Libsyn Directory

287: How to Elevate Your Creativity and Vibe with Actor, Poet, and Speaker Rashad Rayford

Release Date: 06/10/2025

313: The Hidden Ways We Survive, Stand Out, and Stay Sane at Work

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

Modern work is getting weird. In this episode, Erin and Nicole talk about career envy, AI “bot sitting,” Gen Z’s job search chaos, parents overstepping in the hiring process, airport drama, bathroom hideouts, and the deeply human ways people are trying to stand out, stay sane, and survive work right now. They also unpack one of Erin’s favorite new questions for killing comparison: “Would I actually want their life?” Because chasing someone else’s version of success only works if you’re willing to take the whole life that comes with it. In this episode you’ll hear: Why career...

312: The 7 Trust Languages Every Leader Should Know with Minda Harts

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

Trust at work isn’t built through big promises or polished corporate statements. It’s built in the tiny moments. In this episode, Erin sits down with bestselling author, speaker, professor, and filmmaker Minda Harts to talk about her framework for the 7 Trust Languages and why trust is really a communication issue hiding in plain sight. In this episode, you’ll hear: -Why leaders need to stop pretending employees don’t see what’s happening -How the 7 Trust Languages can help leaders build stronger relationships -How to rebuild...

311: The Secret to Tough Conversations (From a C-Suite Whisperer) with Paru Radia

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

After years of advising CEOs and senior leaders, she's learned that the higher you climb, the more the same human stuff shows up: insecurity, miscommunication, fear of failure, and avoiding the conversations nobody wants to have. In this episode, Erin sits down with the self-proclaimed "C-Suite Whisperer" , Paru Radia, to talk about tough conversations, turning adversity into an advantage, and why standing still might be the riskiest thing you can do. Along the way, Paru shares lessons from her own journey and her no-BS coaching style. Some of the things you'll hear are:...

310: The Former BBC Journalist Who Refuses to Hate Humanity with Melanie Marshall

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

This episode is part journalism, part therapy, part “girl WHAT?!” Today’s guest, Melanie Marshall, is a former BBC foreign journalist turned filmmaker, speaker, and coach who has reported from some of the most intense places on earth. And somehow… despite seeing humanity at its messiest, she still believes people are mostly good. Some of the things you’ll hear: -The wildly unexpected way radicalized followers of Osama Bin Laden welcomed her into an interview shortly after his death -What actually creates human connection when people...

309: How to Handle Tough Conversations Without Losing Your Cool with Gabe Karp

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

Life isn’t all smooth conversations and easy people. Sometimes it’s messy, uncomfortable, and straight-up frustrating. In this episode, Erin sits down with former trial lawyer turned entrepreneur and conflict expert Gabe Karp to talk about how to handle tough situations without spiraling, avoiding, or blowing things up. Because here’s the truth: conflict isn’t the problem. How you handle it is. Gabe shares practical strategies to help you stay grounded, take control, and walk away without regret… even when the other person is making it hard. ...

308: She Stopped Planning Perfect and Everything Changed (Nicole Turns 50!)

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

What happens when you actually step away from work… like really step away? In this episode, Nicole shares what it looked like to take a true 19-day vacation with zero email, zero checking in, and zero control. What started as a milestone birthday trip turned into something much bigger: a reset on how she works, leads, and lives. From skinny dipping under a full moon in Mexico to rethinking perfection, boundaries, and identity at work, this conversation gets real about burnout, control, and what it actually takes to create a life that feels good. Not perfect....

307: Micro Motivator: Why No One Is Listening to You at Work And the Simple Fix

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

In a world of overflowing inboxes, AI-generated emails, and corporate language that all sounds the same, most messages get ignored. Erin explains how changing just one word, adding an unexpected phrase, or using a little personality can break the pattern and actually get people to pay attention. If you want people to listen to you at work, communicate more authentically, and stand out in workplace conversations, sometimes the fix is surprisingly simple. To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com If...

306: How to Be Civil in a Workplace (and World) That Isn’t with Shola Richards

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

A toxic workplace pushed this week’s guest to his breaking point. That moment changed everything for him. In this episode, Erin sits down with Shola Richards, CEO of Go Together Global, bestselling author of Civil Unity, host of the Kindness Extremist Podcast, and a speaker who has taken his message from Google and Microsoft to the TODAY Show, CBS Mornings, and even Congress. But this conversation is not about fluffy kindness. After years of bullying, workplace toxicity, and untreated depression, Shola hit rock bottom and attempted to drive his car off an...

305: Micro Motivator: How to Handle Your Neurotic Boss Before a Board Meeting

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

Do you work for a neurotic boss? You are capable. You know your numbers. You’ve done this before. But the moment there is a board meeting or executive presentation, your boss spirals and catapults into weeks of prep and endless rehearsals. In this episode, Erin shares an executive coaching story about a seasoned P&L leader reporting to the COO whose boss demanded over-preparation and fully scripted talking points before presenting to the board. The problem? No executive wants to be read to. Erin breaks down three strategies to...

304: How to Be Yourself When You’ve Been Told You’re Too Much with Drew Sullivan

b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

In this episode, Erin sits down with her friend Drew Sullivan for a deeply honest conversation about addiction, recovery, and what it’s like to grow up feeling misunderstood. Drew shares how being labeled “too much,” navigating ADHD, and never being asked why shaped the way he moved through the world and how those early experiences quietly laid the groundwork for addiction long before substances entered the picture. This isn’t a polished redemption story or a neat recovery arc. It’s a human conversation about loss, self-awareness, and what finally made change unavoidable. If...

More Episodes

In this episode, Rashad Rayford brings the energy (and the poetry) with a fresh take on owning your voice, trusting your timing, and turning fear into fuel. From embracing boredom to battling imposter syndrome, Rashad breaks it all down with humor, heart, and a spoken-word mic drop you won’t want to miss.

Rashad Rayford is an award-winning speaker, actor, and poet featured at TEDx, on NPR, and in The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. He's also a MOTH Story Hour GRANDslam champion. Rashad is known for his high-energy presentations that blend storytelling, spoken word, and actionable insights.

1.) How boredom was critical to him finding his calling

2.) Why you shouldn't try and microwave your growth

3.) How he 50% Rules poetry and keynote speaking

4.) How he almost didn't do the thing that launched his speaking career, and the simple acronym that helped him through it

5.) His improvised poem to you to make work suck less

 <a href="https://www.rashadthapoet.com/">Website: https://www.rashadthapoet.com/ </a> 

If you’d like quick tangible tips and practical corporate career advice to level up your authentic leadership, download the 10 simple “plays” to stop selling out and start standing out at <a href="https://bauthenticinc.mykajabi.com/freebie">https://bauthenticinc.mykajabi.com/freebie </a> 

To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: hello@bauthenticinc.com 

 

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! 

 

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<li> <a href="https://twitter.com/bcausepodcast">Follow b Cause on Twitter (really it's mostly Nicole) </a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/erin-hatzikostas/">Follow Erin on LinkedIn </a>or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erinhatzikostas/" >Instagram</a> </li><li> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast">Join the b Cause Podcast Facebook Group</a> </li><li> <a href="https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/600ec8544ddf900016d517d1"> Take our simple, fun and insightful"What’s your workplace superhero name?”quiz</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Do-ish-Authentic-Superpowers/dp/1736376535/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=you+do+youish&qid=1634564333&sr=8-1">Unleash your Authentic Superpower with Erin’s book,"You Do You (ish)" </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents">Check out our blog for more no-BS career advice</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.bauthenticinc.com/authentic-programs">Work with Us </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop">Or just buy some fun, authentic, kick-ars merch here </a></li>

 

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences.

 

Tweetable Comments 

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”Sometimes we don't see our light, we don't see our shine. We may see a little bit of it, but we may not see it fully until someone else is like, “Hey man, you're the sun. You're shining.”

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“ I like to bring right brain ideas into left brain spaces, and it helps folks to really unpack and see things from a different perspective.”

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“How do you connect with people in a way that says, ‘I’m supposed to be here, I belong here, and I have a purpose here?’”

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”Sometimes it just takes looking beyond ourselves and asking ‘How can we continue to grow?‘“

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