The Lonely Office
The Lonely Office
Welcome to The Lonely Office, an award-winning podcast about making sense of the increasingly blurry line between work and life, 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
Dec 15, 2023 • 51min
Can I Legally Be Fired for My Social Media Activity?
Chris Collins, Partner, Labor and Employment Law at Sheppard Mullin, joins the podcast to discuss the implications of social media activity on employment. Topics covered include at-will employment, anti-discrimination laws, and practical tactics for professionals to protect themselves. The importance of cautious posting and the role of anonymity in social media are also explored.
Dec 8, 2023 • 30min
Online Culture of Cringe
The painfully real tale of “David’s” social oversharing brings up a great point: how did we get so ‘cringe’? Whether it be sharing personal divorces on professional platforms like LinkedIn, or wrapping everyday moments into a vessel for social media edification, has our push for recognition or sharing vulnerability gone too far? How does technology play a role in enabling this? Does the convergence of our social and professional lives have something to do with it?
Nov 29, 2023 • 27min
Share Your Total Comp, or GTFO
The anonymously shared story of “John’s” salary analysis brings up an excellent question: are there downsides to comparing our career path to others? Kayak, Zillow, Glassdoor - whether we’re looking at prices or salaries, the rise of transparency platforms that shed light on previously undisclosed financial information has given us new ways to compare ourselves to those around us. But are these tools improving our lives, or are they just impeding our mental health? On this episode, we’re talking about financial transparency—and the anxiety that comes with the territory.
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
