The Lonely Office
Glassdoor
Welcome to The Lonely Office, an award-winning podcast that brings sports-talk energy to real career decisions—fast, funny, brutally practical. It's locker-room candor meets boardroom wisdom, brought to you by Glassdoor. We tackle real workplace stories from anonymous firsthand accounts—job ghosting, the truth behind unlimited PTO, nightmare bosses—and share insider advice on layoffs, severance, negotiations, and career moves. From candidates vaping in interviews to employees fired over free speech, we cover the wild reality of modern jobs. Whether you’re growing your career or simply a jobseeker hunting for an edge, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
TLO is hosted by Matt Sunbulli (serial tech entrepreneur, Founder @ Fishbowl and First Draft AI), Aaron Calafato (Storyteller, Narrative Designer & Content Strategist), and Leah Ova (content creator and advertising executive), with special appearances from industry thought leaders and economists.
TLO is hosted by Matt Sunbulli (serial tech entrepreneur, Founder @ Fishbowl and First Draft AI), Aaron Calafato (Storyteller, Narrative Designer & Content Strategist), and Leah Ova (content creator and advertising executive), with special appearances from industry thought leaders and economists.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 16, 2023 • 27min
How Do I Recover from a Big Mistake at Work?
So you messed up at work. How do you move forward? From accidental all-staffs to awkward client commentary, we share the unfortunately true story of “Zach”, a marketing professional who makes one big boo-boo. Additionally, we discuss some of our own professional mistakes on this episode—and our seasoned tactics on how to move past them.
Nov 8, 2023 • 22min
Are You Sure You Want That Promotion?
“Ellie” did what many would deem the unthinkable: refused a promotion. Whether it’s a lack of confidence, a lack of support, or a lack of trust in their employer, a sizeable portion of professionals today are turning down their promotions. What might be impacting their decisions, and how can employers ensure that fewer of their people walk away at this juncture? Ellie’s anonymous story inspired us to talk about the process of moving on up—or moving on out in this episode.
Nov 2, 2023 • 25min
Do Politics Have a Place in the Workplace?
The true story of “Tabitha” and “Brandon’s” work marriage brings up today’s topic: is talking about politics at work as taboo as it used to be? The age-old debate of whether we should engage in political discussions at work gains a new dimension as workers go to social media to voice their own political opinions. What do we expect from our company leaders and each other? And how does being online—whether on Slack or social media—enable AND hinder our ability to engage in political discussions with our coworkers?
Oct 19, 2023 • 26min
HR, Friend or Foe?
HR expert and startup advisor Rusty Rueff joins the podcast to discuss the origins of human resources and its representation of the broken social contract between employee and employer. They explore the history and development of HR, the philosophy at PepsiCo, the evolution of the employee-company relationship, and the challenges of managing people in small businesses.
Oct 13, 2023 • 27min
What Do Gen Z Employees Want?
Zaid Safe, a Gen Zer, discusses what his generation wants from workplace culture. Topics include the challenges of remote work, transitioning to full five-day work weeks, implementing a hybrid work model, the importance of transparency, and the evolving concept of company culture.
Oct 6, 2023 • 24min
Is ADHD Drug Use in the Workplace Causing a Shortage?
ADHD prescriptions are on the rise, ADHD medication is selling out, and your algorithm thinks you have it, too. Are we finally getting proper diagnoses, or are we living in an age of self-medicating for productivity? This episode explores the real story of “Olivia” and the trend of “smart drugs”—whether it’s Adderall, mushrooms, or yes, even Brazil nuts—and whether any of it ACTUALLY makes us smarter and more productive.
Sep 28, 2023 • 20min
LinkedIn Hacks, Contrarian Career Paths, & Value of MBAs
Are degrees like MBAs still worth the price? Impressive contrarian career paths, admissions process for MBA programs, benefits of having an MBA, MBA for career transitions, financial risks of pursuing an MBA
Sep 21, 2023 • 25min
Are Mandatory Office Policies Back?
With more CEOs going on record about their return to office mandates, it has us wondering: was the golden promise of working from home too good to be true? On this episode, we discuss the hidden market players who want you back in office and how companies like JM Smuckers are rolling out their hybrid work policy.
Sep 13, 2023 • 24min
Should Normies Have a Voice on Social Media?
Why do “normies” otherwise known as the silent middle engage so little on platforms like Twitter? Should platforms be responsible only for their business model, or should they aim to be a model business? On this episode, we dive into the ethics vs. economics of unregulated voices on social.
Sep 5, 2023 • 23min
Are Legacy Admissions Fair?
Based on the true story of “Bo”, on this episode we explore whether or not corporate nepo babies and college legacies the same. Since the recent Supreme Court ruling, legacy admissions are being re-examined as unfair and white-washed. On this episode, we dive into the privileges and perks of being a college legacy, as well as the harm it brings to higher education and society as a whole.
