the gas station.
00:48:26.159 --> 00:48:42.239
Like I go to the same gas station all the time, and I see the same people, and like they just know when I when I come in that I'm gonna be extremely kind, and I've gotten to know them a little bit through those interactions, and you know, that makes them feel human, and they're not just a robot.
00:48:42.480 --> 00:48:54.639
Well, and here's the thing too like I was just it made me think of when I worked at Walmart because like I did I like zoning shelves and pulling stone palettes, and no, I did not.
00:48:54.800 --> 00:49:11.280
That was not fun for me, but I did like to sing, and so you best believe that me and some of the other assistant managers that would be stuck at 10 o'clock zoning shelves that didn't get zoned, we would be singing at the top of our lungs at the store.
00:49:11.440 --> 00:49:18.159
I love that, you know, and so find opportunities to be joyful in your workplace.
00:49:18.320 --> 00:49:22.480
I mean, I remember when we would like one thing that I like to be creative.
00:49:22.719 --> 00:49:31.920
Well, I always had a really good time creating in-caps at at Walmart because I was like, okay, what items can go together?
00:49:32.159 --> 00:49:35.679
What can I pull in to make you know make this an experience on the in-cap system?
00:49:36.079 --> 00:49:36.559
I love that.
00:49:36.800 --> 00:49:40.320
You know, it doesn't have to be monotonous, no matter where you are.
00:49:40.559 --> 00:49:43.760
Look for opportunities to make it fun for yourself.
00:49:44.000 --> 00:49:48.320
I think it's called um romanticizing your life.
00:49:48.400 --> 00:49:51.760
So you can like romanticize your work.
00:49:52.639 --> 00:49:52.880
Yeah.
00:49:53.039 --> 00:50:05.199
Like kind of like you're playing house, but your body will recognize that it like gives it the good feelings and it will assign meeting instead of it just being like this mundane test that you're doing.
00:50:05.360 --> 00:50:05.840
Oh my gosh.
00:50:06.079 --> 00:50:15.360
Sometimes it's kind of like you gotta fake it till you make it, but then it it becomes this practice, yeah, and you go find more joy in more things.
00:50:15.679 --> 00:50:29.440
I just was like literally thinking about when I worked at my last employer and we had to we took phone calls, but it this was all internal because it was like we worked in a membership office.
00:50:29.599 --> 00:50:34.719
This was like when I first started there, and so some of the retail stores would call us.
00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:39.599
And I and also I was over the switchboard area.
00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:40.159
Oh god.
00:50:40.480 --> 00:50:44.639
So we were over the whole entire phone like services for the company.
00:50:45.360 --> 00:51:12.079
And I used to like if I ever ended up sitting out, like having to take over for one of the girls with the phone, so like the membership phone or or the the switchboard, I would like answer the phone with random other accents sometimes just because it was it was fun for me, and I and all the other girls thought it was hilarious, but like like I said, don't get yourself in trouble, but just make it fun for yourself.
00:51:12.159 --> 00:51:18.559
Yeah, I mean it doesn't have to be like I would say that was probably the least fun job at the community, right?
00:51:19.039 --> 00:51:24.639
But yeah, I worked at Walmart as a cashier for like three months and it was so boring, it hurt my brain.
00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:26.719
See, I liked being a cashier.
00:51:26.880 --> 00:51:34.320
I was only a cashier for like three months before I got promoted, but I really like talking to the people.
00:51:34.480 --> 00:51:38.320
So that's the one thing that I rem like I recognize in a lot of cashiers.
00:51:38.400 --> 00:52:06.960
Like there's a lot of cashiers at Walmart that just they don't they don't say anything to you, they don't you know are people focused on their job and they don't say they don't engage with anyone, but oh my gosh, so many opportunities like for for just being joyful or like making somebody's day, like it's just I feel like if you're in a service type industry, like you're in a people-facing industry, you have so many opportunities.
00:52:07.199 --> 00:52:23.840
Yeah, that's one thing I loved about bartending is because I could really just like make people laugh or make sure their experience was good, or you know, people loved watching make drinks, so yeah, that was always a lot of fun.
00:52:24.000 --> 00:52:49.599
Like, I I definitely loved bartending for that aspect, and this could that bartending could be its own episode because there's definitely a lifestyle that goes alongside that that's not too good, but I am definitely like a person of service, and I just I I love helping people, I love supporting people, I like making people feel good or just being there in some way.
00:52:49.920 --> 00:52:56.480
So well, and even I I can just tell you that if you're sitting here and you're going, yeah, but you don't know the type of people I have to interact with.
00:52:56.639 --> 00:52:59.039
Let me tell you right now, I worked at Walmart, okay?
00:52:59.199 --> 00:53:00.079
I do know.
00:53:00.480 --> 00:53:04.239
And for me, it was very much a game.
00:53:04.400 --> 00:53:08.159
Like, I know it sounds bad, it's not like it's all I know, I know I know what you're saying.
00:53:08.559 --> 00:53:14.880
But it was very much a game for me where it was like, okay, this person is really angry, how can I turn their day around?
00:53:15.119 --> 00:53:19.519
So for me, it was very much like okay, emotional manipulation.
00:53:20.079 --> 00:53:22.639
Yeah, I mean, it sounds bad when I say it out loud.
00:53:22.719 --> 00:53:27.440
I always say that, but like it does, but like here's the thing, what are you gonna what are you gonna do?
00:53:27.840 --> 00:53:29.679
Because really, really, that's what life is.
00:53:29.840 --> 00:53:34.239
You have to learn how to navigate your own emotions and others' emotions.
00:53:34.320 --> 00:53:35.920
That's called emotional intelligence, guys.
00:53:36.079 --> 00:53:43.760
Yeah, it's and it's not technically a game, but if it makes it more enjoyable for you to try to try to view it as this is a challenge, okay?
00:53:43.920 --> 00:53:47.199
Yeah, you're this is a challenge, it's not happening to me.
00:53:47.280 --> 00:53:57.039
This is something I'm I am experiencing and I'm a part of, and I very much have control and to change the situation, to you know, manipulate how the situation goes.
00:53:57.199 --> 00:54:09.840
And so I think for me that was really um that was that was a fun part about it for me because yeah, I I'm telling you right now, like I have seen that we could have a whole another episode on the people of Walmart.
00:54:10.239 --> 00:54:10.800
We should.
00:54:10.880 --> 00:54:12.000
But that's funny.
00:54:12.239 --> 00:54:18.559
Yeah, so well, we are at the office, and ironically, this is our burnout conversation.
00:54:18.639 --> 00:54:21.599
We're pulling up to the office, but we are not burnout because we like our jobs.
00:54:21.760 --> 00:54:22.639
Yeah, we're not burnt out.
00:54:22.719 --> 00:54:32.960
We actually you you didn't mention, but um we hired two people recently and we pranked them, and that was funny.
00:54:33.199 --> 00:54:33.920
Oh yeah.
00:54:34.239 --> 00:54:39.599
We what we do is we have these, we call it whatever Wednesdays.
00:54:39.840 --> 00:54:40.320
Yes.
00:54:40.639 --> 00:54:55.920
And what that is is it's very kind of an organic thing that started where we kind of just sit around on Wednesdays starting at four from like four to five, and we will have like a happy hour for some people, some people don't.
00:54:56.159 --> 00:54:56.480
Yeah.
00:54:56.639 --> 00:55:02.079
Um, but our one of our owners will sit there with he has what is it called?
00:55:02.239 --> 00:55:02.559
Suno.
00:55:03.119 --> 00:55:03.920
Yeah, I think so.
00:55:04.159 --> 00:55:10.400
And we all will start talk, like we'll pick a person, and then we'll all start saying things about that person that we know about them.
00:55:11.039 --> 00:55:16.239
And then he will put it into Suno and write an AI song for that person.
00:55:16.320 --> 00:55:27.280
So we've been like for the last like several months, we've been writing songs about every person in our office where his goal is to have a playlist by the Christmas party of everybody's songs.
00:55:27.440 --> 00:55:29.599
So, yes, that's what we do.
00:55:30.000 --> 00:55:32.320
The American flag thing on Whatever You Want Wednesday.
00:55:32.400 --> 00:55:40.960
So, either way, so what we do is we gather on the couches, like we have, you know, we mentioned quite a few people in there, but not a ton, like 20 or less.
00:55:41.199 --> 00:55:48.079
And we gather and I convinced, yeah, it was at Whatever You Want Wednesday because John was there.
00:55:48.320 --> 00:55:55.119
And I I was trying to convince people via Slack to start saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
00:55:55.360 --> 00:55:59.679
And so eventually I was able to, well, I actually bribed one of the guys.
00:55:59.760 --> 00:56:03.679
I was like, I'll pay you a hundred dollars if you stand up and say the pledge of the pledge of allegiance.
00:56:04.000 --> 00:56:06.480
And so I slacked everybody else after he agreed to it.
00:56:06.559 --> 00:56:14.800
I slacked everybody else other than the new girl, and was like, hey, when Aaron stands up and starts saying the Pledge of Allegiance, I need you all to stand up and just play along.
00:56:15.440 --> 00:56:19.199
And so, yeah, so we convinced our new person, Lauren, bless her heart.
00:56:19.280 --> 00:56:23.760
She's such a good sport about it too, that we do the Pledge of Allegiance at every whatever Wednesday.
00:56:23.840 --> 00:56:28.159
And uh, I even had the flag on like my Yeah, she had the flag on her computer.
00:56:28.239 --> 00:56:28.880
It's hilarious.
00:56:28.960 --> 00:56:30.719
We'll definitely try to insert a clip of it.
00:56:30.960 --> 00:56:32.239
We did it to Gavin too.
00:56:32.400 --> 00:56:33.679
We got a video of that one, yeah.
00:56:33.760 --> 00:56:34.960
Because Alex did the video thing.
00:56:35.840 --> 00:56:37.360
We have had a new another new person.
00:56:37.440 --> 00:56:42.880
We did this at the morning meeting, which was on Mondays, and he actually had it played.
00:56:43.039 --> 00:56:46.960
Like we actually have the intern in charge of this one, which he did way better.
00:56:47.119 --> 00:56:56.800
And he had the American flag up on the screen TV, and like it was a whole thing, and and poor Gavin's face, but we do it in love, and so that's just it.
00:56:56.960 --> 00:56:59.760
Find yourself a group of people that is fun.
00:57:00.000 --> 00:57:00.239
Yeah.
00:57:00.400 --> 00:57:04.559
And if that's not at work, find the group of people that's fun outside of work because you need some fun in your life.
00:57:04.800 --> 00:57:16.639
Well, I and to kind of wrap it up too, like our company is very successful, so I think there's something to be said about the kind of culture we're cultivating and what that means for the work that is being done in that place.
00:57:16.960 --> 00:57:17.760
Oh, absolutely.
00:57:17.920 --> 00:57:22.000
I think well that people have said that to me in sales calls.
00:57:22.079 --> 00:57:31.679
Like the they'll say, We're going with you because we can tell that you're good people, that you care about others and that you care about your work and that you want to do right by others.
00:57:31.840 --> 00:57:33.199
I mean, that's a huge Yeah.
00:57:33.280 --> 00:57:36.559
I mean, it's just like a lot of people they don't quit jobs, they quit the people.
00:57:36.719 --> 00:57:36.960
Yep.
00:57:37.119 --> 00:57:38.159
That's mostly what it is.
00:57:38.320 --> 00:57:40.079
So all right.
00:57:40.159 --> 00:57:42.159
Well, thanks for joining us today for burnout.
00:57:42.480 --> 00:57:46.559
We are looking forward to continuing the conversation with some other great topics.
00:57:46.719 --> 00:58:00.480
And remember, if there's anything that you want us to talk about, we have a form in our description box as well that can you can be anonymous, but um just make sure whatever you put on there, you're okay with us sharing.
00:58:00.719 --> 00:58:04.079
Uh and we will share that in a future episode.
00:58:04.159 --> 00:58:05.519
We're collecting some responses.
00:58:05.599 --> 00:58:13.760
We have several, but we'd like to get more uh responses as well, so we can just talk about some topics that people find interesting or would like would like to hear about.
00:58:13.920 --> 00:58:14.559
So yeah.
00:58:14.719 --> 00:58:17.519
Um, and we are every Monday at 7 a.m.
00:58:17.760 --> 00:58:19.440
You'll catch new episodes from us.
00:58:19.519 --> 00:58:20.320
So stay tuned.
00:58:20.559 --> 00:58:21.039
See you later.
00:58:21.280 --> 00:58:22.320
See you on the next one.
00:58:22.480 --> 00:58:22.719
Bye.
00:58:22.880 --> 00:58:23.360
Bye.