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297: The Perfect Job Doesn't Exist: How to Stop Waiting and Start Choosing Your Path with Amanda Hirsch

Workday Playdate

Release Date: 07/02/2025

297: The Perfect Job Doesn't Exist: How to Stop Waiting and Start Choosing Your Path with Amanda Hirsch show art 297: The Perfect Job Doesn't Exist: How to Stop Waiting and Start Choosing Your Path with Amanda Hirsch

Workday Playdate

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin throws out the five-year plan, the “dream job” myth, and that tired advice to just “follow your passion.” Instead, she’s joined by creative powerhouse and Mighty Forces founder Amanda Hirsch to help you rethink what career ownership actually looks like today. From office misfit to author, storyteller, and mom, Amanda shares the real talk behind taking back your path when no one else is handing you a roadmap. This episode is for anyone stuck in career limbo, burnt out on job titles, or wondering what’s next (without needing a full...

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Snack 20: Your Career, Your Move: Stop Waiting and Start Choosing What’s Next show art Snack 20: Your Career, Your Move: Stop Waiting and Start Choosing What’s Next

Workday Playdate

In today’s Workday Playdate Snack, Erin's busting one of the biggest myths in the career playbook: that the “perfect job” will just... show up and fix everything. Spoiler: It won’t. And waiting for it? That can keep you stuck. The Problem: 52% of workers are eyeing a career change. 70% feel disengaged. Why? Because they’re waiting. For the dream job. For clarity. For permission. But it's important to remember one crucial truth: you are the plan. The Improv Hack to Try: Tag Yourself In When improv scenes stall, someone jumps in and shifts the energy. In your career? That...

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296: Hybrid Headaches? Here’s How to Make the Office Return Less Awkward & More Awesome show art 296: Hybrid Headaches? Here’s How to Make the Office Return Less Awkward & More Awesome

Workday Playdate

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin tackles the awkward elevator small talk, the lukewarm return-to-office bagels, and the actual leadership challenges of hybrid work. From re-establishing team rituals to defining the “why” behind your office days, this episode is a field guide for anyone trying to rebuild connection in a flexible work world without burning out. Whether you're managing Zoom fatigue, leading a team that’s half-in, half-out, or just trying to make Tuesdays feel less like a ghost town, Erin’s giving you 10 practical, human-first ways to lead with empathy,...

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Snack 19: Hybrid Work is Hard, But This Trick Will Make Office Returns Smooth show art Snack 19: Hybrid Work is Hard, But This Trick Will Make Office Returns Smooth

Workday Playdate

In today’s Workday Playdate Snack, we’re tackling the hybrid work headache—and no, we’re not talking about the flickering office lights or the ancient coffee machine no one remembers how to clean. We’re talking about the emotional fog that creeps in when your team is half-on-Zoom, half-in-person, and 100% disconnected. The Problem: You’ve asked your team to return to the office a few days a week. Some show up with smiles. Others show up with...resentment. And some just show up for the snacks. Hybrid work isn’t just a scheduling issue—it’s a culture shift. And if...

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295: Play More, Fight Less: The Secret to Happier Relationships with Greg Tavares and Amber Nash show art 295: Play More, Fight Less: The Secret to Happier Relationships with Greg Tavares and Amber Nash

Workday Playdate

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin explores what every team—at work and at home—needs more of: play. Joined by real-life partners and improv powerhouses Greg Tavares and Amber Nash, this episode dives into how playful communication can defuse tension, deepen connection, and make conflict feel a whole lot less... combative. Greg, an improv teacher and facilitator with decades of experience helping teams collaborate more creatively, joins forces with Amber, a voiceover actor best known as Pam on Archer, to unpack how the tools of improv aren’t just for the stage—they’re for...

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Snack 18: How Playfulness Can Save Your Relationships show art Snack 18: How Playfulness Can Save Your Relationships

Workday Playdate

In today’s Workday Playdate Snack, we’re talking about the kind of conflict resolution that doesn’t involve a six-part text thread or passive-aggressive dishwasher loading. We’re diving into how playfulness—yes, even mid-fight—can be your secret weapon for stronger, happier relationships. Whether it’s your partner, roommate, or that one family member who treats the group chat like a TED Talk… this snack is for you. The Problem: You’re crushing deadlines at work—but stuck in a weird silence at home. Maybe it was about socks. Or the dishes. Or nothing at all. And now...

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294: Layoffs Ahead? Here’s How to Stay Human (and Keep Your Team’s Trust) show art 294: Layoffs Ahead? Here’s How to Stay Human (and Keep Your Team’s Trust)

Workday Playdate

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin tackles one of the toughest parts of leadership: layoffs. When budgets shrink and change feels unavoidable, how do you show up with empathy, clarity, and integrity? Spoiler: it’s not just about delivering the news—it's about leading through uncertainty with heart. From the emotional toll of workforce reductions to the ripple effects on culture and trust, Erin shares what leaders often get wrong—and how to get it right. With seven actionable tips, this episode is a masterclass in human-first leadership during hard times. Whether you're...

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Snack 17: Trust Falls, But Not Like That — Keeping It Real During Reorgs show art Snack 17: Trust Falls, But Not Like That — Keeping It Real During Reorgs

Workday Playdate

In today’s Workday Playdate Snack, we’re talking about the kind of trust fall that doesn’t involve closing your eyes and hoping Linda from Accounting catches you. Nope—we’re talking about the invisible, emotional kind. The one that happens during reorgs, layoffs, and those delightfully vague “strategic shifts” when your team is quietly wondering, “Are we safe? Can we trust you? Or should I start updating my LinkedIn headline to ‘Open to Work’?” If you're leading through change (or just trying to survive it)—this snack is for you. The Problem: Here’s the...

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293: PAY UP! Why Women Deserve More & How to Get It – with Reshma Saujani show art 293: PAY UP! Why Women Deserve More & How to Get It – with Reshma Saujani

Workday Playdate

In this powerful episode of Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with Reshma Saujani—founder of Girls Who Code, CEO of Moms First, and author of Pay Up—for a no-holds-barred conversation about what it really takes to thrive as a woman in today’s workplace. Spoiler: it's not just about negotiating harder or leaning in. It's about rewriting the entire playbook. From the impossible pressures of pandemic parenting to the unspoken challenges of midlife, Reshma and Erin talk truth about uncertainty, burnout, and the myth of “having it all.” This episode is equal parts validation,...

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Snack 16: Tired of Settling? Here’s How Women Can Start Earning What They Deserve at Work show art Snack 16: Tired of Settling? Here’s How Women Can Start Earning What They Deserve at Work

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In today’s Workday Playdate Snack, we’re serving up some truth for anyone who’s ever screamed into their steering wheel after a one-on-one like, “How does Brad STILL make more than me?” If you’ve ever been underpaid, undervalued, or under-celebrated—this snack is for you. The Problem: Here’s the tea: Women are doing the absolute most. More emotional labor. More coordinating. More everything. And yet—less recognition, less pay, and fewer opportunities. We’ve been fed a narrative that if we just negotiate better or manifest harder, things will change. But let’s...

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More Episodes

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin throws out the five-year plan, the “dream job” myth, and that tired advice to just “follow your passion.” Instead, she’s joined by creative powerhouse and Mighty Forces founder Amanda Hirsch to help you rethink what career ownership actually looks like today.

From office misfit to author, storyteller, and mom, Amanda shares the real talk behind taking back your path when no one else is handing you a roadmap. This episode is for anyone stuck in career limbo, burnt out on job titles, or wondering what’s next (without needing a full reinvention).

Whether you're pivoting, plateauing, or plotting your next move, Erin and Amanda remind us: life is more improv than plan, and you're more ready than you think.

Inside This Episode:

  • Why waiting for “clarity” might be keeping you stuck
  • The high cost of chasing the perfect job
  • How to take action even when you don’t have it all figured out
  • The power of storytelling in reclaiming your career narrative
  • What Amanda learned from being a misfit—and why that might be your superpower
  • One small step you can take this week to start owning your path

Who This Episode Is For:

Anyone navigating a pivot, questioning what’s next, or tired of pretending their LinkedIn headline tells the whole story. If you’re ready to choose your career—not just chase it—this episode is for you.

So pause the inbox scroll, close that half-written cover letter, and come have a Workday Playdate with us.

Ready to take one small step toward showing up with more clarity and confidence? Download our newest freebieThe Confident Leader’s Toolkit—a 4-step guide to crafting a professional persona that actually feels like you. This plug-and-play resource helps you define how you want to be seen, align your presence with your purpose, and lead with authenticity (not performance).

 

No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting)

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