Making Fun a Habit: Creativity, Curiosity, and Reclaiming Joy at Work with Mike Brennan
Release Date: 12/29/2025
Why “Soft Skills” Are Actually Human Skills | Midweek Momentum with Angie Callen
No More Mondays
In this Midweek Momentum, Angie Callen challenges one of the most outdated conversations in modern work: hard skills vs. soft skills. As AI continues to reshape roles and industries, the real differentiator isn’t becoming more technical — it’s becoming more human. Angie unpacks why skills like judgment, discernment, empathy, curiosity, and communication aren’t “soft” at all — they’re the hardest to replace and the most valuable in the future of work. This episode is a reminder that being an AI-enabled human on purpose means pairing intelligence with intention — and leaning...
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Investing Your Time: Smarter Scaling and Delegation with Elizabeth Eiss
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How do you choose whether you’re spending time or investing it? In this episode of No More Mondays, Angie Callen sits down with Elizabeth Eiss, founder of Results Resourcing, to explore how solopreneurs and small business leaders can scale their work intelligently by valuing time and leveraging fractional talent. Elizabeth’s journey from corporate executive to startup leader to creating a human-first freelance platform sheds light on the evolving future of work — one where delegation isn’t a dirty word but rather an art grounded in process and purpose. In this episode, we...
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Resolutions vs. Commitment: Why Most Goals Fail by Week Three | Midweek Momentum
No More Mondays
By the third week of January, something predictable happens when it comes to New Year's resolutions: either the wheels come off or the credit card comes out! In this Midweek Momentum, Angie Callen breaks down why most resolutions fail (often by January 9), why rigid, borrowed goals set us up for frustration, and what actually creates sustainable commitment instead. Using real-life examples — from the infamous “75 Hard” challenge to fitness, work, and life design — Angie reframes failure as feedback and invites you to rethink goals through the lens of values, purpose, and...
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Success, AI, and Authentic Leadership: Living Real with Camille Preston
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What if success isn’t about pushing harder or checking every box but about showing up authentically and listening deeply to yourself? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Camille Preston, a business psychologist, executive coach, and author of Living Real, who sparks a powerful conversation about what it means to live a meaningful career and life amid the pressures of modern work and rapid technological change. Camille brings a fresh blend of science, lived experience, and practical wisdom, especially for high achievers who feel the weight of performance yet struggle with a quiet...
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Perspective Is a Choice: Design Your Career (and Life) | Midweek Momentum
No More Mondays
In this week’s Midweek Momentum, Angie dives into one of the most powerful — and overlooked — skills in the future of work: perspective. Inspired by her conversation with Vicki Landers and a powerful moment from last week’s Job Seeker Summit, this episode explores the difference between living by default and designing your career — and your life — on purpose. From scarcity vs. abundance thinking to navigating disruption (including AI) without fear, this is a reminder that while change is inevitable, how you respond is a choice. This isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending hard...
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Choosing Your Change: Lens Shifts for Purposeful Leadership and Life with Vicki Landers
No More Mondays
How do you recognize when your career or life path no longer fits—and how do you navigate the challenge of changing course without losing yourself? In this episode, I chat with Vicki Landers, a coach and speaker whose leadership and healthcare background blend with deep life experience. Vicki’s story of leaving corporate healthcare to become a coach reveals the power of conscious choice, perspective shifts, and giving yourself grace through transitions. Vicki shares how she navigated identity changes, including the evolving role of caregiver, and how small adjustments in how you see your...
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Midweek Momentum: Why Humans Still Matter in the Future of Work
No More Mondays
Midweek Momentum is back — with a new format and a renewed focus on what matters most: humans. In this first Midweek Momentum of 2026, Angie introduces the evolution of these Wednesday mini-episodes and shares why the future of work isn’t about chasing AI tools or feeding fear — it’s about being an AI-enabled human on purpose. From the origin of No More Mondays to the launch of her new book, Scary Good: Discovering Life Beyond the Sunday Scaries, Angie unpacks what’s stayed constant across 230+ episodes: agency, meaning, human connection, and building careers and lives that...
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Why Putting People First Is the Leadership Move for 2026
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How do you lead teams in a way that puts people first—not just as a slogan, but as an everyday practice? In this episode, Angie Callen welcomes Earl Hoeg, founder of PeopleFirst and a leader with over 30 years of experience driving results through genuine human connection. Earl’s journey started in the Canadian federal government, where he learned a powerful lesson early on: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. This episode dives deep into what it really means to put people first, why many workplace cultures miss the mark, and how leaders can build trust...
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Authenticity vs. Oversharing — Advice for Building Your Personal Brand
No More Mondays
Authenticity doesn’t mean oversharing — it means connection. In this week’s Double Shot, Mike Kim explains how to build a “campfire brand”: warm, inclusive, and human. Learn how to share your message in a way that people actually want to gather around — and remember. #MidweekMomentum #NoMoreMondaysPodcast #AuthenticBranding
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Making Fun a Habit: Creativity, Curiosity, and Reclaiming Joy at Work with Mike Brennan
No More Mondays
What if fun wasn’t something you earned after the work was done — but something that actually made the work better? In this episode of No More Mondays, Angie Callen sits down with Mike Brennan, creative consultant, professional artist, and author of Make Fun a Habit: The Creative Playbook for Making Life and Work Fun Again, to explore why so many of us have lost touch with play — and what happens when we intentionally bring it back. In a world that rewards busyness, seriousness, and constant productivity, Mike challenges the idea that fun is frivolous or optional. Instead, he makes a...
info_outlineWhat if fun wasn’t something you earned after the work was done — but something that actually made the work better?
In this episode of No More Mondays, Angie Callen sits down with Mike Brennan, creative consultant, professional artist, and author of Make Fun a Habit: The Creative Playbook for Making Life and Work Fun Again, to explore why so many of us have lost touch with play — and what happens when we intentionally bring it back.
In a world that rewards busyness, seriousness, and constant productivity, Mike challenges the idea that fun is frivolous or optional. Instead, he makes a compelling case that creativity, curiosity, and joy are not luxuries — they’re necessities for sustainable work, innovation, and well-being.
This conversation is thoughtful, practical, and surprisingly grounding — especially for leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who don’t consider themselves “creative,” but feel something missing in how they work and live.
In this episode, we explore:
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Why modern work culture has trained us to equate seriousness with success
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How “being busy” has become a badge of honor — and what it’s costing us
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The difference between being artistic and being creative (and why everyone is creative)
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How creativity shows up in unexpected ways: systems, strategy, organization, and problem-solving
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Why fun works best when it’s part of the process — not a reward at the end
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How curiosity opens the door to new ideas, energy, and possibility
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The power of small creative habits (10–15 minutes a day) and their cumulative effect
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Why perfectionism and efficiency can actually block innovation
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How play and rest help us solve problems more effectively than pushing harder
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Mike’s personal journey through burnout, depression, and rediscovering creativity
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What it looks like to integrate creativity into real life — even during “sucky” tasks
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Why ambition and joy don’t have to compete with each other
A key takeaway:
Fun doesn’t mean pizza parties or forced cheerfulness.
Creativity doesn’t mean painting or performing.
It means allowing space for curiosity, play, and enjoyment — so you can bring your best thinking, energy, and humanity into the work you’re already doing.
If you’ve been feeling burned out, stuck, or disconnected from your work — or if your inner voice has been nudging you that something needs to change — this episode will meet you right where you are.
About Mike Brennan
Mike Brennan is a creative consultant, professional artist, live sketcher, and host of the Creative Chats podcast. He helps individuals and organizations reconnect with creativity as a practical, everyday tool for better work and a more joyful life. His work blends art, storytelling, and mindset to help people rediscover curiosity, purpose, and play.
Resources & Links
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Mike Brennan’s website: https://mikebrennan.me
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Book: Make Fun a Habit: The Creative Playbook for Making Life and Work Fun Again
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Newsletter: Daily Creative Habit (weekly creative prompts delivered every Monday)
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Podcast: Creative Chats
Final thought
You don’t need more time, permission, or talent to bring creativity into your life.
You just need curiosity — and the willingness to try something small.
Because ambition doesn’t have to come at the expense of joy.