340: How to Share Your Personal Life Without Hurting Your Career with Catherine Kleshinski
Release Date: 04/12/2026
367: Building an Equitable Future Through Moral Conviction and Uncomfortable Truths with Evelyn Carter
Allyship in Action
If you have ever caught yourself second-guessing how you navigate a delicate conversation around race at work, trust me, you are not alone. This week, I had the absolute joy of sitting down with the brilliant Dr. Evelyn Carter, social psychologist and author of Was That Racist? We geeked out over the fascinating science of human behavior, laughed about our shared moments of awkwardness, and got real about why true inclusion requires us to drop the polished corporate scripts. Dr. Carter brings a refreshing blend of research-backed clarity and vivid personal storytelling that makes you feel both...
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366: Get Clear on Q4 Prioritization with Dr. Jolander Headley
Allyship in Action
By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, most of us in leadership are running on coffee, sheer willpower, and a quiet prayer that our calendars don't spontaneously combust. We rush to cross off every single goal set in January, regardless of whether our teams actually have the bandwidth left to carry it. In my latest chat with the incredible Dr. Jolander Headley, we unpacked why this year-end frenzy is a recipe for disaster and how we can lead with a lot more intention and a lot less chaotic exhaustion. We laughed about our own high-octane DISC profiles, because it turns out two driven,...
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365: Challenging the Career Fantasy of Having It All with Corinne Low
Allyship in Action
Every now and then, a book comes along that completely stops me in my tracks. My conversation with Dr. Corinne Low—Wharton professor, economist, and author of Having It All—was one of those instances where data validated everything so many of us feel daily. I loved blending storytelling with hard research as we unpacked why so many high-achieving working parents feel so exhausted. As a working mom myself, hearing the data prove that working mothers today spend more time with their children than stay-at-home mothers did a generation ago was a massive aha moment. We realized the progress...
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364: Purpose at Work with Scott Curran
Allyship in Action
Scott Curran is a social impact lawyer, advisor, and educator who spent ten years in the All-Star game of global philanthropy at the Clinton Foundation . When I sit back and look at the wacky headlines and persistent headwinds in our world right now, it can be really easy to throw up our hands . But Scott brings us right back to the science: human beings are naturally wired for good, and our brain chemistry practically throws a party of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins whenever we do something kind or even just watch someone else do it ! Scott candidly shares how a...
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363: How to Lead with Optimism and Resilience in the Workplace with Michelle Gielan
Allyship in Action
Positive psychology researcher and author Michelle Gielan joins us to dive into two qualities I think about a lot: optimism and resilience. Early in my career, I used to think being optimistic meant slapping a smile on my face, grabbing a venti iced coffee, and pretending everything was fine, even when a project was burning down around me. (Spoiler alert: it doesn't work!) Real optimism isn’t about ignoring the mess. As Michelle reminded me, it’s about taking a realistic assessment of the present while holding onto the belief that our actions matter. We laughed about closet optimists,...
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362: Why Your Next Big Career Move Starts with Ten Minutes a Day with Jess Ekstrom
Allyship in Action
Finding balance in leadership and in life often feels like trying to do a high-wire act while juggling toddlers and a full-time career. That is why I was thrilled to catch up with Jess Ekstrom, founder of Mic Drop Workshop and author of Making It Without Losing It. Jess is a powerful storyteller who has built two million dollar businesses. She brings this incredible blend of real-world hustle and laugh-out-loud relatable humor. We got into what happens when we stop chasing everyone else’s definition of success and start listening to what actually fuels us. Between tales of toddlers...
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361: Escaping the Reward Trap with Özgür Bolat
Allyship in Action
Have you ever tried dangling a carrot to get a desired behavior out of someone—whether it's offering points to your kids for clearing the dishwasher or dangling a bonus in front of your sales team—only to feel like you've created a transactional nightmare? You’re definitely not alone! In this episode of Allyship in Action, I sat down with education scientist and author Dr. Özgür Bolat to unpack why our obsession with extrinsic rewards so often backfires. Drawing from his insightful book, The Reward Trap, Özgür helps us realize that while carrots might get temporary...
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360: Unlocking Neurodivergent Potential in the Workplace with Alex Partridge
Allyship in Action
This week, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the incredible Alex Partridge—founder of UNILAD and Lad Bible, host of the ADHD Chatter podcast, and author of Why Does Everybody Hate Me?. We dove deep into a topic that so many managers want to get right, but often feel totally lost navigating: supporting neurodiversity in the workplace, specifically when it comes to ADHD. The first time I managed someone with ADHD, I felt lost. I wanted to be an ally and build an inclusive space, but I didn’t know what real, everyday support looked like. As Alex and I chatted, it hit me again...
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359: Designing Inclusion from the Inside Out with Nani Vishwanath
Allyship in Action
Welcome back to Allyship in Action! If you’ve been working in the diversity and inclusion space over the past few years, you know the corporate pendulum hasn’t just swung—it’s done full-on gymnastics. We’ve gone from the hyper-reactive commitments of 2020 to the nervous retreats of recent years, leaving many leaders wondering where to anchor themselves. I had the absolute joy of catching up with the brilliant Nani Vishwanath—a strategic leader at The Current Collective—who reminded me that when the external noise gets deafening, the answer isn't to duck and cover; it's to look...
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358: The Surprising Key to Longevity with Ezekiel Emanuel
Allyship in Action
Today we have Dr. Zeke Emanuel, whose new book Eat Your Ice Cream takes a refreshingly sensible look at longevity and what it actually takes to build a happy, healthy life. As an oncologist and world-renowned expert in bioethics and health policy, Dr. Emanuel has spent decades navigating complex medical landscapes—so when he talks about living better, I listen! What I love most about his approach is that he bypasses the extreme health trends and cuts straight to sustainable, real-world habits. We had such a fun conversation, diving into everything from the real math behind everyday risks to...
info_outlineI am so excited to share this conversation with my wonderful colleague and friend, Dr. Catherine Kleshinski from Indiana University. We’ve all been there on a random Monday morning when someone asks, "How was your weekend?" and we’re dying to share a picture of our new puppy or the chaos of a first birthday party. I used to think these me-search moments were just simple trust builders—and they are!
Catherine’s latest research in the Journal of Applied Psychology reveals that there is a lot of nuance behind that water cooler talk. It turns out that while sharing the non-work vibes makes us all seem warmer, the way it impacts our reputation actually depends on where we sit in the hierarchy. So, how can we build authentic connections without accidentally triggering the workplace gossip mill?
The Warmth Benefit vs. The Distraction Penalty: Everyone who shares positive personal news is perceived as warmer and more caring, but junior or lower-status employees may simultaneously be viewed as less focused on their professional responsibilities.
"Everyone gets the warmth benefit, but the work ethic connotation depends on power dynamics."
The Gossip Ripple Effect: Reputation isn't just a static feeling; it drives how people talk about you when you aren't in the room, leading to either flattering or unflattering workplace gossip.
"If you have this reputation for being a relationship builder, people will engage in positive gossip about you, but if you are somebody with a reputation for being distracted, they'll gossip negatively about you."
The Invisible Line of Disclosure: There is a delicate balance between sharing enough to build trust and oversharing details like health issues or intense personal data that can make others uncomfortable.
Creating Safe Spaces for Connection: Leaders should focus on creating icebreakers that allow for choose-your-own-adventure levels of vulnerability so that no one feels pressured to share more than they are comfortable with.
Actionable Takeaway
Audit your icebreakers. If you are a manager, be mindful that vulnerable sharing can unintentionally disadvantage your junior team members. Instead of asking personal questions, try a reciprocity ring where teammates request help with a specific task, or use "Tell Me Something Good" to allow people the choice between sharing a professional win or a personal one.