The Lonely Office cover image

The Lonely Office

Latest episodes

undefined
May 17, 2023 • 43min

Can Career Coaches Really Help Your Career?

There are an estimated 70,000 professional career coaches worldwide. But are they the answer that lost professionals are looking for? On this episode, we discuss the real story of “Jamie”, whose expensive career coach falls short of expectations. We’re joined by special guest Cindy Gallop (advertising consultant, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn, and yes, career coach) to debate the approaches career coaches take today—and whether the profession provides as much value as it touts.
undefined
May 5, 2023 • 41min

Get Back to the Office, or You’re Fired

Whether you see it as a privilege or a right, companies are changing their tune when it comes to remote work—like popular advertising agency TBWA, whose policies inspired today’s story. Should employees be going back in, or should they be walking out? On this episode, joined by corporate content creator Leah Ova, we chat about the benefits and impacts of returning to office, and what the alternatives can be.
undefined
Apr 27, 2023 • 29min

How Much of Your Self Do You Bring to Work?

Just be yourself, they say. But not that self. In a culture that preaches authenticity one day and cancels you the next, how do you know how much of your personality and selfhood to reveal in a professional setting? Inspired by the true story of “Bill”, who struggles to socialize at work, we talk about the risks and rewards of bringing your full self to work—and whether the whole concept is a carryover from a bygone era.
undefined
Apr 13, 2023 • 37min

Your Next Coworker Might Be ChatGPT

With artificial intelligence becoming more intelligent by the hour, who will lose their jobs first? Where will they go? And is this a case for universal basic income? On this episode, joined by comedian and writer Azhar Usman, we follow the rapid rise of AI to its professional, social, and ethical conclusions.
undefined
Apr 4, 2023 • 46min

Boomers Vs. Millennials in the Workplace

Are the younger generations really coddled and entitled, or is this just a classic case of “OK Boomer”? When it comes to workplace attitudes, there’s a clear generational divide, especially in the case of “Allie” and “Randy” (protecting their anonymity!) who inspired today’s story.  In this episode, we’re joined by beloved guest Leah Ova to unpack these stereotypes—and how remote work might be making everything worse.
undefined
Mar 22, 2023 • 38min

Is Unlimited PTO a Scam?

Unlimited vacation is often lauded as a workplace perk, but who does it actually benefit? On this episode, we’re joined by marketer and content creator Leah Ova to discuss why employers might be incentivized to adopt unlimited PTO policies—and why employees might be getting the short end of the stick.
undefined
Mar 15, 2023 • 27min

How Much Should I Care about My Job?

After working overtime, “Mo” expected a nice work perk, but received branded snacks instead. Their anonymously-shared story prompted us to ask the question(s): What should be the reward of a job well done? A sense of purpose? A round of applause? A box of pretzels? This week, we’re joined by comedian Azhar Usman and content creator Leah Ova to debate the full spectrum of how we might feel about our work—from meaningful to meaningless.
undefined
Mar 10, 2023 • 29min

When’s a Good Time to Tell the Boss I’m Pregnant?

Pregnancy, disabilities, age—when it comes to sharing sensitive personal information in a professional setting, where do we draw the line? On this episode, we dive into the true story of an HR professional named Diana, a pregnant new hire, and one boss with a big mouth. We’re joined by motherhood content creator Leah Ova to discuss the reasons why expecting women in the workplace may or may not want to disclose their pregnancy during the interview process.
undefined
Mar 7, 2023 • 37min

To ChatGPT for Work, or Not to ChatGPT

Is ChatGPT a powerful tool to augment our work, or is it a weapon of capitalism on the verge of taking our jobs? In this episode, we discuss an anonymous story shared by  “Megan”, a PR professional whose excellent writing skills are secretly attributed to AI. We’re joined by startup advisor Rusty Rueff this week to debate the merit of AI tools like ChatGPT from all sides—from their innumerable benefits to unintended consequences.
undefined
Feb 16, 2023 • 52min

Just Hire Me, or Don’t

A horror story for the remote work era: going through endless rounds of interviews, wondering whether you’ve wasted your time. On this episode, we dive into a real 11-round-interview incident endured by one candidate named “Mike”. We’ll debate the risks and merits of a lengthy interview process, getting caught in the crosshairs of a company’s misaligned objectives, and whether it’s all a sign to get out of the corporate matrix. We’re also joined by special guest Azhar Usman, comedian and writer on the Hulu show, Ramy.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode